Last Escape

by Pauline Creeden

  Dean nodded and kept pace with me. We caught up with George.

  "How much longer until we reach the end? Where does this tunnel lead?" Dean asked.

  Before George could answer, we heard a howl down the tunnel that lead from the main house. My blood ran cold, and I stumbled as my joints locked up in fear. Seven stopped and spun around, her hackles raising again, and her teeth bared.

  Dean caught me and helped me back to my feet. "Are you okay?"

  I nodded. "I'm fine. But we're not going to be for long. It sounded close."

  "And it sounded like a wolf." George stood beside me, his fingernails back at his lips.

  Dean tugged on my arm. "We need to go."

  I shook my head. "You go. Take George and get him safely down the tunnel. I'll hold it off."

  He blinked at me. "You're kidding. I'm the guy here. You take George down the tunnel and I'll hold it off."

  I shook my head and glared at him. "This is not the time to be chivalrous. You're not even armed."

  He shrugged. "Then give me your short sword. I can take care of this; I'm better equipped for a fight."

  This was a stupid argument. Just because he was a man, he believed he needed to defend me and George? He was a cab driver, for goodness sake. Even though he was well built, he didn't seem to be in fighting shape to me. I grabbed a handful of aluminum from my pocket. Pointing my hand down the alley, I blew on it. A small fireball formed, engulfing the full tunnel and momentarily blinding us all with its sudden flash of light. I drew my sword from the scabbard and prepared myself. Then I shoved Dean in the George's direction. "Better equipped, you said? I don't think so. I've got this. Now go!"

  He frowned and blinked at me a couple times before George took his arm and pulled. Seven had placed her body against my leg as she always did when we were in for a fight. Living on the streets of Crystal City had prepared me for many things. A tough life where I had to fight to survive was normal. I could do this. No matter what was coming down the tunnel toward me, I'd give it the fight of its life.

  Chapter 7

  Another howl rent the air, causing a shiver to roll down my spine. Seven growled even louder and more aggressively, I could feel the rumbling vibration against my leg as she leaned in harder. I stood, sword ready and a hand in my pouch. The Angel Stone my grandmother had given me still sat in my jeans pocket and felt warm against my other leg. My arms began to warm in that familiar sensation I'd had before.

  Then it came into view, snarling, with saliva dripping from its jowls. It wasn't a Sasquatch at all, but a werewolf. It stood on two legs like a man, its hulking upper body reminding me of a body builder, and at the end of its arms, knife-like claws dug into the walls on both sides of the tunnel as it ripped away dirt and flung it my direction.

  My sword lit up with flames, and this time the flames were blue.

  A small amount of comfort came from seeing those flames. If this stone really had the power of guardian angels, then it had to mean that angels were real, right? And if demons like the one I faced were real, then I needed the power of the angels to help me through this situation, too.

  I swallowed hard, and felt the weight of Seven's lean leave my lower leg. "Easy, girl."

  I didn't need Seven running into a fray she couldn't win. And this monster was much bigger and stronger than any opponent we'd faced before.

  I'd never thought werewolves were real until this moment. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Stay back!"

  Then the monster chuckled. Like gravel shaken in a tin can, the sound grated on my last nerve. This monster truly was part beast and part human.

  Sparks began to fly from the tip of my sword, rising up to the dirt ceiling above us. But unlike the men I'd battled before, this beast didn't seem afraid. It leapt toward me.

  Seven snarled and met the monster on the way. She grabbed it by the wrist and tugged hard. I swung my sword in an upward arc, and it dodged my parry. But not quick enough. The flames on the edge of my sword leapt off and met the monster, setting its fur ablaze.

  It howled, and the scent of burning hair filled my nostrils. It shook off Seven, who then grabbed it by the ankle.

  Claws reached out to the walls once more and grabbed handfuls of dirt, this time, slapping the dirt against its chest and putting out the flames. Then its yellow eyes fixed on me once more and it kicked its leg out, sending Seven flying and smacking against the wall. She let out a yelp, but got back to her feet right away. Then Seven came running back in, jumping up and taking a chunk out of the monster's side before landing back on her feet, a couple yards away.

  "That's a girl! Get in, attack, and get out again." It was a technique I'd learned in martial arts as well. Even though I knew Seven couldn't understand my words, it felt better saying them.

  The monster was only momentarily distracted by its injuries. It rushed toward me once more. I swung my sword in a sideways arc, and missed the werewolf as it jumped away from my blade. But this time, no flames sparked from the sword, and I couldn't control my thrust. I tried to stop the movement of my arm, but as if controlled by the blade, I continued until my sword hit the dirt in the wall.

  Then the tunnel shook.

  "Earthquake?"

  I pulled the blade from the wall and held it up to defend myself as the knife-like claws came slashing my direction.

  Earthquakes of that magnitude just didn't happen in Virginia. Was it possible that I'd caused it? I shook my head while I thrust the sword back toward the beast. It jumped back, chest hairs ablaze once more. It flailed around, kicking at Seven once more, and grabbing more dirt to smother its chest. Seven jumped back and returned to my side.

  If I had caused the earthquake, and could cause another, possibly the tunnel could collapse. I could possibly die in the crush of it as well. But if I didn't do it, would I survive this fight anyway? Without another thought, I slammed my burning blade into the ground under my feet.

  The ground shook and portions of the roof of the tunnel fell around me like dirty rain. The werewolf stood a little more than two sword's length out in front of me, and had finally doused the flames on its chest once more. The hair in the area had become completely singed, and underneath, his skin became red and raw looking. He'd been burned this time. He dropped to all fours, looking more like a wolf as the tunnel we were in shook. Then he snarled at me, narrowing his yellow eyes. The light bars flickered.

  Then the ground in front of my sword split apart, sounding like cloth being ripped in two. The crack grew from my sword and slithered its way to the wolf, like a snake. But the wolf didn't see it. He bunched up on his haunches, his eyes fixed on me as he readied himself to pounce.

  Then the crack widened under his feet and collapsed. Panic overtook his glare, and he jumped upward trying to save himself, but he only pushed the dirt beneath him further into the hole instead. Then he disappeared down the gaping maw in front of me and the ground stopped shaking.

  From wall to wall, the hole spanned the area between me and George's house, creating a ten foot wide circle. I peered down the hole in front of me, but the light in the tunnel wasn't enough to see the bottom of the pit. I shivered. If it didn't die in the fall, it would be a cruel way to go. But did I have the time to pity the monster? Another howl called out from the direction of the house. I shivered.

  The flames on my sword snuffed out almost as instantly as they'd jumped on the steel. I shoved it back into my scabbard. If there were more of those monsters coming, I could only hope they wouldn't be able to leap over the three meter hole in the tunnel... or climb the walls. I turned and ran the direction George and Dean had left, Seven staying just ahead of me.

  When I reached the end of the tunnel, I blinked at the sudden bright light of the sun. The clouds had completely receded, but the sun was at just the right angle in the sky to shine light directly into my eyes. After blinking a couple times, I found Dean and George heading toward the neighboring property. I whistled out to them, afraid to shout, as it could draw attention
from the wolves if I did.

  They turned toward me, and a look of relief loosened Dean's tense features. I jogged over, and then stopped for a moment to catch my breath. "I stopped it, but there were more. We need to move fast."

  Dean nodded and we all jogged once more toward the neighbor's property, peering back toward George's house as we got near where the cab was parked. I could see two leather clad men entering George's front door. I frowned.

  "What was that thing?" George asked as we hopped into the cab.

  I shook my head. Would they even believe me if I told them? I could hardly believe it myself.

  Dean drove quickly out of the neighborhood. No one sat at the guard house as we passed. Would the guard work in conjunction with the Wolf gang, or had he put up a resistance and been dispatched? I shivered at the thought and hoped the man would be okay. I didn't know many of the guards by name, but recognized their faces and they were a friendly bunch of men.

  When we pulled into the marina, George leaned forward, setting a hand on my shoulder. "What are we doing here?"

  I glanced back and met his curious eyes. "Dean has a boat. We're going to use it to get everyone out of the city and to safety."

  He lifted an eyebrow and shook his head. "What kind of boat does Dean have? Can it house all of us? Would it be able to outrun the port authority if we need to? Will we need to get fuel before we can go?"

  I blinked at the questions. These were all things I hadn't given much thought to yet.

  Dean cleared his throat. "My boat is just a house boat. It doesn't have fuel yet, as I haven't moved it in over a year. I'm not sure about the port authority, but I think it will be fine with ten or so people on it."

  George frowned. "I figured as much. We shouldn't take your boat. It's too much of a risk."

  My heart sank to my stomach. No matter what I did today, I felt like a failure. Nothing was coming easy. How was I supposed to get everyone to safety now?

  "We'll take my boat." George said with a squeeze on my shoulder. He pushed up his glasses and smiled at me.

  I blinked again, and Dean and I both asked at the same time, "What boat?"

  George gave us directions to the wealthier end of the marina and there in front of us wasn't just merely a boat. It was a yacht... and it was huge. My eyes grew dry from lack of moisture as I stared at it.

  Dean stuttered for a moment. "R...r...really? You're going to let us take that?"

  George nodded. "I haven't really taken it for a spin in almost a year, but I let the captain of the ship rent it out for parties on occasion, so it should be shipshape. I'll text him and tell him to fill it up. When do you think we'll depart?" He pulled out his cell phone and began scrolling through his contacts.

  I finally found my voice. "I've got four more people to go after, but I've been thinking. It would be best if we split up."

  Dean frowned. "What do you mean, split up?"

  "If you take the cab, you can pick up the three that are near Seventeenth Street. I want to go get Mabel." I trusted what the old gypsy woman had said before. She promised that she would be fine until I returned, but I didn't want to take the risk of making her wait much longer. It would make me feel much better if we got her and got back to the ship.

  "I'm not so sure about this idea." Dean's frown deepened.

  "Trust me. I can handle myself, and I've got Seven to help. Mabel's house is in walking distance, so I don't need a cab."

  He frowned at me.

  I shook my head and pulled open the door handle on the cab. "We're wasting time. You and George go collect Albert and Gladys. Get them aboard this ship. I'll be back in no time."

  Before he could even respond, I jumped out of the car and closed the door behind me. I opened the back and patted my thigh in the silent command to Seven. Then I peered in at George. "Stay safe, okay?"

  He nodded and offered a weak smile. "You too."

  It warmed my heart that I could save George and the others. Though my throat tightened at the thought I couldn't save my grandmother. I needed to go get Mabel. I wished I'd never let her talk me into leaving her in the first place. After closing the passenger door, I spun on my heel and started away.

  "Scarlet!" Dean called out after me.

  I turned back but kept walking backwards.

  He stood on the other side of his cab with his brow wrinkled, but he was forcing a smile. "Don't do anything stupid and call me if you need help!"

  I nodded and said. "Love you too!"

  Blood rushed to my face. Yes, it was a quick declaration of love. No, I'd never let Dean know how I felt about him before. But somehow at this moment, I really felt like saying it. Who knew when I'd get the chance to do it again? The wrinkles in Dean's forehead smoothed and his eyes grew wide. He knew it wasn't just me mouthing off. He knew I meant it. He opened his mouth, but I spun around, not ready for the rejection.

  "We're going to talk about that when you get back. You hear me? Stay safe and get back, got it?" he called after me.

  My throat still felt tight with embarrassment. I waved but couldn't say anything and then I picked up a jog. Seven ran beside me, her tongue lolling, and she let out a little yip of excitement. I nodded to her and whispered. "We've got this, girl."

  Chapter 8

  The hairs on my arms stood on end as I neared Mabel's townhouse. I could tell from several feet away that her door stood ajar. I picked up my pace and sprinted up the steps to her front door. I cursed as I struggled to catch my breath.

  Seven nosed her way in and ran ahead of me to the living room area.

  There Mabel lay, her body broken in much the same manner as my Granny's had been. My eyes welled with tears as I knelt down. I hiccupped, trying to catch my breath from running as well as choke down the sobs. "Mabel!"

  Her brown eyes opened and met mine. "Scarlet... honey... I'm sorry I lied."

  I blinked at her and shook my head. I picked up her hand in mine. The slash marks across her shoulder and upper chest were similar to Granny's. Only this time, I realized that they weren't knife marks, as I'd originally thought. They were claw marks. Another werewolf?

  "Don't be too sad, honey. You've got so much to live for. I knew that if you took the time to save me before, you would have failed to save George and all the others. My life is a small price to pay for the safety of others."

  I gripped her hand fiercely, the tears flowing down my cheeks. Seven lay down next to Mabel and laid her head down on Mabel's chest.

  "Don't worry about me, Scarlet. I know where I'm going. I'll be sure to tell your grandmother hello for you."

  I shook my head harder, my voice cracking out. "Don't say that."

  She offered me a sweet smile. "It's fine, honey, really it is. But what's not fine is that this is happening at all. You need to put a stop to it."

  I blinked at her and shook my head. "Is it possible for me to do it? Just me?"

  She nodded. "This is much more focused than you think it is. It's not just the city government that sanctioned this. They are being held hostage by Wolf as well."

  I swallowed, my tears slowing. A frown pulled at my lips. "Wolf?"

  Mabel coughed, a bit of blood appearing at her lips. "Yes, Wolf. They have become too powerful, too big. You need to stop them. I've seen the vision. You can do it."

  I shivered. "How?'

  Her eyes wandered to the left and she closed them. I shook her gently, calling her name.

  Her eyelids fluttered and her gaze focused on me again. She reached up a hand toward my cheek. "I'll show you."

  Images flashed through my mind faster than I could comprehend. Explosions. Wolves. A factory downtown. The yacht. Dean. Seven. Then they disappeared as Mabel's hand fell from my face. Her lifeless eyes held no more focus.

  "No!" I cried, pulling the hand I'd been holding all this time to my chest. How could she lie to me? I could have saved her and she stopped me. The vision she gave me didn't tell me how to stop anyone. I couldn't make sense of any of it. What was I sup
posed to do? I sobbed, holding her hand for several minutes, rocking back and forth. Just me? I was supposed to bring down an organization that was holding the city hostage? All by myself?

  Impossible.

  Seven let out a low whine. I looked up at her. She sat in front of me, panting, almost looking like there was a smile on her wolfish face. Then she lifted a paw and rested it on my shoulder. The little act gave me strength and stopped me from continuing my downward spiral toward falling apart. I couldn't do this today. I needed to get my stuff together if I was going to have any chance of helping my patients, of helping the rest of the elderly in the city. How many where there? When would Wolf stop? Was there an age limit? What if they moved their threshold down a bit?

  Nothing would stop them if they truly had a grip on the city government like Mabel had said. I patted Seven on the head, released Mabel's hand and stood. The one thing that stuck out most among the images that she'd flashed before my mind was the factory. I'd seen it before, and it wasn't too far away.

  With renewed determination, I rushed out the door.

  My calves burned from the running and marching I'd done today. Though I had become used to running around town on a daily basis doing check-ins on each of my patients, I didn't normally do them at such a fast pace. Part of me regretted letting my cab ride go, but I knew Dean would save the rest of my patients and I could take solace in that. Mabel even told me that by giving up her life, she'd helped assure that the others would live in her stead. I slowed to a walk and texted Dean to tell him where I was and to see how he was doing.

  The sun dipped low on the horizon in the west, the direction I headed. I could see the smog cloud hanging over the factories on this side of town. Huge chimneys reached up toward the sky. The oil refinery's column belched smoke that appeared to have a flame at the top that was easy to see in the night but hard to see at this time of day. The vision Mabel had given me pointed to a specific factory building that I had seen on this side of town. I marched toward it with my mind focused on getting there and drawing a blank when I tried to think about what I was going to do once I arrived.