Huntress Initiate

by Jamie Davis

This time, however, Cindy twisted in an unbelievable, back-cracking motion and rolled over before Quinn could react. The black eyes bored into hers and the possessed woman punched upward with both hands before Quinn’s descending attack even got close to her.

  The blow propelled Quinn off the ground and slammed her into the jagged rocks of the tunnel’s ceiling eight feet above. Her knife flew from her hand to clatter to the floor nearby.

  By the time Quinn fell back to the ground, Cindy had continued her roll to the side and sprung to her feet with impossible speed.

  Quinn's feet scrabbled at the loose rocks on the cave floor as she tried to get up.

  The other woman took a step toward Quinn and landed a kick at her midsection. The blow struck hard enough to knock the wind out of her, as well as send her tumbling to slam into Rutherford’s still form.

  Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs after the stunning attacks, Quinn struggled again to get to her feet.

  Cindy pounced on Quinn before she could get up, kneeling above her so her knees pinned Quinn’s arms to her sides.

  Then the possessed woman rained blows on Quinn’s unprotected head and face while she cackled with evil glee.

  A voice sounded from the cave opening. “Enough! Get the gem from her first, then you can do as you please.”

  Quinn turned her dazed and bloody head toward the entrance. Myles had crawled partway through the opening and now shone his flashlight across the sloped floor at them.

  Hands began digging through her clothing and into the gym bag beneath her robe, searching through pockets real or imagined for many long seconds.

  Quinn’s groggy mind struggled to reset and find a way to get free. Her feeble attempts to resist were met with two quick punches to her gut, leaving her gasping for breath again.

  Cindy snarled as she finished her search. “There’s nothing but this cell phone and car keys, plus some clothes in a bag.”

  “Drag her up here to the opening and we’ll pull her through,” Myles said. “We’ll search her again on this side.”

  “What do you want me to do with your underling?”

  “Leave him, but take his flashlight. If he can find his way out on his own, he might be worth keeping around. Otherwise, he’ll die as he deserves.”

  Quinn was rolled over until she was face-down. Cindy wrenched her arms backward until her wrist crossed. Something was wrapped around her wrists and pulled tight, then Cindy shoved her into the opening head-first. Other hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her through to the larger area on the other side.

  Two people lifted Quinn to her feet, holding her in place when she swayed and began to fall.

  She lifted her head, struggling to bring everything into focus. Flashlights shone into her eyes, blinding her so she couldn’t see much more than a cluster of shadows around her.

  Finally, the lights moved away, and Quinn blinked away the purple dots swimming in her eyes.

  In front of her stood Myles Hickman, CEO of VirSync and the high priest of this evil clan of demonic cultists or whatever they were.

  Quinn, frustrated by her capture, finally found her voice. She shouted at him, “Let me go.”

  Myles smiled. “Oh, my dear, there is no reason for me to release you. You have caused quite a bit of disturbance since you came here.”

  He turned his attention to those holding her. “Search her again. Find the gem.”

  Quinn struggled again to no avail as hands patted her down, searching her pockets. They removed the robe and searched her jeans pockets, too.

  They were not gentle. When the one on her left groped her breasts during the search, she stomped hard on the guy’s foot.

  This earned her a punch in the gut that bent her over with a groan.

  Quinn had trouble standing upright again to face her captors. Her battered body was starting to fail her.

  “We can’t find it, my lord. She doesn’t have it on her.”

  Myles nodded and returned his attention to Quinn. “Where is it? Where is the Ruby Heart?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I got turned around and got lost down here.”

  “Nonsense. You’ve been working against our purposes since you arrived. It’s the only thing that makes sense. You’re the only candidate who failed to complete the missions or make a kill. Did the woman you were chasing really fall into the harbor, or was that just a story you made up after you helped her escape?”

  Quinn couldn’t resist the smile that spread across her face. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  Myles' expression darkened. “That type of insolence will not help you in this situation, my dear. Tell me what you did with the gem. That is the only thing that will improve your fate.”

  Quinn forced a laugh. “Do you expect me to believe anything is going to change if I tell you where that gem of yours is? I have a good idea about what you have in store for me. I’ve seen what you do to people down here.”

  She stared at Cindy and Fergus, who both returned her gaze with their pitch-black eyes.

  “You saw that, did you?” Myles asked with a broad grin. “We are merely fulfilling our unholy charge. These are but the vanguard of a whole army of warriors from the netherworld who will come into this land. Eventually, we will replace the leadership of every country with those who follow us or with possessed shells. Then there will be no one to resist us.”

  “Do you really think that’s going to work? Don’t you think people will notice folks walking around with pitch-black eyes like theirs? Look at them.” Quinn pointed at Cindy and Fergus. “When someone sees them like that, they’re going to shoot first and ask questions later.”

  “I think you will find our possessed fellows are far more formidable than mere humans. Once brought through the portal to invest in a human body, the netherworlders are able to significantly strengthen the weak physical form that is the human body. As they assimilate to our world and their hosts, over time, they will master their vessels, and the eyes will return to normal. No one will be able to see the difference.”

  “The hunters will know.”

  The statement produced the first crack in Myles’s confidence.

  “How do you know about the hunters? You’re not old enough to have been around during the purge.”

  Quinn smiled. “I know the hunters aren’t as dead as you think they are. I know the hunters are converging even now on this place. They’ve found you, and once they’ve gathered their strength, your little plan for world domination is over.”

  Myles gazed into Quinn’s eyes as if trying to determine the truth of what she’d said.

  “You’re bluffing.”

  “Am I? You said it yourself. I shouldn’t know anything about the hunter clans. Did you really think you’d manage to get all of them in your so-called purge?”

  Fergus turned to Myles. “You assured our masters the hunter clans were no longer a threat.”

  “She’s lying, can’t you see that? She’s stalling to keep us from killing her outright.”

  Cindy said, “Until we ascertain the truth of her words, we must keep her for further questioning. This does not bode well for our plans on this plane, priest. There are those below who need to hear of it.”

  Myles paused before nodding to the demon-possessed candidates.

  “Very well. We will hold her for now without killing her. She’s lying. I know it. But there is no harm in keeping her alive until you’re both satisfied we’re not in any danger.” Myles pointed to the two cultists holding her. “Take her up to the basement level. Restrain her in one of the rooms there, and guard her until further notice. Do not leave that door unattended for any reason. Do you understand?”

  The man to Quinn’s right nodded. “Yes, my lord.”

  Quinn smiled at Myles and didn’t try to resist as they pulled her back down the passage toward the ceremonial chamber.

  Myles paid her no attention as she was dragged away, instead turning his gaze upon several other cultists who ha
d shown up to join the search. “Don’t just stand there. Search this entire passage. She must’ve hidden the gem in here somewhere. Find it, or so help me, I’ll make you all the next candidates for transference.”

  A chorus sounded from the group. “Yes, my lord.”

  The two male cultists holding Quinn continued to pull her down the rough tunnel. She knew she had to try to break their grip. Then she might have a chance to run back up the passage before they caught her. She’d figure out how to cut her hands loose later.

  They weren’t stupid. Her captors were ready for her.

  As soon as Quinn jerked her arms to pull free, the one to her right punched her in the gut again.

  The air rushed out of her as she groaned at the pain and doubled over between them, meeting the rising knee of the other cultist, which cracked into Quinn’s forehead so hard she blacked out for a split second.

  Her captors held her up until her legs started working again. The one on her left said, “Stop struggling, or we’ll knock you out and carry you the rest of the way.”

  For a second, Quinn almost dared him to do it, but she realized he had no compunction about not injuring her. She’d merely end up unconscious and trapped. At least if she was awake, she’d know where they’d taken her. She had to trust there’d be another opportunity to get loose and find a way out.

  The pair hauled Quinn back to the ceremonial chamber, past the glowing brazier, and up the long tunnel that led to the elevator. And she passed the alcove with Taylor’s body, Quinn glanced inside to see if her friend was still there.

  She was.

  There were several other cultists in there with her, standing around the two tables where she and the other naked candidate lay, ready for another ceremony.

  Quinn knew it would happen if she didn’t figure a way to get Taylor out of here. They’d find the gem sooner or later. She had to get free as quickly as possible.

  When they reached the elevator, they pushed her inside, shoving her from behind so she slammed painfully into the metal grid on the far side. Her escorts laughed, pulled the elevator doors closed, and punched the button to return them to the basement above.

  Once they were on that level, they took Quinn through the preparation room and back through the long corridor. About a third of the way down, they stopped at one of the doors with a card reader and a lock mounted on the door.

  “This one will do.” The cultist pulled a keycard from his pants pocket and used it to unlock the door.

  The other one shoved her between the shoulder blades so she stumbled into the small storeroom with shelves along the walls.

  Quinn banged against the metal shelves against the far wall before she regained her balance. She turned to glare at the two as they shut the door.

  Trying to see where she was, Quinn activated her night vision ability. “Dammit, I need to see.”

  As soon as she spoke the words, the room became visible.

  There were no other exits. The shelves held cleaning supplies, and a mop and a wheeled bucket stood in the corner.

  Quinn knew her captors were just outside. She had to remain silent while she tried to free herself.

  She sat down and stretched her arms out behind her to pass her bound hands beneath her feet.

  Quinn grunted through the pain as the bindings twisted and dug into her wrists while she performed the maneuver. She finally stretched her arms enough to bring them to the front.

  Ignoring the pain and bloody cuts on her wrists, Quinn examined the thick plastic zip-ties that bound her wrists. They were too thick to break using brute strength, so she started looking for something she could use to cut through the plastic.

  Getting back to her feet, Quinn searched the room in earnest. There had to be something in here she could use. Scanning each of the shelves in turn, Quinn finally found something that might do the trick.

  The old rusted metal putty knife had fallen behind the shelf on the right. She managed to move enough of the containers out of the way to reach in and pull it free.

  Quinn examined the broad, flat blade. The edge was dull and rusty, and had definitely seen better days. It would probably do the trick, though, given enough time.

  Sitting on the floor with her knees bent and her feet flat on the ground, Quinn placed the plastic handle between her feet so she could hold it steady. She pressed the plastic tie against it with the thin metal blade between her palms.

  Quinn started sliding her hands back and forth, pressing the plastic ties against the metal blade. It hurt her injured wrists, but she gritted her teeth against the pain as she applied pressure.

  Quinn kept at it for several minutes and finally managed to snap the first of the thick plastic ties. Nearly free, Quinn worked on the second one until it, too, broke.

  She rubbed her sore wrist, examining the places where the plastic had gouged her skin. The bleeding wasn’t very bad and would probably stop on its own. It didn’t appear to have done any permanent injury. She was more worried about what her battered face looked like, and whether she had a concussion from the beating Cindy had given her.

  Turning her attention back to the contents of the tiny room, Quinn focused on finding some way to give herself an advantage so she could break free.

  She assumed Clark and Miranda had come after her. When they did, they’d run right into a potential trap. She needed to get loose and warn them the cultists were still here in force.

  Looking around at the contents of the room, a plan started forming as she took stock of what she had available.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  She didn’t rush because she had to be careful. She didn’t want to make any noise that might alert the guards outside the door she was up to something, or that she’d freed her hands.

  When she’d finished her search, Quinn scanned every shelf, remembering what was on each of them.

  There were numerous bottles of cleaning chemicals. She’d initially considered using them to try to create some kind of chemical bomb or gas but decided that was a bad idea. She had not been much of a chemistry or science student in school, and she figured she’d be just as likely to injure herself as the guards.

  In the end, the only things Quinn found that could approximate a weapon were the paint scraper and the wooden mop handle. She unscrewed the handle from the mop head, then, using a nearly empty roll of packing tape, Quinn attached the scraper.

  The resulting weapon looked like it would only be dangerous to a large can of putty or plaster, but it was all she had.

  Quinn was working through her plan of attack when the door opened behind her, spilling bright light into the room.

  She spun, whipping the mop handle around to brandish the flat scraper edge at the open doorway.

  A laughing voice met her lunge as a hand batted away the poor excuse for a weapon.

  “What are you going to do with that, kid?” Clark asked, his tall form casting a shadow into the room.

  Upon hearing his voice, Quinn relaxed as relief flooded through her. “Thank God you’re here. Is Miranda with you?”

  The female sorceress stepped into view. “I’m here.”

  “Good! Hey, where did the two—” Quinn began, stepping into the hallway. The two cultists stood there next to Miranda, staring at Quinn without moving.

  The sight of them startled her for a split second. She almost launched a roundhouse kick at the one who’d punched her in the gut twice, but she managed to regain control.

  “What did you do to those two?”

  Miranda smiled. “I froze them in a time bubble. It’ll fade in ten to fifteen minutes and they won’t remember any of us being here. If we close the door, they’ll think you’re still inside.”

  “Nice trick.” Quinn turned to Clark. “They’ve got Taylor down below under some sort of spell. I can’t make her wake up, but maybe you or Miranda can.”

  “Wait a minute,” Clark said, holding up a hand to slow Quinn down. “We risked everything to come in here to get you. W
e’re not going to traipse around to rescue your friend, too.”

  “That’s the only reason I came back. I told you that from the beginning. I’m not leaving without her.”

  For a few seconds, Clark stared at her. Quinn met his glare, her eyes as steely as his.

  He tried to loom over her as if he could scare her into doing as he said. She bristled at him and opened her mouth to tell him what he could do with his orders.

  Clark started to say something at the same time.

  Before either of them could shout at the other, Miranda stepped between them. “Settle down, both of you. We’re not going to get anywhere arguing about this, and we can’t stay here in the midst of these animals anyway. I don’t have much energy left, and from the look of your face, Quinn, you are about finished, too.”

  “I can still get the job done. Don’t worry about me.”

  Miranda held up her hand to stop Quinn. “How far away is she?”

  Quinn pointed down the corridor to the door at the end of the hall. “Through there is an elevator leading down to a system of tunnels and caves below the building. She’s being held down there. It’s not far.”

  “Was that where you saw the ceremonial chamber and the gem?” Miranda asked.

  Quinn nodded. “That part is much farther down the tunnel. There are eight to ten of the cultists down there, based on what I saw on my way up. I think they’ll be busy for a while since I took their precious Ruby Heart and put it somewhere it’ll be hard to find. If we go right now, we should be able to get to Taylor and the other one and get back out before they come to check on her.”

  Miranda glanced at Clark.

  The hunter let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. Let’s get moving. We need to be on the way out of here five minutes ago.”

  He started toward the door at the end of the corridor, but Quinn stopped him.

  “Wait, we need something first.”

  She ran to the room with all the robes, grabbed two of them, and returned to where Miranda and Clark stood waiting.

  “What are they for?” Clark asked.

  “You’ll see.” She pointed at the two catatonic cultists who’d been guarding the door. “What about them?