by Gavin Green
I heard Viggo behind me taking in a deep breath through his nose, like he was catching a scent of something. I waited another second in silence and then asked, "Sir, can I turn my headlamp on?"
"Very well, but do not face my direction."
I didn't ask why not. The headlamp had reflectors in it, giving off a wide radius of light. We were in what would technically be called a cavern, although it looked like a deep, wide crack into bedrock. The fissure was about six feet across where we stood, although I could see that it widened further ahead of me.
"There is a . . . creature further back behind you that is very sensitive to light," Viggo explained. "I should go tend to it for a short time. You may venture ahead if you like. Once you reach a set of metal stairs, stop there and wait for me."
"Yes sir." When I heard him move away from me, I slowly started forward. If there were any dangers ahead, I was sure Viggo would have told me. The coarse stone walls on either side of me receded into an elliptical cavern fifty feet wide and twenty feet high. The area was cluttered with loose rock, numerous little puddles, and a shitload of thin stalactites hanging overhead. The echoes of my footsteps and of dripping water were amplified in the wide space. I reminded myself that I was safe and kept moving.
Even though the ground was bedrock, I was able to see a thin path formed by loose rubble pushed to either side like crumbled curbing. It led around puddles and in-between a handful of naturally formed pillars. After about five minutes of walking, the walls gradually curved back in and the uneven ceiling steadily sloped down. I was starting to feel a little claustrophobic. My light reflected off something metal on the ground not far ahead. I could feel that the bedrock floor was slanting down toward it.
I got closer and saw that the metal was three long sections of industrial floor grates, supported by two heavy girders. The simple but sturdy bridge stretched over an abrupt chasm, a twenty-foot wide crack in the earth that my light couldn't see the bottom of. The ceiling curved into the nearly vertical wall across the chasm. The other end of the inclined bridge connected to roughly circular hole in the far wall.
The bridge itself looked strong enough, but I took no chances. I found a heavy rock and tossed it onto the first section of grating. Moving forward, I picked it up and repeated the process on the second and then third section of metal grating. I had to push the stack of boxes along with my foot. I was hunched over by the time I got near the circular cave mouth because of the lowered ceiling, and had to stay that way for the first few feet into the new cave. There was dim light ahead; I took it as a good sign.
Once through the cave mouth, I stepped onto flooring made of large flagstones. I swiveled my lamp all over and saw that I was at one end of a long, wide man-made (or hemo-made) half circle tunnel that slowly curved off to the right. The glow of lighting somewhere ahead shone on the cut stones along the left wall. More than once I looked up to admire the craftsmanship, and eventually noticed the small camera mounted in the ceiling about one hundred feet in. The length of the tunnel felt like a few football fields, but I saw the end of it coming up. Beyond the tunnel looked like another natural cavern.
Yep, I was right. The next space in front of me was crudely rectangular, with a much higher ceiling than the twelve-foot high tunnel I just came out of. The light came from the far right corner, where a single light bulb shone over a large door that was at the top of a ten-step metal staircase. Damn, it was about time. There was also another security camera bolted into the stone higher over the door. What helped to illuminate the cavern were all the broken shards of mirrored glass scattered along the outer walls. It also let me see another cave tunnel that continued beyond the stairs to locations unknown.
I set the boxes down next to the staircase, took a long swig from my flask, and waited for Viggo. I was about to sit on the stairs when suddenly the big door up and behind me burst open and slammed into the railing. It scared the shit out of me. But what came through that door, though . . . it was worse.
RESTRAINT
He - it, whatever - was fucking enormous. I wasn't too worried about details right then, so all I saw was a nearly eight-foot tall guy who was probably four feet wide at the shoulders. Most of his pale face was covered with a matted brown beard, and mud-slicked hair pulled up into a topknot. The only thing he wore was what looked like stained drapes as a toga. The monster-dude wasn't muscular, but every part of him was thick. The one thing I really noticed was his expression: pissed off. Maybe that was his natural look, but I wasn't going to wait until it was too late to find out.
I pulled my Super Shorty. Screw the Glock; I needed stopping power against the barbarian from hell. If he was a minion, he'd be tougher than normal anyway. If he was a hemo, though, I was in deep shit.
I thought the hairy giant wasn't happy to see me to begin with, but he went berserk when I drew the gun off my back. He bellowed and came at me, putting one bare foot on the third step down and swung the other with a kick that would've snapped my neck. He was fast for his size, but not nearly enough for me. When his gigantic foot sailed past me, I grabbed my gun with both hands and used it to push up on the back of his calf. The giant's leg went higher than he expected and threw him off-balance. His planted foot slid off the metal stair, and he slammed back-first onto half of the steps. He grunted; I cringed.
The giant sat up, glaring at me. "Take it easy, tiny," I said. "I don't want trouble." My worry was that the giant was another of Viggo's minions, so I was reluctant to shoot him. He roared again and launched off the dented stairs. He charged and swung with a telegraphed punch. I was easily able to duck under it and turn as he passed me. Okay, fuck reluctant; I wasn't going to keep playing tag with the huge bastard.
Before the giant could turn around, I aimed low and blasted his big butt at close range with a round of double-ought buckshot. He howled in pain and rage, grabbing at his ripped and bloody toga.
Over his broad shoulder, the giant's crazy, beady eyes found me. His crooked teeth were gritted, but he still managed to fling spittle out onto his beard with each heaving breath. While he slowly turned to face me, I stepped back hoping Viggo would show up and intervene. Never bet on hope.
With one step the giant was in my personal space like an oncoming avalanche, swinging again with a fist the size of my head. Once again I bobbed under it, and all at once lost my restraint. I was sick of hemos and their minions coming after me; hit teams, mind control, you name it. Because of them, I had to abandon my own home and go into hiding. My life and freedom were taken from me. Well, fuck them. Payback started with the oversized turd in front of me.
Point blank, I shot the giant in the ribs. Grunting and grasping at the vicious wound in his side, he staggered back on unsteady legs. Without hesitating, I raised the barrel and shot him in the chest.
The buckshot did its job. The booming blast turned the center of his chest into a grisly crimson mess. I saw the shock in his eyes and didn't feel one damn bit of remorse. The giant more than likely went down, but I never got to find out.
"You asshole," an unfamiliar male voice yelled behind me at the same time a cold hand grabbed me by the back of my neck. Before I had a chance to do anything, I was lifted off my feet and forcefully flung to one side. Airborne, I smashed sideways into a rough stone wall. I heard my shoulder pop and felt my ribs break at the same time. The side of my head felt wet as I slumped onto the hard ground. I might have seen movement and heard voices, but my vision was dimming and I couldn't make sense of sounds.
As soon as the pain began to flare, my brain decided to call it a day.
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Look for the second book of the Shadows series, 'Embracing the Shadows'
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