I wanted to blame some animal, but that didn’t correlate. As far as I knew, the only creature that laid down spike strips was human. But why would someone target a shuttle bus? I crossed my arms and searched the area for a second time.
It had grown dark now, any sunlight remaining in the sky blocked out by the trees surrounding us on all sides.
The heat of the day had been replaced by a cool breeze, and people speaking quietly, there wasn’t any other sound out here. The flickering of a light caught my eye. I looked past everyone to the guard shack.
“Over there.” I pointed, watching as the light flickered twice more before staying on.
“Is that… there’s someone inside,” Gracelyn said.
“What is he doing?” the redhead asked, narrowing her brown eyes.
That was a good question. He had yet to look up. Even if he somehow miraculously missed our group, he couldn’t overlook the damned shuttle.
“He could be a serial killer,” a girl with glasses and shoulder-length hair implied. I recognized her from when she’d gotten on board with the brunette.
“Yeah, I don’t really think that’s the case,” Maverick replied dryly, running a tattooed hand through hair dark enough to be black, manipulating it back into an unkempt style.
“Our driver is missing. If that dude’s been there the whole time, don’t cha think he saw what happened?” Glasses sassed.
While I didn’t agree about the whole serial killer angle, it was highly abnormal for someone to witness what this guy must have and not react whatsoever.
As I stared that way, though, it became increasingly obvious that something was wrong.
“He still hasn’t moved,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, like, at all,” Mel added.
“All right, listen. Whoever isn’t comfortable walking over there should wait here, as close to the shuttle as possible. You don’t want to be out in the middle of the road if that grate opens for another car,” Ciaran declared. Glancing at me, he added, “You coming or waiting?”
“We’re all coming,” I answered for the three of us. No way were we staying behind. Mel and Gracelyn made no objections, both on the same page I was.
Ciaran surveyed our group as a whole and nodded to himself. “Let’s go then.”
He started walking and everyone followed.
I guess no one was up for being the one person who stayed behind. Couldn’t blame them for that.
Taking a quick headcount, I found there were thirteen of us in total. That was after I accounted for the people who’d died on the shuttle and the missing drive being.
I set my sights on the guard shack and the fence in front of us. It ran straight across on either side, disappearing into the dark of the woods.
“Where’s that fog coming from?” Gracelyn asked.
“Shouldn’t be there at all, it isn’t natural,” Kyrous responded.
As we closed in on the shack, a wave of confusion swept through the group.
“Um…?” the redhead trailed off.
I looked through the Plexiglas with a frown, stating the obvious. “He isn’t real.”
The man was nothing but a dummy, an actual wax figure dressed as a security guard.
Even more concerning than that was the laminated note and recorder taped to the window. The word PRESS ME had been typed out in bold, blocky letters. A small black arrow pointed to the device. Below the window was an oil drum with a decent sized hole drilled into the top.
Maverick took it upon himself to hit the button on the recorder. There was a slight whirring noise, and then a woman’s cheery voice began to speak.
“Please place all mobile phones into the drum, and then you may proceed to the route.”
The recording clicked off, leaving no further instructions or an explanation as to what the hell was going on.
“The route?”
I took another look around, my eyes eventually landing on a graveled path that ran between the trees on the other side of the fence. I was going to go out on a limb and assume that’s what they meant.
“There’s a sign a bit further up ahead,” the brunette said, gesturing in the general direction I’d just been looking.
“You’re not really going to do what this thing says?” Redhead objected. “That’s crazy.”
“You got a better idea, Pebbles?” Charon asked.
“Selena,” she emphasized, disdain for the nickname he’d used evident in her tone, “and no, not at the moment.”
“We should follow the directive. We’ve already determined we can’t go back the way we came,” one of the older women reasoned, reaching past us to drop her cell into the drum. There was a faint splash as it landed in whatever liquid was inside.
I began to protest, ultimately being ignored as the others followed her lead. I shook my head and moved away from the group, breaking free of their restrictive bubble. Mel and Grace were quick to do the same.
Hearing what I swore was a twig snap, I looked over my shoulder in the direction it had come from. Gracelyn and Mel met my eye. I silently asked, “Did you hear that?”
They both nodded, their body language becoming uneasy.
I strained to hear if it would happen again, but the brunette’s voice drowned out anything I could have detected.
“There, we’ve all done it. Your turn now.”
I ignored her and focused on the others. “After what just happened and that recording we heard on the shuttle, what makes you think this is a good idea?”
“That’s what I want to know,” Mel muttered, “and my phone’s back on the bus. I lost it during the crash.”
“I don’t have mine either,” Gracelyn said. “It’s in my bag.”
“Whoever does have a phone, can they please put it in the barrel like the sign says.” Mr. Authority pleaded.
“I’ve yet to hear why that’s a good idea.”
“Do you have a better plan?” Kyrous asked.
“Yeah. Not taking instructions from a tape recorder,” I retorted.
Something metal clinked from somewhere in the woods. The girl in glasses huddled closer to Maverick.
“I don’t think we’re alone out here,” she murmured.
Right on cue, another few branches snapped from the opposite direction—this time clearly closer than before. Had someone been watching us this entire time?
I looked over my shoulder again but still didn’t see anyone.
Melantha looked at me, the question of what to do in her eyes. The three of us wouldn’t split up—that wasn’t an option—and it was clear where she stood in her opinion. There was more breaking of twigs, another low clicking noise accompanying them. What the hell was that?
People began to talk at once, urging us—more specifically me—to give up our phones, starting to panic.
I was torn. One option screamed logic, but it was also laced with a fair amount of stupidity. Did I really want to go through the fence that looked as if it were meant to guard a maximum-security prison? Absolutely not. But the alternative was standing here to face whatever was coming my way. There wasn’t anywhere I could run or hide unless I fled into the woods. That was Dumb Shit Not To Do 101.
Ciaran, who hadn’t said a word during any of this, suddenly maneuvered himself so he was the only thing I could see, planting himself right in front of me. My chin was lifted with a gentle tilt, eyes ensnared within his.
“You’re going to give Maverick your phone to put in the barrel, and if that gate slides open, we’re going in. Do you understand?” His vocal inflection didn’t change, making his irrefutable command come across that much louder.
Something reflected in his gaze sent a chill down my spine, daring me to object.
I couldn’t pull away or bring myself to remove his touch, invoking a flurry of different emotions that hit all at once. The note of command didn’t sit well with me, though. I opened my mouth to tell him he could fuck off. Before I could get out one word of protest, he deprived me of my fr
ee will.
He dropped his hand and spun me around, securing me to his solid body with one arm going across my chest.
“Go stand by the gate!” he commanded the group. “We’ll be right behind you.”
They hesitated for only a second, then began racing towards the entrance.
“Get off me!” I demanded, tugging on his wrist.
“I’m doing this for you,” he said softly, reaching into my pocket for my phone.
Mel and Gracelyn attempted to come to my aid, but Charon and Kyrous were all but carrying them away. Just as Ciaran retrieved my cell, something whizzed past us and made impact with the window, shattering it into pieces. My eyes rounded as soon as my brain registered what it was.
“Oh, hell no!”
I immediately gave up resisting, snatching the phone and throwing it to his friend my damn self.
Before I could see it land safely within Maverick’s hands, I was being forced to run towards the others. I assumed it made it into the barrel, because the gate began to slide open.
We squeezed through with Maverick thankfully right behind us. When we came to a stop near the others, I tore my hand from Ciaran’s and whirled around.
The gate was already sliding shut, a locking mechanism clicking loudly into place.
I took a few steps towards it, and then paused, mind scrambling to understand what the hell had just happened. My pulse was racing, heart pounding to keep up. Every muscle in my body was still tensed and ready to run.
The group began talking amongst themselves, all agreeing that we should keep moving. Gracelyn and Mel came to stand beside me, not saying a word.
There were a million things that could have been said, but where did we start?
I sucked in a deep breath, inhaling a cocktail of magnetic notes—a mix of warm cinnamon, mint, and masculine leather. I knew who had just stepped up on the other side of me without needing to look, but I didn’t know what to say to him right now either.
I was livid that he’d forced me in here but also grateful, because it had more than likely just saved my life. The giant arrow sticking out of the wax figure was solid proof of that.
“You saw that the gate opened?”
“Obviously,” I replied, still not looking at him.
“You saw it opened only after we put your phone in the barrel?”
I hesitated to respond, my anger ebbing as I turned that over in my head.
He didn’t need me to answer. The question was rhetorical. It also shed some light on a potential aspect of our current predicament.
“For my phone to be the one needed to get in here, someone would have to know I still had it.”
“Exactly,” he affirmed. “I think what just happened is proof of that.”
“Wait, hold up.” I crossed my arms and partially angled my body towards his.
“So not only did someone lay out a spike strip to sabotage our shuttle bus and then kidnap the driver, but they placed booby traps too? And now they’re somehow aware of minor details, like me having my phone but not Mel or Grace? That’s your theory?”
Now he turned, placing himself directly in front of me, bringing our chests inches apart with zero regard for my personal space.
“Someone did sabotage our shuttle bus. The driver is missing, and none of us could get through that gate until after we put your phone in the barrel.”
His matter-of-fact tone needled my last nerve. “Don’t forget the part where someone’s watching us.”
“Guys?” Gracelyn attempted to interject.
Ciaran rocked back with a small laugh, a cool smirk lifting one corner of his mouth as he stared down at me.
“Is two plus two not four to you, puppet? Did an arrow not almost impale your ass for refusing to follow simple instructions? If you have a theory that explains this shit better than mine, babygirl, feel free to share. I’m sure we’d all love to hear it.”
Everyone stared at the two of us, their silence elongating as they waited for me to respond. Ciaran slightly lifted a brow as if to say, “Well?”
I clenched my jaw and turned away from him, considering both his version of things and mine. One made much more sense than the other, mainly because his had logic to it—and proof, from the crash to them being unable to proceed without me giving up my phone.
My face heated from a mixture of frustration and embarrassment. I felt like a toddler that had thrown a tantrum.
“And the arrow?” I questioned, still stubbornly wanting to be right.
“I’m gonna take a gander and say that had its intended effect,” Mr. Authority added softly.
He was right. Whoever shot it had triggered me into cooperating. Meaning, they’d missed on purpose. My lips flattened into a thin line, I stared at the gate as if it were the reason for all our problems.
The idea of being shut inside whatever this was.
I dropped my eyes to the ground. Ciaran placed a hand on my shoulder as if to offer… comfort? An apology? Honestly, I didn’t need the latter or want the former.
I could have just gotten someone seriously hurt. Or killed.
I could’ve screwed us all. Although I wasn’t sure this scenario was any better.
We’d just been herded like a flock of sheep. There could very well be a pack of wolves waiting in anticipation to slaughter us one by one. I didn’t know about any of these other people, but me and my friends wouldn’t be going out like that.
“Do you need a minute to throw a fit?” Ciaran asked, his tone much too smug for my liking.
I clenched my hands and took another breath, this time to prevent myself from punching him in the dick. He suddenly brought his mouth to my ear and spoke loud enough for only me to hear.
“Put your claws away, puppet. It’s a little too soon for foreplay.”
My mouth slackened. A breathy, humorless laugh expelled from between parted lips. I had to have misheard.
I turned back towards him just as he began to walk away. “What did you say to me?”
“I said, you’re welcome,” he casually tossed over his shoulder, not sparing me a second glance.
The group eyed the two of us, ultimately trailing after him when he took the lead, kindly checking on the older women on his way. Gracelyn and Melantha stayed with me, varying emotions splashed across their faces.
“What did that asshat say to you?” Mel asked as soon as there was a semblance of space between us and the others.
I tampered down the inane urge to defend him.
“Nothing. Not anything important, anyway.” Gnawing the inside of my cheek, I stared after him.
A memory edged along my subconscious, triggered by something he’d just said.
CHAPTER THREE
The white sign said ENTER in large black letters. An arrow beside the word was aimed at the graveled path the others had just vanished down.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to point out the obvious. A road in the middle of seemingly nowhere after what we’d just gone through was a huge red flag.
On top of the obvious reasons not to follow the arrow, you couldn’t see where this path led or ended.
“This is getting way too weird for me,” Mel grumbled.
“Weird?” Grace parroted. “You mean creepy, right?”
“Wait,” I interjected. “What about that message we heard before the crash? The one about entering the Devil’s Playground?”
“Fuck me,” Mel sighed, removing her flannel and tying it around her waist. She wasn’t wearing a bra beneath her tank, which made her nipple piercings clear as crystal. She wouldn’t give a damn who looked so there wasn’t a reason to point them out. “You think that’s what this leads to?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I can’t say yes or no for sure, but where else would it go?”
“Then what are we going to do?” Gracelyn asked, shifting closer to me.
There were only two options. Wait here and see if anything happened, or be productive in finding a way out of this mess and fo
llowing everyone else.
“Let’s go, we’ve dealt with far worse than a dark road before.” I locked arms with each of them and started walking.
Have you ever felt like you’ve entered an alternate reality? That’s where I was at. There wasn’t any other way to explain what was happening, or the buildings beginning to take shape. As we drew closer to them, Melantha asked the million-dollar question.
“Why is there a whole fucking city in the middle of the woods?”
Neither me nor Gracelyn had an answer. If I were tripping off acid, I might’ve been able to come up with something. As it was, her guess would be just as good as mine. Though technically, the city was on the other side of the woods. We still had a bit of distance to cover before reaching it.
At the end of the road was a sheer drop-off, leaving us with only one direction. Right didn’t lead to anywhere but more woods, while left would take us downhill and seemingly towards the city that had become visible.
Melantha crossed her arms, staring down at it. “Now I agree with you, Grace. This is creepy.
“I knew something wasn’t right. Everything about this feels wrong.” She grew quiet and trailed off, leaving her sentence hanging as she toyed with the hem of her racerback.
We needed to keep going, regardless. If Ciaran was right and someone was watching us, who was to say they weren’t lurking in the woods right this moment? What if it was the person who’d shot an arrow, just waiting for one of us to attempt and go the other way?
I know that sounded insane, but at this point I wouldn’t declare it improbable. The only problem was that we had no way of knowing if we were heading towards more danger or safety. I doubted it was the second, but I was trying to be optimistic.
“Let’s keep going,” I said, moving a little faster.
We speed-walked down the path, rounding a bend that took us deeper and deeper between the trees until the view of the city vanished completely. Hearing a twig snap from off to our right, we shared a look and picked up the pace. That was the first thing I’d heard since being back at the gate.
There oddly wasn’t any sound out here. Not a bird. Not a cricket. I couldn’t even hear the wind. There was only silence, a lone moon, and infinite darkness that seemed to be pressing in on us from every direction. Good thing I’d never been afraid of the dark.
Periculum: Unus (Devil's Playground Book 1) Page 3