Hell Gate

by Josh Matthews

  Jason stared into Jeanette’s eyes, only, this time, he didn’t see fear or resignation. He saw admiration. She looked at him the way no other girl ever had, not even Sasha. It made him feel good. It made him feel like a man rather than a scared teenager.

  He bent forward and lowered his head toward Jeanette. She closed her eyes and leaned into him. Their lips met. Jason had never felt anything so wonderful. Her mouth was soft and warm. When she kissed him, his heart soared. The tip of Jeanette’s tongue ran across his lip. Sliding his left hand around her waist, Jason pulled her close.

  Jeanette broke the kiss and placed her hand on Jason’s chest, preventing him from drawing her near, though not pushing him away. “I can’t.”

  “I’m sorry.” Jason felt more disappointment than anger. He removed his arm from around her waist and slid several inches across the step. “I thought you wanted me to—”

  “I did,” Jeanette said quickly. “I mean, I do. Not now.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  She brushed the blonde hair off his face and cupped his cheeks in each hand, staring deep into his eyes. He saw the same admiration he had a few seconds before, this time mixed with affection. “I care about you, but I can’t get too close to you right now.”

  “If not now, when? We could all be dead in two days.”

  “That’s the point.” Jeanette smiled at him. “In two days we’ll be in Paris fighting for our lives. You have to stay focused on getting us to the Hell Gate and closing it, not worrying about whether your girlfriend is okay.”

  “I can manage that.”

  “Trust me on this. Put me out of your mind for the next few days. The others need you to get them to Notre Dame. Once we’ve closed the portal, we can pick up where we left off.” Jeanette kissed him on the forehead, and then stood up and headed back into the house.

  Jason watched her leave. He knew she was right, although that didn’t change how he felt about her. When she reached the front door, he called out. “Hey.”

  She paused and glanced over her shoulder.

  “So you’re teasing me to make me fight better?” Jason said it good-naturedly.

  Jeanette flashed him a coquettish smile. “No. I’m giving you a reason to live.”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Jason stood at the entrance to the subway near Nanterre Station. Red and orange tinted the underside of the clouds, and the first rays of the sun painted the sky along the eastern horizon a light blue. As the night burned away, the others caught their first glimpse of the station. Hundreds of skeletal remains littered the platform and tracks, many with limbs separated from their bodies, and most twisted at ungodly angles. Their clothes were tattered, with the remnants stained from blood and gore. Suitcases and backpacks were mixed in among the dead. The human debris field started at the end of the platform nearest the subway entrance and fanned out from there, with corpses spreading away as far as he could see. These people must have been waiting for a train to take them away when a swarm of Hell Spawn burst from the tunnel and descended on the platform. Jason tried not to imagine the carnage that must have taken place here. He knew they would more than likely experience it for themselves soon enough.

  Lilith moved up alongside Jason, leaned into his leg, and whimpered. He scratched behind her ear. “It’s okay, girl.”

  Jason focused his attention on the tunnel. The darkness inside was complete and all consuming.

  He faced the group. They had traveled all day yesterday without incident, arriving at the warehouse a half a mile from the tunnel entrance early in the afternoon. Jason had ordered an early start this morning, wanting to make sure they arrived at Notre Dame with plenty of daylight left. Leaving the horses with the four Enclavers, the rest set out on foot for Nanterre Station an hour before dawn. They had already geared up and were ready to go. Only three of the flashlights they found in the warehouse were heavy-duty systems with wide beams; Jason carried one, and Ray and Neal carried the other two, providing light for Haneef and Sasha, respectively. The other hand-held flashlights were distributed among the rest of the group, with each being taped to the barrels of their weapons. They all stood around the platform waiting on Jason. No sense in delaying the inevitable.

  “I’m not going to bore you with a pep talk because we all know what we’re facing and how important this mission is,” said Jason. “Just remember, once the shit hits the fan and we encounter the Hell Spawn, we’re all expendable. If anyone gets lost or falls behind, the rest of us go ahead without them. If anyone gets trapped by the Hell Spawn, they’re on their own. Our goal is to get to Notre Dame and close the portal. The only thing we have to protect at all costs is the device.” Jason pointed to the saddlebag draped over Doc’s shoulder. “That’s the only thing we go back for.”

  “And Doc,” said Sasha. “No one else knows how to use it.”

  “Even Doc is expendable.”

  Doc’s eyebrows raised in shock.

  “The device works by throwing it into the Hell Gate,” Jason continued. “As long as one of us gets close enough to toss it into the portal, we’ve succeeded. After that, those who are left will fight their way out. If you get separated, make your way back here. We’ll wait one full day for stragglers, and then we’ll head back to the Enclave.

  “This is it, people. Let’s make the world proud.”

  Facing the tunnel, Jason took a deep breath and slowly exhaled to steady his nerves. Jeanette stepped forward and slipped her hand around his, giving it a loving squeeze. Neither of them saw the pained expression on Sasha’s face.

  Releasing Jeanette’s hand, Jason headed off into the subway, with her right beside him. Lucifer and Lilith took up their usual position on either flank. The others followed.

  In seconds, they were swallowed up by the darkness.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  The heavy-duty flashlights had limited effect against the dark inside the subway. Shining it to the right and left, the beam danced across the walls. When aiming straight ahead, it penetrated only one hundred feet before dissipating. Jason tried not to think about the possibility that Hell Spawn could be lying in wait ahead of them and his group wouldn’t know it until the demons were practically upon them.

  Only vermin populated the tunnel. Every few seconds, a shaft of light would fall across a rat, which would scurry off and disappear into the shadows.

  “That’s a good sign,” said Jeanette.

  “What is?” asked Jason.

  “The rats. Animals usually run when the Hell demons are around.”

  “How far do we have to go?”

  “It’s a little over eight miles to Notre Dame. We’re now on the commuter line. We’ll follow this for a few miles, then switch over to the Yellow Line which will take us right to the cathedral.” Jeanette looked over at him, her smile radiant even in the back glow of the flashlight. “As you, Americans say, a piece of cake.”

  They walked for less than an hour before arriving at the first station. Jason ran his beam along the length of the platform, searching for the exit. He spotted movement in the shadows at the opposite end of the platform. Every weapon and flashlight immediately focused on the source–a pack of wild dogs. Jason counted six, mostly larger breeds. They were crowded around a deer, feasting on the carcass. The pack raised up, their mouths covered in blood and gore. A German Sheppard, the presumed pack leader, stepped toward the new prey, its lips curled back to reveal its fangs. The others spread out around it.

  Before anyone could react, Lucifer and Lilith bounded onto the platform and morphed into their demonic forms. The pack stopped. Their ears flattened against their heads and their tails wrapped under their legs. Lucifer crouched and growled. The Sheppard yelped and bolted for the nearest stairwell, with the rest of the canines close behind it. Within seconds, the pack disappeared onto the main level, the only sign of their presence being the clacking of their nails on the tiles as they raced to safety.

  Only then did Jason realize that his bladder
strained not to relieve itself.

  The two werehounds morphed back into their dog-like forms. Lucifer stayed on the platform, keeping guard in case the pack backtracked on them. Lilith wandered over to Jason and was rewarded with a scratch behind the ears.

  Franco moved up beside Jeanette. “Why didn’t you warn us about the wild dogs?”

  “They’ve never been a threat before. The city is full of them, pets abandoned by their owners after the gate opened. We used to come across them all the time. Back then, they ran when they saw us.”

  “I wonder what changed?” asked Jason.

  “They’ve probably exhausted their food supply,” offered Doc.

  “If that’s the case, things must be pretty bad topside,” added Jeanette.

  The group continued. Lilith stayed between Jason and Jeanette. Lucifer waited until the group had cleared the station and re-entered the tunnel before following, though he paused every few seconds to check his rear him and make sure the pack didn’t double back on them.

  After walking another few hundred feet, Jeanette paused and raised her hand for the others to stop.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Jason.

  “There’s a train up ahead on the westbound side of the tracks. We usually check it before proceeding to make sure nothing has made a home there.”

  “You think that’s likely?”

  Jeanette grinned. “Do you want to take the chance?”

  “Shane and Josh, you’re with us. The rest of you wait here until we’re sure it’s safe.”

  Lucifer and Lilith attempted to follow. Jason stopped them. “Protect the others.”

  Lilith walked back, taking up position beside Sasha. Lucifer tilted his head and blinked his brown, pouty eyes.

  “Do as I say, boy.”

  The werehound whimpered once and sat on his haunches.

  As they approached the train, their flashlight beams reflected off the metal surface of the lead car. Except for a layer of dirt and some rust around the door, it seemed normal. Jason closed his eyes and felt for any Hell Spawn. He could not sense any auras. He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, although he knew his sense was only reliable with a limited number of demon species.

  Jeanette stopped by the front door and removed a flare from her leather jacket.

  “What’s that for?” asked Jason.

  “There are several trains like this that stopped when the EMP hit. We checked them out on our first trip down here. We left all the interior doors open and only closed the outer ones. That way it’s easier to tell if something’s inside.” Jeanette walked over to the car and crawled up onto the small metal platform. When she tried opening the door, it would not move. Placing the flare under her arm, she used both hands, yet the door would not budge.

  “Let me try.” Shane slung his FAMAS over his shoulder. He stepped over to the train, helped Jeanette down from the platform, and took her place. Grabbing the handle in both hands, he pushed as hard as he could until the door slid open.

  A large, dark gray mass swarmed out of the train. Shane tumbled off the platform, landing on his back between the twin rails. The gray mass landed on top of him. It dispersed upon impact as several hundred rats scattered in every direction, their combined squeals still not as loud as Shane’s screaming. Within seconds, the horde of rodents had disappeared into the shadows. The only movement came from Shane crawling backward on his hands and feet. When he bumped into Josh, he yelped with fear.

  “It’s okay,” said Josh, patting his friend on the shoulder. “It’s only rats.”

  “Only rats!?!”

  “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

  “The Hell there is.” Shane stood up and shook his body as if throwing an imaginary swarm of rodents off of him. “You know, I hate rats.”

  Josh smiled. “You’re kidding?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You have no problem fighting Nachzehrer and soul vampires, but you’re scared of one little rat?”

  “One rat? There were hundreds of those little bastards in there.”

  Jeanette giggled.

  Shane glared at her. “It’s not funny. Those things are creepy.”

  She broke out into a full laugh. Josh also guffawed, taking great pleasure at his friend’s expense.

  “Screw you guys.”

  Jason couldn’t hold back any longer and laughed along with the others.

  By the time the rest of the group came running up to see what had happened, even Shane snickered at the ridiculousness of the situation.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  After explaining the joke to the others, and after tossing a few flares into the once-rat-infested subway cars to make sure they were clear of Hell Spawn, the group continued down the tunnel. Forty minutes later, they entered Charles de Gaulle Etoile. Like at Nanterre, skeletons littered the platforms and tracks. Piles of bones stood in front of each exit where those who had tried to escape were butchered in their tracks. No matter where Jason shined his light, he saw the remains of the dead. Because of the lack of ventilation, even after so many months, the stench of death was overpowering, a mixture of decay, body fluids, and brimstone mixed with stale air. Jason felt his eyes water. Bile rose up in his throat.

  Jeanette paused and waited for the others to catch up. A chorus of mumbles emanated from the group. Slava glanced over his shoulder and ordered, “Stow it.”

  “We’ll transfer over to the Yellow Line from here,” Jeanette said to Jason.

  “Why not continue along this one?”

  “Last time we were down here, a water main had broken between this station and the next. The tunnel was flooded. It doesn’t matter, though. The Yellow Line will also take us to Chatelet Station. From there we can pick up the Purple Line to Cite Station right in front of Notre Dame. Let’s go.”

  Jason helped Jeanette onto the platform and then climbed up himself. Antoine and Reinhard assisted Sasha and Haneef, who were hampered by their miniguns and backpacks.

  Jason shined his flashlight down the pedestrian tunnel. More skeletons lay on the floor. “Jeanette and I will go first. Sasha, you’re with us. Haneef, bring up the rear. And everyone stay alert. God knows what we’ll run across down here.”

  The three set out for the next station, with Lucifer and Lilith in tow. The rest of the group followed at six-foot intervals. Haneef exited the station last, walking backward down the tunnel so he could keep an eye on their rear, and checking behind him every few seconds so he didn’t trip over the dead.

  They moved slowly because the pedestrian tunnels were small and interconnected, creating numerous blind spots where the Hell Spawn could hide. At each corner, Jason knelt down and aimed his crossbow as Jeanette lit a flare and tossed it down the tunnel’s length. Sasha stood close by, her finger hovering over the trigger of the minigun, ready to step in if they encountered anything. Only when they were certain a tunnel was clear would they move on to the next. Seven minutes later, they entered the Charles de Gaulle Etoile’s Yellow Line station. Here the dead were even more numerous, completely covering both the inbound and outbound platforms and spilling onto the tracks. Sasha gasped. Jason reached out and held her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Her fingers closed tight around his. Jason didn’t notice. He let go of Sasha’s hand and moved beside Jeanette.

  “Which way?”

  She pointed to the subway tunnel off to their left.

  The group moved out.

  The next three stations they passed through–George V, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Champs Elysees Clemenceau–were as cluttered with dead as the last. Thankfully, they encountered no Hell Spawn or wild dogs, just rats that hurried away as they passed.

  A hundred yards beyond Champs Elysees Clemenceau, Jeanette paused again. “Ahead of us are two subway cars stalled side by side and blocking the track. We’ve opened all the interior doors and closed the outer ones. We’ll use the same procedure as before–open the door, toss in a few flares to make sure nothing is inside, and pas
s through.”

  “We wouldn’t want to run into any rats,” teased Josh.

  Shane raised his hand and extended his middle finger.

  “Knock it off,” ordered Jason. Then, to Jeanette, “Lead the way.”

  Everything appeared in order as they approached the two trains. Still, Jason had a bad feeling. It wasn’t the same sixth sense he got when Nachzehrer or soul vampires were nearby, yet that didn’t stop the cold chill running down his spine. Nor did it help that even Lucifer and Lilith seemed on edge.

  The train on the left, the one closest to them, sat twenty-five yards ahead of the one on the right. When they reached it, Jeanette climbed onto the small metal platform. The door opened with no difficulty. She removed a flare from her pocket, struck the end, and tossed it as far as she could. It hit the floor of the next car in line, sliding across the surface before coming to rest under one of the seats. The harsh glow lit up the interior. Nothing moved.

  “It’s all clear. Let’s go.”

  Sook-kyoung climbed up first. She and Jeanette helped up Sasha and Doc. Neal started to climb on board when a scurrying sound caught their attention. Flashlights darted in every direction, searching for the source of the noise.

  “What the Hell was that?” asked Bill.

  “Rats?” Shane had a hopeful tone to his voice.

  “That was too damn big to be a rat,” answered Antoine.

  “There!” yelled Reinhard, pointing down the tunnel.

  All flashlights shined in the direction they had come from, illuminating the demon.