Krisztina glared at Richard. “My name is Krisztina, not Sweet Cheeks, and this isn’t a date!”
Richard grinned, and turning to Colbert, he switched to survival mode. “This is what we’ll need. Weapons, anything that explodes, like grenades, as it seems to be the only thing that causes the aliens any serious harm, a radio each and one of you in the control room watching the CCTV feeds to guide us past the creatures on the levels we can’t avoid passing through.”
Colbert nodded. “Anything else?”
Impressed by Richard’s sudden change, Krisztina added, “Flashlights. It’s dark down there.”
Richard looked at Colbert’s helmet. “And night vision goggles.”
“Right, let’s get you two equipped.” Colbert glanced at his watch. “You only have twenty-nine minutes before the charges go off, so let’s get a move on.”
Richard and Colbert joined the others in the elevator and headed above ground to get geared up.
CHAPTER 26
Into Hell
Strolling through Level 3 in her human Svetlana form, EV1L glanced into the rooms she passed at her brood searching for the humans. A loud whump and pained screeches from some of her younglings filtering down the corridor quickened her pace to discover the cause. She entered the blackened room drifting with smoke and gazed around at the destruction and flames spouting from mangled pipes. Small chunks of hardened, brittle Black littering the room were evidence some of her brood had died here.
Assuming it to be the work of the humans, she returned to the corridor and gazed in both directions. Her face changed to a creature sporting a large sensitive snout that sniffed the air. She detected no recent human scent, only that of an animal similar to the kind she had devoured in the room of cages. That did not concern her. When her gaze fell upon the metal doors along the corridor, she reformed Svetlana’s face and walked to them. It was another moving box.
Aware the humans could call the box and open the doors at will, EV1L searched for the means to do so. Discovering the button positioned to one side, she pressed it with a black finger. Nothing happened. She returned to the middle of the doors, formed hands into hooks, jammed them into the join and ripped them open. Poking her head inside, she stared up at the box high in the shaft and pondered the sounds of sliding doors moving back and forth on one side. She directed her gaze at the sliver of light seeping through the join of another set of doors halfway between her and the stationary box. Morphing into her many-legged insect form, EV1L screeched orders for her brood to follow and slithered up the shaft.
Arriving at the doors, EV1L formed two hooks and forced them apart. She glanced down when her offspring began pouring into the shaft. She screeched orders for half of them to search this level and for the remainder to follow her. She climbed the shaft.
Returning to Level 1, Ramirez aimed his weapon at the gap between the elevator doors when they slid open. Wishing to be anywhere but here, he took a deep breath and peered around the edge of the frame. He doubted the darkness past the small patch of elevator light breaching the corridor could look more uninviting. Stepping out, he flicked down his NVGs and headed along the corridor. He cringed at the crunches of glass beneath his feet that he couldn’t waste time avoiding; Krisztina and Richard had already started climbing down the upper escape ladder to Level 3.
Ramirez glanced behind at the sounds of the elevator doors swishing shut and the winch hauling it up. He had elected not to block the door because if he did and needed help, his buddies wouldn’t be able to reach him. Dalton waited up above ready to send it down for his departure when he returned.
Pausing at the corner, Ramirez checked the offshoot was clear before continuing his harrowing journey. Hoping foul creatures weren’t lying in wait for him, his weapon and head turned anxiously to every room he passed.
Blue light seeping into the corridor from the security office a short distance ahead indicated he had almost reached his destination. He froze when a shadow moved eerily through the light. Ignoring the beads of sweat forming beneath his helmet, he pushed back his fear and the strong urge to get the hell out of there and slowly moved forward.
He paused again when distant shrieks and echoing booms of something striking metal drifted along the corridor. The creatures were coming. Ramirez stared at the security office entrance when something again briefly blocked the light, heightening his anxiety further. He briefly considered leaving, but his training to complete the mission drove his cautious steps nearer the door. Pressing his back to the wall, rifle held close to his chest, he steeled himself for what he was about to face and peered around the frame. His gaze took in the small room thankfully free of creatures and focused on the draft from the oscillating fan flittering a poster, whose top edge had come loose from the wall and draped over a monitor.
Ramirez nipped inside, closed the door and barricaded the entrance with the chest high cupboard he dragged in front of it. Though, with the creatures transforming ability he doubted it would stop them for long, it gave him some semblance of security; he would take all he could get. He sat in the desk chair, wheeled it into position and glanced at each monitor in turn. He focused on the view showing a corridor on Level 2 as the doors of the internal elevator were forced open. He zoomed in on the vicious cat-size creatures that emerged and spread out across the level.
Wondering how Richard and Krisztina would survive their journey if they encountered the small army of horrors, he radioed them. “I’m in. Creatures have just arrived on Level 2 and are spreading out. I’m assuming they will make their way to level 1 shortly.” He scanned the Level 3 camera feeds. “No movement on Level 3, but there’s no assurance it’s unoccupied. For God’s sake hurry and good luck.”
“Thanks, Ramirez. We don’t plan on hanging around,” Richard glanced at Krisztina as she stepped off the ladder in Escape Chute 1. “Showtime.”
Apprehensive of what might be waiting for them on the other side, Krisztina anxiously looked at the small door hatch stenciled Level 3 as she slipped the assault rifle from her shoulder. “I guess.”
Richard nodded at the weapon she held in hands that were as nervous as his own. “You’re not going to panic if you see an alien and accidentally shoot me in the back?”
Krisztina shrugged. “Guess you be first to know if I do.”
Richard flashed her a smile. “Let’s get this done.” He turned the wheel. The clunk of the seven bolts releasing from their locks sounded awfully loud within the confines of the chute.
Eyes in the darkness shifted to the source of the clunks that resounded around the room and focused on the small door it hadn’t noticed before. Wondering what was about to come through, it waited.
After checking his nervous companion had her weapon trained on the hatch, Richard pulled it open. Both flinched at the screeches emitted by the long unused hinges forced into motion.
When nothing attacked and they heard no creatures nearby, they stepped into the storeroom and gazed past stacks of document and storage boxes at the light shining into the room through an open door. Unaware they were being watched, Richard and Krisztina trod softly towards it. Richard peered into the corridor. It was empty. He shifted his gaze to the red blinking light of an explosive charge stuck to the wall.
He walked over to the charge, read the timer readout and glanced at Krisztina. “Twenty-three minutes.”
Krisztina checked the time matched the countdown timer on her wristwatch. It did. “We need to get move on or we’ll never make it out.”