2041 Sanctuary (Genesis) (11 page)

Hilt scoured the close quarter terrain with his rifle scope and glanced back as the three civilians rejoined them. ‘Say again,’ he said.

The message came through once more, still distorted, but coherent. ‘Target has stopped,’ said the operative, ‘I say again, target has stopped.’

‘Any sign of secondary?’ Hilt said.

‘Negative.’

‘Distance?’

‘Ninety yards.’

‘Activity?’

‘I’m not sure, it seems to be—’

The signal cut off.

‘Talk to me, soldier,’ Hilt said, adjusting his radio.

The crackle of static buzzed through his helmet’s speakers before the voice returned. ‘Target gone, target gone!’

‘Fall back and regroup,’ Hilt said, ‘we’re coming to you!’

‘Roger, that.’

‘RV on point,’ Hilt said through the com, ‘boost power to signal relays, roving spectrum UV gamma, move out!’

The unit broke into a loping run through the never-ending labyrinth.

After leaping over a drop, Hilt passed two of his men who’d stopped to cover a T-junction. ‘Protect the civilians,’ he said as he ran past.

The operatives nodded and hung back to allow them through.

♦

Sarah pursued the ghostly outline of the Darklight leader round a bend and over another deep drop. Trish and Jason followed and now, behind them, two fearsome, blue-eyed demons shadowed their every move.

Sarah leapt over another obstacle and marvelled at the agility of the man in command. He carried a massive backpack, an arsenal of weapons, and yet he was still able to move with a cat-like fluidity that belied his size. Coupled with his measured demeanour, he exuded strength like some god of war. But considering what they were up against, Achilles, or even Ares himself, would have been hard-pressed to fight off the thing from the deep. Just thinking of the monstrosity made her legs go weak and she almost stumbled and fell.

Willing herself forward, she couldn’t help but wonder if they’d be safer on their own. These people seemed hell bent on chasing the thing they feared the most. It was a feeling Sarah could relate to, but not one she wished to replicate. The only problem was, their leader had the one thing they needed to return to the surface.

Sarah’s views on the pendant hadn’t altered, but her faint hope of getting out of Sanctuary alive had resurfaced at the same time as her friend’s miraculous return from the dead. She glanced back to see Trish doing her best to stay close and Sarah held out her hand and helped her on.

♦

Hilt saw his unit secure the area ahead – a small plaza overlooked by multiple levels. Not the best defensive position in the world, but far better than being stuck in a narrow passageway.

Hilt slowed and moved to the centre of their formation. He knew they could ill afford any more losses. They’d started out as seventy-five; they were down to fifty-two. Fourteen MIA, presumed dead, the rest KIA. He thought back to the confrontations and wondered if he could have done anything differently, if there was something he’d missed that might help him combat the beast that seemed destined to end them all.

He breathed deeply, sucking in Sanctuary’s dank, musty air, and expelled his negative thoughts with a slow exhale.
Professor Steiner tasked me with protecting Steadfast’s civilians
and that’s what I’ll do until they’re safely tucked up in a USSB, be that Sanctuary or otherwise
.

Hilt had never let the professor down before and he wasn’t about to start now. It helped that the man he now took orders from was someone he liked, not just because he was the professor’s friend and protégé, but because he was principled and would do anything to help those under his care. What’s more, he was one of the few that didn’t do it to boost a fragile ego. And since Richard Goodwin was Steadfast’s director, that made him Hilt’s director. But so far he knew he’d been a disappointment, a feeling he was unaccustomed to. A feeling he loathed. Hilt had let the entity take the girl through incompetence. He’d been lax when it came to defending the camp and he’d also failed to locate Sanctuary’s USSB. Goodwin had been vigorous in Hilt’s defence, but Hilt knew it was up to him to redeem himself. Goodwin had told him to find Susan and bring her back, and that’s what he was going to do – or die trying.

Hilt glanced round as the civilians moved into his unit’s ring of steel and weapons. He’d known they would follow, what choice did they have? And he hadn’t enjoyed taking their possessions, either, but time had been of the essence and Susan was more important than three strangers. He’d needed information and he needed it quick, and so he’d acted accordingly. Plus, he had bigger things to worry about. Bigger things like killing the creature and finding the woman it had taken. Susan –
that poor woman
– mentally disabled and taken by some
thing
beyond a nightmare and beyond understanding. He couldn’t imagine the terror she must have endured, and not for the first time he wondered if she still lived. They’d seen her tracks six days ago, but nothing since.

Why the creature hadn’t killed her long before he didn’t know, but it was one of many worrying aspects about the thing they hunted – or was it hunting them? Hilt wasn’t sure, but he had a strong suspicion it was outthinking them at every turn. They’d set up traps, mines, ambushes … none had worked, the creature using an eerie sixth sense to avoid all danger. And yet, was that what it wanted them to think? That it was vulnerable when it wasn’t? On the two occasions they’d got it cornered, their weapons had been ineffective, regular rounds and even beam weapons having little impact. They’d still to hit it with their limited supply of high powered missiles, but he held out little hope of even a direct hit causing much damage. And even if it did, such a blast could bring the crumbling ruins of Sanctuary down upon them. Of course, they still had a small number of thermal swords, but getting close enough to use them was one thing, inflicting any damage was a whole other ball game.

A piece of falling masonry hit the ground twenty feet away and Hilt looked up, rifle trained.

‘Stay alert,’ he said, scanning the area, ‘this thing might have decided to stop running.’

♦

Sarah heard another rock hit the ground with a dull, crunching thud. And then another to the left.

Tense moments passed as silence reigned.

The Darklight leader moved forward to stand outside of the defensive ring. His massive rifle glowed with suppressed heat, its power cell humming quietly with stored energy as he swept it in slow, sweeping arcs. ‘Watch the flanks,’ he said to his unit, ‘all elevations.’

‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this,’ Jason said, from close behind Sarah.

A sudden roar of sound echoed through the ancient buildings and Trish grasped Sarah’s arm with a trembling hand.

A glimmer of light appeared above and the Darklight soldiers unleashed their weapons.

Sarah put her hands over her ears to block out the deafening noise before the commander shouted, ‘Cease fire!’

The onslaught ended and the fall of empty shell casings tinkled to silence.

A second later a large section of the structure gave way, falling with a muffled crash onto the plaza’s periphery.

Nothing else moved except for the dust that now hung swirling in the air.

A soldier who knelt on one knee sprang to his feet. ‘There!’

The roar of gunfire thundered out once more, muzzle flashes sending shadows cavorting through the dark.

Eventually the barrage ceased and more stonework collapsed into rubble.

Hollow silence fell again and Sarah felt Trish tug at her sleeve.

Her friend was looking down and Sarah followed her gaze. A few feet away, stones and dust vibrated across the ground. The tremor increased and Sarah took a backward step.

The surface distorted and swelled like liquid. One of the soldiers shouted a warning, but it was too late, as the light emerged within.

♦

Gunfire and screams filled the air. A roar of sound and a flash of light and Sarah was thrown to the ground. Ears ringing, debris rained down around her. Staggering to her feet, the world spun into slow motion. Sarah whirled round, hair flailing as Jason ran towards her, his mouth open in a protracted shout. Behind him the Darklight soldiers shot at the shimmering light, beams of energy and muzzle flashes blasting out like dragon fire.

Someone grabbed her arm. ‘SARAH!’

Normal time whooshed back into reality and Trish dragged her into a passageway, with Jason close behind.

‘Run!’ he said, pushing them forward.

Sarah followed Trish as they fled from the carnage, shouts, screams and rapid gunfire driving them onwards. Twists and turns flashed by and the sound of the battle faded. But the three friends didn’t stop and more frantic moments passed, ragged breathing and mindless direction only ending when Trish faltered and their flight slowed. Sarah leapt over a deep fissure and skidded to a stop beside her friend, who lent against a wall, panting and gasping for breath.

‘What now?’ Jason said, appearing beside them.

Sarah shook her head; she had no clue.

He looked at them, waiting for an answer. When none came, he glanced behind and then moved past to see what lay ahead. ‘We need the pendant back,’ he said, coming back to them, ‘so we wait it out and then go back and see if we can find it.’

‘He won’t just give it to us,’ Trish said, nursing her broken arm.

‘You think he’s still going to be alive? That thing cut through them like they weren’t there. And besides, what else can we do?’

Sarah made a face. ‘Not much.’

‘Then it’ll have to do,’ Trish said.

With their plan set, they headed off once more with Jason leading the way.

Another minute passed before sporadic gunshots echoed down the passage ahead.

Jason swore and turned them back the other way.

The twisting turns continued before they ran into a Darklight soldier.

The woman swung round, eyes glowing and rifle raised.

Jason held out his hands. ‘Don’t shoot!’

The woman relaxed, shook her head at their stupidity and turned back round before being dragged with a scream into the dark, gun firing.

Seized by terror, they ran back they way they’d come. Another heart-pounding minute later, they stopped again, out of breath and eyes wide.

No one spoke as they listened for signs of pursuit.

None came.

Running out of options, they worked their way further into the labyrinth.

A while later – with Jason still leading – they halted for a third time when he held up a hand.

‘What is it?’ Trish said in a whisper.

He shook his head. ‘I don’t know; go back the other way.’

They did so, the decision putting Sarah in the lead. She heard a noise to the right and so she turned left. Creeping forward with stealth-like care, she let out a shout as three Darklight soldiers ran past, weapons firing.

‘Go back!’ Sarah said, pushing Trish in the opposite direction, as the screams of dying men chased them along the passageway.

Running again, tense moments turned to hushed minutes and they found themselves emerging into a large void, the passages and tunnels giving way to a whole new chamber. Escaping from the confined space would have been a blessing except that in the distance a sheer rock face rose high to block off any chance of escape. The new area was one vast, dead end.

Movement to their left made Trish scream.

Poised to flee, Sarah spun round to see something crouched huddled against a wall.

Jason pushed Trish behind him. ‘What the hell is that?!’

The small figure raised its head and Sarah took a step towards it. Covered in dirt and clothed in rags, Sarah stared into terrified eyes. ‘It’s a woman.’

Chapter Fourteen

‘What the hell is she doing down here?’ Jason said.

Sarah didn’t know, but one thing was for sure, this newcomer was more frightened of them than they were of her.

The woman scuttled back as Sarah approached.

‘It’s okay,’ Sarah said, switching on her helmet’s torches and holding out a hand.

‘It won’t be for long,’ said a deep voice.

Sarah turned round as the powerful figure of the Darklight commander strode out into the area behind, followed by the remnants of his unit, their torches blazing bright.

‘What do you mean?’ Sarah said. ‘Who is she?’

‘She’s the woman I’ve been searching for.’ Hilt switched out a magazine from his rifle and loaded a new one. ‘And where she goes, the light follows.’

‘What?!’ Jason said in alarm.

Hilt ignored him and beckoned to the woman. ‘Susan, come here, child, I’ll take you back to Rebecca.’

The woman whimpered in fear and edged back along the rocky wall.

Trish moved to Sarah’s side to bar his way. ‘I don’t think she wants to go with you.’

‘Then it’s lucky I don’t care what you think.’ The Darklight leader strode forward and pushed Trish and Sarah aside.

On his approach the woman sprang up and Hilt made a desperate grab for her, but she scampered out of reach to cower behind Trish.

‘You’re scaring her,’ Trish said, laying a tentative hand on the half-starved creature.

The woman flinched at the touch, but remained where she was, eyes darting this way and that.

Hilt’s mask and visor retracted into his helmet. ‘This is no time for games; that woman is under my care.’

Trish stroked Susan’s grimy hair. ‘It doesn’t look like you’ve done a very good job.’

The commander’s face darkened.

‘Sir!’ one his men said.

Hilt paused and his eyes went distant as he listened to a communication. His mask and visor slid back into place and he cocked his weapon. ‘The beast approaches.’

Chapter Fifteen

All was still in Sanctuary’s depths as the Darklight soldiers formed up behind their leader to await their fate.

Commander Hilt stood facing the entrance to the black labyrinth like an immovable force attempting to hold back the unstoppable tide.