Falling Into Darkness: The Under Series Book 1 (22 page)

She shrugged. “Yeah the speedometers broken, so I kind of guess.”
“Where are we?” I asked getting out.
“Erm, not the best part of town.” she replied.
“Which means what exactly?”
“The rougher side. Don't tell Caitlin she flips out when she knows I come down here but I love the
jelly sweets from the store I can't find them anywhere else.”
“So you thought this would be a good place to come at night just us girls,”
“What can I say I really want those jelly sweets.”
We went into the convenience store and picked out the things we wanted I offered to pay but Aimee
refused, saying her mom had just won big on bingo and given her money for tonight. We dropped
the shopping back in the car and went inside the rental shop.
“So what exactly are we looking for, I thought I saw a load of DVDs in your bedroom earlier,” I
asked picking up a random DVD and looking at the back of it.
“You did see my DVD collection, it doesn't have much in it that Caitlin would approve of.” said
Aimee smirking.
“So what do you think she would approve of?”
“Well this is Caitlin we are talking about so nothing with sexual references, violence or bad
language.”
“Which leaves what exactly?”
“Not much I'm guessing she'd like something from the kiddies section, I don't even know where that
is.” she said joking.
“How about a comedy?” I asked.
“But I've been wanting to see this for ages.” she said holding up a DVD with red blood splashed
across the front.
“No. Caitlin would have nightmares for the rest of the year, something else perhaps.”
We finally decided on a comedy romance and Aimee bought some popcorn for our movie night.
Outside was dark and there was only two street lights that were actually working near the parking
lot. Aimee opened her bag and stuck her hand in looking for her keys.
“Whoa slow down, is that Mack?” Aimee asked looking across the parking lot. I looked over at the
person she was staring at, he was standing next to a black mustang. It was definitely Mack even in
the dark and dressed differently than he normally did, I knew it was him from the way he walked
and his build.
“Wow, he looks hot, like really hot dressed in black I hardly recognised him, that is him right?”
“Yeah that's him,”
“Even his hair is done differently, he looks like an older version of what we see at school, Mack
doesn't have a sexy older brother does he?”
“I don't think so. Actually I don't know whether he has a brother or not I don't know much about
him, but I do know that's definitely Mack.”
“He's on the move,” she said ducking in front of the nearest car and pulling me down with her.
“Come on,” She edged her way to the end of the car and quickly ran across the parking lot and hid
behind a different car.
“What are you doing?” I asked squatting down next to her.
“It's just a bit of fun.”
“What is?”
“Following Mack, don't you just love a little night time stalking.”
“What! We can't follow Mack have you lost your mind?”
“Come on Ruby admit it, you're dying to know what he gets up to out of school hours as much as I
am,”
She might have been spot on but still I wasn't going to follow Mack around at night down back
alleyways. I was about to tell her what a bad idea this was when she ran over to a tree, I ran quickly
to catch up with her.
Then she ran over to the edge of a block of flats, Mack was further ahead talking on his cell. I had
no choice but to follow her.
“He's a fast mover, isn't he,”
“This is a bad idea, you said it yourself this is a bad part of town.”
“Stop stressing we'll be fine, I have my whistle in my pocket and don't you carry bear spray?”
“Well not on me, I am wearing skinny jeans I can't exactly fit it in my pocket, Aimee slow down
he'll hear your shoes. He already dislikes me what's he going to think of me when he catches us
following him. I don't think I'll be able to look him in that face again.”
“He wont even know it's you, you like a different person with your new hair do, which may I add
looks amazing. Just put your hood up and I have this,” She pulled out a purple knitted hat with a
large knitted flower on the side.
“Yeah Caitlin's not the only one that has to wear her Grandma Dorrie's knitting. I have the gloves
and scarf to match.” she said pulling the hat on. We walked along the edge of the buildings in the
shadows, keeping our distance from Mack. Aimee tried her best to tip toe in her shoes.
“A pair of roughly dressed boys started walking our way, we quickly hid behind a dumpster while
they past.
“This is stupid. Yes I want to know where he's going but not enough that it puts us in danger. I mean
what if he's going to collect drugs or something,” I said in a hushed voice.
“I thought you didn't believe those rumours?”
“I don't, but what else would he be doing down these back streets.”
“Maybe he lives round here?”
“You have got to be kidding, round here,”
“Well I don't know, come on he just went round that corner. Hurry,” she said tip toeing away in the
same direction, I jogged slowly and caught up with her in seconds.
“Maybe next time, you know just encase you want to stalk someone else you could bring a set of
pumps. You look like you're in pain.”
“My feet are fine, a few blisters wont stop me.”
We stopped at the end of the street, Mack had crossed to the other side. He walked up to the
building with the red door where a guy with lightly coloured skin and black hair tied back into a
short pony tail was standing. They had a few brief words it looked like he handed the guy some
money before he let him in. The building had no sign on the wall just a light.
“What is that place? There's no sign,” I asked.
There was music that sounded like it was coming from the building.
“I don't know? I don't really know where we are. Wait you don't think he just went into a strip
club?” Aimee said glancing sideways smirking at me.
“How should I know? Does Heaven's Point even have a strip club?”
“Well I didn't think so, but what else would be in there?”
I shrugged. “Illegal gambling,”
“Oooo some underground club like off the movies.” Aimee said.
“What did you say?” I asked.
“An underground club, you know for gambling while half naked ladies serve drinks.”
“Or an underground fight club,” I said mulling it over in my head.
“Or that. Wait what?”
A group of older guys arrived, they spoke to the guy outside then went in through the same red
door.
“Lets go,” Aimee said crossing the road.
“Where are you going? Aimee come back,”
But she was nearly to the other side before I reached her.
“I'm going to speak to him, find out what this place is.”
“What if he doesn't want to tell you? I don't think we should be here.”
Aimee strutted over to doorman. I stayed behind her trying to keep out of view, that last thing I
wanted was for Mack to walk back out and see me.
“Hi there, bit chilly tonight,” she said hunching her shoulders and sticking her hands in her pocket.
“You girls lost?”
“No we we're just looking for our friend he said he would be here tonight.”
“Is that right, what's his name?”
“Mack,” Aimee said edging her way closer to the guy.
“No never heard of him.”
“Well you just let him in a minute ago, how about you let us in and we'll find him ourselves,”
Aimee took a step towards the door but he stuck his arm in front of her.
“Like I said there's no one in there called Mack. Now I think you girls should turn around and go
back the way you came before you get yourselves into trouble.”
“Well I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what this place is or let me in to see for myself?”
Aimee said looking him in the eye.
“No chance, now scram.”
“Okay lets start over cause I think we got off on the wrong foot. Hi my names Daisy and this is my
friend Daphne,” She turned looking at me. I mentally cringed wondering why she couldn't have
picked a better a pair of undercover names.
“And your name is....?” she asked him.
He looked at her and blew out a breath. “Beck,” he replied getting inpatient with her.
“Beck, that's a sexy name is short for something or a nickname?”
He raised an eyebrow at her but didn't reply.
“Okay, so Beck what's it going to take to let us in?”
“There's a thirty dollars door charge and we're rather selective about who we let in.”
“Really, cause you just let Mack in and he's all kinds of messed up. What kind of door policy do
you have?”
“Mack. I've never heard of that name. I should know I stand on this door three nights a week I see
everyone that comes in,”
“Well he just walked past you a few minutes ago, black hair, black clothes,”
“Nope still doesn't ring a bell.”
“Really well I'm just going to stand right here until he comes back out, and just so you know I can
talk for a really long time.”
He looked at her and they started bickering like small school children I wasn't sure but it looked like
they were both enjoying annoying one another. I waited a few minutes hoping Aimee would get
bored so we could leave but she wasn't stopping so I stepped forward to intervene.
“There's no Mack like I already said a million times, what are you crazy and deaf,”
“What about Micah?” I said still hiding under my hood. Aimee turned and looked at me, Beck
gently pushed her aside so he get a better look at me.
“Micah. You know Micah?”
“Sort of through friends,” I said in the most confident voice I could.
“And Daphne really needs to speak to him urgently. So is here?” Aimee butted in.
“Yeah he's here but I thought you said you were looking for Mack?”
“Mack, Micah I get my names muddled sometimes,” she said fluttering her eyelashes way more
than necessary.
“All right well I can let you in,” he said looking at me. “but not you.” he looked at Aimee.
“What! Why not?” she whined.
“Like I said we are really selective about who we let in.”
Aimee looked down at her clothes then at mine.
“Well if I'd known there was a scruffy dress code I would have borrowed some clothes from a
tramp.”
“Thanks,” I said half smiling knowing what she was like and that I shouldn't take anything she said
to heart because she said a lot of stuff without thinking.
“I didn't mean it like that, I meant you dress like you don't care that's all,” Beck looked at me. “So
you in or you out?”
“I can't, I don't think I even have thirty dollars on me,” I said stalling, I didn't really want to go into
some random building on my own not knowing what I was walking into or who I was walking into,
what if I actually ran into Micah? What if this was the same place from my weird mind trip into
Micah's head?
“I have money,” Aimee said pulling her purse out of her bag, she shoved the money into my hand.
“Pay at the booth inside the door.” Beck said.
I would be so dead if Micah found out about this. I only hoped Beck wouldn't mention this to him,
cause I was sure he would use my pink high tops in the description of me and how many people in
Heaven's Point wore bright pink high tops, Micah would probably twig straight away it was me. I
cursed myself for not wearing my black boots. Yep Micah was going to kill me, so it didn't matter if
I bumped into Mack as Micah was probably never going to let me out of the house again after this.
I looked at Aimee concerned, I couldn't just leave her out here.
“What about you? I can't just leave you out here on your own or with him.” I whispered looking
over at Beck, he was standing by the door waiting to open it for me but he could probably still hear
everything we were saying.
“It's okay I have my whistle and my cell,” she said pulling it out of her pocket. “I have my brother
on speed dial, he and his beefy friends could be here in minutes if I needed them.” she said louder
than necessary so Beck would definitely hear her. It was a lie of course she didn't even have a
brother.
“Now go,” She nudged me towards the door.
“Okay I'll be really quick.”
“No it's fine, take your time. Me and Beck are going to have loads of fun.”
“Micah should be in there somewhere. You sure you want to go in there?”
I nodded. “Well hurry back I get the feeling she's going to irritate the hell out of me while you're
gone.”
Inside I walked along a dimly lit corridor with bare bricked walls until I came to a small booth it
was the same one from Micah's memory. A weedy red head boy sat at the window reading a comic,
I recognised him from Micah's head I think his name was Nick. I put the money under the window,
which he took without looking away from his comic.
There was a lot of noise coming from behind a set of double doors where another guy was standing.
Great! I had to get past the second door without been questioned. I put on a brave face keeping my
hood up, praying I wouldn't run into Micah or Mack. Just a quick look around then back out in five
minutes.
I walked over to the guy at the door. He looked me up and down as I got closer but he straight away
opened the door for me and waved me through. It was dark on the other side I soon realised I was
standing under what looked like stadium seats. Loud music played above my head, but over the
music all I could hear was whooping, hollering and cheering. I walked along the underneath until I
came to an opening, the end looked crowded.
I kept to the edge and walked along the opening, the air was thick with smoke and in front I could
see a large cage enclosure even the top was enclosed. I stood on the tips of my toes to get a better
view but I still couldn't see much there was too many people. I saw some steps leading up into the
stands and up to a large balcony at the top that ran all the way around the edge. If I could get up
there I would get a better view of the place and might be able to spot Mack and Micah from up
there, plus if I stayed down here I was most likely to get squished.
I quickly squeezed past everyone and when a gap on the stairs appeared I quickly took my chance,
trying not to trip over the empty bottles that littered them. I reached the top and I had seemed to
have gone unnoticed everyone was to busy looking at the square cage.
The cage shook as someone hit the side. The cheering got louder. I took a closer look there was two
guys inside fighting one was dragging the other along the floor he then lifted him up and threw him
at the side of the cage again. It was like watching wrestling just a scarier version, one of the guys
was dripping in blood and could hardly walk.