Misfits, Inc. (13 page)

S
everal large storage rooms were cluttered with tall rows of
shelves filled with boxes.  Each holding area looked similar to the next.  Most
of the storage rooms also contained old furniture and various unwanted or
damaged items from guestrooms.  The basement was a holding tank for every piece
of junk from around the resort.  Most should have been discarded, but someone
seemed to have a tough time letting go of clutter.  Garbage removal,
particularly larger items, was a little more difficult on the island.  Hailey
didn’t doubt that somewhere toward the island’s interior there was a dump for
larger appliances and mattresses.  Lucinda’s money troubles were beginning to
show.  Hailey and the three men looked around the cluttered room in which they
stood.  Their frustration was clearly showing on their faces.  They were no
closer to finding Marcus than they were forty minutes ago.

“A person could hide for weeks down here,” Vance
remarked as he ran his finger over a chair covered in a layer of dust.

“We’re running out of basement, and my lunch break
is nearly over,” Skyler informed them.

“Maybe we missed him,” Logan announced.  “Maybe he
was never down here to begin with.”

“Let’s go back to the laundry room,” Hailey
suggested.  “If we don’t find him there, then we’ll call it an afternoon.”

All four turned toward the door and nearly collided
with Marcus, who had mysteriously appeared seemingly out of nowhere.  He stared
at the four, surprised to see them in an area clearly off limits to hotel
guests.

“What are you doing down here?” Marcus suddenly
demanded with irritation in his voice.

All four exchanged looks.  The three men then
stared at Hailey and encouraged her to speak to the head of security.  Hailey
suddenly felt uncomfortable with what she needed to say.  With the way Vance
had reacted, she didn’t see Marcus just accepting his destiny without some
convincing.  His intimidating look wasn’t helping release her tensions any
either.

“There’s something important we have to tell you,”
Hailey announced then held her breath a moment.  “I know you’re not going to
believe any of it, but you need to hear us out.”

Hailey recapped everything that had happened
between the four of them since their arrival.  Marcus listened in near silence
and just stared with his mouth hanging open.  His lack of comment was
concerning, but it was possible he was just being polite.  When Hailey had
finally finished her story, which included him as the chosen Guardian, Marcus
stared at them and appeared at a loss for words.  All four watched him and
awaited some reaction.  After his uncomfortable stare, any reaction would do.

“I think you’re all out of your minds,” Marcus
finally bellowed out then glared at Skyler.  “Did you infect them with your
wild tales?”

“Actually, they were Logan’s wild tales,” Vance
announced and offered a cheap grin.

“We can prove it, Marcus,” Hailey informed him.

“Really?  How?”

Hailey looked at the guys, took a deep breath, and
extended her hands to them.  They reluctantly clasped hands and concentrated
while Marcus watched with apparent doubt to their sanity.  The lights flickered
and the room vibrated.  Several rats scurried past Marcus’ feet, startling
him.  Skyler’s expression turned serious, despite his eyes being shut.

Skyler’s voice shouted in Hailey’s mind. 
“Hailey,
I sense something evil nearby!”

Hailey gasped with surprise and pulled away.  His
voice echoing in her mind startled her.  The others broke concentration and
looked at her, awaiting an explanation.  Hailey and Skyler stared at each
other.  She couldn’t believe she’d heard his thoughts.  Judging by his
reaction, he was amazed she’d heard him as well. 

“Okay,
that
was strange,” Marcus announced
and now seemed open to the notion that they weren’t insane.  “Not saying I
believe a word that you’ve told me, but what exactly is the role of this
Guardian?”

“The Guardian is Hailey’s protector,” Logan replied
then appeared slightly embarrassed.  “We’re all kind of learning as we go.”

“Skyler sensed something,” Hailey informed them
with concern.  “There’s still a chance Penny’s alive.  We need to find her. 
She was down here.”

“How do you know that?” Marcus asked.

“I just do,” Hailey informed him.  “You have to
trust me, there isn’t much time.”

Hailey left the storage room with the three men
following her.  Marcus gave in and hurried after them.  The five walked in
silence along the basement corridor.  Skyler stopped in the corridor and stared
at the old elevator several yards away, where he witnessed a tiny, glowing
light.

“There’s a spirit by the elevator,” Skyler informed
them.

Hailey looked at the elevator and saw Penny’s
spirit staring back at her.  Her heart sank.  It was too late for Penny, as she
had already feared.  As Hailey approached, Penny stepped into the elevator
through the closed doors.  Hailey stopped and stared at the elevator a moment. 
She looked back at the others.

“Penny took that elevator,” Hailey announced.

Marcus appeared surprised.  “How--?”

When the elevator doors opened, Hailey hurried
inside without waiting for Marcus to finish his question.  The others followed
with some apprehension.  They rode the rickety, old elevator down to the
sub-basement.  The five stepped out of the elevator and walked through the
dimly lit, sub-basement corridor.  Penny’s spirit floated ahead of them in the
distance, guiding Hailey.  They followed her for a few minutes along several
corridors.

“I never knew this existed,” Logan remarked.

“I’d actually forgotten it was here,” Marcus informed
them.  “I hadn’t been down here since I first started working here.  Some of
the old security guards felt it best to pretend the entire area didn’t exist. 
For a long time, it had been sealed.  I wonder who unsealed it.”

“Well, I hope you know how to get out of here,”
Vance informed them.  “We’ve made at least six turns already and all these
corridors look the same to me.”

“I’m more worried about where we’re going than how
to get back,” Marcus announced then looked at Hailey.  “Are you sure your ghost
is reliable?”

Hailey glared at Marcus.  He seemed puzzled by her
look.  They approached an intersection, which led both to the right and to the
left.  Hailey suddenly stopped and looked around.  Penny’s ghost had vanished.

“She’s gone,” Hailey announced with surprise.

A low snarl echoed through the dark corridors,
starling all five.  They looked around for any indication of where the sound
had originated.

“Uh, which direction did that come from?” Logan
nervously asked.

“Is that one of your beasts?” Marcus suddenly
asked.

“Sure sounds like it,” Hailey muttered.

Glowing eyes approached them from behind.  They
were immediately alerted to the creature as they stared at the red eyes moving
closer.  The five then turned to the connecting corridor.  There were more
glowing eyes approaching from the opposite direction.

“Okay, Marcus, you’re up, brother,” Logan announced
and stepped behind him.

Marcus appeared stunned by Logan’s comment.  He
removed his gun and nervously looked around.  There was more snarling and more
glowing eyes from the right and left corridor.  The five slowly moved closer
together with their backs to one another.  They were trapped in the corridor
hub by approaching creatures from all directions. 

“Now’s as good a time as any to see what we can
do,” Hailey announced.

They grasped one another’s hands behind them. 
Marcus eyed them, replaced his gun to his holster, and then joined them.  They
attempted to concentrate.  Several lights brightened and momentarily revealed
the approaching beasts then the lights exploded, returning the corridors to
near darkness. 

“The hell with this--” Marcus released their hands,
removed his gun, and fired into the darkness at the glowing eyes.

One of the beasts leaped for them.  The black
panther leaped out of the darkness, tackled the beast to the floor, and fought
with it.  Whether it had been part of its plan, the panther had cleared an
escape route for them. 

“This way!” Hailey cried out.

They ran down the only safe corridor and away from
the creatures.  Marcus fired shots at the beasts until he ran out of bullets
then ran after the others.  Another set of glowing eyes appeared before them. 
All five stopped and looked back.  More glowing eyes approached them from
behind.  Marcus looked to a door alongside them and violently kicked it several
times.  Vance slowly lowered himself to the floor and stared at the glowing
eyes.  The creature came out of the darkness then stopped and snarled at him. 
Hailey heard the faint sound of parting air, which grew louder.  A swarm of
bats suddenly appeared.  Everyone except Vance cried out.  The bats swarmed the
beasts.  Marcus finally managed to kick open the door.  Vance cast Hailey and
Skyler into the dark room.  One of the beasts leaped for Vance.  Logan dove
onto Vance and tackled him to the floor.  The creature was already in mid-leap
and collided with the first creature.  A third creature appeared.

“Run!” Marcus shouted.

Vance and Logan ran down the corridor with Marcus
behind them and the creature on his heels.  Two creatures bolted into the dark
room after Hailey and Skyler.  Hailey and Skyler fumbled across the room and
collided with objects scattered about in the darkness.  The glowing eyes grew
closer, frightening both.  Candles within the room suddenly erupted into flames
and brightened the entire area.  The room was filled with furniture from the
forties.  Skyler grabbed an old umbrella, turned toward the two creatures, and
took a fighting stance.

“Run, Hailey!  I’ll hold them off!”

Hailey eyed the umbrella that he held like a sword
and frowned at him.  “Don’t be stupid.”

The creatures snarled and closed in.  Hailey looked
around the room while Skyler gripped his umbrella.  The room suddenly vibrated
causing both to look around.

“What are you doing?” Skyler cried out.

“I’m not doing that!”

An entire shelf creaked, crashed down, and narrowly
missed the first creature.  Hailey ran across the room for an antique sword in
a decorative box.  The second beast bolted after her.  She grabbed the sword. 
It was bolted inside the box!  Hailey cried out with surprise and alarm.  The
creature lunged for her.  She ran for the door to escape it.  As the first
creature leaped for Skyler, he shut his eyes and thrust forward with the
umbrella.  It caught the beast in the mouth, causing it to leap back with
surprise and pain.  Skyler opened his eyes and saw the beast swatting at its
mouth.  Hailey ran for the doorway, stumbled over an old trunk in the darkness,
and fell to the floor near the doorway.  She flipped onto her back, knowing the
creature had been right behind her.  She screamed as she helplessly watched the
creature leap for her.  A hand caught the large beast by the throat and stopped
it mid-air.  The three hundred pound creature thrashed against the grip on its
throat.  Hailey rolled into a crouched position and saw Rafe standing behind
her while holding the beast in the air by its thick throat.  That Rafe didn’t
appear strained by the weight of the thrashing creature was startling.

The beast slashed its claws at him, nearly scratching
his arm.  Rafe coiled back and projected the creature across the room with
amazing force, causing it to strike the shelves near Skyler.  Skyler ducked and
opened his umbrella to shield him.  A third creature leaped through the doorway
behind Rafe.  Rafe didn’t even look behind him.  He spun into a high,
roundhouse kick and struck it in the head, dropping it.  The creature near
Skyler charged for Rafe.  Rafe moved into a series of kicks and repeatedly
struck it.  The creature within the broken shelves recovered and leaped for him
as he fought the third creature.  As the charging creature attempted to pounce
on him, he flipped and kicked the beast in the underbelly.  The first creature
recovered and came back at him.  Rafe remained in a crouched position with one
hand to the floor and stared at the approaching beast.  It snarled and stared
into his eyes.  Rafe’s expression never changed.  The creature slowly backed
out of the room.  The remaining two beasts scrambled to their feet, shook off,
and ran after the first creature.  Rafe straightened and stared at the
doorway.  He seemed annoyed more than anything else.  Hailey and Skyler
appeared stunned while staring at him.

“It’s him--” Hailey gasped softly.

“It can’t be him,” Skyler muttered to her and defiantly
shook his head.  “I never would’ve allowed that.”

Rafe turned toward them and glared at Hailey with a
look of annoyance.  “You ditched me.”

Hailey was stunned by the comment as she stared at
him.  “That’s all you have to say?”

Rafe reconsidered his comment while maintaining his
annoyance and demandingly raised his brows.  “Don’t
ever
do that again.”