Underworld (12 page)

‘Where did you go earlier?' Axel asked Fiona.

Angie answered quickly. ‘Me and Fiona were looking for another way out too.' She said it quickly. ‘That's what we were doing in that tunnel. Isn't that right, Fiona?'

‘Were we zonks!' What was wrong with that Angie! Everybody had to do the toilet. It was perfectly natural. ‘We needed the lavvy.' She said it as coarsely as she could, just to embarrass her.

‘Fiona!' Angie's voice was full of disappointment in her.

‘We went there for some privacy … and a thousand pairs of eyes were clocking us!'

‘No wonder you frightened the bats. Seeing you two doing the toilet would scare anybody.' Axel laughed.

‘They were probably more frightened of us than we were of them,' Angie said.

Fiona burst out laughing. ‘You didn't think that when you and me were in there with our knickers at our ankles.'

‘Oh Fiona!' There was even a blush in the way Angie said it.

Axel joined in. ‘Is it a bird. Is it a plane! Come on, boys, let's get out of here! It's Angie and Fiona peeing.'

And they were all laughing. Axel and Liam and Zesh and Fiona. Even Angie. Laughing almost hysterically. Their laughter winding its way deep into the caves.

‘What was that?' Liam said, his laughter stopping abruptly.

They all stopped and listened.

‘An echo,' Zesh said, as if he knew.

But none of them laughed after that.

Because to them all it had sounded like something stirring, deep in the underworld.

* * *

What is that sound?

Whoosh! Something far away, a slither, a slide, coming closer.

We both stop, listening in the darkness.

The Captain dismisses the sound. ‘There are always sounds in caves – echoes from the sea.'

‘I am so cold, sir,' I tell him.

He looks angry. His eyes are blue and icy. ‘Then be cold. We will find out where these secret weapons are, and we shall destroy them. That is our mission.'

He talks about our ‘mission'as if we had been sent by God.

‘We will blow this whole island to Hell. And we will die for the Führer.'

* * *

They had been walking for hours, Axel was sure of it. How long had they been trapped down here? Hours, days? He'd lost track of any kind of time. His legs ached and his temper was growing frayed. He kept glancing behind him. Dragging that stupid teacher was holding them back. They could have been out of here an age ago if it hadn't been for him.

This had to be the way out, he was thinking. This path was worn. Many feet had passed here before them. It didn't even seem so dark here. Had his eyes got used to the blackness? Or was there some kind of artificial light in here? Water trickled down the rock walls. It was as if the water had been tinted. He tried to remember what Marks had said, something about mineral deposits colouring the water. Maybe that was what was giving off the little light they seemed to have.

I bet Zesh would know, he thought. Or pretend he does. Him and all his rules. Insisting they mark their path, making them use their whistles regularly in case someone was already in the caves searching for them,
rationing their food and their use of the lamps, in case the batteries wore out. Axel wouldn't ask him anything. He hated Zesh more now than he ever had. When they got out of here, he was going to punch his lights out.

Zesh called out then, ‘I think we should rest soon. Keep our strength up.'

Axel turned on him. ‘We'd be out of here by now if you weren't carrying him.' He spat in the direction of the teacher, missing him by inches. ‘Leave him, I say. We can send somebody back for him.'

Angie stepped forward. ‘But what if the bats come back, Axel?'

‘He's not got any blood for them to suck.' He sniggered at his own joke.

Liam edged closer to Axel. ‘Couldn't one of us stay with him?' He looked at Zesh.

Axel liked that idea. ‘Good thinking, Liam. That gets rid of two birds with one idea. You stay with him, Zesh. We'll send somebody back … eventually.'

‘We are not separating. We're all staying together.'

Fiona leaped into the conversation. ‘Hey, wait a minute. Just stop deciding what I'm gonny do. I'll decide for myself.'

‘Who cares?' Axel said. ‘Come on, Liam. You and
me, we'll just go on ourselves. Forget about them.'

He watched Liam think about it. Think too long.

It was Zesh who broke the silence. ‘For once in your life, Liam, make a decision. Your backside must be sore from sitting on the fence.' He looked breathlessly angry. ‘Axel won't go on his own. He's too scared.'

‘I am not!' Axel yelled.

‘Yes you are. Or else you would never have waited for the rest of us.'

‘I'm gonny make you sorry you said that.'

Zesh ignored that. ‘You are so stupid, Liam. You can't even see that he needs you more than you need him. He treats you like an idiot, and you let him. You make me sick. You've always made me sick. I can't stand people like you.'

It was turning into a tirade against Liam. It even shut Axel up.

‘What have I ever done to you?' Liam asked him, taken aback.

But Zesh had started now and wouldn't stop. ‘Do you know what people think about you at school? Nothing. They don't even remember you. “Liam who?” they'll say. You are a nothing. A nonentity! Because you just follow on with whoever you think is the boss. Taking
orders, doing what you're told. Do you never get sick of yourself?'

Axel could see Liam's eyes flash. Was that anger, or embarrassment? Then, Liam laughed. ‘You know, sometimes when you sit on the fence you can see both sides of the argument.'

Zesh turned from him in disgust. ‘Oh, do what Axel tells you. That's all you're good for.'

Liam was still grinning. ‘What got up his nose?'

Axel looked at him in amazement. ‘See, if anybody spoke to me like that, I'd go through him.'

Liam shrugged his shoulders. ‘You know me, Axel. Laugh it off, that's my motto.'

Angie was bending over the teacher, holding a bottle of water to his lips. He stirred and began to cough.

That made them all alert. ‘Mr Marks!' Angie leaned closer to him. His eyes fluttered open. He looked around. Angie jumped to her feet. ‘He's waking up. Everything'll be fine now.'

Axel stepped towards him. Mr Marks's eyes fastened on him. But Axel knew he couldn't see him. He couldn't see anything. ‘He's still unconscious,' he said. He'd seen enough people being knocked out to recognise the signs. He was right. Seconds later the teacher's eyes
closed again and his head slumped.

‘Maybe we shouldn't be moving him anyway,' Axel said, as if he cared.

He didn't fool Fiona. ‘We've not got much choice, have we? If we kill him because we move him, we kill him. We can't leave him here.'

Zesh stood up. ‘I'm going down one of the tunnels to see where it leads.' He held out his whistle. ‘I'll whistle every few minutes, and you whistle back.'

‘You can't go on your own, Zesh,' Angie said.

Zesh looked around them all, as if deciding who he could ask to go with him. Axel, he dismissed right away. He'd never trust him in the dark. He hardly bothered to glance at Liam. He wouldn't be able to rely on him. And Fiona? She'd probably tell him to go zonk himself, she wasn't coming anyway.

‘I'll go with you, Zesh.' Angie beamed at him.

‘Aye,' Fiona laughed. ‘Take Angie. You'll be all right there, Zesh. She's a Girl Guide.'

He looked at Angie reluctantly. ‘I suppose,' he said without enthusiasm. ‘I'll be back as soon as I can.'

‘Missing you already!' Fiona called, ignoring Angie's wave.

And Zesh and Angie disappeared into the black tunnel.

‘I hate that guy,' Axel muttered.

Liam glanced over at Fiona. She was ignoring them both, slugging her water from her bottle, glancing around her, checking for more bats, probably.

Liam's voice was soft. ‘He wouldn't be such a big man if he didn't have that inhaler.'

Axel turned on him. ‘What inhaler?'

‘Didn't you know he's got asthma? Keeps it well hidden of course. Can't have anybody knowing big man Zesh has got a weakness, eh? But see if he didn't have that inhaler, Axel, he'd be as useless as …' Liam looked over at the unconscious teacher. ‘He started off as the leader as well, didn't he. And look at him now.'

Zesh could feel Angie tugging on his rucksack as he moved steadily forwards through the cold black tunnel. ‘What is it, Angie?' He sounded annoyed. Couldn't help it.

‘Nothing. I'm just holding on, Zesh.'

She flashed her light along the tunnel. ‘Do you think this might be the way?'

It has to be, Zesh was thinking. He couldn't think straight, yet he had to. Trying to remember all that Mr Marks had told him. He took a step forwards and jumped back quickly as rubble broke loose under his feet. He looked all around, waiting for the whole tunnel to collapse.

‘I don't think this is any good here,' he said.

‘If you say so, Zesh.'

He would never admit it, but he was glad it was Angie who was there with him. She didn't moan or
argue. She just followed quietly. And he didn't want to be alone.

‘You're probably wishing you'd never come to this school.' He wanted to talk, to hear their voices in the black tunnel.

‘Oh no, I love it here. Everyone's so nice.' She giggled. ‘Well, maybe not everyone. But you are, and so's Fiona.'

You honestly think Fiona's nice, Angie? thought Zesh. He didn't look behind but he could imagine her face, beaming with enthusiasm.

‘She's the best friend I've ever had.'

You're sad, Angie, he was thinking. If Fiona's the best friend you could ever get, you are really pathetic.

‘What school did you go to before?' he asked her, realising then that he knew nothing about Angie. None of them did.

‘We were abroad,' she said at once. ‘My dad's got this absolutely brilliant job. He works for the government.'

Her words were cut off as Zesh grabbed at her, and tugged so hard on her arm he almost pulled her over.

‘My foot's gone down a hole.' He tried to say it as calmly as he could, but he was losing his balance, and if he did, he would slip down. ‘Pull, Angie. Help me.'

Angie turned her light down into a deep dark hole that had seemed at first to be just a crack in the ground. She caught her breath, gripped Zesh and hauled him back on to firm ground.

Zesh was breathing hard. ‘We'll have to tell them all to be careful.'

‘It's lucky for you I was here,' Angie said.

And though Zesh hated to admit it, she was right. ‘Come on, we're going back.' They backed out, this time their lights scanning the floor of the tunnel for any more of these booby traps. He felt there was danger in every step. How he wished he was home.

‘Do you think we'll ever get out of here?' Angie asked him.

Zesh didn't answer. In the dark he took the inhaler from his pocket and drew in a lifesaving breath.

‘Was that you using your inhaler?' Angie asked.

He drew in another breath quickly, this time with shock. ‘What are you talking about?'

‘You do use an inhaler, don't you? It's not a secret, is it?'

Zesh waited till his breath was calm again before he answered her. ‘I don't want the rest of them to know.'

Angie stepped closer. Her round face seemed to
zoom at him through the gloom. ‘I would never tell on you, Zesh. Your secret's safe with me.'

Fiona heard Zesh's whistle piercing the darkness. Maybe Sir Lancelot's found the way out. She almost prayed. Axel and Liam were crouched across from her on the other side of the cave, muttering to each other. Hatching plans. Even down here, Axel was trying to act like the tough guy. It was so stupid. She wanted none of it. She wanted home. She kept looking around her. So much blackness. An eternity of blackness. Anything could be hiding in that blackness, ready to reach out, grab her, drag her back into the shadows.

Shut your face, Fiona! she told herself. She moved closer to the teacher. Though he would be of no zonking help if she was dragged off. If he would just wake up and tell them which way to go. Point a wavering finger in the right direction, then conk out again. She was so scared they were going the wrong way. That all this time they weren't heading for the sea, but going deeper into a cave with no way out.

She couldn't think about that any more. She refused to think.

‘You got a fag on you, Axel?'

He snarled an answer. ‘No, I have not got a fag.'

‘I've got a bit of chewing gum.' Liam held it out to her.

‘Chewing gum I've got,' Fiona snapped.

‘You're suffering from withdrawal symptoms. That's why you're in such a bad mood,' Liam said.

Axel sniggered. ‘Withdrawal symptoms nothing. She's always in a bad mood.'

‘See when we get out of here, Axel, I'm going to put your time in.'

‘You and what army?' Axel laughed, then he added seriously, ‘You coming wi' me and Liam. 'Cause we're getting out of here. Without
him
.'

Him, was Mr Marks.

‘Oh my goodness, Liam.' Fiona's voice was full of sarcasm. ‘Made a decision, have you?'

‘I've got my reasons,' Liam said.

Fiona thought about it. Moving faster without the teacher holding them back. Getting out. Sending help back for him. It was sensible. Yet … leaving the others alone, with bats and rats and … whatever else might be in these dark ancient caves? Could she do that?

‘Oh come on, Fiona. It's not
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
'