I leaned over, grabbing his shoulders, planting a kiss on his lips. “I’ll be back in forty-three.”
12
It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. The transition from bright daylight to black was doable, but it took time, even for a supernatural with enhanced vision.
Once I could see, I noticed the steep staircase in front of me. It went straight down into what I could only assume was the abyss. The steps themselves were shallow, chipped and falling apart, made of old stone, the mortar that originally kept them together long gone.
On my left stood two trash barrels. It was clear the only thing that this space was used for was to store garbage between weekly trash pickups. I couldn’t imagine the shop owner descending these stairs for any reason.
Here goes nothing, I told my wolf as I descended the first few steps. She gave me a you can do it bark. She still wasn’t ruffled, which put me at ease—at ease as I could be knowing we were descending into the arms of almost two dozen waiting dead bodies.
I had to keep my mind on the prize—Danny. He was the reason I was doing this.
As I went lower, my eyes adjusted even more. Wolves had excellent eyesight, and mine was no exception. My retinas were grabbing light from every conceivable place they could find it. It worked to give me a hazy outline of the shapes around me, which wasn’t much. Just lots and lots of crumbling stone.
How’s it going? Rourke asked in my mind. I wasn’t sure how long we were going to be able to be tethered if Enid had any say.
It’s going fine, I replied. I’ve encountered nothing but steps and crumbling rock. These puppies go straight down. I began to hear movement below, not so much moaning, but more like sticks clicking together. I’m hearing some bone-on-bone action, I told him. I must be getting close to the bottom.
You’re probably about two stories down, Rourke said. How are the smells down there?
My wolf had been parceling them away. So far it just smells wet, moldy, and old. There was a little whiff of Danny, but not much. I’m not getting enough of Danny’s signature to let me know where he is. Enid is still playing games. I wish she’d stop. It was a waste of time. There was a clatter about ten feet below me. It sounded like bodies running into each other. Ask Kayla if she can see down here. It sounds like the bodies are crashing into each other. I should’ve brought a flashlight.
Do you have a Pack phone on you? Rourke asked. These days they come with a built-in flashlight. Kayla says she’s having trouble seeing, as dead bodies don’t have the best eyesight. That was a joke, in case you’re wondering, since skeletons don’t have eyes.
I got it. Very funny. I do have a Pack phone. I reached into my back pocket and pulled it out. Ah, technology. We forget in our supernatural-ness that innovation can be our friends. Rourke was saying something, but he was breaking up. Enid had had enough of our communication. Either that, or these walls were just too thick, because who knew how this mind-action worked anyway? I’m sorry, babe. I can’t hear you any longer. I’ll be back before you know it.
I reached the end of the staircase and swiped on the phone light. I stifled a scream once I got a good look at my compatriots. “Holy gods.” It came out as a low moan. The scene in front of me was straight out of some crazy-bad horror movie, one in which lifeless bodies were sent to terrorize the innocent heroine.
A mass of skeletons stood facing me.
All seemingly eager to tear their sharp metacarpals into my flesh and cackle while they did it.
This was so unnatural.
“Kayla,” I called. “I know you can see me, but I don’t know if you can hear me. We didn’t talk about it. You have to back the suckers up so I have some room to move.”
All at once, the freaky zombie bones took two steps back and parted so I could get through.
She could hear me. That was a relief. It made it a little less spooky. And at least I had someone to talk to down here. “I’ve got a flashlight as long as my phone battery has a charge,” I said. “Let’s get this over with. I’ll lead, you and the horde follow.”
There was only one direction to go.
A long, narrow hallway snaked out in front of me. It was too dark to see how far it went, but it couldn’t be that long. The piling only had so much space. I had no idea what Ray had been talking about, because I couldn’t detect any windows.
Can you scent anything? I asked my wolf as we began to walk. I’m not getting much, but you’re way better at it than me. My wolf infused us with more energy as I drew the damp, stale air over my tongue. I was only getting a little of Danny’s signature. Frustrated, I yelled, “You brought me here to get him, and here I am! If you haven’t forgotten, you want me to find him. So I’d appreciate it if you’d stop playing games and show me where he is.” And then I muttered, “What, are we in first grade?”
Something ice cold brushed by my face.
A second later, a moan sounded in my ear.
Oh, goody. A ghost. “Kayla, ghost encounter number one is happening right now.” I glanced behind at the stick figures shuffling in my wake. I didn’t know if I should address them directly, or if she just heard everything. These would’ve been good questions to ask before I descended into this pit.
Too late now.
You come…onto my lair. A breathy voice hit my ear. Seeking…something.
“That’s correct, I do seek something,” I told it. “Any chance you could show me where the other living, breathing person is down here?” The hallway took a sharp turn to the left, and I followed. If it got any tighter, my bone army was going to have to go single file. That would make backing me up more difficult.