close to the border of the fence as possible, attempting not to rush and trip over something that couldn’t be seen.
It took him twenty minutes to make it to the edge of the fence. He stood there for a moment, holding his light low while still trying to see the property beyond.
An owl hooted in the woods and the soft snap of a twig had him sucking in a breath, his hand going to his weapon. His heart whooshed in his ears and he held himself still, listening. Nothing. After a moment he released a slow breath, lowering his hand, and raising his light again as he swept it over the dilapidated exterior.
The place was in ruin.
Completely deserted.
Every ghost-hunters wet dream.
Fuck!
He’d just wasted forty minutes on a wild goose chase when he could have been among the search team.
Still, he had to look inside, just in case. Reed picked up his foot, ready to step out of the cover of trees, past the edge of the fence.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Liza heard a crash behind her as she turned a corner, barely able to see as the filtered lantern light behind her diminished. Her breath came sharply, heart hammering as she rounded another corner in what was a labyrinth of underground rooms, one wide open space flowing to the next, each growing dimmer and dimmer as her lungs burned in her chest. She heard Axel behind her, his steps slow. “Angel,” he called. “Liza, there’s nowhere to go. Come back. Don’t be afraid. You’ve got this all wrong, Angel. This is going to be the most wonderful night of your life.”
Liza came to a wall, turning left and right frantically. He was right, there was nowhere to go. Only backward. She’d come to a dead end.
What do I do? What do I do?
Panic surged as her eyes lit on what looked like a round door near the floor. A tunnel. The water runoff tunnel. Gasping, she bolted to it, running her hands along its rim, finding a handle on the side and pulling with all her might as a burst of foul-smelling rot hit her nose. “Angel,” Axel called. He was closer. In the room just beyond.
Liza looked into the pit of darkness in front of her, frozen with dread. It was her only chance. Tears streamed down Liza’s face as she climbed into the tunnel, her hand landing in a pool of slimy wetness. Something skittered in the darkness beyond. She eased the door closed, crawling forward, his voice coming from behind her, but even through the closed metal, she could hear that he’d entered that final underground room. He’d see the tunnel door in a few seconds, if that. It was either go deeper or allow him to capture her. Liza crawled forward, slime squelching beneath her palms and her knees, her face breaking through a thick spiderweb as she moved just far enough that the small amount of light from the room wouldn’t penetrate to where she was. Liza rubbed her face against her shoulder, stopping as the door squeaked slowly open, pressing herself against the wall of the tunnel. Something crawled under the collar of her shirt, scurrying down the back of her neck as Liza’s breath hitched, her muscles quivering as she forced herself not to move.
“Li-za,” he singsonged, his voice echoing through the darkness. “Liza, Liza, Li-za. Elizabeth!” She saw the very faint outline of the circular entrance but knew he couldn’t see her where she sat shivering, her knees pulled to her chest, holding her breath as tears tracked down her cheeks, waiting. Axel sighed. “We don’t have time for this, Angel. I wish you could understand. You’d come back if you did.” He paused for what felt like a long time as though he was considering what to do. The spider under her shirt scuttled down her back. She felt another one run across her hip. There were more all around her, on her. There had to be more. “This won’t change anything.” Liza’s heart sank as a scream rose inside her. “I know you don’t like the dark, Angel. But if you refuse to be a part of our ceremony, then I have to make sure you won’t interrupt it. It will be over soon. Even from here, you’ll rise.” And with that, he shut the door, the lever dropping into place.
No, nononononono! She rushed forward, crawling back toward the door even as she heard his footsteps moving away, simultaneously batting harshly at her