before they ran into a Darklight soldier.
The woman swung round, eyes glowing and rifle raised.
Jason held out his hands. ‘Don’t shoot!’
The woman relaxed, shook her head at their stupidity and turned back round before being dragged with a scream into the dark, gun firing.
Seized by terror, they ran back they way they’d come. Another heart-pounding minute later, they stopped again, out of breath and eyes wide.
No one spoke as they listened for signs of pursuit.
None came.
Running out of options, they worked their way further into the labyrinth.
A while later – with Jason still leading – they halted for a third time when he held up a hand.
‘What is it?’ Trish said in a whisper.
He shook his head. ‘I don’t know; go back the other way.’
They did so, the decision putting Sarah in the lead. She heard a noise to the right and so she turned left. Creeping forward with stealth-like care, she let out a shout as three Darklight soldiers ran past, weapons firing.
‘Go back!’ Sarah said, pushing Trish in the opposite direction, as the screams of dying men chased them along the passageway.
Running again, tense moments turned to hushed minutes and they found themselves emerging into a large void, the passages and tunnels giving way to a whole new chamber. Escaping from the confined space would have been a blessing except that in the distance a sheer rock face rose high to block off any chance of escape. The new area was one vast, dead end.
Movement to their left made Trish scream.
Poised to flee, Sarah spun round to see something crouched huddled against a wall.
Jason pushed Trish behind him. ‘What the hell is that?!’
The small figure raised its head and Sarah took a step towards it. Covered in dirt and clothed in rags, Sarah stared into terrified eyes. ‘It’s a woman.’
Chapter Fourteen
‘What the hell is she doing down here?’ Jason said.
Sarah didn’t know, but one thing was for sure, this newcomer was more frightened of them than they were of her.
The woman scuttled back as Sarah approached.
‘It’s okay,’ Sarah said, switching on her helmet’s torches and holding out a hand.
‘It won’t be for long,’ said a deep voice.
Sarah turned round as the powerful figure of the Darklight commander strode out into the area behind, followed by the remnants of his unit, their torches blazing bright.
‘What do you mean?’ Sarah said. ‘Who is she?’
‘She’s the woman I’ve been searching for.’ Hilt switched out a magazine from his rifle and loaded a new one. ‘And where she goes, the light follows.’
‘What?!’ Jason said in alarm.
Hilt ignored him and beckoned to the woman. ‘Susan, come here, child, I’ll take you back to Rebecca.’
The woman whimpered in fear and edged back along the rocky wall.
Trish moved to Sarah’s side to bar his way. ‘I don’t think she wants to go with you.’
‘Then it’s lucky I don’t care what you think.’ The Darklight leader strode forward and pushed Trish and Sarah aside.
On his approach the woman sprang up and Hilt made a desperate grab for her, but she scampered out of reach to cower behind Trish.
‘You’re scaring her,’ Trish said, laying a tentative hand on the half-starved creature.
The woman flinched at the touch, but remained where she was, eyes darting this way and that.
Hilt’s mask and visor retracted into his helmet. ‘This is no time for games; that woman is under my care.’
Trish stroked Susan’s grimy hair. ‘It doesn’t look like you’ve done a very good job.’
The commander’s face darkened.
‘Sir!’ one his men said.
Hilt paused and his eyes went distant as he listened to a communication. His mask and visor slid back into place and he cocked his weapon. ‘The beast approaches.’
Chapter Fifteen
All was still in Sanctuary’s depths as the Darklight soldiers formed up behind their leader to await their fate.
Commander Hilt stood facing the entrance to the
The woman swung round, eyes glowing and rifle raised.
Jason held out his hands. ‘Don’t shoot!’
The woman relaxed, shook her head at their stupidity and turned back round before being dragged with a scream into the dark, gun firing.
Seized by terror, they ran back they way they’d come. Another heart-pounding minute later, they stopped again, out of breath and eyes wide.
No one spoke as they listened for signs of pursuit.
None came.
Running out of options, they worked their way further into the labyrinth.
A while later – with Jason still leading – they halted for a third time when he held up a hand.
‘What is it?’ Trish said in a whisper.
He shook his head. ‘I don’t know; go back the other way.’
They did so, the decision putting Sarah in the lead. She heard a noise to the right and so she turned left. Creeping forward with stealth-like care, she let out a shout as three Darklight soldiers ran past, weapons firing.
‘Go back!’ Sarah said, pushing Trish in the opposite direction, as the screams of dying men chased them along the passageway.
Running again, tense moments turned to hushed minutes and they found themselves emerging into a large void, the passages and tunnels giving way to a whole new chamber. Escaping from the confined space would have been a blessing except that in the distance a sheer rock face rose high to block off any chance of escape. The new area was one vast, dead end.
Movement to their left made Trish scream.
Poised to flee, Sarah spun round to see something crouched huddled against a wall.
Jason pushed Trish behind him. ‘What the hell is that?!’
The small figure raised its head and Sarah took a step towards it. Covered in dirt and clothed in rags, Sarah stared into terrified eyes. ‘It’s a woman.’
Chapter Fourteen
‘What the hell is she doing down here?’ Jason said.
Sarah didn’t know, but one thing was for sure, this newcomer was more frightened of them than they were of her.
The woman scuttled back as Sarah approached.
‘It’s okay,’ Sarah said, switching on her helmet’s torches and holding out a hand.
‘It won’t be for long,’ said a deep voice.
Sarah turned round as the powerful figure of the Darklight commander strode out into the area behind, followed by the remnants of his unit, their torches blazing bright.
‘What do you mean?’ Sarah said. ‘Who is she?’
‘She’s the woman I’ve been searching for.’ Hilt switched out a magazine from his rifle and loaded a new one. ‘And where she goes, the light follows.’
‘What?!’ Jason said in alarm.
Hilt ignored him and beckoned to the woman. ‘Susan, come here, child, I’ll take you back to Rebecca.’
The woman whimpered in fear and edged back along the rocky wall.
Trish moved to Sarah’s side to bar his way. ‘I don’t think she wants to go with you.’
‘Then it’s lucky I don’t care what you think.’ The Darklight leader strode forward and pushed Trish and Sarah aside.
On his approach the woman sprang up and Hilt made a desperate grab for her, but she scampered out of reach to cower behind Trish.
‘You’re scaring her,’ Trish said, laying a tentative hand on the half-starved creature.
The woman flinched at the touch, but remained where she was, eyes darting this way and that.
Hilt’s mask and visor retracted into his helmet. ‘This is no time for games; that woman is under my care.’
Trish stroked Susan’s grimy hair. ‘It doesn’t look like you’ve done a very good job.’
The commander’s face darkened.
‘Sir!’ one his men said.
Hilt paused and his eyes went distant as he listened to a communication. His mask and visor slid back into place and he cocked his weapon. ‘The beast approaches.’
Chapter Fifteen
All was still in Sanctuary’s depths as the Darklight soldiers formed up behind their leader to await their fate.
Commander Hilt stood facing the entrance to the
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