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"Doesn't make much difference does it?" Alicia laughed darkly and strode on into the shadows.
I exchanged a glance with Laurie and she rolled her eyes at Alicia's back. We followed suit and headed on in despite the prickle of fear that danced along my spine.
It was instantly warmer in the tunnel, out of the chilling wind. The air smelled musty and everything about the place spoke of a lack of use but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a damn good reason why Kaloo hadn’t wanted to come down here.
I glanced back at the doorway for a last glimpse of natural light as the tunnel turned and stole it from view.
That was it. We were inside.
No turning back now.
I watched the trees through narrowed eyes as anticipation set adrenaline coursing through my limbs. My men were building the second fire but there hadn't been any sign of the Creepers. Yet.
"All done boss!" Garret called out and I shot him a dark look for the noise. Though I supposed we were trying to lure them here anyway so it didn’t exactly matter. But it was bred into us from birth. Never go near the Creepers. Everything about this mission felt wrong. Though I had to admit, the challenge set my pulse firing.
I shouldered my gun and hefted the jerrycan filled with Old Merl's strongest moonshine into my arms. It was potent enough to send a man blind if he was stupid enough to drink it. Which I may or may not have attempted once. Or twice. Never again though.
The jerrycan sloshed heavily as I swung it forward and poured a drizzle over the pile of wood. This stuff went up like a damn explosion so a little went a long way.
Everything was so wet that I knew it wouldn't burn for long but it would create a lot of smoke while it tried, which was sure to lure the monsters close.
Our last estimation said that there were around five hundred Creepers living in this nest but I wasn’t convinced that was accurate. The terrifying truth was that these beasts had adapted well to living up here and they were breeding fast. Though fuck knew how creatures like that managed to care for newborn babes out in the wild. But they clearly did.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if there were a thousand or more of them out here. And we were about to kick the ants’ nest and see how many of them swarmed out.
I screwed the jerrycan shut again and pulled a matchbox from my pocket. I took a step back, casting a look around the trees before I struck the match and flicked it towards the prepared wood.
The pleasant smell of the smoke drifted back to me as the matchstick arced up into the air and fell gracefully downwards.
The little spark caught on the fuel almost instantly and a ball of fire whooshed into existence. A wave of heat washed over me and I stepped back again as the wet wood hissed and spat its disapproval.
The other men were waiting for me a little further into the trees and I backed up quickly. We didn’t wanna be here when the Creepers showed up.
“Did you hear that?" Garrett moved to my side, pushing his brown hair back out of his eyes. He was a good fighter and a tough bastard, unlikely to flinch at shadows so as he aimed his rifle at the forest I took note.
“Hear what?” I breathed, pocketing the matches
as I threw another suspicious glance at the trees.
The plume of smoke was finding its way up through the branches above us, crying out for the entire forest to see it.
“Thought I heard a voice,” Garrett murmured, raising his chin.
I paused to listen again, but there was nothing to hear. I offered him a shrug and hefted the jerrycan into my grasp, using my chin to point the direction for the rest of the men to take.
If there was even a chance of the Creepers being close already, I didn’t wanna break the silence again.
My men fell in around me, guns out and at the ready. They were brave men and good fighters but no one wanted an encounter with the Creepers.
Another flash of lightning flung the forest into view momentarily. The shadows were banished and their secrets were revealed. Between the trees, faces were thrown into focus. They were filth-covered and twisted into snarls of rage. Human and yet entirely inhuman at once.
My lips fell open at the horrifying sight around me as my gut twisted and I straightened my spine as I prepared to fight.
Darkness descended again, instantly concealing the Creepers but I’d seen those fucking faces.
“Draw your weapons!” I cried, dropping the jerrycan and pulling my gun from my back.
I took aim at the shadows as a snarl of defiance escaped me and the familiar weight of my gun filled my arms.
