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Meanwhile, Conner has tackled his opponent into submission, punching him for good measure when he’s down.
“Conner!” Micah pushes the door open and hauls me through it.
Behind us, the man with the machete has nearly reached the bottom of the stairs. He shouts at his companions.
We’re met with pitch darkness and an unfamiliar landscape.
Conner tries to pull in one direction. “Exit’s this way.”
“No,” Micah says. “Too easy for them to cut us off. We’ll find another way out.”
The perimeter of The Catacombs is surrounded by high fences. The property is immense in all directions, likely pushing a hundred acres. That’s common knowledge.
But as Micah ushers me through the night another piece of information nags at the back of my mind. Something my uncle told me.
“There’s an access point through the old worker apartments. Uncle Josh mentioned it tonight, said it’s always being propped open no matter how many times the cops chain it shut. Maybe it’s open now.”
A crash and a flurry of curses are close, too close.
We’ve paused, clustered around the corner of a different building. A cloud covers the scant light of the moon. I have no idea where we are. It’s like navigating a labyrinth while blindfolded.
“LYONNE!” The furious voice cuts through the night. “Come here and take your fucking medicine.”
Lots of cackling and ominous hoots echo the comment.
“Micah.” I pull on his shirt. “Let’s just hide and call the police.”
He shakes his head, his words a sharp whisper. “We caught a break once. Can’t count on catching another one if they all find us.”
Conner nods. “We keep moving.”
“LYONNE!” A different voice now. “Time to say hello to your daddy.”
“Your daddy misses you,” declares yet another voice, and then breaks into hysterical, braying laughter.
The sound that vibrates in Micah’s chest is close to a feral growl.
I know him. I understand his anger and the toll of being plagued by taunts and the never-ending trauma of what he witnessed as a child. It’s taking every ounce of his willpower not to run out there and meet their challenge.
In fear and desperation, I pull him down for a kiss.Stay with me. STAY WITH ME!
Our lips only meet for a second before Conner nudges us.
“Let’s move. The apartments should be straight back.”
Only now do I recall the phone in my hand. Conner’s phone. The one that’s still connected to Gage.
This has the feel of a waking nightmare. Same surreal quality. Micah’s arm stays around my waist, his night vision superior to mine. All I see is impenetrable blackness and above us, an indifferent night sky.
Conner stops. “We’re here. You see the fence up ahead?”
“I see it,” Micah says.
I press the speaker button on the phone. “Gage? Are you still there?”
“I’m here.” There’s engine noise, like he’s traveling at high speed.
Micah grabs the phone. “Back of the complex. The worker apartments. Call it in. The sound of sirens might make them scatter.”
