Alone • Liam Dunbar

Thirty

We press on, going toward the room with the busted wall, and coincidentally, the origin of the stench.

The scene is exactly as Parrish described it with the bricks all but shattered from where the taloned man broke free. The deputy's blood and shreds of his clothes were on the floor, a sign of his attack. His blood pooled with the mysterious black ooze the talon man had been covered in. Both liquids stuck to the floor, and when they dried, acted like glue to various crows that lay dead at our feet. All of them were trapped the moment they flew in here from wherever they came from.

Theo and I both ignore the death before us and approach the hole. I peer inside, finding the bricks were actually built to create a cavity wall. The center of the formation leads down to a pit of darkness. I bring out my phone, using the device's flashlight to reveal a concrete floor about ten feet down. I can't see much else, but there's a draft that billows up from beneath, assuring me there was something beyond what was visible.

"Looks like it's a bit of a jump," Theo says warily. "I'll go down first and I can catch you-"

"Hold this," I interrupt him, forcing my phone into his hands. He does as I instruct and lights the gap, watching as I step through the punctured wall without hesitation.

"Or not," Theo murmurs amusedly.

Multiple steel rebar protrudes from the backing, and I use that to lower myself down into the open space. It doesn't reach the very bottom, but the height decreases enough for me to be able to jump down and not run the risk of breaking my ankles. I take in the new environment immediately, not wanting to be blindsided by any threats.

I find myself alone, standing in the middle of an underground tunnel. Rusted pipes of different sizes line the walls, running along the same path as industrial insulated wiring. There's a source of illumination further down, revealing that the floodlights were operational but hidden.

"You can come down," I tell Theo.

He tosses my phone to me, moving to do as I did. He scales the makeshift ladder of rebar to lower himself before jumping. I offer him my hand as he lands, keeping his steady. He thanks me, then turns to take in the tunnel ahead. It's only a singular hallway for now, but I was sure the further in we went, the more confusing and winding it would become.

"Jac." Theo directs his gaze downward. I track his sight, finding black footsteps decorating the concrete. The taloned man had unknowingly left us more than one path during his night of mayhem.

It brings a smile to my face, one that I share with Theo.

"Let's go," the Raeken boy says.

The air grows shallow as we allow ourselves to continue underground. That doesn't stop us from jogging through the tunnels, though. Theo and I hastily follow the footprints provided for us, each one growing in size and shape. I take that as a sign that we're getting closer to the taloned man's place of origin, the ooze slowly drying and dripping off of him as he previously traveled.

"Hold on, hold on," Theo rushes out, coming to an abrupt stop.

I don't face him despite following his command. Instead, I take in our surroundings, my instincts telling me to ready myself to fend off an enemy. It's only when I find nothing but empty halls do I turn to him.

"What?" I press impatiently.

Theo holds his finger up, tilting his head to the side. It's a telltale gesture of a werewolf using their senses, and it makes me remain silent.

"I hear voices," he tells me.

Usually, that wasn't something anyone wanted to hear another person admit, but for our current predicament, I found myself elated by his claims.