The Third Omen

PART THREE: TWO STEPS FROM HELL

"Where are we going?" Piper annoyingly asked, and I wondered the exact same thing. Mostly, though, I questioned why she was with us. I wanted to go off running and find someone to help me get into Block C, but instead I had to be dragged down unwillingly to Block D, the cargo area.

Leaving these people—our people—here, also seemed horribly wrong. Yes, we had a chance to help them by going to Ohio; however, doing it right after an attack on the base was unethical.

"We're headed to Block D, Ms. Smoke." He didn't turn around to address her, his feet striding down the bright corridor. "There, we will jump into one of our jets and get the hell out of here."

He hadn't finished saying that when, from somewhere inside the adjacent tunnels, a howled moan pierced the air, imposing an unconscious halt in all of us. "I say we hurry, Vincent." Hugo's words were shaky—with reason—and his old belly flopped when Dad hurried his pace.

"Was that a...?"

"Wendigo," I uttered, glaring at Piper when I stopped walking again. "Yes, it was a Wendigo. If the Outside People found a way in, they opened the door for them, too. So would you please get your shit together and keep moving before they catch up to us and kill us one by one?"

"It stinks in here," Gabriel muttered.

"And that's not a reason to stop," Dad said, frustrated. "Lauren is right. Keep moving."

Not fifty meters into the now suspiciously deserted space another moan echoed, this one followed shortly by a rending cry and the sudden entrance of a person slumping out of the dark tunnel we were passing. I had to swallow a gasp when my eyes caught the blood spewing out of their side.

"Stay back, honey," Dad said sternly, taking a step back at the same time. "We have to go."

Again, without any warning whatsoever, his hand gripped onto my forearm firmly before he started dragging me with him. Was he seriously gonna leave that person to die? I really expected Gabriel and Hugo to disagree, even Piper, but the three were following closely behind with guilty expressions plastered on their faces.

"No," I bellowed, yanking my arm away from him for the second time. "We can't just leave them here." At least I wouldn't.

"You don't know if they're infected or not!"

Ignoring my father's complains and Gabriel's useless tries to hold me back, I ran back and knelt next to the person, whom I now knew was a girl. The short hair made me doubt before, but it came across as rather obvious now that we were so close to each other. Her small chest raised and fell with short, wheezed breaths, and I knew she'd bleed to death without proper attention immediately.

Inspecting the wound thoroughly through the torn fabric, I could tell the wound was due to a knife of something with a sharp edge rather than a bite or a scratch. "She's still alive. You've gotta help me take her," I finally said, looking up to meet Gabriel's eyes since he would be the only one who had the heart to help me. "Please...."

Giving a series of short nods to the air, he started walking toward us. I helped him get her arm around his shoulder, hearing a hushed groan escape her mouth. I was just glad the poor girl didn't have full consciousness of what was going on, because that'd only complicate things. Instead, the languidness of her body allowed us to carry her easily; however, halfway back to Dad's angry expression and Piper shaking next to Hugo, another din resounded through the walls.

This time, though, it was followed by a strong vibration, which made the ground blow our feet move abruptly. My eyes darted to my father's, but he was busy gazing above us. I followed his gaze and the thrumming noise to find a crack moving quickly across the concrete. It's gonna give in.