RETURNING: Book 2 in the Dimension Series

2: The Retrieval

The Twins (Erstuned and Bernit)

Pedalling furiously, Erstuned and Bernit cycled down the winding road that led to the abandoned multi-level shopping centre. Whizzing past severely distorted street signs, piles of scrap metal, row by row of untidily-kept houses, the two boys quickly made their way into the more dodgy side of town.

At the very end of the long road that could be followed all the way from the twins' house lay the abandoned site in all its glory; a two and a half story complex surrounded by smashed up cars and a deranged-looking fence.

"Here we are, Ber," Erstuned exclaimed softly, carefully wheeling his bike over into a small metal shed with a collapsed roof, his older brother following in pursuit. The boys then crept quietly over to what remained of the barbed wire fence and slid through one of the holes and into the complex.

Hearing commotion from the first level of the run-down carpark, the brothers scampered around a brutally wrecked car, headlights smashed in, and then sat down behind it, to discuss their next move.

"What should we do, Erstuned?" Bernit said as he leant against the side of the Toyota, his red backpack beside him on the ground. "You seem to have a plan all worked out in your head."

"Let's look through here," Erstuned gestured to the car window, and the twins peered through it and into the first floor of the carpark.

The area was mostly filled with broken beer bottles and half-smoked cigarettes on the ground, but in the rear corner a gang sat around a poorly-made campfire on tree stumps and cardboard boxes.

They looked like a fairly suspicious bunch, but seemed to just be sitting there, drinking, and chatting casually. Erstuned signalled to Bernit with his hand that it was time to try their bribe.

Climbing around the back of the car, they stepped through the remains of a brick wall and into the ground floor level of the complex and getting about 20m away from the gang until they were noticed by one of the gang members.

"Oy matey, look at wha' we got ova 'ere!" one of the gang members crowed, grinning a nearly toothless grin, with old, rotting teeth, coloured like charred cigarette stumps decorating the lies of his mouth.

"Wha' can we do for you, me lil' devil?" another one cried, as they clinked two fresh beer bottles together and opened them with a pfttt!

"Uh... we... um... We need information on where we can find The Untamed!" Bernit finished confidently, staring straight at the gang.

"Ooh, ye seeking to be part of their gang? Whya-not join ussss?" the rotten tooth man drawled, flashing his ugly smile once more. "You'll have a lot more fun here!"

"We're not here to join any gang! We need to know where The Untamed is!" Erstuned interrupted, waving the $30 at the gang nonchalantly.

"So you be givin' us some 'o that dough?" Rotten Tooth grinned greedily as he stood up slowly, putting his beer bottle on the ground as he began his way over to the boys.

'Only if you tell us where The Untamed are!" Erstuned yelled, putting the money behind his back.

"Fine, fine," Rotten Tooth complained. 'Fourth story, top o' the buildin'."

Erstuned then handed over the money to the gang member, before gesturing to his brother to follow him up the crumbling steps to the second story, and so on.

A strong gust of wind to the face signalled that they were on the very much open fourth story, and the extreme smell of smoke and stale beer also confirming that there was a gang not too far away from them.