Anton Strout - Dead Matter

I looked at Aidan, who for once actually looked winded. “Please tell me you have the strength to crush the locking mechanism on this.”

Aidan turned to the ornate handle and lock trigger, pressing the tips of his fingers flush against them. His face contorted with effort as he tried to squeeze them together. After a moment they started to give way, and once he had better leverage and momentum on his side, he was able to twist the two into an unwieldy knot.

“Happy?” he said. I nodded. Aidan lifted his hand and flexed his fingers. “Funny. I’ve forgotten what it feels like to exert myself.”

The thump of people reaching the other side of the door had me moving again. I ran down the carved stone stairs, taking a bit more caution given their age and the subterranean slope. The overhead lights lit up the tunnel all the way down.

We burst into the main room of the Gauntlet. Several of the archivists looked up from the long tables they were working at, while others simply carried on with their business. I spotted Godfrey Candella two tables away from us, where he was helping that Chloe girl with some sort of translation. When he saw me, he looked a bit startled, but waved.

“Hello, Simon.”

I was out of breath, but still found a little strength to wave him over to us. By the time he walked over, I was standing and had gained a little bit of my composure back.

“We need your help,” I said.

Godfrey stood there, his usual quizzical expression on his face. “Go on. I was just helping Chloe with a little bit of Carpathian she was having trouble with…”

I held my hand up to silence him. “Not now,” I said. He looked hurt. “Sorry,” I added. I continued on. “Remember when I was down here a few days ago… You took me to that place where we were looking up records on old New York, chasing down those blueprints from the 1800s?”

Godfrey nodded. “Of course I remember,” he said, sounding insulted.

“You need to take us there,” I said. “Now.”

Godfrey’s gaze switched to look at my two companions as if only now just seeing them. First he looked at Aidan, then at Connor. “Are they…?”

“Related?” I volunteered.

“No,” Connor said, interrupting. “You’re just seeing double.” He looked back up the stairs, wary. The sound of approaching footsteps came echoing down the staircase.

“Door didn’t hold as long as I thought,” Aidan said, sounding a bit disappointed.

Godfrey looked at him, adjusted his glasses, and looked closer. He turned to me and started to whisper.

“Is he…?” He held his hand up to his mouth, making little finger-fangs with it.

“I’m undead,” Aidan said, turning from the stairs to Godfrey with a scowl, “not deaf.”

Godfrey backed away, the awe on his face bordering on comical.

“Now would be a good time to get going, kid,” Connor called out. “Those Shadowers aren’t getting any farther away.”

I reached out and put a hand on Godfrey’s shoulder. He jumped with a start but turned his focus back to me.

“Just show us the way out of here,” I pleaded. “I swear… Aidan’s one of the good guys.” I gave Connor’s brother a look, but he just gave me a testy smile back. “Well, goodish, at any rate.”

Godfrey nodded his head over and over, a little frazzled, but starting off down one of the darkened tunnels lined with ancient filing cabinets and books. “Absolutely. Sure. No problem.”

The three of us followed close behind him as the archivist wended his way back through the ages of history. After the first three quick turns, I lost all sense of direction, but several moments later, the look of the older archives turned familiar. We were definitely headed back to where the blueprints had been, the place where I had heard the distant shuffling of creatures scurrying to and fro. When Godfrey produced a flashlight as conventional lighting came to an end, Connor spoke up.

“Jesus, kid. Where the hell does this lead to?”

“Not sure,” I said, noting the cavernous echo of my voice down here, “but it’s away from those guys following us.”

“Good enough for me,” Connor said, and we dashed along behind Godfrey in silence for several more minutes.

The cabinets came to an end, Godfrey’s flashlight showing only faint glimpses of distant caves leading off under the city.

“This is it,” he said. “This is as far as I know. Beyond this point, your guess is as good as mine.”

“I’m sorry,” Connor said, pointing off into the distance that spread out before the four of us. “You want to run that by me again? You don’t know what’s out there?”

Godfrey shook his head. “Sorry.”

“Or where it leads?” Connor continued.

“Again, my apologies,” Godfrey said. “I can tell you that there have been some signs of things that kind of slither around, but I haven’t come across anything lately.”

The sound of the men pursuing us echoed throughout the cavern. It was impossible to tell how close or far away they were.

“Fine,” Connor said, after a few seconds of sulking. He held out his hand. “At least give us the flashlight.”

Godfrey looked hesitant.

“What?” Connor asked, sounding perturbed.

“It’s the only one I have on me,” he said. “How will I find my way out?”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Connor said, shaking his head.

Now it was Godfrey who was angry. “Well, excuse me for not being prepared to aid and abet two agents and a vampire in escaping members of our own Department. Do you realize what trouble you’ve probably gotten me into…?”

“Enough,” I hissed, silencing the two of them. I turned to Aidan.

“Take your brother,” I said, “and go. Get him out of here.”

“What about you?” Aidan asked.

“I’m staying,” I said. “I can buy you some time if I keep them chasing me around here. Maybe I can reason with Allorah. I know her. If she catches up with you when she’s all prepared, I think things will get real ugly real fast and we’ll end up with a full-scale vampire war here in New York City.”

“If you’re concerned about these men that pursue us, I can handle them,” Aidan said.

“That’s the problem,” I said. “I know you can… but trust me, it’s better if you two get out of here. Now.”

From what I knew of Aidan so far, I thought it must be killing him to walk away from a fight, be it male machismo or some kind of vampiric showboating.

“Kid’s right,” Connor said, patting his brother on the shoulder. He looked at Godfrey. “Now, about that flashlight.”

Before Godfrey could speak, Aidan said, “Forget it. I can see fine down here. I feel more myself now.”

“You’re farther from the runes up in the offices,” I said. “I don’t think anyone thought to protect down here.”

Aidan looked at Connor. “I can get us out of here.”

“And what about all those creepy-crawlies Godfrey mentioned scurrying about in the darkness?” Connor asked.

Aidan gave a dark smile and put an arm around his brother. “I defy you to find anything creepier and crawlier than me down here.”

“Let’s hope not,” Connor said.

“Just in case,” I said, pulling my bat free and handing it to Connor. “Here. Your brother might be the ultimate weapon, but you might need this.”

Connor gave me a reluctant look. “You sure, kid? Maybe you’re gonna need it.”

“I don’t think I’m going to be beating up any of the Shadowers looking for me down here,” I said. “Just take it and go.”

Connor took the bat. He gave me a final look and said, “Thanks, kid,” before Aidan blurred into top speed, carrying the two of them away in an instant, leaving Godfrey and me standing alone in the single pool of light.