Pablo and Lynn advanced at a creep down the library’s short corridor into the break room.
As they passed the dead librarians, his complexion must’ve paled because Lynn asked, “You good?”
He lied, “Yeah. Thanks. Let’s keep going.” Pablo gestured her forward. He wasn’t really ready to press on, but how was he supposed to salvage her opinion of him if he kept retching? Besides, something gnawed at his morbid curiosity further down the hallway. Despite his fight or flight begging him to give it up, he needed to see it.
The darkness smothered Pablo like a velvety, tangible blockade. He wished for some light. As if summoned, a beam pierced the veil of darkness all the way down the hall.
Lynn glanced back at him, flashlight in hand. “I’m glad these batteries work.”
“You can say that again. The smoke just makes everything so much more…” Pablo fought for the right word.
She offered a few, “Terrifying? Claustrophobic? Horror movie atmosphere?” Searching, she swung the beam out of one door and into another.
Lynn was so fearless. God, he was falling in love with her. As he watched her be brave enough for the both of them, Pablo said, “Claustrophobic was my favorite. I like when you use four-syllable words. Smart chicks are hot.”
Lynn snapped around to him.
Pablo almost clapped his hand over his flirtatious mouth. He did not mean to say that out loud. Instead, he gave into a nervous habit and licked his lips.
And she watched him do it.
Seconds ago, Pablo came close to puking his guts up. Now, he wanted to sweep Lynn in his arms and plant a kiss on her lips. He wanted her to know how much she affected him.
Before Pablo could put his plan into action, a dry rasp penetrated the darkness. The mood died as both of them stiffened, alert.
“Did you do that?”
Pablo shook his head. Any words he wanted to answer with choked in his throat.
To his absolute horror, Lynn inched forward.
He communicated his disapproval in rigid, frantic gestures. The whisper of his hands moving caught her attention.
Lynn mouthed, “We. Have. To. Know.”
Pablo cocked one eyebrow sky high. “Do. We. Really?!” And hoped all his incredulity seeped into his lip talking.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Lynn just turned around and kept going. Pablo threw his hands in the air with frustration. How could he reason with her? Exasperated, he clutched his knife, huffed, and followed.
The corridor ended in a large storeroom. It was some kind of archive. Files and crates of books piled up the walls on all sides. Lynn made it to the back, peeking at the corner. Her head vanished into the wall.
The atmosphere was obviously playing tricks on Pablo. He crossed the room after her. At the seams of the wall where they met in the corner, Lynn found a narrow hallway. A well-hidden optical illusion. She glanced at him. He nodded, and they both took the corner.
They gawked at what they found inside. An open access hatch—enormous in size—was in the floor beneath a large patch of removed carpet. Glancing at one another again, Pablo held one palm flat up, and a fist on top of it. Understanding, Lynn rolled her eyes and mimicked the gesture.
Rock. Paper. Scissors. He got rock. She got scissors. Sighing, she passed the flashlight over to him.
Pablo was of two minds about winning. On the one hand, he wanted to keep Lynn out of harm’s way. On the other hand, he didn’t want to put himself in danger. But this was a chance at redemption, and he couldn’t pass it up.
Slowly—painfully slowly—Pablo edged over to the open hole in the secret room of their scary library. He examined the hatch and predictably found a ladder. Next step, look in the hole. He really didn’t want to look, but he shoved his face to the frayed carpet and peered in with the flashlight. It led down a passageway to a basement he never knew existed. Even in the dark, he spotted a connecting tunnel.
As soon as he found it, the ground shuddered as if it wanted to rupture and swallow them whole. Something was coming. Pablo panicked and dropped the flashlight.
“What is it, Pablo?!” The tremor in Lynn’s voice upset him because he wanted to keep her safe.
But that was too damned bad.
He jumped up. “Go!”
Lynn didn’t argue. Pablo reached her, and they both ran. The thunderous roar of stampeding boots followed them. Whatever came out of that hole was chasing them.
As they turned the hidden corner, he cried, “Pass me a Molotov and a light!”
“Here!” She tossed him the supplies.
They rushed down the smelly corridor. Pablo dared to glance back. Not far behind, a pasty, tall S.O.B. pursued them around the hidden corner. He was more advanced and suped up than the others. Bigger. Faster. More aggressive.
Pablo lit the rag and tossed it as they broke into the stacks of seizing books.
“Nice shot!” Lynn shouted.
It connected and burst into flames. At least one caught fire and stopped chasing them. Not bad. Not bad.
They passed the checkout counter. Once more through the theft detectors, they fled the library. The thunder chased them.
When Lynn and Pablo made it to the North Hall junction, they found Sagan and the others standing bloodied in front of the cafeteria. He spared a passing thought that he hoped it wasn’t all their blood before he kicked it into high gear.
“Run!” Pablo and Lynn shouted in unison.
The others didn’t react fast enough.
Kyle glanced them over and asked, “I thought all the Icari were dead?”
Sagan’s complexion lost all color. “Those were Colita’s soldiers.”
“Yeah?”
“These are Korac’s warriors.”
As Sagan finished explaining, sixteen men in chrome armor and silk robes stampeded around the corner behind Lynn and Pablo. One sported some nasty burn wounds. His skin was damned near melted off his face.
Time slowed down. Everyone turned to retreat as Pablo and Lynn ran by them. Lynn turned, lit one bottle, and threw it on an advancing Icarus. He whooshed up in flames as the alcohol poured over him.
Yup, Pablo was definitely marrying Lynn. He planned to ask her the moment this battle was won. And they were winning. Because he knew Lynn wouldn’t let them lose.