Hell's Requiem (Book 2)

Chapter 23

My legs ached, but I didn't stop pumping them as I pounded up the long stone staircase. I could hear Frank close behind me, his long stride devouring three or four steps at a time so that, even with my fast pace, he was always hot on my heels. I was just thankful it wasn't him I was running from.

We crested the top of the stairs and I finally paused to take a breath. Leaning heavily against the stone wall I sucked in great lungfuls of warm air and nursed a stitch in my side; I really wasn't cut out for this running thing. A delicate, warm breeze caressed my face and tugged lightly at my hair. I'd never really understood why, but the higher levels of Hell were always much more airy and open, and a constant wind seemed to blow from nowhere. The tunnels were wider, more open and less claustrophobic, but the way sound would echo so far ahead, and how the orange burning lights failed to penetrate the darkness very deeply made them feel much more sinister than the lower levels. Or perhaps it was just me, far more used to the narrow tunnels and low ceilings, besides I knew only too well where we were, what we were on the brink of finding, and where we might get caught.

“And I thought you were in a hurry, love,” Frank said as he slouched into the tunnel and leant against the opposite wall, grinning at me with his characteristic twisted smirk.

“Lots of stairs,” I managed to say in between deep breaths. “Besides, what if these tunnels aren't empty.”

“What happened to no more hanging around while waiting for me to scope things out first, changed your mind already? That didn't take long.”

I shook my head. “No, no more hanging around, waiting for signals and all that. Besides the tunnels up here are too big and dark for that to work any more. Just stay in your solid form and I'll stick close behind you. You're big enough to hide behind anyway. We'll just have to...handle it, if anyone does come along.”

“Handle it? My my, love,I do believe all that blood on your hands has given you the taste for killing.” He chuckled as I scowled at him, but he held up his clawed hands and pushed away from the wall. “Well who am I to argue. Let's go. I'm growing almost as interested as you in this prophecy you're so keen to find.”

He led on and I obediently followed, sticking close behind him so that I wouldn't lose his inky black form in the darkness. There wasn't much further to go now.

The bulk of the cleric's living quarters lay in the opposite direction, while the tunnel we followed would eventually lead us to the Hall of Records, and Malick's personal chambers and offices just before that. Could we really be on to a winner, finally? The tunnels up there seemed to be deserted also, there were no other signs of life to be seen besides ourselves, and I almost allowed myself to savour this one small moment of victory while it lasted. Though thinking too far ahead set the butterflies back to fluttering in my stomach; I may have been desperate to find out the details of that prophecy, it didn't mean I was going to like what it said once we'd found it.

“Should be just along here,” I muttered mostly to myself as I cast a hasty glance back over my shoulder. All may have still been quiet, but there was still an itchy feeling between my shoulder blades, like someone was watching us from the shadows just waiting to pounce.

“Yep, should be the next door we come across by my workings out,” Frank agreed, his voice uncomfortably loud as it echoed up and down the tunnel.

I wanted to shush him, but I knew my panic would just be a course of amusement and I didn't want to give him the pleasure. Besides, his laughter would only make even more noise.

“So how exactly do you plan on getting into this office then, love?” Frank asked, his voice booming clearly through the darkness, the word 'love' echoed off the walls, repeating itself off into the unseen distance.

“What?” I asked with a frown, not really understanding what he meant. How did one usually get into an office? That would probably be my first choice.

“Don't tell me you haven't considered the possibility that old Malick will have some kind of supernatural lock on his personal chambers. C'mon, if they can keep you inside a room then they can keep something out as well.”

Shit. How had I not even considered that might be a possibility. We had all but strolled all the way through Hell with little incident, all the way there and I was going to be stumped at the last hurdle by something that should have been so obvious. Fuck!

“Well, I figured maybe we should throw you through the doorway and see what happens,” I eventually replied with a smirk. I was impressed with the words I managed to find, even though my panic was beginning to bubble towards boiling point once again.

Frank chuckled. “Oh, I'd like to see you try it, love. Though I have to admit, I like your thinking.”

Maybe it really wasn't such a crazy idea. Okay, so there was no way I would be able to physically force Frank through that doorway unless I somehow suddenly turned into a Berserker. But it might tell us what kind of magic Malick had protecting his stuff, if we could just find some unsuspecting victim to test it out on. It was a harsh a callous thought, yes I had really grown that desperate, and I sure as Hell wasn't volunteering myself for it this time. However, the quiet and seemingly deserted corridors didn't bode too well for such an idea. I really couldn't have things both ways, but dammit I wanted to have my cake and eat it too.

I let out a sigh. “I don't know, to be honest. We'll just have to see when we get there what it looks like he's got rigged up to keep people out. If all else fails we'll just have to tackle the Hall of Records instead. At least I know we'll be able to actually get in there, just might take longer to find anything.”

Frank laughed again with a shake of his head. “As organised as ever I see, love. Did you actually have any kind of real plan in that head of yours before you dragged me along on this crazy mission of yours.”

“No, I figured if you were coming along you may as well make yourself useful,” I quipped back with a scowl. I knew he wasn't about to stop picking at my short comings and failures, and I hated admitting he was right, not to mention relying so much on the help of others, but I was beginning to realise that my time for working independently was long gone.

To be fair tackling everything on my own hadn't really served me too well to date. The saying 'there is strength in numbers' had lasted the test of time for a reason, perhaps it was time for me to embrace the truth in those words; even if my number did include Frank.

“I think I've proven myself to be much more than useful, and yet I'm still to see what's in all of this for me.” Frank stopped and twisted his head around to face me – it was an easier moment for him to make than shuffling all his bent and twisted size around. “Raiding an office for paperwork wasn't exactly my first thought when you mentioned chaos.”

“Then why are you still coming with me? I've said from the beginning this was biggest part of my plan.”

“Yes, I suppose I thought it might be more exciting actually getting here.”

“Yeah, well I for one am thankful it wasn't. That close call with the Berserkers was more than enough excitement for me. Now c'mon, were almost there, maybe we'll find someone else you can toss through the doorway. Wouldn't that be fun.”

I grinned at Frank and pushed past him. The end of the tunnel was finally visible, the great gaping mouth of the Hall of Records waited to swallow us whole, and there, just to the left was a doorway I usually dreaded the sight of. Malick's offices.

“Where am I supposed to find someone around here? It's quiet as the fucking grave.”

I sighed, “Well once I'm done finding what I want maybe we could go rescue Jesse from The Pits, that sound action packed enough for you. Now stop bloody complaining and come on. I...”

But my words trailed off mid-sentence as I heard a most unwelcome sound cut through the darkness. Our heads turned as one to face the source of the sound, fear clenching it's fist in my chest, and a glimmer of something akin to excitement shone in Frank's eyes. The footsteps hastened closer and a figure began to emerge from the shadows. Perhaps we might have found our new guinea-pig after all.