Chapter Thirty
Alicia attached the device to the console without difficulty. There was even a handy sign next to the port saying 'USB in' to make it even easier to find. She waited for the device to confirm that it was working. A little progress bar ran along the screen with the words 'coupling complete in:' followed by a timer which was counting down seconds from sixty.
"I'll give you a driving lesson on the way back if you like," she said over her shoulder.
48.
"You're on," Laurie replied, the excitement in her voice made Alicia smile. And Coal said girls didn't like her.
Alicia tapped her thumb on the hilt of her machete impatiently. The timer was counting down excruciatingly slowly.
"It's really just a matter of getting used to the stick shift. If you don't get on with it you can just drive an automatic instead," she said.
"Sounds good to me," Laurie replied enthusiastically. "I had been hoping to become a helicopter pilot in the city but everything's changed now."
"Who wants a helicopter when you've got the open road in front of you," Alicia said.
The sound of someone crying out floated across the room from somewhere within the maze of consoles. She would recognise her brother's voice anywhere. He sounded worried. Alicia turned her head back and forth to check either end of the passage they were standing in, her grip tightened on the handle of her machete.
39.
Laurie noticed the change in Alicia's stance and put her hands to her pistols. Alicia shook her head and indicated the knives on Laurie's belt instead. The other girl quickly moved and pulled two blades out, holding them ready.
34.
Alicia distinctly heard her brother tell Maya to run. Her machete was out and at the ready in a heartbeat. There were movements in the shadows. She glanced at the device. If they abandoned it before it connected the whole mission would be a waste.
29.
Something was approaching them from the darkness, obscuring the flashing LEDs as it moved. Laurie held her knives loosely, her Warden training had taken over and she showed no signs of fear. Alicia felt her lip curl back as the shadow came ever closer. She held her machete to the side and took a step forward.
21.
As the distance between them closed, the Creeper came into focus. It looked young, like a child. It glared at her and something dark dribbled down its chin. It's scrawny body was ghostly pale, the skin almost seeming transparent in places. There was something so much worse about it being young. She hated the resemblance of humanity and struggled with the idea of killing it.
Alicia hesitated but the Creeper didn't. He jumped forwards with an inhuman screech, his hands curled into claws which were aimed at her face. Her moment of hesitation didn't last long, she ducked and twisted aside, pulling the machete behind her. It swept across his abdomen and he howled in rage and pain before she could finish the job.
17.
More Creepers started to descend on them, drawn by the noise. Laurie broke into action, throwing her knives. She took out two of the Creepers in quick succession. Her eyes still looked a little wide but she was a Warden first and foremost. There were three more coming and Alicia strode to meet them, a fierce smile pulling at her mouth as she slipped into the flow of the battle.
The Creepers were grotesque. Their greasy hair and filthy skin reflected the blue lights of the LEDs, bathing them in a sickly glow. Some of them wore rags like a mocking attempt at creating clothing but most were naked, their deformed bodies fully on show.
She spun and ducked and swung the machete, moving so quickly that the Creepers couldn't react in time. But they were either too dumb or too angry to flee, they swarmed around her, ignoring their injuries and screaming their rage.
11.
With a swing that made her muscles ache, she sent a severed arm flying. The Creeper howled but kept coming for her. Then Laurie was there, thrusting a knife into the chest of a big female who dropped to the ground. Alicia swung the machete higher and finished the others.
3.
They stumbled backwards, over the fallen bodies and back to the device.
2, 1.
More Creepers were running at them from the far end of the passage, too many of them. The screen flashed blank and then a message appeared.
'Start synchronisation?' Alicia hit the green button. 'Synchronisation underway.'
She grabbed Laurie's arm and they ran.