ABANDON

Chapter 16 -- Michael

Jane scrambled up the wooden stairs on hands and feet, the bumps on the concrete walls nagging her shoulder as she dragged against it. She knocked an already forgotten glove out of her pocket and then kicked it. She listened to its slamming echoes as the glove tumbled over the side and hit the floor below. Her heart exploded thinking the monster was here for her. Then she realized what had happened,although this reassurance was not enough to calm her rapidly beating heart.

She felt around for the next stair but found nothing. Jane plastered both hands to the wall and pressed on. But no matter her pace, Jane couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that at any moment something would grab her. She tightened her already shut eyes, seeing nothing was better than seeing nothing.

There was a bump in the wall and then something cold. Jane felt around and stumbled upon a handle, and then she realized it was the door! She pushed it open and slipped through, but just as she did something firmly grabbed hold of her upper arm and pulled. The grab was so tight and the force of the pull so strong it would have pulled Jane through the door effortlessly, but the door sort of got in the way. The force only pulled Jane into the door effectively closing it and cutting off Jane from her pursuer. Except for one thing: her arm was between the door and the frame, the only thing keeping the door open. And whatever was pulling her arm was pulling hard.

Jane opened her eyes and screamed. Really screamed, and the sound flew from her mouth like needles. Her arm was instantly released, she pulled it through, and the door slammed shut. Jane took out her pistol and shot the door, trying to lock it. She fired until there was nothing left. Then there was silence, then the sound of a mouse scurrying away.

Dim light filtered down from the tiny window in the door five flights of stairs above, and Jane's eyes, used to the pitch black, could see the stairs. She took them two at a time, cradling her arm against her body. The tears on her cheeks dried making the skin tight, but Jane hardly noticed. She ran hard up the stairs, convinced that whatever had grabbed her knew the way around. Beads of sweat began to drip down her face and body. But she didn't feel fatigue, she felt elated—powerful—like she could run forever.

Half way up the stairs, in front of the door marking sub-level three, Jane ran past a helmet. The light was still on illuminating the blood on the stair in front of it. Jane chocked on her own breath as she passed.

She made it to the top of the stairs. The door was before her, and although her mind screamed to hurry, she had to open it slowly. She peeked through the tiny crack that gave little more than a meter of sight. As silently as possible, Jane opened the door until she could see the room beyond. She looked for only a second, but in that time her eyes moved from the glass ceiling to the walls and then down to the floor. The room was empty, Jane soundlessly slipped through the door.

The hangar was still and silent, just as dead as they had found it. Jane glanced at a nearby vehicle. In the three seconds she waited, she heard nothing and saw nothing. Jane took her chance, and moved to the vehicle.

She ran around to the back of it and then to the back of the truck in the next row over. She continued to move in this way, ducking behind vehicles, until she came to the last row of trucks next to the door. The doorway was open because the door was gone. Gray dirt from beyond was already a meter into the building.

Jane suddenly felt very exposed. She looked around instinctively, convinced something would jump out at her. She could see the truck Team Four was loading. The loading door at the back was open showing the Neuge inside, supplies still littered the floor. There was splattered blood at the back of the truck, and a trail leading down the aisle between the vehicles. There were no bodies.

She was going to make a run for the transport. To prepare, Jane began to inhale deeply. She determined to go on the count of three—it was the only way to focus herself. One, two... Her body filled with adrenaline and she scrambled for the door. Jane's eyes began to stream water again, there was no joy comparable to the sight of the transport in that moment. Until she saw something move under the wing. Jane had to stop all that momentum by grabbing onto the door frame. Something black and spider-like crawled around the body of the transport and disappeared into the door. It had beaten her there.

Jane moved back into the hangar. She ran to the nearest vehicle and hid behind it. She huddled close to the giant wheel, feeling like everything in her body was seeping out of her pores, flowing onto the ground, being replaced inside by something tight, something that was about to explode.

How was she going to get back to the Holiday? How was she going to get back to the Holiday!

All she could think of was the things she couldn't do. Her thoughts went in circles until she wanted to grab her head and rip her own hair out. She pressed her hands to her face, threw her head to the side, then the other side. Then she looked up. Between her fingers she could see the giant wheel of the truck Team Four had prepped.

She could take it. She could take it and get away from here. She could get back to the Holiday, abandon the transport and get back to the others!

With shaking hands, Jane moved silently to the cab. The key was already in the ignition. Once the engine started they would hear her, Jane knew she would have to be fast. She tried to put her right hand on the key, but the moment she extended pain shot up her arm. She had to crane around and use her left hand. The engine struggled, then roared. Using her one good hand, Jane cranked the wheel towards the hangar door, and pressed the accelerator to maximum. There was only one way to open the hangar door—through it.

When she was clear of the wreckage, Jane caught sight of movement. The monster was in the doorway of the transport watching her. Two others moved down from their hidden places on the transport and were coming straight for her. Jane turned hard to the right. She followed along the side of the building. The truck was cumbersome to drive. Jane could hear the vehicle thrashing around in the back. Jane turned the next corner, now she was driving parallel with the cliff. She kept focusing on her mirrors, trying to see if anything was behind her. A long black creature came around the same corner she had just turned, another came down from the roof. They bounded after her with incredible strides.

She looked ahead for a moment and saw someone standing directly in front of her. Whoever it was, was trying desperately to get her attention. Jane slammed on the brakes, creating a gigantic cloud of gray dust all around the truck. The truck began to slide, Jane turned the wheel to compensate.

"Michael!"

Without taking a step, Michael slammed his fist down on the truck. He had his helmet off and a big smile on his face. Jane was struck with sudden guilt—she hadn't thought of her brother once. He moved around to the door, and climbed inside. "I am so glad I've been out with you enough to know you were actually going to stop for--" Jane pointed to wheels to the cliff and pressed hard on the accelerator. "--whoa, what's the hurry!"

Slamming on the breaks had created a giant cloud of dust.  Once out of the dust cloud she saw them, a wave of seething black, bigger ones climbing over the smaller ones. Starting from behind her, Jane looked in as near a complete circle as she could. There was only one direction they weren't coming from. Jane kept the wheels pointed at the cliff.

"Jane! What are you doing?!" Michael tried to grab the wheel, but it was too late. Once Jane made up her mind, there was no turning back.