The Peregrines

Chapter 3

I placed Addison down and hobbled towards the source of light, while my mind wandered back to the moment when I last laid eyes on our unfortunate friends. We had to go after them somehow—but how? Since the train had spirited them away and there was no other train that had arrived at the station. Considering the blast and gunshots that had rocked the area, I was certain that there would be no further arrivals. 

This left us with two dreadful options: either venture through the tunnels on foot, hoping to avoid encountering any more hollows, or ascend the escalator and confront whatever awaited us above—most likely a wight clean up crew—before regrouping and reassessing our situation. I was well aware of which option I favoured more. I had grown tired of the darkness and had encountered more than my fair share of trouble.

"We should go up and find a suitable place to plan our next move," I turned to Emma. "That should also give you an opportunity to regain your energy and strength."

"Absolutely not!" she said. "We can't just abandon the others. Never mind how I feel."

Jake jumped in before I could respond. "We are not giving up. But we must face the facts of our situation. We are hurt and unprotected, and the others are probably miles away by now, out of the underground and halfway to somewhere else. How can we possibly find them?

"The same way I tracked you down," said Addison. "With my nose. Peculiar folk have an aroma all their own, you see—one which only dogs of my persuasion can sniff out. And you happen to be one powerfully odoriferous group of peculiars. Fear enhances it, I think, and skipping baths ..." Gee, thanks.

"We will follow them!" Emma exclaimed as she dragged Jake towards the tracks with an impressive display of strength. Jake pushed back, engaging in a tug-of-war as they held onto each other's arms.

"No, no—there's no way the trains are still running, and if we go in there on foot ..." Jake said before trailing off.

"I don't care if it's dangerous. I won't leave them!"

"Listen, not only is it unsafe, but it's also pointless. Emma, they're already gone!" After Jake finished what he was saying, Emma retrieved her arm and began limping towards the tracks. After almost tripping over, she quickly caught herself. I observed Jake looking at me, Bryce, and Addison, mouthing for us to say something!

Addison encircled Emma to obstruct her path, stating, "I fear he is correct. By walking, the scent of our friends will have vanished before we can locate them. Even my exceptional skills have their limits."

Emma gazed wistfully at the tunnel, her eyes filled with longing, before turning her tortured expression towards Jake. Jake extended his hand, urging, "Come on, let's go. It doesn't mean we're giving up."

"All right," she said heavily. "All right."

As we set off towards the escalator, a call emerged from the dark, resonating from the far end of the tracks. "Over here!" The voice, feeble yet familiar, bore a distinct Russian accent. It belonged to the man known for his remarkable folding ability. Squinting into the darkness, I could barely just make out his crumpled silhouette form beside the tracks, his arm raised in a welcoming manner. From the earlier commotion, he had suffered a gunshot wound and, presumably, the wights had forced him onto the train with the rest, but nevertheless, there he was, laying on the floor and signalling us to join him.

"Sergei!" cried Emma.

"You know him?" Addison said suspiciously.

"He was one of Miss Wren's peculiar refugees," Jake said.

The distant wail of sirens echoing from the surface caught my attention, causing my ears to perk up. The imminent arrival of trouble, possibly disguised as help, filled me with concern as I feared our chance for a smooth exit was now gradually slipping away.

Bryce said urgently, "Shit. You guys need to leave now!" as he took hold of my arm and began to lead me away once again.

"We cannot leave him like this!" I snapped as I swiftly flicked his nose, causing one of his hands to reflexively release me in order to soothe his nose. Without hesitation, I pushed myself away from him and hurried towards Sergei's side.

Bryce let out a deep annoyed sigh, I can tell his patience was thinning, and he trailed behind Addison as the dog scuttled towards the man, skillfully avoiding the sharp shards of glass on the floor. Emma allowed Jake to link arms with her once more, and we proceeded to follow them.

Sergei lay on his side, his body adorned with shards of glass and stained with blood. The bullet had struck a critical area, causing him immense harm. Despite his cracked wire-framed spectacles, he made an effort to adjust them to look at us more clearly.

"Is miracle, is miracle," he rasped, his voice thin as twice-strained tea. "I heard you speak with monster's tongue. Is miracle."

"It's not," Jake said, kneeling beside him. "It's gone, I've already lost it."

"If gift inside you, is forever."

A burst of static emitted from the walkie-talkie attached to Bryce's belt. "B-man, where are you? We need to do a sweep out in the building for any hiding peculiars," All attention shifted towards him.

Bryce directed his gaze towards me as he raised his walkie-talkie to his mouth and said, "Hey Boston, I'm in the underground subway doing a early sweep-up,"

"Bryce?" I whispered, worriedly.

In the midst of preparing to speak, the walkie-talkie crackled, delivering a swift response. The replier's voice snapped, "You can forget about the sweep up in the subway tunnel. I've already dispatched the cleanup crew there a few minutes ago. We need you up here!"

Bryce looks at us all, "I got to go, but by the time I come back, I want to see each and every one of you guys gone, I don't want you hiding in the bathroom or down the track or anywhere nearby! I want you gone!" and he began to walk towards the stairs.

"You're not coming with us?" Addison asked.

Bryce abruptly halts his movement and redirects his attention towards us. "My sister's friends clearly don't like or trust me, besides," Bryce pauses to look at me, his eyes piercing into mine. "She doesn't need my help, and unlike her, I care about our mother and one of us has to make sure Miss Peregrine doesn't get harmed by Caul's doing,"

 With a quick turn, he raced up the stairs, effectively ending our conversation. Almost immediately, a dark cloud formed above my head, leading me to swiftly wave my hands in an effort to dissipate it, resulting in the cloud disappearing into thin air. What an absolute asshole.

As soon as Bryce disappeared, the sound of footsteps and voices resonated from the escalator passage he had just departed. I promptly cleared the shattered glass, allowing me to reach out and firmly grip the collapsible man. "We're taking you with us," I said.

"Leave me," he croaked. "I'll be gone soon enough ..."

Ignoring him, I carefully placed my hands beneath his form and effortlessly hoisted him up. Despite his considerable length, he felt as light as a feather, and I embraced him like a hefty baby, with his thin legs dangling over my elbow while his head rested against my shoulder.

Two individuals descended the final steps of the escalator with a loud thud, coming to a halt at the bottom. Surrounded by a faint glow of daylight, they gazed into the depths of the unfamiliar darkness ahead.