Chapters (42)
- BENEATH THE DARK ICE
- Table of Contents
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Acknowledgements
- Prologue
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Epilogue
- One
- Two
- Three
Takeda reached into his belt pouch, pulling free a baseball-sized metal ball. He held it close to his chest and closed his eyes. He was roughly pulled into the maw and just as a sickening crunching began, there was an explosive whump from beneath the sand. A small ripple of shock-waves ran across the sand that made Aimee and Matt fall to the ground.
The dim bluish biological light in the cave immediately went out and left them in absolute darkness.
“Be patient and quiet. Wait for it. Wait.” Sure enough the lights started to wink back on. A small patch to the right, then larger, then to the left, then all back on. “I don’t think these ancient glow-worms or whatever they are down here are used to loud noises.”
“Them and me both,” replied Matt with an ashen face.
“What the fuck was that? What was that thing?”
Tank was clearly distressed at losing another of his buddies and began pacing at the edge of the smoking hole. Alex looked around; the team was gathered down near the water’s edge, except for Silex who had remained far up the beach with his hands over his face.
Silex heard Tank’s questions and came stalking down the sand. “What is it? It’s our punishment, that’s what it is. We’re all dead and in hell, don’t you know? We must have died and now we’re stuck in hell and are nothing more than bugs in a giant spider’s web waiting to be devoured. We’re going to be pulled to pieces and eaten bit by bit. Ask that imbecile soldier.” Silex’s cracked lips had begun bleeding. With his chalky white face and the gloom of the cave, his appearance had taken on that of a mad clown.
Alex had taken a step towards Silex without even realising. He too was shaken by the loss of Takeda and one of his hands had formed into a fist which vibrated from the enormous pressure. Aimee stepped in front of Alex and gave the scientist a sharp slap across the face. He staggered for a second and gave her and Alex a look of such murderous intent that the furies in Alex screamed out to accept the challenge. Silex noticed Alex’s large bulk drawing silently near and burst into sobs. “We need to go, we need to go, we need to go.” With his hands up beside his face he lurched up the beach, repeating his plea to himself.