Karim’s face lights up, and it’s honestly gutting to see him like this – there’s nothing more cruel than false hope. I reach out to grip his arm at the exact same time that Kat does. I look at him and shake my head, hold a finger to my lips.

‘Please?’ Karim’s mum says again. ‘I know there’s someone out there. I’m injured and I’m scared – I’m begging you to help me get out of this room.’

Karim frowns, and I think he’s OK, but then flash-fast, and before either me or Kat can stop him, he breaks our grip and starts to stand. Time passes in a slow-motion blur as we both reach to grab him. The top of his hair is almost level with the hatch, and if his mum sees it, she’ll know it’s him. But he stops, raises an arm and slides the shutter upwards, slamming it shut on his mum. There’s just enough time for his mum to roar like a raging Demogorgon before he fastens the hatch and stands leaning against the door, breathing heavily.

And then from the room next door – the one we haven’t looked in yet, something thuds against 96 the inside of the door. There’s no sound, obviously, with the rooms being sound-proofed, but I feel the vibrations of the impact. A second impact makes the door move.

‘We have to go,’ I jump up. ‘Right now.’

Kat and Karim are right behind me as I dart towards the tunnel opening, but then I hear something that makes me swear. Away in the distance there’s the slam of a door. More specifically, there’s the slam of the door that leads to the tunnel we’re standing at the other end of right now.

‘Someone’s coming,’ I say. ‘We can’t get out.’

9

Dead End

‘What are we going to do?’ Kat looks at me, and I can see the same fear in her eyes that I’m trying to keep from mine.

Karim is peering up the tunnel, back towards the labs. ‘I can’t see any light yet, but if they’re moving fast, we probably only have a few minutes.’

I try to calm my mind and think. It’s just another challenge – there will be a way through it. I scan the cave around us. There are no weapons – nothing we can use to defend ourselves. I consider opening the empty cell and hiding in there, but the chances of them finding us are massive, and all they’ll have to do is lock the door and we’re done. Our best option is to hide either side of the tunnel entrance until they get here, then try to get around them and run like hell. It’s proper risky, but it’s looking like we’re going to have to go with it.