The other side of beyond, p.7
The Other Side of Beyond, page 7
part #2 of Mitch Mythic Series
“We need to move now,” Drak said as he looked back into the tunnel. The scurrying sound could be heard again and Mitch saw motion in the darkness.
“Run,” Drak said through his teeth.
Roger fired into the tunnel in an attempt to slow down the creature as everybody pushed forward following the stream. The path way began to descend steeply and Mitch struggled to keep his balance. He looked back and saw a snake like form rapidly approaching in the darkness. The slope had increased severely and more water had poured into the stream from cracks and fissures in the cave wall. Mitch could here the creature scampering over the rocks behind them.
“It’s gaining on us,” Roger shouted before he blasted his shotgun into the dark again.
“Keep moving,” Gaelin screamed.
Mitch stumbled and Drak helped him to his feet. They looked back and saw the creature looming over them, but it recoiled as Kate opened fire.
“Saved your life, Mythic. Now you owe me one,” She shouted and fired into the dark again.
Mitch crawled over the rocks and got to his feet. The slope in the cave had sharpened considerably and the trickle of the stream quickly became a raging river. Mitch felt himself begin to slip again and before he knew it he was sliding down a fast moving chute funneling into the darkness. He looked back and tried to crawl his way to safety, but he saw Drak and Kate sliding behind him and the menacing shadow of the creature beyond them in the blackness.
“Keep going,” Drak shouted.
“We don’t know what’s down there,” Mitch shouted back.
“I’d rather die down there than get eaten by that thing,” Kate shouted as she dropped off the edge.
“Go Mitch,” Drak shouted and he jumped into the thundering water. Mitch could see an outline of the creature coiling itself in the shadow ready to strike. He felt his heart pounding as he stepped to the ledge and launched off of the ledge as he heard claws scraping against stone behind him. For a moment he seemed weightless and he looked up as he fell into the darkness and saw the creatures form hanging at the edge. Its black eyes seemed vaguely curious about the fate of its prey.
He was weightless for a second as he fell before he slammed into the water again. He plunged under and felt his body scraping against rocks. He tried to breathe, but he ended up taking in a mouthful of water. He thrashed his arms as he tried to find the surface. After a brief moment of panic, he came up gasping and spitting water. He tried to fight against the current that dragged him further downward, but he slammed into a rock and had the wind knocked out of him. Wincing in pain as the torrent of water raged around him, he had no choice but to submit to the will of river. Ahead of him he could see flashes of light and it seemed to be getting brighter. A glimmer of hope rose in his chest at the thought of daylight, but it quickly evaporated as he felt the pace of the water accelerating. He fought against the current to stay above water while he was sucked towards what appeared to be an opening. The sliver of light grew larger and Mitch could see Drak’s head bobbing in the water in front of him.
“Drak, you OK?” He shouted over the din of the river.
“Maybe,” Drak said as he turned around and flashed a grin again. Mitch had no idea how he could be smiling at that moment. “Having fun?”
“The time of my life,” Mitch shouted back.
The sliver of light had grown rapidly turning into a large opening, but the water showed no sign of slowing down. For a moment Mitch thought he could see hills or some type of landscape, but he felt the terror take hold of him again as he realized what lay before them. There was no mistaking the drop off that waited for them at the opening of the cave. Mitch could see the bobbing heads of Roger and Gaelin rapidly approaching the edge. He heard faint screams as they both plunged over. Kate’s head could be seen along with them and Mitch heard her let out a whoop of excitement as her head dropped out of sight.
“What are we gonna do?” Mitch shouted at Drak.
“No choice,” Drak shouted back. “We go over too. Don’t worry,”
“Why is it always like this?” Mitch shouted to himself. The opening loomed in front of him and he could hear the roar of the waterfall as it crashed into the unknown. He watched Drak’s head come to the ledge and then disappear. Mitch could hear his screams as he went down. The water seemed to grow peaceful for a moment at the precipice of the cliff and the water was ominously still. Mitch took a huge breath as he was thrust over the falls. A massive pool of water awaited him at the bottom and he let out a scream as he dropped off of the edge. He hit the water feet first and he was plunged into a murky blackness.
CHAPTER EIGHT
ROBERT STRUGGLED TO pull himself towards the hazy light that wafted through the rubble he had been entombed in. His hands clawed at the rocks, but he couldn’t get a grip. He rolled to his right and found a hand hold along the rough edge of a small boulder. His fingers bit in and he used his last remaining strength to haul his ravaged body to what he thought was the surface. He pulled his chest onto the rock and he lay there heaving for a moment. A stiff breeze whipped over his body. He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. He had been sucking back nothing but dust and who knows what else since he had found himself buried among the rocks some time ago. The fresh air was a welcome relief and the oxygen gave him a much needed burst of energy. He took one more breath and pulled his legs up onto the slab of granite. He looked up towards the light source and saw the opening was only a short distance away. The gap between the two giant stones between him and the surface was a tight squeeze, but he managed to find a handhold in what felt like a large crack. He tested the strength of it for a second and then he stepped onto a rock and shoved himself into the gap. He had to suck his chest in to get past the first large hump, but the gap widened as he made his way further in. He pushed his back into the rock wall behind him and he was able to shimmy up the rock face rather easily.
The pale light hit his face and he felt a strong breeze blowing across the jagged opening above him. He reached up and caught the edge and with one final thrust he dragged himself onto the surface. The wind filled his lungs and he rolled over onto his back and took several big breaths, a wave of relief washed over him. He opened his eyes and looked skywards, but all he saw was an empty white expanse. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the light and he rolled over onto his side to take in his surroundings. Aside from the rough stone surface immediately surrounding him nothing else was visible. A thick white fog covered everything. He could see it moving in front of him, but he felt a strange sense of vertigo when he attempted to peer further into the mist. He thought for a moment he could see shapes of some kind, but they quickly disappeared into the blank emptiness.
He lay back down on the stone. He could feel the moisture on the rock seeping into the cloth he had wrapped around himself. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at his body stretched out in front of him. The tattered rag was covered in soot as were his legs and arms. He couldn’t see any visible injuries and he was surprised that he had come out of the rubble unscathed. He reached up and touched his face and he felt mounds of mud and soot lumped into his beard. His fingers were caked in dust and his fingernails were cracked and bleeding. He became acutely aware of the dryness in his throat and a banging in his head. He needed water or any liquid to sake his thirst. He rolled over onto his knees and forced himself to his feet. He took a few unsteady steps forward and then he dropped to his knees.
The throbbing in his skull had intensified and it was affecting his balance. He winced as he got back up again. The need for water trumped his inability to stand and he lurched forward into the white nothingness in search of liquid in any form. The rough stone cut into his bare feet and he had to carefully calculate each step. Every few steps he would pause to see if he could make out anything in the fog, but all he could see were swirling tendrils of moisture whipped around by the steady wind blowing across the rocks. If only there was some kind of landmark, he thought to himself as he gingerly made his way into the swirling white mist.
The wind abated for a moment and he thought he could hear the sound of moving liquid somewhere nearby. His heart soared at the though of water in his throat and he attempted to pick up his pace. He winced in pain with every step, but the sound of the water was unmistakable. It became louder and clearer and he almost forgot about the pain of each step as he finally saw some sort of rock formation in the whiteness surrounding him.
He hobbled towards the clump of rocks and his ragged breath blew the tendrils of mist in front of his face. The sound of the water grew louder and he crawled up the slope of rocks that had risen up in front of him. He pulled himself up the ledge and the sight of water trickling by in front of his face almost brought tears to his eyes. A small stream ran through a crack in the rock. He was able to reach his hand into the moving water and draw back enough for a mouthful. He brought his hand up to his mouth and slurped the water into his throat much like a dog. He gasped and reached forward again with both hands to draw up more water. He took several more slurps and he lay back on the rock. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. The mist blew over his body and he shivered for a moment. Something caught his eye in the fog and he rolled onto his side and peered into the distance. He saw what appeared to be two blinking lights staring back at him through the haze, but he wasn’t sure if is his eyes were playing tricks on him or not. He took another slurp of water and got back to his feet. He took several steps forward over the sharp rock and the lights appeared to grow stronger. A faint feeling of apprehension grew in his chest and he wan’t sure if he should go towards the light or not. He lay near the stream for a few minutes more, warily watching the light for any sign of motion while drinking as much water as his stomach could handle. After he began to feel bloated, he pulled himself up off of the ground and looked around. There didn’t seem to be anybody coming and the lights appeared stationary, so he took a final slurp of water and made his way towards what he hoped would be an indication of where was.
The wind had lost some of its power, but it continued to blow over the rocks all around him. He had no idea what solace the blinking lights could possibly offer him, but it was the only land mark he had come across, so it seemed to be a good place to start looking for a way toward any thing. His mind began to recall what had happened before he found himself in the rubble. He saw Commander Holrathu’s axe smashing into the rock and he remembered falling into the blackness. He could still see the imposing figure of the Commander standing over him, adorned in a strange blue and black armor. The word “Re-education” echoed in his head.
He continued to step lightly on the stones and more memories flashed in his head. He saw an explosion and he saw the face of a teenage boy in front of him. An intense rage seized him as he recalled what had happened. It was as if the knock he had taken to his head had unblocked some mechanism keeping his memories at bay and he began to recall everything that happened before he came to be stumbling over the rocks half naked. The name “Mitch Mythic” rang in his ears and he snarled to himself. His anger lead to thoughts of vengeance and he quickened his pace. He vowed to himself then and there he would not rest until Mitch Mythic and all that he stood for had been decimated.
The hate in his heart had given him a new kind of strength. He only vaguely felt the pain of each footstep and he pretended not to noticed the blood beginning to spread among his toes. Anger and thoughts of vengeance raced through his mind. He thought of all the ways he could make Mitch Mythic suffer for all the pain and humiliation he had caused him. Vengeance was a game that Robert enjoyed and he played it well. Many had tried to cross him as he ascended to the upper echelons of the corporate world and they had all suffered dearly. Robert Chapman was not one to have the wool pulled over his eyes. He was the one who took advantage of others not the other way around. He had underestimated Mitch Mythic. He would not let that happen again.
He let out a sharp cry and he was brought back to reality. He let his vengeful notions go for a second and he bent down to inspect his foot. A deep gash had emerged near his heal and pain shot through his body as he attempted to clean out the chunks of stone that had accumulated in the coagulated blood. He sat down on a nearby rock and had a closer look. He must have hit something sharp a while back and not noticed. Blood was still oozing out of the opening in his skin and the wound throbbed as he wiped at it with his fingers. He felt a change in the lighting for a moment and he looked up and saw he was nearby the source of light he had seen in the distance. A gust of wind shot across the rocks clearing the space between Robert and the blinking lights. It took him a moment to comprehend what he saw and he had to squint to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. Embedded in a rock face that had been hidden from him by the swirling mist were two strange looking rectangular surfaces emitting varying shades of color in rhythmic patterns. They alternated back and forth between green and blue. Robert stared at the shifting colors while he continued to clean his wound. The flickering rhythm appeared to be gaining speed and then the lights seemed to blur together. Without warning a deep horn sounded all around him and he clutched his ears in a panic.
After a few moments the horn subsided and he looked up at the lights again. The alternating blue and green had vanished from the plates and they had been replaced by two identical red lights pulsing in unison. He peered at the lights again in an attempt to gleam any kind information from the intermittent signal they seemed to be conveying. The wind continued to howl around him and his eyes returned to the wound on his foot. He could see the red light reflecting off of his skin as the blood continued to flow from the large cut in his sole. A sharp cry in the distance caused his head to jerk up and he looked towards the direction of the sound. Several gangly figures were lurching towards him over the rocks. He jumped up to his feet and began to retreat backwards as the figures approached him. Robert froze for a moment and watched in horror as the creatures began to close in on him. They walked on two feet, but their front limbs reached to the ground in front of them. His head snapped to the left as another creature let out a haunting scream to the right of him. He could see its empty eyes staring back at him. Its face was vaguely humanoid, but its long mouth hung down from its skull revealing a set of jagged teeth. Its body was lean, hairless and sinewy and its chest heaved softly as it crouched down. It howled again and leapt across a large boulder closing the gap between itself and its prey. Robert scrambled backwards towards the red light and he saw four more of the creatures coming at him. The claws on their long limbs clacked against the stone.
He looked down to his right and saw a crude, rusted metal bar protruding from under a rock and quickly reached down and snatched it up into his hands. He held the piece of steel in his hands and stared back at the beasts closing in on him. He had backed up to the wall underneath the lights. He looked in all directions for a way to escape, but he knew that making a run for it at that point would be pointless. He would have to stand his ground or be torn to pieces. One creature to his right let out a terrifying howl and lunged at him. Robert swung with the bar as the creature closed in on him and he managed to make contact with the side of its head. It let loose a muffled grunt and fell to its side. He heard the clacking of claws across rocks and looked up to see another beast coming at him. He swung again, but missed and it crashed into him, knocking him back into the rock wall. He could smell rotten meat and old sweat as he crashed to the ground. He stabbed into the animal from the side with the metal bar and he could feel hot blood on his hands as the pipe sunk into the creatures flesh. He heard several more shrieks as the other creatures charged forward. He shoved the stinking torso of the beast off of him an attempted to get back to his feet but the next one seized him with its’ long arms. He looked up and saw its jaws hanging over him. He screamed as its teeth sunk into his skull.
CHAPTER NINE
THE VEHICLE CONVOY snaked it’s way through the mountain pass. Moon Sohee sat in the backseat of the second vehicle, sandwiched between two more black SUVs sporting government plates. She peered out of the window and tried to get a sense of where she was, but all she saw were wet pine trees and stone embankments. The clock on her phone read 5 am, but she felt wide awake, the jet lag hadn’t caught up to her yet. It was around 7 or 8 pm in Seoul. The convoy rounded a corner and she saw the lights of a small city in the valley below. Over the ridge to the East, faint slivers of dawn had appeared on the horizon. She closed her eyes and attempted to sleep but her ruptured circadian cycle prevented her brain from dozing off.
In the short time before her plane had left she had been slammed with information by Korean government officials who had arrived en-masse shortly after the phone call with Gerald Tobero. Several documents related to the American State department and the Korean Nation Intelligence Service had been shoved in from of her. She vaguely remembered being lectured about the sensitive security matter she was being lead into and how she couldn’t tell anybody about what she was doing, but it was for the good of her country so she shouldn’t let it bother her. They had suggested she sign all of the documents and SoHee somehow felt that she didn't have much of a choice and their suggestions were more like orders. Her mother and father had arrived with a bag of her personal belongings. It seemed they had already been informed about what was going to happen. They assured her everything would be OK, and she was doing a great thing. She was then whisked away in a black sedan to what appeared to be an airforce base on the outskirts of Seoul. A small jet sat on the tarmac. It seemed puny next to the massive military aircraft that sat along side it. Korean and American soldiers exchanged paperwork and SoHee had found herself inside a luxurious cabin. A few Korean diplomats joined her on board along with a couple of American men wearing military fatigues. More documents had been shoved in front of her and she was asked to ID several individuals. Among the photographs were head shots of Mitch and his friend, the strange one he had mentioned several times. She told them she knew Mitch and the other one was familiar to her, but all the subjects in the other photos, three men and a woman, were strangers to her. The American soldiers had asked several questions and a Korean woman wearing a business suit had translated the questions. SoHee spoke through the translator rather than speak directly to the soldiers. They wanted to know if she had been in contact with Mitch at all over the past while and what they had talked about.
