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| Chapter Five: The Crypt Keepers | |||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||
| In the tunnels beneath the estate and grounds controlled by the Giovani - Calloway hid within the shadows as dozens more guards and soldiers hurried by. He poked his head out when he was sure that they were gone. | |||||||||||||||
| "They really do not want me going this way," he muttered. He slipped out and continued down the hall a bit further. "That means - I really want to - but my every instinct is saying don't do," he said as he turned around. Within moments he found himself by the stretch of hall that led to the hospital. He could hear the voices carry through the thin dimly lit tunnels. He knew that - the hospital was the last place he wanted to be right now. | |||||||||||||||
| He silently crept through the damp tunnels and crawl spaces. Many times he was barely able to hide in time - but every time he managed to find some tunnel some hole to hide in. | |||||||||||||||
| At one point me managed to find his way into the sewers - but by every exit point he encountered he could hear a small gang waiting - or a police roadblock - or some other deterrent. | |||||||||||||||
| "This is ridiculous - there has to be some way I have overlooked - some spot that isn't so heavily guarded," he muttered as he reached in a pocket and looked at his makeshift map. If his theory was right - he was under the intersection that divided the various areas of interest of the Giovani. | |||||||||||||||
| He listened and could hear footsteps splashing in the distance that he believed led to the mansion. He also heard voices coming from the tunnel that was west of him and loud barking - the kind that came from really big attack dogs - echoed from the tunnel to his south. | |||||||||||||||
| "In the absence of other options," he muttered as he hurried eastward. | |||||||||||||||
| After a short jaunt - the Setite once again found himself in a small tunnel. One that looked similar to the ones that were honeycombed beneath the hospital. | |||||||||||||||
| To the south - he could hear voices - but to the north - he heard nothing. He shook his head as he looked to the north. There was only one reason why there were no guards coming from that way - there was no need. Translation - there was someone - or something that way that was deterrent enough to deal with anything that happened that way. | |||||||||||||||
| "I just know that I am not going to like what I find down that way," he muttered as he drew both his normal dagger and his special one - just in case. | |||||||||||||||
| As he walked - the wind played tricks with his senses. Only - he knew that it was no wind. It was then - after a few minutes that he found himself at a set of old dusty doors. By the look of them they hadn't been opened much. | |||||||||||||||
| He looked at the door and could see handprints on the dusty metal doors. | |||||||||||||||
| "No fingerprints. The person wore gloves," he whispered as he took a deep breath. Then in one fluid motion he spun around and kicked the metal doors open! He could hear crackling coming from some generator. "The doors were electrified. Cute," he muttered as he hesitantly stepped the doorway. | |||||||||||||||
| He found himself in a room - only - it looked old. It was made of stones and looked like something that would be found beneath a castle. The only thing in the room that reminded him where and when he was - was the generator in the corner that was wired to the doorframe. | |||||||||||||||
| "I do not like this place," Calloway muttered to himself. He shook his head as he cautiously made his way through the tunnel before him. as he walked down the hall - he saw numerous bolted metal plates along the wall. It was then that he realized where he was. "This place is a fucking crypt," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||
| He hurried down the hall and then found himself in an off looking room. It was so open and obviously a trap. The only time he could remembering seeing something that was an even more obvious set up - was when he happened into Snake's inner sanctum for the first time. | |||||||||||||||
| "All I have to do is follow that staircase," he began as he looked at the sloping staircase that hugged the wall and vanished into the roof that was about twenty feet up. "To that door - and I am out of here. Why will it not be easy as that?" he muttered. It was then that an unholy wind blew through the crypt. | |||||||||||||||
| He watched as mist escaped from behind the metal plates and took on the form of wraiths. Calloway spun around and saw that there were dozens of them. | |||||||||||||||
| "Welcome - to my abode," a raspy voice hissed. Calloway spun around and saw a larger wraith float up from a small crack in the floor. "It has been too long since - we have had proper visitors," the specter hissed. | |||||||||||||||
| "Well - I hate to disappoint you - but I have other places to be," he remarked as he made for the stairs - but several specters cut him off. | |||||||||||||||
| "I insist - stay," the wraith hissed. Calloway looked around the room for another means of escape. The only one was the way he came in. he shook his head and dropped to one knee. "Praying? It will do one such as yourself little good," it taunted. Calloway smirked as he flipped himself up and over the wraiths that were and ran for the exit. | |||||||||||||||
| "Why am I going this way?" he muttered to himself. Over his shoulder he could see the smaller wraiths giving chase. He ran through the old room - the spirits were still close behind. He dived through the electrified doorway and ran a bit more - the ghosts stopped? | |||||||||||||||
| He stopped running and looked back. The howling wraiths screamed at him from the archway as though unable to pass. He looked over his shoulder - hoping that no one would pay any heed to the sounds the troubled sprits were making. | |||||||||||||||
| "Time to play ghost-buster," he said with a smirk as he stalked his way towards the archway. | |||||||||||||||
| Moments later back in the main room of the basement of the crypt - Calloway hurried in and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that the wraith that had spoken - was still there. | |||||||||||||||
| "You look shocked? You didn't think I would just throw myself at an impassible wall so that you could cut me to ribbons. I am not like the others that lay trapped here," the specter hissed. | |||||||||||||||
| "I gathered that much," Calloway admitted. | |||||||||||||||
| "You know that you will not pass me. I will not let you cut me with Wraithbane," the spirit remarked. Calloway looked at the glowing weapon in his hand. | |||||||||||||||
| "Is that what this is called?" he rebutted. | |||||||||||||||
| "Humor is a rare trait in your kind - well - those that aren't insane are the exception to that I suppose. How about we just cut through the pleasantries and just kill you?" the wraith mockingly taunted. Calloway took on a defensive stance and smiled at the grim specter. | |||||||||||||||
| "I couldn't have said that better myself," he replied. He leaped at the ghost. The wraith lashed out raking its supernatural claws across his chest. He screamed out as he rolled to the side and looked up at the beast that had struck him. where the claws had touched him - it felt as though it froze and burned him at the same time. | |||||||||||||||
| "Yield now - do so - and your end will be relatively painless," the specter offered. Calloway shook his head and hopped away from the wraith. | |||||||||||||||
| "This is far from over. You will have to do more than that little scratch to stop me," he rebutted seriously. | |||||||||||||||
| The fight between the vampire and the wraith seemed to seesaw. For the most part - the wraith kept at least one inch out of reach of the phantom-killing blade. Calloway also did his best to stay out of reach of the wraith's long - talon-like claws. | |||||||||||||||
| "You are very persistent. But I believe that you will tire of this fight - long before I do. I can wait. I have all the time in the world," the wraith mocked. Calloway frowned. The ghost was right. all the ghost had to do was keep him on the defensive. | |||||||||||||||
| One shot at this. Calloway thought as he closed his eyes. | |||||||||||||||
| "Giving up? a wise choice," the specter taunted as it hovered closer - preparing to strike the vampire down. It was then that Calloway blindly pounced at the startled specter. "What are you?" it demanded as Calloway spun around and drilled the dagger deep into the ghost's chest. "I will take you to hell with me!" it hissed. Calloway could feel icy-fiery claws raking his back as he pushed the dagger in further - moving it around hurting the wraith even more. | |||||||||||||||
| Soon - the specter floated to the floor and vanished into thin air. Calloway collapsed as he panted. The fight left him feeling drained. | |||||||||||||||
| "I never - want to do that again. Never-never," he muttered. It took him a few seconds to regain his composure. Then slowly - he forced himself to sit up. He had places to go and a vampire to kill. "Nap time over - back to work," he muttered as he slowly made his way up the staircase. | |||||||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | |||||||||||||||