The adrenaline was pumping through my veins as Sal, and I crept down the dark, deserted street, avoiding eye contact with the horde of monsters just a few yards away. The fiends were piled up along the sides of the road, attempting to breach every entrance in sight. Their eyes flashed with a savage hunger, almost as if they could detect our presence despite the shadows that shrouded our movements. We kept low, hoping that the darkness would conceal our passing. Still, there was no telling how effective that would be with such a relentless group surrounding us. Sal clutched her pistol in a vice-like grip, waiting for any sign of danger to spring into action. My heart was pounding with every footstep, knowing that we could be discovered at any moment. The fiends were piling down the road, blocking our passage and trying to get inside however they could. I was filled with dread as darkness descended on the street. We would have to pass through this group somehow in order to reach our destination safely.
I remained hyper-vigilant as I kept my eyes peeled for the slightest signs of movement or sound. With the sweat rolling down my back made me feel on edge, and I gripped my rifle tightly, ready to use it if necessary. The weight of the weapon was becoming more difficult to hold as I continued down the street. Behind me, Sal was doing his best to keep up with the pace, his breathing growing more labored and his footsteps becoming more rushed. The tense situation was taking a toll on both of us, and it could turn deadly if we were not careful. We both knew that even the slightest wrong move or noise could spell disaster. The air was thick with tension; we took another risk with each step as we ventured deep into enemy territory. This mission required patience and stealth, and we were determined not to let anything stand in our way.
Every move we made had to be calculated and precise. Each step was taken cautiously and with stealth in mind. I took care to keep low as I followed Sal. Although he was much taller than me, he still had to crouch low to avoid being seen by any creatures roaming the streets. As we knew, the enemy completely surrounded us, and it felt like the odds were against us at every turn. Somehow, we had to find a way for the survivors to escape. Sal and I moved in tandem, communicating with hand signals to ensure we didn't make any unnecessary noise. Despite the danger, I couldn't resist sneaking a look at Sal, his strong silhouette comforting in this sea of terror. My mind was racing with thoughts of navigating us through the labyrinthine streets while avoiding detection safely. The fate of our remaining companions lay on our shoulders, the weight of which made me feel nervous and worried. My heart was beating out of my chest as every fiber of my being was on alert. I knew we were on borrowed time, and the pressure of keeping our group alive weighed heavily on my mind.
'But for how long can they hold out?' The narrow back alleyway was blocked from the street, preventing the creatures from getting in, but I couldn't deny that this was still nerve-wracking. Aside from the freaks and humanoid corpses littering the scene, nightmarish horrors and disgusting abominations lurked in the hoard. With these creatures lurking about, it was hard to let my guard down, but I knew that if we wanted to succeed, we had to press on through this nightmare to find a way out for the survivors. We didn't know if we'd survive but we were determined to try. I could not allow any mistakes, as the lives of the survivors depended on my judgment. But I wasn't about to let my nerves get the best of me, despite the nerve-wracking scene before my eyes. Although it was a difficult situation, with luck and teamwork, we had a chance to survive this ordeal.
Sal and I couldn't help but wonder if these creatures had once been human. The thought was too terrifying to consider, but it was something that had to be accepted as real. Neither Sal Jefferies nor I could deny that these may have once been human. Eddie and Thomas did say that they witnessed an officer turn into one of those flaming demons. 'Was this really what happened to the policeman my brothers spoke of?' It was a hard pill to swallow, but the reality is often hard to accept. The narrow back alleys kept us safe from the relentless creatures, and I couldn't deny that I felt afraid.
After thoroughly searching the area, there was no way out. The entire block was swamped with the hideous beasts crowding the street. I was filled with fear and dread when I saw the police helicopter soaring overhead. Typically, seeing a chopper would have brought me great comfort in a situation like this, but it didn't this time. The aircraft were either unaware of the horrifying beasts taking over our street or were oblivious to the danger around them. I trembled to think that freaks could be flying that chopper. If that was true, then the siege on our city was much more terrifying. 'What could we possibly do against these hordes of evil?'
Sal's gentle pat on my back beckoned me to turn around to see what he wanted. My eyes widened as Sal pointed to a manhole cover nearby. He kicked aside the trash in front of it to reveal the opening. Sal had just kicked over a pile of garbage when he uncovered what may soon save our lives. What seemed like a forgotten manhole, hidden under the clutter, could be our gateway out of this nightmare.
"What do you think?" I whispered as I turned my attention to him.
"Well, your brother used the sewers to get to city hall," Sal stated. "Might be able to do the same thing here."
I thought quickly about the possibilities, remembering the reports of a similar sewer shaft that my brother had used to escape to city hall. I nodded to Sal, agreeing that we should explore the sewer system further.
"Right, let's check it out first," I replied.
Sal shouldered his weapon and carefully removed the manhole lid. I held my rifle, ready to fire in the blink of an eye. My breathing slowed as he carefully removed the cover, revealing a dark and dank sewer shaft, nothing I didn't expect. I sighed in relief when nothing jumped out to attack us. The veteran cop watched my back as I cautiously descended down the ladder. As I reached the floor, my heart was racing. I quickly and carefully checked both ways. Relieved, I waved to Sal, signaling that he should come down too.
The sounds of the horrid horde were slowly drowned out by the Earth separating the street and the sewer below. My flashlight revealed the dim yet spacious cavern before us. Sal light illuminated the opposite direction, and he gave a thumbs up that it was indeed clear. The tunnels went on for a long distance. The both of us slowly walked together as we cautiously charted the path that lay ahead. I had been debating whether we should turn back now or lead every survivor down here, but in the end, I decided going back would be no good. I needed to ensure this path wasn't just a trap or, worse yet, infested with these terrifying and dangerous creatures. If those things got down here, we would have only one way to run. If both ends were flooded, we would effectively be trapped. If they trapped us, we would have no choice but to fight our way out, and I doubted we would survive.
After half an hour of trekking through the sewers, we arrived at a junction, realizing that this was our best and possibly only hope of escape. So far, we hadn't seen or heard any demons that had infested the streets, and that was a sight for sore eyes. This was looking more and more like a viable escape route. This was looking increasingly like a feasible escape route. It is uncommon for people to think about the sewers beneath their feet. Perhaps these fiends had a form of human intelligence, or at least something that resembled it. Hopefully, they would forget to look toward the sewers below them. Perhaps they had retained bits and pieces of human memory as well. Especially if they kept human memory and thoughts somewhere in those mutated bodies.
Sal whispered, "I believe we have mapped this path well enough. There is no sign of those monsters down here. We should not go too far."
"I concur. We should turn back. We will rescue these people when we return," I said in a low voice.
As I agreed to Sal's plan, I couldn't help but wonder if we actually had any more time. I knew this was a good plan, but this plan involved a lot of moving parts and a tight timeline. I also knew that we were up against a terrifying enemy who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. We'd taken all the factors we could into account in this plan, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as I thought about the challenges ahead.
We had come back to the open manhole after spending half the time it took to arrive. Oliver, Cindy, and a few others were waiting as we came up the sewer ladder. Cindy gave me the look that she wasn't happy with this plan. Sal and I had discussed the strategy to take, but I hadn't mentioned it to her yet. It was our only hope to get everyone to safety.
"This is the only way out. We need to go now while we can. Its crucial to leave as soon as possible because we can't be certain how long it would take for those demons to break through. If they entered the alleys, our escape route would no longer be available," I explained.
"Okay, Okay, give me five minutes. I'll get everyone ready to go," the officer said, turning and heading back to the hideout.
"Are you sure this is the best option?" Cindy asked, her face was concerned,
I knew my partner was scared of dark and damp places. Clasutopbia was no joke, and Cindy had a bad case of it. I took the golden brown brunette to the side and looked into her eyes before speaking again.
"Look, just stay behind me and you'll get through this. I won't leave you alone or let anything happen. Besides, you're the smartest partner I've ever had and a badass," I whispered.
"You're just trying to cheer me up. My claustrophobia can't be siked out with a pep talk," Cindy whispered.
"It doesn't have to be, because I'll be right there," I countered.
Cindy swallowed and let out a soft feminine breath. "You better be, Ben," Cindy whispered.
I held my hands on her shoulders and smiled. "I sure will," I countered.