Chapter 59 - Escaped
Canyon caught his first glimpse of a sheer rock face. We found it.
“You found it,” Timber said. “What about Wulf?”
Canyon didn’t respond right away, then said. We ain’t leaving without Wulf, but we need an exit, and maybe a doctor. You’re better now but before I put that paste on you, you were circling the drain.
Timber laughed out loud. “Not me, I’ma live forever.”
Canyon saw a crack in the rock face. Crack, he said. Checking it out.
Canyon dropped his ruck, stripped off his clothes and boots, and shifted into a wolf. He ran for the crack and squeezed inside, his nose telling him men and foxen had been there recently.
Dim light barely reached inside. Canyon followed the passageway he found in the dark. It led to a larger area. Canyon could see little but could he could scent faded vehicle exhaust. He followed this passageway and found an elevator with dead buttons and no electricity.
He headed out, calling his brother. Elevator here, but no power.
I think the bug’s coming back, Timber said.
Oh shit.
Canyon loped back the way he had come from. He burst out into the sunlight and found Timber hunkered behind a rock, peering into the forest.
Rustling came from Canyon’s left. The tops of the trees bent and swayed as something big and dark moved along them.
Bug can’t fit in the cave, Canyon said. He shifted into a naked man and pitched his ruck and his clothes into the crack in the sheer rock wall.
Timber took off his clothes and also pitched them in the crack. He left the bandage on and shifted into a wolf then went inside the crack. Canyon shifted and followed. They pressed against the cave wall inside, teeth bared, watching the spider, ready for the fight.
Skitter, skitter.
The awful skittering noise made Canyon think of dead flesh being scraped over thick rock.
Their available light plunged and the opening leading to the outside grew smaller, as the spider scrambled right down the sinkhole wall with its belly toward them.
Canyon crept forward, looking for weaknesses on the monster, ready to jump and bite and claw.
But there was Wulf, hanging on tight to the spider’s belly with his mechanical arm. He let go and dropped to the cave floor.
Wulf! Canyon cried.
Timber crowded next to him. Wulf! Good to see you buddy! Did you catch a ride on that thing?
Wulf’s screen flared brightly in the dark.
:That being and I came to an agreement—
Timber rushed forward to sniff Wulf. He nosed Wulf’s screen, glad to see him. The spider skittered up the wall outside, making Canyon’s skin crawl.
Together again. Now let’s scram.
Canyon gathered his clothes with his teeth and took them through the passage to the elevator. Timber and Wulf followed. Canyon and Timber shifted and dressed, then Canyon went back for his ruck, having to crouch then crawl to reach it. He dropped it near the elevator.
With Wulf’s light, they examined the larger cave, until they found the exit at one end, and the dead elevator at the other.
Canyon took a tool set out of his ruck and pried the elevator doors open, then went inside.
There was a dark touch screen, and below it were only two buttons.
G on top and B on the bottom. He pried open the button panel.
Wulf, can I get some light over here?
Wulf wheeled over and shone light on the panel. Canyon looked for burnt parts or loose connections and found none.
Timber already had the door on the ceiling open and he was up inside the shaft. Canyon grabbed on to the hole and levered himself up. The ceiling of the shaft rose 50 or 60 feet above them. The main power switch was already on. Canyon flipped it off, then on again but nothing happened.
We could climb out if we had to.
Timber held up his bandaged arm, his fingers puffy and dangling. “Maybe not.”
Below them, inside the elevator car, Wulf spoke.
:I can start the elevator—
There’s no power. It’s off at the top.
:I have power—
Wulf positioned himself in front of the open panel and made a buzzing sound. A zap of electricity flowed from Wulf to the panel and the smell of ozone filled the air.
The lights all around them flickered, then lit up and the elevator motor hummed to life.
“Nice one,” Timber said, jumping down. Canyon followed.
Timber put a finger to his lips. Do you hear… something?
Canyon did. Outside there was definite skittering. Think that thing could fit in the cave?
“Sideways maybe.”
Canyon peeked out. The spider was right there, mostly flat with long legs spread out like a tick, and it was almost on top of them. Canyon reached for his rucksack—too late! The spider got it first with a hairy pedipalp and jammed it into its mouth, then chewed and swallowed!
Canyon pulled his head back in, mashing his finger on the G button. Go, go, go, I don’t need my ruck!
The doors slid closed. The tip of a spider leg reached in at the last second and pulled them back open.
“Gross!” Timber said, kicking at the thing.
Wulf scooted over and pressed his mechanical arm to the leg. Zzzap. The leg withdrew.
Clearly that spider didn’t agree to shit, Canyon said.
CODE lit up on the touchscreen above the buttons.
APHOX, Canyon typed.
A chime beeped pleasantly and the elevator lurched. Canyon sagged against the elevator wall, then he shot bolt upright. My phone was in my rucksack.
“That’s the spider’s phone now, bro,” Timber said.
Wulf’s screen pulsed rhythmically.
Timber laughed and pointed. “Wulf thought that was funny!”
Canyon only shook his head, fuming. His phone was in a spider’s guts and he didn’t like it.
Within moments, they were at the top, looking at a wide path through a forest. They walked in, getting their bearings.
“What’s that?” Timber said, his posture alert.
They all stopped to listen.
Car, Canyon said. Not too far away.
They plunged into the forest, not following the path, but rather the sound of the car. A scent reached Canyon, sweet and compelling. He reached the road in time to see the tail end of the car.
Follow, his wolf demanded.
Canyon whirled to face his brother, not sure what to say, already pitching forward, shifting into his wolf.
Timber looked him in the eyes, serious for once in his life. “I smell her. Go. Me’n Wulf’ll get your truck and follow you.”
Canyon yanked free of his clothes and took off at full speed down the road, after the car.