The Hunted Chapter 28 snippet 2

The door slid aside and Kate stopped in the corridor beyond. A chill ran down her spine. There was something wrong about this place but she couldn’t place it. What were the Games Masters doing down here?

“Kate,” The chill ran down her spine again. “Something’s not right.”

“You’ve got the same feeling?” Kate ran a hand down the wall and felt a slight vibration that wasn’t coming from the fusion reactor.

“This place reminds me of a horror vid,” Thad shuddered. “And we’re the victims.”

“It is a horror show,” Kate walked down the corridor, her hand still on the wall. “However, this isn’t a holo vid movie-it’s real life.”

Damn it, there was something wrong and she couldn’t place it! What was causing the vibration? It seemed to be coming from a room ahead of them, but what was inside it? Without any experience to draw upon, there was a distinct possibility that they were walking into a trap.

“Thad,” Kate stopped before the door’s sensors picked them up. “You have an extra weapon?”

“Thought you’d never ask,” He handed her the familiar weight of a Kimber.

“Whatever it is,” she said. “It’s inside this room. I’m going it, watch my back.”

The door slid aside when she triggered the sensor. With the kimber held high, Kate stepped inside. The lights were off, leaving her silhouetted in the doorway. If there was anyone inside who wanted to shoot, they wouldn’t have a better shot.

Kate stepped forwards and the lights snapped on. In reflex, she nearly fired the pistol. Damn it, why couldn’t someone have designed the friggin’ room to be lit? What was it about dark rooms and the psycho’s on Necko? Did that have some sort of bad childhood?

Jesus Christ, you have to be ****ing kidding me! Kate thought when she saw what was before her.

Rows and rows of people were inside the room. Each body was attached to antigravity devices and instruments keeping them alive. However, all of them were unconscious and non-responsive to her entering the room.

She craned her neck back and looked up at the high ceiling. There were people lined up until the very top and to the end of the room one hundred meters distant. As Kate started to realize what was happening, bile started to rise in her throat. Jesus, worse monsters ran this planet then she had known!

“What the hell?” Thad came to a stop beside her. “What is this, Kate?”

Kate licked her lips, trying to decide what to say. Could he handle the truth? Some things in the universe were more cruel and evil then anyone could ever imagine-and this was one of those things. She had to tell him the truth, and hopefully Thad could handle it.

“It’s a harvesting center,” Kate shuddered at the thought and closed her eyes. Just how many more were there in this God forsaken complex?

“Harvesting Center?” Thad looked at the floating people. “For what?”

“Black Ice,”

“Jesus!”

Kate looked at the floating people and a fire started to burn in her gut. This entire place needed to be destroyed! There needed to be no possibility of rebuilding it either. But what would allow her to accomplish that feat?

“Thad,” An idea started to percolate in her mind. “What were you doing down in the reactor room?”

“I was going to disable the power grid and bust you out,”

“Do you have any explosives on you?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Because I’m going to blow this place to hell and back,” Kate wheeled around to face him. “And stop Ferini in the process.”

“You can’t be serious!” Thad said. “There wouldn’t be enough time to evacuate! Thousands would die!”

“Oh, well,” Kate said. “But this place needs to be destroyed!”

“You can’t-“

“I can’t?” Kate grabbed Thad’s suit and jerked him around to look at the comatose people before them. “Tell that to those people! These bastards have been harvesting chemicals for Black Ice from them! There is no recovery-or life for them!”

“But does killing everyone else here make it right?”

“I don’t care,” Kate said.