Chapter Fourteen
Alex pushed up on the trapdoor above his head. The door banged against concrete, echoing in the stillness. He peeked through the opening, his flashlight illuminating an empty room.
A mausoleum.
"Great."
"What is it?" John's concerned voice whispered below him.
"It's a vault."
He climbed up into the building. He headed for the door as the others entered the tomb.
"Can we get out of here?"
He nodded and used his newly found dagger to unlock the door.
"We need to find Rodney." Jennifer's worried voice urged him to help.
He looked at her and saw the fear and concern in her eyes. It tore at him, the part that wanted to help and protect.
They had no idea when Rodney disappeared. They'd been down in the tunnels searching for a way out when Jennifer turned and saw Rodney was gone. The twisting tunnels made it difficult to search for him and Alex had decided to continue on.
"We'll find him." He pushed the door open and stepped out into the center of the cemetery. The fog wasn't as thick here and he was grateful.
John stood next to him. "Let's get back to the street. Maybe he's wandering the town."
He nodded and made his way toward the main gates.
Howling echoed through the fog, making the noise seem closer than it really was. It unnerved Alex, but he'd learned to ignore it. Dagger in hand, he led the way down the street toward the center of town. He had no idea where Rodney had gone or if he was even here.
Or if we'll ever find him.
A red bolt of energy sped passed him, startling him. He watched it slam into a creature and send it flying back into the fog. Heart racing, he looked back at the group to see Ronon shoving his gun back into its holster.
"You're welcome."
Alex released the breath he'd been holding and continued down the street. The town hall loomed on their right, a dark silent figure watching from the fog. He shivered and picked up his pace.
"Rodney, are you here? Can you hear me?"
He tried not to listen to Jennifer's frantic attempt to contact Rodney on the radio. He knew better. Something in this town caused the radios to work sporadically.
"I can't get him." Worry filled Jennifer's voice. "He might not even be here."
"He vanished right under our noses." John mentioned. "Maybe whatever took him dropped him somewhere else."
Alex closed his eyes and sighed. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at the group. "We have to go back to Silent Hill."
Ronon stepped closer, his hand hovering over his gun. "Then led the way."
He nodded. "Follow me. Hopefully, we can get a boat and head across the lake."
He led them to the locked gate blocking the way to the boats. He looked at the padlock, considering how he would open it.
The gate exploded in red light and fell to the ground. He rolled his eyes, sighed, and headed down the trail to the docks.
Screams echoed through the darkness sending chills down Alex's back. He still wasn't used to the sounds this town produced. He had no idea where the noises came from and he really didn't want to know.
"McKay. Come in, McKay. This is John."
John shook his head, frustration furrowing his brow. "I'm going to put a tracking device on him when we get back to Atlantis."
Alex smirked and stepped into the street. He didn't know where to start looking for Rodney, but he had a feeling the scientist was here, somewhere.
A shadow dashed across the street and headed toward a building on the left. His heart leaped into his throat.
"Josh!" He hurried down the street, hoping to catch his brother before he vanished into the building.
"Alex, wait!" He barely heard the warnings, so focused on the small figure heading into the store. The door slammed shut and he ran into it. He stumbled back, holding his nose.
"What the hell are you doing?" John spun him around.
"I saw my brother. He's in there." He pointed to the dark store, a part of him knowing his brother wasn't in there at all, but not caring.
"We're here to find Rodney, so unless he's in there somewhere, I suggest we keep going."
Alex wrenched his arm from John's grasp and turned to look into the store. The windows were dark and covered with dust and ash. He wiped a hand across the surface while Ronon tried the door. He pressed his face against the glass. He was able to make out overturned tables and chairs. Paper littered the floor. He didn't see his brother or Rodney.
Why would he go in there? Is there a backdoor?
"Nothing." Ronon's grumble broke into his thoughts.
"Let's go, Alex."
Alex glared at John, but stepped from the window. He wanted to go in, see why his brother entered the building in the first place.
Maybe once we find Rodney.
Flashlight leading the way, he headed down the street. There weren't very many places the scientist could be. Most of the buildings were boarded up or their doors were sealed shut. Where could Rodney be?
The beam of his flashlight revealed a tall fence blocking the way to the other side. He cursed and hurried to a door on the right. He turned the knob, but it refused to budge. He cursed again and looked at the others.
"We can't go through. We're going to have to find another way."
John shook his head. "I suggest we head back to the gate. Rodney might have made it to Atlantis."
Alex sighed. He really didn't want to leave; not without finding his brother. Still, maybe there was something on Atlantis that would help him. It was better than having to wander around this town being attacked by monsters.
"Lead the way."
John nodded and headed back down the street. Screams and howls echoed through the fog from all directions. Alex drew his gun, keeping his eyes and ears open for the creatures.
The sounds grew louder, changing from screams to laughter. It was enough to send chills down his spine, but so far there wasn't a monster in sight. It put him on edge and caused him to jump at simple shadows. A part of him wanted something to attack to relieve the building tension and his strained nerves.
A howl tore through the silence, but a dog didn't assail them.
"This is getting annoying. Why aren't they attacking?" Ronon voiced the question Alex knew everyone was wondering.
"Maybe they're waiting for something." Jennifer's voice held a tinge of fear. She stared into the fog, but Alex knew she wouldn't see anything. The mist was too thick to really see anything other than shadows.
John cleared his throat. "I know we're on edge, but I don't want to look for you as well, so don't go hunting for those things."
"Spoil sport."
John shook his head. "Just making sure your day is completely ruined, Ronon."
The banter eased the tension and made the way toward the forest pass much faster. Alex looked behind him and spotted a tall shadow moving in the fog. His heart raced, but the creature moved too slowly to actually catch up. He turned and followed the others into the forest.
The fog lessened and a soft breeze blew through the leaves. Alex closed his eyes and took it all in. The air was fresh, bringing to mind why this place was such a popular resort a long time ago.
What happened to turn it into this? Was it the same thing that happened to Sheppard's Glen?
"Let's go, people." John's voice broke through Alex's thoughts.
Alex checked the ammo in his gun then followed the others deeper into the forest. The mist seemed to flee this place for it continued to get lighter until they reached a field. The wide open area brought forth trepidation. There wasn't anywhere to hide or take cover if something decided to attack.
"Eyes open. No telling what's waiting out there."
Taking a deep breath, Alex followed the others into the field. He turned in a complete circle, his gun at the ready, his gaze alert for any movement in the vegetation.
Nothing burst forth.
What are they waiting for?
"There's someone on the ground." Jennifer's voice caught.
Alex turned and saw a dark figure lying on the ground. They picked up their pace, Jennifer running. He kept on eye out for creatures and realized the fog crept along the field toward them. Static blared through the radio and his heart raced.
"We're about to have company." He aimed his gun toward the fog.
"He's barely breathing." Jennifer's voice came to his ears. He heard the worry, but she hid it behind a tone of professionalism.
"We need to get him back to Atlantis."
Alex glanced behind him. John hurried toward the device stationed in front of the huge ring. He slammed his hand on the buttons and before long, the water burst forth.
Ronon lifted Rodney over his shoulders and ran into the blue horizon, Jennifer followed.
"Let's go, Alex."
Shadows moved in the mist, but Alex didn't want to wait for the creature to catch up. He turned and ran into the gate.