The Pegassian Order

6. The Descent

Chapter Six: The Descent

Elliot landed in a heap against the hard ground. She heard her phone crack beneath her weight. She groaned and rolled over, digging into her pocket to examine the damage in the dark. She couldn't see much but her fingers found a deep crack running along the surface. She pushed the power button but nothing happened. A groan emitted a few feet away from her.

‘Is everyone okay?’ She asked the dark. There was some shifting then coughing and Duke's voice was the first to respond.

‘I'm good. Galen's okay too.’ He offered from the veil of black between them. Elliot coughed and batted the dust in the air aside. She could taste the tinge of rubble hovering around them.

‘Great start.’ Rafi grumbled, moments later a torch turned on and Elliot found Rafi dusting himself off and aiming his phone light at his trousers, where the part covering his knee had split open and red ballooned over the patch. He winced as he examined the wound.

‘My phone is broken so I'm out of a torch.’ Elliot said. Rafi responded to this by shining his light across from her, illuminating Galen and Duke who were dusting themselves off too. Duke reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver pocket torch and tossed it to Elliot. Elliot caught it as she stood up.

‘Thanks.’

Duke smiled and Elliot found herself returning the smile without thinking. She turned on the torch and shone it upward, highlighting the chasm they had fallen through. From her calculations, they had fallen maybe twenty to thirty feet. They were lucky nobody had a serious injury. Elliot turned her torch toward the ground and tentatively planted her boot against it. The ground was solid and showed no signs of giving way beneath them.

‘Do you hear that?’ Elliot asked nobody in particular. She strained to follow the sound of flowing water. It came from somewhere up ahead, somewhere beyond the shadowy crevices of the cavern they were in. Elliot shone the torch in the direction of the sound but was faced with what seemed like an endless scaly tunnel which arched downwards, like a dragon with an outstretched tongue. Elliot cast a nervous glance toward Galen and the others. They were they were literally descending into the belly of the beast in an attempt to find her sister.

Duke watched Elliot lead the way. He was familiar with these tunnels but they still creeped him out. On one hand he admired her dedication to finding her sister, but on the other hand, he could see her being difficult to deal with. He had his orders, he was to lead them deeper into the tunnels until they reached the trials. That was when Duke would slip away and leave them to their fate in the rigged rooms which would follow. The brunette cast a glance his way then to Galen. He knew what she was thinking, how would Galen fair in the face of the climbs and troughs that were to come. Duke hoped the old man would have an accident, and it would make his job easier. Despite the Order's instructions to murder Galen and close the line of enquiry into the disappearances and murders of women across Athens, Duke had grown fond of the old man.

He even felt bad for him. But Duke had a lifestyle to pay for and the only way it worked was if he did as the Order instructed, no questions asked. He glanced back at Rafi. Duke was aware of Rafi's muscular build and height, and worried Rafi could get the jump on him if he revealed himself. Duke's foot slipped on a rock and he stumbled forward, something grasped his collar and lurched him back to his feet. He turned to find Rafi regarding him with a firm expression.

‘You should watch where you're going.’ Rafi advised. Duke shrugged Rafi off.

‘Thanks.’ He mumbled and decided to catch up to Elliot. She was moving fast, she knew they had limited supplies and she knew if anything happened to anybody it would be on her shoulders.

‘Know where we're headed?’ Duke asked as he fell into stride with her. Elliot stalked onward into the darkness.

‘The water is flowing toward something. A way out, a bigger chasm, it's leading somewhere. And you feel that?’ Duke looked at her, blank. She smiled. ‘Close your eyes.’ She explained. He did as he was told. There it was, faint but still present. A breeze, blowing in the direction of the water. Duke opened his eyes and smiled at her. He was impressed by her and he made no effort to conceal this fact.

‘Neat trick.’

‘It's got us out of a few tight spots.’ Elliot explained. Duke glanced at her with an arched eyebrow.

‘Us?’

‘Me and Rafi.’ She said. And even though he planned on killing the woman beside him, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of curiosity. Why was she so driven? Who was Rafi to her? Who was she? He had overheard Galen mention Chloe's good fortune that Elliot was her sister, but surely a logical person would know better than to lead an old man and two others into the underbelly of a city? Unless she was just that selfish.

‘You guys go back?’

‘Way back.’ Elliot replied. ‘It's also why we can barely stand each other.’ She wore an earnest smile, and Duke could tell she meant every word. Duke could hear Galen and Rafi chatting as they walked a few metres behind. Galen was holding most of the conversation, and Rafi seemed distracted or maybe he was just rude.

Duke's pulse quickened as they approached the divide at the end of the tunnel.

‘I think we should go this way.’ Duke said, overtaking Elliot as she veered to the right. Duke waved her over to the tunnel to the left. Nerves began to gnaw at him, he knew what waited in the right tunnel. He knew because he had seen the Order at work first hand.

‘The water's flowing that way.’ Elliot objected. Thoughts fired through his head, if he pulled out his pistol Elliot or Rafi would get to him before he shot either. No, he had to keep his cool. He couldn't reveal himself, not yet.

‘I don't know, I've got a bad feeling about that tunnel.’ Duke wasn't lying. He really did have an awful feeling brewing in his gut. ‘Just trust me. Nobody knows these cases better than me. Let's go this way.’

‘Do you know the tunnels?’ Rafi asked from over his shoulder. Duke glanced at Elliot who returned to the other tunnel from which flowing water could be heard. She examined the walls intently, running her hand over their surfaces. A knot tightened in Duke’s chest and his mind flitted back to the pistol around his ankle.

'Do you?’ Rafi prompted. Duke shook his head.

‘Look!’ Elliot called to them, and Galen and Rafi hurried over to her. She pulled her hand away from the wall and stared at the marks in the wall. Images had been etched into the wall, they depicted curving and swirling lines.

‘It must be water.’ Elliot said, studying it intently. The drawings continued further down the tunnel. She knew if Chloe had been here, she would have followed the markings on the wall. She turned back to Duke and the others.

‘I'm going this way. You guys should do what you think is best.’

‘We should go that way.’ Duke insisted. Rafi pushed past him and joined Elliot in the tunnel. Duke exhaled, nervous.

‘Are you scared of water?’ Galen asked. Duke gave him a stern look.

‘I'm with Elliot on this one, I'm afraid.’ Galen revealed much to Duke's annoyance. Galen bowed his head and joined Elliot and Rafi. Duke looked back at the tunnel he knew would keep them close to the surface and provide enough isolation for him to finish the job before he emerged from the other side. But they just weren't taking the bait. He ran his hands over his face then studied the trio who were posing more of a problem than he thought they would. He resigned himself to knowing he was outnumbered but maybe he could still dissuade them from choosing the other route? His eyes lingered on the tunnel behind them.

Is this how scared the women felt? All the women who had been brought here and set free to navigate their way out? A ball of dread simmered in his chest as he thought about how harrowing it was to be abandoned under the city in a network of traps and threats cloaked with darkness. It was like they were moving through a giant coffin. The tunnels felt like death, with their pale walls and the cold breeze that rolled through, making the worry in his gut grow more intense with every passing moment. He stepped toward Elliot and the others.

The Order wouldn't spare him if he didn't finish the job. He had to go with them. He silently stepped in line but made sure he hung back, letting the others lead the way. He had read the post-mortem reports for a few of the victims, and it sufficed to say, it wasn't something he'd wish upon even his worst enemies. The darkness crept at the edges of his vision and now and then, he would stop and look behind him, convinced someone was there.

‘There are more markings up ahead.’ Elliot's voice informed the echoing caverns. Duke watched as Rafi overtook her and examined the markings. She seemed irritated by this and waited patiently for him to move aside, when he did, she peered intently at the marks.

‘It's Medusa.’ Elliot said.

Galen gave Duke a surprised look.

‘What's Medusa got to do with Pegasus?’ He asked, his forehead crinkling in various places as he posed the question. ‘What on earth does a divine, winged, stallion have to do with a monster like Medusa?’

Duke knew but stayed quiet.

‘We can still turn back.’ Duke said. Elliot's brow furrowed as she studied the markings.

‘These markings show her as a holy and noble maiden.’

‘Before she was turned into a beast.’ Rafi said, his voice low. Not many people knew the true tale of Medusa, but he did. And it was one that even today, was relevant. Society would take a pious woman and vilify her if they could not have her, and even if they did have her, she would still be vilified. Such was the ugliness of society's need to corrupt and consume goodness. Rafi noticed a trident in the corner of one of the engravings, which showed Medusa guarding a temple in a pristine white gown surrounded by lavish greens and pearly whites. The black trident crept in at the corners of the scene, behind Medusa's back. It sent a chill down Rafi's spine.

‘Maybe we should turn back.’ He said. And Duke found himself momentarily elated that someone else was echoing the same sentiments as his. Elliot recoiled at Rafi. ‘You know how her story ends.’ Rafi warned and at that moment Duke realised he was among people of knowledge.

‘So what… Chloe and the others were turned into monsters? If Chloe is down this tunnel, we still have time…’

‘Elliot these markings are recent. That's ink.’

‘You think I don't know that?’ She bit back. Rafi took in a deep breath.

‘Look, we can always turn back.’ Galen explained diplomatically. ‘Let's embark down the passage and at the first sign of danger, we can just turn around and come back this way. There's no need for any fighting or bad blood.’ He promised. Duke was relieved but remained silent. Elliot looked to him for assistance but he shrugged.

‘It's up to you.’

‘If we don’t do this, after Chloe, they'll just take someone else.’ Elliot explained, and Duke knew she was right because they had told him they would continue their ritual, their hunting game.