Page 104 of Death Valley

Above us, at the top of the ravine, blue eyes appear—dozens of them, glowing in the darkness like unholy stars. The hungry ones stand at the edge, watching our descent with predatory patience.

“Why aren’t they following?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Jensen’s eyes scan the ravine, understanding dawning in his expression. “They’re herding us again,” he says grimly. “Driving us exactly where they want us to go.” He sighs. “They knew our actions.”

I follow his gaze to the far end of a ravine where the moonlight reveals a dark opening in the rock face—a cave entrance, partially obscured by fallen snow and winter shadow.

“The caves,” I breathe, realization settling cold and heavy in my stomach. “We’ve been driven here all along.”

One figure separates from the others at the ravine’s edge—Adam, his transformed face unmistakable even at this distance. He makes no move to pursue, simply watching with those coldly intelligent eyes as we struggle to our feet.

“I think he’s waiting for us to go in,” Jensen says, his voice tight with understanding and dread. “They all are.”

I stare at the cave entrance, darkness yawning beyond like the mouth of some great beast. This is where Lainey disappeared. Where she either died or became something else entirely. Where answers wait, if I have the courage to seek them.

“We don’t have a choice,” I say. This was what I wanted. What Jensen threatened to tie me up over. But now that I’m here and staring death in the face, I’m not sure I want this after all.

I think I want to live.

“We can try to climb out somewhere else,” Jensen suggests, but without conviction. “Try to make a run for it.”

We both know it’s futile. The hungry ones have us surrounded, have been maneuvering us toward this exact point from the beginning. And with night fully upon us, with no shelter, no supplies, our chances of surviving until dawn are nonexistent.

“No,” I say, decision crystallizing despite the fear drumming through my veins. “This is where Lainey came. This is where I need to go.”

Jensen’s hand finds mine in the darkness, his fingers intertwining with my own. The connection grounds me, reminds me that whatever waits in that darkness, at least I don’t face it alone.

At least there is fucking that.

“Together,” he says simply.

“Together,” I agree.

Hand in hand, we move toward the cave entrance, toward whatever horror or truth awaits within. Behind us, the hungry ones watch our descent with patient, ancient hunger.

As the cave mouth engulfs us, darkness swallowing our forms as we step across the threshold between the known world and whatever waits beyond, the last thing I see as I glance back is Adam, still watching from the ravine’s edge, that terrible almost-human smile visible even at this distance.

Then darkness takes us completely.

The real nightmare begins.

30

AUBREY

The cave swallows us whole, darkness absolute after the moonlit night outside. We stand motionless, letting our eyes adjust to the gloom, our breathing loud in the confined space. The air here is different—stale, yes, but also carrying a strange metallic tang that coats the back of my throat with each inhale.

“Wait,” Jensen whispers, digging into his pocket. He produces a small flashlight, turning it on. I quickly search my pockets and pull out my own, though the light is a weak orange and winking on and off.

“Stay close,” he says. “It will be easy for them to separate us.”

The narrow passage stretches before us, rough stone walls glistening with moisture, the floor uneven and treacherous. Water drips somewhere in the distance, a hollow plinking that echoes through the chambers.

“Where do we go?” I ask, trying to mask the tremor in my voice. Just keep walking into the cave, into the darkness, into passages we might never come out of? “The hungry ones wanted us here specifically,” I reason, scanning the darkness beyond the light’s reach. “That must mean something.”

“Or they just drove us into a convenient trap,” Jensen mutters, but he begins moving forward, picking his way carefully across the uneven ground.

I follow close behind, my hand resting on my gun, though I know it will do little good against the creatures pursuing us. The cave narrows briefly before opening into a larger chamber, the ceiling rising beyond the reach of our meager light.

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