Overlord

31

Larsen ran through darkness, the thunder of assault rifle fire deafening behind him. His flashlight beam danced left and right as he scanned the floor to avoid falling, bursts of light from the weapons fire occasionally reflecting off damp rock above.

He knew they were hopelessly lost. Whatever memory of the route they had taken had been abandoned in the panic. Wherever the green cavern might be, he didn’t think he would ever find it again. Retracing their steps might be possible by following the trail of broken and bleeding creatures and soldiers, but that seemed incredibly unlikely as there were far more monsters than men and any chance of returning the way they had come seemed a foolish hope. Survival seemed a foolish hope.

He rounded a bend, saw another fork ahead. The gunfire stopped and he glanced back. Only Olsen and Jensen were there, and they both barreled right past him, running headlong. He caught glimpses of dozens of the giant, insect-like creatures skittering along the passage toward them. Only two fighters left, and they’d both given up. As they veered down the left fork, Larsen broke into a run and chased them.

His satchel bounced heavy against his hip, containing a possible escape, if only he had time to use it. Unbeknownst to the mercs, one of his plans was something of a final solution. If they couldn’t take control of the green cavern, and all the valuable greenium it contained, he carried explosives to bring it all down, killing everyone still in it. Halvdan would be able to excavate later, assuming Larsen led him to the collapsed cave. The greenium would survive. Or Larsen could have sold the secret to someone else, played Halvdan off against some other interest. If he was the only one left with the knowledge of the valuable stuff’s location, his options were legion. But all those plans hadn’t taken into account a swarm of monsters. How could anyone have considered that possibility?

Weighing his options now, he found himself in a considerably less favorable situation than any he had entertained. If he had time, just a few moments, to arm the explosives, he could blow the passageway behind them to keep the creatures at bay. He was reluctant, both because it would potentially waste the explosives and also cut off their only known means of escape. But it was completely cut off right now by hordes of creatures anyway.

They stumbled out into another cave, like the green cavern with the pool, but much smaller. Even so, the vine-like growths lit it with a soft glow. Olsen looked back and slowed, then stopped.

Larsen paused to see what had caught the mercenaries’ attention. The passage behind them was empty. Olsen cautiously approached, shined his flashlight into the darkness.

“They’re holding back,” he said. He moved the flashlight left and right, then again, then smiled. “They don’t like the light. They’re avoiding this cave, and my flashlight.”

“This won’t buy us much time,” Larsen said. “We still can’t go back that way, there’s too many to hold off by shining flashlights in their eyes. Eventually our batteries will die. Then we will. They live here, surely they can’t avoid all the caverns with enough vines to light them?”

Olsen frowned. “They are moving slowly forward.”

“Letting their eyes adjust to the change in brightness, I expect,” Larsen asked. “I think maybe it just takes them a while.”

“Maybe.”

“Only one tunnel leading out,” Jensen said. “Sir, maybe we should just keep moving for now?”

Olsen nodded and took the lead again, Jensen hot on his heels as they left the cave by the opposite side. Larsen stared down the passage with the reluctant creatures, thinking again about his explosives. Perhaps this brightness would buy them enough of a head start to survive. He’d think again if they started to catch up. But he knew he had to do something soon, else they’d all be dead.