Part 10 (2/2)
His cousin's eyes were as wide as hubcaps.
”Where'd that man go?” Junior whispered. ”I feel like somethin' bad's going on, Andre”
”I'm ready to get out of here, cuz,” Andre said. ”Don't know if I want that gold no more”
”Ain't no gold,” Junior said, and he could tell that Andre believed him. ”Somethin' else is in there”
”But what the h.e.l.l is it?” Andre said.
Mamu approached them. ”We are not finished yet, gentlemen. We must continue to displace the stones”
”Aww, s.h.i.+t,” Andre said. ”Man, when you gonna let us go?”
”Soon. Come now.”
”What happened to the dude dressed in black?” Andre asked. ”He cut out of here with the quickness. I ain't never seen n.o.body move that fast.”
Mamu gave them another of his strange smiles. ”My employer will be returning soon”
It took all of Junior's courage for him to drag himself forward. His stomach was in knots.
They spent another hour watching Mamu blow up stones, then coming behind him to load the junk into buckets. Finally, Mamu said that he felt cool air coming from inside the cave-a sign that they were almost done-and ordered them to pick up the sledgehammers and start whacking away.
Swinging the hammer at the rocks, Junior's arms felt as if they were ready to fall off. He could not wait to get home and go to bed. In spite of the good money he was going to earn, he didn't ever want to do something like this again.
They chiseled open a good-size doorway in the cave. Using the shovels, they cleared away the crumbled stones. Mamu actually helped them this time.
A terrible smell drifted from inside the cavern: an old, rotten stench. Junior couldn't see what was in there because it was dark, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what lay within. He only wanted to get his money and go home.
At last, Mamu set down his shovel. He dug his hand into the pocket of his slacks and retrieved the money clip.
”Your work is done, gentlemen,” Mamu said. He peeled off several crisp bills. He handed Andre a portion, then gave Junior his share. ”You are free to go ””
”I must impress something upon you before you leave us,” a deep voice said, and Junior jumped as if someone had thrown water in his face. The man in black was suddenly beside them; he was the one who had spoken.
Junior's legs were watery. How had this man gotten there so quickly, without making a sound?
It ain't natural, Junior thought. This man, I don't know who he is, but what he does ain't natural.
The thought came to him, unbidden, that maybe the man in black wasn't a man at all.
”You must not tell anyone in town what you have done this night,” the man said. ”Give me your word that you will keep it secret”
Andre looked at the bills, then stuffed them into his pocket. His voice was shaky. ”All right. I ain't saying nothing.”
”Me, neither,” Junior said. He shook his head adamantly. ”Nothing.”
The guy in black nodded. ”You may go” He flowed past them and slipped inside the cave, as swiftly as a shadow. Mamu winked at them, then picked up the lamp that lay on the ground. He switched it on and entered the cavern's dark mouth.
Andre looked at Junior. ”Cuz, what the f.u.c.k is happening?”
”I ... I don't know. I ain't sure I want to know. I want to go home”
Andre's eyes narrowed. ”These cats is up to no good, man. Come on.”
”Where you going?”
”I want to look inside and see what they doing.”
”Andre, get back here!” Junior grabbed his shoulder.
Andre brushed away his hand. ”Only wanna take a quick peek. I done busted my a.s.s helping these cats. I wanna know what they doing.”
Junior groaned. His legs trembled. But he followed Andre. Both of them moved quietly and lowered their heads as they stepped underneath the jagged ridge of the entrance.
It was dark inside, and the awful smell made Junior want to vomit. He covered his mouth with his s.h.i.+rt.
Mamu was ahead of them, out of sight around a corner. The backsplash of his lamp gave them a little light as they picked their way forward. Junior and Andre moved forward, in step with one another.
They reached the corner of the cavern tunnel. Junior heard Mamu and the other guy speaking in hushed tones.
Andre put his finger to his lips. He and Junior leaned forward and peeked around the corner.
What they saw made them drop to the ground in stupefied shock.
Human skeletons. Dozens of them, piled one atop the other across the ground. Many of the corpses were swaddled in old rags.
Junior's stomach flip-flopped. He vomited.
Through his teary eyes, he saw the guy in black and Mamu, standing at the far end of the ma.s.s of skeletons. They saw him.
”Get out of here!” the man in black said, his voice like thunder. He pointed in Junior's direction, and Junior felt himself lifted in the air by an unseen power. He was flung against the wall with tremendous force, the breath whoos.h.i.+ng out of his lungs, pain cracking across his back. He collapsed on a warm cus.h.i.+on underneath him, and realized that his cus.h.i.+on was actually Andre.
Weak and dazed, but filled with a terror that he had never known, Junior grabbed Andre by the scruff of his neck. Andre got his legs under him, and the two of them broke out of there.
They ran all the way to Andre's car.
Kyle was relieved when the two men fled. He regretted that it had been necessary to use force against them. But he was close to achieving his goal and would allow nothing to impede his progress.
Mamu bowed his head. ”I selected our laborers poorly. I apologize, monsieur”
”I accept your apology. Let us hope the men remember their vow to remain silent about what they witnessed. Perhaps their fear will ensure obedience.”
Kyle, too, had been surprised to discover so many fireblackened corpses. From Mother's tale of his father's demise, he had known that his father had recruited a number of vampiric warriors, but he had not expected to find so many. He had counted twenty-one bodies. How powerful his father must have been to command such a horde to follow him on his murderous mission!
The air in the cavern was thick with stale, pent-up air and latent energy. Kyle sensed his father's presence; it was like a coolness in the ether. It raised the hairs at the nape of Kyle's neck. He s.h.i.+vered with a thrill of antic.i.p.ation.
<script>