WHISPERS IN THE DARK

CHAPTER 2

"This is exactly why we should've stayed together!" Jones hissed, his voice shaking with anger and fear, as his gun trembled toward the shadows.

Before Jace could reply, gunshots rang in the distance.

Jones' eyes widened. "Did you hear that? That's them, they're in trouble!"

Jace stayed still, scanning the ruined the ruined street with his finger tight on the trigger. "No Jones, we're in trouble. Something's out here... watching us."

Jones' breathing quickened. "Oh my God... we're finished."

"Stay close," Jace muttered, scanning every corner, every flicker of movement.

Jones tapped his earpiece in panic. "Is this thing even working? Anybody, respond!" But only static came back.

Then, Jace sighted it. Something blur, flashing through the dark. It moved too fast.

"Captain? Mike? Do you copy?" Jones' voice rose in desperation. But there were no replies, nothing.

"Quiet," Jace's voice dropped to a cold edge. "We're surrounded."

"Then let's get the hell out of here!" Jones said, walking away without Jace's permission.

"Jones, wait! You're heading the wrong..."

The warning came too late, when something massive lunged from the shadows and slammed into Jones. Tearing into his neck with inhuman hunger as Jones' scream tore through the night.

"Jones!" Jace fired without hesitation, and with one clean shot the creature dropped.

"Jones!" Jace called, as he rushes quickly toward him, but blood poured down his friend's chest.

"Jace..." Jones gasped, choking, reaching out.

"Stay with me." Jace said, trying to help. But there was another monster coming right behind them.

The sound behind them, put Jace on alert.

Immediately he turned back, the monster leapt at Jace and Jones. But Jace pulled Jones down with him, rolling hard as it's claws slashed through the air above. And with one quick headshot from Jace, the beast dropped immediately.

Jones groaned, helpless.

"Hang on, Jones," Jace muttered, kicking open a rotting door and rushing them both inside.

Inside the building, he quickly set Jones on the floor and used a piece of wood he grabbed from the ground to shut the rotten door.

He then flashes his torchlight through the dark. But inside the building was empty and filled with dust. Meaning they were safe, for now.

"I think we'll be safe here for now." Jace said to Jones.

"I'm... not gonna make it," Jones said, as he breathed hard. His skin became pale as blood soaked his gear.

"Jones!" Jace called, snapping his fingers. "Everything is gonna be fine, we just need to head back to the bridge and make it across."

"No." Jones' hand clutched Jace's arm, eyes filled with tears and fury. "There are no we on this Jace. The others... are gone. You need to get the hell out of here."

"Jones! I can't leave you here."

"Yes you will," Jones said with a crackling voice. "You have to!"

"I can't." Jace said.

"I had a feeling that this was gonna be my last mission, Jace," Jones breathed. "Don't make it your last all because of me. You need to leave... while you still can."

"Jones, we promised to stick together, remember? Always..." But Jones was gone before he could finish.

"Jones? Jones, can you hear me?" He asked, as grief crashes in immediately. But then...

BANG!

Something slammed the door from outside, and it became louder and louder with every second. Jace headed toward the window, to look outside. But all he saw, were shadows shifting everywhere.

But behind him, a snarl ripped through the air that caught his attention.

He turned slowly only to see that Jones was standing. His eyes were lifeless, and his jaw was dripping with blood.

"Jones..." Jace whispered, fear gripping him.

The creature that was once his friend lunged at him, faster than before. Jace reached for his gun, but it was too late. It slid across the floor as Jones' teeth snapped just inches from his throat. Jace pushed back with all his strength, every muscle burning.

Behind them, the door began to crack. The monsters were almost inside.

Jace was helpless and couldn't reach his gun, he kept struggling with Jones, until his hand felt a steel. It was a knife, strapped to Jones' vest.

Jace was helpless and couldn't reach his gun, he kept struggling with Jones, until his hand scrambled, and felt a steel. It was a knife, strapped to Jones' vest. And with one desperate move, he pulled it free and stabbed it into Jace's throat.

He crumpled to the floor, twitching once, before going lifeless again.

Panting and shaking at the same time, Jace picked up his gun, grabbed some of Jones' gear and ran toward the staircase, leading to the top of the building.

Suddenly, the rusted door exploded inward as these monsters rushed into the building and headed towards the staircase. Jace's boots were pounding, every step he took echoed with death behind him.

Getting to the rooftop, it was a dead end. And Jace could feel the vibration of these monsters coming right behind him.

'Damn it, Jace, what were you thinking?' he thought running to the edge of the roof.

His looked over, only to see another building right before him. That was when it occurred to him, the magnetic rope on his vest.

He fired it to the next building just as the monsters swarmed onto the roof.

Without thinking twice, he held the rope tightly and jumped.

Swinging across the air, the monsters leapt after him. And while swinging, he fired wildly, dropping the two monsters that were too close and landed hard on the next rooftop, rolling to his knees.

Breathing heavily, Jace let out a shaky laugh. "Never thought this piece of junk would save my life."

Immediately, the magnetic rope came to use as Jace moved across the rooftops, jumping from one broken ledge to another. But Jace's mind was never at rest as he thought of Ana. Was she alive? Was Ana still out there, waiting to be found... or is she already taken by the monsters in this cursed city?

The answer to those questions came, when his boots landed on a rooftop littered with papers. The wind blew the papers across the roof, scattering them everywhere. But something about this littered papers caught Jace's attention.

There was a picture of someone on each paper that bore the same face, Ana's face.

He picked one of the papers and saw the president's daughter staring back at him in a black and white ink. Her eyes was full of fear as if she was begging Jace for help.

At first, it looked like a wanted poster. But as he looked below the picture of Ana, the words followed, crawled through his head and wouldn't let go.

"Brothers of Bloodveil, the girl runs. She hides and clings to false hope. But there is no escape, not from the veins of this city that belong to me.

Bring her to the alter. Bring her screaming. Her blood is the key, her heart the candle, her soul the offering. Only through her will the veil open and the Ancient hunger rise once more.

Failure will not be forgiven. Betrayal will be punished. But to the hand who delivers her to me will be granted eternal favor, eternal power, eternal life.

Find her at Creek Falls and drag her to me.

Lord Malvoryn"

The words echoed in Jace's head, as if the paper spoke with Malvoryn's voice. His breath caught. This wasn't just a hunt, it was a ritual, a sacrifice.

"Ana!" Jace whispered.