Jennifer’s voice was tight and raw when she spoke. “You’re certain?”
Sethi nodded, his full lips firm. “I have never been so much certain. This rocky mountain peak that is shaped like a fist? Look, it has an old chapel on top. The chapel was crumbling when I saw it, and it doesn’t look any different here. I’m sure I could find it again.”
“And look at the date of the meeting,” said Jennifer in a hushed tone. “It’s this week—the week the Saviours always seem to gather. This has to be the place where they take their victims to.”
“But there’s a monastery there, monks . . .” Sethi’s tone was doubtful.
“It’s no monastery,” said Jennifer. “And these are not monks.”
Sethi and Jennifer stared at each other for a moment.
“This is it, then.” Her tone was quiet and understated. So . . . English. But the weight of what she’d meant was evident in her eyes.
A silent message passed between Gray and me. Whatever happened next, we were going to see this to the end.
59. Evie
I HADN’T GIVEN THE CELLAR ANY consideration before nor had I ventured down this way. But then, I wasn’t an alcoholic. That wasn’t the cross I bore. I wondered how many of the alcoholics had noted the location of the wine cellar on the map and had wandered down here, hopeful they could grab a bottle without anyone noticing. No wonder the monks kept it securely locked.
I stood at the chained gate with Richard, Cormack, Louelle, Hop and Yolanda.
Cormack winked at us and then turned to apply the bolt cutters to the chain. He grunted with the effort.
The chain fell away.
The cutters in hand, he pushed the gate open. “Time to party.”
“Better have some quality wine down there.” Richard pinched Cormack’s cheek and stepped past him. “Age before beauty.”
Cormack snorted in reply.
We filed down the winding stairway after Richard.
The smell hit us about halfway.
I couldn’t guess what it was, but if this was the smell of fermenting alcohol, I wouldn’t touch a drop of it.
Richard stopped short, craning his head back at us and covering his lower face with his sleeve. “Jeez, what the hell? Smells rank.”
“Oh man.” Cormack spat on the stair. “You’re not wrong. This can’t be the damned wine cellar. Maybe it was once, but not anymore.”
Odours of rot and sickly things reached me, and I had to stop myself from vomiting on Yolanda’s back. “Let’s get out of here.”
Yolanda nodded. “This is foul.”
“Just wait,” said Richard. “I want to see what the good monks are keeping down here. Dead animals? Nothing shocks me. You don’t live in a drain for two years without seeing it all. I’ll go down there and take one for the team.”
“Dammit,” said Cormack. “I’m coming, too. If there’s one decent bottle of red down there, you’ll grab it and go drink it by yourself. After you, m’lady.”
Keeping his arm across his face, Richard continued on, going faster now, as if he just wanted to get it over with, until he disappeared from view.
A sudden choking sound punctuated the air—Richard’s voice.
“That bad, huh?” joked Cormack, running around the spiral staircase.
I looked back at Louelle and Hop as we followed behind the others.
The wide floor of the cellar came into view.
A scream rose inside my chest, but no sound came.
A scene that shocked every one of my senses.
A long, medieval-looking half wall spanned across the cavern directly ahead. People were slumped against the walls, chained. Dead or unconscious, I couldn’t tell.
Blood in their hair. On their faces. On their clothing.
Blood on the walls.
The people—they were us.
Us.
The challengers.
Kara, Mei, Thomas. Even Ruth . . .
The stench of blood and decay so thick it was suffocating.
A table held an array of knives, swords and other implements I couldn’t name.
Beyond the wall, an enormous door was open a sliver. I glimpsed people—bodies—hanging up high against a stone wall.
My chest wall stiffened against my gasping breaths.
With a roar, Cormack burst past Richard. “Kara! Kara!”
She was curled up in a corner of a cell, her face against the stonework, blood spattered on one side of her clothing.
“Fuck this.” Richard knocked hard into Yolanda and me as he rushed back up the stairs and away.
I twisted my head around. Richard was gone. Louelle and Hop remained behind me, their eyes huge and unblinking.