Creepers by David Morrell

Author:David Morrell
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Published: 2014-06-23T16:00:00+00:00

The bullet snapped past Balenger’s head. He felt the shock of air it displaced, heard it slam into the wall behind him.

“Jesus!” Vinnie said.

“It didn’t come anywhere close,” Tod said.

“My ears!” Mack put his hands over them. “For God’s sake, why didn’t you warn me? They’re ringing like crazy!”

So were Balenger’s, but not so much that he didn’t hear another rumble.

“Don’t try to be a hero,” Tod said. “Otherwise, that ‘now’ thing you talked about won’t last much longer.”

“All I want is to walk out of here.”

“We’ll see how this goes. So far you’ve been useless. Where’s the vault?”

“What’s that noise?” Mack asked.

“The ringing in your ears.”

“No,” JD said. “I heard it, too. A rumble.”

“Thunder,” Balenger said.

They stared toward the ceiling.

“Thunder?” Vinnie shook his head. “There aren’t any thunderstorms predicted. Only showers around dawn. The professor said…” Vinnie’s voice dropped. “Professor?”

No answer.

“Professor?” Vinnie started toward the sofa.

“The crowbar!” Tod warned, aiming. “Put it down before you come near us!”

Vinnie dropped it and crossed the room. He passed Cora, who continued to hum in shock, and reached the professor, whose head was back, his eyes closed.

Vinnie nudged him. “You told us the weather report was for showers around dawn.”

Conklin’s eyes remained closed.

“You told us—”

“I lied,” Conklin said wearily.

“What?”

“Next week, the salvagers are coming. I needed all of you to help me scout the building tonight.” Conklin breathed. “Tomorrow night, after we showed Frank how to get into the building and into the vault…” Conklin took another breath. “He was supposed to return and take as many coins as he could carry. Tonight and tomorrow night. That’s when it needed to happen.”

“You prick.”

“I estimated that we’d be out of here before the storm arrived.” The professor’s bearded face was ravaged with regret. “Apparently I was wrong.”

“What’s the big deal about a storm?” JD wanted to know.

“Getting out of here,” Vinnie said in despair. “Depending on how hard it rains, the tunnels might be flooded.”

“Right now, you’ve got bigger problems than worrying about a flooded tunnel,” Tod said. “We’ll just have to wait and get more acquainted.”

“Yeah,” Mack said, putting a hand on Cora’s shoulder. “We’ll just have to find ways to pass the time.”

She was on the floor now, sitting bent forward with her arms around her raised knees and her head braced on them. She didn’t seem aware of Mack’s touch.

“Leave her alone,” Vinnie said.

“Make me.”

Balenger tried to distract them. “The vault.”

“Your great idea didn’t work out, smart guy,” Tod said. “The wall on that side sounds hollow, too. If this stuff about the vault and the gold coins turns out to be bullshit…”

Balenger examined the holes in the wall. He went over and peered into the dark bedroom, then studied the doorjamb and the space between the rooms. “Looks like five inches wide. Bob, are you sure the diary didn’t say it was a wall safe?”

“A vault,” the professor murmured through his pain. “That was what Carlisle always called it.”

“Then we’re wasting our time on this wall. It’s too narrow.” Balenger stared at the long living room wall, at the metal shutters and the metal door between them.

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