The Tears of Nero (The Halo Group Book 1) by Jason Brannon

Author:Jason Brannon [Brannon, Jason]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-03-09T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Although none of them wanted to go there again, the cave was their only option at this point. That was where Nero wanted them to go. The only way they could potentially stop the release of the Morningstar virus was to find Nero. The only way to find Nero was to follow the madman‘s instructions and hope he showed his face long enough for a confrontation.

They trudged back to the cave, each of them replaying in their minds how quickly the monkey had died after touching its tiny finger to the Morningstar virus. Whatever that black viscous goo was it was extremely concentrated, extremely lethal. How were any of them supposed to stop Nero? Going to the cave again seemed like an exercise in futility, but it was the only plan any of them had…especially since Seneca hadn’t given them any real help so far.

When they got back to the cave, its black maw waited for them, eager to be fed. Four floodlights that hadn’t been there the first time around sat at the entrance to the cave, illuminating the cavern depths. The group had just taken their first steps into the cavern when they heard a rustling noise behind them. They whirled around to see who was there and gasped at the streak of tigers staring back at them. Like before, the tigers made no attempt to attack. They merely stood there at the mouth of the cave, blocking all possible modes of exit.

“Well, I guess there’s no turning back now,” Henry said. “Like it or not, we have to go through with this.”

The cave was as they had left it, full of ominous shadows and an empty cross that once held a crucified man…or a made-up version of one. They moved past the cross quickly, repulsed by the memories it generated.

Deep in the bowels of the rock, moisture dripped from the strange stone formations clinging to the ceiling of the cave. In all His wisdom, God had carved a natural pathway out of the limestone and hollowed out the earth on either side, creating a bridge that stretched across a pool of blackness. Edward pointed his light at the darkness, wanting to see what was below them in case someone should fall. His light found only more darkness.

“Everybody watch your step,” he said. “If you fall, you might not hit bottom for a while.”

The natural bridge was longer than what they first anticipated. The more they walked the more distance it seemed necessary to cover.

“This thing goes on for miles,” Franklin said.

“It feels that way because we’re so tense and having to walk so slowly,” Edward said. “It’s probably only a couple hundred yards at the most.”

“The prospect of falling isn’t what bothers me,” Henry said. “It’s the fact that we’re sitting ducks out here. If Nero has something nasty planned for us, there’s really nothing we can do. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.”

“OK, Edward, you’re demoted as the President of the Optimism Club,” Sadie said. “That position now goes to Henry.

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