Devil's Eye Read Online Free PDF Page A

the pace to catch up to Sophie and the light, his foot kicked something that made an odd muffled noise. Definitely not the hollow click of bone. He called Sophie over with the torch.
    “ Flippers,” he said. “And a dive mask. We weren’t the first ones to come down here.” He stood and started walking again. “Could be that kidnapping Liza was a Plan B. You think he targeted you because Liza was easy leverage or because you were the only one who could access it? Obviously somebody didn’t have any luck this way.”
    She shot him a glance. “You’re quick, Guidry. Yeah I’m one of the few people who could do this part. I don’t know how he found out about Liza, though. I’m very close-lipped about my family. I’m careful.”
    He heard what she didn’t say. That Liza wasn’t. “I never heard her say or do anything to compromise you. I’m not even sure anybody knew she had a sister.”
    “ Clearly somebody did. If anything happens to her I’ll never forgive myself.”
    “ We’re gonna get her back, Sophie. How much—” He stopped, cocking his head.
    “ What is it?”
    “ I thought I heard something.”
    Stretching his senses beyond his own shallow breathing, he listened, hard. There was a strange creak and rattle, then a scuttling noise, like beetles or rats. Lifting his nose, he sniffed, but there was nothing beyond the stench of mud and stale air. Frowning he moved several paces back the way they’d come, out of the circle of torchlight. He heard the scuttling noise again, closer.
    “ There’s somethin’ down here.”
    “ Do you think we were follow—” Sophie’s question ended with a scream.
    Mick whirled in time to see hands dragging her into the depths of the tunnel before the torch hit the ground and went out.

    ~*~

    Sophie screamed again in the sudden darkness. She bucked and twisted, straining to break free of the hands that dug into her shoulders and waist even as she fought the panic flooding through her. If she lost control, the water would come crashing back and drown them both. Her feet were already getting soaked as the things dragged her deeper into the tunnel. Pulling on years of training, Sophie shoved the fear aside and jammed her elbow back hard.
    It should have hit tissue hard enough to drive the air from her assailant’s lungs. Instead pain shot down her arm as it caught a glancing blow off of something smooth and hard. She tried to pivot, but another one grabbed her free arm, wrenching it back. Pain bloomed in her shoulder and the earth trembled as water began to rain from the ceiling.
    “ No!” she shouted.
    A roar echoed in the tunnel. The creatures shrieked and chittered. Then suddenly she was free, the bony hands knocked away as something rocketed into them.
    No, not something. Mick.
    Sophie stumbled away from the snarling, splashing mass and blocked them out, stretching out her mind and shoving at the weight of the water. It was so heavy in her mind, pressing in on all sides. Her body shook with the effort of forcing it away again.
    Something nudged her hip, and she shrieked, raising her hands, lightning balling in her palm. She managed to stop herself from striking out as the flickering light revealed a huge black wolf. He nudged her hip again, pushing her back toward the entrance. Sophie lifted her hand high, looking down the tunnel.
    Bits of skeletons were scattered across the floor. Skeletons. No wonder she hadn’t hit flesh. As she looked, the torso of one rolled over and began groping its way toward them. More skeletal figures emerged, their bony fingers outstretched, their mouths gaping and closing with a clack! as they ran with their stumbling, shuffling gait.
    “ Run!” she shouted, sprinting away from the entrance.
    Beside her, Mick snarled and nipped at her heels, trying to herd her back toward the stairs.
    “ I know where I’m going. Come on!”
    Hands reached out from the walls, grasping at her hair, tugging her clothes, making her stumble. She