The Paladin Prophecy

#15: BE QUICK, BUT DON’T HURRY.

“Anything in the bathroom?” shouted Will.

“Not unless we flush ourselves,” said Ajay.

“You might fit,” said Nick. “Then you could go for help.”

Will studied the lockers. They were welded in groups of three, stacked against the wall. He dropped to his knees and saw that the section in the middle was missing the small strip of wood that attached to the floor.

“Give me a hand here,” said Will. “Now!”

The others ran to him as a teeth-gnashing howl sounded outside. Will threw open the lockers in the middle group—all empty—then grabbed the shelves and pulled. The lockers shifted toward him slightly.

“This section isn’t fixed to the wall,” he said. “Something’s back here.”

“See if you can find a button or a switch of some kind,” said Ajay.

They each searched a locker. Nick found ventilation holes punched in the back of the middle one and put his eye to it. “I don’t see a wall,” he said. “It’s open back there.”

The doorknob rattled, then fierce pounding on the door began.

“There must be another concealed button. Look for unusual shapes or indentations,” said Ajay, pressing every inch of metal. “Could be anything, a pressure or kick plate of some kind … oh God, oh God …”

“Stay calm, Ajay,” said Will. “He may just be trying to scare us.”

There was a loud crash, metal on metal, as the figure assaulted the door.

“It’s working!” shouted Ajay.

“Pull the whole freakin’ thing off the wall,” said Nick.

“Count of three,” said Will. “One, two, three!”

They each grabbed hold of a locker and pulled as hard as they could. The lockers moved an inch and seemed ready to yield more but hung up on something.

“There’s a bolt and spring latch here at the top,” said Ajay, feeling around the inside of the middle locker. “Definitely a locking device. There’s got to be a hidden mechanism that’ll release it.”

Another smashing blow to the door, then three in succession with increasing speed and power. The inside of the plate around the knob started to warp.

“He’s chopping down the freaking door,” said Nick.

Ajay climbed completely into the locker, grabbed hold of the metal hooks in its ceiling, and twisted them. “Okay, I think I’ve got it,” said Ajay.

“Any time,” said Will as another blow landed, pushing the knob inward.

Ajay jammed one foot against a bulge in the metal on the left side, lifted his right foot, and pressed it against a similar bulge on the right. Then he grabbed and turned the hooks as hard as he could. They heard a snick as a catch gave way.

“Now pull!” shouted Ajay.

Will and Nick grabbed the lockers and yanked. This time they gave and the section fell toward them, with Ajay still inside. Will and Nick jumped out of the way as it crashed to the floor. Directly behind where the lockers had stood, a rough hole in the cinder-block wall led to a dark narrow passage.

“Little help here,” said Ajay, muffled, from inside the locker.

Another furious blow landed on the door; Will glanced back and saw the hatchet punch through next to the knob. A second blow doubled the size of the gash.

“This dude’s serious,” said Nick.

“Nick!” said Will. He grabbed the bottom of the lockers, and Nick took the other side. Lifting with all their strength, they leveraged the lockers to a standing position. Ajay came into view, upside down in the middle one, squashed in a pile.

“That was most unpleasant,” Ajay croaked.

As Ajay tumbled out, Will and Nick shoved the section of lockers toward the door. A hand in a black metallic glove ripped through the hole by the lock plate and felt around for the lock. Ajay jumped in to add his weight as they slammed the lockers against the door. They heard a snarl of pain from outside.

“You like that?” shouted Nick, eyes lit up, hopping back and forth. “Come get some, fool, bring it!”

“Nick, are you insane?” asked Will. “Don’t yell at the guy with the hatchet.”

“Look on the bright side,” said Nick. “At least it’s not a lamia.”

Will wedged a bench between the barricading lockers and the nearest wall, anchoring it in place. The roommates glanced at each other, breathless, then turned to the narrow opening in the wall.

“Who wants to go first?” asked Will, and switched on his flashlight.

OceanofPDF.com