Deathtrap (Crossbreed #3)(74)

“Do people have jobs down here?” I asked.

Christian tucked his shirt in where it had come out in the front. “Some. The bridge watchers know almost everyone, and they’re not too keen on letting strangers pass.”

“Well, it looks like all men can be bribed.”

“Just be lucky he didn’t take a fancy to one of you girls.”

I nudged him in the ribs. “Or one of you boys.”

“Over my rotting corpse.”

After ten minutes, we climbed a short ladder to an upper level. There weren’t as many people passing by, and it was eerily dark. This one looked more man-made, judging from the large slabs of stone and rock. When we reached a fork, Viktor gathered us in a tight huddle.

“We separate from here. We must approach him from all sides.”

“What’s his address?” Christian asked.

Viktor locked eyes with him. “12 U-B.”

Christian grimaced and pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s an abandoned section. It’s a large amount of space, Viktor. He’ll have the advantage if he’s set traps. Time to escape. I don’t know all the connecting tunnels; hardly anyone goes in there except for the crazies.”

I swung my eyes up. “Crazies?”

His black eyes met mine. “Just an affectionate term for Vampires who gave in to their bloodlust. Juicers also like to hide in those spaces, and I don’t mean your casual energy sippers, but the ones who’ll drain you until your heart stops. It’s where the savages go. They hide in the shadows, and no one can catch them.”

Niko reached over his shoulders and touched the handles of his katanas. “Then we should divide ourselves by who can see in the dark. Christian, you go with Blue. I’ll stay with Viktor, and Raven go with Shepherd.”

I wondered at first why Blue and Niko didn’t stay paired since they were partners, but Niko could see energy in a way that none of us could, and we needed him to protect our leader.

A candle flickered in the distance.

Viktor lowered his voice. “Does everyone know the way?”

Christian and Shepherd nodded.

“Be careful. Eyes and ears.” Viktor and Niko disappeared into the inky shadows of one tunnel.

Christian took Blue’s arm and led her to a metal ladder. “This way, lass.”

She glared up at the opening. “Are you sure?”

“Have I ever lied to you before?”

She narrowed her eyes. “When you said you didn’t wash my red dress with all my whites.”

“Okay, that wasn’t my fault.”

After they climbed the ladder and were out of sight, I followed Shepherd down an adjacent tunnel, staying a pace behind and focusing my Vampire eyes on shadowy corners. The smell changed from an earthy scent to stale air and mold. The walls glistened with a clear residue that looked like the slime trails that slugs leave behind. Shepherd stopped at a metal door marked 12. He placed his fingers on the door, tracing them down to the knob.

“Nothing,” he said. “You sense anything?”

I shook my head.

“Why does that make me nervous?” He took a deep breath and gripped the handle. “Do me a favor and stand back for a minute.”

I stepped aside. To have quick access to my weapons, I removed the button-up shirt I wore over my tank top.

The hinges made a terrible screech as Shepherd pushed open the door. With heart-stopping speed, he suddenly dropped to the ground. I jumped back a step when something whistled by me. A crack sounded, and on the wall opposite the door, a steel arrow had split the stone in two.

Shepherd, still on his back, locked eyes with me. “Booby trap.”

I held out my hand and pulled him up. “Maybe you should let me go first since I’m the immortal.”

He wiped the sweat off his brow. “This place is a deathtrap. Watch out for floor levers. The firing mechanisms might release anything from a landmine to an arrow.”

I peered inside to see what he’d stepped on, and all it looked like was a broken section in the cement floor. The expansive room had pillars, and pieces of rubble were piled in places where the ceiling or walls had partially collapsed.

Shepherd moved stealthily, a serrated knife in his hand. His leather jacket not only held weapons but offered some measure of protection against knife attacks. We veered farther right before he began walking a straight line. A broken wall beside us revealed another room, but it was small, and after poking our heads in, we continued toward the back where the tunnel light couldn’t reach.

My Vampire eyes didn’t work as well as a pureblood’s, but I could see just enough to keep from falling. I noticed Shepherd struggling in the dark, his hand extended, so I stepped in front of him as a guide. He pinched a loop on the back of my jeans and followed my lead.

I came to a stop.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I said, staring at the floor ahead of me. “I thought I saw something.”

“What did it look like?”

I backed up a step and crouched before standing up again. “Like a straight line that goes across the room.”

“This is a clusterfuck,” he muttered. “Does it look like a trip wire?”

“I don’t know, Shepherd. I’ve never seen a trip wire before.”