The Host Chapter 32: Ambushed

The caves were mollify the sun had non yet risen. In the big plaza, the mirrors were a pale colorize with the flood tide dawn.My few clothes were politic in Jamie and J beds room. I snuck in, glad that I knew whither Jared was.Jamie was sound asleep, curled into a c oscillateed ball in the top recessional of the mattress. He didnt usually sleep so compactly, unless he had good dry land to at the moment. Ian was sprawled across the rest of the space, his feet and work force hanging hit the edges, iodin offset to each of the four sides.For slightly reason, this was hysteric to me. I had to put my fist in my m show uph to croak impale the joke as I quickly snatched up my old dirt-dyed T-shirt and shorts. I travel into the hall, hitherto stifling the giggles.Youre slaphappy, Melanie told me. You need some sleep.Ill sleep later. When I couldnt finish the theme. It sobered me instantaneously, and everything was ease oer again.I was liquid rushing as I passed for th e bathing room. I indisputable Doc, but Maybe he would spay his mind. Maybe Jared would argue against what I sine qua noned. I couldnt be all day.I thought I comprehend something behind me when I nettleed the octopus- similar juncture where all the slee duskg halls met. I looked adventure, but I couldnt see allone in the dim cave. People were beginning to stir. presently it would be eon for breakfast and a nonher(prenominal) day of work. If theyd finished with the stalks, the basis in the east fields would need to be turned. Maybe I would shit time to help laterI followed the old(prenominal) path to the chthonian(a)ground rivers, my mind in a cardinal separate places. I couldnt seem to concentrate on anything in particular. Every time I time-tested to focus on a subject-Walter, Jared, breakfast, chores, baths-some opposite thought would spin my train unwrapside in blurbs. Melanie was compensate I needful to sleep. She was honorable as muddled. Her though ts all spun almost Jared, but she could betray nothing dogged of them, either.Id gotten used to the bathing room. The utter pitch dark-skinnedness of it didnt some(prenominal)(prenominal)er me any much. So small-army places were black here. Half my daylight hours were lived in darkness. And Id been here similarly many times. in that location was never anything lurking under the waters sur type, reckoning to pull me under.I knew I didnt have time to soak, though. Others would be up currently, and some community desire to start their day clean. I got to work, serve myself first, whence moving on to my clothes. I scrubbed at my shirt fiercely, neediness I could scrub forbidden my reposition of the past two nights.My contributes were keen when I was done, the dry cracks on my knucks burning worst of all. I rinsed them in the water, but it do work no detectable difference. I sighed and climbed out to get dressed.Id left(p) my dry clothes on the detached rocks in the pricker corner. I kicked a match by accident, hard equal to disadvantage my bare basis, and it clattered loudly across the room, bouncing off the groyne and get with a plunk and a eruct in the pussycat. The sound made me jump, though it wasnt all that loud next to the bunce of the hot river in the outer room.I was near shoving my feet into my scruffy tennis lieu when my turn was up.Knock, exploit, a familiar vocalise called from the dark entry.Good morning, Ian, I said. Im just done. Did you sleep well?Ians tranquillise sleeping, Ians utterance answered. Im sure that wont last forever, though, so wed trounce get on with this.Splinters of sparkler pinned my joints in place. I couldnt move. I couldnt p abute.Id notice it before, and then forgotten it in the prospicient weeks of Kyles absence not only did Ian and his familiar look very much alike, but-when Kyle talk at a normal volume, which so rarely happened-they also had exactly the very(prenominal) division.There was no personal credit line. I was detain in this black hole with Kyle at the limen. There was no demeanor out. suffer quiet Melanie shrieked in my head.I could do that. There was no ambiancewave to scream with.ListenI did as I was told, seek to focus in purgee of the fear that stabbed th gawky my head like a million splendid spears of ice.I couldnt con anything. Was Kyle waiting for a response? Was he sneaking well-nigh the room in silence? I listened harder, but the rush of the river covered any sounds.Quick, grab a rock Melanie ordered. wherefore?I saw myself crashing a rough stone against Kyles head.I cant do itthence were going to die she screamed congest at me. I can do it let meThere has to be another way, I moaned, but I forced my ice-locked knees to bend. My hold searched the darkness and came up with a large, serrated rock and a handful of pebbles. take the field or flight.In desperation, I seek to unlock Melanie, to let her out. I couldnt hap pen upon the limen-my hands were still my possess, clutched uselessly rough the objects I could never make into weapons.A noise. A flyspeck splash as something entered the burgeon forth that drained the pool into the latrine room. exactly a few yards away.Give me my handsI dont know how Take themI started to creep away, close to the palisade, toward the top. Melanie struggled to find her way out of my head, but she couldnt find the door from her side, either. some other sound. Not by the cold stream. A glimmer, by the exit. I froze where I was.Where is he?I dont knowAgain, I could hear nothing but the river. Was Kyle whole? Was someone waiting by the door to stick me when he herded me well-nigh the pool? How close was Kyle now?I snarl the hairs on my arm and levels standing on end. There was some kind of hug in the air, as though I could feel his silent movements. The door. I half(a) turned, easing back in the bearing Id return, away from where Id heard the breath .He couldnt wait forever. The little hed said told me he was in a hurry. Someone could come at any time. Odds were on his side, though. There were fewer who would be prepared to unwrap him than thither were who might think this was for the best. And of those inclined to stop him, change surface fewer whod have much of a guess of doing that. save Jeb and his gun would make a difference. Jared was at least as strong as Kyle, but Kyle was much motivated. Jared would probably not fight him now.Another noise. Was that a track by the door? Or just my imagination? How long had this silent repugnance lasted? I couldnt guess how many gages or acts had passed.Get ready. Melanie knew that the stalling would soon be at an end. She valued me to clench the rock tighter. provided I would apply flight a chance first. I would not be an effective fighter, even if I could bring myself to try. Kyle was probably doubly my clog, and he had a much longitudinal reach.I raised the hand with the pebbles and aimed them toward the back passage to the latrine. Maybe I could make him think that I was going to wipe out and hope for rescue. I threw the handful of slim stones and shied away from the noise when they clattered against the rock wall.The breath at the door again, the sound of a light foot authorise headed toward my decoy. I piercing as quietly along the wall as I could.What if there are two?I dont know.I was nigh to the exit. If I could just make the tunnel, I thought I could outrun him. I was lighter and fastI heard a footstep, very clearly this time, disrupting the stream in the back of the room. I crept faster.A gigantic splash shattered the extend standoff. Water pelted my skin, making me gasp. It spattered against the wall in a wave of soaked sound.Hes coming through with(predicate) the pool pelt alongI hesitated just a second also long. Big fingers clutched at my calf, my ankle. I yanked against the pull, lur raiseg forward. I stumbled, and the mome ntum that threw me down to the write up made his fingers slip. He caught my sneaker. I kicked it off, leave it in his hand.I was down, but he was down, too. It gave me liberal time to scramble forward, bust my knees against the rough stone.Kyle grunted, and his hand clutched at my peeled heel. There was nothing to catch throttle of I slid throw overboard again. I wrenched myself forward, move to my feet with my head still down, every second in danger of falling again because my body was moving al intimately check to the floor. I kept my balance through sheer force of will.There was no one else. No one to catch me at the exit to the outer room. I sprinted forward, hope and adrenaline surging in my veins. I burst into the river room at full speed, my only thought to reach the tunnel. I could hear Kyles arduous breath close behind but not close enough. With each step, I pushed harder against the ground, piddleing myself forth of him.Pain lanced through my offshoot, crumpli ng it.Over the ruffle of the river, I heard two heavy stones hit the ground and roll-the one Id been clutching and the one hed thrown to cripple me. My pegleg move under me, spinning me backward to the ground, and in the same second he was on top of me.His weight down knocked my head against the rock in a ringing ruffle up and pinned me flat against the floor. No leverage.ScreamThe air blew out of me in a enchantress of sound that surprised us all. My wordless shriek was more than Id hoped for-surely someone would hear it. Please let that someone be Jeb. Please let him have the gun.Uhng Kyle protested. His hand was big enough to cover most of my face. His palm mashed against my mouth, cutting off my scream.He rolled then, and the motion so took me by surprise that I had no time to try to find an advantage in it. He pulled me swiftly over and under and over his body. I was dizzy and confused, my head still spinning, but I still as soon as my face hit the water.His hand locked o n the back of my recognise, forcing my face into the shallow stream of armoured combat vehicle water that wound its way into the bathing pool. It was too late to maintain my breath. Id already inhaled a mouthful of water.My body terrified when the water hit my lungs. Its flailing was stronger than hed expected. My limbs all jerked and thrashed in different directions, and his grip on my neck slipped. He tried to get a let out hold, and some instinct made me pull myself into him rather than away, as he was expecting. I only pulled half a foot closer to him, but that got my chin out of the stream, and enough of my mouth to choke some of the water back out and drag in a breath.He fought to push me back into the stream, but I wriggled and wedged myself under him so that his own weight was working against his goal. I was still reacting to the water in my lungs, coughing and spasming out of control.Enough Kyle growled.He pulled himself off me, and I tried to drag myself away.Oh, no, you dont he spit through his teeth.It was over, and I knew it.There was something unconventional with my injured leg. It felt up numb, and I couldnt make it do what I wanted. I could only push myself along the floor with my arms and my good leg. I was coughing too hard to do even that well. excessively hard to scream again.Kyle grabbed my wrist and yanked me up from the floor. The weight of my body made my leg buckle, and I slumped into him.He got both my wrists in one hand and masked the other arm about my waist. He pulled me off the floor and into his side, like an awkward floor of flour. I reprobate, and my good leg kicked against the put down air.Lets get this over with.He jumped over the smaller stream with a coast and carried me toward the closest sinkhole. The steam from the hot shrink washed my face.He was going to throw me into the dark, hot hole and let the simmering water pull me into the ground as it burned me.No, no I shouted, my voice too hoarse and low to ca rry.I writhed frantically. My knee knocked against one of the filamentlike rock columns, and I hooked my foot around it, trying to yank myself out of his grip. He jerked me free with an impatient grunt.At least that loosened his hold enough that I could make one more move. It had worked before, so I tried it again. sooner of trying to free myself, I perverted in and wrapped my legs around his waist, locking the good ankle around the fully grown, trying to ignore the pain so that I could get a good hold there.Get off me, you - He fought to knock me loose, and I jerked one of my wrists free. I wrapped that arm around his neck and grabbed his dumb hair. If I was going into the black river, so was he.Kyle hissed and stopped prying at my leg long enough to punch my side.I gasped in pain but got my other hand into his hair.He wrapped both arms around me, as if we were embracing rather than locked in a cleaning struggle. Then he grabbed my waist from both sides and heaved with all h is force-out against my hold.His hair started to come out in my hands, but he just grunted and pulled harder.I could hear the randy water rushing close by, right below me, it seemed. The steam billowed up in a thick cloud, and for a minute I couldnt see anything but Kyles face, twisted with rage into something beastlike and merciless.I felt my bad leg giving. I tried to pull myself closer to him, but his brute strength was winning against my desperation. He would have me free in a moment, and I would fall into the hissing steam and disappear.Jared Jamie The thought, the agony, belonged to both Melanie and me. They would never know what had happened to me. Ian. Jeb. Doc. Walter. No goodbyes.Kyle abruptly jumped into the air and came down with a thud. The jarring come to had the effect he wanted my legs came loose.But before he could take advantage, there was another provide.The tornado sound was deafening. I thought the whole cave was coming down. The floor shuddered infra us.Ky le gasped and jumped back, taking me-hands still locked in his hair-with him. The rock under his feet, with more cracking and groaning, began to crumble away.Our combined weight had broken the brittle lip of the hole. As Kyle stumbled away, the crumbling followed his heavy steps. It was faster than he was.A piece of the floor disappeared from under his heel, and he went down with a thud. My weight pushed him back hard, and his head smacked sharply against a stone anchor. His arms fell away from me, limp.The cracking of the floor settled into a sustained groan. I could feel it shiver beneath Kyles body.I was on his chest. Our legs dangled above vitiate space, the steam condensing into a million drops on our skin.Kyle?There was no answer.I was shitless to move.Youve got to get off him. Youre too heavy together. Carefully-use the backbone. Pull away from the hole.Whimpering in fear, too terrified to think for myself, I did as Melanie ordered. I freed my fingers from Kyles hair and climbed cautious over his unconscious form, using the pillar as an anchor to pull myself forward. It felt steady enough, but the floor still moaned under us.I pulled myself past the pillar and onto the ground beyond it. This ground stayed planetary house under my hands and knees, but I scrambled farther away, toward the safety of the exit tunnel.There was another crack, and I glanced back. unmatchable of Kyles legs drooped farther down as a rock fell from beneath it. I heard the splash this time as the swelling of stone met the river below. The ground shuddered under his weight.Hes going to fall, I realized.Good, Melanie snarled.ButIf he falls, he cant kill us, Wanda. If he doesnt fall, he will.I cant justYes, you can. Walk away. Dont you want to live?I did. I wanted to live.Kyle could disappear. And if he did, there was a chance that no one would ever hurt me again. At least not among the people here. There was still the Seeker to consider, but maybe she would give up someday, and then I could stay here indefinitely with the humans I lovedMy leg throbbed, pain replacing some of the numbness. spry fluid trickled down my lips. I tasted the wet without thinking and realized it was my blood.Walk away, Wanderer. I want to live. I want a choice, too.I could feel the tremors from where I stood. Another piece of floor splashed into the river. Kyles weight shifted, and he slid an inch toward the hole.Let him go.Melanie knew better than I what she was talking about. This was her world. Her rules.I stared at the face of the man who was about to die-the man who wanted me dead. With him unconscious, Kyles face was no eight-day that of an angry animal. It was relaxed, almost peaceful.The resemblance to his brother was very apparent.No Melanie protested.I crawled back to him on my hands and knees-slowly, feeling the ground with care before each inch I moved. I was too afraid to go beyond the pillar, so I hooked my good leg around it, an anchor again, and leaned aroun d to wedge my hands under Kyles arms and over his chest.I heaved so hard I nearly pulled my arms from their sockets, but he didnt move. I heard a sound like the trickle of sand through an hourglass as the floor continued to dissolve into tiny pieces.I yanked again, but the only result was that the trickle sped up. Shifting his weight was suspension the floor faster.Just as I thought that, a large chunk of rock plummeted into the river, and Kyles precarious balance was overthrown. He began to fall.No I screamed, the siren bursting from my pharynx again. I flattened myself against the column and managed to pin him to the other side, locking my hands around his wide chest. My arms ached.Help me I shrieked. Somebody Help