Secrets in the Mist Read online

“Captain, any ideas?” Lucas called out next to Cass as he took down a Turned.

  “Yes!” came the quick reply. “On my call, we make for the yellow house in front of us. Bert, be ready if we need to kick the door in.”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “Ready . . . go!”

  Cass turned right and ran with the others toward the narrow light-yellow house. Bert beat them to it, checked the handle, then stepped back and gave the door a hard kick. A splinter appeared. He kicked again as the other four gathered around, and Lucas shot an approaching Turned.

  Something about the Turned struck her in those long seconds. They looked like other Turned, with decaying bodies, exposed bone, and one was even missing an eye. But it was their clothing that puzzled her. Tattered, worn, but not the present fashion.

  The door burst open. Bert pushed in, the others close behind.

  “Up the stairs, go!” He motioned toward the staircase ahead. Cass barely registered the old floral wallpaper, or the creaks from the stairs, as she hurried to the second floor.

  At the top, she glanced over the railing to see Captain Gresley and Bert barricading the broken door with a dining room table they must have found in the room next door. They disappeared, then emerged with a china cabinet. Their grunts and heavy breathing filled the foyer. Nearby, Lucas and Oliver were searching the rooms along the second floor.

  “There,” Cass heard Captain Gresley say below as he wiped his face. “That should keep them out for a while.”

  “Just before we placed the table, I saw at least twenty of them coming this way,” Bert said.

  Twenty? A whooshing sensation rushed up Cass’s body, leaving a cold tingle behind. How could there be so many? Where did they come from?

  “Did you catch sight of what they are wearing?” Captain Gresley asked.

  “I did.”

  Oliver exited out of one of the rooms. “Found this,” he said, holding up a wooden paddle of some sort. “Should come in handy if we run out of bullets.”

  Lucas came from another room. “I found something better.” He held up a necklace with dozens of tiny white orbs strung together. “A pearl necklace.”

  “Anything else?” Oliver looked around.

  “No, just the pearls. From the look of the furniture, the family had a couple nice possessions, but they weren’t rich. Probably their only expensive piece of jewelry.”

  Captain Gresley and Bert came up the stairs. Down below, there was a banging on the barricade.

  “All right,” the captain said, looking at the divers crowded on the landing. “We need a plan.”

  “There should be an updraft near the base of the mountain.” Bert pointed toward the window at the end of the hallway. “That way, past the village square.”

  “What about the mansion we’re looking for?” Cass asked.

  Captain Gresley lifted his chin in thought. “The mansion is to the north, just outside Magmire. Hopefully near the mountain base.”

  Oliver folded his arms, the paddle hanging from one hand. “Too bad the Mist is so thick, or else we might be able to see the house from here.”

  “Why is that?” Cass asked.

  He shrugged.

  The ensuing silence was broken seconds later by the scratching, then a banging on the barricade below. That reminded Cass of something. “Did you notice the clothes?”

  Bert and Captain Gresley glanced at each other. “Yeah, we did,” Bert said. “Not from our time period.”

  Lucas’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean the clothes are from the Plague Wars.”

  “The Plague Wars? How is that possible? Any Turned from that time should already be decomposed.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Another shiver went down Cass’s back.

  Oliver looked around the group. “So are you saying these aren’t normal Turned?”

  Captain Gresley’s face hardened. “I’m not sure.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means we need to get out of here. Bert, see if there is a balcony in the back of this house or a window we can use. Lucas, find any linen we can tie together for a rope. Oliver and Cass, watch the barricade from the top of these stairs. I’m going to go into one of the rooms facing north and see if I can find a way through Magmire. If possible, I still want to find that mansion and retrieve the box. With the house on the northern side and the mountain base to the west, I think we can still fulfill our mission and get out of here.”

  “Yes, Captain,” all four said in unison, and each diver swiftly moved. Oliver took the right side of the staircase while Cass took the left. Both came to a silent halt as scuffles and pounding filled the air at the bottom of the staircase.

  With each strike, Cass’s heart leapt into her throat. She swallowed and kept her hands around the revolver. “Do you think they can break in?”

  “I’m not sure, but it seems we aren’t dealing with ordinary Turned.” Even as Oliver said that, the china cabinet and table began to move. “Gales,” he said under his breath. He brought his revolver up. “Ready?”

  Cass already had hers out. “Ready.”

  Seconds later, the door burst open, sending the china cabinet sliding across the wood floor, followed by the table. A Turned shambled in. He must have been a large man in his previous life because his head brushed the doorway as he entered. His tunic hung in shreds across his broad chest, exposing the bones of his ribcage along with his entrails.

  Cass sent the incendiary bullet through the Turned’s chest.

  The Turned fell back from the impact as fire spread across his limbs, consuming the tunic and burning through his body.

  Oliver followed up with the next one. Fortunately for them, only one Turned could enter at a time, allowing them to alternate shots and pile up bodies. She wanted to stay at the top of the stairs, where at the moment they were safe and in control, but that wouldn’t last. Soon they would be out of bullets.

  Lucas appeared with an armful of linen, which he began to knot together. Bert came after him. “There’s a window in the back of the house. It’s not really big, but I think we can all fit through. I’ve already broken the glass and cleared the panes.”

  Another Turned went down as Captain Gresley arrived. “The Mist is too thick to see anything, so we are just going to head north out of town. Bert, did you find an exit?”

  “Yes, sir. It’s cleared.”

  Lucas tied another knot. “Just about have a rope ready to go.”

  Captain Gresley nodded. “Great, then let’s follow Bert back. Oliver, you bring up the rear.”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  The five divers made their way to the room with the broken window. It was a plain room, with a bed, dresser, and a single painting of a vase of flowers on the far wall. A patch of black mold was spreading in one corner, a plague of its own in the empty house.

  Lucas and Oliver moved the bed to the window, then Lucas tied the linen rope to the post. “There.” He gave the linen a hard tug. “It should hold us.”

  “Lucas, you go first. Make sure you have your revolver ready.”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  Cass could hear the Turned shuffling downstairs, then the soft creak of the staircase.

  “Cass, you’re next.”

  Cass scrambled over the windowpane, then maneuvered around and held onto the makeshift rope to repel down to where Lucas was waiting. As she reached the ground, there were shots above her and a flurry of swearing.

  Everything inside of her froze. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. The only thing that kept her from collapsing in fear was the desire to survive.

  Captain Gresley appeared in the window. He slid down the rope and stood protectively beside Cass.

  There was another shot, then Bert began his descent. Two Turned appeared in the window.

  “Where’s Oliver?” Lucas demanded.

  Bert shook his head, his eyes like steel. “Captain, we need to get moving now. There’s
something wrong with these Turned.”

  Captain Gresley glanced up at the window, his expression unreadable. He spun around. “This way,” he said, heading along what looked like a back alley toward the edge of the village.

  Cass’s throat convulsed inside her mask as she followed the captain. Oliver wasn’t coming with them. Which could only mean one thing . . .

  Suddenly she couldn’t breathe. Her hand flew up and gripped her throat. A strong desire to tear off her mask so she could get a mouthful of air almost overwhelmed her. Her vision clouded until all she could see was the captain ahead of her in a silhouette of shadows.

  Focus, Cass. Don’t give in.

  Cass drew in a deep breath through her mask, and her vision grew clear.

  Keep your mind on the here and now. There will be time enough for grief later.

  As they neared the edge of town, a looming mansion appeared just beyond the last two houses, the manse similar to those built on the mountaintops and sky islands of Belhold. An iron fence surrounded the house, with twisting ivy and branches overtaking most of the iron rods. Beyond, the yard was a mess of weeds and overgrown trees. The Mist hovered around the mansion in a heavy fog of greenish grey.

  If ever Cass believed in ghosts, she did now. Only spirits and creatures of the night could live in such a dilapidated place.

  “This must be the Staggs mansion,” Captain Gresley said through his mask. “Let’s see if there is a way in.”

  “Over here,” Bert said, coming to a stop between two brick pillars. “This appears to be the front gate.” He pushed against the iron rods, and their screeching filled the air.

  Cass cringed at the sound as she glanced back toward Magmire. No Turned had appeared since they had escaped out the window, but they were coming. And that sound probably only beckoned them closer.

  “In, in.” Bert gestured as he pushed the gate fully open.

  Captain Gresley and his revolver led the way. Lucas and Cass followed as Bert shoved the gate shut, making sure to latch it. “There’s no lock that I can see,” he said. “So it’s best we make our way into the house before the Turned arrive.”

  The others nodded in agreement. On closer inspection, the house appeared as if it were going to fall apart any moment. A couple shutters hung by one nail, and two of the windows were broken. The sun shone like a full moon through the Mist.

  Wild rosebushes surrounded the mansion with long, prickly branches. The group approached the stairs, and one branch caught Cass by the arm, leaving a long stinging scratch.

  “Careful,” Bert warned. “You don’t want one of those bushes catching on your gas mask.”

  He was right. One snag and she could be breathing in the toxic Mist.

  The stairs creaked as the party stepped up to the porch. It was darker here, with shadows and dust everywhere.

  Captain Gresley pushed the front door open. A metallic groan followed.

  “This place is terrifying,” Lucas whispered to Cass as they entered the foyer. “I thought combing through the ruins of Blackthain last year was scary, but this place is worse.”

  A grand staircase stood in front of them, with a room on either side and a long, narrow hallway that ran past the staircase.

  The captain stopped at the bottom of the grand staircase and looked back. “Split up. Lucas, you stay by the front door and watch the gate for any Turned. Cass, you check out the first floor and search for a way out.” His eyes scanned the visible area. “I’d rather not exit through the front gate. Something toward the mountains would be best. Maybe there is a garden out back. Bert, you check the first floor for the box. I’ll check the second. Remember, it’s a small, lavish wooden box with the Staggs crest on top. Mr. Staggs believed it would be in a study or possibly a bedroom.”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  What was in the box they were looking for? The captain never said. Then again, perhaps he didn’t know. Jewelry? Important papers? A key? And why hadn’t it been recovered before now?

  Cass swallowed again. Was it worth Oliver’s life?

  She went all the way to the back of the house and through a doorway into the kitchen. A long wooden table stood in the middle of the room with an old stove against the right wall. Two large windows were built into the brick, letting in pale light, with rows and rows of shelves between. Old crates, bags of flour, and ceramic bowls covered the shelves. To the left, past the window, there was a thick wooden door leading to the outside.

  Cass crossed the room. She turned the knob and pushed.

  The door refused to budge.

  She shoved against it with her shoulder. There was a slight movement. It definitely hadn’t been used in a while.

  She pushed again, and the door gave way. Cass stumbled outside and found herself in a small garden. Made sense. The garden would be near the kitchen. Rows of overgrown vegetation filled the space. Beyond the garden were weeds knee high and an old oak tree with thick, gnarled branches.

  And beyond that . . . so much space. Fields gave way to a forest, then rounded hills, then the western mountains. Space enough for sprawling trees, gardens, and places to run. So unlike the world above the Mist, where everything was crowded together.

  Cass made her way along the rows of plants, toward the field and trees ahead. A deathly quiet hung over the area, matching the gloomy atmosphere. The enclosure around the garden was made of stones and cement with a gate near the middle.

  The gate was shut but not locked. However, thick weeds and brambles made it impossible to reach. Cass pulled what plants she could, scratching her hands in the process, until the gate could be opened slightly. It would be tight, but everyone should be able to fit through.

  She took in a deep breath, then wiped her sweat away. Still no Turned. Maybe they would actually fulfill this mission.

  She headed back toward the house. The sun went behind a cloud high above the Mist. Shadows lengthened, and a chilly wind swept across the garden. Cass shivered as she walked into the kitchen. She crossed the room and headed down the hallway, toward the foyer where Lucas was waiting.

  “Find anything?” Lucas asked quietly as Cass joined him, his gaze toward the window and the front of the house.

  “Yes,” Cass whispered. “There’s a garden out back, past the kitchen. I shoved the gate open so we can escape. And so far there are no Turned.”

  “Well, there’s a couple here.”

  Cass followed his gaze out the narrow window by the door. At least five had gathered just outside the front gate. Two men and three women. They moved with erratic, stiff steps, back and forth beside the iron fence.

  “How old do you think they are?” Lucas mused.

  “Not sure.” From what she knew, a Turned only lasted a few months or at most a few years before the spores could no longer keep the body from decomposing completely. However, these . . .

  “Do you think they’re from the Plague Wars?”

  Before Cass could answer, Bert arrived along with Captain Gresley. “I think I found it,” Bert announced, holding up a dark wooden container the size of a cigar box. The Staggs family crest—the head of a stag with a crown—was carved along the top and inlaid with gold.

  “What’s inside?” Lucas asked.

  “I don’t know. Not only does it have a lock, but there seems to be some kind of puzzle mechanism on the side.”

  “So you’d need a key, plus know how to solve the puzzle in order to open the box?”

  “Yes.” Bert looked at them. “I’ve seen one other like this before, and it sold for thousands of sterlings, not to mention the price of its contents.”

  Cass’s eyes went wide. She couldn’t imagine that kind of money.

  Captain Gresley brought his hand up. “Time to go,” he declared. “Cass, did you find an exit?”

  “Yes,” she gave a quick nod. “There’s a garden out back with a gate.”

  “Good, then let’s head out before anything else goes wrong.”

  For some reason, the captain’s w
ords felt like an ominous statement. There were more Turned than they had encountered before—not to mention their strangeness—and Oliver was gone.

  Cass led the divers toward the back of the house. They passed the kitchen and headed into the garden. The sun had come out again, leaving a trail of pale light through the Mist. Like a moon on a foggy night.

  Quietly, one by one, they exited the kitchen and stepped into the garden. Cass made her way through the overgrown vegetation along the path toward the gate ahead. It was still propped open where she had left it.

  “Very good, Cass,” Captain Gresley told her as the approached the gate. “It looks like it’s just a field and a patch of woods between us and the mountain slope.”

  Bang!

  Cass jumped, her heart flying up into her throat.

  “What in the gales?” Captain Gresley said as he turned around.

  Three Turned rounded the corner of the mansion while another fell into a patch of rosebushes, fire eating away at the corpse.

  “They’re coming, Captain!” Bert reloaded the chamber of his revolver. “And there are a lot of them.”

  “Go, go, go!” Captain Gresley yelled urgently. “Bert and I will take up the rear.”

  Bert dashed over to Cass and thrust the box at her. “I need my hands free,” he said as he spun back around with his revolver and let off another incendiary bullet.

  Lucas was already through the gate. Cass followed, feeling the smooth, cold wooden box clutched in her fingers. Two more shots rang out, then Bert and Captain Gresley dashed through the gate.

  The four divers ran through the woods, leaping over logs and crashing through bushes and dead branches. One caught Cass by the cheek, leaving a stinging scratch while another almost dislodged the box from her hands.

  Bert fired again, then he swore. “If we’re not careful, we could send this entire forest up in flames.”

  Would that really matter? Cass wondered as she sucked in another breathful of stale air through her mask. A sharp pain cinched her right side, leaving her gasping. When was the last time she had run this hard?

  “They’re coming around,” Lucas yelled and pointed toward a break in the woods.

  Cass’s heart hammered in her chest. At least twenty Turned were skirting around the copse of trees. But how was that possible? It was as if they were working together as one to hedge them in.