Doctor Who_ Warlock - Andrew Cartmel [52]
Creed caught the dog’s head firmly and shook it in greeting, wagging it from side to side as Bert’s stinking warm breath beat affectionately in his face. Creed was grinning. He felt himself relaxing as he played with the dog, coming down from the long tension of the day. He slapped Bert’s heaving sides.
The dog was a strange mongrel blend, a spectacular example of the possibilities of genetic diversity, an intelligent, loyal dog. But ugly as sin.
Creed and Anna had found him one steely grey rain‐swept morning on what was supposed to be a routine public health sweep of an abandoned apartment house. Neither of them had been in the job more than a month and they subsequently discovered that, as rookies on the police force, they were considered expendable. So they had been sent, quite deliberately, into an unknown situation. The house might indeed have been abandoned. But there were other possibilities. And the only way to find out was to send some cops in.
They’d parked their squad car directly outside the building and unclipped shotguns from the rack between the seats. The gutters in the street were blocked, creating a thin constant flood of rainwater that washed past the tyres as they got out.
Creed had looked up at the grim blank face of the building, its windows covered with nailed‐up boards, and he turned to Anna and said, ‘Let’s not, and say we did.’
Anna just grinned, that lovely mouth of hers, warm brown eyes smiling into his. And she followed him as he went inside.
As they entered the dark house Creed was glad to have her at his back. They’d shared a car for a week at that point and they had already begun to trust each other. They weren’t yet lovers.
Inside the house there was a short, foul‐smelling hallway leading to a rickety wooden staircase that rose into darkness.
‘Of course, the electricity isn’t on,’ said Anna. ‘That would be too easy.’
The only light came from the open door behind them. They slowly climbed the stairs towards the shadowy landing above. A cold breeze and the sound of rain followed them.
Upstairs Anna had taken the lead because she was the only one who’d been issued with a flashlight. The old house seemed deserted and silent except for the hissing of the rain. Doors on either side of them led to rooms which were only occupied by abandoned shopping carts, piles of scrap metal and empty wine bottles. After they turned a corner they were cut off from the grey glow coming through the front door and they were in total darkness.
That was when Anna lost the flashlight.
She was walking just ahead of Creed, holding it in her left hand, shotgun in her right, when the floor gave way beneath her. The thin worn linoleum underfoot tore open and Anna’s legs went through the hole.
The shotgun saved her.
She had let go of the flashlight and it had tumbled through the opening. But she held onto the shotgun, instinctively clutching the weapon with both hands. The shotgun spanned the hole, catching on solid floorboards on either side.
If she hadn’t been clutching the gun she would have plunged straight down to the ground floor.
Creed got down on his knees and worked to free her without going through the hole himself. He was sweating in the darkness, only getting an occasional burst of light through the hole from the lost flashlight below.
Anna was telling him to go back to the car and get some rescue tools when Creed heard the things coming. Coming out of the darkness down the long corridor towards them.
He sensed more than heard them. He had no idea what they were except that they were coming fast, coming straight at Anna. He stood over her and fired his shotgun. The muzzle blast lit the hallway in a spinning lash of light, revealing white fangs and glowing amber eyes. Even as Creed killed the things they remained completely silent. He emptied the pump shotgun, then his handgun, using the final rounds just to illuminate the hallway, to make certain that there weren’t any more of the shapes coming at them, sharp teeth gleaming. Then he wrapped his arms around Anna and dragged her up out