Chapter 74 Through the Tunnels pt 1
Gideon
We broke off from the group that would breach the gate and shifted, intending to run the pack borders until we reached the tunnel entrance at the south side of Blood Moon. Thanks to Tristan, we had an idea of where the patrols were likely to be so we could avoid them. The eleven of us ran in tight formation, barely able to see the lush green forest or do more than register the sound of water from a stream off to our left as we sped through the land.
We finally reached the large boulder that marked the tunnel location according to Louise. I signalled to the team to stop and shift back. The hardest part about working with Crescent Moon warriors for this was the fact I couldn’t mindlink any of them. We needed to be in human form to speak. I kept my voice as soft as possible as I told them, “The tunnel entrance should be just on the other side of that boulder up ahead. We have no intel regarding whether the entrance or the tunnel itself will be guarded. We go as quietly and as quickly as we can from here on out. Stay alert.”
I turned and made my way through the brush after I was satisfied that they understood my directions and would follow. The ground was still damp with morning dew thanks to our early start, which helped muffle the sound of our footsteps. There were a few twigs here and there, as well as some fallen branches, but the warriors stayed alert as they crept through the forest and barely made a sound. We reached the boulder and found the tunnel gate open and unguarded. I heard a quiet scoff behind me.
I looked at Eric, Duncan’s Delta, and the corner of my mouth tipped up. A silent acknowledgement of the rampant stupidity that seemed to be the norm for this Goddess-forsaken pack. I just shook my head. How in the world did they fly under the radar for this long, as dumb as they are? Something wasn’t right there, and we needed to look into that when we got back to Silver Moon. Regardless, I needed to keep focused on what was in front of me right now. I took a moment to update the rest of the team.
‘Dad, Axel, Malachi. We’ve reached the tunnel entrance. We’re breaching now.’
‘Okay, son. We’ll head to the gate and try to pull as many people there as we can to clear your way. Be safe.’
‘Gamma team in place, waiting for your next signal. Good hunting.’
‘Beta team in place. We’ll move in when you’re ready.’
Satisfied that the other teams were set, I took the lead, Eric behind me and the rest of Crescent Moon’s warriors behind him. We entered the tunnels cautiously, eyes peering into the dark and ears tuned for any unnatural and unexpected sounds. There was a steady drip-drip of moisture somewhere further down, likely just condensation as the temperature dropped several degrees once we got past the entrance. The tunnel walls were rough-hewn, jagged in places and smooth in others, with moss growing in places and mushrooms popping up here and there. There was a damp, musty smell—decaying earth paired with stagnant air. Spiderwebs tucked into corners and occasionally branched from wall to wall. It was evident that no one had come down this far in some time.
We moved as steadily as we could, maneuvering through the dark tunnels by the small lights those of us in human form were carrying. Two miles of tunnel passed quickly, the only sounds audible being the thud of our feet and the exhalation of our breath. Finally, we reached a set of stairs. I took the lead, Eric following close behind to convey orders to the rest of the men. A door blocked our way, and I tried the handle, but it didn’t budge. After examining the door and the hinges, I realized it opened away from us, into the Alpha’s office.
Pressing my ear against the door, I strained my hearing, listening for some kind of sound on the other side of the door, but didn’t pick up anything. I turned to Eric. “I’m going to have to break it down, but I can’t tell if we’re going to encounter resistance on the other side. It’s likely soundproofed. Be prepared.”
He nodded, then stepped back a few steps on the landing to give me space. ‘Curran, I’m going to need your strength here, buddy. I can’t break through this on my own.’
‘Don’t worry. We’ve got this.’
His confidence bolstered my own, and I took a deep breath before channeling his strength through my body and slamming my foot into the door just beside the knob. The door jamb exploded, chunks of wood flying, the handle hanging down, as the door itself swung open and slammed into the wall, only to bounce back again. I pushed through immediately, on guard for anyone who might have seen or heard the door break, and signaled Eric and the rest of the warriors to come through.
A brief glance in the room confirmed there was no one there, but we still didn’t know how many people were left in the pack house or whether they’d put up a fight. Once my group was through and on guard, I took a moment to look around the office.
It was trashed. There were pieces of computer equipment all over the floor, files open and scattered, and a crystal decanter lying on its side almost empty. The desk was splintered down the middle and collapsed in on itself. You could almost feel the rage seeping out of the destruction. I looked at Eric. “We’ll deal with this, and what it probably means, later. Let’s secure the pack house.”
He looked at the other warriors. “Teams of two, clear each room on each floor. There’s five floors, so one team per floor. When you’ve cleared your floor, join up with another team and work together to clear the basement. Sebastian, stay here and guard this office and the tunnel entrance. Barricade the tunnel door if you need to. I’m with Prince Gideon.”
His no-nonsense breakdown of the next steps made it clear why he was Duncan’s Delta. “We’ll clear the main floor here. We’ll need to designate a safe space for survivors and a clear route to get them there. The ballroom should be on this level, and it should be big enough. We’ll verify. I have no idea if there is an established safe room. We’ll need someone from the pack to give us that intel.”
I immediately thought of Tristan. ‘Malachi, ask Tristan if there’s a safe room in the pack house.’
It took a moment, but he answered me. ‘One that he knows of, on the Alpha floor, for the Alpha family only. The rest of the pack either had safe rooms in their homes or had to fend for themselves in one of the communal buildings with guards during an attack.’