Tunnels 01, Tunnels

completely and utterly at its mercy.
    Will tried desperately to roll over, but the creature had him pinned to the floor. He knew he was no match for this unstoppable hellhound that seemed to be made from huge slabs of muscle as hard and unyielding as rock.
    "Go!" he yelled at Cal. "Get away!"
    Then, from out of nowhere, a fleshy bolt of gray catapulted a the stalker's head.
    For one instant, it was as though Bartleby was suspended in midair, his back arched over and his claws extended like cutthroat razors just above the stalker's head. The next, he'd dropped, and there was a shocking frenzy of movement. They heard the wet slicing of flesh as Bartleby's teeth found their first mark. A dark fountain of blood was jetting over Will from a livid gash where the dog's ear had been. The beast let out a low-pitched yelp and immediately bucked and leaped off Will, Bartleby still clamped to its head and neck, blitzing it with bites and savage flesh-tearing slashes from his raking hind feet.
    "Get up! Get up!" Cal was shouting as he helped Will to his feet with one hand and retrieved his backpack with the other.
    The boys retreated to a safe distance, then stopped, compelled to stay and watch. They were rooted to the spot, transfixed by this brute battle between cat and dog as both writhed in mortal combat, their shapes melting together until they became an indistinguishable whirlwind of gray and red, punctuated by flashing teeth and claws.
    "We can't stay here!" Will yelled. He could hear the shouts of the approaching patrol, which was quickly homing in on the fight.
    "Bart, leave it! C'mere, boy!"
    "The Styx." Will shook his brother. "We have to go!"
    Cal reluctantly moved on, peering back to see if his cat was following through the mist. But there was no sign of Bartleby, only the distant hisses and yelps and screeches.
    Shouts and footfalls were now echoing all around. The boys ran blindly, Cal grunting with the effort of carrying both packs, and Will trembling with shock, his whole arm throbbing dully with pain. He could feel the blood streaming down his side and was alarmed to find that it was running over the back of his hand in small rivulets and dripping from the ends of his fingertips.
    Out of breath, the boys hastily agreed on a direction, hoping against hope it would take them out of the city and not straight back into the arms of the Styx. Once on the marshy perimeter, they would make their way around the edge of the City until they found the mouth of the Labyrinth. And if worse came to worst and they missed it completely, Will knew they would eventually comet to the stone staircase again and could quickly return Topsoil.
    From the sounds they were hearing, the patrol seemed to be zeroing in on them. The boys were dashing at full speed, but then they blundered into a wall. Had they inadvertently strayed down a blind alley? The terrible thought struck both of them at the same time. They frantically felt along the wall until they found an archway, its sides crumbled away and the keystone missing at its apex.
    "Thank God," Will whispered, glancing at Cal with relief. "That was close."
    Cal merely nodded, panting heavily. They peered briefly behind them before passing through the ruined archway.
    With lightning speed, strong hands grabbed them roughly from either side of the opening, yanking them off their feet.

     

35

    Using his good arm, Will lashed out with all the strength he could summon, but his knuckles just grazed ineffectually off a canvas hood. Their captor cursed sharply as Will followed with another blow, but this time his fist was caught and trapped in the iron grip of a huge hand, forcing him back effortlessly until he was pinioned against the wall.
    "That's enough!" the man hissed. "Shhh!"
    Cal suddenly recognized the voice and began pushing in between Will and his hooded assailant. Will was completely baffled. What was his brother doing? Feebly he tried to lash out again, but the man held him fast.
    "Uncle Tam!" Cal shouted joyously.
    "Keep it down," Tam rebuked.
    "Tam?" Will repeated, feeling all at once very stupid and very relieved.
    "But... how... how did you know we'd be...? Cal stuttered.
    "We've been keeping an eye out since the escape went off the rails," their uncle cut in.
    "Yes, but how did you know it was us ? Cal asked again.
    "We just followed the light and the noise. Who else but you two would use those bloody fool pyrotechnics? They probably heard it Topsoil, let alone in the