Tunnels 03, Freefall

lady's hand snaking towards the weapon.
    "Stop her from killing us?" Will suggested. He took a step towards her and, without applying much pressure, placed a foot on her wrist to pin it to the ground.
    "Gerroff!" she seemed to have all her strength back now and, behaving like one of her feral cats, she proceeded to hiss and spit at Will and his father. "Your time is coming!" she ranted. "Nobody escapes the Colony!"
    "Just a sweet old lady, huh?" Will said.
    Shaking his head, Dr. Burrows watched the old woman with horrified fascination as she strained to free her hand from under Will's foot. "I don't believe it," he murmured.
    "You'd better," his son told him.
    "But--"
    "No, you listen to me, Dad, they have people all over. As Granny Gruesome here is obviously one of their agents, it follows that Oscar Embers was too, just like the Rebecca twin said. The Styx even have people in the police and in the Government, so we can't trust anybody . From now on, we tread really carefully. Got that?"
    "DEAD! YOU ARE BOTH DEAD!" Mrs. Tantrumi screamed, as Will stooped to pick up the knife, still not releasing her hand from under his foot.
    "I don't think so," Will sneered back at her. "And we're going to put a stop to you and your foul friends if it's the last thing we do."
    "IT WILL BE!" she screeched. "THERE ARE TOO MANY OF US!"
    "Come on, Dad, and let's get away from this stinking old witch." Screwing up his face in disgust, Will slung the knife through the doorway behind him. There was a startled meow from outside in the garden.
    "Oops, think I got one," Will said, as Mrs. Tantrumi exploded into such language and at such volume that Dr. Burrows covered his ears.
    Will took his foot off Mrs. Tantrumi's wrist and backed away quickly, closely followed by Dr. Burrows who had no intention of being left alone with the frenzied woman. As they climbed the steps to the garden, squinting in the bright light, a figure leapt from the top of the wall and landed on the muddy lawn, deftly avoiding the many plastic bowls of stale water.
    "What happened in there?" it demanded in an urgent whisper.
    Will couldn't believe his eyes.
    "Drake!" he exclaimed.
    "Drake?" Dr. Burrows repeated.
    "Tell me what just happened," Drake demanded again, jerking his head at the basement. "Who's in there?"
    "A Styx agent," Will answered. "I can't -- I've got -- you have to -- the virus -- how did you?" he gabbled, everything he wanted to say to Drake coming out in an incoherent torrent.
    "Not now," Drake cut him short. He whipped out a handgun and offered it to Will. "Take this. The safety's off."
    "It's all right -- I've got my own," Will said, hooking his jacket aside to show Drake the Browning Hi-Power tucked into his trousers.
    Dr. Burrows clucked with disapproval at his son, but Drake flashed him a brief smile. "Cool. By the way, love the new look," he said, as he took in Will's short hair and combat fatigues. Then Drake was in action again, slipping past Dr. Burrows and cautiously descending the steps.
    "She's an old woman, but she's vicious," Will tried to warn Drake, but he'd already disappeared into the gloom of the basement.
    "What's he going to do? Put a bullet in her?" Dr. Burrows said.
    "I would if I could, but she's bailed," Drake rumbled, overhearing the remarks as he stormed out of the basement. "So now the White Necks will know you're back in circulation, and the heat will be on."
    Will was astounded. "She's gone? But she can't have!"
    "There's no way out of there," Dr. Burrows added, giving Drake a skeptical look. "I checked it myself." He made as if he was going to go back into the basement, but Drake grabbed his elbow and spun him round.
    "No, you don't. It's a waste of time -- you'll never find it," Drake growled at him. "I heard there was a portal somewhere around here." He shot a glance at Will. "Someone told me about it."
    This wasn't lost on Will, who looked at him questioningly.
    "We need to get away from here, and pronto," Drake said to Dr. Burrows, then he stepped towards Will and his face crinkled into a grin. "I can't tell you how good it is to see you again, Will. In fact, I'd say it's a bloody miracle! So you did the impossible -- you all made it out of the Pore?"
    "Yes... no, we--" Will began, but gasped as in the blink of an eye Drake had dropped to one knee and brought his handgun to bear on the kitchen door. Will also took his Browning Hi-Power out, although he was far less practiced than Drake and it took him a great deal