Tunnels 06 - Terminal

map again before pointing straight ahead. ‘It’s this way.’
    She strode off, not only laden down by her Bergen and long rifle, but carrying an additional two rifles she’d insisted on taking from the Limiters. For a moment, Will watched her go, and the way her hips swayed as she walked. She was growing up so quickly, and with her tanned skin and her long black hair, she’d never looked more beautiful. In the same way as the Styx seemed to be able to adapt to any environment they were in, Elliott was flourishing in their new home in the inner world.
    And Will had her all to himself.
    He allowed himself a smug smile, then the sweat running down the small of his back reminded him where he was. He wasn’t happy about spending any longer in the city than was absolutely necessary, but he always found it difficult not to let Elliott have her way.
    Will happened to glance at what appeared to be a luxurious hotel judging by the canopy over the entrance. A flock of the most obnoxious-looking vultures was perching on the red-and-white striped awning, their mean little grey eyes intent on both him and Elliott. ‘You’re out of luck, boys – I’m not dead yet!’ Will yelled at the birds. Wiping his brow, he indicated Elliott up ahead. ‘Though if she has anything to do with it, I should stick around!’ he added.
    There was no way that Elliott could have missed the comment, but she kept doggedly leading them both on. Soon they found themselves in an area with a different feel to it. There were no shops here, but rather austere terraces of five-storey buildings, many of which appeared to be offices or government departments from the engraved brass nameplates at their entrances.
    As Will and Elliott progressed down yet another of theseunremarkable streets, they both heard the tapping sound. The rhythm wasn’t regular, but as they drew to a halt and listened, it didn’t let up. In this eerie place, it was more than enough to put them on their guard.
    As Elliott pointed up ahead, Will acknowledged with a single nod of the head. She was right that the sound seemed to be coming from their side of the street, although it was difficult to pinpoint precisely where as it reverberated off the buildings opposite. As Elliott silently cocked her rifle, edging cautiously along the pavement, Will kept his distance, his hands tight around his Sten.
    Elliott reached the second-to-last building of the terrace, then crouched and brought her rifle up. Discarding his Bergen, Will had stepped off the pavement and into the road, where he was using the discarded vehicles as cover, all the time keeping an eye on the facade of the building. He realised how efficiently he and Elliott worked together; there was no need for them to speak as each knew instinctively what the other was going to do in any given situation. The first time Will had witnessed that level of empathy was as he’d watched Elliott and Drake out on patrol in the Deeps. Will suddenly thought of their friend, who had to have perished when the nuclear device exploded, and the pang of grief was so intense that it made him take a sharp breath.
    As Elliott heard it and turned towards him, Will avoided her gaze. He took up position at the front of a car, then concentrated on the upper windows of the buildings where the sound seemed to be originating.
    There was no sign of anybody there, but the tapping didn’t let up.
    Just as Will expected her to, Elliott now moved from thepavement, stepping slowly backwards as she trained her scope on each window in turn. Will was covering her with his Sten when, all of a sudden, she stopped and gave a small chuckle.
    ‘What is it? What can you see?’ Will whispered.
    ‘Top floor, two windows in,’ she replied.
    Squinting, Will located the sash window, then spotted the movement through the open section at the top. At that height the faintest of breezes was enough to ruffle the blind drawn halfway down the window. And it was the pull cord on the bottom of this blind which was swinging repeatedly against the window pane below. As Will watched, there was no doubt that it was the source of the tapping.
    ‘False alarm,’ he said. ‘It’s only the wind.’
    They both relaxed and straightened up.
    ‘We’re seeing ghosts,’ Elliott said, as she ejected the round from the breech of her rifle to make it safe.
    ‘Well, what do you expect?’ Will replied with a shrug. ‘This place is enough to make anyone freak. They’re all dead – the