“What does everyone feel? Who thinks they can go further in? I could…but I really don’t want to. Oh, Ingrid, please redo your HOLY SHIELDS on all of us.” I cast MANA ARMOR as well, the soft blue glow wrapping around each of us.

  “Can do,” she said, spear in hand as she began casting.

  Kissack shifted uneasily. “I wish I could feel what you guys feel. I just feel…nervous.”

  “Nervous is good,” Bhaarrt told him. “Keeps you alive. None of us want anyone to die. Least not if they’re on our side.”

  “Have you ever had someone die? I mean, since the Game started?” Kissack asked.

  “Not yet,” Bhaarrt rumbled, “and we don’t want to start. Other groups aren’t as careful as we are…even when Will drags us into one mess after another. Trouble follows him.”

  “And he looks for trouble,” Blaze added with a big grin.

  Kissack considered, then nodded. “I’ll go in. I don’t feel it. I wasn’t around whatever you guys are talking about. So maybe it won’t notice me. If it does, you can take care of it better than I can.”

  Bhaarrt clapped him on the shoulder. “Spoken like a soldier. When someone’s gotta do it…someone steps up and does it.”

  Ingrid handed her spear off to Bhaarrt, then dug into her bag. She pulled out bright blue nitrile gloves and a few Ziplocs. “Put these over your gloves. Better yet, just wear them by themselves. Don’t touch anything barehanded. Don’t touch the inside of the bag either. Standard medical precautions…don’t bring contamination back with you.”

  He nodded. “Got it. Army first aid training covers that, if you have the time. Thanks.” He stripped off his issue gloves, stuffed them into his vest, pulled on the nitrile pair, and tucked the bags into a pouch. Then he shouldered his rifle. “OK. I’m ready. What do you want me to do once I’m in there?”

  “Samples,” I said. “Dirt, rocks, and yeah…get some of that shit too. We’ll see if the university can confirm it’s just sheep. Look for anything out of the ordinary. Get in and out fast as you can.”

  “If you start feeling strange, you run like hell back to your lieutenant,” I added. “We’ll cover you. Distract it, draw it off if we can. If you run…don’t stop. Don’t look back. Don’t help us. Run for your unit. Get those samples back to town. They’re more important than helping us.”

  We stacked him up. Me with as much protection as I could layer on him, Ingrid doubling it. Bhaarrt had his shield and maul ready. Blaze carried her staff in one hand, pistol in the other. On the PARTY MAP, Shadow was already sliding wide, STEALTHed and circling ahead.

  Kissack gave one last nod, then jogged toward the opening. He never stopped scanning. Left, right, up, down. Always on swivel. Always on the lookout for danger.

  [Harvvv:] [William of Brinsford] [Nothing new yet. Don’t feel anything.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Harvvv] [Roger that.]

  At the cave mouth, he hesitated. Looked once up the sheep trail, then inched inside. Bent down, bagged some dirt, zipped it, stowed it. Moved along the wall, repeating the process.

  [Harvvv:] [William of Brinsford] [All quiet so far. Don’t feel any different. Got your shit for you.]

  He scraped something low off the wall, bagged more from the floor, then reached the back. Another sample. “Hope he brought enough bags.”

  [Harvvv:] [William of Brinsford] [Feeling something weird. Coming out.]

  “He feels it. He’s coming out. Be ready,” I said.

  We spread out. Bhaarrt and me forward, Blaze and Ingrid behind us, off to the sides. Kissack picked up speed, but he wasn’t running. Every few steps he swiveled, rifle ready.

  “Damn it man, run!” Bhaarrt bellowed. Not full drill-sergeant mode, but enough to spark movement. Two steps later, Kissick was running full tilt at us.

  “Don’t stop for anyone!” I shouted, throwing a shield behind him.

  We walked backward, keeping our line. The PARTY MAP showed Shadow breaking wide right, racing to catch us. The drone buzzed overhead…CB and Marmari watching through its eyes.

  The pressure in the air thickened, Evil pressing harder. I stacked another shield, Ingrid dropped a HOLY SHIELD to reinforce.

  Something darker rippled at the back of the cave.

  [William of Brinsford:] [MarmariL] [Do you see something inside the cave?]

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  [MarmariL:] [William of Brinsford] [On drone. Not from here. Something there?]

  [William of Brinsford:] [MarmariL] [Looks like it. Don’t shoot with us in the way.]

  [MarmariL:] [William of Brinsford] [You run. I’ll wait. We’ve got you covered.]

  Kissack blasted past us, Ingrid and I adding more shields between us and it. Whatever it was.

  “Everyone run! Don’t look back until you’re clear!” I barked.

  We turned and ran. Bhaarrt stayed behind me. Shadow dropped STEALTH and sprinted flat-out. Something dark moved behind us…too vague to see, too close to ignore.

  I threw MANA SHIELDS down like breadcrumbs as we fled. DETECT MANA had showed no Ley lines nearby…only far off to the sides.

  The gate came into view. A Stryker blocking half of it, soldiers braced with rifles leveled. Kissack cleared the gap, then Shadow, then Kissack turned to cover us.

  “Keep going! Get those samples back to town!” I yelled at him. He nodded and bolted.

  My legs gave out yards before the gate. Pain flared hot. Blaze and Ingrid were waiting at the gate, shouting. The Stryker’s gun roared, deafening. I hit the ground. A controlled fall, but it hurt. Ingrid’s healing washed through me even as soldiers who'd run toward me when I fell, hauled me up and dragged me clear of the quarry.

  One jammed earplugs into my hand. I got them in before the next burst.

  Better. Still brutal.

  They half-carried me back to Marmari with one of my arms over each of their shoulders. Both of them had an arm around me too. Smoke drifted from the cave. The guns fell silent.

  I hadn’t seen anything but some smoke or dust coming out of the place where the Stryker’s guns had been hitting the back wall. They’d stopped after I was next to them.

  “What the hell was back there? What did you see?” I demanded from the solders who’d been half carrying me.

  “I didn’t see anything sir, but someone must have seen something to order us to shoot. Ask the Lieutenant. He’d have been the one to give the firing order.

  The rest of our party was already with Lieutenant Marmari when I got there. “What happened? Why’d you shoot?” I wanted to know.

  Marmari met us grimly. ““As I just told the rest of your party, we saw something move near the back wall. Then it was gone. Not clear even on drone. Just a black shape. After you ran, we fired. Nothing left but dust.”

  “I hoped that maybe we’d take it out now.” Marmari added. “The Stryker’s gun was high enough to fire over you once you were close enough to us.

  “Could it have been a projection?” I asked. “Something that only shows up under the right conditions? Or maybe only comes out at night?”

  He frowned. “Interesting theory. If it’s not giving off heat, IR would show nothing. That could explain why the sheep aren’t spooked.”

  “How are you feeling? I saw you go down.”

  “Legs gave out on me. I’ll be OK after I rest for a while.”

  “Get him something to rest on” Marmari told one of his men. Two headed for the command Stryker.

  Ingrid shouted, “He’s got folding stools in the back of his van.”

  They reversed course and one of them dived into the open back hatch and came out with one. Both of them helped me sit down just in case I needed help. Ingrid hit me with another HEALing spell. I thought I could sit on my own, but I let them help. Bhaarrt stood behind me as a back rest.

  It felt good to sit down. My legs didn’t hurt as much.

  “Did anyone get a picture of it?”

  “No. Just what we saw. Private Kissack saw it but he couldn’t describe it either. Just a black blob like the satellite saw.”

  “At least we know where it is and what might trigger it to come out. But you said the place is empty. Like you didn’t hit it?” I said.

  “Correct. We saw the marks on the back wall and floor. When you’re ready, I’ll show you the video.” Marmari told me.”

  "You’ve got infra-red glasses. Did any of you use them? Or are they night time only?”

  “Night time only. Or only when we know we’ll need them. Why?” he asked me.

  “Because a projection won’t give off heat. We haven’t met real undead yet except for a couple of skeletons, but if they’re colder than the surrounding area, will that show up on them?”

  He nodded yes. “To some extent. If it absorbs heat or the area around it is warmer.”

  We were still debating when a soldier relayed orders: samples needed at CCHQ ASAP.

  “They’re going over the drone videos now, Sir.”

  Marmari looked at me. “Your van’s faster. Take Kissack. They’ll want him debriefed.”

  Blaze snagged my keys before I could protest. “I’m driving. You sit and shut up. No arguments. I’ll contact the Sherrif for an escort.” Blaze informed me in her FBI voice. “No arguments. Got that?”

  “Can do.” I managed to get up almost on my own, thanks to Bhaarrt helping, but it was slow.

  I looked at Marmari. “Thank you and your men for your help. I’ll see you back in town.”

  Bhaarrt and Ingrid flanked me back to the van, Blaze already sliding into the driver’s seat. I let myself go limp, bone-tired, and didn’t wake until the siren of a sheriff’s escort cut through my haze. My legs and body still hurt.

  I woke up when we stopped in the Convention Center parking lot next to the door.

  “Everybody out. I’ll park the car.” Blaze ordered as she opened the doors. I managed to open my own.

  “Will, how do you feel?” Ingrid asked me. She stood in front of the door so I couldn’t get out yet.

  “I’m OK. At least I’m awake. I’m sorry I stopped carrying my cane as a casting focus. I’ll have to see if the STORE has one that I can enchant and keep in my INVENTORY. I’m working on swapping out all my clothes for Game clothes.”

  “I heard about that from Shadow. Think they’ll have something in Bhaarrt’s size? A nice tuxedo perhaps?”

  Falling back into the car seat, I laughed at the image of an ogre in a tuxedo. I couldn’t help myself. She started laughing as well and people were looking at us strangely. “I feel more awake and able to move now. Once I stop laughing.”

  “You think you are, but I’m staying with you until I think you are, and you can walk on your own.” Ingrid informed me in no uncertain terms.

  “Yes, ma'am, I’ll be careful.” I smiled at her. “Thank you. Thank you for everything you’ve done so far to keep us alive and healthy. But we should go in. We’ve got something we can’t kill to kill. The sooner we figure out how to do it, the safer we’ll all be.”

  She just smiled and stayed at my side, holding my arm as we entered the building. Bhaarrt was on my other side, ready to grab me if I started to go down. It’ good to have friends like these.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gngSqOQ_wDg