Read Online The Project 01 - White Jade by Alex Lukeman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alex Lukeman
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wall, three low rectangles of wood bore old mattresses, straw spilling out where the rats had gnawed on the rotted fabric. Across the room a broken stool lay on its side by a rough wooden table. On the table was the stub of a candle in a holder. Selena walked over and picked it up, just as the light died.
Nick f elt the old fear, the childhood demons of nameless, hideous monsters lur king in places without light. He took a deep breath, calmed him self. They weren ' t dead yet.
" Now all we need is a light, " said Selena.
" You have a match? "
" I don ' t smoke. "
" Neither do I. "
" Smoking can kill you. "
They started laughing hysterically.
When they had calmed down he said, " Stay where you are. "
He crossed the room with hands stretched out until he banged up against one of the beds. From the tattered mattress he gathered straw and fabric and fumbled his way back to Selena. On the floor he felt around until he found a rock
He made a little pile of bedding, took his knife and struck it against the rock. After a few tries he got a spark. He chipped at the rock, showering sparks down on the straw. It caught into bright flame.
She handed him the candle and he lit it. The room came back into view, the smoke from the fire rising upward.
" Look. " Selena pointed upward.
The smoke disappeared into a hole in the ceiling.
" That ' s where the air is coming from. "
" At least we won ' t suffocate. Be nice if it were bigger. "
Carter looked around. " What is this place? "
" I think it was an opium den. No one except Chinese would have come in here. The miners couldn ' t have read the sign over the entrance and wouldn ' t have cared anyway. "
" That makes sense. That ' s why the beds. And the sign makes sense, too. There might be a way out. I don ' t think there ' d only be one exit to a place like this. "
He walked slowly around the room. On the back wall was the outline of another entrance, walled up with stone, the mortar crumbling and old. Nick took the pick head he ' d found and began chipping away. Soon there was a pile of dust on the floor . A rock came free, then another. He stuck his hand through the opening and touched empty space.
He kept chipping and pulling out rocks until the entrance was big enough to climb through. They looked at each other.
"It's another tunnel," he said.
" What if it ' s a dead end? "
" We don't have a choice. Only one way to find out. "
This tunnel was narrow but it was in good shape. At one point it dipped through water that came to their knees. Nick wondered if he was about to step into a deep, deep hole, but the floor rose again and they were back on dry ground . The candle was almost gone when they came to another blocked entrance, this one walled up with brick.
" That ' s a change. "
" The mortar looks old. Maybe I can kick it down. " He handed her the candle.
He gave it a good kick. Another.
" Now I know how Bruce Lee must have felt, " he said.
" Let me try, " Selena said. " Better get out of the way. "
Nick stood to the side. Selena closed her eyes, took a deep breath and became very still. She opened her eyes and backed away, then let out a wild yell and launched herself flying, feet first. The whole wall blew out into the room on the other side.
Squinting against light, he stepped through into someone ' s basement. Selena was getting to her feet. He reached down to help her up.
" How the hell did you do that? "
" Nick. " She gestured with her head.
A burly man with a gray beard stood openmouthed across the room in pajamas, eyes wide, pointing a twelve gauge shotgun at them .
Carter raised his hands. " How ' s it going? " he said.
Chapter S event een
" What are you doing here ? " Shotgun Man was around sixty. He looked scared . T he twelve gauge shook in his hands. A large dog of indeterminate breed stood next to him, bristling and growling.
" Take it easy. I ' ll pay for the damage to your wall. "
" You mind telling me where the hell you came from? "
"
Nick f elt the old fear, the childhood demons of nameless, hideous monsters lur king in places without light. He took a deep breath, calmed him self. They weren ' t dead yet.
" Now all we need is a light, " said Selena.
" You have a match? "
" I don ' t smoke. "
" Neither do I. "
" Smoking can kill you. "
They started laughing hysterically.
When they had calmed down he said, " Stay where you are. "
He crossed the room with hands stretched out until he banged up against one of the beds. From the tattered mattress he gathered straw and fabric and fumbled his way back to Selena. On the floor he felt around until he found a rock
He made a little pile of bedding, took his knife and struck it against the rock. After a few tries he got a spark. He chipped at the rock, showering sparks down on the straw. It caught into bright flame.
She handed him the candle and he lit it. The room came back into view, the smoke from the fire rising upward.
" Look. " Selena pointed upward.
The smoke disappeared into a hole in the ceiling.
" That ' s where the air is coming from. "
" At least we won ' t suffocate. Be nice if it were bigger. "
Carter looked around. " What is this place? "
" I think it was an opium den. No one except Chinese would have come in here. The miners couldn ' t have read the sign over the entrance and wouldn ' t have cared anyway. "
" That makes sense. That ' s why the beds. And the sign makes sense, too. There might be a way out. I don ' t think there ' d only be one exit to a place like this. "
He walked slowly around the room. On the back wall was the outline of another entrance, walled up with stone, the mortar crumbling and old. Nick took the pick head he ' d found and began chipping away. Soon there was a pile of dust on the floor . A rock came free, then another. He stuck his hand through the opening and touched empty space.
He kept chipping and pulling out rocks until the entrance was big enough to climb through. They looked at each other.
"It's another tunnel," he said.
" What if it ' s a dead end? "
" We don't have a choice. Only one way to find out. "
This tunnel was narrow but it was in good shape. At one point it dipped through water that came to their knees. Nick wondered if he was about to step into a deep, deep hole, but the floor rose again and they were back on dry ground . The candle was almost gone when they came to another blocked entrance, this one walled up with brick.
" That ' s a change. "
" The mortar looks old. Maybe I can kick it down. " He handed her the candle.
He gave it a good kick. Another.
" Now I know how Bruce Lee must have felt, " he said.
" Let me try, " Selena said. " Better get out of the way. "
Nick stood to the side. Selena closed her eyes, took a deep breath and became very still. She opened her eyes and backed away, then let out a wild yell and launched herself flying, feet first. The whole wall blew out into the room on the other side.
Squinting against light, he stepped through into someone ' s basement. Selena was getting to her feet. He reached down to help her up.
" How the hell did you do that? "
" Nick. " She gestured with her head.
A burly man with a gray beard stood openmouthed across the room in pajamas, eyes wide, pointing a twelve gauge shotgun at them .
Carter raised his hands. " How ' s it going? " he said.
Chapter S event een
" What are you doing here ? " Shotgun Man was around sixty. He looked scared . T he twelve gauge shook in his hands. A large dog of indeterminate breed stood next to him, bristling and growling.
" Take it easy. I ' ll pay for the damage to your wall. "
" You mind telling me where the hell you came from? "
"
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