08-13-2013, 05:23 PM
Suddenly, a rumble vibrated beneath their feet, low and long. Rune paused, having not felt its like the whole way here. Then the rumble shook again, and a far grate in the floor hissed with sudden steam. The metro? she wondered and looked downward. They had wound their way several times up then down again on this trip so far, but Rune thought they were relatively near the surface. That they hadn't encountered pure darkness yet confirmed her suspicion, but that vibration came from below.
Suppose it had nothing to do with them. Even with the update from Hood's glasses, she was unable to locate a tunnel nearby. Then again, maybe vibrations traveled a long ways. Like echoes of sound. She made herself focus on the scent of hungry violence and went on.
They came to a blunt ended crossing in the tunnels around which a voice could be heard. Rune motioned the team to halt, and called up the comm on the Land Warriors. "Unknown person, ahead left." she whispered and flattened herself along the edge of that left wall before proceeding and motioned for Hood to mirror her walk along the right side of the passageway. Together they could clear the view for one another before exposing their presence. A black ops spook outta know how to do at least that much.
She kept the comm feed live as they approached, and followed the standard chop and lateral step to round the corner simultaneously with him, clearing each other's view, weapon ready, and sights up.
There was nobody there. Well... No body.
The passage was clear left and right. Just exactly the same as behind them. Yet Rune walked to the center and stared down the left, gun lowered from aim, yet still tense. Her expression tight.
Someone was there, just no one with a body. It was a man-form, a ghost. He was muttering to himself in Russian, wearing a thick coat and a fur hat. He didn't seem to see Rune or any of the living. Yet Rune sighed and turned away as he disappeared ... Or perhaps was swallowed by darkness...or wherever ghosts fade into. Slightly somber, Rune glanced at her team with a heavy heart, assuming they hadn't been able to see him.
"Nevermind, I must have been wrong."
She gestured the opposite direction, toward the right, and followed the scent. It was getting stronger. They were close.
About 50 yards later, the composition of their tunnel seemed to change slightly. They suddenly came to a dead end... Dead except for hole which was little bigger than a culvert drain.
With all their gear, Rune wasn't sure they would fit. Well specifically she wasn't sure if Hood would fit. That guy was ... Broad. But the scent led that way, so that way they would go.
She secured the SMG and went to her hands and knees. There was room overhead enough to crawl but the spikes of her hair brushed the rimmed top of the drain. But thankfully it was mostly dry. Mostly. Her palms were damp.
The drain itself was only twenty feet long or so but Rune was not interested in crawling out vulnerable into who knew what.
She flattened to her belly near the end but kept her torso elevated enough to minimize scraping sound and used the glasses to heighten her visuals.
The tunnel angled upward slightly like whatever was meant to flow through this should drain out the way they came. The room it drained from was thankfully empty and Rune crawled out to study it.
The walls were clad with rotting, fallen down slats of wood.
There were old benches built in, some broken and set upon rusted iron stoves. A heavy metal door hung on one hinge opposite them and at first Rune thought they were in a closet but then she noticed the broken grate alongside the drain's entrance and she blinked like we recognized this.
"Are we in a sauna?"
Finally she pulled the flashlight to get a better look around. On the wall overhead suddenly shone a mosaic, tile and glass old and dingy, of the Soviet's old sickle and hammer symbol.
It was am old, abandoned bathhouse. Which explained how damp everyone felt, all the drains, and highly prevalent creep factor.
And the scent of violence led straight here.
"This is it."
Suppose it had nothing to do with them. Even with the update from Hood's glasses, she was unable to locate a tunnel nearby. Then again, maybe vibrations traveled a long ways. Like echoes of sound. She made herself focus on the scent of hungry violence and went on.
They came to a blunt ended crossing in the tunnels around which a voice could be heard. Rune motioned the team to halt, and called up the comm on the Land Warriors. "Unknown person, ahead left." she whispered and flattened herself along the edge of that left wall before proceeding and motioned for Hood to mirror her walk along the right side of the passageway. Together they could clear the view for one another before exposing their presence. A black ops spook outta know how to do at least that much.
She kept the comm feed live as they approached, and followed the standard chop and lateral step to round the corner simultaneously with him, clearing each other's view, weapon ready, and sights up.
There was nobody there. Well... No body.
The passage was clear left and right. Just exactly the same as behind them. Yet Rune walked to the center and stared down the left, gun lowered from aim, yet still tense. Her expression tight.
Someone was there, just no one with a body. It was a man-form, a ghost. He was muttering to himself in Russian, wearing a thick coat and a fur hat. He didn't seem to see Rune or any of the living. Yet Rune sighed and turned away as he disappeared ... Or perhaps was swallowed by darkness...or wherever ghosts fade into. Slightly somber, Rune glanced at her team with a heavy heart, assuming they hadn't been able to see him.
"Nevermind, I must have been wrong."
She gestured the opposite direction, toward the right, and followed the scent. It was getting stronger. They were close.
About 50 yards later, the composition of their tunnel seemed to change slightly. They suddenly came to a dead end... Dead except for hole which was little bigger than a culvert drain.
With all their gear, Rune wasn't sure they would fit. Well specifically she wasn't sure if Hood would fit. That guy was ... Broad. But the scent led that way, so that way they would go.
She secured the SMG and went to her hands and knees. There was room overhead enough to crawl but the spikes of her hair brushed the rimmed top of the drain. But thankfully it was mostly dry. Mostly. Her palms were damp.
The drain itself was only twenty feet long or so but Rune was not interested in crawling out vulnerable into who knew what.
She flattened to her belly near the end but kept her torso elevated enough to minimize scraping sound and used the glasses to heighten her visuals.
The tunnel angled upward slightly like whatever was meant to flow through this should drain out the way they came. The room it drained from was thankfully empty and Rune crawled out to study it.
The walls were clad with rotting, fallen down slats of wood.
There were old benches built in, some broken and set upon rusted iron stoves. A heavy metal door hung on one hinge opposite them and at first Rune thought they were in a closet but then she noticed the broken grate alongside the drain's entrance and she blinked like we recognized this.
"Are we in a sauna?"
Finally she pulled the flashlight to get a better look around. On the wall overhead suddenly shone a mosaic, tile and glass old and dingy, of the Soviet's old sickle and hammer symbol.
It was am old, abandoned bathhouse. Which explained how damp everyone felt, all the drains, and highly prevalent creep factor.
And the scent of violence led straight here.
"This is it."