Lone Ranger Chapter 56

56.

Lance held onto the barred opening while Tonto rode with Quasimodo on the front seat. They have boarded the carriage and taken off on the winding paths that lined the pit alongside the structures. Quasimodo was adept at handling the horses with the creatures trampling hoofs barely missing any ledges to plunge them over the side. It can’t be said for the attached carriage which at some turns seemed to be hovering on the air before it was pulled back to the path. Those sharp and heart-dropping moves scared Lance and regretted his choice of seating.

The dirigible had its advantage as it could descent down the pit to draw parallel with the carriage but it was cumbersome on the descent.

“You do know how to use that thing you cradle?” Quasimodo motioned to the rifle on Tonto’s lap. The later ignored the demon and looked at the descending dirigible. He had not seen one that close and spotted the carriage below the balloon. He saw the crew there at the window openings. He leveled the rifle and aimed at them. It was about three hundred yards and there was no wind there but the fumes from below were there and visibility was erratic.

“Shoot I believe is the term,” Quasimodo called out. “We still have a long way to ride.”

Tonto pulled the trigger and hit the cabin side. He adjusted his aim and fired again. His shot was spot on and the bullet broke the cover on the window. He smiled and moved to the next window. It was then he saw the emerging guns.

“Those are gun ports.” Quasimodo warning came too late. There were seven ports and each one held a nasty multi-barreled gun which spews bullet as if they were green peas spit out by the child. The broadside of bullets trailed the carriage but the horse managed to outpace all of them before it took to the sharp turn. Quasimodo pulled hard at the reins to steer the horse past the low arch there and into the yard.

“Another chamber I believe.” Lance struggled to voice while reaching for the gate to leave the bars behind. Just when he was stepping off, Tonto joined him but the demon had rushed to the nearby doorway. He went in without checking for the others but Lance had chosen to follow. He saw Quasimodo standing over the open grating by the far wall.

“Come on if you think those on the dirigible will be friendly,” Quasimodo told Lance. “I will close the grating when we are all in.”

Lance Tonto was to caution Lance but he relented when he saw the other had crawled on He followed suit in the dark tunnel. The tunnel was dark and damp with the only way forward was by their knees and arms. He looked back and saw the demon had closed the grating and then crawled to follow them. Lance was still in the front and Tonto felt the tunnel walls were clamming onto him. It was warm to the touch and at times he felt as if he was suckered instead of his crawling. He was to shout to Lance when he saw the other had slid forward. He felt himself doing so and was to call for assistance when he heard the demon behind spoke.

“Do not fight it. Let it take you.” Quasimodo called just when Tonto felt his body moved by the walls. It was no longer any wall but that of some flesh. He went tunneling in and felt his body contorted to the turns there. Soon they were sliding down the tunnel and eventually they found themselves out on what may be described as another major tunnel.

“The smell of the place. I recognized such a pungent odor once when I was in London. Are we not in some similar tunnels where the waste of Man was released?” Tonto yowled out in anger. “Need I say more. Only a demon will retreat to such vile places.”

“Spare me your grief this was the only escape I knew.” Quasimodo slogged on in the dirty water on the tunnel while he pulled away at the waste off his clothes.  Lance cringed at the thought that he had slid down the tunnel but he saw no avail to his anger except to get out of there. They followed the demon on his way in the tunnel with an unpleasant silence. The tunnels were filled with the disposal of the inhabitants and more vile creatures lurked there.

“Your dinner is not my legs, scavenger.” Quasimodo grabbed the slithering creature with the length of Man’s spread of the arms. The creature was grabbed below its neck and then slammed its body against the walls before it was tossed to the far end of the tunnel. The creature landed there and was set upon by others which were best not described in detail.

“Could we move faster?” Tonto voiced out his desperation. He still held onto his rifle and doubt it will fire unless they oiled the parts of it again. He had asked Lance on his guns and was told the same concern but Tonto still held on his tomahawk. And the wooden stake.

Suddenly Quasimodo stopped them in their strides. He crouched down onto the tunnel water and looked at it. He then motioned to them to stay by the sidewall and it was in the time when the hordes of creatures of all nature and shapes rushed past them. They were rodents and roaches to the snaking cold-blooded. The rush was swift and soon the trio was standing there alone.

“What is …” Lance called out and saw a new threat. “Do they exist?”

“In Hades, they do but they are not seen here,” Quasimodo replied while he readied himself for battle.  “It’s the work of the Devil if they are here.”