Devil's Playground: Wrath & Vengeance Series Book 2

Chapter 4

An icy chill rolled down Aleksandr’s spine. He froze, every joint locking into place. Clear water filled his peripheral vision. The once teeming wildlife was now barely more than little specks, disappearing into the deeper, murkier recesses of the massive tank.

“Alek,” Nadya asked.

She sounded small and weak and so utterly fragile that his chest tightened.

“They’re here.” Ivan muttered the words as if he hadn’t intended anyone to hear.

The light around them shifted and dulled. Aleksandr’s first thought was that the staff was closing up, intending for the dimming light to force the guests out. The notion died as he watched Evelyn look up. Shock twisted her features as a deep crimson glow washed out to cover her skin. He didn’t have to look up. Blood. It didn’t move through the water like a liquid. Instead, it rushed down to cover the dome-like crackling flames. Within an instant, the world was reduced to shades of black and red. They crouched low, gathering into the middle of the hallway.

“Alek,” Ivan said softly.

Twisting around, Aleksandr snatched up his brother, holding him close with one arm while reaching for his sister. Evelyn had already collected the little girl and straightened.

“I’ve got her,” Evelyn said in a rush. “Let’s go.”

Aleksandr broke into a run, Evelyn close to his side. They had barely started when the ground shook violently. It was just a short burst but almost threw them all to the ground. The familiar sound of cracking glass turned his blood cold.

“Run!” he commanded.

The cry pulled them all out of the horrified shock, and they sprinted down the crimson hallway. The overhead speakers crackled and screamed, releasing a shrill cry that drove into Aleksandr’s ears like ice picks. Time between the tremors dwindled until it seemed that every passing second was punctuated with a shudder. Side by side, Aleksandr and Evelyn burst into one of the circular junction rooms, the children clutched protectively to their chests.

“Which way? Which way?” Evelyn shot the words out with the speed of a Gatling gun.

Aleksandr took the lead, heading directly to the passage on the right. The glass dome behind them shattered. Water as red and hot as blood gushed into the hallway, creating a small wave that chased them down and knocked them off their feet. Aleksandr balled himself tight, curling protectively around Ivan as the rush of blood drove them into a wall. He gagged, blood running down his throat. Panic exploded inside of Aleksandr as the liquid sloshed over his head. Scrambling and stumbling, he got to his feet, gulping down a deep breath as his head and shoulders broke free of the rising water line.

“Are you okay?” Aleksandr asked, cupping his brother’s cheek.

Ivan was choking, but nodded.

“Nadya!”

No sooner had he bellowed the word than Evelyn burst up from the coursing water, her arms wrapped tight around Nadya’s slender waist. The blood and dim light made it impossible to tell if she was injured. Before he could ask, her hand shot up, pointing back down the hallway as she started to scream. Aleksandr followed her gaze. A shark, far bigger than any of what they actually had in the tank, was now lodged halfway through the dome wall. Its skin was rotten, flying off in chunks as it thrashed for freedom. Each movement broke the glass a little more. Blood gushed inside. The tide grew higher as more sharks slammed into the dome, a flash of teeth before receding back into the depths.

“Go!”

Aleksandr’s command wasn’t needed. The dual threat of drowning or being eaten alive had spurred Evelyn out of her shock, and she was already racing for the door. The blood lapped at Aleksandr’s thighs, high enough to make every step a battle. In seconds, the hot liquid was pushing at his hips. It made it harder to keep his footing each time the sharks attempted to get inside.

“Right!” Aleksandr bellowed as they reached the end of the hallway.

From here, it was a series of twists and turns, the walls filled with small tanks of jellyfish and crabs. The overhead lights flicked off, casting the world into an inky darkness. They kept running. The water pushed at his spine. Somewhere behind them, the glass released one last cry and then the world was filled with the rumbling roar of an approaching wave. Ivan clutched his fingers into Aleksandr’s shirt, holding onto him for dear life. Pressed this close, Aleksandr could hear his brother’s mumbled words over the rest of the chaotic noises.

“It’s not real. It’s not real. It’s not real.”