Silver Stake (The Werewolf Hunter Chronicles Book 1) by M.D. Bowden Page A

the immediate area, illuminated by sunshine, for signs of danger.  The place looked less creepy with day light streaming through the iron bars of the door.  Nevertheless, she walked in slowly, tentatively, and jumped at a tiny squeak, which was probably a rat.
    She sighed, and walked further, past the brick that had been thrown at her the night before, into the shadows.  She squinted ahead and spotted a heavy wooden door with a chunky padlock.
    “Strange,” she murmured.
    “What’ll we do?” Ollie said.  “Find another way?”
    She shook her head, frowning at the lock.  She touched it and got a firm grip, then gave it a serious yank.  The wood around the lock splintered and came away.
    “Whew,” said Ollie.  “I knew it would be handy to bring you along.”
    “Ha, ha,” said Maya.
    Maya pulled the door towards her, the wood scrapping across the ground.  Beyond was another passage and some steps, and it wasn’t as dark as she had expected.  A high up drainage grate gave a subtle light.  Maya stepped carefully down some concrete stairs.  The walls were black with dirt and there were no handrails.  She heard another rat squeaking and a scurrying up ahead.  Moisture dripped off the walls, echoing along with their footsteps.  She took a deep breath and continued walking.  The passage wasn’t straight.  She kept turning, expecting to find a werewolf each time.  Her spooky sense still tingled, but she couldn’t exactly pinpoint how far away the wolves were.
    They turned a corner and found a hallway lit with bare dusty bulbs at wide intervals.
    “So, will this cross kill a werewolf?”  Ollie muttered.
    Maya laughed quietly.  “No, but if you press the silver against their skin it will burn, and that might give me enough time to save you.”
    “Right.  Great.” He said.  “Anything else?”
    “Huh?”
    “To help fend off the big bad wolf.”
    “Well, shoving a silver stake in their heart seems to be a failsafe method.  The rest is just conjecture based on myth.  Maybe Cole will be able to help with that.”
    “How long have you known him?”
    “A couple of days.”
    “So, you’ve been in this, on your own, for how long?”
    “About a year.  It began not long after I started college.”
    “Shite.  Must have been tough on you.”
    “You could say that,” Maya muttered.
    Ollie gave an uneasy laugh.
    They continued on along the passage, following it up a gentle incline.
     
     

CHAPTER 8
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Maya and Ollie continued on down the underground passageway, past rows and rows of dusty pipes.
    “I don’t think it’s much further,” Maya said.
    “What makes you think that?”
    “This incline.  I reckon we’ll hit the surface soon.”
    “I wonder—”
    Ollie spotted something and his feet scuffed the floor.
    “Oh god, Lewis!” Ollie said.
    Maya spotted Lewis lying face down on the dirty ground.
    As they ran up to him Lewis groaned.  They rolled him onto his back.  He had a streak of dirt across his cheek and a long rip on his sleeve.  He looked sweaty and scared. 
    “Ollie,” he said, and threw his arms around his friend.
    “What happened?” said Maya.  “How did you get here?”
    Lewis groaned again and rubbed the back of his neck.  “I’m not sure, some wolf dragged me I think.  A werewolf!  Can you believe it?”
    “Where’s Will?” said Ollie.
    Lewis shook his head.  “Man, I have no clue.  We got separated back somewhere.”  He gesticulated vaguely, not really with it.
    “We’ve got to get out of here,” said Lewis.
    “You two go,” said Maya.  “I’ll continue on and find Will.”
    “If you go, I go,” said Ollie.
    Maya stood up and looked him directly in the eye.  “You need to look after Lewis.  He’s in no state—”
    “I’m all right.  Really,” Lewis said.  “I can continue on.  I think I can remember the way.  I can help.”  He stumbled to his feet unaided.
    “Fine,” said Maya, through gritted