Standing near the table, Kate had filled the map with circles, she took another set of pins and placed them at what seemed to be random positions.

  “These are the places we could possibly find panels,” Kate pointed at one of the pins.

  “Here, this is our best option. Being in the yellow zone there should be no greys here, so we are going to be relatively safe as long as we don’t go too near the red zone” She continued.

  “You are really liking the nickname, do you?” Adam asked, sitting in one of the chairs.

  Kate only replied with a grin.

  “Also, it's a mall so there is a good chance it has panels as long as it's still standing”

  She followed.

  Adam crossed his arms before speaking.

  “I agree, but before that, one of us should bring Kiel to the island”

  “I can do that, it probably won’t take that much time, and we should just be in time for the causeway” Kate said with a nod.

  “Wait” Kiel said standing beside Kate, taking the attention of the two.

  “I want to go with you two” The boy said after a short pause.

  Adam and Kate turned towards each other.

  “We can’t do that,” Adam said.

  “Yes, it’s too dangerous” Kate agreed.

  “You said it yourself we were going the yellow zone so we should be fine”

  “But you would be much safer on the island” Kate pointed out.

  “You could bring me along after you got the panels”

  “Too much weight” Kate argued.

  “I can use the bow, it’s better than using guns which attract more greys”

  “We're going in the yellow zone so ther-“Kate was speaking when she got interrupted by Adam.

  “We should let him join”

  “What?” Kate and Kiel almost said in unison.

  “I just realized we can’t waste any more time, this is supposed to be a quick retrieval. If you brought him to the island first, I would have to wait for you to return before I could go get the panels, or you let me go alone” Adam explained.

  “No,” answered Kate.

  “In me going alone or in bringing Kiel?” Asked Adam.

  “Both” She replied simply.

  “You know we needed those panels as soon as possible,” said Adam, staring directly at Kate.

  Kate sighed.

  “That still won’t solve the problem, we can’t use the bike if there are three of us” answered Kate.

  “We’ll come up with something,” said Adam.

  “Fine” Kate said, finally agreeing.

  Adam held his hand up across the table and high five’d Kiel who was smiling, having his request be granted.

  “Just deal with how we will get there quickly,” Kate spoke.

  “There might be something we could use” Kiel said.

  Adam, remembering the first time Kiel said those words, he tried not to get his hopes up. And fortunately for him, he was right in not doing so.

  …

  Kiel guided the two in the backyard just past the crops where an old sidecar was lying around. Adam smelled the rust coming from the sidecar, being completely made in metal the rust almost enveloped the entire thing with its three wheels on which two were barely attached. It wasn’t big but neither was it small, the sidecar looked as if it could fit 2 people easily, 3 if you really tried.

  “It’s been a while since we used it.” Kiel said.

  “I can tell,” said Adam with a sigh.

  Kate simply turned to Adam while her arms crossed.

  “We'll make it work, somehow” Replied Adam while scratching his head.

  And so, they tried Adam and Kiel at least. Kate cooked some boiled eggs that they could pack once they are ready to travel. Kiel took a couple of sandpapers and gave some to Adam. The two of them scraped away the rust from the sidecar until it looked almost silvery again and after a few hours they finally succeeded. Adam stood and brought the bike to the backyard to attach the bike to the sidecar. Thankfully the bolts that are needed to attach it to the bike were still present, so they were able to attach it with ease. Adam also found a new flat wood that may serve as the new floor to replace the sidecar’s old one that was filled with holes along with the plank that was used for the sidecar’s chair, replacing the old one that was enveloped by mold.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Kate eventually returned with packed food for them nodding at the finished result of the pair.

  “Not so bad huh?” Adam asked with a smug face.

  Kate motioned her hand flat facing down and tilting side to side in front of her, signaling that it was fine.

  “I seriously would have killed for our car again” Adam said remembering their car that he himself blew up.

  Kiel looked sad feeling that what they did wasn’t good enough, of course it wasn’t but Adam couldn’t say that, so he just comforted Kiel that the bike with the sidecar was probably quieter than their car and was easier to travel with.

  After another couple minutes of small talk and rest, the three decided to prepare for their departure. Kate took the map and their bags while Kiel was tasked to carry their supply namely food and water. Adam on the other hand leads the bike outside the garden, fortunately the garden has a separate gate that leads outside. He waited for the two to arrive carrying their bags. When they did, the pair immediately placed their items in the sidecar, Kate still had her rifle slung to her shoulder and Kiel with his bow and a quiver full of arrows slung on his waist. Kate spoke as she threw Adam’s jacket that apparently he forgot inside.

  “So, who drives?”

  Adam caught the jacket and lets it rest in his shoulders before replying

  “How about we play for it?” his hand was motioning in a rock, paper scissors way.

  “Really? Now we do that? But when we had the car, you took the driver seat without considering me”

  “You weren’t really the most careful driver”

  “Say the guy who blew the car”

  Adam shrugged but didn’t reply, he raised his hand which was still in the ‘rock’ position waiting for Kate to play.

  Kate then obliged, making the same ‘rock’ position as Adam did with one of her hands

  “Loser drives,” said Adam.

  Kate nodded, Kiel then copied the position of Adam and Kate’s hand as if to join the game.

  “Not you” Said the two in unison.

  Kiel looked sad for a moment but eventually rode the sidecar.

  Adam and Kate had drawn twice before Adam finally managed to win by using rock against Kate’s scissors.

  Adam sat beside Kiel with a smug face as Kate rode the bike and pedalled their way towards the yellow zone.

  The statement about the bike being easier to ride and more quieter than the car both turn out to be false. The metallic parts of the bike and the sidecar screeched as Kate was pedalling through the road. Fortunately, it wasn't loud enough to awaken any of the nearby creatures that they might pass on their way.

  However, they actually did pass a few awakened monsters on the road, the first one was immediately shot by Kiel with his bow. The arrow pierced directly through the creature’s skull. Kate looked at Adam with widened eyes as she realized how competent the boy was in the bow.

  Adam smirked as he spoke

  “told you”

  Kiel asked Kate to stop by the road just beside the creature, Kate raised her brow but complied. Kiel then jumped out of the sidecar and got near the creature, it was still flinching despite receiving a clear fatal blow. The boy then pulled the arrow out of the monster skull and shook off the flesh attached to it. Adam and Kate looked surprised, their eyes widened. Kate slightly gapped her mouth, however despite their surprise neither of them pointed out the boy's behavior.

  Kiel, noticing the surprise of the two, spoke with a shrug.

  “Its practical”

  He then rode the sidecar again and proceeded as if nothing had happened.

  The rest of the way was uneventful aside from a couple of monsters that Kiel shot down, each hitting their head and each arrows also being retrieved. Kate realized that Adam was probably right in making Kiel join them, defeating those monsters without Kiel and his bow would probably generate noise and attract more attention than they wanted to.

  It took them a few hours to arrive at their destination.

  It was a massive grey concrete building that was filled with broken glass and cracked walls.

  Adam got down first and looked around, it was extremely quiet with only the sound of the wind breeze blowing through his face. He nodded towards Kate as she jumped out of the bicycle. Kiel was about to jump out of the side car as well when Adam called him out.

  “You stay”

  Kiel was about to argue but decided against it, he then quietly returned to his seat. Looking down and fiddling with his bow as he waited for the return of the two.

  The wait, as it turns out didn't take that longer than he expected as Kiel saw Adam and Kate returning with a sad look on their face, Kiel realized it was because they had returned empty handed. Kiel swung legs idly while Kate and Adam walked towards him.

  After their short walk Adam sighed and returned to his seat on the sidecar besides Kiel.

  “So where next?” Adam said with a sigh.

  “A couple of options, none which are sure” replied Kate as she immediately started pedaling again. They tried three more times, the second being in the yellow zones as well, however the building was a warehouse and was not in good condition and the inside was flooded with stagnant water the third building was another mall, in a slightly better condition than the last one however to their disappointment there weren't any panels that seemed functional.

  As the three headed to another one of their options Adam started worrying. He stared on the road as he thought of a possible remedy to their situation.

  He couldn't think of one.

  They eventually arrived at the place. The moment they arrived Kate started looking around and felt that there was something wrong.

  “It's quiet”

  “Isn't that a good thing?” Kiel asked with curiosity.

  “Not always” Adam answered as he and Kate got down their vehicle, heading towards the massive grey rusted warehouse and leaving Kiel back at the side care. While walking Adam decided that it was the building with the best condition ever since they started the search. They started before noon and it was already early evening.

  As they arrived at the front door Kate was about to use the stock of her rifle to open it, just like how she did it with the doors that they had passed. However to her surprise the door was already wrecked, the knob was missing with a few inch hole in its place instead.

  Kate widened her eyes and looked at Adam who shrugged as he replied.

  “Maybe someone already looted here before?”

  Kate accepted the idea and swung the door open. As they entered the massive building each of their footsteps echoed around the entire area. The place was only lit by the afternoon light that was passing through the warehouse’s high windows.

  Adam noted the messed up arrangement of the boxes, it was common as these buildings weren't maintained but the scattered boxes were messed in a way that it looked as if someone was running.

  Kate suddenly crouched to check for something in the ground, causing Adam to halt his steps as well.

  Kate pressed her fingers on the floor and showed it to Adam.

  Kate’s finger tips are covered in red sticky liquid.

  Blood.

  “It's still wet, whoever blood it was that person or thing was still here”

  Kate explained as she gripped her rifle tighter and moved forward.

  It didn't take them that long before they could see the owner of the blood.

  The thing was covered with boxes with only its grey charred arm with small greenish spikes visible. Kate looked at Adam before returning her attention to the arm, she held her rifle up and aimed it directly at the creature.

  Adam got closed, stepping near the creature as he pulled a pistol as well.

  Suddenly the hand moved

  Adam was so surprised that he wasn't able to react on time. He dropped his pistol as he struggled in the creature's grip on his neck.

  Kate was about to fire when the complete figure of the creature rose, and to her surprise it was strangely human shaped. However, that wasn't the main cause of her surprise. It was when she realized that the creature’s face was human as well aside from a patch of grey in its face resembling those of the monsters. It or maybe ‘he’ looked at Kate with fierce eyes one of which was green and the other one was black. it's hands that grip Adam’s neck continued to tighten.

  Kate’s mouth was completely gaped as she tried to figure out what kind of creature was in front of her, one with the arms of a monster and the face of a man.

  Remembering the creature's grip in Adam's neck, Kate did what she could and fired.

  Action?Adventure?Thriller Progression Terror Infinity / Unlimited Flow Dark

  The Tartarus Trials [A Dark Infinity Serial]

  Six strangers, one cursed mansion, survive the trials or feed the Beast.

  or die.

  [Mission Start: Initial Deployment]

  "The pop?up on the wall didn't blink. It didn't explain. It just ticked down, second by second, while five strangers screamed accusations across a room with no doors. Waylen had spent years breaking his back for pennies. Now the universe wanted to see how much grit that bought him… with the Beast in the dark laughing every time they argued."

  ? Fast?Paced Action?Horror?Thriller: Missions on a timer; no filler.

  ? Progression After Every Mission: Terror Infinity / Unlimited Flow style.

  ? Smart, Earned Growth: Waylen climbs from Normal to Strong through grit and craftiness.

  ? Buy Your Powers: Magic and sci?fi abilities/items can be purchased as the Trials unfold.

  ? Dark, Gritty Survival: Victories are won second by second, wound by wound.

  ? Myriad Missions: New threats, new rules, escalating scope each mission.

  Schedule: 3 or more chapters a week: M–W–F (by 1:00 PM EDT / GMT?4).