For now the creature seemed content enough to hold him in place.Willets was naked. He had no idea where his clothes or equipment were. He looked for h...s gun and instead saw Steer's kneeling body.He had to escape this thing.Willets gritted his teeth, flexed his arms and began to push out against the serpentine body wrapped around him. Willets was a powerful man, his body hard from many years of physical exercise. He grunted and pushed and felt the coils give a little.Perspiration beaded. We’ve got to tell you about the investigation as it unfolded. To jump ahead would be too confusing. This is only the part where we were just starting to put things together…’ Tom’s mind momentarily wandered from the story of the investigation. It had been a fun night playing cards with all their friends, despite the heartbreaking discoveries… Until Diana and Charles had wiped everyone out by cheating together! But he remembered what a good time Jon told the guys he and Barb had that night in. Anyone let through that had brought personal things, suitcases, backpacks, and in one stupid-ass case a huge trunk, had their bags taken and thrown aside, pushed into the entrance with nothing in their hands. I managed to reach the front of the mob, yelling my name over the noise to the sergeant there. A quick check of the list, and I was let through. As I had brought nothing but the clothes on my back, I passed unmolested. Into the entrance I ran, a hundred feet of narrow tunnel crudely dug. ’ He felt himself relax. ‘Well, um, thanks for the help. I like having your company, you know, but you don’t have to do this, if you don’t want to.’ ‘No, I want to.’ ‘Yeah?’ Her quizzical, almost hopeful look was back. ‘Yeah.’ He smiled. ‘I do.’ ‘OK.’ She smiled in return. ‘Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.’ His stomach lurched as she turned to walk away. He didn’t want her to go, not yet. ‘Hey, Maisie?’ She turned. ‘Yeah?’ ‘Do you want to, I don’t know, go sailing or something this.