by David Meyer
But even as I considered the scenario, I found myself rejecting it. Despite his prickly attitude, I sensed that Ghost wasn’t interested in acquiring power. Instead, he seemed legitimately concerned for the welfare of his people.
I decided to extend an olive branch. “Are you sure…?”
“Go. Now. And don’t come back.”
“I’m not leaving without my stuff.”
He considered me for a moment. Then, he shrugged and handed me my gun and machete. After returning them to their rightful places, I retrieved my satchel from the ground.
At Ghost’s nod, the two men holding Beverly released her. Slowly, we backed out of the layup yard, keeping a close watch on the colonists.
“You okay?” I asked her.
“A few bruises but I’ll manage. You?”
“Nothing a couple of shots won’t fix.”
“They look sick. What do you make of it?”
“No clue. Let’s just hope they aren’t contagious.”
“Agreed.” She glanced at me. “Do you think we should get checked out?”
“Not yet. I want to take another look at the Lexington Avenue Line.”
“Now?”
“Especially now. Ghost mentioned that two people recently went missing while walking through the tunnel.”
“So what? They probably fled this hellhole.”
“Communities like this one are built on longstanding relationships and trust. People don’t just leave, even if they are sick. No, I think they vanished. And if we find them, we might just find Kolen and Adcock too.”
“Do you think something bad happened to them?”
I thought for a moment. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
Chapter 17
Inch by inch, I worked my way through the tunnel system, examining every single crack, cranny, and nook. I knew I was missing something.
But what exactly?
My foot splashed in water. My gaze shot to the ground. Under my boots, I saw a small stream running next to the tracks. It wasn’t deep enough to reach the third rail. Still, I didn’t feel particularly comfortable standing in it.
Beverly pointed her flashlight to the other side of the tunnel. “It’s over there too. Where’s it coming from?”
“The storm,” I replied. “The rain must’ve raised the water levels in the Hudson and East Rivers. That overwhelmed the pumps, assuming they’re even still operating. Probably parts of the sewer system too.”
She edged to the side, as far away from the third rail as space permitted. I followed suit. I didn’t know what would happen if I accidentally splashed water onto the third rail. Maybe nothing.
Maybe something.
Stooping down, I examined another section of concrete. I needed to squint to see every detail and it struck me that visibility had diminished within the tunnel. Seeing nothing, I stood up again.
For what seemed like the tenth time, I strode past the Grand Central platform, taking time to examine both the local and express tracks. My nerves tingled and every now and then, I’d check over my shoulder to make sure that we weren’t being followed. I wasn’t the paranoid type, but a little extra caution seemed in order. Assuming that Ghost told me the truth, seven people had recently vanished from the colony, two within the last few hours. Adding in Kolen and Adcock, that number rose to nine.
Nine disappearances.
All within the same general area.
It was too much of a coincidence to ignore. And unfortunately, only one explanation seemed to fit the facts. An explanation that chilled me to the bone.
Someone killed them.
All of them.
And that someone was most likely nearby.
“What happened back there?” Beverly asked.
“What do you mean?”
“During the fight with that psycho, your face turned purple and you looked like you were in pain. I thought you were going to pass out.”
“You must’ve been seeing things.”
“Are you sure? I’ve seen that sort of reaction before, back in my military days. The doctors call it post-traumatic –”
“Leave it alone.”
“But I –”
“I said leave it alone.”
“You don’t like me very much do you?”
I glanced toward her. Her hands rested defiantly on her cocked hips. Her nose was set, tilted slightly in the air. Her eyes, locked upon mine, blazed with intensity. She looked cool and calm, yet incensed at the same time.
“Did it really take you this long to figure that out?” I asked.
“Everything I did to you, I did under orders.”
“Oh, that makes it much better.”
“Anyway, Tasers are perfectly acceptable non-lethal weapons. Police officers use them all the time.”
“My favorite part was when the electricity actually entered my body. I love foaming at the mouth.”
“You weren’t in any danger.”
My gaze hardened. “That’s easy for you to say. You weren’t the one getting Tasered.”
“You’re overreacting. I had orders not to harm you under any circumstances. You were perfectly safe.”
I snorted. “That’s comforting. Let me ask you this…what if your orders were the opposite? What if Chase told you to shoot me?”
“He wouldn’t do that.”
“But what if he did?”
“He wouldn’t.”
Her answer didn’t reassure me, not by a long shot. But I decided to let it go. It occurred to me that a little bonding might be in order. So far, our collaboration had proven contentious. And with a possible killer stalking the tunnels, the last thing I needed was a hostile partner.
I cleared my throat. “You said you were in the military?”
Her face, framed in a shifting pattern of multi-colored shadows, contorted. “My dad was in the navy so I was a brat pretty much since birth. While the other girls played dress-up, I read books on military strategy and tactics. I memorized everything I could find on the greats. Sun Tzu. Hannibal. Alexander. Patton. Eventually, I went to West Point and then served in the Marine Corps for a couple of years.”
“How’d you get involved with ShadowFire?”
“I met Jack while serving in Baghdad. I was disillusioned with the Marine Corps. He was recruiting new personnel. It didn’t take him long to sell me on a career with his company.”
“Is he a good boss?”
“He’s a brilliant boss, decades ahead of his time.”
I nodded. “Okay, your turn. What do you want to know about me?”
“I know more than enough about you already.”
“Is that so?”
“Your given name is Cyclone Reed,” she replied. “But you prefer to be called Cy for some reason. You were born in this city and lived here pretty much your entire life. Your dad died in rather horrific fashion when you were little and your mom never remarried. When…”
For the next minute, she proceeded to peel off facts about my life as if I were some kind of onion. It was startling, disturbing even. Clearly, my life was an open book.
Even worse, she’d memorized every word of it.
Patiently, I listened for a little longer. But when she started to reel off names of former flings, I had to draw the line.
Raising a hand, I stopped her in mid-sentence. “That’s plenty. I never thought I’d say this but I’m bored with myself. Is this what you do all day? Sit around and memorize people’s files?”
“Sometimes. But files only take you so far. If you truly want to know a person, you have to walk in their shoes, spend time with them, study their reactions.”
“Is that why you’re here? To gather intelligence on me?”
She laughed. “Not at all. You heard Jack. I’m here to help, nothing more, nothing less.”
I thought about responding but returned my attention to the tunnel instead. I could banter with Beverly later. For the time being, I needed to focus my attention on tracking down Peter and Mary. The t
rail was hot but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. Not with water flooding into the tunnel.
Beverly walked ahead of me, her gaze and flashlight beam firmly attached to the tunnel walls. Although she continued to rub me the wrong way, I was beginning to appreciate her presence.
As she passed farther into the tunnel, her light dimmed. I felt strangely protective of her.
If something happened…
If the killer appeared…
I didn’t want to think about that.
Something splashed. My arm swept to the side, casting light on the opposite wall. Nothing. My imagination was playing tricks on me.
“Cy, come look at this!”
I broke into a run, covering fifty yards in less than eight seconds. Not exactly world-class time, but considering the environment, not half-bad either.
I slid to a stop, splashing water onto her boots. “What?”
Silently, she pointed at the ground.
I knelt down and took a closer look. At first, I didn’t see anything of interest. Other than a pile of debris, the lower half of the wall appeared no different than any other section.
Then my flashlight beam skipped over some rotten wood and rusty broken tools. It looked like there was something behind them. Something dark. Gently, I brushed the debris aside.
A hole appeared before my eyes.
It was large but well covered by garbage and slime. Its jagged, yet smooth edges indicated that tools hadn’t carved it. Rather, it looked like time and pressure were to blame.
Bending over, I saw a partially submerged passage lying behind the hole. It appeared to curve up and to the right and I guessed that it was a natural fissure in the bedrock.
Carefully, I examined the area just inside the passage. It didn’t take long for my light to catch a red smear. I brought my eyes right up to the mark and studied it. From up close, it looked more like a splatter than a smear.
I breathed in, inhaling the scent. It smelled sour yet sweet. I also detected a hint of copper. There was no mistaking it.
“It’s blood,” I said. “Pretty fresh too.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Beverly frowned. “We should get to the surface and find some help.”
“Screw that.”
“I don’t know what’s going on around here, but it seems pretty clear that people are dying. I’m not going to allow you to risk your life.”
“That’s not your decision to make.”
“It’s protocol to –”
I slammed the side of my fist against the wall. “Screw your protocol. Kolen was a friend. And I’ll be damned if I leave this place without finding him.”
“Don’t be stupid. We have all the evidence we need.”
I dropped flat on the wet ground. Shining the beam before me, I crawled into the dark tunnel. “I’m not looking for evidence,” I called out grimly. “I’m looking for bodies.”
Chapter 18
It didn’t take long for me to smell sewage. And the farther I inched through the natural crevice, the stronger the smell.
Or rather, smells.
Numerous odors melded together into one giant noxious aroma. I felt myself getting light-headed. Grimacing, I wrapped my shirt collar over my nose and held my breath. But the stink was inescapable.
I followed the twisting, turning tunnel for what seemed like hundreds of yards. Along the way, I passed several other fissures, which branched off of the main one. But I ignored them and continued on, driven, yet repulsed by the overwhelming stench.
The tunnel began to descend. Eventually, my beam cut through the end of the passage and I saw a perpendicular tunnel. It looked larger than the one that surrounded me but much smaller than the one I’d left behind. Crawling forward, I slid headfirst into it.
And headfirst into a mess of filth and muck.
I scrambled to my feet, bumping my head against the ceiling in the process. I frantically tried to wipe away the sludge. But it was too late. I smelled like garbage and industrial waste. But most of all I smelled like shit.
Tons and tons of shit.
Beverly scraped her way out of the passage and stood up. Her face was white and she looked ready to vomit. Slowly, she bent at the waist and placed her hands on her knees. “Oh my God. This place is revolting. I swear I’ll never forgive you for this.”
“You didn’t have to come.”
She gave me a queasy look. “I thought you said these sewers were flooded.”
“Some of them probably are flooded. We happened to get lucky. Don’t jinx it.”
Tightening my grip around the flashlight, I pointed the beam around the tunnel. It stood close to six feet tall and was shaped in a cylindrical fashion.
I heard a soft splash. Twisting swiftly, I pointed my beam down one end of the tunnel.
I saw nothing.
Nothing but more tunnel.
And more sewage.
I switched my attention to the tunnel roof. “I’ve got more blood. Lots of it, in fact.”
She shrugged. “No big surprise there. Someone probably stood up and bumped against the ceiling.”
“The splatter is too widespread for that. No, I think something else caused the blood to land up here. Something that struck with tremendous force.”
“Then where are the bodies?”
I pointed my flashlight around the sewer tunnel. While both ends looked alike, the blood marks appeared to travel in just one direction. I unsheathed my machete and stepped forward, following the trail of red smears through the tunnel.
“Is it safe in here?” Beverly’s voice didn’t waver.
“Are you kidding? Don’t you see all this blood?”
“I don’t mean that. I mean is it safe to breathe the air?”
“We should be fine unless we stumble on a pocket of carbon-monoxide.”
“What happens if we do that?”
“We die. Pretty quickly.”
Despite the warm tunnel, cold sweat dripped down my face. For the next thirty seconds or so, we tramped through the tunnel in relative silence. It angled slightly, ascending upward. Then it leveled off again. I kept my flashlight moving the entire time, looking for signs of life.
Abruptly, my beam fell upon a couple of lumps.
My fingers tightened around the machete until my knuckles hurt. My other hand drifted to my chest, just above my pistol.
I approached the lumps and studied them.
They were bodies.
Dead bodies.
The sweet, sickly odor of decomposition forced its way into my nostrils. A deep sense of foreboding filled my chest. I knelt down, allowing my knee to sink into the soft sludge. I exhaled as I examined the corpses. They were in horrendous shape. Most of the skin and flesh was gone. The parts that remained were covered with deep, gouging bite marks.
My gaze drifted to what remained of a face.
It was a face I recognized.
It was Javier Kolen’s face.
Memories flooded my skull and I fought back an urge to vomit. Colorful lights appeared at the corners of my eyes and it took all my willpower to stave off yet another incident.
As I regained control of my emotions, I shifted my flashlight up and down his body. Bits of clothing and inch-thick grime covered his legs. Reaching out, I flicked away some of the sludge, revealing more bones.
Bones picked clean.
“Good lord,” Beverly whispered. “What in the world happened to them?”
I didn’t answer. What the hell could I say? The sight was more shocking, more horrifying than anything I’d ever seen in my life.
I closed my eyes and tried to say a prayer for Kolen’s soul, for all of their souls. But gruesome images kept shooting through my brain, causing me to forget my words. I glanced at Beverly. “I don’t know. But I do know that this skeleton belongs to Kolen. I can’t be sure about the others.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.”
Her vo
ice turned businesslike. “We need to get out of here. Jack needs to know about this.”
“Who could’ve done this?” I muttered under my breath. “And why?”
“Cy, did you hear me?”
I nodded.
She gave me a long look. I sensed a deep emotional struggle waging within her.
“This is the end of the line,” she said after a minute.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m going to advise Jack that we call off this search.”
“But…”
“A Nazi treasure that may not even exist doesn’t matter much anymore. We need to focus our efforts on returning these poor folks to the surface and giving them proper burials.”
“We also need to bring whoever did this to justice.”
“That’s not your responsibility.”
“I want to help.”
“It’s a job for the police. As of now, you’re released from your obligations.”
“I don’t want to be released.”
“You’ll be paid of course,” she replied. “In full. But your work is done. You’re free to leave.”
“But…”
Her face darkened. “But nothing. I don’t want to see your face again. If I do, I’ll make sure you never get your money.”
Turning around, she walked back through the tunnel. I watched her leave, feeling confused and unsatisfied. It was all happening so fast, so abruptly.
It’s not supposed to end this way.
Still, a murderer had killed numerous people. That changed everything, at least for the time being.
I wanted to feel relieved. After less than twenty-four hours of work, I’d become wealthy, wealthier than my wildest dreams. I could pay off my debts. I could go anywhere, do anything. My whole life was a book waiting to be written.
But a vague sense of dissatisfaction gave me pause. With a long sigh, I stood up. As I did so, my flashlight tipped and the beam glinted. I stared at Kolen’s body for a moment, trying to decide whether to leave well enough alone.