by Mike Kraus
“I’m not sure I’d want to be alive if I would have to be trapped underground with General Black.”
Jane snorted in amusement. “Fair point. Come on, let’s head back and see if we can find a way up.”
After another forty-five minutes of wandering Rick and Jane rounded a corner and found themselves staring down a short corridor leading to the main doors for the complex. The activity in the corridor was frenetic with soldiers, airmen, marines and sailors running back and forth as they delivered messages and carried pallets of supplies and equipment from vehicles in the tunnel through the main doors.
Rick watched the commotion for a moment before nudging Jane and whispering. “We should get outside into the tunnel and see what it’s like out there. We’ll have to get through the main doors if we want to leave anyway so we might as well test it now.”
Rick was about to walk towards the gates when Jane pulled at his jacket to stop him. “Hang back a second.” She pointed across the hallway at a red sign hanging from the wall.
EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY – KEEP SEALED AT ALL TIMES
“What do you think that is?”
Rick shrugged. “An emergency exit?”
Jane rolled her eyes and gave him a playful punch on the side of his arm. “No kidding. Don’t you think it’s worth checking out?”
“Probably so, yeah. Let’s see if we can make it through the main doors without being stopped. On our way back in we’ll head over there and see what’s up with the emergency exit.”
“Sounds good. Lead on.”
Rick took a deep breath, straightened his back and walked briskly out into the main hallway with Jane following close behind. Rick kept his eyes forward, ignoring the occasional sideways glance he got from a few of the uniformed men and women. He made it through the first door easily enough but had to stop in between the first and second while the soldiers pushed both doors open a few more feet to make room for several large pallets that were being pulled into the complex.
The delay was enough that Rick was starting to feel nervous about standing there doing nothing but he did his best to keep a passive look on his face until the path was open again. As he and Jane stepped forward one of the soldiers manning the door turned and glanced at him. “Sir? Where are you going?”
Crap. Rick glanced at the soldier as he and Jane slowed down. “General Black sent us out here. Said our gear was being brought in and we should go collect it so it doesn’t get lost.”
The soldier glanced back and forth at Rick and Jane for a second before nodding. “Go ahead.”
Rick smiled and sped back up and he and Jane quickly passed through the second door. Outside, in the tunnel, the noise and commotion was through the roof. Vehicles full of crates and people were lined up through the entirety of the entrance tunnel and halfway down the side of the mountain. Rick turned and headed down the tunnel, stopping once he reached a large stack of crates.
“What are we doing here?” Jane whispered to Rick.
“Watching.” Rick nodded at the commotion. “My guess is that they’re going to be bringing in people and supplies like this right up until the point when they seal those doors. We might be able to steal one of their trucks while they’re unloading it and just drive it out of here.”
“I thought that guy told you that the General’s car was the best thing to take, though.”
Rick shrugged. “I don’t see anything other than Humvees and these big haulers, do you?”
Jane looked out from behind the stack of crates and pointed back down at the direction from which they came. “It looks like everything’s turning around in front of the main doors but the tunnel keeps going past that. Maybe there’s a parking area or something down there.”
“Huh. Good point. Let’s check it out.”
The pair received almost no questioning glances as they walked along, though Rick chalked that up to the fact that they were blending in well with the sea of civilians and soldiers who were heading through towards the main doors. As they neared the doors Rick pulled Jane along with him as he slipped to the side out of the throng and between a pair of parked trucks. After heading to the other side of the tunnel Rick picked up the pace and jogged along until he reached the spot where the vehicles were turning around.
“Ha! Told you!” Jane grinned and walked past Rick. Parked up against the wall inside a small painted-off area sat a small two-door black sports car. A few other vehicles were parked behind the sports car but none of them looked anything like it.
“Huh. I didn’t take General Black as the type to drive something like this.” Rick circled around the car and cupped his hands around his eyes as he peered in through the heavily tinted passenger window. “You think all three of us can fit inside this thing?”
Jane was standing on the driver’s side of the vehicle, up against the wall of the tunnel, and gently tugged on the handle. The door opened with a soft whoosh and she peeked in. “The backseat’s a bit small but I can squeeze in there. Oh, hey! Look at this!” Jane reached in and pulled out a set of keys that were sitting in the center console.
“Nice. Leave them there, though.” Rick glanced back toward the gate and stepped away from the car. “We don’t need those on us in case we get searched or something.”
“Got it.” Jane tossed the keys back into the car and closed the door before walking around to stand next to Rick. “So this is our escape route, huh? We’ll come out here, get the car and head down through the tunnel and to… wherever Dr. Evans says, I guess.”
Rick nodded. “Yep. Exactly. Hopefully the sight of the general’s car driving along will confuse the soldiers enough to let us slip by without them making too much of a fuss.” Rick kicked one of the car’s tires and sighed. “I’d prefer to have something a bit beefier but being able to outrun anyone chasing us isn’t bad, either.”
“Are you two lost?” The soldier that had spoken to them on their way out into the tunnel was now standing in front of the main door shouting at them.
Rick waved at the man as he whispered out of the side of his mouth at Jane. “Follow my lead.” They walked towards the soldier who had his hand on his sidearm while he narrowed his eyes at them.
“I thought you two were going out to get your gear.”
Rick sighed and threw his hands up in the air. “We were supposed to. But it wasn’t out here. We were just taking a walk while we waited to see if it was being unloaded.” Rick turned to Jane. “I still don’t see it, do you?”
“Nope, nothing.” Jane shook her head.
“We’ll head back in, I suppose.” Rick spoke again before the soldier had a chance to reply. “I don’t want to get in the way any more than we have.” Rick smiled and walked past the soldier, leaving the man to stand there and watch the pair as they went back inside the complex.
Chapter 15
Somewhere between Ellisville, VA and Blacksburg, VA
After walking a fair distance away from the hill to answer the call of nature and radio the house to give Sarah and Mark an update, Dianne headed back to rejoin Jason. The sun had all but vanished on the horizon and the pair were checking their gear yet again in preparation for heading down to the compound.
“I’ll leave my bag up here,” Dianne said, “and Tina and I can pick it up on the way out.”
“How much stuff do you have in there?” Jason hefted the bag with one hand and rolled his eyes. “Just give it to me. I’ll tie it onto my pack.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, you two are going to have to loop around far enough from the compound that you don’t need any excess weight on you.”
“And you’re going to be running from people who know where you are. You don’t either.”
“Quiet, you.” Jason shook his head. “I’ll be fine. Just remember the plan and make sure you don’t get caught. No noise, no gunfire, no flashlights. Just get her out and go. I’m going to catch hell if you get hurt while we’re out here.”
“Yeah, Sarah wanted to
talk to you when I called in earlier. I told her you weren’t near the radio. She didn’t sound happy.”
Jason grinned. “Why do you think I made you go call in?”
Dianne chuckled and stood up, taking in a deep breath and letting it out in a long sigh. “You ready for this?”
“Ready as I can be.”
“All right. I’ll expect the shots in fifteen minutes.”
“Starting my countdown now.”
Dianne reached out and gave Jason a hug before turning and running down the hill, heading for the western side of the compound where the back of the gas station—and the shed holding Tina—was located. Jason went in the other direction, circling around to the eastern side and aiming for a rise from which he would have a clear angle on the front of the compound.
It took Dianne ten minutes to get in position at the back of the compound and she realized that getting in and out was going to be easier than she thought. One of the burned out cars was a large truck with a gaping hole through the center that had been filled with several sandbags. With no guards in sight she was able to pull the sandbags out before ducking down behind the vehicle to await Jason’s distraction.
Jason, meanwhile, reached his location in just over five minutes, giving him plenty of time to contemplate the plan he and Dianne had set up and think of ways to improve it. Instead of merely firing off several shots to draw the attention of those inside the compound he would put the rounds through a few objects instead. Dianne had insisted that he not kill anyone since it was impossible for them to know the details of those who appeared to be the captors and the captives, so that was out. Shooting out some lights and putting holes in the fuel trucks, though? That sounded like it would provide an excellent distraction.
Jason swept the scope of his rifle across the compound, making mental notes as he went of various objects that would make for good targets. When his gaze passed over the north side of the compound—the side that had been impossible for them to see when they were perched on the hill to the south—he noted that there was a small object with several cables leading away from it. The generator wasn’t all that powerful but it looked like the only thing providing light in the compound aside from flashlights carried by the occupants and the fires that were still burning.
He glanced at his watch and took a deep breath. Almost time. Once the first shot rang out he figured that he would have two minutes at most to continue firing before they identified his position and started out after him. Jason had already scouted the path down from his position and found the quickest way that would allow him to evade his eventual pursuers and make it back to the truck before they spotted him.
When the fifteen minutes was up Jason pressed his rifle up against his shoulder and steadied his breathing. The wood paneling on the stock felt rough on his cheek and the metal was cold in the autumn air. He squeezed the trigger on the rifle slowly, relaxing his body as he sunk into the weapon to make it as much of an extension of himself as he could.
The shot was loud, more so than Jason had expected with the foam earplugs he had dug out of his bag and placed in his ears a few minutes prior. The crack of the rifle echoed through the still night, cutting across the compound like a flaming blade. By the time the noise of the rifle reached the ears of those in the compound the damage it dealt had already been done.
The generator coughed and sputtered for a few seconds before going out. The lights around and inside the gas station blinked out along with it. Even as far out as he was Jason could hear the shouts of panic from the people inside the compound. Time to up the ante.
He fired six more shots, three of which were just to make noise and the other three of which were to further incite panic. One of the metal pots over a fire clanged as the bullet passed through, spilling the contents of the container out into the flames. Another bullet pierced the bottom of one of the fuel trucks sending a slow but steady trickle of gasoline pouring out into the dirt. The final shot went through the glass on the front door of the gas station, turning the safety glass into small chunks that fell with a loud crash into a heap on the ground.
Satisfied with the level of distress he had caused to the people in the compound, Jason scanned it again with his scope to make sure there was nothing he was missing. As he panned over to the south side of the compound he took in a sharp breath as he saw a man with a gun running for cover at the back of the building where Dianne was presumably rescuing Tina.
***
Behind the compound Dianne jumped up at the sound of the first shot and headed through the burned out SUV. She glanced around to look for any guards before hopping out and running headlong for the shed at the back of the gas station. While the lights in the compound had gone off there was still just enough residual sunlight left for her to see the crude latch on the outside of the shed. She opened it, threw open the door and hissed inside.
“Tina? Tina! Are you there?!”
“Who’s that?” The tired voice came from the depths of the shed and a small form came shuffling forward. “Dianne?” Dianne held out her hand to Tina to help her down when a deep shout came from off to her right.
“Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Dianne turned her head to see a large man carrying a rifle in his hand skid to a stop. He looked just as surprised to see Dianne as she did to see him and both of them stood stock-still for a long second as each tried to figure out their next move.
Chapter 16
Cheyenne Mountain Complex
Outside Colorado Springs, CO
“A sports car?” Dr. Evans asked the question again. “Are you sure?”
“It was either that, a white sedan or an SUV that looked like the back bumper was about to fall off.”
“Hm.” Dr. Evans scratched his chin. “I wouldn’t think the general would be a sports car type of person.”
“That’s what I said.” Rick chuckled. “I know it’s not ideal but the more I think about it the more it makes sense that it’ll be the best way to escape. The guards will recognize it so they won’t be as prone to stopping it and it’ll be fast enough to get away from whatever they send after us.”
“You think they’ll send people after us?” Dr. Evans’ eyes widened and he gulped nervously.
“I don’t know for certain but I wouldn’t be surprised.” Rick sat down across from Dr. Evans and gestured at the small computer in the man’s hands. “How’s it coming with this?”
“Hm?” Dr. Evans seemed to be lost in thought and took a few seconds to respond. “Oh, yes. The data. I’m afraid I’ve found nothing yet. Bits and pieces here and there but nothing new. Everything I’ve seen so far mirrors what I already know.”
“Do you think you’ll find anything?”
Dr. Evans shrugged. “There is an enormous amount of data on this device and its configuration makes it difficult to quickly search through it. I am thankful, though, that the power port is the same for other mobile devices. At least I won’t run down the battery while using it.”
Rick stood up, patted Dr. Evans on the back and nodded. “Excellent. Keep at it, please.” He glanced over at Jane. “Do either of you want anything to eat? It’s just after lunchtime, apparently. You wouldn’t know it without looking at a clock, though.”
“Yeah, I could do with a bite.” Jane nodded.
“Hm? Yes, yes. Excellent. Please.” Dr. Evans nodded without looking up from the miniature computer.
Rick chuckled and turned toward the door. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
***
After taking a break to eat a quick meal Dr. Evans returned to his work. He sat at the desk in Rick’s room, hunched over the computer tapping away at the small touchscreen and keyboard as he tried to locate information relating to Damocles. The archives in Cheyenne Mountain were enormous and contained data from dozens of government agencies of all types. Every once in a while he would come across a folder, document or search results relating to Damocles that looked worthwhile but ended up revealing nothing new.
The clues and hints of something larger buried in the data prompted Dr. Evans to continue working while Rick and Jane rested. It was around seven in the evening when Rick woke up and decided to take a stroll around the complex to relax his nerves and work some of the pent-up energy out of his system. He headed up to the main entrance into the complex to watch the people going back and forth. When he got there he noticed a strange uptick in the stress levels coming from everyone he saw.
“Hey!” Rick waved at a soldier who was running by and the woman slowed down.
“Can I help you?”
“Yeah, what’s going on? Is something wrong?”
“Didn’t you hear?”
“Hear… what?” Rick shook his head slowly.
“The general’s closing the doors early. We’re buttoning-up in three hours.”
Once again Rick felt his stomach lurch. “They’re closing the doors early? But what happened to the forty-eight hours?”
The woman shrugged. “No idea. If you’ll excuse me, though.” She dashed off before Rick could ask another question. He stood there for a moment, pondering what she said before he realized that the change was going to profoundly affect their chances of escaping from the complex.
“Shit!” Rick hissed under his breath as he turned and ran back down to get Jane and Dr. Evans. As he burst into his room they both looked up at him, smiling broadly.
“Hey! Perfect timing!” Jane jumped up from her seat next to Dr. Evans. “I think we’ve got something here!”
“That’s great, but—”
“Yes, yes!” Dr. Evans nodded furiously. “We most definitely have something here. It was all Jane’s suggestion that led to the discovery, too. See, we were—”
“Michael!” Rick shouted and Dr. Evans stopped talking. Before he or Jane could say anything, Rick continued. “They’re buttoning-up in less than three hours!”