by Hunt, Jack
His brow furrowed. “Why didn’t you say that?”
“Because you didn’t ask.”
He cursed and kicked the generator and it spluttered.
“Shut the damn thing off.”
Austin reached over and turned it off. “Then there is the chance that it did work and she’s dead inside, which means we just wasted one hour.”
Trent looked as if he was going to blow his top. He trudged over to the blowtorch and was about to spark it up when he threw it down and came over and pushed Austin back. “We didn’t waste an hour. You did.” He jabbed his finger into Austin’s chest. “I can’t believe you let me go ahead with that knowing full well that she could survive down there.”
“I told you this was a stupid idea in the first place but oh you wouldn’t listen to me. You always have to be in control. Admit it, you’re a control freak.” He pushed him back. “Now I say we leave now. She hasn’t seen our faces.”
Trent ripped off his ski mask. “Now she has.”
“Huh. You really are stupid. I’m done.”
Austin picked up the generator and began lugging it back to the truck when he heard a gun cock. “Don’t make me do it.”
He turned and frowned. “You going to shoot me, brother?”
“I will if I have to. We are in this now. You walk, she talks, it’s as simple as that. No, we use the blowtorch and keep working away on this. Eventually we will get through.”
Austin dropped the generator and charged over to him and grabbed him around the neck. “Eventually? The sun is going to come up soon. Neighbors are going to be out. Police will be patrolling if they aren’t already. We don’t have more time.”
He held him tight giving him a look of death. It hadn’t been the first time he’d threatened his life and it probably wouldn’t be the last, but he wasn’t going to have him screw everything up.
“She’s seen my face.”
“You don’t know that,” Austin said.
“Think about it. If they design these things to withstand a shit hits the fan event, you can damn well expect they have cameras.”
Austin looked around.
“And don’t go trying to find them. They are probably concealed.”
He released his brother.
Trent continued. “This thing would have an escape hatch, right?”
“Possibly. So?”
“Well think about it. It’s only an escape hatch if you can get out of it fast. Which means it’s probably not like the one we are trying to burn our way through. If we can find that, we might have our inroad.”
Austin brought two fingers up to the bridge of his nose. “You just told me not to go searching for the cameras, but now you want us to search for the escape hatch? Are you out of your mind?”
“Listen. I will keep going with the blowtorch while you search the grounds. It has to be around here somewhere.”
Austin ran a hand over his head and gazed towards the house. He blew out his cheeks then pulled out his flashlight and nodded. “Get to work then. I’ll see what I can find.”
His brother got this grin on his face as he returned to the blowtorch and fired it up. He brought goggles down over his eyes and went back to work. Austin figured that the hatch could be anywhere within a 360-degree area. There was no telling which way the shelter was facing so he started on the north side of the shed and walked forward, keeping the flashlight on the thick foliage and banging his foot against the ground. He didn’t know a lot about underground shelters but he knew enough to know that if there was an escape hatch, it wouldn’t be that far underground and it would either be exposed or covered by a few inches of soil.
He just hoped they’d be able to find it before the sun came up.
Chapter 32
Rayna had been studying the CO2 detector ever since they’d started pumping that crap into the air intake tube. To say she was beyond relieved that Elliot hadn’t cut corners would have been an understatement. He’d paid for the best air filtration system on the market and right now it had just saved their lives.
Her heart was still hammering in her chest.
It wasn’t over. It wouldn’t be over until they were gone. Until the cops had arrested them. She stared down at the two-way radio and tried again.
“Come in, Jill, Gary?”
There was only static that came back.
“Mom, they are back at it again,” Evan said pointing to the monitor.
She hurried over and stared at the multiple screens. One showed Trent working on the hatch while the other one was searching the grounds. “What are you after?” she mumbled.
“What’s he looking for, Mom?” Lily asked.
At first she wasn’t sure and then as she watched him banging his foot on the ground, she realized. “He’s searching for the escape hatch.”
“Can he get in if he finds it?”
She didn’t respond to that but hurried through the shelter to the back and climbed through the tunnel and looked up. She looked at the notebook and thumbed through trying to find more details on the escape hatch. She knew that all she had to do was pull the chain and all the sand above it would drop down allowing them to go up but she was unsure about the lock mechanism. Was it as secure as the main hatch or weaker? Rayna began to pace. Her mind churned over. They were getting in one way or another. If they found the escape hatch, and they got through the main hatch, what then? She only had the one gun, and she had her kids to think about. She needed to get out and fast but how? Stay, leave, no matter what she did, she put her children at risk. Her panic level had reached a new height. Rayna kept going back and forth as she formulated a plan. She stared at the display and watched the two men. What if she created a distraction? Made them believe she was going to come out while her kids exited through the escape hatch and ran to get help? No, if they spotted them she wouldn’t be able to live with herself. She’d have to go with them. At least that way she could protect them with the rifle. But then there was Kong. She looked down at him. If they exited, they wouldn’t be able to get him up in time.
Another hour passed.
“Mom. You need to see this,” Lily said.
She’d been in the back of the shelter looking up at the escape hatch contemplating how much noise it would make if the sand dropped. According to the notebook, there was only four inches between the surface and the hatch.
“What is it?”
She didn’t even need to look at the screen as she heard his boots coming down the steel ladder. It echoed inside the shelter’s chamber. He was whistling to himself.
He’d breached the main hatch.
“Well, well, well, look at that!”
She could hear him loud and clear now. He banged with his fist against the final door that separated them from him. Kong rushed forward growling at the door.
“Come out, come out, little pigs. Or I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll fucking kill every one of you!” His voice got louder and Kong started barking. The cameras weren’t inside the shelter so she couldn’t see what he was doing but she knew. The familiar sound of hissing meant the blowtorch was on again.
“Mom,” Lily grabbed her mother’s hand.
“Okay, listen up. We are going to make a break for it.”
“No, he’s out there,” Evan said pointing to the screen.
She took hold of him and looked directly into his eyes. “I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you. You understand?” She saw his eyes well up. “Do you understand?”
He nodded.
“Lily, take your brother to the back room.”
“What about Kong?”
“Kong is going to have stay here for now.”
Evan pulled away from his sister with tears in his eyes. “No. I’m not leaving him here.”
“You listen to me. Kong will be fine.”
She didn’t know that but as much as she loved that dog, her main priority was the safety of her family. Rayna waved for them to go while she went over to the door a
nd tried to get the attention of Trent on the other side.
“Hey! Hey!” She had to shout real loud because of the noise of the blowtorch but eventually he heard as it went quiet on the other side, then he replied.
“Yes?”
“If we come out, you let my kids go and you can have whatever you want inside.”
“A bit late for that now, isn’t it?”
“That’s the deal.”
“Lady, there is no deal. You’ve already seen my face.”
“They haven’t.”
“Don’t bullshit me,” he replied.
There was silence for a minute. “We just need to gather a few things together. Then we’ll come out but I need your word that you will let my kids live. They haven’t done anything. They’re just kids.”
“We were all just kids once,” he said. “No deal!”
And like that the blowtorch came back on and now she could see a small hole forming. It was glowing a deep orange. Shit. Shit!
She hurried back towards the rear of the shelter and cast a glance at the screen. Her mind was moving at a million miles an hour trying to make connections, trying to think about how to do this. She considered just staying inside, waiting it out and when he came through the door shooting him but the odds were stacked against her. She couldn’t take the risk. No, the only way was to get out.
“Listen up, Lily, when I say go, you pull that chain and step out of the way. Sand will drop down and then I want both of you to go up that ladder and to run through the woods to Mr. Thompson’s house. You understand?”
She nodded.
“No hesitation and you do not wait for me.”
“But Mom—”
“Lily!” she snapped with tears welling up in her eyes.
Rayna made sure the rifle was ready, she slung it over her shoulder and cast a glance at Kong. “We’ll come back for you, Kong. I promise.”
His head cocked, unable to understand them.
“Mom, we can take him with us.”
“There isn’t enough time. You remember how long it took to get him down. No. He stays.”
She turned her attention back to the screen and waited until Austin was on the far side from the escape hatch before she gave Lily the go-ahead. Everything happened so fast. There was a whoosh as sand dropped, then she saw both kids hurry up the steps. Her eyes remained focused on the screen to see if Austin had heard.
He hadn’t.
She turned and bolted towards the steps, her eyes focusing on Kong. She didn’t want to leave him but she had no other choice. As she climbed, she looked down and saw Kong looking up. She tried to push the thought of him from her mind but it was killing her. That dog meant the world to her. As soon as she emerged from the shelter, she swung the gun around and was pleased to see the kids had sprinted into the woodland heading in the direction of her neighbor’s home.
The problem was, Austin had heard them.
“Trent!” he yelled hurrying towards her kids, jumping over fallen branches. He hadn’t even spotted her yet as she was still crouched down by the opening. She brought up the gun and did her best to aim and then squeezed off a round.
The crack of it echoed in the silence.
It didn’t hit its mark.
Austin took cover behind a tree and glanced out, then returned fire. She scrambled for cover in the dense forest, knowing full well that at any moment now Trent would be coming up those steps and then any chance of her escaping with the kids would be over. In the distance she saw Lily and Evan stop and turn around.
“Go!” she screamed, then watched as they continued on.
She brought the rifle around and squeezed off another round as Austin darted between the trees trying to make his way over. As he got closer, she noticed Trent emerge with a handgun. He fired off a round and darted into the forest to join his brother in hunting her.
Chapter 33
When the Jeep rolled into Lake Placid, it was three in the morning. Elliot had taken over driving an hour ago. He was relieved to see the familiar sights of his hometown and yet overly anxious to see his family. It wasn’t a surprise to see no one out. The weather was freezing cold and like many of the towns throughout New York State; he imagined they had already issued a state of emergency and enforced a curfew.
As he veered left off Sentinel Road onto Main Street they practically drove into the blockade. There was no time to slip down a different street or even back up. A large floodlight came on, blinding him. He eased off the gas and brought his window down. Over the hum of the Jeep he could hear a generator. Cutting into the bright light came two figures walking towards him. He could already tell by their silhouettes that they were cops. Their duty belts, hats and hands on their weapons made that obvious.
Elliot squinted and held a hand up to his eyes.
“Driver. Shut off the vehicle,” a male voice bellowed.
He turned off the engine, and they got closer.
“Take out the keys and put them on top of the vehicle.”
They were treating him like a common criminal but it must have been odd to see a working vehicle rolling into town. He knew they wanted to use it and no matter what he said, they would take charge of it.
Gary had seen him before his eyes adjusted.
“Elliot?”
The familiar sound of his friend’s voice put him at ease.
“Gary.”
“Holy crap. I’ll deal with this.”
“But sarge…”
“I said I would deal with this. Now head back,” Gary said to the other officer who was scrutinizing him. For a few seconds they looked at each other not saying anything. Gary shone his flashlight into the vehicle and over the faces of the rest of them.
“Who are all these people?”
“Long story.”
“Where the hell have you been?”
He smiled and winced a little. His jaw was still hurting from the beating.
“You look like shit,” Gary muttered.
“You don’t look too good yourself, buddy,” he replied. Gary stepped back from the vehicle and looked it over.
“I’m guessing this isn’t yours.”
“Nope, but…”
Before he could finish, Gary put a hand up. “Don’t even tell me.”
“Gary. Rayna. Is she…?”
“She’s okay. At least she was when I saw her earlier this evening.”
“And the kids?”
Gary studied his face before he sighed. “They’re fine.”
Elliot nodded and looked ahead towards the blockade that had been set up. They’d shut off the glaring light and his eyes had now adjusted and could see four officers and two volunteers.
“Are you here to stay?”
“For now,” Elliot said.
Gary’s lip curled a little, and he placed a hand on Elliot’s arm. “It’s good to see you again, my friend.”
“You too.”
“You know we’re going to need this vehicle.”
“It’s all yours as soon as I get home.”
He nodded. “Bring it by tomorrow.”
“Will do. How are things?”
“Not good but we’ll get through it.”
He chuckled and shook his head then tapped the vehicle. “Go on, I’ll deal with the questions here. We’ll speak later.”
“Thanks, Gary.”
As he started up the Jeep he looked over at him then smiled. He’d often wondered how Gary would react when he returned. He never imagined it would be under these circumstances. Gary had them clear the way so he could drive through town. It was a short distance remaining, less than five minutes. His heart began beating rapidly the closer they got as he veered onto Mirror Lake Drive and drove on through the final stretch.
Chapter 34
Gunfire echoed. Rayna dashed from one tree to the next, sweat pouring off her brow. Her hands were clammy and her throat dry as she tried to keep them from pinning her in. She eyed the house and considered sprinting for it, b
ut it would have meant running out of the trees and that was the only thing keeping her alive.
“You are really starting to piss me off, lady!”
To that, Rayna fired another round in his direction then fished into her pocket and loaded a few more bullets into the Winchester. The evergreen trees surrounding the property created a canopy that blocked out what little light came from the moon and stars. She laid herself down behind a tree and rested the rifle on a thick root, observing the two men darting in and out. They were getting closer and if she didn’t take one of them out soon, they would be on her. Although she’d been firing at both of them to keep them back, she now focused her entire attention on Austin who was closest.
“It didn’t have to end this way,” Trent yelled.
She never responded to anything they said. It would have given away her location and in that moment that was the only thing working for her. She brought the rifle up as Austin made another dash to the next tree. She watched how he moved and waited until he shot out again before she squeezed the trigger.
This time she didn’t miss.
His body spun, and he dropped.
“Austin!” Trent darted out then ran back as she fired another round, this time at him. She looked over at Austin, he wasn’t moving. She’d been firing at them for the past ten minutes and not one round had hit them. It was just a matter of timing and the odds eventually swung in her favor. At least now she stood a chance. A new sense of confidence flooded her being as she loaded the gun again and prepared for Trent to stick his head out. C’mon, you bastard! Rage welled up inside of her at the thought of them attempting to hurt her children.
He dashed out, jumping and zigzagging until he reached his brother. She fired off a few more rounds hoping to get him now that he was out in the open, but he laid down close to the earth using his own brother as cover.
Silence crept over the woodland, nothing more than the sound of an owl.
Then she heard him weeping and saying his brother’s name over and over again.
“You are gonna fucking die,” he bellowed furiously.
