He took a deep breath and hoisted the revolver. Abigail opened the door and crept out into the hall, head darting both ways. “We’re clear. Come on.”
What was he doing? He wasn’t sure he could hit a target at one meter. This was what Matthew was for. This was why he was a broker. Directing other people to do stupid crap was a lot safer than doing it yourself. Now Matthew was injured and his mom was in danger. Everything was flipped on its head.
Abigail led him down the staircase and checked the halls in either direction again. He jumped when the front entrance opened, but it was another tenant that he recognized. They saw Abigail and immediately spun on their heels and left. Smart move.
“Where’s this entrance?”
“Right here behind the stairs.”
“It’s just a wall.”
“They plastered over it to make sure no one else spotted it and got curious. How are we going to—”
She rammed her fist through the wall and started pulling away great chunks of plaster. He rushed forward to help her. In a minute’s time, they had exposed a hole large enough that even Abigail could slip through. Beyond the half-destroyed wall was a small dark closet, and he saw the locked hatch that covered the ladder leading down to the tunnel. Abigail leaned in and pinched the lock off with two fingers. “Stay here,” she ordered. “I’ll be back as soon as I can with the others.”
For two minutes, Benny jumped at every sound. He even pointed the gun at Mrs. Warhol when she came down the stairs. If she’d turned around, the old woman probably would have screamed. It was weird thinking he would never see her again. Never see anything in this town again. Maybe that wasn’t a bad thing, though. He’d have to start making more contacts in the Jupiter neighborhood, but that was a challenge he’d enjoy.
The sound of Abigail coming down the stairs was unmistakable. She rounded the corner, Matthew wrapped in a blanket and cradled in her arms. Soon the whole group was crowded around the hole in the wall. Yvonne crawled through it first. “Candace, follow me. Then Abigail and Matthew. Benny, bring up the rear.”
She pulled back the hatch and disappeared down the shaft. His mom took a deep breath and followed her, giving one last nervous look at Benny.
“Are you gonna be able to climb down there while carrying him?” he asked Abigail.
“It’s going to be a trick, but I’ll make it work.” When the other two had had plenty of time to make headway down the ladder, she disappeared as well. Benny slid into the small closet and watched as the bobbing lights of Abigail’s suit descended into the darkness. How had they ever done this as kids? He took a deep breath and swung his legs over the hole and climbed down into the abyss.
YVONNE FOUGHT TO CONTROL her breathing. It was pitch black. The ladder was rusted and slick. And her knee, of all times her knee was complaining. All of this was made worse by the awkward surgical kit slung over her shoulder. She didn’t know how long the ladder was, and she was glad Benny had never told them because the only thing keeping the panic away was the belief that the next rung might be the last. She’d descended at least a few dozen meters by this point. It couldn’t be that much further, right? A subway would have to be deep, deep enough to burrow beneath buildings and for the bedrock above to still support them.
“Almost there,” she whispered to herself. Not because she believed it, but because she wanted it to be true. “Almost there.”
At last it was true. Her foot planted onto solid ground and she stepped away from the ladder, stumbling in a limp as her knee decided it was finished. She fumbled with shaking hands for the flashlight in her pack. She swept its beam around her. Just a dark concrete tunnel that stretched further in either direction than her tiny light could illuminate. Hopefully, there was a way out of here because getting trapped in forgotten tunnels beneath Flagstaff sounded like a bad way to die. The panic receded, and she shined the light at the bottom for the others to see the approach.
Candace finished her descent and sidled close to Yvonne and her tiny source of light. “I can’t believe the kids used to come down here.”
“No, kidding,” Yvonne uttered. “Why does that ladder even exist?”
“As best as the city could tell from old records,” Candace said, “there were emergency escapes dug every few hundred meters. The apartment complex was built a few years after the project was abandoned and simply constructed over the existing escape. The kids just stumbled upon the entrance.”
Abigail finished her descent, her suit lighting up the tunnel, driving away some of the oppressive atmosphere. “Alright, we’re down,” she said to Matthew. “Sorry about the bumpy ride. You still okay?”
He mumbled something that no one understood.
“Lay him down. I need to check his vitals.” Abigail obeyed and stretched Matthew along a rubble-free length of concrete. “Matthew,” Yvonne said, “since this isn’t exactly a safe medical setting, I barely dosed you with light anesthesia to work on you. It’s wearing off, and as you wake up, you’re going to be in for a world of hurt. I’ve put a fentanyl patch on your arm. It should help, but until we get you to safety, there’s only so much I can do for you.”
He seemed to register some understanding of this as she checked his pulse and blood pressure, followed by unspooling an oximeter to check his blood oxygen. She checked the small suction drain that emerged from his chest. It hadn’t filled with as much blood as she feared. She unscrewed the small bulb, dumped its contents, and reattached it, not knowing when she’d be able to do so again. So far, so good, but she hated to think of the sutures being jostled by Abigail carrying him.
She had no idea how combat medics dealt with this kind of thing and kept their sanity.
Matthew muttered something low under his breath, and Yvonne, despite the danger, chuckled.
“What did he say?” Benny asked as he stepped off the ladder.
“He asked if he could have his hat.” She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “I’ve got it with me in my pack right now. We didn’t forget it.”
“If it’s safe to keep moving with him,” Abigail said, “we need to start out. They’ll come looking for us eventually. And when they do, they’ll find the wall we broke down.”
“Then let’s get out of here,” Benny said.
Yvonne flicked her flashlight in either direction. “Which way?”
Benny pointed. “That way. The other direction is blocked after a couple hundred meters.”
Yvonne stood and backed away from Matthew as Abigail stooped to lift him into her arms. Yvonne had never seen her move with such fine control before, and it helped relieve a few of her fears. Matthew was in good hands between the two of them. “Benny,” she said. “Take the flashlight and lead the way with Abigail.”
He took the light from her and set off down the direction he’d indicated. “We never explored to the end. There’s at least a few kilometers of tunnel, mostly in a straight shot, but I do remember there being a couple of spurs.”
“We won’t need to get that far,” Abigail said. “We should try to find another emergency exit and make for the surface.”
They settled into silence for several minutes. Periodically, the tunnel was partially obstructed by fallen debris or old equipment, including strange broken-down robots that must have once been under Moses’ control. Had they not been rusting for a century, they would have been of interest to the University. Abigail would stand back and shine her lights on these and other obstructions to make sure no one hurt themselves in the dark. Ahead of her, lights bounced down the never-ending tunnel. Yvonne found the whole experience disorienting and hypnotic. Every couple hundred meters, they found an escape shaft. The first one had been filled with cement. The second was collapsed with debris. The third Benny climbed up to find it sealed at the top.
“We’re never getting out of here,” Candace said quietly as they continued their march through the dark. Yvonne would have liked to dispel the woman’s fears, but the possibility did exist that there wasn’t another ex
it they could take. If they got lost down here, Matthew’s condition would deteriorate rapidly. She doubted her quick surgical fix had been perfectly sterile, and the chance for infection was high, if not extreme. She wasn’t about to watch him die down here in the dark.
She stared at the back of Abigail’s head, silhouetted by her lights. Odds were, she wouldn’t stick around to watch that happen either. She’d most likely brandish her shield and wade back into battle and maybe get herself killed long before Matthew was in any more danger than he already was.
“Here’s the junction I mentioned,” Benny said. He shined his light down an identical side tunnel.
“What do you think?” Abigail asked. “Take the new path or keep on the current one?”
No one answered, and on impulse, Yvonne looked back the way they’d come. “I think we had better come to a decision and keep moving. These tunnels aren’t quite as empty as they used to be.”
Behind them, hundreds of meters away came the faintest of light. Their enemies were on their tail.
Candace whimpered. Abigail just sighed. “They’ll move fast without wounded slowing them down. No offense,” she added with a quick glance at Matthew. If he answered, Yvonne didn’t hear it.
She tried not to imagine the pain he would be in if they made it out of this. With all the jostling, it would be a miracle if the suture held. “If we can see their light,” Yvonne said, “they can see ours. Let’s kill the light and then take the side tunnel. Once we’re a couple dozen meters in, we’ll turn it back on for a few minutes and try and get as much distance as possible.”
“Then we have to lie in wait and hope they pass us,” Abigail said. “Alright hands on the wall, everyone. Shuffle your feet. It’s going to be pitch black.” When everyone was ready, she turned off her lights, leaving only the tiny pool of Benny’s flashlight. With a barely audible click, they were plunged into inky darkness, the kind that felt like it would smother any light that challenged it. “Forward,” she said. “We’re on a schedule here.”
They stumbled along in deepest night, and, for the first time, Yvonne felt her nerves wearing thin. Darkness ahead and enemies behind. Matthew slowly dying and her own thoughts choking out her breath one shallow pull at a time.
Suddenly Abigail flicked her lights back on. “That should be far enough. We have at least a few minutes until they reach the junction. Move. Faster. Sorry, Matthew.” Their hike turned into a desperate flight. Abigail was able to keep a walking pace, but the rest were jogging. Yvonne no longer even knew what the plan was.
All at once, Abigail skidded to a stop, and Matthew cried out in pain. “Sorry!” It was almost a squeal. “I’m sorry. I just... There.”
She pointed at a small alcove in the wall. They’d passed several similar pockets on their journey, and Yvonne hadn’t given them a second thought. It clicked all at once. “We’ll hide and hope they pass us by.”
“That’s crazy,” Benny said. “No way.”
“We’re running out of time,” Abigail said. “They’ll be at the junction any second. Unless they turn their head at just the right time, they’ll pass right by. And that’s assuming they even take this path. Get in.”
Candace crawled back into the alcove. “And if they do see us?”
“Then they’ll have me to contend with. Benny, creep the corner until you see their lights at the crossroad.”
They packed into the darkest recess and turned out the lights again. Yvonne kicked herself, wishing she’d checked Matthew’s vitals again. It was too late now. She was debating asking for the flashlight when Benny hissed, “Lights in the junction.”
Yvonne felt her heartbeat hammer. Please take the other path. Please take the other path.
“I can’t really count, but there’s a bunch of men. They... They just split. A group is coming this way.”
She heard Benny shuffle back into the alcove with them. The subtle metallic ring of Abigail deploying her shield. Candace’s rapid breath beside her. The woman was going to hyperventilate. Yvonne fumbled and found her hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “We’re here,” she whispered. “Slow breaths. Nice and even.” Candace fought it and slowly brought herself under control.
Then there was a distant glow as lights approached from the direction they’d come from. No one moved a muscle. Slowly the diffuse cones of light sharpened into four beams.
They came into line of sight. Four armed men, guns at the ready as they marched down the tunnels. If one of them turned their head even a fraction, it would be over. Best case scenario, Abigail charged out. The noise would draw the rest for sure. They kept walking, each step taking an agonizingly long time. Now they would have to turn around to see them.
Then they were past. And still, no one dared to move. They hadn’t planned this far ahead.
After several minutes, Benny whispered, “I’ll check the corner again.” Fabric rustled as he moved out of the alcove. “I can see their lights. It looks like they’ve stopped. Maybe it’s a dead end.”
“That’s a best-case scenario,” Abigail said. “Because it means they’ll come back this way and write this passage off as investigated.”
“Wait, two of the lights are coming back this way.”
“Shift to the other side!” Yvonne said. “Hurry.”
They all moved in the dark, taking care not to disturb Matthew more than they had to. Then came the next agonizing wait. They heard the voices almost before they saw the light.
“Yeah that’s right. There’s a half-blocked exit down this path. It lets out at a train yard. I don’t know. I’m not familiar with this part of town. If they came through here, they’re already home free. I left Miller and Jamus outside to guard it just in case.” Two men came into view. One had his gun slung over his shoulder and his comm out. “We’re on our way to rejoin you. If you meet that Shield Maiden down here, you’re gonna want all the help you can get.”
Yvonne grimaced. That wasn’t going to help Abigail’s ego any. They waited another five minutes before anyone dared to breathe. “Okay,” Abigail said. “One more push in the dark. No lights. If we stay on the wall, we should reach their exit. I’ll lead out.” Yvonne heard her pick up Matthew again.
“Tell me this is some kind of nightmare,” he mumbled.
“We’re almost out,” Abigail reassured him. “We’re going to have to keep quiet a little bit longer and we’ll be free.”
He didn’t respond, which was just as well. But Yvonne had been glad to hear his voice. They pressed on in silence, and the minutes and distance blurred together. She brought up the rear, occasionally bumping into Candace in front of her when the cadence of their footfalls fell out of rhythm.
When she saw the faintest of glows ahead of them, she thought she imagined it, that it was a trick of a light-starved brain trying to make sense of absolute darkness. She squinted her eyes. It was real. By the sighs of relief, she knew the others had seen it too. The tunnel ahead was filled with debris, but it was backlit by a distant light. They rounded the detritus. Someone had long ago carved a pathway through the cave-in. Natural outside light spilled into the darkness.
“Wait here,” Abigail said. She set Matthew down for the last time and took her shield in hand. “I’ve got a couple of would-be assassins to set straight.” She disappeared around the corner. They heard a quick shout and then a pair of heavy thumps. Abigail reappeared moments later. “Let’s go. Watch the eyes, though. It’s going to hurt.”
She was right. As the five of them stepped out into the trainyard and around Abigail’s victims, the afternoon sun beat down painfully. Yvonne squinted up at the sky, never so happy to see it as she was now. She snapped herself out of it. They weren’t in the clear yet. “Set Matthew down. I need to check on him before we go any further. And call Elizabeth. We’ll need her to come pick us up.”
Chapter 8: This Mortal Coil
It’s difficult to separate the historical Josiah Carver from the one of popular legend. His close association with Moses i
s well documented, but the folk tales make them out to be brothers, the eccentric and charming socialite and his AI sidekick. Or maybe Carver was the sidekick.
I remember one such story about Carver rescuing a kidnapped child. He walked into the mafia boss’s lair as Moses shut down security, diverted guards, and magically unlocked doors in front of him. No one saw him coming or going, at least until he was outside the compound. The story goes that the gangsters opened fire on Carver and the child, but their bullets never reached him, instead breaking apart on an invisible shield. Then he just disappeared.
There’s no way to judge the veracity of this tale or the others. Carver loved being in the public eye, but he also loved running circles around the press and officials. Unfortunately for him, his residence was on Earth, and Moses’ disappearance wasn’t kind to our ancestral home.
But I get the feeling Carver would have approved of his growing legend. By all accounts, his ego was greater than one lifetime would allow.
Spenser Slate
Professor of Folklore Studies,
University of Ganymede
Died 80 AM
ELIZABETH COLE HELD it together. Somehow. If she lost control of her old farm truck, then she would have failed Matthew in his uttermost hour of need. To hear that your only son has been shot is an abrupt derailment of life. Even worse that it wasn’t a random act, but the fulfillment of long-simmering fears.
She made the last turn onto a deserted side street a few blocks south of the old trainyard and pulled over in front of a boarded-up fuel station. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned. Abigail came out of the garage and looked around cautiously, and Elizabeth opened the door and waved to her. The other woman disappeared back into the dark station before emerging with a bundle in her arms. Elizabeth ran to him, eyes already prickling with tears.
After Moses: Wormwood Page 20
