Chapter Forty-one
Underground
Earlier...
The safe house...
"This is the plan." Kat stood at the laundry room sink, drowning two large comforters. "We'll cover ourselves with these blankets and hopefully, they will confuse the Closers long enough for us to escape out the back fence. The wet blankets should protect us if the Closers ignite the gas. We'll position the three bodyguards up front, Melissa, Chad, and Bonnie in the middle, and me and Kimberly in the back."
Johnson asked, "Once we clear the fence then what?"
"Then we head for the abandoned subway and make our stand down there." Kat dried her hands on a towel. "Do you have all your equipment?"
The three bodyguards looked to their duffle bags, and Kim glanced at her knapsack, then everyone nodded.
"Good." Kat slung her backpack over her Ravlek vest. "Let's head out." She picked up the dripping forest-green blankets and handed one to Johnson and the other to Daniels.
"Mommy, I'm scared." Bonnie squeezed her mother's hand as she shook her head and her black curly hair bounced. "I don't want to play this game."
"I know honey, but we're only going to play it for a little while." Melissa knelt beside her daughter. "All right?"
Bonnie rubbed her eye. "I'm tired."
"I know honey." Melissa wiped a tear from her own cheek. "I know you're tired, so for mommy, please. Please play the game."
The little girl nodded. "All right."
The group of eight formed a line at the backdoor and covered themselves with the two wet blankets, but the lineup had changed slightly. It became Daniels' job to hold the blankets together. Johnson led, followed by Andrews then Chad. Melissa and Bonnie were behind Daniels and then Kim and Kat. Melissa kept Bonnie by her side. It was dark under the comforters, and all each person could see was the tile floor and the person in front of them. The blankets dripped, forming small puddles and soaked the tops of the group.
"Everyone ready?" Johnson asked.
Andrews looked to his H.H.C. to keep an eye on Nikolai. "Johnson, the Closer threw the lighter! The front's on fire!"
"Move!" Johnson yelled as he opened the back door.
They all hurried out. Johnson kept a fast pace, but one Chad and Bonnie could keep up with and as they neared the gate, he reached his hand out. Kat flipped the side of her blanket up a little, looked up from the darkness of the comforter, and noticed a figure on the rooftop of the neighbor's house. Kat saw the glint of metal as Natasha raised a knife, so Kat fired two warning shots over her head, and Natasha ducked.
"Did you get them?" Kim asked.
"No."
"No? I thought you're supposed to be a good shot."
Kat didn't reply as Johnson opened the gate, and the group started through.
"Well? Why did you miss?" Kim questioned.
"I wasn't aiming for her," Kat answered.
"What?" Kim yelled, but the rest of the sentence was muffled by the bodyguards' shouts.
Natasha had thrown the road flare on the doused wood, fire consumed the fence, and Bonnie screamed. Melissa picked up the crying child and carried her. Fire lapped at the blankets and hissed as the water soaked material repelled the flames. The group felt the heat at their legs and heard the crackle and before Kat exited the gate, she fired a second time at Natasha.
Bonnie covered her ears for the loud bangs and finally screamed again in fear. "Mommie, I want to go home!"
Melissa broke down crying. "It will be all right. It will be all right."
Johnson led them through the vacant lot, across the deserted street, and to the cage surrounding the entrance to the subway. He withdrew his gun, fired several times at the lock, opened the chain link gate, and started down the stairs and once they reached the bottom, they removed the two blankets and dropped the smoldering comforters to the floor. Bonnie still cried and Chad was pale with fright. The area was dark so the bodyguards, Melissa, Kim, and Kat removed flashlights and continued.
"Everyone, this way," Johnson ordered, making his way down a hall. He glanced back several times to see if the Closers followed.
"Johnson, what do you think?" Kat asked. "Should we split up or stay together?"
"Split up," Johnson answered as they came to a line of turnstiles. He helped Chad over as Andrews and Daniels assisted Melissa and Bonnie.
They continued and went down a second set of stairs and ahead of them about fifty feet, they saw lights and a crossing passage.
"The power's still on," Daniels said surprised. "Do you think people are living down here?"
"Never know," Andrews said. "But once the gun fire starts, we don't have to worry about it."
Everyone turned off their flashlights as they entered the lighted passage.
Johnson led them and stopped at the end where it opened to a platform. "We'll split up here. Me, Andrews, and Daniels will go back and hold off the Closers as long as we can."
"Okay." Kat studied the platform and the narrow sidewalk that continued to another passage through a tunnel. "Me and Kimberly will take Melissa and the children to the next platform and there, we'll find somewhere to hide." She looked to Kim. "We'll protect them with our lives." Kat emphasized the next statement. "No harm will come to them." She noticed Kim glared at her, and it was a subtle glare.
Kat led, followed by Melissa carrying Bonnie, then Chad and Kim hurried behind them, and they quickly walked across the narrow sidewalk that ran along the tunnel and then they rushed through the passage. After about fifteen minutes, they heard gunfire.
Melissa paused. "The men!"
"We have to hurry and stick with the plan," Kat insisted, and Melissa nodded to her and followed.
The five of them continued across the narrow sidewalk as it curved around a corner and then it headed for a second platform, and there a subway train stood where it had been abandoned nearly three decades ago. They passed many posters on the walls that depicted a by gone era, and one caught Kat's eye; it was of a sunny beach and written on it was Wish you were somewhere else?
Kat moved to the first car. "Kimberly, give me a hand." She tried to pry the sliding doors open.
"What are you thinking?" Kim asked.
"That we don't have much time."
Together they forced the doors opened, and then Kat said, "Quickly, everyone in. The Closers will be here soon."
Melissa ushered the children in and whispered, "You don't think Johnson and the others will stop them?"
Kat looked to Kim who shook her head, and Kat replied, "It's better to be prepared in case they don't succeed. Now quickly get in." Kat took one last look at the tunnel they had come through then she followed Melissa and the others.
#2 Shades of Gray: From Moscow, With Love Page 50
