Knox

by David Meyer

  My gaze fell to the myriad of guns clutched in their meaty paws. I stood in a wide-open section of cavern with nothing for cover. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. They had me dead to rights, condemned to perish in a blaze of gunfire. But I knew something they didn’t know.

  Condemned men are the most dangerous of all.

  I whipped out my pistol and sprinted forward. I took my time and made each shot count. My first bullet caught one guy’s throat. My second one ripped into another guy’s chest, narrowly missing his heart. And that was all it took for Saul’s men to tuck tail and scatter to the far recesses of the cavern.

  Unfortunately, Saul was a different story.

  He backed up just enough to take cover behind one of the trucks. Then he knelt down and returned fire.

  Bullets began to shoot toward me at a deliberate pace. The first one missed me by a couple of feet. The second one nearly hit my feet. Changing direction, I started to zigzag across the space, heading for one of the other trucks. But each shot got closer and closer.

  Loud honks sounded out. Bright lights flashed. The gunfire ceased and I raced to cover.

  A small truck appeared. The driver hit the brakes and the vehicle slid sideways to a halt directly in front of the foremost dump truck. Seconds later, the doors opened and Graham and Beverly appeared. Beverly held a rifle and Graham sported a shotgun.

  They hiked into the cavern on either side of the dump truck. Together, they laid down a raucous blaze of gunfire. Saul’s men tried to return fire, but they quickly succumbed to the deadly hail of bullets.

  Meanwhile, I retreated to the back of the cavern and took out the stragglers as well as the guy who’d been watching over the tunnel. Afterward, I returned to the plate where Graham and Beverly were huddled in a small circle.

  “You okay?” Graham asked.

  I turned around, taking in the many corpses. “Better than them.”

  The air rushed and the hairs on my arms stood on end. Abruptly, tiny pings rang out all around me.

  I grabbed the others and we took up position behind the foremost dump truck. Peering around the corner, I surveyed the clearing.

  “Who is that?” Beverly asked. “The Army?”

  “Nope, it’s Saul.” My gaze tightened. “And he’s got back-up.”

  CHAPTER 78

  A sharp blast erupted, followed by hissing metal. Air whooshed as a bullet barreled into the back-end of the dump truck, just a foot or so from my face.

  I realized now that Saul had split his gang into two groups. While the first one set about taking the trucks, the second one waited around the area, presumably to help clear the way. Now, the second group was being pressured into active duty.

  I fired off a few shots to keep Saul and his men honest. They ducked low and halted. When they started toward us again, it was at a much slower pace.

  I looked over my shoulder. Fire raged in several places and the odor of garlic was particularly pungent. My gaze turned to the many corpses strewn about the cavern. They’d been armed, so we weren’t hurting for weapons. But we were still heavily outnumbered.

  Graham and Beverly ran to the other end of the dump truck. They managed a few shots, but were quickly driven back into cover by a hail of bullets.

  “Any chance K.J. and his men are coming?” I called out.

  “We never reached him,” Graham replied. “We doubled back when we heard the explosion.”

  “Which leaves us with two options,” Beverly said. “Either we hold off Saul’s guys and hope K.J. comes back soon or we handle this on our own.”

  I shot a quick glance into the clearing. It was hard to count them all, but I figured Saul had at least a dozen shooters at his disposal. If they knew even a modicum of military strategy, they’d easily overrun us in a matter of minutes. “Hey Dutch,” I called out. “Did you notice how the breeze died off? It’s stifling out there.”

  A slow grin creased his visage. “You’re right. Saul and his friends must be sweating up a storm.”

  “Think you can blow some air up their skirts?”

  “Let’s find out.” He stripped the shirt off of one of the newly-dead corpses. Tying it around his face, he hustled deeper into the cavern.

  “What are you up to?” Beverly asked.

  “Taking advantage of the terrain.” I nodded at Saul’s team. “Can you handle them for a few minutes?”

  “You know I hate playing alone,” she said with a pouty look.

  “I’ll make it up to you.”

  “You’d better.”

  I took a deep breath of fresh air. Then I stripped a second corpse of its shirt, tied the fabric around my face, and darted after Graham.

  Taking shallow breaths, I hustled past the trucks and around the bend. The heat from the fires lessened and I picked up speed, sprinting all the way to the small cave. Some fresh air leaked in through the gap, but the odor of garlic was still quite strong.

  Graham, flashlight in hand, stood within the cave. Silently, he appraised the many machines. Then he twisted around and pointed his beam at some toolboxes and a couple of gas canisters.

  I took up position near the smoke machine. Then I aimed my gun at the gap leading out to the clearing, just in case any of Saul’s guys tried to sneak up on us.

  With the sound of gunfire ringing in our ears, Graham began scurrying about the area. For the next five minutes, he tightened screws, hammered down panels, sliced off frayed wires, and rewired control panels.

  “Well, the inflator is shot.” Graham grunted. “Same goes for the smoke machine.”

  I kept my eyes on the gap. “Can you still filter air through the pipes?”

  “I don’t see why not.” He hustled to the wall. Grabbing one of the gas canisters, he hauled it to the smoke machine’s air compressor and began pouring gas into a circular hole. Liquid splashed loudly against metal.

  He grabbed more canisters and proceeded to fill the rest of the tank. Then he did the same for the inflator’s air compressor.

  Meanwhile, I climbed through the gap and entered the hole we’d dug earlier in the evening. Peeking above the rim, I saw Saul’s men creeping across the clearing, keeping low in order to avoid Beverly’s gunfire.

  I slipped back into the small cave. Graham continued to fiddle with one of the air compressors, connecting wires and tightening fasteners. Then he tightened a few more screws and took a deep breath. Reaching out, he flipped a red switch on the control panel. Loud clanking noises rang out as air began to pump into the machines.

  He flipped a similar switch on the air compressor leading to the inflator. It coughed a few times. Then it burst to life as well.

  I glanced at the smoke machine’s panel and saw a dial marked, Speed. I shifted it to High and did the same with the inflator.

  “The soil will cause the air to back up. When it blows through, it’s going to be big.” A grin spread across Graham’s face. “I wouldn’t want to be Saul right about now.”

  “Me neither. Come on, we’ve got to hurry.”

  “What’s the rush?”

  “I don’t want to miss the show.”

  We ran out of the small cave and back into the main cavern. The arsenic-laced smoke from the fire was thick and we had to keep low to avoid it.

  We darted to the foremost dump truck and with a nod at Beverly, took up position on the other end. Light smoke from the fire had drifted out of the mesa and now hung like a shroud over the clearing. But I could still see Saul’s gang, guns drawn, heading slowly in our direction.

  The ground started to vibrate. Pipes clanged and air rushed, nearly drowning out the flickering flames.

  “What the hell …?” Saul’s voice, tough but hesitant, came from the clearing.

  “Must be a quake,” a second voice replied.

  The vibrations picked up speed, moving faster and faster. Whooshing noises filled my ears. A shock wave roiled the surface and Saul’s guys fought to maintain their balance.

  “Something’s wrong,” S
aul shouted. “Get back and—”

  The ground clapped multiple times, loud as thunder. A fierce gust of hot air, which had been pent-up beneath the soil, shot into the air like a geyser.

  Saul went airborne, flipping head over heels as his body defied gravity. Moments later, he slammed back to the earth.

  More air geysers erupted from the underground pipe system. Saul’s guys soared into the air before smashing back to the ground. Bones shattered. Blood flowed. Some men fell limp, while others screamed in agony.

  Saul rolled onto another air geyser and was launched back into the sky. This time, he landed awkwardly on his side and blood started to flow all over his body. His left leg, twisted in impossible directions, looked like a piece of spaghetti. Feebly, he tried to crawl without success.

  The lucky few who’d escaped the geysers quickly took stock of the situation. Twisting around, they ran for the tree line. But by that time, the air had reached the farthest pipes and more air geysers burst free and they went sailing in all directions as well.

  The air geysers slowed a bit, but continued to shoot hot gusts into the sky. Taking a shallow breath, I tasted garlic in my mouth. The arsenic fumes were becoming more intense by the second.

  Saul and his secondary crew had been wiped out. Only a few of them were moving and those movements amounted to little more than muscle twitches.

  “Well, I guess that closes the book on Saul,” I remarked. “Too bad.”

  Graham chuckled. “It almost sounds like you’re going to miss him.”

  “I will.” I faked a frown. “Now, I’ll have to find a new punching bag.”

  CHAPTER 79

  The geysers continued to spurt pumped air out of the ground. They stretched ten to twelve feet into the sky before the winds caught hold of them and spat them to the east.

  Turning around, I saw the various fires had grown larger over the last few minutes. Flames stabbed out sideways, spreading the inferno to all ends of the cavern. Fortunately, they were still a good distance from the dump trucks.

  “Get—” A coughing fit seized me. My eyes started to itch and my lungs felt hot and achy. Swiftly, I adjusted the cloth around my face. “Get K.J.”

  “What about you?” Beverly asked.

  I waved toward the circle of corpses, which remained untouched by the flames. “I’m going to grab Justin’s body.”

  “We’ll help—”

  “No. Get K.J.” I studied the ten dump trucks. A few were now drivable, but the rest were still in a state of repair. “We’re going to need help to stop those flames.”

  Graham and Beverly ran back to the small truck. The engine, which had puttered softly for the last few minutes, grew loud and fierce. Then the truck jerked forward and they drove away.

  I filled my lungs with semi-fresh air. Turning northeast, I hurried toward Justin’s corpse. I kept low, but the fumes had begun to work their evil magic on me. The cavern started to spin before my eyes and my balance grew precarious.

  I stumbled, caught myself, and stumbled again. Somehow, I managed to reach the circle of old corpses without falling on my face.

  The flames intensified. They stabbed out, licking at one of the corpses, threatening to start all new fires.

  I placed my gun on the ground. Then I grabbed Justin’s journal and shoved it into my pocket. After wrapping his body in a blanket, I stooped down and picked him up.

  My lungs started to ache. I knew I was surrounded by arsenic-laced air. But I needed to breathe and so I took a few cautious breaths through my shirt filter.

  Something clicked. My reflexes, dulled by lack of oxygen, were slow to respond.

  Twisting around, I saw Ben. A rag covered his nose and mouth. His eyes blazed brighter than the fire. His forehead and upper cheeks were smeared with dirt and blood.

  “We meet again,” he said, his voice muffled by the rag. Lifting a pistol, he pointed it at the space between my eyes. “But this time, my gun is loaded.”

  CHAPTER 80

  Seeing him standing there, gun in hand, reminded me of our earlier conversation. Willow, he’d told me, had sent me after the safe deposit box because of symmetry. This was symmetry too, in a way. His father had killed my dad. Now, he intended to kill me.

  But symmetry wasn’t a one-way street. Justin had foiled the Capitalist Curtain decades ago. And once again, he was in position to foil another Marvin family plan.

  I threw Justin’s corpse at Ben. Ben yelped and jumped out of the way. Taking advantage, I whirled around and raced deeper into the cavern, zigzagging and listening to the sounds of wild gunfire.

  More smoke swept down my lungs. I was weak and weaponless. If only I had my machete, I could’ve mounted an offense. But alas, it had been stripped from me when I’d entered the president’s temporary headquarters.

  I glanced over my shoulder and saw Ben framed by fire and smoke. He’d calmed down and was now following me at a slow, measured pace.

  I kept running. The smoke lessened a bit and I was able to breathe a little easier. I ran past the crevice I’d used earlier and made my way to the tunnel at the far end of the cavern. A rough ramp, showing signs of chisel marks, led upward.

  I took one last look at Ben. Then I whirled around.

  And sprinted into the tunnel.

  CHAPTER 81

  The arsenic-laced smoke rose with me as I raced up the steep, curving ramp. But I was moving faster and before long, I was able to breathe normally. At the same time, the light from the fires began to recede and I found myself surrounded by darkness.

  Whipping out my flashlight, I aimed the beam into the tunnel. Then I continued to run.

  The ramp looked manmade or at least, altered by human hands. Despite their prowess with tools, I doubted Justin and his crew had taken the time to do it. This was confirmed when my beam illuminated some crude pictographs on the rock walls. They resembled the ones I’d seen on the summit as well as in the cavern.

  I slowed my pace just enough to perk an ear. Somewhere below me, I heard soft footsteps. Ben was on my tail. He seemed to be taking it slow, conserving his strength. It was a good move on his part. He was old and not exactly in the best of shape. And besides, where was I going to go? Sooner or later, I’d run out of room.

  I picked up speed, putting as much distance between us as possible. The ramp steepened. Curved around. And steepened again.

  The last remnants of smoke dissipated. I blinked a few times and moisture filled my dry eyes. Continuing forward, I ran in ever-rising circles. Higher and higher and higher. How high did this thing go anyway?

  After what seemed like forever, I reached a dead-end. I shifted my beam from side to side. The walls looked solid and there were no side tunnels.

  Turning off my beam, I swung around. My best bet was to attack Ben as soon as he came into view. Maybe, just maybe, I’d reach him before he could shoot me.

  I perked my ears again and listened to the soft footsteps. They moved quickly for a few seconds. Then they stopped. When they started again, they were much slower, much quieter. Ahh, he’d been listening to my footsteps as well. Now that I’d stopped, he was slowing down, prepping for the inevitable confrontation.

  While I waited for him to arrive, I noticed something strange. Although I’d doused my beam, the tunnel refused to submit to total darkness.

  Looking up, I saw the tiniest bit of light. Most of the ceiling was rock. But a small portion, maybe two feet square, looked like a web of tangled vines and plants.

  Right away, I knew this was no accident. There was a hole above me, one that led to the summit. That was how the Caborn-Welborn warriors had managed to climb the mesa all those centuries ago.

  I yanked some vines. More light—moonlight—poured into my eyes. Grabbing hold of a sturdy vine, I pulled myself out of the tunnel. The moon was bright, but not blinding. Everywhere I looked I saw plants and trees.

  Below me, Ben’s footsteps gained volume. He was close, but I was no longer pinned down. And this was no boardroom
or fancy office. This was nature at its wildest. In other words, my turf.

  Not his.

  I turned in a slow circle. Nearby, I saw the giant altar. Stepping softly, I moved south until I reached the edge of the mesa. Far beneath me, I saw soldiers taking charge of Saul’s gang. Meanwhile, other soldiers entered the cavern. They wore gas masks and carried fire extinguishers.

  As I watched them work, one last puzzle piece slid into place. Justin and his crew had used the same tunnel to access the summit back in 1949. That was how they’d kept a close eye on the Army’s movements.

  I frowned. If only he’d been awake when the campfire first began to put arsenic into the air. He could’ve raced to the summit, survived. Then my dad wouldn’t have lost his father. And maybe I wouldn’t have lost mine either.

  Rustling noises rose up from the vegetation. “Cy,” Ben called out. “Where are you?”

  Really? Did he really expect me to give my position away so easily?

  “You won.” Ben exhaled. “And because of that, we all lost. You realize that, don’t you? You doomed this world to perpetual war.”

  He was trying to bait me. But it wasn’t going to work.

  “By this time tomorrow, the whole world will know what happened here.” Leaves crunched underfoot as he strode east. “President Walters’ gold standard will go into effect while his best people unwind everything I worked so hard to build. The U.S. economy will recover and this world of ours will go on fighting wars until the end of time.”

  Quietly, I strode back into the small forest and worked my way eastward. Far below me, I heard cracking wood, soft shouts and other Berserker-related sounds. But the riot didn’t matter at that moment. All that mattered was survival.

  “But I suppose you don’t care about any of that, do you?” Ben said. “I don’t even think you care about the gold. Unless I miss my guess, you just want to kill me.”

  That wasn’t entirely true. I also cared about telling Justin’s story to the world. Dad’s story, too. But yeah, I wanted to kill him.

  “So, come and get me,” he said. “But better make it fast. You don’t have much time.”