Sinful Surrender

by Houston Havens

  “She didn’t take them. They were kidnapped. Fay must have been forced to come in here and give us these bogus plans. What better way to motivate her to do as they wished than to threaten the people she cares about?” Drakker rubbed lovingly at Moochy’s ears as he talked. “She couldn’t tell us what was going on because she had to have known she was being watched by another mind traveler when she came in here.” He looked to Logan. “Remember the night I interrogated her? She didn’t want to talk because she could see a mind traveler watching—what the fuck?” Drakker pulled a balled piece of fabric from Moochy’s ear. “What’s this? No wonder he’s been going nuts.”

  “What is it?” Logan walked closer to get a look.

  Ortello pointed. “She touched the beast when she first came in.”

  “What’s it say, bro?”

  Drakker unrolled the material. “It says…Il u v u 3T C b l d 5 point.”

  Logan reached over and looked at it then hit his brother on the shoulder. “You dipshit, it says I love you three. Then TCbld 5…it’s a period not a point.”

  “What’s TCBLD stand for?”

  “Bld could stand for bold. Boulevard. Block.” Nikias tossed out suggestions.

  “Building!” Drakker shouted. Building 5.”

  Logan shot up his finger for bingo. “But where, and what’s the TC?”

  “Well, we’ve got a map of an airport, so there’s got to be a Terminal C.”

  “Denver didn’t have terminals, it had concourses.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t know. Back then, the government named the terminals Concourse A, B, or C,” Drakker said.

  “We can figure the TC out later.” Ortello sounded upset. “So, what we know right now is Fay didn’t return of her own free will. Our brothers, as well as the girls have been kidnapped. Now, what do we intend to do about it?”

  Chapter 14

  Nine and a half days and eight of Drakker’s prime-conditioned Arabians later, the four men made it to Denver. Logan expected cyborgs to be stationed everywhere around the thirty-four-thousand-acre site to protect the main hub of the Underworld government in the city buried beneath the New Denver International. So far, they hadn’t run into any resistance, and it made him more than a little edgy; it made him suspicious.

  While the others secured the horses under the fiberglass and rusted steel remnants of a fearsome-looking thirty-two-foot statue called the Horse of the Apocalypse, Logan left to scout out the area.

  He dashed in and out of smaller maintenance buildings and behind overgrown bushes and trees until he got to the airport’s main complex. There he took cover behind granite walls, which at the time of the airport’s construction, had been covered with gypsum and lime to hide the fact from the masses that the airport’s walls had been constructed of granite to withstand water and the sands of time for the future of the Underworld.

  Logan found what looked like a prairie dog’s burrow, but on further examination, he realized the hole was a way into the lower levels of the subway system to concourse B and C. This was it. This was the entry they were looking for.

  As he headed back to his men, Logan’s lungs rapped against his ribs when he saw Ortello, Drakker, and Nikias waiting for him under the blue horse. The uneasy sight gave him the willies.

  In addition to the area being too quiet and appearing to be deserted, the other problem twisting his gut into a mass of knots was the responsibility to his men. They followed him based on his word alone trusting they’d find the girls and their brothers. He brought them here strictly on a hunch, and he could only hope his gut wasn’t leading him astray. He took Fay’s advice and dared to trust his intuition. For the first time in a very long time, he was listening to his inner voice. He prayed his instinct spoke the truth for a change.

  Squatting next to Ortello, Logan adjusted his hygienic gas mask to speak. “Guys? Did any of you notice the doodle mark Fay made through the dark looking square, several hundred yards to the west of the concourses—”

  “Yeah, the thing that looks like a large air filter?” Ortello’s distinct voice was muffled by his mask. “Can we go in that way?”

  “No. It’s not an air filter, that’s for sure. Before we left, I was going through some backup copies of some old surviving United States government documents.” He pulled an aged napkin sandwiched between two clear sheets of protective material from his pocket. Sketched on it was the image of the airport with the underground city below it.

  “What’s that?” Nikias tilted his masked head to get a better look at what he held.

  “A preserved napkin from the twentieth century.”

  “Where’d you find it?”

  “Whenever something is found from the ancient world, a copy is made and filed at each retreat center. I just happened to discover it before we left. It’s a drawing of this underground city.”

  Drakker nodded his head. “We had a sketch of this underground city in our safe.”

  “Yes.” Logan held up half a napkin. “But I don’t remember seeing this particular side of the sketch. It’s more detailed. It has the building levels labeled. Like headquarters of the UG.”

  Drakker huddled closer. “I don’t get it. Shouldn’t this airport be on high alert if it’s a cover for the main entry into their underground city?”

  “It’s been a long time since this was an active entry and exit point. As you can see, most everything here is overgrown.”

  To catch his attention, Ortello smacked the filter adapter attached to Drakker’s gas mask. “We’re lucky to find it at all. A long time ago I heard from an Old World Mole this place was underwater for almost nine centuries. It went under when the southern half of California sunk into the Pacific Ocean. They claim the Denver Dirt Dwellers’ only way up to the surface from this particular city was to travel their tunnel system to another underground city not covered by water, or they could exit by underwater craft to the surface.”

  Drakker shrugged. “Then why isn’t this place covered by sand?”

  “It was, until strong wind storms out this way uncovered it about thirty years ago. They might not even know it’s been uncovered.”

  Logan glanced down and noticed the ground was hard sandstone, not soil. “If they do, they’ve become comfortable with the idea no one suspects they’re under here. We’ve yet to see or engage any cyborgs or androids.”

  Holding his filter adaptor while he spoke, Nikias added, “I heard their underground tunnels go from here west through what was once known as the Deserts of Nevada, which today is still ocean to us. It is supposed to continue on to a place called Avalon on Santa Catalina Island.”

  “Holy shit! That’s far.” Behind his mask, Drakker’s eyes widened with the news.

  “Not as far as the north tunnel. They have one going to Mount Shasta in what’s left of California. Another tunnel runs to Riverton, Wyoming, which has a tram running southwest into Salt Lake City, Utah. The underground system goes as far south as Chihuahua, Mexico. And that’s only some stops on the main tunnel system, I heard. There’s only one tunnel heading east. It goes through Kinsley, Kansas and stops in Tulsa, Oklahoma.”

  “Nikias, that information is valuable if it proves to be true. When we get back, make a report. I’ll get some scouts to verify it.” Logan leaned in. “Anyway, this is what I want you to see.” He directed their gaze by pointing to five rectangular boxes. They were numbered one through five and sat parallel on the paper. Under them was a horizontal line with 4.5 square mile base written below it, and below that was another line with 88.5 square mile base below the second line.

  “Whoa!” Ortello adjusted his mask, looking closer at the map. “I didn’t notice that before. Bases? Are we talking military installations for storage of weapons or townships filled with citizens and enterprises?”

  “I don’t have a clue. The smaller base is equivalent to almost three acres…so you can guess just how big the larger base is.” Logan dragged his finger over two lines shaped like a silo to the right of the
five rectangular boxes. “On this map these things are called ventilation stacks. This first one joins to the small three-acre base. And this one over here…” He pointed at another one farther down the line. It connected to the other base. “I’m assuming, just by the sizes given here and the fact that each base has a ventilation stack of this size, there’s a lot of carbon dioxide to get rid of.” He tapped his finger over the mileage of each base. “We’re talking entire towns filled with people, homes, and businesses.”

  Ortello squinted from behind his gas mask. “And what is this, next to the first stack?”

  “It’s an eight-story building connected to the five other buildings by one small tunnel.” He dragged his finger along a thin line indicating the tunnel. “Seeing that it’s set off by itself, I’m guessing this is where things are done the government doesn’t want the Dirt Dweller citizens to know about or see what they’re doing.”

  “So, you think they’ve got Fay and the others there?”

  “A logical deduction, but Fay scribbled BLD5 for a reason.” Logan smacked Drakker’s shoulder to grab his attention. “You were right. BLD5 means building five. It’s where I believe Arlo and the others are.”

  Nikias’ mouth fell open. “Shit! They’re underground? So, it means we have to go underground to get them?”

  “Yep.” Logan smirked in a stress-relief kind of amusement at Nikias’ sudden nervousness. Then it dawned on him watching Nikias’ violet-pink eyes scan over the map he now held just six inches from his mask-covered nose. Nikias might have trouble seeing in the dark.

  Ortello braced his hand on Logan’s shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Nikias’ albinism gives him trouble seeing written material, but not to worry, he can see a human form thirty feet away.”

  Nikias lowered the map. “I can see it. I just wanted to be very clear on where everything is.” He went back to studying the map.

  “He has a photographic memory,” Ortello said with pride.

  Logan offered a small nod. “To the right is one of the underground tunnels, and to the right of that is the underground tram system.”

  Ortello added. “I’m told the tram can travel at Mach speeds.”

  “It had better, if it has to travel the distances your brother just mentioned. Lastly, to the right of that, Nikias, is another underground tunnel. Both tunnels connect to these five rectangular boxes. In turn, each of the boxes is connected with tunnels.”

  “So,” Drakker interrupted. “Where do we enter?”

  “These boxes are buildings buried at different depths. This building is buried only five feet under the surface.” Logan tapped at the box numbered with the numeral three on the paper. “There’s a shaft running from the airport’s Concourse C to it. I think TC on our note means Terminal Concourse, which will lead us to the subway we need, to get us to C. So, if we can get into the terminal through the prairie-dog hole I found, we’ll find an entry point there to get into the shaft. We’ll then take the tunnel from building three to five.”

  “I don’t get it. Why there?” Nikias asked. “Wouldn’t they keep them at the eight-story building for higher security purposes or hidden in one of those bases?”

  “I’m guessing there because Fay put BLD5, not base. She had to have a reason. It’s possible she mind traveled to the future and saw that’s where they’d put them. I’m sure it’s a move by the DD to cover their asses. They’ve gotta know we’ll eventually be coming for them. So, they figure we’ll go for the most logical place to find them, the security building off by itself. Fay also managed to sketch out two lines from that point to this point. I didn’t understand the lines until I saw the paper with the underground sketch on it. The shaft has to be big enough for us to fit through. That’s why she marked it.”

  “Why not use the tunnels?” Ortello asked.

  “This area may look deserted, but I guarantee it’ll be filled with people below. I don’t want to enter one of the two-lane tram tunnels because I think they’ll have them manned with security. We’d be stopped before we could find a way into the tunnel that will take us to the buildings. The other reason is I know they have the tunnels set up to spray something.” He pointed at the light sketch. It clearly indicated a sprinkler system of some kind in each tunnel. “I don’t want to chance any kind of chemical or virus being rained down on us should they spot us entering unannounced. So, are we all in agreement? We go through the prairie-dog hole near the flight tower at Concourse C?”

  “Isn’t it a forgone conclusion?” Ortello snorted. “Once we’re in—then what?”

  Nikias set the papers down and looked at him. “Yeah, we’re sure to run into their citizens. We’ll stand out. I’m sure they’re not wearing leather clothes like ours and hooded gas masks.”

  Logan jabbed at his mask. “These come off the minute we get inside the shaft. I’m sure it’ll be safe to breathe there. Logic says it has to be secure for their repair technicians to work in there. Our masks are just to see we make it in and out alive. If we’re dressed different than they are…we’ll have to deal with it as it crops up.”

  “Let’s do it.” Drakker’s gruff voice silenced them.

  Resigned to the dangerous task ahead, Logan turned and led the way. It didn’t take long to get to the terminal and entry point. They climbed down the channel in silence until they found a hatch.

  “Damn.” Drakker’s eyes widened at the enormous size of the shaft they’d entered. It had to be the depth of a four-story building and just as wide. They scuttled across the open area for a short distance and found themselves stopped at a thick lead door. Just the humongous size of it told them it had to be no less than four feet thick. Drakker spun around to face Logan. “Now what?” He ripped the hood from his head, removing the cumbersome mask.

  Taking his off as well, Ortello frowned at Logan. “Are you sure this takes us into building three?”

  Nikias squatted near the door and yanked his mask off before grumbling at his brother, “Did Logan get here before you?”

  “Smartass.”

  Logan shoved past them, dropping his hooded mask near the door. “We have to chance it.”

  “Guys,” Drakker frowned. “There’s no way my Saw M249 or Ortello’s wall penetrating XM25 rifle will even make a dent in this door. Even if we could blow it up, which we can’t, blowing a hatch this large is not going to go unnoticed.”

  “True.” Nikias smiled and tilted his head back. “There’s our entry point. I noticed that small hatch at the top of the shaft, before we climbed down here. It reminds me of a wormhole for a man to get into or come out of, if there’s a need for repairs to this outer door.”

  They made their way back up to the top and unscrewed the submarine-type hatch with little trouble. It took them into a man-size double chamber. Logan twisted in a full circle. “Shit. We’re in a pressure vessel.”

  “What in the hell’s a pressure vessel?” Jerking his body around, Ortello’s red hair flew into his face.

  “A diver’s cylinder. A recompression chamber. You know, where air or water is pumped into a chamber so a person can be decompressed from wherever they were.”

  “Great.” Drakker turned around as well. “I don’t see a way for us to open it from inside.”

  “If the worker was contaminated, they wouldn’t give him a choice of returning. So I’m not surprised it can only be opened from an observation area.” The moment Logan spoke the hatch in front of them opened.

  Drakker jerked his automatic Minimi weapon up, jamming the butt into his shoulder, readying it for a marked hit. Ortello aimed his XM25 as Nikias held the clip of a grenade between his teeth, ready to pull if attacked.

  “It’s about time.” There was a flash of silver hair and what looked like two crystal eyes staring at them from behind the hatch. “Oh! Don’t blow my head off. I’m a friend of Fay’s,” a panicked, frail voice said from behind the door.

  “Reveal yourself!” Logan’s body tensed as he tightened his grip on his weapon. �
�So we can see you’re unarmed.”

  “Okay, okay! Don’t shoot.” Long, bony, spiderlike fingers wrapped around the side of the opening before the man inched his head back around the edge. “She told me to expect you boys.” A stooped-shouldered man with skin so white he looked ghostly stepped out into the open. The blue veins beneath his thin flesh looked like creeping ivy. A chill shimmied down Logan’s spine. Even the man’s face showed his blue blood lines.

  “Hands up, Mister!” Drakker growled.

  The man waved his frail arms then dropped them to his side. “Well, are you going to stand there, or get out of the chamber? We can’t be here all day!”

  Drakker and Logan jumped down into a room that looked like a maintenance area. The old-timer wore a sleeveless sweatshirt and jeans. But it was his clear-colored eyes that captured Logan’s attention, not because he lacked iris color, but because he looked unhealthy. The man wasn’t albino by recessive gene alleles, his silver hair proved that. If anything, it was the man’s translucent and insipid skin. It made Nikias look colorful. It was obvious the man’s underground living conditions had affected him with some kind of disorder that might have a link to albinism. This was something he’d have to tell Andonis about for his study on the disorder.

  “Ah, I see you’ve noticed my best feature.” The old man smirked, turning away to grab a couple of work coats.

  Nikias and Ortello joined Logan and Drakker, each of them with their weapons still in position.

  The old man tossed a coat at Logan. “Ah, good. Now we’re getting somewhere. Are you hiding anymore men?” He turned back around and unhooked two more coverings. “My sight isn’t so good.” Have your men put these on. They’re big enough to hide your weapons underneath. I’ve already cut holes in the pockets so you can hold your weapons.” He pointed at Nikias. “You can carry your weapon in this large toolbox. And you…” He looked up at Ortello. “How much does it weigh?”

  Ortello held up the XM25 gauging it. “About twelve pounds.”