by West, Kyle
Why would Bunker 84’s authorities launch nukes? Had they been aware of the xenoviral threat long before Bunker One was? Or had Bunker One given the order itself?
“Found it,” Samuel said.
We crowded around the computer. In a column labeled “expired targets” three dates were listed: November 22, 2034, December 5, 2036, and July 17, 2045. Next to these dates were target locations.
The first two were nothing like what I expected.
Bunker 23. And Bunker 144.
“What?” I asked. “They nuked Bunkers?”
It was a moment before Samuel answered. “Apparently.”
“Why?”
Something about Bunker 23 was tripping my memory. I remembered it being mentioned, somewhere...
Fortunately, Makara filled in the blank.
“That was the one you talked about, Samuel, when we found the Black Files. It was in Nebraska, the closest one to Ragnarok Crater. Could that have something to do with it?”
“Maybe,” Samuel said.
“Maybe?” Michael said. “I say probably.”
“You said Bunker 23 was where the first infections happened,” Makara said. “Maybe Bunker 84...panicked a bit.”
It would never be clear what had happened in those early days, unless we found a detailed explanation somewhere. Something we didn’t exactly have time for unless we just happened to run across it.
“Okay,” Julian said. “What about Bunker 144?”
“Elias mentioned that one,” I said. “It was built in Alaska. Bunkers One, 84, and 144 were all meant to be counterpoints to one another. It’s hard to imagine the xenovirus finding its way up there, especially if it was only 2036.”
“Maybe they saw Bunker 144 as a threat,” Makara said. “Also, I don’t see how nukes can hit Bunkers. Aren’t Bunkers built underground to avoid that sort of thing?”
“They are,” Samuel said. “But it’s possible they used bunker-busters – not designed to detonate until they are underground. A nuclear explosion like that would wreak havoc – not just from the awesome power, but from collapsing tunnels and burying exits.”
“Where did the third one go, then?” I asked.
It showed it launching in mid-2045, but it gave no target location. 2045 would have been around the time Bunker 84 fell.
A moment later, the fluorescent lights flashed on above, one after the other. Power had been restored in full. I blinked as my eyes adjusted.
“Let’s check on those cameras again,” Makara said.
***
Samuel returned to the directory and cycled through the cameras, one at a time. Many were still black, but the rest were up and running, revealing people in rooms and hallways, seeming confused that the lights had come on. Both Lords and Angels suspected some trick on the part of the other side.
“So how do we find out who’s on our side?” Makara asked.
“Maybe Lionel can help with that,” Samuel said.
Samuel motioned Lionel down to the control room floor. Lionel reached the bottom of the curved steps and ran to stand next to us. He looked over Julian’s shoulder at the monitor.
“Can you tell Angel from Lord?” Samuel asked.
“The Lords control most of the Bunker,” he said. “Their base is on the bottom level.”
“Why did they attack in the first place?” I asked.
“They didn’t think you were coming back. And there’s the matter of food. There was no way we had enough to go around. So, the Lords decided to save themselves.”
“See anyone we know on here?” Makara asked. “We can head to that location first, then hit the rest as we gather our forces.”
Lionel narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the screen. “Can you pull up a map of the Bunker on the big screen?”
Samuel nodded. “I’m sure I can. Somehow.”
He created a new tab and began to search the directory for a map. Within a minute, he’d found it. A large map of Bunker 84 was put up on the big screen. The size of Bunker 84 became all the more apparent, considering the map only showed one level at a time. For now, level three was displayed – the one we were on. There were twenty levels total.
“This place is huge,” Makara said.
“Seems as if they could fit a lot more than two thousand people in here,” Julian said. “I think there was more to this place than just the nukes.”
“What do you mean?” Samuel asked.
“You’ve seen the dorms,” Julian answered. “There must be hundreds just like the ones we saw. As if...an entire army had been here.” He paused. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong.”
“No,” Makara said. “It makes sense. It’s another reason why Askala would have targeted this place. Can you imagine if Bunker 84 had stayed alive?”
According to the Black Files, the U.S. government knew there was something guarding Ragnarok. The final Guardian Mission failed because it had been attacked directly. If they believed an alien invasion was imminent, it made complete sense they’d keep an entire army down here.
“We need to focus on finding our own,” Lionel said.
Level three was mainly dedicated to barracks, a training center, and the Command Center.
Samuel clicked the other tab, revealing the cameras once again.
“It looks as if the cameras are coded to each level. Like this one...”
Samuel clicked on it, and it showed a shot of a couple of men bearing rifles, standing next to a pair of elevator doors stuck halfway open. The number three was painted on the wall next to them.
“Level three,” Samuel said.
“Those are Lords,” Lionel said.
As Samuel clicked the camera, part of the map highlighted on the screen – a periphery corridor on the level’s western side.
“Looks like every time you click on a camera, it highlights where that camera is,” Lionel said. “We can make a list of what places to go to, and what places to avoid.”
“Good idea,” Samuel said.
“Let’s go through each of the levels,” Lionel said. “I can take some notes for each one.”
We did just that – Samuel scanned each level while Lionel took notes in a spiral notebook he’d found on a nearby desk. On most levels, the Lords had set up positions, especially the lower we got. It seemed as if there would be a lot of fighting once we got to level ten and lower.
Thirty minutes later, Lionel had taken notes all the way to level twenty. One of the cameras showed Jade, Rey, and Cain, sitting at a table over which a large map of the Bunker was spread. Apparently, they were making their own plan. They, too, had a map of the Bunker. If they knew this was where the Command Center was, then they probably wanted to gain control of it as soon as possible.
It seemed as if Samuel had come to the same realization.
“We need to find reinforcements,” Samuel said. “Once we have some fighters, we can start taking back territory.”
“See if you can call Ashton from here,” Makara said. “He’ll want the update.”
Chapter 11
Samuel used Bunker 84’s encrypted communication network to contact Ashton. We updated him on everything that had happened so far. Ashton said he’d be on standby for when he was needed.
We left the Command Center, Lionel carrying his notebook that listed Angel locations. Our first destination was on this level.
Bunker 84 looked different with the lights on. In a way, the lights were a curse because it would be harder to remain hidden and the fighting would pick up again.
But the time for hiding was over. We had to make an end of the Lords while we had the men and firepower to do so.
We left the Command Center behind and entered a long corridor. About fifty feet ahead, the corridor had been buried in rubble.
We stood before the twisted pile of concrete, rebar, and dirt.
“No good,” Makara said. “That’s the way we need to go.”
“There has to be a way around,” Michael said.
Micha
el backtracked a bit, poking his head in a doorway.
“This could work.”
We followed him inside, finding a room that had once been a clinic. A wheeled gurney lay on its side. Bandages and unused syringes spread over the dusty floor, where they had spilled from the countertop. Another doorway led out of the clinic on the other side, leading into a corridor running parallel to the first.
Once we were through the clinic and into the opposite corridor, the temperature dropped drastically. As we walked on, the temperature continued to plummet.
The corridor took a ninety-degree turn to the left, at the end of which was a group of four men with rifles. It was a moment before one of them cried out and pointed at us.
As their guns were raised, I dove for an open doorway on right side of the corridor, Makara and Samuel right behind me. As the first shots were fired, I crashed into the floor. It was freezing cold in here. I looked back, across the corridor, to see that everyone else had remained behind the corner, cut off from us. Anyone who tried to walk across that corridor would be shot down.
“They have the hallway covered,” Samuel said.
“If they’re smart, they’re going for reinforcements,” Makara said. “We have to figure a way to take them down.”
Another doorway led out from the other side of the room. The camera feed had shown a group of Angels near here. The only question was where they were.
“They should be nearby,” I said.
That was when a man appeared in the doorway. His eyes widened.
“Makara?”
Instantly, Samuel, Makara, and I had him in our sights.
“Don’t shoot!” he said. “I’m with you guys.”
“You’re Angel?” Makara asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
“Where are the others?” Makara asked. “We saw them on the camera feed not five minutes ago.”
“A lot can change in five minutes.”
“You’re the only survivor?”
“Of my group, yeah. I think Grudge and some of his men are down on level six. So, that’s where I was headed.” He paused. “My name’s Damian, by the way.”
“Damian, we have to deal with these Lords first,” Makara said. “They got the corridor covered, and my men can’t move on until they’re taken care of.”
“We can sneak around,” Damian said. “While they’re focused on your men, we can hit from another direction.”
“How?”
“We’ll have to go outside.”
“Outside?” I asked.
“Follow me,” Damian said.
Damian turned from the doorway, disappearing into darkness. We looked at each other and went after him.
***
Damian led us away from the corridor, and the temperature continued to drop. It wasn’t long before gray daylight filtered through the twisted, collapsed ceiling. This part of the Bunker must have been destroyed, somehow.
“So, Grudge is alive?” Makara asked. “What about Char, Marcus?”
As Damian began climbing the rubble in order to reach the outside, he cracked a smile. “Yeah, Grudge is alive. As far as Char and Marcus...I can’t say. They stayed behind on level one, and we haven’t heard from them since the war started.”
We climbed after Damian. If Char and Marcus were on level one, then the news probably wasn’t good.
I put my foot on a large slab of concrete, boosting myself up. Damian had already reached the top and was standing above the network of Bunker ruins.
“You sure you know where you’re going?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
Makara pulled herself onto the ceiling, followed by Samuel. I was the last one to exit the Bunker, and what I saw rendered me speechless.
This entire side of the mountain was simply...gone. Something had blasted it all away, leaving behind a crater. We were on the opposite side of the mountain, which up to this point we hadn’t see yet. The exits of corridors opened into the free air, at least down to level seven or eight.
“Guess we know where that third nuke hit,” Samuel said.
I still didn’t know why Bunker 84 had nuked itself. It could have been done by the Community, but whatever the case, it had allowed Elias to take control. The bottommost levels of the Bunker would have been largely unaffected.
“This way,” Damian said, moving out of the Bunker exit and onto the mountainside.
Damian angled himself toward an opening in the rubble not far from the one we had exited from. It was a short walk before we made it to the entrance. After walking a few steps inside, Damian spoke softly.
“Alright, the Lords are just around this corner...”
We edged to the corner as more shots split the air.
“I think they’re being fired on from the other side,” I said.
“The perfect opportunity to strike,” Samuel said.
Samuel waited a moment before giving a nod. He checked around the corner, stepping out into the open. I went after him, seeing the four Lords from behind, guns all pointed toward our men.
By the time Makara was also in the open, we fired into their backs.
The two men in the middle went down immediately while the others snapped toward us. Before they could even aim, however, they also went down. Silence followed the brief firefight.
Samuel called out.
“It’s us! When you come around, hold your fire!”
Lionel and the other Angels appeared from around the corner, running toward us. We ran ahead, meeting them in the center.
“That was some luck,” Lionel said.
Damian clasped Lionel’s hand with his own. “Good to see you, brother. I thought we lost you on nine.”
“You did. But I’m hard to kill.”
“Damian,” Makara said, cutting off the reunion. “Lead us to Grudge.”
Damian nodded. “Right. He should still be down on six.”
We followed Damian to a flight of stairs. We took them two at a time until we reached the sixth-level landing. The sounds of gunshots and men’s screams came muffled, distant.
Damian ran forward onto level six. The gunshots grew louder as we neared the center of the level, passing open doorways. We took several turns until we came to a final corner, around which Damian took a quick glance. He pulled his head back, resting it against the wall.
“Five Lords,” he said. “They’re set up behind tables in the mess hall. Faced away from us. They must be firing on Grudge and the Suns.”
“Take them out,” Samuel said. “They won’t see us coming.”
We stepped into the hallway, moving slowly so as not to alert the Lords to our presence. I took careful aim with my Beretta for the man on the left. Five of us were lined up, and still, none of the Lords had turned. They had no idea we were standing there.
I waited for Samuel’s gun to go off before I opened fire. The man on the left immediately dropped, the back of his shirt darkening with blood. I tried to separate my mind from this grisly task. With all of us firing on the Lords in their exposed state, they had all fallen within a matter of seconds.
It was another moment before Samuel spoke.
“Come on.”
We walked into the mess hall, a place that truly lived up to its name. The fluorescent lights above revealed a chaotic maze of upturned tables and chairs, and the scent of blood stunk up the air. Blood pooled under the corpses, spreading over the linoleum. Lionel’s men went to the bodies, rummaging for ammo and weapons. From a hallway leading out from the mess hall, a familiar man appeared.
“Grudge!” Makara called out.
He held up a hand in greeting, using the other to motion the men behind him forward. Three tired men entered the mess hall.
We met in the middle, a good distance from the fallen Lords.
“I thought you were dead,” Grudge said.
“Almost, but we’ll explain later.” Samuel said. “Think we have enough here to make the push back?”
“We need more,�
�� Grudge said. “Much more.”
“Know anything about my family?” Michael asked.
Grudge looked at him. “I think they’re okay, Michael. I haven’t seen them since this all started, but they’re probably on level one with most of the civilians.” Grudge sighed. “Honestly, they’re probably safest there. It was mainly the men they were interested in killing.”
“So it’s Jade, Rey, and Cain?” I asked.
Grudge nodded. “And whoever else joined them. Most of Char’s Raiders and all of Marcus’s Exiles stuck to their leaders. Boss Dragon fell early in the fighting, and I don’t know if any of his men made it. They were holding their own for a while on fourteen. This...” Grudge motioned back, indicating the four men with him, “is the last of the Suns. They’ve chased us up this far, and...”
Grudge paused, unable to find his words. He closed his eyes, as if he were falling asleep.
“Have you slept since the fighting started?” Makara asked.
Grudge quickly came to, shaking his head. “No. No, I can’t sleep.”
“How dangerous are the lower levels?” Samuel asked.
“Thick with resistance,” Damian said, answering for Grudge. “This floor should be clear, now.”
“We need a home base,” Samuel said. “It will take too long, and be far too dangerous, for us to go around rescuing every group. We need them to come to us.”
“I think you’re right,” Makara said. “The Command Center should work. We need to stock up with as much food and water as we can find. Anyone know where we might find that?”
Lionel answered. “Most of the kitchens have been cleaned out. We found some cans up on level three.”
“What about water?”
“They have pumps on the bottom level,” Grudge said. “Can’t imagine how much longer they can run without power. The taps work fine, though. They just haven’t been used in fifteen years.”
“We have the power back online,” Samuel said. “It’s all backup, so there’s no telling how long it will last. Hopefully, long enough to take control of the Bunker.”
“We need to make an announcement from the Command Center,” Makara said. “They need to know that we’re back, and if we can get enough people, we can take the fight to the Lords.”
