Shocked (17 page)

Everyone’s curious about the discovery of the tunnel. Especially since Mason and I call our truce. It sets off some weird guy understanding between Mason and Lucas. Speculation on the possibilities of the tunnel has become the new focus of attention.

It seems like just the kick in the ass our team needs. Today we complete what’s become the first part of our mission. We find a suitable place to spend the night and cut loose early. For the first time in weeks everyone relaxes. Lucas starts a fire and somehow procures all the makings for s’mores. I sit and eat the best thing tasting thing in
forever.
It really feels like we’re getting somewhere—like it may be okay to hope again.

If only it’s possible to know what’s down that tunnel…

The truth is that tunnel holds a large chunk of our destinies in its deep dark grasp. It can be our savior or our final undoing. There’s only one way to find out.

Tomorrow we turn around—not for home yet, but to the tunnel. The celebration winds down and the reality of our next adventure seeps in. Everyone grows quiet. We crash for the night in an abandoned auto body shop. It’s one of the only buildings that are not mangled due to its sturdy construction.

Everyone goes to sleep and my mind races. It’s not like I
never
sleep anymore…more like a few hours every few days does the trick now.
Add another check into my abnormal column
.

When the scrapes on my palms and bruises on my legs aren’t there hours later (and with nothing but dirty torn clothing to prove they ever existed) I don’t think anything of it. It must be my imagination. I cut my hand badly a few days later (blessedly alone) and watch in horror and disbelief when it seals shut before my eyes. It hurts like a son of a gun and the rivulets of blood stain my skin. Only a small pink line replaced the deep cut. Less than an hour later I scrub the blood clean and there’s no more indication of it.

These new developments get put deep away until our return to camp when I can see Dr. Ford. It’s not exactly an over the phone type conversation. It’ll only make him all crazy to take more tests and something I can’t do until I get back anyway.

Recent phone conversations with Dr. Ford and Captain Jennings are encouraging. We manage to push a good portion of the infection back. General Carch is being suspiciously quiet in the mid and northwest. The Captain moves teams to three quadrants of the new infected front line to try and keep it back. Dr. Ford feels like he’s getting close to perfecting a new barrier against the nanobots and he’s very excited about. It can make the world of difference.

Captain Jennings remains in close contact with General West. The latest theory with Carch’s sudden withdrawal of activity came from General West. The biggest concern that faces our great nation is our current state of vulnerability. Only our absolute cooperation gives the other nations effected (pretty much everyone) reason to forgive us. Their governments remain mostly intact—though a few have fallen along with our own. We don’t know if they truly mean no retaliation, if they fear the infection that’s still prominent here or if they’re too busy scrambling to rebuild to do anything else.

Our friendly neighbors to the north become a formidable ally. When Carch attempts to push the weaponized infection into Canada she oversteps her bounds. General West suspects she’s regrouping and planning after she realizes she’s surrounded.

We’ve been gone from camp a little over a month. That leaves only a few weeks to make it back before Brie’s due date. I really don’t want to miss that. The only thing on my side is our newly enlarged airspace. It’s a much shorter drive now (eight to ten hours) in comparison to the days before we start. There’s still a shot, right?

“You’ve been really quiet today.” Lucas observes. We cover the last few miles before we hit the tunnel.

“I’ve had a lot on my mind.” I say truthfully. We all have plenty to think about lately.

“You’re okay though? I mean, you feel alright?” He doesn’t do as good a job masking his concern as he thinks. It forces an involuntary smile out of me. It’s sweet in a very Lucas-y way.

“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks Lucas.”

“You know we can still go back first—before we go into that thing.” Lucas is more suspicious of the tunnel than the others.

“No way! I don’t want to come back here again.”

“Maybe…” His voice trails off.

“Maybe?” I prompt him.

“Just maybe you don’t even have to go. I mean, don’t you think that you should see the doctor?”

This isn’t the first time that Lucas has shown concern for my well-being. It
is
the first time he ever suggests do something after I’ve set my mind to do something else. Ordinarily something like this would tick me off, but there’s something about the delivery that keeps my normal frustration at bay. He’s really concerned—about me and nothing more.

“I really want to be there for Brie when she has the baby.” I blurt out the half-truth because being there for Brie is very important to me. I’m also not ready to fess up to Dr. Ford about the recent changes in me from the nuclear exposure.

The vehicle rolls to a stop and Lucas looks at me, his face full of understanding and it makes me feel a little bad. “I can understand that, but I want you to know that you have the option at any time.”

“Let’s just get this done.”

Lucas nods.

The very first thing that we set up is our base camp. We surround the hole and the team springs up tents and a fire. Everyone else wants to rest for the evening. They certainly earn it.

We decide that Alex and Jase (the two techs) will stay in the base camp tomorrow and out of the tunnel along with one of our other team members. This works well because it allows us to get more team members in at once
and
we can maintain the integrity of the camp. At least that’s what Lucas says. Far as I’m concerned it’s three less bodies to protect. I’m not saying that callously: the idea of fighting against anything in tight quarters gives me pause. I’ve seen enough horror movies to know it doesn’t usually end well and this ain’t Sparta.

Soon after dark everyone hunkers down in their respective sleeping bags. We’ll be up early tomorrow and on the move. Everyone needs their rest—even me. Who knows what the hell we are going to find in there.

The first thing that’s noticeable the next morning (yes—I sleep a few hours) is the rain. It’s hard to miss when the sky opens up and begins to drench us all with frigid water. We all scramble to our feet. Lucas rushes to the back of the truck and grabs a tarp from the back. With help from Mike and Lou the three of them set up a makeshift shelter over the tunnel. It makes sense. Drowning today doesn’t really sound like fun.

Since the rest of them are guys (and I’m blatantly not) I get to freshen up in the nice dry truck cab while the other’s make do with whatever it is guys do. I use my comb and tug through my wet tangle of hair. Eventually the knots loosen and a braid takes their place. It’s functional and prefect for underground exploration.

I grow up more tomboy than princess and some dirt doesn’t bother me. The idea of covered in a few dozen feet of earth does. There’s already more new stuff going on with me than I can handle and underground exploration’s new territory. I push the thought from the forefront of my mind and focus on what needs to be done today. I toss a few necessities in my pack and shove everything else into the duffle bag.

The hood above me helps a bit as I sprint to the makeshift shelter to meet the others. All of them check flashlights and batteries. Alex and Jase look miserable—obviously not fans of the weather. The sky’s a dismal grey in all directions and there’s no end in sight. The ground squishes underfoot even in the shelter. The rain’s not as heavy as when it first began but it’s steady.

Mike, Lou and Lucas push the rock off the hole. We all pause momentarily. Now or never, right? I hop down and use my energy in my palm to light the way before any other decisions can be made. Lucas drops behind me. Mike, Lou, Mason and the others quickly follow. It’s dank but not dripping.

The tunnel we’re in stands around ten feet tall and maybe three feet wide. It’s very rough with no semblance of clean lines. From the looks of the floor the only reason it’s flat is due to excessive trampling. Hundreds of footprints cover it.
What in the world is going on down here?

The deeper we go the more tension rolls off each of us in waves. If something were to happen now we’d all be sitting ducks. The tunnel begins a gradual decline. We burrow deeper into the ground.

After a while we begin to come across random metal head appendages. Lucas calls for a break, and pulls me aside. “Do you think we should keep going?” He asks.

“After coming this far? Yeah, I do. I’ve dealt with these things before.” I reassure him…of course that’s in a huge field not a tiny underground dirt tunnel.

“Okay.” He checks his watch. “It’s only been two hours so far.”

It feels longer, not that there’s much to go by. “Let’s go for two more. If we don’t find anything we’ll turn back.”

“Deal.”

We all rehydrate and some of us have a snack. After ten or so more minutes we start again. The decline increases a bit and the dirt below our feet becomes slick. I stumble into the dirt wall more than once—still holding my energy in front of me to light the way. When the path begins to level out again it splits in two. One way continues on a decline and the other way is level.

Lucas looks at me. “What do you want to do?”

If we split up it may cover more ground but it increases the risk for whichever group is without my extra boost of energy. The idea of going further down is unnerving and there’s also the fear of getting lost. Sure there’s up and down, but one more split and it can get worrisome. “We stay together.” I choose the right path towards the level tunnel. “We’ll start here. Everyone just remember to hang left on the way out.”

Nobody argues and we all continue on after Mike carves a large arrow into the dirt wall. “Just in case,” he tells us.

There’s no incline or decline so we soldier on. I’m about to ask Lucas for a time check when there’s a small dim light at the end of the tunnel. We all stop and I say to the group. “Lucas, Mike, Lou, and Mason,” I have to include him too, “stay behind me and keep quiet. The rest of you wait here. Don’t make any noise if you can help it.”

I wish they listen to me this well all of the time. The thought makes me smile as I lead the four guys silently towards the light. The smile doesn’t last long though. We move closer and it’s impossible to deny the shuffling noises we hear up ahead. Something’s there. The question is: what?

Lucas puts a hand on my shoulder and I shake him off. I hold a palm out to the rest of them. Mason shakes his head and actually smirks. Of course he knows better than any of them just how stubborn I am.

Somehow Lucas and I manage to have a completely silent argument using only facial expressions. Even more amazing—I somehow win. I extinguish the energy in my hand and we slip into the darkness. I crouch down to move the last few steps.

It’s a good thing I do because the sight below brings me to my knees. It looks like
thousands
of metal heads are moving down there. They burrow into and out of more tunnels from the center. A circular path wraps around a gaping hole in the middle. It resembles what I imagine a hive looks like inside. These creatures are much further gone than those I cross months earlier in the field.