The older policeman was grunting behind, still half supporting the female corporal, his teeth clenched as he saw the stationary civilians, nodding grimly to Davis in the flickering light, ‘Keep going…we can’t help them, there are just too many. Shout for them to follow…that’s it…that’s all we can do now!’
Davis shuddered and turned to trudge onwards between the cars, along the middle of the carriage way, his hoarse voice rising as he drew a deep breath, ‘We are NYPD, you cannot stay here! You all need to keep moving westwards...away from the enemy! They will soon be here…get up and follow us…the army will be at the other end of the tunnel!’ His breath caught as dust fell from the tunnel roof, chest heaving as several people pushed past, his voice strained, ‘You will escape if you follow…’
Noticing several of the dirt covered civilians rising, a couple of medics glanced round, nodding warily and assisting their patients upwards, Davis shaking his head in despondency as others simply stared at him with tearful blank expressions, unable to move as they sat slumped in overwhelming shock.
Progressing further down the slope under the river, the overhead and side lights began flickering and dimming, Davis straining his eyes nervously as he glanced back, the older policeman struggling after him as silhouettes passed on either side along the walls. Many more civilians now progressed along a raised side walkway, his eyes fixing on another police officer amongst a group, the young Latino holding a blood soaked shoulder tightly as he urged the stunned people along, the young man shouting across at others sat on the edges of the tunnel to move.
Turning back, he indicated to his partner and the fearful female, ‘I will take her now…’ Shaking his head, he pursed his lips in regret, ‘Sorry bud…should have offered sooner…’
The older officer grinned, shuffling to the side and between to stationary cars, ‘It’s okay…we have become friends even though she is still deep in shock…she seems better now, but seeing most of her unit slaughtered has not helped.’ He wiped hands across his dirt smeared black uniform as Davis edged between two vehicles opposite to allow others to pass, the officer’s eyes meeting as the older man swallowed, ‘Okay…so we are without a car and precinct now and I think and I am not going back. We get to the other end of the tunnel and report to any duty commander…they will assign us to further duties.’
NYPD officer Davis Michaels nodded grimly, then stiffened, his head turning to stare back along the darkened tunnel, the distant rumble of explosions continuing as his eyes widened, screams filling the air as louder gunshots rang out, people surging forward in panic as he gasped. A distant shriek and then burst of automatic fire, tracers streaming above them as the lights surged and flickered once more, his vision focussing on numerous distant black armoured figures surging between and over the vehicles, the sparks and glimmer of blades flashing from side to side as he frantically grasped for his holstered pistol.
The older officer shouted, his words drowned out as he grasped the female corporal, the lights flickering and dimming as Davis lowered his stance, his teeth gritted, ‘Get going…’ He raised his firearm and grasped his right wrist with his left hand, the older man struggling into the throng of screaming and jostling civilians.
The frantic screams became high pitched, the lights seeming to surge and then suddenly go out, the tunnel plunged into darkness briefly as terrified panicking people fell against vehicles, scrambling over each other to escape, the Morgon shrieks becoming louder as the gunfire increased. Flashes filled the darkness of the tunnel as Davis ducked down, the bullets zipping overhead, several bodies crumpling on the walkway as the shouts and screams intensified.
A brief flicker of light as Davis’s nerves ran cold, the blood soaked Morgon soldiers now only a few vehicles away as he rose, their armoured plate crashing against cars and shattering windows as the massacre continued. His pistol bucked twice as the lights failed completely, the flashes illuminating the walls around eerily as sparks flew from a nearby helmet, the NYPD officer backing away as he strained his eyes to see, his thighs coming to rest against the car behind.
Then red sparkling eyes filled his vision, the Morgon trooper at the other side of the vehicle, several more igniting nearby, the pin lights sweeping across the pitch darkness as he raised the pistol instinctively.
The immense impact knocked the wind from him, his body tossed across the tunnel, bones cracking as he smacked against the tiled wall, his frame shuddering as he fell roughly on top of others, some crying and moaning, other bodies still beneath. Groaning, he realised he had been hit with considerable force from the side, his left arm and leg broken as he moaned in pain, rolling over slowly to come to rest against a car wheel.
Sucking air painfully, he felt across his chest, realising there was a deep tear in his side as he tried to roll over, fingers touching the jagged broken bone of his ribs that now extended through a soaked uniform shirt. Gasping for breath as he coughed up blood, the agonising pain seared through his prone body, wide unresponsive eyes staring up at the tiles above as they flashed, his brain unable to process the zipping tracers above as the Morgons fired controlled bursts down the tunnel.
Then two red piercing lights filled his blurred vision, the angular helmet tilting slightly to one side before immediate darkness and a loud crunch, the armoured boot thrust abruptly downwards and crushing his skull.
Presidential Bunker, beneath the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia
Numerous screens flickered across
