Chapter 36
The deep rumble of an exploding mine called to them through the city. “That’s what, the fifth one?” William said.
Artan’s voice came from the darkness. “The seventh.”
“Wow, that many? I suppose the city’s probably dealing with more diseased in its streets than it’s had in a long time.” After escaping the drones, William followed what had become a familiar path back to Gracie’s tower. Matilda and Artan were waiting for him.
“You know,” William said, “I felt grateful for the chance to rest.”
“For the first two hours,” Matilda said.
“Right. Now it’s getting tedious. How much longer do you think it will be until Gracie gets here?”
Artan’s deep voice resonated in the enclosed space. “It must be dark out now.”
The clack of the door handle snapped down. Groaning hinges ushered moonlight into the room.
While blinking, William stumbled to his feet and squinted at the silhouette. “Gracie?”
“Who else would it be?”
“I dunno. A lot’s happened in this city I wasn’t expecting.”
Gracie walked over to Matilda, held her hand down, and pulled her to her feet. “So are you all ready to go?”
“How’s it looking out there?” Artan said.
“There are a lot of diseased. The others told me how you broke out of the ice hockey arena. Fear’s army is going to be gunning for you lot.”
William shook his head. “We don’t intend on coming back.”
Gracie stepped towards the door. “I think that’s a wise choice. Now let’s go.”
They headed away from the city, the ice hockey arena and metal tower at their backs.
After five minutes running, the buildings turned to rubble much like the house they’d camped in before entering the city. Ruin started at the edge of this place and ate its way in. It slowly chewed through the buildings like the disease slowly chewed through humanity. A rising tide of inevitability.
Gracie slowed the pace. There were too many obstacles waiting to trip them up if they were careless. Walls only a foot high, sheets and lumps of steel, metal bars encased and protruding from chunks of concrete. Their rusty fingers would tear skin and infect wounds.
A sheet of metal like many others in the ruins, Gracie checked around before she hunched down and dragged it clear, revealing a plain hatch. She pulled a key from her pocket and slid it into a hole that had been hard to spot at first. A gentle clack, she lifted the door to reveal a tunnel beneath. She slid in and moved aside to let the others follow.
After closing the hatch, Gracie flicked a switch on the wall. It lit the place up.
“Jeez!” William covered his burning eyes. “That’s bright.”
“It needs to be down here.”
Despite its raggedy entrance, the square tunnel belonged to a different time. Smooth, dark grey steel panels on the floor, walls, and ceiling. Highly polished, they gave off a reflective shine, enhancing the glow from the lights.
It took them about ten minutes to reach another steel door, which Gracie knocked against seven times.
The crack of a bolt freed on the other side. The hinges groaned.
William’s jaw fell wide as he followed Gracie into her community. The guard stood aside. In his early twenties, he had large features, a thick brow, jet black hair, and a jawline that could have been carved from rock. At least six feet five inches tall, he had thick hands and wide shoulders. He scowled in response to William’s smile. Miserable bastard.
The tunnel had transitioned them from the past to the future. It had been both functional and unlike anything William had ever seen. And then they reached her community. William’s jaw fell wide. “It’s like we’ve entered a new world.” Similar flooring to the tunnel, inasmuch as they had the floor, walls, and ceiling lined with steel, but there were many more lights. Although they gave off a duller glow, they revealed the intricate patterns on the walls. They showed them many doors leading to what must have been other parts of the complex.
“Welcome to Dout. This is where we live. It’s late, so most people are sleeping. It’s why we’ve dimmed the lights. Despite living underground, we try to follow the natural rhythm of day and night to keep everyone’s sleep cycles regular. These”—she pointed at the light bulbs—“are UV bulbs.”
“What does that mean?” Artan said.
“UV rays are important. It’s what we get from the sun. These bulbs, while not a perfect substitute, emit the same rays, which help us stay healthy. Anyway”—she batted the air with her hand—“I’m sure you’re tired and need to rest. Let me show you to where you’re staying. The others are already in your room. I’ll give you more of a tour of the place and introduce you to everyone tomorrow.”
William’s entire body had throbbed with a dull ache for hours, but now faced with the prospect of rest, his muscles twitched as if they might seize. Pains ran from the tips of his toes to the ends of every strand of hair. His heart flirted with a fatigue-induced panic attack, forcing him to take deep gulps. Standing aside so Gracie could lead them away, he let Artan and Matilda walk ahead of him. All the while, the watchful eyes of the guard who’d let them in burned into the back of his skull. But that was his job, right? To protect the community. And who wouldn’t suspect new people?
A shake of his head to derail his spiralling thoughts, William fought against his urge to turn and face the guard, his back tingling at the imagined knife plunging into it. But they were supposed to be suspicious. He’d be the same. And for now, they needed to rest.
Chapter 37
The dim lights gradually brightened, easing William back to wakefulness. The second he’d lain down the previous evening, he’d passed out. Although, while his mind had rested, his body had a lot more healing to do. Before he’d fallen onto the soft mattress last night, he’d ached
