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“I’m not sure. I think red means the hospital area.” Jane stopped and looked down a long tunnel. “Did we pass the hospital before?”
Rick shrugged. “I have no idea. It’s insane how deep this place goes.”
“I heard a couple of airmen talking when they were coming in the other day. They were going on about these huge limestone caverns beneath the complex that were filled with food and water. I guess that’s where General Black is going to get the supplies to keep everyone alive.”
“I’m not sure I’d want to be alive if I would have to be trapped underground with General Black.”
Jane snorted in amusement. “Fair point. Come on, let’s head back and see if we can find a way up.”
After another forty-five minutes of wandering Rick and Jane rounded a corner and found themselves staring down a short corridor leading to the main doors for the complex. The activity in the corridor was frenetic with soldiers, airmen, marines and sailors running back and forth as they delivered messages and carried pallets of supplies and equipment from vehicles in the tunnel through the main doors.
Rick watched the commotion for a moment before nudging Jane and whispering. “We should get outside into the tunnel and see what it’s like out there. We’ll have to get through the main doors if we want to leave anyway so we might as well test it now.”
Rick was about to walk towards the gates when Jane pulled at his jacket to stop him. “Hang back a second.” She pointed across the hallway at a red sign hanging from the wall.
EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY – KEEP SEALED AT ALL TIMES
“What do you think that is?”
Rick shrugged. “An emergency exit?”
Jane rolled her eyes and gave him a playful punch on the side of his arm. “No kidding. Don’t you think it’s worth checking out?”
“Probably so, yeah. Let’s see if we can make it through the main doors without being stopped. On our way back in we’ll head over there and see what’s up with the emergency exit.”
“Sounds good. Lead on.”
Rick took a deep breath, straightened his back and walked briskly out into the main hallway with Jane following close behind. Rick kept his eyes forward, ignoring the occasional sideways glance he got from a few of the uniformed men and women. He made it through the first door easily enough but had to stop in between the first and second while the soldiers pushed both doors open a few more feet to make room for several large pallets that were being pulled into the complex.
The delay was enough that Rick was starting to feel nervous about standing there doing nothing but he did his best to keep a passive look on his face until the path was open again. As he and Jane stepped forward one of the soldiers manning the door turned and glanced at him. “Sir? Where are you going?”
Crap. Rick glanced at the soldier as he and Jane slowed down. “General Black sent us out here. Said our gear was being brought in and we should go collect it so it doesn’t get lost.”
The soldier glanced back and forth at Rick and Jane for a second before nodding. “Go ahead.”
Rick smiled and sped back up and he and Jane quickly passed through the second door. Outside, in the tunnel, the noise and commotion was through the roof. Vehicles full of crates and people were lined up through the entirety of the entrance tunnel and halfway down the side of the mountain. Rick turned and headed down the tunnel, stopping once he reached a large stack of crates.
“What are we doing here?” Jane whispered to Rick.
“Watching.” Rick nodded at the commotion. “My guess is that they’re going to be bringing in people and supplies like this right up until the point when they seal those doors. We might be able to steal one of their trucks while they’re unloading it and just drive it out of here.”
“I thought that guy told you that the General’s car was the best thing to take, though.”
Rick shrugged. “I don’t see anything other than Humvees and these big haulers, do you?”
Jane looked out from behind the stack of crates and pointed back down at the direction from which they came. “It looks like everything’s turning around in front of the main doors but the tunnel keeps going past that. Maybe there’s a parking area or something down there.”
“Huh. Good point. Let’s check it out.”
The pair received almost no questioning glances as they walked along, though Rick chalked that up to the fact that they were blending in well with the sea of civilians and soldiers who were heading through towards the main doors. As they neared the doors Rick pulled Jane along with him as he slipped to the side out of the throng and between a pair of parked trucks. After heading to the other side of the tunnel Rick picked up the pace and jogged along until he reached the spot where the vehicles were turning around.
“Ha! Told you!” Jane grinned and walked past Rick. Parked up against the wall inside a small painted-off area sat a small two-door black sports car. A few other vehicles were parked behind the sports car but none of them looked anything like it.
“Huh. I didn’t take General Black as the type to drive something like this.” Rick circled around the car and cupped his hands around his eyes as he peered in through the heavily tinted passenger window. “You think all three of us can fit inside this thing?”
Jane was standing on the driver’s side of the vehicle, up against the wall of the tunnel, and gently tugged on the handle. The door opened with a soft whoosh and she peeked in. “The backseat’s a bit small but I can squeeze in there. Oh, hey! Look at this!” Jane reached in and pulled out a set of keys that were sitting in the center console.
“Nice. Leave them there, though.” Rick glanced back toward the gate and stepped away from the car. “We don’t need those on us in case we get searched or something.”
