there was a sharp edge to the wind tonight. clouds drifted heavy and dark as the sun dipped below the horizon, and under the ground, something stirred. tap tap tap went a thumb against the guard's leg, his entire limb shaking rapidly up and down as he peered down the long tunnel that led out.
tommy was posted here most nights -- one of the few the city trusted enough to guide the way in and out of their precious underground labyrinth. little did they know, he was the one letting the rats run free on a near-monthly basis at this point.
but this time, they were late.
tap tap tap went tommy's foot as he waited, and waited, and waited. where the fuck were they? he couldn't wait forever -- rebels were on the other side of the wall; he'd already received the signal from the voice over his radio.
๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ย .
finally, nearly two hours later than they were meant to, the sound of tapping footsteps approached his post. not many today, just a couple of middle-aged men by themselves, and a teen girl who looked scared out of her mind. tommy sympathized -- he'd been scared too, the first time he'd walked down that tunnel. but that was a long, long time ago, and they didn't have any more time to waste.
" this way, " he ordered, giving a nod to his fellow guard across the way -- they would keep watch, cover for him if needed.
when they finally emerged out into the world above, there was a steady tap tap tap of rain falling onto the ground, painting patterns in the dirt. tommy led them out, handed them over to the rebels, and then turned his eyes on the guard tower that was posted outside the city.
it was a long climb, and not one he enjoyed -- he'd never been a big fan of heightsย -- but this was born out of necessity. hopefully he was still out there...
at the top of the post, tommy looked out over the horizon, honey eyes searching for the flickering of an oil lamp through the haze of the rain ...ย ๐๐๐๐๐ย .
he sighed in relief when it came into view, a calm settling over his heart as he began his descent and then started up the old motorbike stashed in the scrub nearby.
when he finally reached the light, it was well past midnight. he was three hours late. the engine sputtered as he parked next to that familiar motorcycle, glancing around the small camp.
" johnny? you here? "