#us87

[fuckyeahabandonedplaces]

1st Avenue, Roundup, MT 59072 by Phil Bebbington

[katedoesfics]

Under Shadow: Chapter 87

Much like the last time they traveled through the sewers, it took them a couple of uneventful hours before they neared the crossroads. However, this time, they were met with an eerie silence. The tunnels that they had previously closed were reopened, the western tunnel stretching in the direction of the valley.

“You don’t need to come any further,” Malone said to them. “You brought us where we needed to be, and that’s all I asked for.”

“What do you expect us to do?” Sam grumbled. “Turn back after coming all this way?”

“There’s no way to know how far this tunnel goes,” Malone said. “But it’s likely they’re working night and day until they reach the valley. They’ll all be there which will make them an easy enough target for my men. We can handle it from here.”

“At least put us to use,” Gil growled. “Like he said, we came all the way out here.”

“We could always use someone to cover our six,” Malone said. “In case any others wander up this way. Don’t need anyone flanking us.” He turned to Shane, handing him the bag that he carried on his back. “Set up the dynamite down the tunnel.” He tossed him a radio. “I’ll let you know when to blow this place to bits.”

“Fine,” Shane said. He shoved the radio in his back pocket and peered into the backpack. Malone lead his army down the tunnel as Shane unpacked the dynamite.

“So, we just wait here?” Alex said.

“Guess so,” Marlon said, helping Shane set up the dynamite.

“This is a lot of ammo,” Gil muttered as he set up the line. “And not a lot of line.”

“What does that mean?” Sam asked.

“It means we won’t have a lot of time to high tail it out of here.”

“How will Malone get out?” Alex asked.

“I don’t think he plans on getting out,” Marlon said.

“Sounds like he didn’t plan on us getting out alive, either,” Alex muttered.

They stared at the dynamite once they finished setting it up.

“This was a suicide mission all along,” Sam hissed.

“Let’s just wait and see what happens,” Gil said, exchanging an uneasy glance with Marlon. “Nothing we can do but wait.”

*****

The hours passed uneventfully as they waited in the dark tunnels, their flashlights off to save what little batteries they had left. They leaned against the walls, sitting on the floor in an uneasy silence as the time ticked by. They jumped when the radio finally buzzed to life, breaking the silence and echoing off the walls. The static drowned out the faint, panicked voice. Shane held the radio before him, straining to make out the broken words.

“… too close… they’re… now… it now…!”

Gil’s flashlight clicked on, illuminating the area around them. “That’s good enough for me,” he said.

“No,” Shane hissed, still straining to interpret the static voice. “We can’t block them in. We don’t know what he’s saying.”

“I think we can put the pieces together,” Gil snapped. “I’m not sticking around to find out.”

“What about the line?” Alex said, growing panicked. “You said so yourself - it’s not long enough to give us enough time.”

“What do you want to do about it, Alex?” Gil shouted. “Sit here and wait for those brutes to rip us to shreds?”

“We’ll be crushed,” Sam said.

“I won’t go out at the hands of those brutes,” Gil hissed, getting to his feet and moving to the dynamite.

Shane stood abruptly, his heart racing. “Wait.” He wanted a chance. Just one last chance to survive, to see Jas again.

“If Najia can do it,” Gil muttered, “so can we.”