Chapter 6 - The Keypad Secret
The heavy iron door swung open with a deep, echoing groan, revealing a narrow, brick-lined tunnel that sloped downward into the pitch blackness. A damp, earthy breeze wafted out from the interior, carrying the faint sound of running water in the distance. Officer Miller immediately stepped inside, sweeping his tactical flashlight along the damp walls to check for tripwires or security cameras.
Officer Davis grabbed the handles of the blue wheelchair, guiding it smoothly over the metal threshold.
"Move, Leo. Stay right behind your mother," Davis ordered, his voice laced with an urgency that left no room for argument.
Leo hurried through the doorway, casting one last nervous glance back at the dark subway platform where they had just emerged. The flickering overhead bulb sputtered twice and died, plunging the entire station into absolute darkness. He shivered, pulling the fabric of his light blue polo shirt tighter around himself as he followed the dim beam of the officers' flashlights.
Inside the wheelchair, his mother let out a sharp gasp, her fingers digging deep into the padded armrests as another wave of pain washed over her.
"We need to stop," she whispered hoarsely, her voice trembling. "I can't... I can't walk, and this bouncing is making the labor advance too fast, Leo. Tell them to stop."
Leo ran up beside the chair, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hold on, Mom. We're going to find a safe place. Just breathe like we practiced."
"She can't breathe down here for long," Officer Miller interrupted from a few yards ahead, his flashlight beam catching a junction where three different tunnels intersected. "The oxygen levels in this sector of the old aqueduct drop significantly the further north we go."
Officer Davis brought the blue wheelchair to a halt at the intersection, his brow furrowed as he studied a faded stencil painted on the brick wall.
"Which way, Miller? Left leads to the old pumping station, right goes to the main subway trunk line."
Miller shined his light down the left tunnel, listening intently. A faint metallic clinking echo reverberated from the darkness ahead—the unmistakable sound of combat boots hitting wet brick.
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"They're already inside the perimeter," Miller whispered, lowering his voice to a bare hiss. "They used our code to enter through the north access hatch."
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