Chapter 11 - Into the Current
The sound of the cutting torch above reached a deafening pitch as a circular section of the elevator’s steel roof glowed white-hot, caving inward with a shower of molten sparks.
"Now! Pull the cable!" Mark roared, his hands gripping the iron ring set into the center of the elevator floor grating.
David dropped beside him, throwing his weight onto the lever alongside Mark. With a violent, metallic shriek, the floor panels split apart, dropping open into the black, rushing torrent of the subterranean drainage canal below. The smell of damp concrete, stagnant water, and raw sewage rushed up to fill the tiny car, accompanied by the thunderous roar of rushing water.
"Sarah, take Leo!" Mark yelled over the roar, grabbing the boy and handing him securely into his mother’s arms. "When I say jump, you go straight down. Do not look back!"
"Mark, what about you?" Sarah screamed, her eyes wide with terror as she clutched Leo to her chest.
"I'm right behind you. Jump!"
Sarah didn't hesitate. She clutched Leo tight and stepped backward through the open floor, plunging into the black, churning water below. A second later, David followed, diving cleanly into the current like a trained operator.
Above them, the steel roof panel of the elevator finally gave way with a deafening crash, and the blinding beam of a tactical flashlight cut down into the empty car.
"Target has breached the lower drainage shaft! Deploy smoke and seal the flood gates!" a distorted voice shouted through a tactical headset from the opening above.
Mark didn't wait to see the flashbang drop. He dove headfirst through the open grating, plunging into the ice-cold, rushing water of the subterranean canal. The shock of the cold hit him like a physical blow, stealing the breath from his lungs for a terrifying second before his training took over. He kicked hard toward the surface, breaking the water into the dim, amber-lit expanse of the concrete drainage tunnel.
"Over here! Grab the rail!" David’s voice echoed off the curved concrete walls, cutting through the roar of the water.
Mark wiped the freezing water from his eyes, spotting David hauling Sarah and Leo onto a narrow concrete maintenance ledge that ran alongside the rushing canal. Mark swam hard against the current, his heavy suit jacket dragging him down like an anchor, until David’s strong hand reached out, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him violently onto the dry concrete.
They lay gasping for breath on the damp floor, coughing up dirty water, their bodies shivering violently from the bone-chilling cold. Leo was crying softly, clinging to his mother, completely soaked and shivering in his ruined blue pajamas.
"We’re not safe yet," David panted, pushing himself up to his feet and shining his penlight down the dark, endless stretch of the drainage tunnel. "The flood gates at the end of this line lead directly to the river. If they trigger the automated bulkheads from the central terminal, this entire tunnel will fill with water in less than three minutes."
Mark slowly rose to his feet, wringing out his soaked suit sleeves. The confusion and betrayal of a few minutes ago were gone, burned away by the harsh reality of survival. He looked down at Leo, then over at Sarah, and finally met David’s gaze.
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"Then we beat them to the end of the line," Mark said, his voice echoing down the dark tunnel.
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