Chaos (35 page)

But was he making enough of it?

We hustled over to Beach’s car and I helped Diane into the rear. Then I ran to the opposite end, away from the Bell.

“I finished clearing off the debris,” Beverly said. “How is she?”

“If we get her to a doctor, she’ll live. But she doesn’t have much time.”

“Did they buy your bluff?”

“They’re confused but it won’t take Chase long to get his act together.”

“Do we have the five minutes?”

“We’ll be lucky if we get two.”

She put her hands on the back of the pneumatic car and began to push with all of her strength. I joined her and after twenty seconds of backbreaking effort, we managed to get Beach’s old car moving.

At first, it took all our combined strength just to move it an inch. The second inch was a little simpler and the third one was even easier.

Ever so slowly, we pushed the car along the groove toward the open tube. Despite its heavy weight and old age, it slid at a smooth and silent pace.

I saw shifting shadows out of the corner of my eye. They moved swiftly and silently, barely making a disturbance in the station. Four of them stole out of the tube and angled themselves toward the
Omega
.

Undoubtedly, they worked for Chase. They must’ve snuck into the tube before the door closed over. Since they were professional soldiers, I knew that they were equipped for the situation. Night-vision goggles were an absolute certainty. I just hoped that they weren’t paying too much attention to the slow-moving pneumatic car.

I eased myself out of the line of sight and continued to push against the car as hard as I could. Things were about to get ugly. Real ugly. And once that happened, all bets were off.

Suddenly, the station exploded into flames. The ground rumbled and a mighty boom pierced the air. A shock wave barreled into me and I fell to the ground. Looking up, I saw chunks of metal flying in all directions, slamming into the bedrock walls with chilling force.

As I rose to my feet, a burst of smoke spread out from the mangled wreckage of the
Omega
, blanketing everything in sight. Squinting, I saw four bodies lying on the ground, writhing in pain. They were still alive.

But I doubted they would last for long.

I might have been lying about the gadget. But I sure as hell wasn’t lying about putting explosives in the Omega.

Angry and confused shouts, muffled by distance, filled the air. The explosion would force Chase to reconsider his options. But it wouldn’t be long before he tried again.

There was no point in keeping quiet any longer. Grunting, I threw my shoulder into Beach’s subway car and heaved. With Beverly’s help, it slowly began to move again.

We pushed it all the way to the mouth of the tube. It screeched as its bottom scraped lightly against the Sand Demons’ metal tracks.

I glanced at Beverly. “Get in there. And keep the door on the other side closed as long as possible. Whatever happens, don’t let Chase and his men into the car.”

As she vanished into the interior, I stepped back and quickly examined the tube. The metal rails would present a problem. I just hoped the car could handle them.

“Cap,” I called out. “Tell me you’re done.”

I heard a metallic cough and then gears churning. Another strong gust of wind blasted out of the air flue and caught me right in the face. It blew me straight back into the car, which started to move. For a moment, I imagined myself glued to the back of it, racing through the tunnel at top speed.

But the wind quickly died off and I fell to the ground, gasping for air. My eyes burned from the dust particles and it took me a few seconds to blink them away. As my vision cleared, I saw a shadow emerge from the open wall that connected the station to the passages.

My body tensed.

My hand slipped to my holster.

I grabbed hold of the pistol and watched as the figure darted toward me. As Cartwright’s face came into view, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“We’re ready to roll,” he announced. “At least I hope we are. Just so you know, this is the craziest thing I’ve ever done.”

“Crazier than stealing the Bell and guarding it for over three decades?”

“Well, okay. Second craziest thing.”

I hopped into the car, catching a glimpse of Beverly in the process. She knelt on the other end, arms tense, both hands grasping the doorknob. Spinning around, I offered my hand to Cartwright.

He jogged over to the west side of the tube and opened a control box. Then he turned around and looked at me. “The instant I pull this lever, the air’s going to burst out of here like nothing you’ve ever felt. So grab hold of me and then shut the door as quickly as you can.”

“Let me do it.”

“No, I –”

Loud blasts filled the air and reverberated against the bedrock walls.

Time slowed down.

Horror filled my gut.

Cartwright stumbled and fell to a knee.

I saw the blood, the bullet holes.

Kneeling down, I peered into the dimly lit station and saw a single moving shadow in the vicinity of the
Omega
. It was struggling to rise to its feet. I felt a rush of anger. Grabbing my gun, I squeezed the trigger a few times. The shadow dropped like a stone, wriggling in pain.

I looked back at Cartwright. Shaking all over, he stood up and hobbled to the wall. He gave me a tired smile. “I’m done, Cy,” he wheezed. “Take good care of her.”

“Cap, wait…”

He fell against the box. His hand pushed the lever. I tried to jump out to help him, but a sudden burst of wind sent me sailing back into the car’s interior. As I scrambled to my feet, I felt the car floor shuddering and realized we were already shooting through the tube.

I struggled to the rear of the car and slammed the door shut. Then I looked through the small window and watched as Cartwright’s lifeless body slid to the ground and vanished into the darkness.

Chapter 61

As we thundered through the tube, I felt a moment of odd serenity. For more than thirty years, Cartwright lived a troubled life, full of anxiety, stress, and paranoia. He’d dedicated every ounce of his soul to protecting something he barely understood for reasons he couldn’t fully explain. And now, after all that time, he’d found peace at last.

Don’t get sappy. You know damn well that eternal peace is just a nice way of saying he’s dead. And there’s no waking up from that.

“I can see the next station,” Beverly called out. “And still no sign of them.”

I spun around. Diane sat hunched on the floor in the middle of the car. Her face looked grim yet determined. Beyond her, Beverly pointed a flashlight out the far window.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“I think I would’ve noticed if something splattered in front of me.”

She paused. “I hate to bring this up now, but what happens when we hit the next station?”

“What do you mean?”

“Does this thing have brakes? Or will we just shoot on through?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But if it stops, we’re in trouble.”

Beverly lowered her flashlight and edged her body to the side, taking cover next to the door. Mere seconds separated us from the next station. Seconds that could bring salvation.

Or disaster.

As I nervously fingered my gun, I ran the possible scenarios through my head. As long as the car continued to head south, we were safe. If it ground to a halt while in the present tube, we’d have two options. Flee back to the north or stay in the railcar and defend the door. In the worst-case scenario, we’d stop in the middle of the station. From that position, escape would be impossible and we’d be flanked on either side by Chase’s forces.

A loud screeching noise punctured the silence. My fingers tightened around my pistol as bright lights blazed through the side windows.

Abruptly, the car slid completely out of the tube and into the station. Glancing out the back window, I saw a dozen silhouettes gathered around the tube’s mouth. They remained immobile as we passed by them. Squinting, I saw the shock registered on their visages.

My gaze landed on the tallest person in the crowd and although I couldn’t discern his face, I knew it was Standish. There was no mistaking his giant frame, his broad shoulders, and his commanding presence. To his left, I saw the shorter silhouette of Chase.

I felt no intimidation, no fear as I stared at them. Nothing but cold, silent rage filled my soul. One way or another, a day of reckoning was coming. They would pay for their crimes.

The subway car bumped and I felt a surge of adrenaline. The car skidded into the next tube, slowing down in the process. I steeled myself, preparing for the worst.

I heard a rush of air. Beach’s car jolted.

Then it accelerated and we raced through the next tube.

“What happened?” Beverly asked.

“The pneumatic system.” I grinned. “When Cartwright fixed the first fan and turned it on, he must’ve turned the entire system on with it.”

Diane’s weak and halting voice spoke out. “Do either of you have another gun?”

I glanced at her. She looked even paler than I remembered. “Nope.”

“Do you even know how to use one?”

Beverly’s voice sounded skeptical and I didn’t blame her. To the best of my knowledge, Diane had never fired a gun in her life.

But she seemed to gain energy at the question. “Of course not,” Diane replied. “Why would someone like me know how to fire a gun, right?”

“I didn’t mean –”

“Save it. Do you have another gun or no?”

Beverly glanced at me and then turned back to Diane. Her hand reached to her belt. Removing a pistol, she twisted it around and offered the handle to Diane. “Don’t make me regret this.”

As Beverly walked away, I jogged over to join Diane. Her eyes shimmered under my flashlight and I saw both fear and fortitude within them. Gently, I reached for her shirt.

She slapped my hand away. “I’m glad you find me attractive, but this is no time to mess around.”

“I need to look at your wound.”

“I know. And you don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine.”

“Like hell you are. Now are you going to lift up your shirt or do I have to tear it off you?”

She sighed. Then she slowly wiggled her bloodstained shirt up a few inches. Exhaling, I stared at the long, gaping wound across her belly. It was a nasty cut, oozing with blood and puss.

Standard medical procedures – cleaning it, removing the dead flesh, and dressing it – were outside the realm of possibility. Makeshift medicine would have to suffice until I could get her to a hospital.

Lifting my arms, I stripped off my tattered, bloody shirt. After tearing it into pieces, I tied the strips tightly around her body, enclosing the wound.

Diane looked at me. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“What did you get me into?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“At this point, I’ll believe just about anything.”

“Oh yeah? Would you –”

The subway car lurched. My body launched into the air and I slammed into something cold and hard. Dazed, I crumpled to the floor. I was hurt but alive.

I just hoped I wasn’t the only one.

I peeled my sore body off the floor and rose painfully to my knees. Fishing around for a few seconds, I managed to locate my flashlight. As I switched it on, a dim glow covered the interior of the car.

The Bell, which had stopped my movement, rested directly in front of the double doors. Beverly knelt on its left side, head in hands. I noticed a bit of blood dripping from her skull.

I shook my head, trying to free myself from my mental fog. “Are you okay?”

Beverly nodded. “What happened?”

“We hit something.”

I looked around for Diane and spotted her lying on the ground, feet splayed out across the floor. “How about you?” I asked. “Are you all right?”

“I’ve been better.”

I stood up. “I hate to rush everyone, but we can’t stay here. We need to move before Chase arrives.”

Diane pointed at the Bell. “We’re leaving that thing, right?”

“No. It’s coming with us.”

“Why? What is it anyway?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

“It’s a particle accelerator.” I took a deep breath. “It creates a substance called Red Mercury which can be used to fuel hydrogen bombs.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Forget I asked. How are we supposed to move it? It’s got to weigh a couple hundred pounds at least.”

I winked at Beverly. Then, I bent down and put my hands under the lip of the Bell. “I’m sure I can manage it.”

My grin vanished as I found myself struggling to lift the Bell off the car’s floor. Finally, it lifted into the air for a few seconds. Oddly, it had gained significant weight since being unplugged. I found it curious.

And troubling.

“Nice trick,” Diane said. “What’s it made out of?”

I shrugged my shoulders, deliberately removing my hands from under the Bell in the process. “Who knows?”

Her jaw dropped as the Bell remained floating in the air. Quickly, I opened the doors. Then, I pushed the Bell out of the car and into the tube. Looking around, I noticed that one of the running rails had cracked, presumably under the weight of Beach’s subway car.

I reached up and helped Diane out of the car. Her face looked flushed and she seemed to move with more energy.

“How…?”

“Don’t ask.” I shook my head. “I don’t have the slightest idea.”

Beverly hopped out of the car. “There’s no lock on the other door. And unfortunately, there’s nothing to barricade it with either.”

“What if we shoot out one of the seats and use it to block the knob?”

“Honestly, I think we’re better off saving our ammo. By the time we finished setting it up, they’d be right on top of us.”

“We don’t have enough time.” The realization hit me hard. “Without the car, we’ll never escape with the Bell. We need to destroy it.”

“How do we destroy it?” Diane asked.

I pulled Hartek’s journal out of my satchel. “Hopefully, this will tell us. I’ll push the Bell forward to give us some more breathing room. I need one of you to read this book and figure out a solution.”