Chapter 12 - DARK WATERS
Ethan unlocked the iron hatch leading down into the municipal drainage sewer.
A foul breeze of stale water and damp moss rushed into the room.
Together, Ethan and Clara lifted Tyler from the gurney, supporting his dead weight between them.
They descended the rusted ladder steps into the dark, knee-deep murky water below.
Above them, heavy footsteps echoed inside the medical bunker they had just abandoned.
"They know we're in the pipes! Flashbangs incoming!" Ethan warned.
A blinding flash and deafening boom echoed down the concrete tunnel behind them.
The shockwave rattled Clara's teeth, making her lose her footing in the slippery water.
She splashed into the cold current, pulling Tyler's head above the surface with all her strength.
Ethan caught her arm, pulling both of them back up against the curved concrete wall.
"You alright?" Ethan whispered loudly, scanning the darkness ahead.
"I'm fine! Just keep moving!" Clara gasped, her teeth chattering from the freezing water.
They waded through the pitch-black tunnel, guided only by the dim red beam of Ethan's weapon light.
Behind them, tactical flashlights cut through the gloom as mercenaries entered the tunnel system.
"They're closing in faster than we can walk with Tyler," Ethan realized.
He stopped beside an old maintenance junction containing iron pipes and high-voltage wiring.
"Take Tyler and head fifty yards forward to the ladder," Ethan instructed Clara.
"What are you going to do?" Clara asked, her eyes wide with worry.
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"I'm going to turn this tunnel into a furnace," Ethan said with a cold, ruthless smile.
