Chapter 6 - Shadows in the Subway
The damp underground tunnel smelled of oil, rust, and stagnant rainwater.
Marcus squeezed through a broken metal grate that led into an abandoned subway track.
The low rumble of the modern transit system vibrated through the concrete walls above him.
He clicked on a small pocket flashlight, cutting a thin beam of light through the thick darkness.
Every shadow looked like an armed tactical operative waiting to pull the trigger.
He pulled his damp jacket tight around his shoulders, keeping his hand pressed against the metal drive in his pocket.
The sound of footsteps splashing in water echoed from behind him in the dark tunnel.
Marcus instantly killed his flashlight beam and pressed his back against the icy brick wall.
Two flashlight beams swept across the wet tracks just twenty paces away from his position.
"He came down through the storm drain on 4th Street," a deep voice radioed into a radio headset.
"Search every inch of this tunnel; the command center wants him dead before sunrise," another voice replied.
Marcus held his breath, feeling his heart hammer against his ribs like a trapped bird.
He spotted an old rusted iron ladder leading up to a ventilation shaft on his right.
He crept toward the ladder, making sure every step was silent on the slick gravel.
A loose brick shifted under his boot with a sharp, echoing crunch.
"Over there!" a mercenary shouted, swinging his weapon light directly onto Marcus's face.
Muzzle flashes illuminated the pitch-black tunnel with blinding bursts of fire.
Bullets splintered the brick wall right beside Marcus's head, showering his eyes with stone dust.
Marcus grabbed the rusted ladder and scrambled upward with desperate speed.
He kicked downward with all his force, detaching the bottom half of the rusted metal rungs.
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The lead mercenary crashed backward into the dark water as the iron ladder collapsed.
Marcus pulled himself through the narrow steel shaft and slid the metal grate shut behind him.
