Winter's Return by Jack Barton

Author:Jack Barton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
Published: 2023-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Dust and decay left a murky stain on the air inside the tunnels buried deep beneath the city, it took a long stairway to plunge into the depths of the platform where bodies were cast about, discarded, forsaken as refuse and litter. The platform ground, simple concrete, was nearly slippery with the thick layer of dust settled on it, stuck in place as if held by some aged adhesive, only giving way by the impact of the unwelcome boots pounding against it. Nathan led the way in, having taken a torch out of his belt, he scanned these new surroundings, with every surface touched by its light seemingly radiating with rage having been awoken from its near decade long slumber.

Twin tracks separated the two platforms, with the way to the other achieved by a small bridge spanning over the gap, with no decoration more than the natural stonework used to form this underground space. “Think you can do anything about the lights?” Miles pointed up to where the torch light found a series of lights spanning on a metal beam running parallel to the tracks attached to the ceiling, following the path into the mouth of the tunnel.

“Possibly,” Nathan grunted, tapping the buttons of his screen, accessing the city’s systems and directing the flow of power into the metro, causing the lights to flicker on, pushing back the shadows.

Revealed by the light were the makeshift barriers erected on either platform, made from anything from bags to bins and anything that could have been found nearby, with one larger than the rest protecting the bridge over to the far platform. But all had been smashed through, beaten down, the bodies of the ones who had cowered behind them were caved in, obliterated by some colossal force. The dust of the floor was mixed with a dark crimson as dried blood clung to the surface, vast pools mixed with the sickening blend of intestinal fluids, which the team had to be careful to step around. “Least we can see down here,” Sam remarked, stepping around a headless skeleton, the head having been crushed, turned into paste on the floor.

“Maybe we ought to just travel the whole way down ’ere, huh?” Lena put forward as she hopped down onto the train lines, looking to either directions of the tunnel.

“No.” Nathan joined her on the tracks and checked the compass on the inside of his left wrist, pulling out the gun at the holster on his chest with his right hand, “too easy to be ambushed down here.”

“So then we move quickly,” Tomen led the others down off the platform and onto the tracks just as the Elite found his way.

“The Leisure district is this way. The trains are all automated and I couldn’t power up the lights without supplying power to them as well, keep your eyes and ears keen,” Nathan led the way, passing beneath the mouth of the tunnel at its northern end.

“This wasn’t a good idea, was it?” Cait asked him, jogging up to walk at his side.

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