The Last Bunker, page 14
part #4 of EMP Survivor Series
24
Charlie kept one eye ahead of him, and one glanced over his shoulder. It slowed his pace, but he no longer had time for mistakes. He needed to ensure he arrived at the facility, dealt with this threat against his family, and then returned to deal with the situation with Tanner.
Charlie wasn’t sure what kind of trap he was walking into, but he knew Tanner was probably right. Damien was out for revenge. It was the only explanation for such an elaborate setup as this.
It was another hour after he escaped from his captors before Charlie reached the facility where Damien was waiting for him, and it was in the middle of nowhere.
For a long time, Charlie thought he was heading in the wrong direction, but he was on track by following the coordinates for the journey. Yet when he saw the barbed-wire fences and the high-security clearance signs, he felt he knew where he was.
It wasn’t a coincidence that their community had fallen ill when Charlie received Damien’s message. Charlie had some experience dealing with facilities specializing in bio-warfare, but it had never been his area of expertise. Still, he was aware that those facilities existed. And he was sure this was one of them.
Charlie removed his mask from his pack, unsure of how much, or if any, of the area had been contaminated since the EMP. Most of the tubes of diseases were kept underground, stored behind thick steel vaults, and placed in refrigerated containers.
If the facility was underground deep enough, it could have escaped the brunt of the EMP and could still be running on backup generators. Facilities like these could last for months, sometimes years, after the power had gone out simply by running off the emergency backup systems. And if Charlie wanted to obtain the cure for whatever sickness was ravaging the community on the island, then he would need to hope and pray that the facility still had the vaccine refrigerated and that there was a vaccine at all.
Once Charlie pushed through the woods after opening the barbed-wire fence for himself, he came upon a clearing the size of a football field, and at its center was a small concrete building.
Charlie assumed that was the entrance to the bunker underneath. But considering how much open space was between himself and the structure he needed to reach, it would expose him incredibly. This would have been it if there were an opportunity for an ambush.
Charlie remained under cover of the tree line and glanced out along the open field and surrounding forest tree line. But the longer he sat there, looking for anything unusual: the flash of metal or glass from a weapon, the more he was confident that this wasn’t the trap Damien had set to make.
After making him come all this way, killing him now seemed like a waste. Whatever Damien had planned awaited Charlie in the facility below ground. But after his experience with the Bunker, he wasn’t thrilled to go back down into a hole.
Charlie emerged from the tree line, remaining alert and composed on his path toward the concrete bunker. And when he arrived at those front doors unharmed, Charlie was sure that the only trouble he’d find was down below.
The door was locked, but it was quickly picked for anyone with experience with that sort of thing, which Charlie had. He opened the door, maintaining his operations protocol as he cleared the corners.
There was no elevator, but a long, spiral staircase circled to the facility’s bottom. But it was so deep that Charlie couldn’t even see the bottom. Nevertheless, the path was lighted, so at least he could see, and Charlie turned off his flashlight and began his descent into the facility.
Charlie did his best to remain quiet on his way down, but the stairs were metal, and each time he put down his weight, it elicited a dull thud that echoed throughout the entire stairwell. He could have been quieter if he’d gone slower, but he had already lost too much time.
And if Damien knew he was coming, there was no sense in trying to remain stealthy. All that mattered now was getting down as quickly as possible to deal with the threat.
The trip down took longer than Damien thought, and his knees ached when he reached the bottom. When all was said and done, he felt he’d descended at least one hundred flights of stairs.
The bunker was deep enough to escape the effects of the EMP, which was how the power was still turned on.
The bottom of the stairs emptied Charlie into a hallway that stretched farther than he could see. It was wide and tall enough to drive a semi-truck through and made entirely of concrete.
The entire facility had an industrial aesthetic—all functional and no style. It was cold and distant. It reminded Charlie of the Bunker, and he couldn’t help but have flashbacks to his stint at the Bunker during that time so long ago.
Charlie entered the hallway, noting the doors on either side, which were closed. He also saw security cameras in the ceiling. If the power was on, the security footage was most likely working, meaning Charlie was being watched.
Charlie tried a few doors on either side of him as he continued down the hallway, but they were all locked. And none of them had any windows, so he couldn’t see inside. He considered breaking into a few but then decided against it because he didn’t think that was what Damien wanted.
But after walking fifty yards into the hall, Charlie wondered if he’d assumed wrong. Perhaps Damien was already dead, killed by the disease he’d unleashed on the island, considering the two were still linked.
Charlie was about to start busting down doors when there was a loud whine of feedback from a speaker system, and he stopped in his tracks. It was quiet for a moment, but Charlie heard the softness of breathing coming through the speakers. And then he listened to the voice.
“It’s good to see you again, Charlie,” he said.
Charlie wasn’t sure if Damien could hear him, but he didn’t choose to speak or say anything that could get him into trouble.
“I’m glad you could follow the clues,” Damien said. “I’m sure by now you remember who I am. And if you don’t, I’d be happy to re-introduce myself to you.”
Charlie started forward again, keeping the gun up and aimed, his finger on the trigger, ready to fire immediately. The last thing he wanted was to be caught off guard. Damien was already well in control of the situation, and his family’s survival depended on his survival.
“Just show yourself, you bastard,” Charlie said, muttering.
“Ask, and you shall receive,” Damien replied.
The sound of the door lock disengaging triggered Charlie to turn left, and he dropped to his knee in a defensive firing position. But the door remained closed.
“Come in and see for yourself,” Damien said.
Charlie hated being pushed around this place like a rat in a maze, so he changed the narrative.
It was clear to him that Damien wanted this interaction to go a certain way. He needed to go off-script and keep the ball in his court as much as possible to survive this encounter.
Charlie quickly rose and hurried farther down the hallway, moving much quicker now that Damien could see him, which he also decided to take care of.
Charlie aimed up at the cameras, firing into each one he came across, destroying them quickly and mercilessly.
“You can shoot all you want,” Damien said. “But you’re not getting out of here alive, Charlie Owens. I’ve already made sure of that.”
Charlie ignored Damien’s hollow threats, moved to a nearby door, and forced it open by shooting out the lock. He burst inside and found a room with more doors. It was a lounge area. He looked for more cameras and found one in the corner. He shot that one, too, and then continued forward.
“You can run, but you can’t hide, Charlie,” Damien said, echoing through the chambers. “I’ll see you soon.”
Damien stood behind the control desk of the facility. The fact that Charlie was shooting out the cameras was an annoyance, but it didn’t change the outcome of their interaction.
Because what Charlie wasn’t aware of was that he was now locked in this place, sealed off from the outside world, and the only person with the key to granting his freedom was Damien.
The facility had stringent security protocols. It was why Damien had wanted to lure Charlie here in the first place. When Charlie reached the bottom of the staircase, Damien had triggered the facility’s advanced security features, including a two-foot reinforced steel door that sealed the top of the stairs. No amount of explosives within this facility or on Charlie’s persons could open it.
“How long until the air runs out down here?” Damien asked, eyes still glued to the monitors.
The scientist that Damien had spared was still restrained in the corner. Damien had kept him alive to ensure he understood the facility’s ins and outs before Charlie arrived. He wasn’t necessary now, but there was something comforting about the doctor’s presence that made Damien want to keep him around.
The young doctor’s name was Marcus. Damien didn’t bother learning the last name; neither would be around long enough to build rapport.
But for the past few years had been lonely for Damien. He had lost everyone he’d cared about, and he had been so hellbent and focused on finding and destroying Charlie that he had little room for companionship. And that’s what this was for Damien. He finally had someone to talk to again.
“It’s hard to say,” Marcus answered, no longer sounding frightened but simply exhausted. “Thirty minutes? Maybe a few more?”
“So that’s how much time we have left,” Damien exhaled. “It’s almost a relief to know it’s almost over. I’ve been running toward this end for so long that I never thought I’d make it here.”
Damien looked away from the screens as Charlie continued his mad dash through the facility. Finally, he turned to Marcus, huddled in the corner, wrists and ankles bound.
“I don’t want to die here,” Marcus said, neither afraid nor angry. Instead, he just sounded… tired, just like Damien was.
“I know you don’t,” Damien said. “And I’m sorry this is how it ends for you. But we don’t get to choose how we die.”
“You do,” Marcus said.
Damien nodded. “I guess I do.” He walked over to Marcus, who recoiled when Damien produced a knife but slowed. “It’s all right. Let me see your wrists.”
Marcus hesitantly extended his arms, and Damien cut the rope binding him together. He then removed the rope around his ankles and then stepped back.
“What are you doing?” Marcus asked.
“Giving you a chance to die by your methods,” Damien said. “You could try to kill me if you want, but I don’t think you will.”
“And how do you know that?” Marcus asked.
“Because you’re not a killer,” Damien answered. “I can see it in your eyes. You don’t have the anger for it.”
“And you do?” Marcus asked.
“Yes,” Damien answered.
Marcus rubbed his wrists, which were sore from the restraints. He didn’t say anything else and stood, hoping to get what he needed from the situation before everything went to shit.
“What happens when you kill this man and don’t feel better?” Marcus asked.
“It’s not about feeling better,” Damien answered. “It’s about balancing the scales.”
Marcus nodded, and he said nothing else as he stood. “I won’t stop you. And I won’t try to kill you. I don’t think I could do it, even if I tried. I want to be left alone right now.” He pointed to the screens. “I have a room here, in the facility. I have pictures of my friends and family there. That’s where I want to be when I die.”
“I’m sorry you were involved in all of this,” Damien said.
“Me too,” Marcus replied.
The pair of men didn’t interact after that, each choosing to go their separate ways.
Damien genuinely felt sorry for involving Marcus, but he had made a promise to himself so many years ago. He would have justice done no matter how long it took to bring about or the casualties it caused in collateral damage.
Damien gathered his gun and the rest of his gear. He glanced back at the monitors to see where Charlie was heading.
Turning off the air and sealing them inside was simply an insurance policy to ensure Charlie didn’t escape. But Damien had every intention of killing the man himself.
Charlie Owens died here and now, one way or the other.
25
The facility was even larger than Charlie expected. Each new room he entered revealed another set of doors. Eventually, Charlie returned to the main hall, but he couldn’t help but notice a change in the air.
When Charlie first descended into the facility, the vents were still circulating. When he put his hand up to the vent to check, there was nothing. The bastard was going to suffocate them both.
Charlie glanced down the hallway to the stairwell. He considered leaving, but he still needed to find the cure. And without knowing where to look, he was left fumbling around in these halls, hoping to get lucky.
He needed to find a better strategy.
“Damien!” Charlie shouted. “You want to kill me? Why don’t you come out and show yourself?”
Charlie stood in the hallway, hoping the man could still hear him. He waited for a response, but when none came, Charlie wondered if Damien was content sitting back and watching nothing happen. But Charlie doubted it because he’d had so much trouble getting there.
The man wanted to hurt him, to do it himself. He didn’t think suffocation was the path this man would take. Everything he’d done so far had led Charlie to believe this would be a personal way to kill him.
Charlie positioned himself near the door, allowing him to see down both directions of the hallway. He was still a sitting duck, considering Damien still had access to most of the cameras in the facility. Charlie chose not to shoot out anymore to help conserve his ammunition. He wasn’t sure if that was the right decision or not.
“Charlie!”
The voice echoed down the hall on the left, and Charlie immediately aimed his rifle in the same direction. Damien was no longer talking over the speaker system. He was here, in the flesh, choosing to have a front-row seat in the fight.
“I was wondering when you’d show up,” Charlie said. “Not sure locking us both in here was the smartest decision.”
“I made my peace with death long ago, Charlie,” Damien said. “And what I’ve given you now is all the time you’ll get.”
The comment was followed by a grenade hitting the floor and rolling closer toward Charlie, who dove back into the room, shutting the door just as it exploded.
Charlie slammed against the room’s rear wall, and the door blew open, exposing him to the hallway and Damien’s wrath. Charlie was in pain, disoriented, his senses blurred and dulled, but years of training kicked in, forcing him to his feet.
But this wasn’t Damien’s first time, either, and the man was quick to attack, reaching the doorway of Charlie’s room just as Charlie disappeared into another one of the rooms.
Charlie barely had the strength and energy to turn and shoot, but he got a few shots off on his retreat.
Charlie stumbled through the rooms, bouncing into walls and doors on his ricochet escape from Damien, who continued relentlessly pursuing him. There was no break in the gunfire, and while Charlie had been under attack before, he had never experienced anything like this in his lifetime.
Until now, Charlie had always been the one with a chip on his shoulder, something to prove, an anger to push him past the point of surrender. But now, Damien was so angry that he threatened to burn down everything in his path.
However, Charlie still had his family to fight for, and so long as he could evade Damien while he gathered his strength, he had an opportunity to keep himself alive.
Charlie returned fire against Damien, whose relentless pursuit pushed Charlie to the brink of death. But the longer Charlie evaded his hunter, the more he was able to regain his footing. By the time Charlie returned to the hallway, he had slowed Damien’s pursuit. And because the man didn’t have access to the same control panels as before, he didn’t have the camera’s all-seeing eye any longer, allowing Charlie to close the gap between them.
Charlie vanished into a room before Damien emerged into the hallway but immediately stepped back into the cover of the room before Charlie could line up a shot.
The pair stood in their respective cover spots, the hallway quiet, a ringing in Charlie’s ear because of the gunfire. But as the noise waned, it allowed Charlie to regain some of his focus and, in doing so, reassert some form of control over the situation.
“Did you destroy the antidote?” Charlie asked, catching his breath.
Damien was quiet for a moment, but he eventually answered. “It’s gone.”
“Did you use it on yourself?” Charlie asked.
Damien laughed. “Now, what kind of person would I be if I wasted it on myself? I told you this ends for both of us, Charlie. How do you think it spread in the first place?”
Charlie frowned. “You came into contact with one of my people?” And then he remembered the ambush from yesterday. “That was you who attacked them.”
“All it took was one of them to get infected, and they did the rest for me,” Damien answered. “I wanted to find a way to make you hurt, slowly. And I can’t think of anything better than having you sit back and watch your family die and do nothing about it. Just like I did.”
Charlie shut his eyes, knowing that his final mission with the Bunker would return to haunt him, and now it had shown up in full force.
“I’m not going to sit back and do nothing,” Charlie said.
“I know you won’t, but there’s nothing to be done,” Damien said. “If I don’t kill you, you’ll die before you find a way out of this place. And even if you manage that, then you’ll watch your family die from the illness I inflicted upon them.”
Charlie didn’t mind Damien talking because it gave him information, and if Charlie wanted to stop Damien, he’d need as much information from the man as possible.
