Chapter 16 - The Underground LabyrinthThe subterranean steam tunnel network beneath downtown Seattle was a damp, pitch-black maze of rusted pipes, dripping condensation, and centuries of forgotten history. The air tasted of sulfur, wet stone, and old iron.
Gideon slammed the heavy steel utility hatch shut behind them, throwing the manual locking gear into place just as a muffled burst of automatic gunfire pinged against the other side of the metal door. Sparks showered down into the dark corridor like dying fireflies.
"Keep moving!" Gideon called out, holding his tactical flashlight in one hand and his Sig Sauer in the other, sweeping the beam across the damp concrete walls.
Nova stumbled slightly on a loose brick, her foot catching in a puddle of standing water, but Ren caught her instantly by the elbow, hauling her upright without missing a step. They didn't complain. They didn't panic. They moved with the silent, synchronized survival instinct of children who had spent their early years running from ghosts.
"How far to the exit?" Sienna asked over her shoulder, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she swept her own flashlight ahead of them.
"Two hundred yards," Gideon replied, his eyes scanning the intersection of two brick-lined utility corridors. "The old Pioneer Square maintenance hatch exits directly into the subterranean parking garage beneath the Smith Tower. My car is parked in stall twelve—bulletproof casing, encrypted ignition."
Suddenly, a bright, blinding beam of white light cut through the darkness fifty yards ahead of them, bouncing off the damp brick walls.
"Freeze right there, Mr. Hail!" a harsh, mechanical voice echoed down the tunnel.
Two armed operatives in tactical black gear stepped out from a cross-corridor, their submachine guns raised, red laser sights painting the damp concrete right at Gideon’s chest.
Gideon didn't hesitate. He shoved Sienna and the girls behind a thick concrete support pillar, dropped to one knee, and fired two rapid, calculated shots into the overhead junction box above the operatives.
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A massive electrical arc sizzled through the air, showering the tunnel in blinding white sparks and plunging the mercenaries into darkness as a heavy bank of overhead fluorescent tubes blew out in a violent shower of glass.
"Run!" Gideon roared.
