I might have been lying about the gadget. But I sure as hell wasn’t lying about putting explosives in the Omega.
Angry and confused shouts, muffled by distance, filled the air. The explosion would force Chase to reconsider his options. But it wouldn’t be long before he tried again.
There was no point in keeping quiet any longer. Grunting, I threw my shoulder into Beach’s subway car and heaved. With Beverly’s help, it slowly began to move again.
We pushed it all the way to the mouth of the tube. It screeched as its bottom scraped lightly against the Sand Demons’ metal tracks.
I glanced at Beverly. “Get in there. And keep the door on the other side closed as long as possible. Whatever happens, don’t let Chase and his men into the car.”
As she vanished into the interior, I stepped back and quickly examined the tube. The metal rails would present a problem. I just hoped the car could handle them.
“Cap,” I called out. “Tell me you’re done.”
I heard a metallic cough and then gears churning. Another strong gust of wind blasted out of the air flue and caught me right in the face. It blew me straight back into the car, which started to move. For a moment, I imagined myself glued to the back of it, racing through the tunnel at top speed.
But the wind quickly died off and I fell to the ground, gasping for air. My eyes burned from the dust particles and it took me a few seconds to blink them away. As my vision cleared, I saw a shadow emerge from the open wall that connected the station to the passages.
My body tensed.
My hand slipped to my holster.
I grabbed hold of the pistol and watched as the figure darted toward me. As Cartwright’s face came into view, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“We’re ready to roll,” he announced. “At least I hope we are. Just so you know, this is the craziest thing I’ve ever done.”
“Crazier than stealing the Bell and guarding it for over three decades?”
“Well, okay. Second craziest thing.”
I hopped into the car, catching a glimpse of Beverly in the process. She knelt on the other end, arms tense, both hands grasping the doorknob. Spinning around, I offered my hand to Cartwright.
He jogged over to the west side of the tube and opened a control box. Then he turned around and looked at me. “The instant I pull this lever, the air’s going to burst out of here like nothing you’ve ever felt. So grab hold of me and then shut the door as quickly as you can.”
“Let me do it.”
“No, I —”
Loud blasts filled the air and reverberated against the bedrock walls.
Time slowed down.
Horror filled my gut.
Cartwright stumbled and fell to a knee.
I saw the blood, the bullet holes.
Kneeling down, I peered into the dimly lit station and saw a single moving shadow in the vicinity of the Omega. It was struggling to rise to its feet. I felt a rush of anger. Grabbing my gun, I squeezed the trigger a few times. The shadow dropped like a stone, wriggling in pain.
I looked back at Cartwright. Shaking all over, he stood up and hobbled to the wall. He gave me a tired smile. “I’m done, Cy,” he wheezed. “Take good care of her.”
“Cap, wait…”
He fell against the box. His hand pushed the lever. I tried to jump out to help him, but a sudden burst of wind sent me sailing back into the car’s interior. As I scrambled to my feet, I felt the car floor shuddering and realized we were already shooting through the tube.
I struggled to the rear of the car and slammed the door shut. Then I looked through the small window and watched as Cartwright’s lifeless body slid to the ground and vanished into the darkness.
Chapter 61
As we thundered through the tube, I felt a moment of odd serenity. For more than thirty years, Cartwright lived a troubled life, full of anxiety, stress, and paranoia. He’d dedicated every ounce of his soul to protecting something he barely understood for reasons he couldn’t fully explain. And now, after all that time, he’d found peace at last.
Don’t get sappy. You know damn well that eternal peace is just a nice way of saying he’s dead. And there’s no waking up from that.
“I can see the next station,” Beverly called out. “And still no sign of them.”
I spun around. Diane sat hunched on the floor in the middle of the car. Her face looked grim yet determined. Beyond her, Beverly pointed a flashlight out the far window.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“I think I would’ve noticed if something splattered in front of me.”
She paused. “I hate to bring this up now, but what happens when we hit the next station?”
“What do you mean?”
“Does this thing have brakes? Or will we just shoot on through?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But if it stops, we’re in trouble.”
Beverly lowered her flashlight and edged her body to the side, taking cover next to the door. Mere seconds separated us from the next station. Seconds that could bring salvation.
Or disaster.
As I nervously fingered my gun, I ran the possible scenarios through my head. As long as the car continued to head south, we were safe. If it ground to a halt while in the present tube, we’d have two options. Flee back to the north or stay in the railcar and defend the door. In the worst-case scenario, we’d stop in the middle of the station. From that position, escape would be impossible and we’d be flanked on either side by Chase’s forces.
A loud screeching noise punctured the silence. My fingers tightened around my pistol as bright lights blazed through the side windows.
Abruptly, the car slid completely out of the tube and into the station. Glancing out the back window, I saw a dozen silhouettes gathered around the tube’s mouth. They remained immobile as we passed by them. Squinting, I saw the shock registered on their visages.
My gaze landed on the tallest person in the crowd and although I couldn’t discern his face, I knew it was Standish. There was no mistaking his giant frame, his broad shoulders, and his commanding presence. To his left, I saw the shorter silhouette of Chase.
I felt no intimidation, no fear as I stared at them. Nothing but cold, silent rage filled my soul. One way or another, a day of reckoning was coming. They would pay for their crimes.
The subway car bumped and I felt a surge of adrenaline. The car skidded into the next tube, slowing down in the process. I steeled myself, preparing for the worst.
I heard a rush of air. Beach’s car jolted.
Then it accelerated and we raced through the next tube.
“What happened?” Beverly asked.
“The pneumatic system.” I grinned. “When Cartwright fixed the first fan and turned it on, he must’ve turned the entire system on with it.”
Diane’s weak and halting voice spoke out. “Do either of you have another gun?”
I glanced at her. She looked even paler than I remembered. “Nope.”
“Do you even know how to use one?”
Beverly’s voice sounded skeptical and I didn’t blame her. To the best of my knowledge, Diane had never fired a gun in her life.
But she seemed to gain energy at the question. “Of course not,” Diane replied. “Why would someone like me know how to fire a gun, right?”
“I didn’t mean —”
“Save it. Do you have another gun or no?”
Beverly glanced at me and then turned back to Diane. Her hand reached to her belt. Removing a pistol, she twisted it around and offered the handle to Diane. “Don’t make me regret this.”
As Beverly walked away, I jogged over to join Diane. Her eyes shimmered under my flashlight and I saw both fear and fortitude within them. Gently, I reached for her shirt.