It was a moment before Samuel answered. “Apparently.”
“Why?”
Something about Bunker 23 was tripping my memory. I remembered it being mentioned, somewhere…
Fortunately, Makara filled in the blank.
“That was the one you talked about, Samuel, when we found the Black Files. It was in Nebraska, the closest one to Ragnarok Crater. Could that have something to do with it?”
“Maybe,” Samuel said.
“Maybe?” Michael said. “I say probably.”
“You said Bunker 23 was where the first infections happened,” Makara said. “Maybe Bunker 84…panicked a bit.”
It would never be clear what had happened in those early days, unless we found a detailed explanation somewhere. Something we didn’t exactly have time for unless we just happened to run across it.
“Okay,” Julian said. “What about Bunker 144?”
“Elias mentioned that one,” I said. “It was built in Alaska. Bunkers One, 84, and 144 were all meant to be counterpoints to one another. It’s hard to imagine the xenovirus finding its way up there, especially if it was only 2036.”
“Maybe they saw Bunker 144 as a threat,” Makara said. “Also, I don’t see how nukes can hit Bunkers. Aren’t Bunkers built underground to avoid that sort of thing?”
“They are,” Samuel said. “But it’s possible they used bunker-busters — not designed to detonate until they are underground. A nuclear explosion like that would wreak havoc — not just from the awesome power, but from collapsing tunnels and burying exits.”
“Where did the third one go, then?” I asked.
It showed it launching in mid-2045, but it gave no target location. 2045 would have been around the time Bunker 84 fell.
A moment later, the fluorescent lights flashed on above, one after the other. Power had been restored in full. I blinked as my eyes adjusted.
“Let’s check on those cameras again,” Makara said.
Samuel returned to the directory and cycled through the cameras, one at a time. Many were still black, but the rest were up and running, revealing people in rooms and hallways, seeming confused that the lights had come on. Both Lords and Angels suspected some trick on the part of the other side.
“So how do we find out who’s on our side?” Makara asked.
“Maybe Lionel can help with that,” Samuel said.
Samuel motioned Lionel down to the control room floor. Lionel reached the bottom of the curved steps and ran to stand next to us. He looked over Julian’s shoulder at the monitor.
“Can you tell Angel from Lord?” Samuel asked.
“The Lords control most of the Bunker,” he said. “Their base is on the bottom level.”
“Why did they attack in the first place?” I asked.
“They didn’t think you were coming back. And there’s the matter of food. There was no way we had enough to go around. So, the Lords decided to save themselves.”
“See anyone we know on here?” Makara asked. “We can head to that location first, then hit the rest as we gather our forces.”
Lionel narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the screen. “Can you pull up a map of the Bunker on the big screen?”
Samuel nodded. “I’m sure I can. Somehow.”
He created a new tab and began to search the directory for a map. Within a minute, he’d found it. A large map of Bunker 84 was put up on the big screen. The size of Bunker 84 became all the more apparent, considering the map only showed one level at a time. For now, level three was displayed — the one we were on. There were twenty levels total.
“This place is huge,” Makara said.
“Seems as if they could fit a lot more than two thousand people in here,” Julian said. “I think there was more to this place than just the nukes.”
“What do you mean?” Samuel asked.
“You’ve seen the dorms,” Julian answered. “There must be hundreds just like the ones we saw. As if…an entire army had been here.” He paused. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong.”
“No,” Makara said. “It makes sense. It’s another reason why Askala would have targeted this place. Can you imagine if Bunker 84 had stayed alive?”
According to the Black Files, the U.S. government knew there was something guarding Ragnarok. The final Guardian Mission failed because it had been attacked directly. If they believed an alien invasion was imminent, it made complete sense they’d keep an entire army down here.
“We need to focus on finding our own,” Lionel said.
Level three was mainly dedicated to barracks, a training center, and the Command Center.
Samuel clicked the other tab, revealing the cameras once again.
“It looks as if the cameras are coded to each level. Like this one…”
Samuel clicked on it, and it showed a shot of a couple of men bearing rifles, standing next to a pair of elevator doors stuck halfway open. The number three was painted on the wall next to them.
“Level three,” Samuel said.
“Those are Lords,” Lionel said.
As Samuel clicked the camera, part of the map highlighted on the screen — a periphery corridor on the level’s western side.
“Looks like every time you click on a camera, it highlights where that camera is,” Lionel said. “We can make a list of what places to go to, and what places to avoid.”
“Good idea,” Samuel said.
“Let’s go through each of the levels,” Lionel said. “I can take some notes for each one.”
We did just that — Samuel scanned each level while Lionel took notes in a spiral notebook he’d found on a nearby desk. On most levels, the Lords had set up positions, especially the lower we got. It seemed as if there would be a lot of fighting once we got to level ten and lower.
Thirty minutes later, Lionel had taken notes all the way to level twenty. One of the cameras showed Jade, Rey, and Cain, sitting at a table over which a large map of the Bunker was spread. Apparently, they were making their own plan. They, too, had a map of the Bunker. If they knew this was where the Command Center was, then they probably wanted to gain control of it as soon as possible.
It seemed as if Samuel had come to the same realization.
“We need to find reinforcements,” Samuel said. “Once we have some fighters, we can start taking back territory.”
“See if you can call Ashton from here,” Makara said. “He’ll want the update.”
Chapter 11
Samuel used Bunker 84’s encrypted communication network to contact Ashton. We updated him on everything that had happened so far. Ashton said he’d be on standby for when he was needed.
We left the Command Center, Lionel carrying his notebook that listed Angel locations. Our first destination was on this level.
Bunker 84 looked different with the lights on. In a way, the lights were a curse because it would be harder to remain hidden and the fighting would pick up again.
But the time for hiding was over. We had to make an end of the Lords while we had the men and firepower to do so.
We left the Command Center behind and entered a long corridor. About fifty feet ahead, the corridor had been buried in rubble.
We stood before the twisted pile of concrete, rebar, and dirt.
“No good,” Makara said. “That’s the way we need to go.”
“There has to be a way around,” Michael said.
Michael backtracked a bit, poking his head in a doorway.
“This could work.”
We followed him inside, finding a room that had once been a clinic. A wheeled gurney lay on its side. Bandages and unused syringes spread over the dusty floor, where they had spilled from the countertop. Another doorway led out of the clinic on the other side, leading into a corridor running parallel to the first.