Chapter 13 - The Black River
The auxiliary escape hatch opened into an ancient drainage tunnel built from curved brick and slime-slick stone. Cold, murky water rushed past their boots, reaching Nikolai’s shins as he trudged forward through the damp darkness. Clara followed closely behind, carrying a compact medical kit and an automatic pistol retrieved from the vault’s emergency armory.
Mia clung to Nikolai’s neck, her head buried in his shoulder. The damp, moldy air was freezing, but Nikolai’s body radiated intense heat fueled by pure adrenaline. Every muscle in his frame was coiled tight, ready to respond to the slightest sound echoing through the storm pipes.
""How far to the river outlet?"" Nikolai asked quietly, not breaking his steady stride.
""Roughly eight hundred yards,"" Clara replied, her breath misting in the cold beam of her flashlight. ""The storm line exits near the old industrial docks. From there, the airfield is a ten-minute drive—assuming we can find a vehicle.""
""There is a safehouse near the rail yard,"" Nikolai said. ""Armored sedans and heavy munitions. We move fast.""
Behind them, deep within the tunnel network, a faint, rhythmic splashing began to echo. It wasn't the natural flow of water; it was the heavy, hurried tread of tactical boots wading through the current.
""Contractors,"" Clara whispered, raising her weapon toward the darkness behind them. ""They survived the mansion collapse. They're tracking us.""
""Keep moving,"" Nikolai commanded, increasing his pace. ""Do not engage in the narrow pipe. If we get pinned here, they have the advantage of automatic fire.""
The water grew deeper, reaching Nikolai’s knees as they approached a junction where three massive storm drains converged. Suddenly, a flare hissed into life down the tunnel behind them, blindingly bright magnesium light illuminating the dark water in fiery crimson.
""Contact rear!"" a harsh voice shouted in Russian from two hundred yards back. ""They're in the central line! Fire!""
Rounds cracked through the tunnel, ricocheting wildly off the curved brick walls, spraying deadly shards of stone and lead into the water. Nikolai shielded Mia with his entire body, pushing Clara ahead into the left-hand pipe.
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""Go!"" Nikolai yelled. ""Get to the surface!""
He spun around in the waist-deep water, raising his weapon with one hand while holding Mia securely with the other. In the blinding glare of the flare, three mercenaries were wading forward, their rifles leveled directly at his chest.
