John O'Brien - Reckoning

It’s a long arduous process, slowly passing from one light fixture to the next, from reflected light to gloom. The fixtures become both my mark of progress and my next goal. Being designed to exit far from the main facility, the tunnel is naturally a long one. As tedious as the crawl along the pipe is, pausing along the way for periodic rests, it also serves to create some time between the noticed events and hopefully reduces the alert level of the security personnel. I’m guessing so as no one else has entered the tunnel since checking the door.

I can’t believe I’m doing this , I think, reaching the end of the corridor; or at least the end of the long tunnel.

My arms and legs are stiff and aching from the exertion. The tunnel takes a right and, using my mirror to peer around the corner, I see that it takes an almost immediate left. The conduits, for whatever reason, proceed across the hall at my location before continuing to follow the path of the hallway. At the juncture where it bends to the left again, a steel door with a wire mesh window is set within the wall with a sign above denoting ‘Security’. Above the door is another camera pointed down to the ground at the entrance.

The pipes are on the opposite side of the hall to the camera, which will make it interesting to install a rigged switch. I’ll be able to reach it if I lean outward, but that will make me visible to anyone approaching the room. I double-check the camera angle before pulling the mirror back to ensure that it won’t spy me crossing the hall across the top of the conduits.

Settling away from the corner, I mentally run through the scene and my next steps. I’ll need to set up a similar loop recording, make sure the hall is clear, drop down and bypass the door, then proceed in, eliminate the personnel within, set the proper monitors inside on playback, notify the teams, and hold off until they arrive.

Seems simple enough , I think facetiously, shaking my head.

I take a few moments, visualizing the steps over and over in my head. My heart is pounding solidly in my chest. I think about turning back as every nerve in my body is thrumming from the tension. Getting here has been the easy part compared with what’s coming next. I wish there was a way I could take out the reaction squad without anyone knowing, but I just don’t see a way to do it and remain undetected, let alone remain alive. I seriously contemplate giving it up. However, I don’t see a viable alternative than to proceed.

I continue wrestling with my opposing thoughts. I know that inching across the hall on the pipes will constitute a go-no go decision for me mentally. Making that first move is difficult as this is the part where too many variables come into play. Not to mention that a bit of luck will be necessary to pull this off, most of that coming from no one showing up at the security room while I’m inside. At least it’s only me at this point.

Okay, Jack, come on. You’ve done this before , I think, steeling myself to continue. This is a no-brainer. You know what needs to be done and how to do it. I calm my racing mind, Settle down, focus on the next task at hand . There is nothing but the next thing .

I hold the visualization of accomplishing each step firmly in my head. I recheck my gear as a final step and check the hallway and room once again. It’s all clear. From my angle, I can only see a linoleum floor through the window of the security door. There aren’t shadows of anyone moving inside, only the florescent shine of lights.

Lifting myself once again, feeling the ache in my arms as they resist further movement, I crawl across the hall. My eyes alternate between placing my gear and body, and the light emitting from the window. A few quick pushes and I’m across. I listen for any doors opening or footsteps echoing off the concrete walls. I don’t know what’s around the corner as yet but, keeping in mind the diagram Harold found, the corridor should continue for a short distance ending with a door entering into the large equipment bay, around which the whole bunker is built. There should also be a branching hallway about halfway down with other rooms opening off from it.

It’s a short crawl to the next corner. With the way the conduits are situated, stretching nearly across the hallway, I can’t see much. Setting my pack to the side, I grab another switch assembly. Listening intently and not hearing anything, I lean out from the pipes making sure to keep myself from the front of the camera. The florescent lights are spaced such that I don’t cast any shadows from my position. With one hand braced on the far wall, I place the device. In this precarious position, I have to be careful that I don’t slip. Below me, there is a loud click as the magnetic lock of the door disengages.

The door, just seemingly inches below me opens and a guard steps out. I freeze in mid-action, one hand against the wall and my other holding onto the device. My breath catches in my throat as the guard is just a little over a foot and a half directly under me. My sight is filled with the top of his head. Beads of sweat form on my face and I don’t know how he can’t hear my heartbeat.

Holding the door open, he turns back inside. My shoulder is screaming from holding my body up with my hand on the wall; my stomach muscles trembling.

“Did you make the annotations in the maintenance log?” the man below me asks into the room.

“Yeah,” someone inside answers.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a bit.”

The man steps away and the door begins swinging slowly closed. It’s a good thing I had my fatigue top tucked in as the tails would have brushed the top of his head were it hanging out. He passes under me muttering something so far under his breath that even I can’t pick out the words. I keep a close eye on him as he walks down the hall. All I need right now if for him to have forgotten something and turn back. There’s no way he’d miss me looking from his present position.

With the pneumatic hinge holding the door, it eases shut ever so slowly. Just before it closes, still holding the device, I inch my hand down and place my finger between the jamb and the door. This will keep the door from closing and engaging the magnetic lock. The sound may make the guard turn. That’s just human instinct, to turn toward a sound even if we know what it is. I can’t hold if for long as a lot of security doors will also have an alarm if it’s left open for too long. The guard turns to the left down the hallway that leads to the other rooms. I remove my finger and the door closes, the magnetic lock reengaging. Somewhere down the hall, I faintly here a door open and close.

I place the gadget on the wall and look to the hall where the guard disappeared. ‘I’ll be right back’ rings in my head. I wish I could see into the room better to get a clearer picture of the layout and how many are in there. A plan forms. I finish setting up the gadget and push back to the pipes, donning my pack. Although the guard damn near caught me with my pants down, it may actually work to my advantage.

On the edge of the pipes between the two hallway corners, I lay on my side with my suppressed Beretta in my hand, listening for the sound of the guard returning. It takes a while but, even though I don’t hear the door he went through opening, I do hear his footsteps echoing off the walls. I hear the beep of the keypad next to the door and the lock clicks. Disregarding my pounding heartbeat, I roll off the conduits.

The guard swings the door open as I hit the ground just behind him. He starts to turn at the sound but I shove him through the door before he gets the chance. He stumbles inside with a yelp and I follow hard on his heels. I instantly take in the surroundings; a wall of monitors opposite the door with a bank of equipment in racks to the left. Sitting in front of the monitors are two additional guards who turn at the sound of their comrade. Without hesitation, I lift my handgun and fire.