His thoughts were sidetracked as he heard a low sound in the distance, transforming into the whine of concrete mixed with men’s shouts and screams. That was his cue and he fired.
The explosion wasn’t powerful, but the tunnels around him shook like a wave, his body hit with enough force for him to fall back.
Concrete fell around him like rain, and faster than he’d estimated. How deep was he? Scrambling up, he sprinted toward the manhole leading out. There was a faint light coming from above, probably a nearby streetlight. Eyes set on his goal, Luke pushed his body to the very limit, his muscles screaming from the inhuman effort.
He’d almost reached it when something heavy fell on his back, making him stumble forward. He’d just about regained his balance when something sharp hit the back of his head and he was thrown forward to the ground. One by one, his limbs became trapped, and air exploded out of his lungs as his eyes blurred. He’d failed, but knowing that Sloane was alive and safe at the other end of the tunnel brought him a sense of calmness along with sadness. He knew he’d suffered a head wound and his chances of survival were almost nil. He tried again to get out from under the oppressive load but couldn’t move. Trapped underground, about to die, Luke cursed as he felt his life slipping away.
Chapter 24
For every hardship she’d faced, Sloane always believed there’d never be anything more difficult or painful ahead than what she’d just suffered. Maybe it was wishful thinking or a remnant of childhood fairytales, but for a long time, it worked—until now.
The moment the tunnel collapsed after the explosion and she emerged into the night air, panic seized her. Lance came running with Sam by his side, both men having secured the area. It took some time, and an incredible amount of skill from Devin over the comms to locate the other end of the tunnel, but he’d managed to pinpoint the location.
Sloane didn’t wait for the guys to attempt to reach Luke on his cell phone. Devin yelled coordinates from where he’d picked up a faint ping. It could be Luke, or it might not, but until she saw him out of the tunnel and alive and well, there was no way she’d assume he was safe.
Dawn was slightly coloring the sky through the buildings as the city came alive again, which increased the danger of them being discovered. Even below ground, the explosion had alerted the neighborhood, and sirens could be heard from all directions. Time was running out for them to get away. It took more time than she’d hoped, using side streets and back alleys to get to him.
It was a thin column of smoke and dust that was the final clue leading them to the other end of the tunnel. Tucked behind a small brick building, a broken gate was a clear sign they were at the right place.
No sign of those the truck that had dropped the cargo, but the manhole cover was askew.
“Luke!” Sloane knew it wasn’t sensible to bring attention to themselves but at that point she didn’t care, and removed her mask so she could shout louder. “Luke.”
“He’d be here if he’d gotten out and he’d at least tried to contact one of us.”
Lance’s word made her shiver. “I’m going down.”
Sam pushed the cover aside and Lance helped Sloane lower herself down the shaft.
Her lungs quickly filled with dust. It was difficult to breathe, much less see through the dense cloud of particles. All around her the sound of concrete crumbling told her that the rest of the tunnel could come down soon. Lance followed and Sam looked down the hole. “I’m gonna stand by. The emergency services should locate us soon. Devin is trying to mess with their GPS but that won’t work forever.”
Sloane lit her flashlight, but it barely broke through the dense wall of dust. A quick sweep of the light showed wide cracks. “Luke!” She didn’t hear a response or the usual echo from the tunnel, and when she risked a few steps, her boot kicked rubble.
“Luke! Answer me, please!” It became impossible not to scream as she called out to him, panic overwhelming her as she couldn’t help but cry. “Luke! If you’re here, make a sound!”
Apart from a hissing sound in the distance, and the pieces of concrete and dirt that still fell, she couldn’t hear anything. Lance swung his flashlight around, shouting Luke’s name while carefully advancing, scanning the area for any possible sign of life.
Her throat raw from screaming, Sloane almost didn’t hear a soft moan coming from her left. Her body moved before she saw him. His upper body and one arm lay exposed from underneath a small mound of stones and cement pieces. Beyond that point, the tunnel had collapsed entirely.
Falling to her knees, she ditched her gloves to touch him. His face and beard were covered in dust and there were thin rivulets of blood streaking his forehead. With featherlight fingers, she skimmed his skin, searching for apparent wounds and trying to coax him back to consciousness, only partly relieved that he was still breathing, even if only faintly. “Luke, love. It’s me. Open your eyes.”
Lance cursed, putting his flashlight down to start digging Luke out. “Sam! Get your ass in here, fast!”
Sam arrived in less than a minute and Sloane ignored both men as they dug to free Luke. Her only focus was on protecting Luke as she shielded his head from the falling rock.
She’d lost track of time as they worked to free Luke from the rubble, only registering how long it had been when she heard a noise behind her. Before Sloane could react to the possible threat, Melina was beside her, checking on Luke.
“Easy, Sloane, keep his head steady while I examine him. Arno is keeping watch topside until Josh arrives with a truck.”
Sloane would have lost it right at that moment if a shiver hadn’t shaken Luke’s body and a deep groan hadn’t come out of his lips. Now openly crying, she forced herself to smile when his eyes fluttered open. “Hey! Stay still.”
Luke blinked, lost, straining to look around, until his gaze focused on her face. “Are you okay? Why are you crying? Are you hurt?”
Sloane choked between laughter and tears. “You’re the one hurt, you big dummy. Stay still. Melina is checking to make sure it’s safe to move you.”
“I’m fine.” He tried to move, but Sloane kept him down. “We need to get to safety. The explosion...”
“Please, love, let Melina finish. We can’t risk moving you and causing more damage. You’re stuck until Melina gives the all-clear.”
Luke swallowed, his eyes roaming her face. “Then leave me here and call the police. The EMTs will find me and get me out, and your identity will stay safe.”
Sloane sniffed and tried to stem the flow of tears with her sleeve. “Are you out of your mind? I’m not leaving your side, not ever, you moron! I love you.”
Luke’s face softened, but Melina intruded on the moment. “Nobody is going anywhere. Luke, answer my questions.” The doctor asked him a few questions, prodding and moving his limbs until she finally allowed him to sit. “I suspect a concussion from what you’re telling me. And I don’t like the look of that gash on the back of your skull.”
With her hands still touching Luke, Sloane nodded. “So we can return to base?”
“I’d rather he had a scan. I have a friend at the hospital who owes me a favor. As soon as we get out of here, I’ll call him.”