Plot Line by Alton Gansky Page B

he pulled himself up. The plan was simple in concept,
but simple plans could go awry. He could not be too cautious. The
set of shelves that now served as his ladder were two meters high
leaving a space less than a meter between it and the suspended
ceiling panels.
    Slowly, careful not to fall or to knock
anything from the shelves, Colin climbed the improvised rungs. A
small man, Colin was able to position himself on the top shelf.
Lying on his back, the ceiling tiles hovered just a handful of
centimeters away—so close he had to remove the pocket light from
between his teeth.
    His heart rattled in the cage of his chest
and he drew in bucketfuls of dusty, recycled air. Then, raising his
hands, he pushed against one of the tiles. It came loose from its
T-bar support. Pushing up, Colin was able to slide the panel back
and over another tile. He looked up into the black inverted well
that was the space between the ceiling and the cavern roof above.
Directing the light into the black space, he saw what he had hoped
to see, expected to see, needed to see. Square sheet metal ducts
ran in long horizontal paths, like an endless train.
    He had no interest in the ducts. He had seen
many television shows and movies where the hero makes his escape
through a ventilation conduit, but Colin was too smart for that.
Thin metal straps were attached to channels by sheet metal screws
suspended the ducts. He might not be a large man, but the odds of
the duct giving way under his weight were too great to risk.
Besides, any movement in the duct would be heard throughout the
base. It would be impossible to flee. He had two other problems.
The pressure in the ducts was monitored. The engineers who
maintained the environment in the underground base would
immediately know if something were obstructing the airflow. No,
escape through the air ducts would have to be left to people who
wrote movie scripts. He needed something more practical.
    He saw what he was looking for: pipes. A
series of eight, two-inch pipes ran horizontally just to Colin’s
right. To his left was a large, six inch, cast iron waste pipe that
ran from the restrooms on the upper levels. The large black pipe
ran half the length of the base until it ended in a waste treatment
area one hundred meters away. Colin wouldn’t be traveling far.
    It was slow and painful, but Colin had
worked his way through the two by four-foot cavity left by the
removed tile and took his footing on the waste pipe. The conduit
was supported by the partitions that made up the various offices
and rooms. It had the additional support of one-inch straps spaced
every two meters. Using the straps to steady himself, Colin started
his journey in darkness.
    “Yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death. He repeated the phrase, whispering just under
his breath. So quiet were his words, he could barely hear them
himself. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil. Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”
    Colin was fearful. He was more afraid than
he had ever been in his life.

 
     
     
     
    Seven
    The call had come at nine that
evening . Ray was home alone, working on his
novel.
    “Ray,” the caller said. “Pack for three
days. A car will be there in ten minutes. You know the rules.” The
caller hung up.
    Ray recognized Devlin’s voice immediately.
“So much for writing.”. Powering down his computer, Ray gathered a
few clothes, toiletries, a book, and the laptop computer Devlin had
given him. True to Devlin’s word, a car pulled arrived out front.
He phoned his wife. “Business calls, kiddo. I’ll be gone two or
three days.” Nora didn’t ask where he was going. They’d been
through this situation several times before, but he had never been
gone for more than a day. She knew not to ask questions. This was
part of the job that paid them so well.
    A young man dressed in a sport coat, slacks
and loafers