Chapter 122: Stairs.
Mark had never been into the underground shelters before. He only ever saw them in videos and documentaries, and whether it was through the screen of a phone or that of a computer, the scale couldn’t be properly conveyed, leading to a slight shock when entering it for the first time.
The air vent should have been the first clue. It led them to a storage room the size of a football stadium. The ceiling reached above a hundred meters with a complex web of rails and cranes. On the ground, countless containers were stacked all over the place. If not for the fluorescent lights hanging above one would think they have arrived at a cramped port.
Mark once again needed assistance to get down, which added to the frustration gnawing at him. He had been told to put away his AR-15 and just watch the others work. They were going for a stealthy approach and so gunfire wasn’t in the options for them.
Ramsay led the way and the others followed. It took a while to cross from one end of the storage area to the next and that’s with the squad moving at a relatively brisk pace, their steps soundless.
It felt a little off to not feel Ben’s heavy steps behind him so Mark turned about to check. To his surprise, the big guy was using the ability of his gauntlet to create an elevated platform for himself. His feet hadn’t touched the ground since they entered.
After a few minutes, they reached a double door in one of the corners. Once it was confirmed that the coast was clear they came out and made their way south. The silence made Mark doubt whether the enemy was even in the shelter. They passed a long hallway with nothing but industrial elevators and went straight to the stairs in the corner. Looking over the edge made one’s blood run cold. It was a long way to the bottom and apparently, they were expected to take the spiraling staircase.
"Why not just take an elevator?"
The question wasn’t a serious one but the glare he got from the sergeant told him it wasn’t time for idle talk. Mark kept his mouth shut and endured for the rest of the descent. Thankfully they didn’t need to go all the way to the bottom.
Things got a little more intense at one point. Ramsay went ahead as he did each time they reached a door, but this one was different. Instead of gesturing for them to follow after checking he went inside and returned a few minutes later.
Apparently, they arrived at the intended floor, which meant a lot more caution was required. The ceiling was lower and the corridors narrower. Doors lined each wall and peeking inside the open ones showed small rooms that resembled prison cells in their simplicity. It was a residential area.