Chapter Fifty-six
Neal tentatively surfaced into consciousness without opening his eyes. He wasn't in as much pain as he felt he should be in, but instinct told him that if he tried to move he'd end up bathed in a wash of agony. Content to stay still Neal concentrated on the soothing thumping of Peter's heart. Unable to bear Neal's weight against his broken ribs on his right Peter had laid Neal down on his side with his back up against the warm wall and had pinned him there against his left side. Tucked up under Peter's arm like a chick under a protective hen's wing Neal's ear rested over the healed brand on Peter's chest. The slow rhythmic rise and fall of Peter's chest told Neal he was sleeping, giving Neal more reason not to move and disturb him.
Warmed by the heat radiating off Peter's skin from fever Neal was on the verge of falling back asleep when he finally took notice of an out of place sound. The noise was perfectly constant which was how it had escaped his attention before. It was the distinct sound of metal being rubbed at a fast pace against stone. Although not an alarming noise it did trigger Neal's curiosity enough to keep him awake.
Prying one eye open Neal was met with darkness that spiked his blood with panic for a moment in fear that Danisko had blinded him. However on closer inspection he could see a sliver of light along the bottom of his vision and he guessed the Peter must have remembered to blind fold him to protect him from the ever present dim light. For a while they had been concerned with greater threats than the eternal light, but Neal did feel like he'd slept better this time around. Reaching up very carefully Neal pulled the tie off. The left side of his face that Danisko had struck several times protested painfully and his vision on that side held a slight red haze to it. With the memory of the fight very chaotic in his head Neal couldn't quite piece together how he had escaped it alive, he remembered hearing the bell that ended the fight but he seemed to remember the fight continuing after that.
Ignoring the injury and the broken memory for now Neal tried to find the source of the sound without moving further. Sitting on the far corner of the wool blanket Jake was rubbing something in his hand aggressively against the floor. Neal was surprised to find Jake with them, he last time he had seen Jake he had reverted back into his violent psychotic prison master persona. In the days leading up to the fight he had barely stepped foot in there room, and now after shoving Neal into a fight he had no hope of winning he was sharing their space like he belonged here once more.
Not appreciating being thrown to the wolves with Danisko Neal ground his teeth in anger as he realized that Jake had likely known all along what was going to happen. Instead of even attempting to prepare them he had slunk off like a coward and avoided them. Neal drew a breath to snarl at Jake to leave when Jake suddenly held up the object he was working on to inspect it. Shocked and excited by the sight Neal sat bolt upright without even thinking.
Startled by the quick motion Peter jerked awake with a cry of pain that quickly degraded into a uncontrollable racking cough. Not knowing how else to help Neal put his hand over Peter's heart in an attempt to help calm him as he fought for breath. Neal winced guiltily as Peter growled in pain as the coughing aggravated his ribs.
"I'm sorry, Peter. Just breathe."
Closing his eyes Peter did manage to relax although now his every breath had a sickly wet sound to it as his already struggling lungs were agitated further. Having increasing trouble on his back Peter started to struggle to sit up. Neal tried to help him but his left shoulder that had been injured in the fight against Danisko lanced pain down to his fingertips and up behind his ear. Carefully putting his metal prize down Jake came over and helped Peter sit up before backing off again.
"Peter…"
"I'm fine." Peter interrupted. "How are you doing?"
"If Jake has what I think he has, I think we are all about to do a lot better."
"Is this going to work?" Jake asked hopefully as he handed the shaved firing pin to Neal.
"It's perfect, where did you get this?"
"It's out of my gun." Peter answered.
"How…"
Neal stopped could as he suddenly recalled exactly how the fight had ended. Seeing the horrified look in Neal's eyes Peter reached out and put his hand over Neal's.
"It's okay, Neal, I had every right to take that shot."
"Thank you." Neal said warmly. "I'd say I can never repay you, but that might not be true."
"Get that door open and we are more than even." Peter smiled.
"Deal."
As excited as he was to try opening the door Neal still needed Jake's help to get to his feet. With a chance of escape Neal decided that holding a grudge against Jake right now was pointless, they were all prisoners and they needed to stick together now more than ever. Once upright Neal feared that his blood pressure was going to bottom out, forcing him to lean against the wall for a moment. Needing help up as well Peter didn't look much better standing than Neal did. Jake watched the pair apprehensively expecting one or both of them to drop.
"We have to get out here." Neal whispered.
"We're going to." Peter assured.
"It's not going to be easy," Jake sighed "the rot in that room is going to be over powering."
"I can handle it." Neal said firmly.
"You say that…"
"We have to try." Peter pointed out.
Jake nodded his agreement but still looked doubtful. Neal couldn't blame him for not wanting to get his hopes up after so many years trapped down here. Knowing Peter's time was running short as the pneumonia progressed Neal wasn't going to let him think about what they were going to do if he couldn't open the door or if it didn't lead anywhere. Putting all his hope in the two scraps of metal they had managed to obtain Neal got the thick needle from its hiding place and took the firing pin from Jake. They were crude, but from what he could tell the last time he looked at it the lock itself wasn't that high quality either.
Coming to the hallway that held their possible escape Neal's stomach turned at the stench of decay that rolled down the dark corridor. By the time they got to the outer door to the room it was as if the air got physically thicker, slowing them down as they approached. Jake lost his stomach first and retched bile on the floor. Peter was panting heavily though his mouth looking ivory pale but kept from another coughing fit despite several near starts. Swallowing the bile at the back of his own throat Neal swore he could taste the death.
"Is Sawyer in there?" Peter asked.
"No." Jake shook his head.
"Okay, let's just do this quickly. Neal, I still don't want you seeing Miller." Peter said pulling the tie he'd brought along out of his back pocket. "I'll guide you to the door. Jake, watch our back, make sure no one sneaks up on us."
"No one comes down here, Peter, they know better."
"Please, just keep watch. We might draw attention if someone happens by."
"Okay."
"Neal, are you ready?"
Neal answered by taking the tie and blinding himself with it. Peter warned him that he was opening the door but the advanced notice didn't help Neal prepare for the toxic air that rushed out. Doubling over he instantly threw up on the stone floor. He could hear the others having similar issues. Neal was becoming dangerously dizzy when he felt Peter take him by the elbow. Wasting no time Peter dragged Neal into the den of death. Neal hadn't thought the smell could possibly get any worse, but he was wrong. Beyond being difficult to breath it was hard to even think as all his instincts screamed at him to run from the obvious danger here. Moving forward at Peter's insistence Neal jerked back when he stepped in something cold and wet. Peter forced him forward again back into the fluid on the floor before stopping him just short of the door.
"…Neal? Neal?" Peter coughed. "You with me?"
Not trusting his voice as his stomach bucked like a bronco Neal just nodded.
"We're here, I'm going to take the blindfold off, don't look around or even down. Eyes front."
Nodding again Neal closed his eyes as Peter drew away the cloth. He trusted that he didn't want to see the sickly puddle he was standing in or its source and poured all of his focus into the lock. With his eyes watering he had trouble even getting the lock pick set up. Once he had the firing pin in the lock and the needle against the first pin he closed his eyes to help him concentrate on the feel of the mechanism. He felt like he almost had it when Peter started retching nosily, setting off his own stomach again as well.
Peter tugged on Neal's elbow to encourage him to leave and get some fresh air before trying again. More desperate to get out of the Labyrinth than away from the acrid smell Neal shook his head and turned his attention back to the lock. The last pin was giving him trouble and his adrenaline was starting to make him shake making the job even more difficult. If he couldn't do this they were all going to die down here. Determined to not let that happen Neal forced himself to relax and shut out the rest of the world, the only thing that mattered was the needle raking against the stubborn pin. With a click that lifted his heart like a kiss from a long lost love Neal turned the lock and the door swung open.
Losing his balance as the door gave way Neal yelped as he fell forward. Peter quickly wrapped his arm around Neal's waist and kept him from falling into the black ooze that coated the floor. Staring down at the terrifying pool Neal managed to scramble into the next room with Peter's help. Peter called out to Jake and with in seconds they were past the door that had remained between them and freedom for so long. Closing the door they all rushed down the hallway that they found themselves in just to get some air that wasn't tainted with death.
Once they were a hundred yards away they all stopped as they panted for much needed breath. Looking back the way they had come at the closed door Neal found himself laughing as relief washed over him. Smiling brightly for the first time in months Peter pulled Neal into a powerful embrace despite the way it shifted his injured ribs. Feeling like he'd just completed a marathon Neal enjoyed the rush of a demented kind of 'runner's high'.
"I knew you'd get us out of here." Peter said proudly.
"I knew you'd keep me alive long enough to try." Neal smiled.
"I hate to be a buzz kill," Jake said morosely "but this is just more of the same. We're not out."
"This tunnel is different." Peter gestured around "There are no side doors, this is an entrance/exit, I'm sure of it."
"Only one way to go now anyway." Neal said. "Let's go."
Jake looked apprehensive about joining them as they started down the tunnel, still not wanting to put too much hope into where it would lead. Neal paused when he noticed that Jake wasn't keeping up and encouraged him to keep going. With what looked like a shy smile at being included Jake nodded and picked up his pace to keep step with them. The tunnel continued for a few hundred yards before taking a sharp right hand turn that lead to a short hall with another door.
The second door wasn't locked but upon opening it Neal's heart sank. It was a concrete stairwell but most of it had collapsed in on itself. There was no way up, however picking through the rubble it was possible to go down. With no options they carefully made their way deeper into the earth. Quickly getting to the bottom of the stairwell one floor down Neal inspected a large sheet of concrete that had fallen over the door. Slipping his arm in between the small gap left Neal gauged the space and decided that with a little work he'd be able to get through. Relieved to have an exit Neal looked back at Peter and had a horrifying realization. Even with all his weight loss at six foot two there was no way Peter was fitting through the narrow space. Jake had no better chance than Peter of getting through since at is was Neal was going to have to sacrifice a bit of skin to fit.
"Neal..."
"We can move this." Neal said desperately as he pushed on the immense piece of stone.
"Neal," Peter repeated gently "this is as far as Jake and I go."
"Peter, no."
"The rest is up to you."
Panicking at the thought of having to leave Peter behind and go alone Neal started panting for breath. Understanding Neal's distress Peter stepped up to him and pulled him into a warm embrace to help calm him. Neal accepted the contact but it didn't help the dread in his heart. He and Peter had been all but inseparable during this whole ordeal and Neal wasn't ready to abandon him even though he knew it was for the best. Keeping his hands on Neal's shoulders Peter back up just enough to be able to look him in the eyes.
"Neal, you can do this."
"I can do this." Neal repeated in hopes that it would help him believe it.
"Good, now go."
Neal appreciated that Peter wasn't treating this like a good-bye. He looked over Peter's shoulder at Jake who nodded to him in a silent promise to keep Peter as safe as he could. Neal turned his attention back to Peter and smiled when he saw that Peter wasn't bluffing, his calm confidence that Neal would manage to bring back help was genuine. Peter smiled as well before gesturing towards the tiny exit. Having found courage in Peter's faith in him Neal worked his way past the large stone that was keeping the others trapped. Once on the other side he took one last look back through.
"I'll be back."
"We'll be here."
After brief hesitation Neal turned down the dark tunnel and set off on his own. His previous excitement of finding a way out was severely tempered by the fear of having to press on alone and possibly not returning in time. With time and ever increasing factor Neal started to trot as he followed the oddly winding path of the tunnel that looked only half complete. Unlike the other areas after about 50 yards the walls were no longer smooth concrete, instead they had turned to rough hewn stone. In several places the ceiling had collapsed in, but thankfully he was able to get past the blockages easily.
Neal paused as he came to a large crack in the left side of the wall. Peering into the perfect pitch darkness in the crevice it was impossible to tell how far back it went. Deciding to follow the larger tunnel for now Neal kept moving. Coming to another door Neal was disheartened to find that it was another collapsed stairwell. He spent a few minutes trying to find a way to get past the rubble but none of the gaps lead anywhere useful.
Determined not to give up Neal returned to the broken wall that he had passed. It didn't look like anyone had purposefully tried to expand the tunnel in this direction, it appeared to be more of a natural fissure in the bedrock. With no lighting inside the crack it was going to be easy to get lost if there were any number of twists or turns. With his only other option to return to Peter and wait for death Neal took the chance of getting hopelessly lost in the darkness since it at least held a shot at finding a way back to the surface.
Having to turn to the side to slip into the fissure Neal's heart raced with claustrophobia as the dim light from the tunnel started to fade as he squeezed through the cracked stone. Coming to his first intersection Neal worked on building a map in his head so he could retrace his steps if need be. Around the corner he was plunged into a thick darkness and although the area had opened enough for him to walk he had to keep his hands on the walls to make sure he didn't miss any turns or run into any obstacles.
Counting his steps to help him find his way back to starting points Neal pressed further into the blinding darkness as the walls alternated between closing in on him and opening back up. After three turns he ran into a dead end. The fracture pattern in the stone lead to multiple off shoots and turning around in the absolute darkness he was instantly disoriented. Swallowing his fear Neal took a deep breath and reset his count in his mind as he returned to the last intersection and chose the other direction this time. After two more episodes of trial and error leading to dead ends Neal was starting to give up hope on both finding a way out and on finding his way back.
With his heart pounding painfully Neal was considering turning back when his vision picked up on a very faint greenish blue glow. Making his way towards the light source he came to another mass of collapsed stone with a gap in the top that the soft light was pouring out of. Feeling out the rubble Neal moved as much of it as he could before making a small opening in the top of the pile as large as he could. Crawling up over the rock he got halfway through the barricade before getting his hips stuck. Struggling to back up Neal's ribs caught on the stone trapping him against the ceiling. Caught between a literal rock and a hard place Neal cried out as he clawed his way forward ignoring the rough rock scraping down his lower back.
Managing to force himself through Neal tumbled down the far side of the rock pile and landed hard on the dusty floor. Laying on the cold floor bleeding heavily from the abrasion down his back Neal took a moment to gather his wits. Getting back to his feet shakily he stumbled forward towards the promising glow. The source of the light slowly grew brighter as he drew closer until he came to an natural looking archway.
Stepping through the archway Neal found himself in a half collapsed cavern that held a large glassy surfaced pool that was glowing softly with unnatural light that came up out of the water. It took Neal a solid five minutes before he could talk himself to even step towards the crystal clear pool. Trembling uncontrollably Neal forced himself to stand on the edge as his breathing became increasingly quick and shallow. Peering into the deadly calm water he could see where it extended out under the far wall in an underwater cavern at the end of which was the mysterious light source. Kneeling down in front of the pool Neal tried to get a better idea of how far away the light was. The water itself looked to be at least fifteen feet deep and with the distortion it was impossible to tell how far under the rock it traveled before reaching the light. He couldn't even tell if that light was submerged as well or if it was coming from an air pocket. In any case it looked like it would take all of his breath to reach it leaving none to get back if it was another dead end.
Under any other circumstances Neal wouldn't have hesitated to get into the water and explore around. However with his hydrophobia starting to choke him just sitting near the liquid trap Neal wasn't sure if he could even get in the water let alone swim under the stone without passing out the way he had in the shower. Reaching out with a shaky hand Neal placed his palm against the surface causing a cascade of ripples to race across the surface. Dry heaving as his adrenaline spiked nauseatingly Neal scrambled backed away from the water. Getting to his feet Neal paced like a tiger in a cage as he raked his hands through his hair compulsively.
"I can do this. The light has to be coming from somewhere. I can do this." Neal told himself out loud as he continued to pace. "Even if I can't…better to die trying."
Forcing himself to stop his pointless pacing Neal faced the water's edge. Filling his lungs and exhaling completely a few times Neal fought to calm himself and steel his courage. Not trusting himself to lower himself into the suffocating water Neal back up until he felt the wall behind himself. Before he could think too much about it Neal took one last deep breath and pushed himself away from the wall. Breaking into a quick run Neal leapt forward at the last moment. Barely making a splash Neal dove head first into the pool towards the light that was either beckoning him to freedom or luring him to his death.
