AN: Hello everyone,
Thank you for reading, following, and the reviews. They help motivate me and keep me going with the story. There will be a time jump after this chapter to help speed up the story. I hope you continue to enjoy. :)
Bellamy's group is marching North up the mountain in a wide tactical formation when he hears his name being called. Griping his spear tighter, the male leader rushes over with the rest of his group to where he is being called too.
When he arrives, he sees Murphy and four other delinquents climbing and breaking off limbs on a few dead trees that have fallen in front of an outcrop of rock.
"What are you doing?" he asks, walking up towards them.
Murphy turns around after breaking off another branch and tosses it to the side. "I think we found a bunker." He says excitedly.
Bellamy squints past the tree, vines, and moss that case the protruding rocks. Scarcely, Bellamy can make out a small section on a large green rusted door. His eyes bulge as he sees the bunker's door.
"How did you find it?" Bellamy questions.
A boy who's retrieving the ax from the survival bag stops and answers. "I saw a squirrel eating on one of the trees and threw my spear at it. I missed the squirrel but hit the door behind it."
Bellamy stares at the boy in shock. It took a boy to see a squirrel, throw his spear at it, and miss for his group to find the bunker. Where are all bunkers going to be hidden like this? Bellamy hoped not, but in case they were. They would not leave here until they took everything they could out.
Clearing his throat, he orders a small group to go out and hunt for food and water while the others set up camp. Propping his spear up against a tree, Bellamy begins helping Murphy and the rest of his group clear a way to the door.
The sun is on its way down when the small group finally frees a walkway to the door. During this time, the camp has been set up, and the hunting group came back with a small boar. Bellamy tells his group to rest and enjoy the meat cooking above the fire while he examines the corroded door.
"It's not going to be easy to open," Murphy comments stepping next to Bellamy.
"I don't care how long it takes. We are getting inside. Who knows if we will ever find one again," Bellamy replies.
Murphy nods, "Let's hope there's actually stuff inside."
"There will be," Bellamy says in a near growl. There has to be. He silently adds.
Glancing up through the trees, Bellamy guesses they have an hour, maybe two of sunlight left. He's exhausted but knows he won't be able to sleep unless he tries to open the door.
"Get the flashlight," he orders Murphy.
The younger brunette glances at him swiftly before leaving to retrieve the item.
Holding his breath, Bellamy grabs hold of the rusted handle and pushes down with as much force as he dares to use. A loud high pitch squeal vibrates out as the doors hinges break free and slightly move. The door is barely cracked open, but open non the less. Murphy comes back along with most of the group who heard the door break open.
Bellamy motions to Murphy to help him open the door. Murphy complies, but not before handing off the flashlight and the multi-purpose tool to one of the delinquents. Bellamy notices the extra item and raises an eyebrow at Murphy.
Murphy shrugs and comments, "Figured it would come in handing if we find anything."
Bellamy nods then grips the side of the cracked door with his fingertips. Murphy copies Bellamy's stance but a little lower down on the door. Both count to three before they pull with all their might. The oxidized door cries out as the corroded hinges shift. Murphy and Bellamy grunt as they slowly begin opening the door. With each step, cheers and shouts of encouragement yell out behind them. The pair smile widely when the door stops signaling it's fully open. An explosion of excitement erupts around them as they stand, and multiple hands slap down on their backs. Bellamy and Murphy stare at one another with broad smiles before the latter slightly bows and gestures to the bunker's entrance.
"After you," Murphy smirks, looking up, but stays in his bent form.
Bellamy laughs but does step forward to take a look inside.
Even with the sun still being up, the trees and mountain block the light from going very far inside the bunker. Bellamy can barely see two feet before darkness obstructs his view. Stale, sour air oozes out, and Bellamy grimaces at the foul odor. It hits Murphy almost instantly after Bellamy, and he jerks up immediately.
Undetermined by the smell or darkness, Bellamy asks for the flashlight and the multi-tool. It's probably more his pride that gives him the drive to enter the bunker than his leadership role, but either way, Bellamy elects to go in.
Clipping the tool onto his belt and switching the flashlight on. Bellamy readies himself to search inside, but before he goes in, Murphy grasps his shoulder.
"You're not planning on going in without me, are you?"
Bellamy observes Murphy as he tucks a knife behind his belt and picks up a spear. "Now, we can go," he says with a confident smirk.
The older brunette doesn't bother with a reply. Instead, he turns back towards the entrance of the bunker and steps inside.
Bellamy shines the beam of light all the way to the left and then all the way to their right. Metal shelves packed with boxes and bags line the walls on both sides, while large boxes are line up along the back two walls. In the middle, splitting the two walls, is a hallway going further into the bunker.
"Let's explore the whole place before we start looking at things," Bellamy whispers, and Murphy nods.
Slowly, the pair begin walking forward. Now that he's inside, Bellamy wishes he brought his spear with him. He was so eager to find out what was inside. He didn't think about what could be inside. "Give me your knife," he murmurs.
Murphy huffs in amusement as he reaches for his knife, "Someone getting a little scared."
"Shut up," Bellamy barks quietly as he takes the knife from the other. "If we run into someone, you'll be glad I have this."
"Who we gonna run in too. No ones gonna be alive in here," Murphy comments.
"Then why did you bring a spear," Bellamy retorts.
"Shut up," Murphy counters.
Little did either of them know their entire conversation was heard just outside the bunker. A couple of the delinquents began to giggle before another told them to shut up and go back to camp. Only two stayed behind.
Continuing forward, Murphy and Bellamy walk side by side as they enter the hallway. Both can see four doorways on the right and four more on the left.
"Now, what," Murphy asks.
"We search each room one by one. Right one first, then the left," Bellamy states.
"Deal," Murphy replies.
They stand on opposite sides of the doorway, and Bellamy counts to three with his fingers before opening the door. Both jump through weapons at the ready and flashlight sweeping the room.
Barrels. Lots and lots of barrels standing upright. Taking a quick count, Bellamy gets to twenty before they end. Letting out his breath, Bellamy jerks his head towards the door. Murphy understands his silently gesture and follows him out.
"Well, that was very climatic," Murphy mutters. Bellamy ignores him.
One by one, they check each room. Some had metal shelves like the ones before, while another had twenty more barrels inside. It's wasn't until the last room that Murphy and Bellamy were met with a gruesome scene.
After opening the door, both young men freeze as the flashlight scans across two mummified bodies.
"Shit," Murphy voices out breathless.
Bellamy stays quiet as the flashlight shines on the first body. It's lying face down in the middle of the room. Under it is a large, dark, red stain. Both males know instantly what the stains from. Slowly, Bellamy moves the light over to the second body. It's slouched against the far right wall just feet away from the first one. Its head is bowed forward like it's sleeping, and it too has a dark, red stain under it. But what catches Bellamy's eyes is the pistol in the soldier's mummified hand.
Taking a step forward, Bellamy moves towards the second body. Murphy watches silently as the older brunette squats down next to the dead body. The flashlight beams down on the mummified hand holding the gun.
"What are you doing?" Murphy asks.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Bellamy answers. "Here, hold the flashlight so I can use both hands."
Reluctantly, the teenager steps forward, and Bellamy hands him the flashlight. Murphy trains the light on the hand but looks away when Bellamy reaches out for it. Murphy cringes when he hears the sound of Bellamy breaking the mummies' hand off its body. That sound will haunt his dreams, but he refuses to be so weak. Clenching his teeth, he looks back over at Bellamy and the now detached hand in his grip. Murphy forces himself to watch as Bellamy breaks each finger away from the gun.
A slight wash of relief crashes over the teen when Bellamy finally dislodges the hand from the gun.
"Alright, let's go check out what's in those barrels," Bellamy says as he tucks the pistol between the small of his back and his pants.
Murphy nods before handing the flashlight back to Bellamy. They both make it back to the first room they went into. Again Murphy holds the flashlight as Bellamy uses the multi-tool to break open one of the barrels.
"Oil," Bellamy utters out in confusion as he stares into the barrel filled with dark liquid. Why would the military put barrels of oil in a bunker? "What the fuck was the military thinking putting barrels of oil-"
"Wait," Murphy calls out. Stepping over to the open barrel Murphy sticks his hand into the dark liquid. He doesn't have to reach far before he feels what he is looking for. Murphy grins triumphantly as he pulls out an old military rifle.
Bellamy stares in shock at the automatic weapon. "How did you know they would be in there?"
"Pike told us how weapons could be stored depending on what kind of bunker we found. When you said, these were filled with oil. Well-"
"That was one of the ways," Bellamy says, finishing Murphy's sentence. "Do you think all the barrels have one?"
"Oh, there's more than one rifle in there," Murphy says, gesturing to the open barrel. "As for the others, only one way to find out."