Sara and Michael rushed to a shed well hidden by a clump of trees about 100 metres behind the house while the police officers were occupied on the inside. They crouched low behind the underbrush taking care not to make any loud noises. When they finally reached the shed, Lincoln was pacing impatiently in the shadows behind it around what appeared to be some sort of opening. The opening was a tunnel of some kind leading down into murky depths below. Michael went down first without hesitating and helped Sara down behind him. It was darker down there than in had been in the boarded up house. Sara's eyes took a good thirty seconds to adjust and even then she found it extremely difficult to make out Michael's profile and he was standing right in front of her. For a moment she wondered how she was supposed to see to follow him in the darkness. Almost as if he had guessed her thoughts, Michael instinctively reached behind him and found her hand. With him leading the way they started edging slowly along the tunnel. Sara tried to make out where they were going but she still couldn't really see anything and the pain in her arm was starting to grow, now that the initial shock had worn off.

Lincoln trailed behind them firstly making sure that the opening was securely closed and then making sure that no one was following them. In an attempt to break the nervous silence and to forget about her arm, Sara tried to strike up a conversation.

"What is this place?" she asked. Her voice echoed loudly in the tunnel even though she had whispered and it startled her for a moment.

"Its an old sewage tunnel that hasn't been used in about 40 years" Michael whispered back. "It'll lead us past the town and into the woods on the edge of it."

"You really like your tunnels huh bro?" Lincoln smirked from the rear. Michael smiled at his brother and said,

"They do have their uses."

They continued in silence for what seemed like hours and the temperature in the tunnel appeared to increase progressively, the further along they went. The air was starting to suffocate Sara and beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead. She wasn't the only one that was growing uncomfortable in the confined space of the tunnel. Lincoln was breathing heavily behind her and Michael had slowed his fast pace by stopping to wipe his forehead every 30 seconds or so. Suddenly, Sara tripped over something and she threw her arm out instinctively to regain her balance. She needn't have bothered because Michael quickly turned and caught her, his hand accidentally grabbing the area where she had been cut and causing her to gasp audibly. He felt that his shirt sleeve had been soaked through with blood and released her arm immediately. The worry in his voice was clear as he asked,

"Are you ok ?"

"I'm fine - I just tripped over something that's all"

That was not what he had been referring to so Michael remained unconvinced. Her tone was hurried and very matter-of-fact and he recognised it well. She always used it when she was trying to cover up her true feelings on a subject and he was sure that if he had been able to see her eyes they would mirror exactly what she really felt - rather then what she said she felt. Lincoln rounded the corner and nearly crashed into Sara and Michael.

"What's wrong ? Why have we stopped?"

"Just taking a little break." Michael replied

"Good idea. I keep doubling back to make sure there's no one behind us and as far as I can tell the coast is clear. You alright there doc ?"

"I'm fine."

The three of them proceeded to sit down with their backs against the rounded walls of the tunnel. Michael ripped off his other sleeve and moved towards Sara's arm.

"May I take a look ?"

Sara couldn't help but smile to herself as she handed over her arm. The situation was entirely ridiculous - here she was in the middle of an impossibly dark sewage tunnel, at some undisclosed location - being looked after by an escaped convict who was now on the run with his brother. If she weren't actually living it – she would never have believed it could happen! A picture of her father's stern face flashed into her mind and her smile slowly faded. He certainly wouldn't be surprised at the fact that she had landed herself into such a predicament. In fact, he'd probably even find some way to suggest that it was all her fault that he would once again have to use his influence to keep her out of trouble. She was brought out of her trance by the sound of Michael's worried voice.

"You've lost a lot of blood. I think you might have to go see to a doctor or something if we can't get it to stop."

"Michael, aren't you forgetting something?"

Michael had been squinting in the general direction of Sara's arm for about a minute but he couldn't properly examine the damage since he really couldn't see much of anything at all. As Sara spoke he looked up at her and some of her hair brushed lightly against his cheek. For a moment he forgot that she had spoken to him.

"Michael ?"

"Yes ?"

"I'm a doctor remember?"

Michael smiled. He had almost forgotten that for a moment there but it still didn't stop him from worrying since, once again, it was his fault that she was hurt.

"Sara this is all my fault – I never - "

At that moment they heard a dog bark somewhere in the distance. Lincoln got up immediately and ran back down the tunnel a little bit, his hand trailing along the wall as it had been when they had been going the other way to allow him to manoeuvre in the darkness. Michael helped Sara up and then stared in the direction that his brother had run. His body grew tense as they waited but they didn't have to wait too long before they heard Lincoln's hastened footsteps coming back in their direction.

"Ok I didn't hear anything down there but I think we'd better get moving anyway."

Michael took Sara's hand once again and continued to lead the way. After about another hour and a half of trekking through the darkness Michael finally came to a stop and started feeling along the wall for something. Lincoln went to join him and asked,

"Is this it ? Are we here?"

"I think so – but I can't seem to find the panel."

Michael felt a sense of dread as he remembered the unfortunate incident he'd had with the pipe leading to the infirmary. If the same thing happened here they would have to double all the way back and risk complete exposure. He continued frantically searching for the handle that would open the panel they were looking for and Lincoln starting feeling along the wall as well. Sara stepped out of their way and she leaned back on the wall to rest. As she did so she felt something dig her in the shoulder. It was the handle they were looking for. She pulled down on it hard and a small line of light appeared through the crack she'd caused. Michael and Lincoln turned towards the light and even in the predominantly dark tunnel, relief was evident on both their faces. Together all three of them pulled down on the handle and with one final metallic screech of protest it gave way. Light flooded the tunnel and momentarily blinded the trio as they winced and turned their heads away from it. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust but when they did it was clear that they were in a completely different environment now. Long gone were the dry and dusty roads and they had been replaced by thick trees and underbrush. There were even a few wild flowers growing among the trees and birds chirped happily from their hidden perches. Michael made his way out first and helped Sara out after him. Lincoln came out himself and shut the panel securely when he was out. All three of them stood for a moment, enraptured with the sights around them.

"Wow" Sarah whispered.

Lincoln looked all around him in awe and then said,

"Well one thing's for sure – we're not in Kansas anymore!"

Michael chuckled as he turned and started to lead the way once again.