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Belle walked over to Danny with a happy look on her face, "She said that we should go into the left tunnel. This is the one that will lead you to the outside world. But she has asked one thing. She said we don't need her help in getting out so she would like to stay behind if possible".
Danny didn't like this idea at all. He felt it would be better to let her go when they reached the end in case they run into any obstacles, "No, we need her to come with us. Do you think she told you the right tunnel to take?"
"I'm pretty sure it's the one to take. I took her back to the one time she was down here and she started to remember little differences in the two tunnels and she said that as soon as we enter the left one we should start to feel colder since that part of the tunnel is not heated".
"Good job Belle, I really appreciate your help. I was thinking though, maybe we need to part company with you once we get out of the tunnel. I don't want you to get into too much trouble and I think they would believe you if you told them we had kidnapped you".
"Don't worry about me Danny. This is the right thing to do and I am not sure I even want to go back and work for that woman after this. I want to make sure you get out of here and back to your own time".
Danny couldn't help but smile at her admission. He knew they still needed her help once they were out of here and he was glad she was willing to give it.
Danny went over to where Abby and Connor were sitting, "Well, it looks like we know which way to go so I hope you're ready".
Abby stood up and helped Connor stand up, "We are ready and willing Danny".
Connor nodded his head, but he didn't say anything.
Eva wasn't happy about having to go along, but she figured it was just another 20 minutes walk through the tunnel so she just had to endure it a little longer.
The five of them entered the left tunnel and it wasn't long before all of them felt the cold air. Danny looked over at Belle to acknowledge the fact that they must be in the correct one.
As they walked along a loud sound suddenly rang out from the ceiling. Everyone looked toward the noise as Danny said, "Eva, what is that?"
Eva knew exactly what it was and it was music to her ears. "It's the alarm. It means that they are aware of a security breach and will probably be down here soon".
Danny was afraid they would never make it out of this place before reinforcements showed up. "How long do we have until we reach the end of the tunnel?"
"It's about 15 more minutes if we keep walking at this pace".
"Are they able to lock the exit?"
"No, we made sure there was nothing preventing us from getting out in case the place was overrun. We didn't want to be stuck in the tunnel so there is no lock on the hatch from the inside. There is however one on the outside to prevent anyone from getting in; that is if they even find the opening".
Danny was glad to hear this. He turned to his group, "We need to step up the pace. Connor, do you think you can run?"
It wasn't something Connor wanted to hear, but he would do what it took to get out, "I think so".
"Great, but if you start to fall behind I'm going to throw you over my shoulder and carry you, OK?"
Once again the idea of having someone carry him didn't sit well with Connor, but what could he do about it. All he did was nod at Danny's statement.
The five of them took off toward the exit. Danny, Eva and Belle were naturally in the lead, but Abby and Connor were not far behind. Abby was doing her best to make sure Connor kept up and was glad that he could.
As they ran Danny yelled over to Eva; "Do you know if we're getting close to the end?"
"I think so, but it was such a long time ago that I was in this tunnel that I can't be sure".
Danny looked back and saw that Abby and Connor were starting to fall behind. He just hoped Connor could make it, but he had to remember that once they were outside they were still going to have to run and he wasn't sure Connor had it in him.
Before long they finally reached the end of the tunnel. Danny took the lead and climbed up the ladder. Once he was at the top he found there was a small hatch that he had no trouble opening. "I have it open. I am going to go and make sure it is all clear first. Abby, I want you to send Connor up first once I give the signal".
Danny exited the hatch and found that it was very dark outside but he could tell they were in the middle of a field. The hatch seemed to be very well hidden from his first impression. As he looked around he didn't detect the presence of anyone waiting to attack so he figured it was safe, "Ok Abby, send Connor up".
Connor had been leaning up against the wall when he heard Danny yell down to them. The steps didn't seem to go up very far, but it was just enough that he knew it would take him a while. He just wished that Danny had asked for the others to go first. He would feel responsible if they were unable to get out because he was too slow.
Abby thought that as soon as Danny said it was clear that Connor would have been anxious to get out of her, so she didn't understand his hesitation, "Come on Connor, we have to get you up the ladder".
Connor didn't argue with Abby since he knew she would win. With her assistance he made it over to the wall and started climbing. He was very slow moving and his leg was starting to hurt worse than before. He looked up toward Danny and saw that he had his arms hanging down to assist him when he got closer. This gave him the energy to continue his climb and he was soon wrapping his one hand around Danny's; allowing the older man to pull him up. He was glad it was over and once he was out he fell to the ground and waited for the others.
It didn't take the other ladies long to get to the top. As soon as Eva was at the top Danny had only one more question for her, "we can let you go now, but I need to know where we are and which direction we should take to get back to the ARC".
Eva was glad they were going to let her go, but she was confused as to why they wanted to get back to the ARC. Hadn't they just come from there? "You need to go north and keep going until you hit the main road. Once there you should go east and it will take you back into town. From there I think you can find the building quite easily since it kind of sticks out. Can I ask you why you want to go back there?"
"We just want to get home and the ARC is the only way to get there".
Eva was still confused, but she didn't care. They were leaving and that was all that mattered. "I wish you luck on getting home".
Danny took only a second to come up with a plan. He had ordered Eva back into the tunnel and when she had climbed down he closed the hatch. He looked around and found some large pieces of wood; which he jammed into the hatch hoping that it would buy them some time in case they were followed. He knew it would not hold, but if it gave them a few more minutes it was worth it.
"Now are you sure you want to come with us Belle". Danny wanted to give her one more chance to walk away.
"I've already made my decision Danny. I am coming with you".
Danny was glad she had not changed her mind. "Alright, now we need to get moving. Eva said we head north, so I believe it is that way".
The four of them started heading in the direction that Danny had indicated. Connor was once again lagging behind, but it was Danny who was helping him this time. He had asked Abby to take a break and besides, it would be easier to pick him up if they needed to run.
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There was a horrible sound coming from outside making it impossible to sleep. Sarah had been the first to hear it, but Becker was soon awake and on his feet. He grabbed his gun and headed toward the door, "Sarah, you stay here, I am going to go and find out what that noise is".
Sarah didn't want to be left alone, "I don't think it's such a good idea. What if they are waiting for you on the other side of the door?"
"I think we would have heard something on the other side. This noise sounded like it came from outside so I think we're ok for now".
Sarah stood up, "Well, then I am coming with you".
Becker waited for Sarah and with her behind him he opened the door. He looked around and based on the amount of light coming from the window he could tell they had made it through another night. He crept quietly over to the window and looked out. What he saw sickened him. The predators had been fighting amongst each other and several of them lay dead on the ground. The sickening part was that the ones still alive were feeding off the dead ones.
Sarah had looked out the window and pulled back quickly. "Do you think they were fighting over us?"
"They may have been. I don't think it will be long before they find us".
Sarah was scared and starting to lose hope that they would never get out of here. She was tired and started walking back to their little room in the back.
Becker noticed the look on her face and wished he could do something to change it. He followed her back into the room and shut the door, "I can try to find a way out of here later when the beasts have had their fill of food. Maybe they will eventually forget about us and we can have a chance to get out of here".
Sarah gave a loud sigh as she slipped down the wall. As she put her knees up to her face she started crying. She was never one to cry, but this situation was becoming more than she could handle.
Becker never liked to hear anyone cry, but he was also not the touchy feely kind of guy that would run to a woman's side and take her in his arms saying everything was going to be alright. But he was starting to lose hope as well and he didn't care how he may have acted before. He went over to Sarah and sat next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders.
Sarah felt safe in his arms and leaned into them. She didn't think she would make it out of here, but at least she wasn't alone. She looked up into his eyes and saw a look that said he felt the same way.
As Becker cradled Sarah in his arms he gave her a light squeeze, "Hey, we'll get out of here, I promise".
They were only words to her, but she knew he was trying to make her feel better. "Let's not talk about it right now ok". She was still looking at Becker when he suddenly leaned down and kissed her. She was taken by surprise at first, but quickly got over it and kissed him back.
Becker hadn't planned on kissing her, but she looked so lovely that he couldn't help himself. He continued kissing her and soon they were both lying on the floor intertwined in each other's arms. They enjoyed each other as if this was their last day on earth.
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