Page 56 of Urban Justice

For a moment she seemed to consider it before shaking her head. “No way. It’s too dangerous.” She hesitated a moment. “Unless you have a plan?”

Sloane was focused on her mission, the part that was ready to sacrifice herself was still there, and more of him died a little. If Sloane Friday thought her salvation lay in stopping those men, he would do precisely that. Only for her, even if it was the last thing he did.

“I have a plan. Do you have any explosives?”

Sloane reached for her back. “Only three small charges to open a locked door.”

That might work. “Go back to the entrance point, the one on the floor above. Set two explosives on the upper part of the ceiling, where there are more cracks and set them off when these guys reach you. I’ll stay here and do the same at this end. The tunnel isn’t as strong here and it should collapse easier.”

“No way, Luke. It’s suicide!”

“I’ll set the charge once they’re out of sight. And when it goes off, I’ll leave through the manhole they used for the transfer. It’s not a perfect plan, but it should work.”

A quick peek told Luke the men were ready to leave, and it was now or never.

Sloane touched his arm, making him look at her. How much he’d have loved to see her face.

“You better get out before it blows. We have a lot to talk about, professor.”

Luke nodded. Whether he survived or not, he wouldn’t settle anymore. He was done working for the Vigilante and its team, and having Sloane close, as it demolished his very soul. For the time being, he’d lie, the only one he’d ever tell her.

After a long silence and a quick nod, Sloane’s silhouette blended into the dark tunnels behind him. Less than a minute later, the eight men rolled their cargo past him.

Luke waited a few extra seconds before unfolding himself from his hideout. With the small explosive pad in hand, he examined the ceiling. There wasn’t a lot of time, but for his plan to work, especially with such a small charge, he needed the weakest structural point.

Following a large crack brought him deeper into the tunnel, much further than he’d anticipated, but there was no choice, and time was running out.

Grateful for his height, Luke placed the explosive, and walked back toward the exit as much as possible before taking out his gun. Flashlight in hand, Luke aimed at the charge, steadied his hand, and breathed. Now that the possibility of him getting out alive was reduced, his mind went back to Sloane. How he wished he’d kissed her one last time. She’d said she wanted to talk, and he briefly wondered why.

His thoughts were sidetracked as he heard a low sound in the distance, transforming into the whine of concrete mixed with men’s shouts and screams. That was his cue and he fired.

The explosion wasn’t powerful, but the tunnels around him shook like a wave, his body hit with enough force for him to fall back.

Concrete fell around him like rain, and faster than he’d estimated. How deep was he? Scrambling up, he sprinted toward the manhole leading out. There was a faint light coming from above, probably a nearby streetlight. Eyes set on his goal, Luke pushed his body to the very limit, his muscles screaming from the inhuman effort.

He’d almost reached it when something heavy fell on his back, making him stumble forward. He’d just about regained his balance when something sharp hit the back of his head and he was thrown forward to the ground. One by one, his limbs became trapped, and air exploded out of his lungs as his eyes blurred. He’d failed, but knowing that Sloane was alive and safe at the other end of the tunnel brought him a sense of calmness along with sadness. He knew he’d suffered a head wound and his chances of survival were almost nil. He tried again to get out from under the oppressive load but couldn’t move. Trapped underground, about to die, Luke cursed as he felt his life slipping away.

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