Inside the Tunnel
Owen tried the landline, the cell phone, every possible method—nothing worked. The other side probably could see them, but there was no way to establish direct contact.
He wasn't sure if they could hear him from the other end. All he could do was hope. Meanwhile, someone had already begun narrating their entire situation to the surveillance camera, speaking as if to an audience.
But no matter how thoroughly they described their condition, no response ever came.
"We're saved! We're going to be saved!"
A few people were already hugging each other, crying with joy. Owen, however, wasn't so optimistic.
CTU had drafted joint emergency contingency plans for tunnel scenarios like this with the rescue teams. He knew from experience: in cases of river backflow, the chances of a successful rescue were extremely slim.
He looked over at the people clinging to that hope, then turned his eyes to the camera.
That's when he noticed something.
The surveillance camera was nodding. In a very deliberate, measured rhythm—three times.
Owen blinked. Rubbed his eyes.
Yes. It was nodding. Purposefully.
His heart skipped a beat. The other side was trying to send a message.
Three?
What did three mean?
He wracked his brain for an answer but came up empty.
…
In the command center, John McClane stared at the monitor.
Come on, man, he thought. We've got this kind of synergy, right? Pick it up…
…
Owen was still frowning, lost in thought. Only Beth and Attal noticed his focus on the screen.
"Quiet!" Attal barked at the convicts. No politeness in his voice. Once they stopped talking, he turned back to Owen. "What is it?"
"I think we're on our own. The chances that the rescue team can get to us in time are almost zero," Owen replied, then quickly laid out his logic.
The response was mostly opposition.
"No, they've already found us! They're definitely sending people in!"
"Yeah, we should sit tight and wait. If we screw around and mess something up, we might make things worse…"
…
"I agree with Owen," Chen Mike spoke up. "If we don't try to save ourselves, who will?"
The group split into two camps. A few sided with Owen, pushing for action, but the majority—especially the prisoners—just wanted to sit still and avoid risk.
They had already forgotten all that Owen had done for them.
But one thing hadn't changed—they still feared power.
And Attal was power.
"Fuck it. Everyone listen to Owen. Whatever he says—we do it!" Attal roared.
One big guy tried to speak up in protest.
Attal crushed his throat with a single punch.
No mercy. Not now. Not ever. Especially not for scum like this.
The dying man clutched at his crushed windpipe, wheezing. It only made Attal's message more clear: resistance would mean death.
The rebellion died on the spot.
Soon, everyone was searching. Anything marked with a 3.
Minutes later—"Found it!"
A prisoner held up a utility box with a large painted 3. Everyone rushed over.
Owen popped the box open—just spare tunnel parts. Nothing unusual.
He looked up—the surveillance camera was already pointed his way. He gestured toward the box: "This one?"
The camera nodded—once.
Yes. That was it.
Owen dropped to his knees and began inspecting the area. Soon, he felt a handle under the water.
It was an escape hatch.
"Everyone—up on the car roofs. Save your strength. I'll go first."
He glanced at Beth, reassuring her with a look, then nodded to Chen Mike. Mike gave a small nod back—he understood. Owen turned to Attal, silently signaling him to watch the prisoners.
Then Owen yanked open the hatch, grabbed a utility flashlight, and disappeared into the water.
He remembered this kind of escape tunnel. The circular exterior of the tunnel was lined inside with rectangular passages—for airflow and evacuation. In emergencies like fires or blockages, drivers were meant to abandon vehicles and escape through the lower tunnel floor.
But now it was flooded.
No problem. Owen had spent eight brutal months with the SEALs—training underwater for hours at a time. For most people, swimming blind through a narrow, pitch-black tunnel would be a nightmare. For Owen, it was Tuesday.
He swam through the corridor and found a sealed floodgate. Bracing himself, he turned the valve. The door creaked open—and the pressure pulled him through.
He found himself in a chamber. It looked like some kind of storage area—flooded, but only partially.
The ground here was clearly higher than the main tunnel.
It was sealed—but intact. No visible second exit. Still, if the rescue team had directed him here, there had to be a reason.
Owen quickly swam back.
By the time he returned, the water had risen to waist height.
"I found something," he told the group. "It's higher ground—come with me."
He jumped in first. Beth went second. Chen Mike, then Attal, then the others followed, one by one. Even the doubters no longer resisted. The water had risen too fast—they were losing faith in salvation from outside.
Through the submerged tunnel they went, following the faint beam of Owen's flashlight.
One by one, they emerged in the new space. Everyone was soaked, shivering, gasping.
One man was missing. Owen counted—again. Still one short.
No one said a word. No one would go back for him. They were barely hanging on themselves.
The cold was taking a toll. Beth and several others were already showing signs of hypothermia.
Stage II symptoms: violent shivering, slurred speech, confusion.
One man had slipped into stage III. His body stopped shivering. His speech became nonsense. His eyes were glassy.
Owen held Beth tightly, rubbing her arms, transferring every bit of warmth he could. At the same time, his eyes scanned the new chamber.
Yes—it was higher than before. Yes—safer.
But it was still sealed.
Still a tomb.
So why had the rescue team directed them here?
Owen narrowed his eyes. He gently handed Beth to Chen Mike, then stood up.
Time was short. They couldn't stay here forever.
So he began to search—again.
------------------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get early access to chapters by joining my Patre@n!
Find me at: patre@n*com/Mutter
You can read each novel for $5 or get them all for just $15.
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]