The Road to Hell Read Online Free Page B

the cruiser and the maintenance bay wall. She landed knee-deep in stagnant water. In the shadows behind her, a thin trickle of rainwater dripped slowly from a storm drain emptying into the maintenance bay from beneath the concrete slab. Up above, she could hear Harrison talking with Rosie as the door closed to within a few feet.
    “ OK, Rosie, we’re good to go. Now get us the hell out of here.”
    With that, Harrison slipped out under the closing door, jumping down into the maintenance bay beside Susan. The side door on the cruiser locked in place as the craft lifted off. Flashes of light hammered the Falcon as it cleared the maintenance bay, blaster shots coming in from the charging police. Susan was stunned. She still hadn’t figured out quite what was happening or why. Harrison pushed her back into the storm drain under the platform.
    The Falcon shuddered before darting forward out of the maintenance yard and into the distance. Several police cruisers gave chase, darting off after the Falcon as it weaved its way through the old town. Plumes of smoke shot out after the ageing hover car as the craft rounded a smelter stack and cut up toward the clouds. The police fired homing missiles at the craft. From where Harrison and Susan were in the storm drain neither of them could see what happened next but the deafening boom told them the Falcon had been destroyed.
    Harrison put his hand over Susan’s mouth as she gasped at the realisation of what had just occurred.
    Above them, the sound of business shoes resounded over the concrete floor. The sound was distinctly different to the deep, resonate thud of police combat boots running to and fro. These steps were solid, calm, rhythmic, coming to an abrupt halt directly above them. Harrison recognised the voice.
    “ I want the bodies recovered. The senate will want to confirm the erasure.”
    “ Yes, sir.”
    “ What about the containment crew?” asked Special Agent Kane.
    “ They’re on their way,” another voice replied.
    “ Good. This has to look like an immigration raid. I want the whole area cleaned. Zero residual presence. Is that understood?”
    “ Yes, sir.”
    “ And will somebody get me some goddamn coffee.”
    Harrison listened intently. Sweat dripped from his brow. For all the commotion he could hear above them, he hadn’t heard Kane walk away. The bastard was still standing there. What was he looking at, Harrison wondered. Ripples still moved across the puddle at the bottom of the maintenance bay. Their movement had stirred up the thin film of oil that had covered the surface of the murky water. Did Kane know? What the hell was he waiting for? Harrison tightened his grip on the shotgun.
    Finally, after what seemed like an age, Kane walked away, his business shoes echoing across the concrete slab as he barked orders at police officers around him. It took another twenty minutes before the maintenance yard finally went quiet and Harrison’s heart began to settle a little. Susan was shivering, but not from the cold. Neither of them said anything. It just wasn’t worth the risk.
    Harrison wasn’t sure what to do next. His mind was still racing at a million miles an hour. All he knew for sure was that Kane wanted them both dead.

Chapter 03: Underworld

    Neither of them had said much for the best part of an hour as they weaved their way through the sewers beneath the old city. At first it had been to avoid detection, but now Harrison seemed preoccupied, not just with getting away from the maintenance yard but from Susan as well.
    “ Talk to me,” cried Susan in exasperation, her voice echoing off the brickwork.
    There was no answer.
    “ What just happened back there?” she asked, struggling to keep up, cold mud squishing between her toes as she desperately tried to move on the dry, high ground weaving through the cavern.
    “ You tell me,” came the stark reply.
    Harrison fought to turn the stiff, old screw handle on a hatch set into the wall. The hatch