C4 Escape

Henry packed the last of his supplies into his bag as the first explosion started. He looked over at Kamilah and the twins and Kamilah nodded back at him and carried Isabel on her back. “Let's go.” He said, his voice almost drowned out by the din. He led them out of his room to the back, where there was another lift. The shooting and yelling were getting louder, but he wasn't going to wait around to see what was going to come through the doors.

He stepped into the lift and rigged the machine to go down. He heard the doors open up with a bang, followed by the shouting and hollering of scavengers filling the room.

The lift lurched down into the darkness, the only sound the groaning of the ancient machinery. Kamilah coughed in the dust. "Where does this thing even go?" she shouted over the noise.

"Lower levels," Henry yelled back. "Got an old truck down there. Should be able to get us out of here."

A clatter from below told them they'd reached the bottom. The doors juddered open to reveal a dimly lit concrete tunnel. The air hung heavy with the smell of damp and something metallic.

A whimper drew Henry and Kamilah’s attention. Isabel was awake, blinking at the harsh light. Isabel jumped up from Kamilah’s back causing her to crash on the floor. She simultaneously reached for where her knife would have been. She has good instincts, Henry thought as he watched her move forward for her attacks, but Sofia grabbed her arm, pulling her to the side.

"Shh," Sofia hissed. "We don't want them to hear us."

But it was too late. The shouts from above had stopped abruptly, replaced by an eerie silence. Then, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from above, raising the hairs on the back of their necks. It was followed by the unmistakable sounds of footsteps- something was coming.

Henry's heart hammered in his chest. He knew they couldn't stay put. Grabbing a metal pipe he'd stashed in his bag, he gripped it tight. "Stay close," he said, leading the way down the tunnel. Kamilah followed behind, her face etched with worry, while the twins huddled together, their eyes wide with terror.

Henry hurried them towards a small, unassuming door set into the rough concrete wall of the tunnel. He fumbled with a keypad beside it, punching in a series of codes. A low whirring sound filled the air, and the door slid open with a hiss to reveal a surprisingly large chamber beyond.

Kamilah gasped. In the center of the room sat a massive, boxy vehicle, unlike anything she'd ever seen. Its exterior was constructed from a patchwork of salvaged metal plates, welded together to form a crude but seemingly impenetrable shell. Thick, tinted windows offered the only view into the dark interior.

"Whoa," Sofia breathed, her fear momentarily eclipsed by awe. "You built this?"

Henry puffed out his chest, but before he could launch into a prideful explanation, Kamilah cut him off. "It may not be pretty, but it should get us out of here," she said, her voice laced with urgency. "We need to leave, now."

Henry swallowed his retort, the memory of the approaching scavengers dampening his enthusiasm. With a final, longing glance at his creation, he ushered them towards the vehicle's hatch. “Wow. It's even uglier inside.” Sofia said, looking over at Henry who was busy fiddling with the vehicle. He shot a glance at her and looked back at the entrance. “You want to take your chances outside, huh?” He said, and she crawled behind Kamilah.

“You're a monster.” Sofia spat, pouting. Henry chuckled.

“It's how I've survived so far, so something's working.” He said, turning the key and bringing the truck to life. “Be ready.” He continued, taking a deep breath. “It's gonna get loud.” He finished off, stepping his foot to the pedal. The car lurched forward, and they were all pushed into the seats. Henry grits his teeth as the truck barrelled forward, smashing through the wall in front of him, revealing the sun high in the sky. He didn't have time to appreciate the sun, as the scavengers on the floor outside the building were startled, raising their weapons and firing.

Before Henry could even register the devastation, the world erupted in chaos. The scavengers below, caught completely off guard by the armored truck's sudden appearance, scattered in all directions. But their surprise quickly turned to hostility as they opened fire on the vehicle, a hail of bullets pinging off the truck's makeshift armor.

"Are we gonna be okay?" Kamilah shouted over the cacophony of gunfire and shattering glass.

Heart hammering in his chest, Henry fought to keep the vehicle under control. "I... I don't know," he yelled back, the taste of fear metallic on his tongue. "Never actually stress-tested it under live fire.”

Kamilah stood. “You idiot.” She said, her white eye glowing. She said a few words that were indecipherable and opened the window. There was a release of smoke from her palms, followed by surprised grunts and shouts. She put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

“Drive.” She said quietly, but he could sense her annoyance and said nothing else. He drove off as quickly as he could, ignoring the gunshots and driving through anyone who tried to block them.

.

"Faster!" she commanded, her voice quieter now but laced with an icy edge. Henry didn't need to tell twice. He slammed his foot back down on the gas, ignoring his fear, and steered the lumbering beast forward. Kamilah slammed the window shut, a grimace etched on her face.

They burst out of the smoke cloud, leaving the enraged scavengers behind. Henry let out a shaky breath, relief washing over him like a cool wave. Briefly, he dared to hope they were finally free.

"Don't even think about getting comfortable," Kamilah cut in, shattering his fragile optimism. "They won't give up that easily. Especially not after that little stunt."

She was right. Just then, a glint in the rearview mirror caught Henry's eye. A trio of heavily modified motorcycles, their chrome gleaming menacingly in the afternoon sun, were emerging from the smoke cloud, gaining on them rapidly.

"Here we go again," Sofia muttered, her voice laced with a hint of grim resignation. Even as young as she was, she understood the gravity of their situation.

The chase was on. Henry pushed the armored truck to its limits, the engine screaming in protest. He weaved through the skeletal remains of buildings, dodging fallen debris and twisted metal. The modified motorcycles were relentless shadows behind them.

One of the bikers, a hulking figure in a patchwork of leather armor, pulled alongside the truck. He leaned in, his face a grotesque mask of scars and rage. He yelled a challenge, lost in the roar of the engine, but the manic gleam in his eyes was clear enough.

He brandished a crudely modified crossbow, the oversized bolt glinting wickedly in the sunlight.

Kamilah reacted with lightning speed. With a single, fluid motion, she threw open the window once more. This time, instead of smoke, a bolt of crackling energy lanced out from her fingertips, striking the crossbow bolt mid-air. The metal projectile vaporized in a burst of sparks, throwing the biker off balance. He swerved wildly, narrowly avoiding a collision with a crumbling building facade.

But the remaining two bikers weren't deterred. They flanked the truck, raining down a hail of bullets. The makeshift armor held, for the most part, the bullets pinging off with loud thunks. But one stray shot found its mark, shattering a side window and showering Sofia with glass.

"Sofia!" Kamilah screamed, momentarily taking her eyes off the assailants. Henry gritted his teeth, steering the truck with one hand while fumbling for a first-aid kit with the other.

Suddenly, a deafening boom echoed through the ruined cityscape. A section of the crumbling wall ahead of them, destabilized by the truck's vibrations, gave way with a thunderous roar.

The road ahead was a yawning chasm, jagged concrete teeth reaching out to snag them. Henry slammed on the brakes, throwing them all forward. The truck skidded to a halt mere inches from the edge of the drop-off. The lead biker, caught off guard by the sudden stop, skidded past them, his motorcycle going over the edge with a scream.

The remaining biker, however, wasn't so lucky. His brakes locked up, sending his bike into a sickening spin. He was thrown off the vehicle, tumbling through the air before disappearing into the abyss below. The sight turned Sofia's stomach, and she turned her eyes away.

A tense silence descended, broken only by the ragged gasps of their breaths. They had escaped, for now, but the victory tasted like ash in their mouths. They knew the chase wasn't over. They weren't safe, not yet.

“Come on!” He yelled and kicked open the door. They were close to a cluster of buildings, and he knew he could make it there, then perhaps they could find a way to hide from the horde. They just needed to get there. They just needed to. He felt a hand tightly grip his. It was Sofia. He could see her eyes darting around in fear. “Are we gonna die?” She asked, her chest heaving.” Henry looked up to see that Isabel and Kamilah were also looking up at him. “Not if I can't help it,” Henry said, pulling her up. “Come on.” He urged and they ran over to the cluster of buildings, just as the roar of vehicles began to fill their ears.

The once-proud skyscrapers seemed to mock their vulnerability, silent witnesses to the city's decay and their desperate plight.

They reached the base of a building, its facade a jagged mosaic of shattered glass and crumbling concrete. A narrow opening, barely big enough for a single person, gaped between two fallen slabs. It wasn't ideal, but it was their only shot.

"In there," Henry instructed, ushering the twins towards the opening. Kamilah hesitated, her brow furrowed in worry. "What about you?" she asked, her voice laced with apprehension.

"I'll distract them," Henry replied, already formulating a plan. "There's no way we can all hide in that cramped space. I'll lead them away, create a diversion."

Kamilah's jaw clenched. "Absolutely not! We're in this together."

"We won't be if they catch us all here," Henry countered, his voice firm. "You take the kids and find a deeper hiding spot. I'll cause a scene, draw them away from this building. Once they're distracted, you make a run for it."

A tense silence filled the air, broken only by the distant rumble of approaching engines. Kamilah's expression flickered between worry and a grudging acceptance of his plan. She knew he was right. Hiding all four of them in that cramped space was a recipe for disaster.

"Alright," she finally agreed, her voice tight. "But be careful, Henry. Don't do anything stupid."

"I won't," he promised, his voice laced with a resolve he didn't entirely feel. "Just get the kids to safety. We'll regroup later, there's an old warehouse by the river.” He said, looking at the twins who nodded.

Kamilah sighed a flicker of hope igniting in her eyes. The warehouse was a long shot, a desperate gamble on a meeting point from a time that only these two kids knew.

But it was all they had.

With a final squeeze of Sofia's hand and a reassuring nod towards Isabel, Kamilah ushered them towards the narrow opening. Henry watched them disappear into the darkness, a knot of worry tightening in his stomach. He knew the plan was risky, a gamble with his life. But it was the only way he could see to protect them.

Taking a deep breath, Henry steeled himself for what was to come. He turned and sprinted back towards the abandoned truck, the roar of engines now a deafening crescendo. He had one shot at this and after that, all bets were off.

He turned on the engine and reached for his gun.