Reyes disappeared over the lip of the surface above her as Lena climbed the rusty, pitted rungs of a ladder up the inside of a very old sewer access point. He’d already told her the tunnels from the safe house were the longest they had. Instead of having to make their way through the arroyos and canyons surrounding Relo-Azcon to their departure point, the tunnels would deposit them near their destination. It was still risky to be making the trip during the day, but according to Reyes, it was infrequently patrolled. Old Town had long been stripped of anything valuable and was not of interest to scavengers or the Council.
She tilted her head back, looking to see how much further just as he leaned over to offer her his arm. He hauled her up the last three rungs, her feet dangling in the air for a moment, before depositing her on the ground beside himself.
He had one finger pressed to his lips for quiet. He gestured with his head down the street and then held up two fingers. He pointed to a nearby opening. The doorframe had been pulled free and leaned down, almost touching a pile of broken cinder blocks piled haphazardly at the entrance. Desert sand had blown in to form a long, sloped drift on the far side. She quickly darted over and took a knee, leaning down behind the drift.
Reyes moved the sewer grate back into place. He joined her, glancing over his shoulder in the direction he had cautioned her about before tugging her sleeve and leading her the opposite way. He followed the contours of the buildings, hugging the walls when practical then darting out to move around the debris-based sand dunes when necessary.
He didn’t take her far. Only four smallish buildings away, they crossed a wide open area of broken cement. They dodged inside the building, Reyes leading the way toward his goal. He dropped down into a drainage grate at the back of a long, narrow room. She joined him.
He led her through the dark sub-levels until they reached a large metal door. He popped open a security box, leaned in, and placed his eye on a small tube that extended from the wall. Reyes straightened after a pulse of green light, already palming the security box to reseal the little tube. She leaned in closer as the tube withdrew, trying to get a better view of the lock keyed to his eye.
Before the tube had even tucked back into its hidden hole, locks from within the metal door clicked and ground. It hissed and slid out from the wall. Reyes reached for it with a grin and hauled on the handle in front of her, completing the door’s movement away from the opening. Her eyes widened. It was almost as wide as she was tall.
Where were they going?
Reyes entered through the wide opening, and she followed. Lights began to click on in the cavernous space. She continued across to the metal railing of the entry platform. She was dimly aware of Reyes closing them in and the sound of hissing air and cycling locks.
They were three levels up from the floor. Below, a train rested upon a track. She’d only seen trains from a distance, and they were the bulky steam engines the Council ran from zone to zone. They were nothing like this sleek machine. Its track headed into a darkened tunnel.
She turned to Reyes, eyes wide in spite of herself. He grinned like a little boy.
“Surprise.” He tugged on her hand, pulling her toward the stairs. “C’mon. Let’s get outta here.” He trotted down the stairs.
Lena followed, her mouth agape. The implication of power and resources boggled her mind. Who were these people Reyes worked for? She didn’t know what they wanted from her, but they had the resources to give her what she wanted.
She stopped in the entry to the train. Reyes crossed to the controls and powered it up. Her mind flashed to the scene in the Council room, when he had hidden out of sight in the corner. Even though she understood why he’d waited, and she knew that he’d worked hard to get her out since then, the memory was enough to leave her hovering outside.
Reyes glanced back over his shoulder. “C’mon.” He jerked his head to urge her to step in. His smile froze when he saw her expression, though, and he turned to face her. “You know, we will protect you. I promise.”
“You’ve made a lot of promises. You’re asking for a lot of faith.” She swallowed, but she stepped through. She didn’t know who his people were, but if they could give her what she needed, then she was committed.
Reyes touched a button. The door hissed shut behind her as the train lifted. He turned back to the controls. They pulled away from the station, entering the dark tunnel. Regularly placed, long lights glowed high up in the tunnels. As they gained speed, the lights seemed to melt into each other until they were one long, continuous glow.
“How fast are we going?” Lena asked.
He grinned. “Fast.”
She nodded. “Where are we going? Am I allowed to know now that we’re on the way?”
He glanced at her sideways. “It was never a secret. Not really.” At her snort, he protested, “It wasn’t!” He shrugged. “We’re going to a place we call Fort Nevada.”
“Fort Nevada? I’ve never heard of it.” She chewed her lower lip then asked the obvious question. “It’s in old Nevada?”
At his nod of confirmation, she shook her head. “That’s weeks away.”
“About thirty minutes, actually.”
She looked around the little train in appreciation.
Reyes chuckled. “Don’t get any ideas. This train will only respond to those who have been keyed to it.”