The Wastelands (Part II of the Runner Series)

Chapter 16

"Then we must meet them in battle!" Several people shout their agreement and there is the clatter of weapons being drawn.

"This is not a fight we will win today!" Luca yells back. "Please, my friends, you must trust me."

"Where is Jaron? He would not want us to cower in the tunnels, he would demand that we fight!" A Waster man yells from the crowd and I notice Luca's shoulders draw together.

"Jaron and Rowan are not here." His voice quavers ever so slightly. "But I promise you, if they were they would want us to leave. Now."

"And go where? This is our home! Wasters do not run!" Battle cries drown out Luca's protests and I exchange a look with Cade, who seems both concerned and pained.

"Your weapons are useless against them!" I hear myself shout. "They have gas, do you hear me? They will flood this camp and you will be dead before your fingers can grasp an arrow."

"Luca, do you believe the Miner's lies?" My eyes flick towards Snake and I fight to keep the angry blush from rising up my neck.

"She speaks the truth. These strangers are not Miners and they are on their way here with their gas and their cages. I heard them say so with my own ears." Luca forcefully rolls his shoulders back and stands up straighter. "The tunnels are our only hope. We must use them now so that we may live to fight another day."

"You heard him!" Cade strides confidently out of the crowd, heading towards the stairs. "We will go to the tunnels. Luca is our brother and if he says that this is the best path to take, then we must trust him."

Luca shoots Cade a grateful look as the older man steps up next to him. The room echoes with the sound of several low grumbles as the Wasters reluctantly sheath their weapons and begin moving forward. I keep my head ducked low as I scurry to the front of the group, trying to ignore the pointed glances in my direction.

Luca and Cade lead the retreat down the stairs. Several people light torches as we round the corner and climb down onto the old train tracks, the flickering flames illuminating the twisted barricade ahead of our group.

Grasping hands reach up from the crowd as people bodily tear away the sheets of metal and bags of sand that make up the barricade. Bit by bit the wall comes down as the Wasters pull the debris efficiently aside and push forward.

My tunic sticks to my back as I lift bag after bag of sand, both cursing and admiring the defensive structure. Most assuredly the thick, layered barricade stacked to the roof of the tunnel shows true ingenuity.

Finally, the last of the debris gives way and the great maw of the blackened tunnel gapes up at us. Even the torchlight seems reluctant to push forward as we stream into the darkness, revealing only the first few feet ahead.

My eyes are wide as I struggle to make out any shapes or points of light beyond. The ground beneath my feet is strangely rough and uneven; sharp, unfamiliar stones dig into the soles of my boots, the sound echoing madly off the walls around us. The audible shuffling of our steps contrasts uncomfortably with the silence I have come to expect from the Wasters and I shiver as the sweat cools against my back. This is unknown territory, even for them.

An ominous structure suddenly looms up in front of us and I start, digging my heels in abruptly and causing someone to collide into me from behind. The woman grunts in annoyance but I ignore her, staring up at the sight.

It's a train. Rusted and tarnished, but a train undoubtedly. The ancient structure lies slanted impassively on the tracks as if waiting for the next load of passengers to board.

Luca steps up to the door on the back of the train and pulls bodily on the handle. The door stays stuck fast, forever uncaring towards the predicaments of the humans who abandoned it beneath the earth more than two hundred years ago.