Claire clenched her hand on the gun, holding onto the wall with the other hand. She focused on her other senses.
She could smell the dampness in the air but also some chemicals. She could feel a slight draft coming from both directions, likely due to the ventilation. And humming noise of the distant ventilators. Normally, any of those sounds wouldn't be anyhow alarming, but now everything was.
She stepped through the dark corridor, her steps echoing regardless of how softly she placed her feet on the concrete. She tried to work out the cardinal directions without any possible clue under ground.
Claire tried to imagine the layout above and where North-East might be. She couldn't be certain but she trusted her knowledge and instincts as she started walking down the corridor.
She carried on walking for what seemed like an eternity seeing nothing beside an occasional shadow.
She froze when she was sure that she heard something. It was something in a distance. Far enough that she still had a chance to outrun it. At least if there was light.
Claire sucked her breath in when sudden streak of light blinded her. She lifted the gun and pointed it at the shadow. Her eyes took forever to adjust. She was sure that she will get shot before she could even see who was there.
She was resolute in what she was going to do next. In the only streak of light, a gun appeared pointed back at her. She could see a silhouette and dark shadow of the hair.
She was going to kill the person that took everything from her. He was going to finally pay for all that he did.
Her breath sped up from the adrenaline rush. One shot and one of them was dead.
The man moved and a hand appeared attached to the gun. A metal shone in the streak of light. Claire froze recognising it. Her hand shook as she lowered the gun.
"What are you doing here?" She asked in a whisper, anger sipping through her.
"I could ask you the same." Gabriel's voice didn't provide her with any solace as she realised that she was ready to shot him because of his vague similarity to his father.
Claire looked at the source of light, recognising it to be an open door to a room. She peeked in finding it to be completely empty with no visible cameras. She walked in and Gabriel followed.
"You shouldn't be here." Claire said still spoke in a whisper, making sure that the metal door was closed behind them. Gabriel scowled at her.
"YOU shouldn't be creeping through my father's company basement. Have you lost your mind?"
"How did you know?" Claire felt defeated.
"You called my mother using my phone and you didn't think I will clock onto something? And once you crept out of the apartment, making sure that you didn't awake me or that I followed, I was more than alarmed."
"How did you get in here?"
"I've spent my entire childhood in the building upstairs. I knew where the vents are. You?"
"I broke the window to the storage room."
"Why are you wearing a lab coat?" Gabriel furrowed his brows.
"There's logic in it but not now."
"You need to get the heck out of here."
"I am sorry but I don't think I can." Claire shook her head.
"Leave it to the people who are meant to deal with this."
"Like whom? You?"
"No. I have phone Agent Summers before I followed you. You asking my mother for a location of the bunkers was not a good sign. You should've told Agent Summers straight away."
"Shush." Claire placed her finger on Gabriel's lips. She was sure that momentarily she heard something in a distance. But as soon as Gabriel was as still as her, there was no sound again. Claire let out a breath after a few moments, readying herself to continue with her new found mission. To her demise, Gabriel followed in her suite. He didn't question her anymore. He didn't try to stop her. He walked behind her, holding onto the edge of the lab coat that she was wearing. There weren't many rooms there. Once they've reached the further room in the corner of the long corridor, Claire was almost certain that it was the right place. She opened the door and walked inside, she started crawling on the floor trying to feel for any irregularities in the floor. It seemed like hours have passed before Claire felt it under the thin rug. It was a little ridge under her fingertips.
With Gabriel's help she rolled up the rug and felt for the unlocking system. It was easier to detect it than she anticipated. She unlocked it and opened the hatch, looking around nervously. She looked down but only blackness was there. There was no sound coming from below. With her hand she felt the steps of a ladder, similar to before. She expected that the layout will be the same and that there is a shaft and maze of corridors below then.
Gabriel pushed her out of his way unexpectedly and he went down first. Claire wanted to punch him for that but it wasn't the right time or place to do so. Not while they've heard the footsteps in a distance. Claire hurriedly followed Gabriel down the ladder, closing the hatch behind her. She reached the bottom with Gabriel quickly finding her hand and wrapping his fingers around hers.
A sudden burst of laughter absolutely shattered her soul. She reached for a gun and pointed it in a direction where it came. She couldn't see anyone. But then there was more laughter from another direction, and then another. They were surrounded. A sudden force ripped the gun out of Claire's hand. Claire recoiled into Gabriel's side. He flinched. Claire expected that something similar might've happened to him.
The light were turned on, momentarily blinding them both.
They stood in the middle of the large room, just beside the ladder that they came down on. And they were surrounded.
Gabriel squeezed Claire's hand. He must've recognised the laughter as his face was fixated on its origin - Michael Moore. Michael sat on the wooden crate with a wide grin on his face. There were a good twenty people with him. They were armed, some more than others.
The ladder led directly to the bunker. There were no more corridors. There was nothing.
"Is it Anne Smith now?" Michael roared with laughter and his minions echoed it. "And you thought that it'll fly with me? Or… what was it?… Elise Cooper? Who came up with that stupid name?"
Gabriel tried to pull Claire behind him but even then there were too many people in the room for that to even remotely give him a chance to shield her. At the very least, he wanted to shield her from his father. For the very first time, Claire saw pure hatred on Gabriel's face.
"I guess those agencies have a bad streak with coming up with new names. Katherine Miller? That's just idiotic." Michael stood up and walked towards them. "And I assume that you came here with an intent of killing me? That's such a hypocritical thing to do. I thought you didn't like me killing people." Michael tilted his head then he signalled his men who grabbed Claire and Gabriel pulling them to the side. Claire didn't bother to fight but Gabriel thrashed around. "Let's say it this way, you will be praying to die soon enough." Michael said much more seriously and through his gritted teeth as Claire's hands were bound and she was tied to a pipe attached to the wall. It took five men to tie down Gabriel to the wall. Gabriel started swearing and cussing his father making absolutely no impression on him. Michael was clearly more interested and impressed by Claire. "I must admit, that spectacle a few months ago was very believable. Gabriel's tears seemed so real at your fake funeral." Michael sat back down on the crate as he looked at them. He lit up a cigarette and signalled his men again. The men smiled and took a swing, punching Claire and Gabriel on their abdomens. Claire regretted everything she has ever done, and especially that Gabriel was there. She hasn't spoken yet but after the fifth punch she finally uttered. "Let Gabriel go."
"Why?"
"Because he is your son. He doesn't deserve it."
"He was always disobedient and he needs to experience the consequences of his actions too. He should've learnt a long time ago to listen to his father." Michael looked at his son in a way that was the furthest from a loving parental look, from how Joseph and Leanne looked at Claire and even Gabriel now.
"It was my fault." Claire mumbled after yet another punch that felt as if it cracked her bottom rib. She winced against her will. "Let Gabriel go."
"That's so sweet." Michael shook his head and threw his cigarette on the floor, stepping on it. He walked up to Claire. "Does it mean that you are taking all the blame?"
"Yes." Claire said through her tears.
Michael turned to Gabriel next. "Do you agree with it?"
"No." Gabriel shook his head. He might've avoided having a broken rib but the latest punch landed very close to his shooting scar and a piercing pain shot through his body.
"I am going to give you an ultimatum." Michael spoke to Gabriel. Perhaps an ounce of parental love was still within him, or perhaps he wanted to create them more mental anguish. "You shoot her and you can walk free."
"No." Gabriel shook his head vividly.
"Gabriel, please." Claire begged him.
"Never." Gabriel resisted.
"Think about it. You have until morning until I change my mind." Michael decided.
His henchmen not only did the beating but slowly increased their torture which Michael seemed to take particular pleasure in, especially Claire's pain.
Claire wailed as they've pulled her first nail out which was a worse torture to Gabriel than if they've inflicted pain on him. He begged his father to spare Claire and that he were to take her place. But then it was his turn. They've heated metal rods and burnt marks onto his abdomen.
Every minute of it felt like hell, extending into an endless blur of excruciating anguish.