Jacob backtracked up the embankment. Returning to the top of the bridge, he stepped toward the lone steel beam that connected the two ends of the bridge together. His first notion was to crawl across it, but the steel shaft appeared wide enough to safely step across. 

Placing one foot in front of the other then, he held his arms parallel to the surface of the water. When he was sure of his footing, he started walking in tandem steps down the beam. At first, he swayed a little, but before long he got the hang of the task. He started to make good progress. 

When he was halfway across beam, something beneath him caught his attention. Instinctively, he directed his eyes away from the shaft to the rushing rivers below. Passing beneath him was the body of a young woman. Her hands were bound behind her back and a black bag was fixed firmly around her head. Her arms and legs were a deathly color of blue. 

Jacob gasped. In doing so, his foot slipped and down he went. He involuntarily shot his arms out in front of his body. Somehow he caught a hold of the steel beam, but his forearms scrapped mercilessly across its rough, rusty surface. Jacob cursed. Then, in one giant heave, he hoisted himself up and he crawled to a finish across the beam. 

On his feet again, Jacob ignored the throbbing sensation in his arms. Instead, his eyes searched for the body in the water. He caught sight of the girl as she disappeared around a bend in the river. Jacob pressed his lips into a dissatisfied frown. He then turned to look the other way. His eyes searched for signs of trouble upstream, but there was nothing unusual to be seen. And so, that was that. There was nothing he could do except carry on.

Jacob didn't mean to be callous, but life in the city had been a desensitizing process. Turn a corner one day, and he was likely to see a girl getting raped. Step out onto the street another day, and he was likely to find the body of someone who had died of hypothermia the night before. Because of these sights and sounds, the city had turned him into a survivalist. Surviving meant being selfish. It meant sticking your neck out for no one.

Having safely reached the other side of the river, Jacob proceeded to the spillway with half the energy he had started out with. Perhaps, the sight of the young girl had thrown him into a funk. Perhaps, he was just that malnourished and weak. Either way, he entered the rectangular tunnel with little hope or interest.

Once inside, his now shivering body stared ahead into a darkness in front of him. There was no light at the other end of the tunnel, so he couldn’t tell how far back it went. This gave him pause, because it was like staring into a ominious black hole. Jacob eventually managed to pull his attention away from the shadowy vortex. When he did, his gaze fell upon an odd discovery in the wall beside him. 

Resting in the cement, surrounded by a layer of red bricks, was a sturdy looking metal door. It appeared as if the hatch had been added to the wall, because the red bricks around it contrasted sharply with the gray cement. The door itself was about the size of a small hay bale. Two locks on its right side kept the chamber tightly shut. 

 

Jacob stepped forward and looked at each lock separately. They both required a four digit combination. Jacob’s mind immediately flashed to the image of the map and the numbers he had seen. He hadn’t intended to memorize them, but he was thankful he had.

0828.

0911.

The locks popped open. Jacob’s eyebrows raised in surprise. His breath caught in his throat. A feeling of wonderment spilled into his body. Reaching out with his hands, he grabbed the handle of the door and yanked it open. Water spilled forth from the opening. Inside, he could see there were black plastic sheets covering something large. Jacob stuck his hands into the wet, muddy chamber and retrieved the item.

Whatever it was, it was massive. When stood erect, it came to his shoulders. Lowering it to the ground, Jacob peeled away the plastic covering like a child ripping through his first Christmas present. Underneath the sheets was a hard black plastic case. Jacob undid several buckles along its side and opened the container. Inside, several other items covered in plastic sheets greeted him. Jacob tore through each. What he found was beyond his wildest dreams: hundreds of rounds of ammunition; five assault rifles; five pistols; manuals on how to clean and operate each; several MREs; a first aid kit; and a sealed envelope. 

Jacob knew that out of all of these precious items the envelope was the most important. He feverishly tore through the paper and removed the letter. Spreading it open with his dirty hands, his eyes widened in delight at the words he saw on the piece of parchment.

Gather others if you can, but protect yourself first and foremost. We will return to pick you up 90 days from the date listed on the next page. If we are suspicious, we will not return to retrieve you and this site will be abandoned. If all else fails, head South and eventually we will find you. 

Jacob flipped to the next page. A series of dates were listed on the paper that went as far back as two years ago. All the dates were crossed out except for the last one; which, by Jacob’s calculations, was two months old.

“In 30 days they’ll be back!” he whispered excitedly to himself. "30 days!"

Jacob could hardly believe his luck. Whatever strange, unseen force was guiding him through this ordeal, he trusted it without knowing it because everything touched by it seemed to glow. Raising the matte black M16 rifle into the air, he pointed it into the dark recess of the tunnel and shouted, “bang! bang!”

Proceed to Chapter 3