Doug Carlton cautiously knocked on the door a third time. He had reluctantly sold the home five years ago as required per a divorce settlement, but he purposely decided to withhold a major secret from the buyers. Now it was time to cash-in on that secret.
Ever since the Rapture as everyone was calling it, his apartment complex had become a war zone. Break-ins were rampant, and violence was at an all time high. The fragmented police did their best to try to keep things under control, but that didn't help much when no one adhered to the rule of law anymore.
Doug waited patiently after the fourth knock, feeling even more confident that the new owners must have gone missing just like the billions of others. There was still no answer.
Doug looked up and down the street, making absolutely certain that nobody was watching. He swung his heavy backpack over his shoulder and crept over to the side gate of the house. He opened it carefully, and slipped into the backyard. If someone happened to look out a window or notice him sneaking around they would probably call the police and he'd be caught red handed.
Doug quietly walked across the grass towards the back entrance of his old place. He glanced up at the second floor balcony where he used to watch his wife preparing dinner while he got ready for work. At the time he was a detective for the Chicago South precinct, and had been working the night shift for as long as he could remember. His wife was a stay-at-home mom who ran her own business selling homemade crafts at a local boutique. They were the perfect couple, living the American dream. That dream ended abruptly when he got obsessed with a case he got wrapped up in which ended up causing him to be placed on extended probation.
What drove her to ultimately seek divorce was after he had spent every waking moment for nearly a year logged into Conquest, seeking the clues he needed to clear his name. She frequently told him that he looked like an absolute lunatic running around in the backyard while he was using the NeuReality implant, and then afterwards watching himself on the surveillance cameras for any strange behavior. Doug obviously couldn’t divulge to her the nature of the case, but in her mind he was making up excuses to play the game and had abandoned the family. The marriage fell apart, and she took custody of their two beautiful daughters.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
The divorce process was excruciatingly painful, and at times he felt as though he was going insane. He learned that people's feelings didn't matter anymore, and that life was about what you could take from everyone else. Everything he believed in, everything he thought he knew, and most importantly the very essence of humanity, was systematically destroyed. It was all replaced by a bleak world filled with malice and hate, and the only thing left worth fighting for was his freedom and the pursuit of his own happiness.
Looking around again to ensure he hadn’t been seen, he crossed the yard towards a decorative bench in a small rock garden and a few trees. Immediately behind the bench he brushed aside a few stray rocks to reveal a manhole cover with the word “Sewer” standing out in bold letters. He pulled a special key out of his pocket, and inserted it into the hole in the center. With an audible click, the hatch released and he pulled it open. Instead of a putrid odor as one might have expected, he was greeted by a tunnel with a set of rungs leading down into the ground. Doug pulled out his flashlight and dropped his backpack inside, letting it fall the 15 feet to the floor. He slipped through the entrance, making sure to pull the disguised manhole cover closed and latching it. He descended slowly until he reached the bottom where he retrieved his backpack. Before him was a thick steel door. He inserted the key into the lock and turned it. After a loud clicking sound, the door slid open effortlessly. A soft blue glow illuminated the room beyond.
Doug stepped through the doorway and immediately felt an odd sense of comfort. This is where he belonged, and this is where he was finally safe. He paused momentarily before proceeding further, taking in a deep breath of pure oxygen while admiring the beauty of the dark chamber. It had been nearly ten years since he first buried the shell of his bunker. His wife at the time insisted he was overreacting to the news reports, and that the government would take care of everything. She laughed in his face, and said that he was becoming paranoid.
I’m glad I ignored her now!
He walked over to a large metal box sitting next to a wall, and pressed his hand against its surface. The room illuminated immediately and an electronic interface appeared in front of him, greeting his presence.
Welcome home, Doug Carlton.
----------------------------------------
© Copyright 2022 R.M. Mulder. All rights reserved.