Page 20 of Urban Justice
That part, Luke was certain. “We need to head south for now or left if you prefer.” He didn’t wait for her to start walking and took the lead. The smell was rancid but not overpowering, which told him that the ventilation wasn’t that bad for now. After a while, he was relieved to reach the main tunnel and could finally straighten. “If we go to our right, the path leads outside to a busy street, so I guess it’s not a good option to explore.”
Sloane nodded, her light already on the left. “So we check out the other way.” As echoes reverberated around them, she lowered her voice. “Whoa, didn’t know sound carried so loudly down here.”
“And far, too. Try to keep your voice low and flat. Echoes can distract us from other sounds. Our ears are pretty much all we can count on for the moment.”
“Ever used night goggles during an exploration?”
“The trick is to carry as little equipment as possible, both for stealth and accessibility. Yes, night goggles would be nice, but they’re cumbersome, and they’d have to take the place of other more useful, or even vital, equipment.”
Sloane didn’t have a smart come back on that one, and Luke felt a shift in her. It wasn’t as if she was nervous, but rather alert. He only had a glimpse of her face as they continued walking, and it was enough to see that even if she was a rookie, she wasn’t skittish or scared, the total opposite of anybody doing urbex for the first time. Not only that, but it was how she walked and moved. Silent and careful, despite the uneven terrain and inconsistent lighting.
It was a definite first for Luke, and it raised more questions he wasn’t sure he could ask. He had checked her story out, and it was a fact a Sloane Friday had worked for the Toronto Police. However, what she’d done there, her track record, remained a mystery. He couldn’t find any commendations, reprimands, nothing that would make her stand out in any way. It almost seemed fake, although it wasn’t, not after making a few calls and talking to her former captain. The man had remained vague, but again, not that unusual in such a line of work.
They walked for a long while in companionable silence, as they explored the section, finding various objects including a discarded knife. It was a refreshing change to have someone by his side who could handle herself and didn’t have to be reassured every five minutes.
“Is that smoke?”
Her whisper was way closer than he’d anticipated. But his nose brought him to a more urgent matter at hand. “There’s an entry point at the next crossing. It could be coming from there.”
“There’s more litter and trash here, and don’t forget that knife.”
“It was rusted, Sloane. If they took that route, it was before we were born.”
Sloane snorted. “There is not much trash in here so how do we find signs of a particular tunnel being used by them?”
Luke had no idea either. So many people could find a way down here and leave traces that could mess with their search. Sloane bypassed him and went forward. He didn’t mind, sometimes you had to see for yourself and the woman was careful.
Contrary to Eddie, she’d dressed for the task in military-style sturdy work boots and didn’t notice when she stepped in something unmentionable.
The tunnel led them right, and the general smell was one of humidity, but with a strong undertone of metal and mud. There was more air in here, meaning there must be a vent nearby, if not another entrance allowing air to flow in.
“This is fun. Is there another intersection coming up?”
Luke grinned and was about to answer when a loud metallic thump resonated through their concrete surroundings. Sloane stopped and checked around with her flashlight before looking at him. It could be anything, so he gestured to Sloane to turn off her light and he lowered his beam to keep a sense of their surroundings without broadcasting their presence.
Casting the beam low, Luke flashed it about six feet in front of Sloane, who remained ahead of him. After silently telling him that she’d keep going, he saw her remove her gun from under her coat. He had one in the small of his back, and he hitched his clothing to make sure he could react quickly if needed. His instincts roared at him to pull her back to a safer position behind him, but he was certain Sloane would kick him in the balls if he did, and after all, she was supposed to be capable of handling herself.
The two of them advanced as silently as possible, and if Luke was right, they’d soon arrive at an exit at the end of the tunnel.
They didn’t hear any further noise until they saw a ray of light beckoning them twenty feet over. It was streaming from above, indicating the end of the passage. Sloane lowered her gun and relaxed. “If the sound came from in here, it came from another location, or the person is long gone. Agreed?”
Luke was about to suggest returning to the intersection when a shadow moved to their right.
“Could you two shut the hell up?”
Everything happened so fast Luke didn’t have a chance to react. Sloane reacted and was about to fire at the raspy male voice. When the light flashed over the form Luke shouted a warning. “Stop! Stand down.”
Despite having been a second from being shot in the head, the homeless man didn’t blink and grumbled some more. “Get out of here! I’m trying to sleep, you morons.”
One look at Sloane told Luke that he hadn’t been the only one whose heart almost burst out of his chest due to adrenaline overdose. However, her gun was no longer in sight, meaning that the hobo would live another day. It was difficult to tell if Luke had seen him before. Vagrants and homeless people, even runaways, were a common occurrence here. Usually, they were way more visible, often having lights and candles in the area they occupied or lived in. During his explorations, he seldom interacted with them, used to seeing them as external to what he was doing, as silent witnesses. That realization gave him an idea.
“Hey, sorry to bother you. I’m Luke.”
He offered his hand, but the old man frowned. In the more intense light, it was clear that the poor soul wasn’t young and hadn’t seen a shower in a long time. His beard should’ve been gray but was a filthy brown. His skin was like worn leather, but under the dark, knitted cap were a pair of sharp and aware onyx colored eyes.
Luke took back his hand. “I don’t want to bother you. I just need information.”
The man huffed. “And I want peace, boy.” He peeked at Sloane and frowned even more. “So you and your lady friend need to leave. A woman has no business coming down here.”