Chapter 56 - The Tunnels of Paris
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The heavy blast doors slammed shut behind us, cutting off the sounds of Julian's final, violent stand in the central chamber. Ben and I were alone in the dark, damp maintenance tunnels beneath the Louvre, breathing heavily.
"He saved us," I whispered, leaning against the cold stone wall in absolute disbelief. Julian Ross, the man who had tormented my family, had just sacrificed his life to ensure our escape.
"He didn't do it for us, Lydia. He did it out of spite," Ben replied, checking the dead-man switch on his explosive vest to ensure the safety pin was secure. "He couldn't stand the thought of being a servant to the Spheres. Come on, we need to move before they manually override these doors."
We navigated the labyrinthine catacombs using a small, chemical glow stick Ben had stored in his pocket. The air grew colder and more stagnant the deeper we went.
"The C4, Ben," I said as we walked. "We didn't detonate it in the chamber."
"I know," Ben nodded grimly. "If I had triggered it, we would have been vaporized along with them. But the mission isn't a failure. We exposed the Council, we destroyed their Elite guard, and we know they bleed just like anyone else."
"It's not enough," I muttered, anger replacing the adrenaline in my veins. "As long as the Council lives, Clara is a target. They will just rebuild. They will send more assassins."
We reached a heavy iron grate that opened up into a massive, subterranean storm drain. The roaring sound of rushing water echoed through the tunnel.
"This should lead out to the Seine River," Ben said, prying the rusted grate open with his bare hands.
As we stepped out onto the narrow concrete walkway beside the rushing water, my encrypted satellite phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket. The EMP hadn't fried it; it was housed in a specialized faraday pouch.
I pulled it out. The caller ID was unknown.
I answered it, holding the phone to my ear. "Who is this?"
"You played a very dangerous game tonight, Lydia," the synthesized, chilling voice of the Council leader echoed through the receiver.
May you like
My blood froze. "How are you calling me? You're trapped in the chamber."
"We are not in the chamber, Lydia," the voice mocked. "We were never in the chamber. Did you truly believe the absolute rulers of the Seven Spheres would risk their physical lives in a room with you?"
