24 Hours

Chapter 4.

The dust begins to settle around Atticus and looks around to find the part of the tunnel he had just come from; now blocked by what was the ceiling. Atticus looks back to where Joseph was trapped, gone!

"Jesus that was close!" Joseph says panting and then abruptly throws up.

Atticus moves to sit with Joseph and gets a bottle of water out of his rucksack. "Thought you were a goner." He hands him the water and holds his hand out "Atticus Hemming."

"Joseph Hale. What the fuck happened out there?"

Atticus looks down, "I don't know but I think it may have been a bomb."

"Joseph sound deflated, "terrorism?"

"Can't be sure." Atticus states. "Stupid question alert, but how's your leg?"

"It's not good, I'm no expert, but I can't see it being fixed. The main thing is to get out of here! Joseph attempts to stand, and the colour quickly leaves his face as the pain shoots through his entire body and he throws up again! 

Wiping his mouth, "I don't know I am going to get out of here!" 

He scours the area for a makeshift crutch, "Atticus, would you grab that pole as it's my only hope of getting out of here."

Atticus readies the torch on his phone and helps Joseph to his feet, "there's no point in going back, onwards. Grab hold of me as there must be another way out." 

At that moment the emergency lights suddenly illuminate the way forward. A doorway to the right has appeared... 

and it's ajar.

.........X........