Adam leads us into the underground tunnels, and through its many dimly lit hallways. The rooms we pass are all empty, unlike the first few rooms that contained some furniture. How silent the halls are, frightens me the most.
"Have you been through these halls before?" I ask Adam as we are walking through a narrow hallway. I'm reminded of his story, how the other Inspectors were killed in a narrow hallway such as this one. Adam freezes in his tracks, causing me to smack into him from behind. Lucy crashes into my back, causing her to make a noise of surprise.
Adam seems to be staring straight ahead, at the wall in front of us. We are not at a dead-end, because I can tell that there is another hallway around this corner. A laugh sounds from in front of me, and it's coming from Adam. He whips around to face me, a happy expression on his face.
"I have been through these halls before," he says, barely able to contain his grin. He points at the floor below me."Look at the floor."
When I look at the floor, I see blood stains. A feeling of dread creeps through me. This must be where the other Inspectors died, their blood staining the floor.
"The other Inspectors died here," I say, realizing that this is what must have happened. I look at Adam. He doesn't even look sad. There is a smile on his face. How could he be smiling right now?
"The other Inspectors did die from knife wounds. The knives that killed them didn't come from the wall or anything. The knives came from me. I had two of them when I killed them," Adam explains. I start backing away from him, and I look back to see Lucy doing the same thing."You see, most of us waited in this hall while Michael decided to explore the hall around this corner. After a few minutes, he came back and informed us that he found the exit from the Network. He said he opened a door that opened up to a elevator. He said he used the elevator to head to the surface, and how the surface lead to what was outside the Network's walls. He said he made the elevator go back down into the tunnels, then he returned back to us in the hallway. I had two knives with me, which I brought because I was afraid we would encounter something deadly. I killed Michael first, and then did the same to the other Inspectors. The next day, I used the elevator to get back to the surface. At the surface, there are horrible things that I'd rather not face. I already sabotaged the elevator, that way no one can leave by using it," Adam informs us.
"So you killed the other Inspectors, just so you could prevent any of us from leaving?!" I ask, enraged."I'm pretty sure the rest of us want to be free from this prison! However messed up the outside world is, we'll endure it."
"We'll get through everything, together," Lucy tells Adam, hoping to convince him to allow the rest of us to escape."Just let everyone be free, Adam."
Adam pulls out his pistol, probably planning on killing us. He aims it at my head, grinning. A dart sails over my head, then plunges into Adam's neck. Adam's eyes roll in the back of his head, then he collapses to the floor.
I turn and see Ricky, standing at the end of the hall. He's holding a tranquilizer gun in his hands. Lebron stands behind him, a shocked expression on his face.
"We heard everything Adam just said," Ricky says, walking towards us. Lebron follows him."So Adam killed the other Inspectors, huh? Good thing I came with this tranquilizer."
"Should we just kill him now?" Lucy asks. She picks up Adam's fallen pistol, gripping it in her hand."He's dangerous to keep around."
Mason, Jack, and Kyle walk into the hallway. Disappointed, Mason shakes his head as he strides towards us.
"I can't believe Adam killed the other Inspectors," Mason says, sadness evident in his voice."He did that, just to keep everyone locked up here forever. What a fool. Jack, help me carry Adam back to the others who are waiting for us. He's coming with us, then we'll figure out what to do with him after our escape."
"Sir, are you sure about taking him with us?" Kyle asks Mason, looking worried."I don't think we should do that."
"Are you disrespecting me, Kyle?" Mason asks him, then sneers."Now isn't the time for disagreeing with me. Get your ass to the others right now. Tell them it's time to escape. Make sure everyone gets a gun, then waits for us inside the armory."
"Yes, sir," Kyle says, then sprints out of the hall.
Jack and Mason both pick Adam up. Ricky aims his tranquilizer gun at Adam's body, ready to blast him with another dart. Lucy stays close to me as all of us start moving in the direction Kyle went. We spend thirty minutes inside the tunnels before we head through its exit. Occasionally, Jack and Mason had to take a short break after carrying Adam.
The halls are silent when we arrive at the first floor of the Network. Kyle must have taken everyone to the armory, just like Mason ordered him to. Clearly, all of us will use the catapult to take us over the walls outside. We should land somewhere beyond the walls, like West did.
There are dozens of boys blocking the hall to the armory. Some of the boys are inside the large room, laughing as they brandish weapons. The boys in the hallway start making a path for us once, granting us access to the armory.
Before Mason can head into the armory, one of the boys purposely blocks his path.
"Sir, I don't know if you remember me, but I came here last year. I wasn't here when West was exiled, so I have a question," the boy begins. He looks like he is fifteen years old, one year younger than me."The catapult is huge, right? Big enough to hold ten people at once?"
I know why this boy is asking this question. There are one hundred of us. If the catapult can only launch one person at a time, then it will take over an hour for everyone to be beyond the walls. If we at least ten of us are sent over the walls at the same time, then we could use teamwork to defend ourselves from whatever killed West.
"The catapult should contain around fifteen people at a time," Mason explains. The boy moves aside, satisfied with Mason's answer. Mason backs into the room, since he's still helping carry Adam and facing in Jack's direction.
When Mason, Jack, and Adam are inside the crowded armory, me, Ricky, Lebron, and Lucy head into the room. Mason and Jack lower Adam to the ground, letting Adam's friends surround him. Mason walks over to a curtain, then tears it from the wall. The large door-that possibly leads to outside-is exposed.
"I advise for everyone to take a gun!" Mason shouts. Kyle walks up to him, handing him a Submachine gun."Thanks, Kyle. My fellow Network residents, whatever killed West is beyond those walls. We don't know what exactly is out there, but just know that it's hostile and must be destroyed. I can't promise you that all of us will survive. However, I do know that we must try our best to succeed. With that being said, it's time to leave this prison forever! We will find out why we were put here, and will get our memories back! Now, let's make it happen!"
Mostly everyone cheers, while some of us begin taking weapons from the glass containers. Ricky hands me a pistol, then watches as Mason opens the large door.
"Everyone, follow me!" Mason shouts, rushing through the open doorway.
It's time to leave the Network.
YOU ARE READING
The Network Inspector
Science FictionA teenage boy wakes up in a building unfamiliar to him. His memory is gone, and he finds himself trapped with ninety-eight other teenage boys. None of them know their way out of the prison-like building known as the Network, but all of that will cha...
