The Medusa Deception

Chapter 22

THE SUN ROSE over Lake Michigan, casting a warm glow over the city of Chicago. The sewer tunnels below lightened considerably, revealing even more filth and grime. Still, in the murky gloom, Ryan was optimistic; they'd made it through the night. His hopes rose with the sun.

He led his mom through the labyrinth of sewer tunnels until they heard the loud roar of commuter trains overhead. He handed the GPS tracker to her. "Wait here, Mom. I'm going to see how to get to the trains. I don't want the GPS unit anywhere near the opening until I'm ready."

"Please be careful, Son."

"I will. See you soon."

Making careful note of his route so he could find his way back, Ryan found an access ladder leading up to a grate where the train passed directly overhead.

According to the sign, he was under the green line of the Chicago Transit Authority at the 35 Bronzeville ITT Technical Institute station. The tracks didn't run at ground level in this part of town; they were elevated to the second story.

He needed to find a way to get the GPS beacon on a train. He could plant it on some unsuspecting passenger, but risking someone else's life didn't feel right. And what if the person changed their mind or missed the train? No, he should plant it himself.

Casually, he entered the train station and studied the schedule. The next train would arrive in five minutes, the one after that in fifteen. He'd try for that one. Memorizing his route and places to take cover, he headed back.

He started to descend the sewer ladder and stopped. With the GPS beacon safely out of transmission range and the recent recon of the premises, he felt secure enough to power on his cell phone. He was finally in an area with reception and had a few minutes before the next train.

A few steps down, he held his phone aloft while it retrieved messages. He didn't want to be seen, but wanted desperately to know if Mandy was OK.

A ping indicated the downloading had finished. He was surprised to find no messages or texts from Mandy. That was worrying. But there was an odd text from Professor Sebastian stating simply, "see attached." Ryan clicked the attachment and continued down the rungs. A video began to play.

Staring at him with fearful eyes was his old mentor and friend, Professor Sebastian. Blood oozed from a gash over his left eye. The video panned out. He was bound to a chair, appealing to his captors. "What do you want? Money? I can get you money."

A metallic beep preceded Ryan's own voice as the message he'd left for the professor started to play.

Ryan's knees buckled; he missed the last few rungs. Desperately, he clutched his phone, not able to tear his attention away despite landing hard on the sewer floor. The pain from the bumps and scrapes didn't compare to the pain in his heart. He watched in horror as the events unfolded, revealing the brutal interrogation of his mentor.

The professor's eyes widened. The questioning stopped. The barrel of a gun became visible at the bottom of the screen. Professor Sebastian became silent. Barely shaking his head, he noiselessly pleaded for his life, his glassy eyes devoid of hope.

The gun fired.

Ryan heard the recognizable pop of a silenced gun and saw a brief flash from the muzzle. Professor Sebastian's head recoiled then lolled to the side. A red dot appeared in the center of his forehead, oozing blood. The life of Professor Sebastian was forever snuffed from humanity.

"Nooo!" Ryan screamed. The roar of the train above masked his anguished cry.

His eyes filled with tears, but he couldn't look away. The video clip ended with a zoomed in close-up of the professor's unseeing eyes.