Disinterred

Chapter Three - The Tunnels

   The dogs bark a vicious growl as the three men approach the area.  McManus you first, then me, Lockhart your in the rear. Lets go.  Damn, it stinks down here!  This is wild.  Yeah, this tunnel system must be over hundred years old this is something else.  How can you tell detective?  Well, look at how old these beams are and you can tell by there markings that they were not cut with a circular saw blade.  

    These were cut with a hand held saw.  The one thing my father law and I have in common other than his daughter is our passion for history.  I wanted to be a teacher like him before I got into the racket of chasing human beings.  He was telling me earlier about the tunnels in this area and my wife mentioned it earlier at the hospital.  Holy shit what was that? (Loud banging)  Rats!! A lot of rats!  Just keep moving forward if you don't bother them they won't bother you McManus.

     There is the shoot room over there on the right.  Where? Up there about another 40 meters.  This is amazing.  Look at all these carts and we got some rail lines in here as well boss.  These tunnels must have been used to move various war materials back and forth during the war.  They probably run all the way to the coast.  

     They would have used it to bring materials up and send materials out.  I'm guessing that what the shoot system is for.  It would have been easier to get it out this way when the northern army was down here in the south burning everything.  It would have been sent straight down the tunnel to the foreign ships as payment for supplying the Confederate army.  Is this it Lockhart? This is it.  Ya'll stay sharp, check those corners!

     Look it's a door Detective.  Let's get through and see what is on the other side of it.  I can't it's locked.  Here let's see if we can get it open with this, shine the light on the lock there for me.  Hmmm.....damn this is a tough old lock!  What do you mean Stevens?  Well, look at it they don't make them like this anymore.  There is some tools over here in this corner let me see if I can get it open with this one.  Got it.  Help me push this open.  Shit, this is heavy.  Yeah, it looks like it is made of iron the same material they used on the first iron clad ships deployed during the American Civil War.  Come on push! It's almost open......dang!

     My God, what on earth is that smell.  It's (dogs whimpering) it's shit.  A lot of it.  You think the sewage tunnels from the city may be running out this way?  It's a good bet, but I don't know where the hell we are at this point because we took so many turns back there trying to keep up with the dogs. If I had to guess I would say we are heading further north at this point rather than south.  

     That seems about right McManus, I can't smell the salt from the ocean any more can you.  Know and it's not as damp as it was where we entered is it?   The dogs aren't gonna want to go any further you two.  They're not gonna want to swim through shit and to be honest I'm not looking forward to going through there either.  That shit looks like it could be waist high!  

     Hold on just a minute and shine the light over there in that corner for me.  What?  Yeah, it looks like four more tunnel entrances.  Damn, these could run the whole length of the town.  Well,  if they do that certainly explains where the sewage may be coming from.  So look, let's turn around and investigate some of these other tunnels where this guy might have gone because he didn't go down here it was locked from the outside until we opened it.   

     Detective?  What is it McMacnus? I wish I could stand here and tell you that I have as much hope, as well as enthusiasm as you do about catching this guy down here, but this place is huge.  We don't know how many miles these tunnels run or in which direction and the dogs have lost the scent.  We can try to pick it up again on the way back, but they're getting tired and so am I. 

     I understand officer, but this is the closest I've gotten to this sick fuck since this investigation began and I'm not going to forgo it all because it's uncomfortable down here and you're scared.  Now wait just a minute!  I never said anything about being scared!  All I am saying is.  Hey you two knock it off!  Arguing is not going to catch this guy.  You're right, Lockhart.  Look officer McManus I apologize.  It's just that I don't want to have to tell another family that their wife, sister, or their mother has fallen victim to this guy again and we have no leads. I'm tired of attending closed casket funerals.  

     Detective, he is just saying that we are going to need a lot more men down here, as well as some more dogs.  Okay, lets do this then.  We will head back out the way we came in and if the dogs pick up a scent we will follow it and if they are not eager to find it we will turn around.  Does that work? McManus? Lockhart?  Okay, but we can't push them to much harder and go to much further in these tunnels.

     Do you know where we are at?   I think we're almost to the area that forked off, the dogs lost the sent right around in this area. After this I don't think I will eat dinner for a week. Gonna burn this suit when I get home. You're telling me I think I will be using a public washing machine to try and get this stench out. What' that up ahead? Did you see that? I didn't see shit McManus. The dogs, they saw it too. They're going crazy. 

      I can't hold on to them, slow down boys! Heal! Heal!  Shit he knocked me over.  Aston!!!! Aston!!!! Came back boy!!!  McManus wait!!!  Shit!  Did you see which tunnel he went down Lockhart?  No!  Okay, you take the other dog with you back up to the surface and I'll go see if I can't locate McManus.  Go! Go now! I don't like this idea detective. 

     Immediately after Deputy Lockhart leaves there is intense yelling,  as well as screaming and hands reaching for help covered in blood,  the bloody faces of slaves trying to climb over each other.  The crowd is a mixture of old people, young people, as well as children crying for help in pure terror.  There are bodies everywhere hanging from hooks dripping blood into giant bowls all over the a large room with an alter.  There is a lot of noise and beautiful woman holding a knife crying over the body of a tall white man.