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Chapter 51

Richard felt his blood pressure rise when he arrived at the entrance to The Trench. He wasn't going in a prisoner but it still made him nervous.

The Burro had stopped in front of an oversized metal man door - the only break in an otherwise solid concrete wall. It was flanked by two men in combat gear – both held very large guns. Standing between them was Officer Nick Miller - the man assigned as his Guide.

In one hand was a pistol, the other he extended as Richard approached. He was the nephew of Commander Gorman and bore an uncanny resemblance. They shared the same height and stature.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Dr. Sobel," Nick said with a grin as they shook hands.

"Likewise," said Richard. "I never met your Uncle but I've been told he was a solid guy."

"I won't disagree." Nick turned toward the door and pulled a long plastic rectangle from his pocket. He inserted this into a slot beneath a silver screen then moved his face in front of it. The screen blinked and the door swung open.

Neither of the guards moved a muscle.

On the other side was a small blue room with another door. Nick approached a panel beside it, holstered his gun and pressed his thumb against the surface. A keypad appeared – he punched in a long numeric code.

"We'll have to wait a couple minutes," he said and leaned against the wall. "Control has to process both of my entry keys. Then they'll do a full scan of us both." The walls began to blink when he said this. "Everything combined takes the guesswork out of true identity for me, about ninety percent for you."

Richard looked around as the flashes continued. "I've been through something similar at Security Headquarters."

"A lot changed after your visit here - quite a bit more precaution. Especially at staff entrances like this one."

A buzz sounded, followed by a hiss and the door began to slide open. Nick marched through, Richard followed.

This led them into a huge courtyard. It was well maintained, with green patches of grass, a handful of trees, flower boxes and brick walking paths. There was no roof but the opening was covered in a thick steel mesh.

A short hike along a path to the right led them toward an enormous metal door. Even from a distance it was easy to tell the height and width would dwarf both men.

Construction was going on everywhere. Cranes moved slabs of concrete through the air to groups who secured them to large pillars. These ran the lengths of existing walls. The goal was greater fortification. Miller explained that the whole facility was getting an upgrade due to the missile impact that allowed for Richards kidnapping.

He stopped beside a brick pedestal and placed his hand on a blank steel panel. It glowed white for a moment then faded.

A brief alarm sounded, then a thump and the huge door began to open. It ran on tracks and looked to be ten feet thick. Movement was slow. As soon as there was enough room to pop around the edge Miller ushered Richard through.

Behind the door stood a green hallway with nothing but an elevator at the far end. The walk to it was long and not a word passed between them. Just before they arrived the doors opened. Miller walked in without slowing, inserted a key card into a slot on the wall and waited. This went on for a few minutes. Then a chime sounded, the doors closed and they began to descend.

"You know, this sort of access is unheard of," he said as the room whirred around them.

"It's an unusual situation," Richard replied. "How many inmates are housed below ground?"