The Bunker

Chapter Three: Confidential Agreements

The museum was rather packed for a weekday. Small hoards of school children bustled past the girls as they made their way to the desk for the donation. Although Claire had been here plenty of times before, she loved seeing the looks on people's faces whom you could tell were here for the first time. Little smiles, eyes struck with awe and wonder. Their first look at the dinosaur who's head pops out into the stairwell, the shock that they could see how much their weigh on other planets. Pure and utter enjoyment that had all to do with learning and science.

Nevah handled the woman at the desk who was taking her generous donation. Her father was a wealthy New York lawyer, he spoiled Nevah as she was his only child. That could also be what fueled her ever growing closet. "I'm a Martyr." Nevah smiled, appearing next to Claire who was waiting near the stairwell, the fashionista's perfect pearly whites gleaming back at her friend.

"You're a spoiled brat. But thank you, money goes to good use here." Claire smiled, adjusting the position of her bag that hung on her shoulder. The girls made their way down to the space exhibit, politely passing groups of kids, couples, and families all of whom were pointing out the star system.

"Ya know Cee, I'm smelling an A." Nevah enjoyed calling Claire, Cee. At first she hated it, but after a while it grew on her, as her own father would call her Ceecee. When Claire was young her mother died having a tumor surgically removed from her brain, leaving her father to care for her and her older brother. It was her mother's death that started her love of medicine and her fuel to become a surgeon. More than that, she wanted to be a brain surgeon. Claire's mind began to wander as they made their way through the exhibit. 

Back in the lobby Lucas was nestled comfortably in a bench with his sketchpad in hand, until a man made his way toward Lucas from the corner near the stairwell. With a light tan to his skin and styled black hair, Sean stood about four inches taller than Lucas. "How ya doin?" In light jeans and a khaki colored hoodie, he grinned watching girls walk past, not looking Lucas's way. Sean liked to flirt, but he hadn't been in a real relationship in years.

"Hey." Lucas tried to pull back his friend's attention.

Lucas shifted his bag on his shoulder before getting to his feet, "What's the word?"

"What's the word?" Sean finally turned his attention to Lucas, "Hummingbird?"

"Ok," Lucas smirked, "What's up?"

"Oh! I can understand that," Sean stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Work. Lot's of it."

Lucas rolled his eyes playfully, "What is it?"

Sean's expression changed, his fun expression became serious, "Follow me. So Kept is meeting us in the basement with the other workers. You know them all from last time, only one newbie. Hank still coughs like a eighty year old chain smoker, Lance still bitches about everything, Don has a new girlfriend again, and Clark is the newbie. Nice kid, goes to grad school. We only have him on weekends and days he is off from classes." Sean rattled on as they walked, snaking through people on the stairs before hitting the floor with the Space Exhibit. "We gotta go down one more level, not open to the public. It's technically the basement, but much nicer than a storage place." Walking past the guard and down a darker hall way that lead to a new stairwell, Sean seemed to quiet down to more of a whisper. "Now I gotta tell you something. There's something down here, something they've been keeping a secret since we all had to sign waivers to come down. Kept will have you sign one."

Lucas grew confused as Sean's fun nature turned serious. "Don't sound so serious."

Sean locked eyes with him, without words Lucas understood. "This isn't a joke. This is real." The man wasn't lying, as they walked the steps downward and came to the basement, there was already two men guarding the bottom of the steps. Sean had to show a badge to get passed them, they didn't seem to bat an eye at Lucas though, which made him feel a bit weird. Past them they took a couple turns and that is where Lucas saw it. A large thick metal door was propped open at an angle with two men standing, hands folded, in front of it. Both glared toward the two as they made their way further down the hall.

"Is that..." Lucas whispered once they were out of sight.

"A bunker, yeah. We've been working here for about three weeks now. Installing some pipes, filters, and more walls. That's why Don is here this time, he's been welding. It's pretty much done, we've been doing some loose ends inside." Sean lead Lucas around a corner where he nodded toward a group of men picking up some bags of concrete. The one that stopped and walked over to meet them was tall, his cheek bones high and blue eyes wide awake. 

"Luke, how have you been?" Keptler was a good guy who was very charismatic, everyone called him Kept for short. The stance he had in front of them was welcoming, but it was clear he was there for work. There was a serious tone to his usual light hearted voice.

"I'm good. Thanks for the work. I need it." Lucas shook Kept's large hand and listened as he broke down the day to the guys that gathered around.

"Currently I've got Clark doing a favor for the museum and getting to some repairs on the Space Exhibit floor, Lucas I'd like you to help him. The rest of the us will be down here, finishing up the Base Floor of the..." Kept stopped himself, "Lucas. Look, this is real work, pays good. I now you're not that experienced, but you always work hard for me. You gotta read this over before I let you know what the real job is." 

Lucas took the packet from him, looking down at the cover page. 

Confidential. 
Worker's Agreement.

After about ten minutes of glancing he learned that the working most of them were doing was indeed for an actual, functioning, bunker. The  bunker was suppose to be used for Government Officials if there was ever a need for it. There were so many lines to sign Lucas felt he was signing his life away. It did seem concerning, but he needed the money. So he scribbled everywhere there was an X, handing the packet back to Kept.

"Now what." Lucas looked up at Kept, who was signing a couple spots he needed to on the packet was well.

"Lucas I need you to understand something. Like Sean, you skimmed this. But there's more." Lucas crossed his arms, realizing that Keptner was lowering his voice, "I needed one more man. I'm allowed six, not including myself."

"Allowed?" Lucas shrugged, "What do you mean?"