Free Crude Sunlight 1 by Phil Tucker Page B

Don't be a chicken shit." Eric didn't seem to consider Jimmy's suggestion worth considering; he was already picking his way toward a third tunnel he'd discovered in the left wall. "Listen, if you want, you can stay here and we'll pick you up on our way out." There was something malicious in Eric's tone, mild and slightly mocking.
    "No, I mean, okay, I'll come." Jimmy glumly picked his way after Eric, frowning and staring morosely at the tunnel before them. "This place freaks me out, is all."
    "Okay, this should lead us out under Building Four. That's the huge one that's all barred up on the west side, right? So if we follow this, we should be able to get in there, and we should be set."
    "Yeah, okay, Eric," said Julia. She didn't seem to be enjoying herself any longer, but rather simply determined to see this through. "Let's just get going, yeah?"
    Eric turned and shot her a strange look, his eyes glittering in the peripheral radiance of their flashlights, and then stepped into the tunnel. It was wider, had more pipes, and they scrambled and walked quickly along its length, Henry pausing occasionally to take more photographs. After a couple of minutes a handful of the larger pipes plunged into a cement wall, while the others continued along a now-much-smaller tunnel. Muttering, Henry turned sideways and began to follow the others, squeezing their way along until it opened up once more into a long chamber the end of which disappeared off into the darkness.
    "Okay, we should be here." Eric turned to the group, face pensive as he gazed about. The room was large enough to cause his voice to echo slightly. "All we need to do now is find a door or something that'll lead us up. Let's look around."
    This room was empty but for the pipes, which frayed and split like the strands at the end of an old knotted rope, each going into their own recess or nook. Henry and Julia walked along one wall, flashlight beams dancing before them, and then ducked behind a corner and the camera skewed off, wavering and pointing at the floor as the sound of their breathing mingled and they held each other. After a few moments Eric's voice called out from the distance and they stepped apart. Henry raised the camera and trained it on her face, and Thomas saw Julia's face heated with desire, her eyes heavy lidded and lips parted in an amused smile that curled into mock annoyance as she batted the camera aside and stepped in again for another kiss.
    Thomas pressed Pause and rose to his feet. He stood irresolute for a moment, and then moved to the kitchen where he refilled the glass of juice. He raised the glass to his lips, and then set it down before he could take a sip. Where was Henry? Was he alive? Was he out there in Buffalo somewhere, or what? What had happened? Thomas felt a pang, a physical sensation in his chest as he stared down at his glass, and a feeling of utter guilt arose within him. God , he thought, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes.
    After a few moments he lowered his hand and looked back at the frozen image on the television screen. Later was better than never. He could still act, could still move and take control of the situation. Turn things around and stop hiding at work. A sense of grim determination filled him. He could track Henry down. He could salvage his relationship with Michelle. He could take control, face all the uncomfortable truths and realities. All he had to do was start.
    Walking back to the couch, he sat down and pressed Play. The sound of heavy breathing and desire filled his apartment, and then Eric called out once more and Julia pulled away and Henry followed after, trailing her through the darkness and murk to where Eric stood in one corner with the clearly unhappy Jimmy. They were staring down a stairwell that circled down into the depths.
    "Hey, look at this. Where do you guys think it goes?" Eric's excitement seemed to have prevented him from noticing anything amiss; his eyes were lit up, his