Gabe used the side of the wall to descend the stairs. The wall had already given him several splinters, but he swore it was starting to get smoother the more time he spent on the stairs. He stumbled a bit and had to resist the urge to reach the back of Jace’s shirt. He was sure that Jace had navigated the passageway enough times to land a punch, even in the dark.

Listening to his heartbeat was the only way Gabe could stay sane. He wasn’t sure how long had passed; he was guessing about twenty minutes. The wear of the last two days was getting to him. If they didn’t reach the light soon, he might collapse on the stairs. Gabe imagined Jace and the shopkeeper carrying him the rest of the way and moved his hand to his mouth to stop a laugh from breaking the silence. .

One thousand heartbeats later, Gabe started to see the outline of his hand. A sliver of light was coming into view, from underneath a door. The entrance to the “resistance.” Gabe wondered what they actually called themselves. More importantly, he asked himself, what were they going to do with him? He was only a computer programmer... a mediocre one at that.

Since he had been walking on stairs for what seemed like half an hour, Gabe was shocked when his foot did not find another stair. Instead, he stomped his foot so hard into the ground he stumbled forward and almost fell into Jace. His huge outline stood still, unfazed by the darkness or Gabe’s ineptitude. A red light scanned the shopkeeper’s body and the door swung open, revealing the bunker.

Gabe’s eyes took a second to adjust as he stepped into the light. What was revealed before him looked less like a hideout and more like a city. There was one, long road that stretched to a building that resembled the Lincoln Monument back in his hometown. People were walking down the street in all stages of dress, wearing clothes Gabe had never seen before. Women were wearing their real hair, no one had wigs, and there was so much color Gabe felt the need to squint. He stood there with an open mouth and turned to Jace, who looked more at peace than he had been the entire journey.

“Wow,” Gabe exclaimed, hoping Jace would take the bait.

“Come on, we have to get you to headquarters first,” Jace said. The shopkeeper waved goodbye and the two men headed on their way.

The people in the city did not pay Gabe much notice. They were busy with their days, probably working hard to keep this place alive. Gabe was surprised they weren’t all as intimidating as Selima and Jace. He calmed down once he realized he would not have to be a warrior for the cause. Surely, he could live out his days without being bothered.

Gabe picked up his pace and took in the sights of his future home. The light, though they were several feet underground, felt suspiciously like sunlight against his skin. Modern shops and cafes dotted the street, which also had amenities like a laundromat and post office. Gabe didn’t see any apartment complexes on the street, which to him meant the underground must stretch further beyond this strip.

“Hey, Jace, how long have you been here?”

“About eight years.”

Gabe was shocked he got an answer. Encouraged, he continued.

“This place is so awesome, I mean, how did they build all this?”

“Not sure. Selima’s been here since the beginning.”

“Maybe I’ll ask her when she gets back. It’s just incredible no one’s found them!”

“Trust me, they aren’t looking here.”

“Why not?”

Jace nodded towards the building at the end of the road and started walking faster. Gabe had to jog to catch up to his pace. So much for talking, he thought.

“Once we get there and get you set up, we’ll tell you all about it,” Jace called from ahead.

Despite him being generally unpleasant, seeing Jace at ease made Gabe feel warmer towards him - even he had people he loved. Before Gabe could finish his train of thought, the large, imposing columns were directly ahead of him. The two of them looked at each other and ascended the steps together. Gabe could barely move but he kept pushing forward.

Behind the columns was a large, open space that reminded Gabe of a grocery store. It wasn’t that there was food laid out to buy, but people seemed to be running errands here nonetheless. Vendors had small tables set up around the rectangular area closed-in by the columns. This town got bigger the more Gabe found out about it.

At the back of the building was a solid structure that looked like it housed something important. Gabe had a feeling they were about to head towards it. There was something inscribed on the top of the door but the letters were ancient and he couldn’t make them out.

“That’s where you’re headed.”

“You’re not coming with?”

“I’ve got some business to take care of in town, then I’ll wait for my next mission.”

“So will I see you again?”

“With my luck, probably.”

Jace waved goodbye and left Gabe standing alone in the middle of the market. He was a little stunned, but there was no choice but to keep moving. He walked up to the door and knocked three times, but there was no answer. Feeling confident for the first time today, he pushed open the door. He was about to find out what his life would look like until he died. He wasn’t the least bit nervous.