Chapter 16: Escape from Underground

I actually forgot how to get out from the tunnels, so Lily and I walked around for about twenty minutes before I finally found a tunnel going up towards the surface. When I arrived outside I was surprised at how cold it was. It was night now but it was not dark because all around me were blue and red flashing lights.

Eddie must have called the police.

Since it was rather dark, I had to touch and hold little Lily to make sure she was still with me. I hid the sack of gold behind some bushes and walked with Lily towards the flashing lights. On the road were about twenty police cars. The lights were on but they made little noise. The sirens were off. Standing all around the street were policemen and policewomen. I noticed also a bunch of people carrying cameras. They must have been journalists. A van appeared and a bunch of men wearing thick body armor walked out. Each of them carried a rifle. A tall man wearing a trench coat saw Lily and me walking on the road. He approached us.

"Where have you just been?" he asked.

"I was just down there," I said.

"Are you Keith?"

"Yes, that's me."

The man shook my hand. "My name's John Silencer. I'm in charge here. Can you tell me the situation down there? Give me as much information as possible."

"They're keeping teenagers imprisoned down there!"

John's eyes widened. "How many people do you think are down there?"

"I don't know... maybe seventy."

The man nodded to himself.

Lily's mother Nancy then appeared out of nowhere and John walked off.

"Lily! There you are!" Nancy grabbed Lily and hugged her even though Lily didn't hug back maybe because she was tired. "Do you know where Ella is?" asked Nancy.

Lily pointed behind her. "Ella is in there."

Nancy remained silent. She seemed to tense up more. I watched as the men with body armor and rifles started to climb down the tunnel I had just climbed out from. I thought about the weapons I saw down there. I hoped Mark and his friends would give themselves up peacefully if the police tried to arrest them.

Mark was sentenced to two years imprisonment. The judge was lenient given Mark's youth and clean history. Ella returned home to Nancy and Lily. Eddie and I managed to smuggle six gold bars out. We lost a few. Neither Eddie nor I told the police or our parents about the gold bars. With the money Eddie was able to afford more pornography. The pressure on me to find a job was no longer as great. I could focus more on doing what I enjoyed. I asked Nancy if I could babysit Lily and she said yes I could.

One month after Eddie, Lily, and I escaped from the underground tunnels, it was close to Christmas, and I was in my bedroom using my computer.