Chapter 6 - The Underground Exit
Derek did not waste a single second packing personal belongings.
He grabbed his standard-issue sidearm, a spare magazine, and a heavy tactical jacket from his locker.
He bypassed the main stairwell, knowing the military police would secure the lobby first.
Instead, he forced open the rusty maintenance grate in the floor of his private bathroom.
He dropped down into the dark, narrow ventilation shaft just as he heard heavy combat boots kick open his office door.
He crawled through the suffocating darkness for twenty minutes, guided only by the dim light of his cell phone.
He finally reached the subterranean maintenance tunnels that connected the command building to the motor pool.
He kicked the grate open and dropped onto the damp concrete floor, gasping for fresh air.
He knew he could not use his own vehicle, as the license plates were already flagged by base security.
He hotwired an old, unmarked civilian maintenance truck and slowly drove it toward the rear supply gate.
The young private guarding the gate looked exhausted and did not thoroughly check the cargo bed in the dark.
Derek held his breath as the heavy iron gates slowly rolled open, allowing him to slip quietly off the base.
He merged onto the rural highway, speeding toward the city limits while checking his rearview mirror obsessively.
He needed money, a new identity, and a secure flight out of the country before sunrise.
He pulled into a deserted gas station and used a payphone to call a criminal fixer he had used during his covert intelligence days.
"I need a clean passport and a charter flight to South America tonight," Derek told the gravelly voice on the other end of the line.
"That kind of rush job requires a massive premium, Colonel," the fixer replied greedily.
"I have classified missile defense codes on a secure drive," Derek offered, officially crossing the line into undeniable treason.
"Meet me at the abandoned shipping yard on Pier Four in exactly one hour," the fixer instructed.
Derek hung up the phone, feeling a grim sense of relief that he still had one final play left.
He climbed back into the stolen truck and turned the key in the ignition.
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The radio suddenly crackled to life, broadcasting a breaking emergency news alert.
"The Pentagon has just confirmed that Colonel Derek Maddox was killed in a tragic helicopter crash thirty minutes ago," the news anchor announced.
