4 Months Before It Happened, He Built a Secret Underground Shelter
Chapter 2
Daniel didn’t sleep that night.
He sat at his kitchen table until sunrise, staring at the photograph on his laptop.
October 17 had been four months away.
Now it was tomorrow.
His former supervisor, Martin Hayes, had called only once.
Daniel tried calling back.
The number was disconnected.
He tried again.
Nothing.
By morning, Daniel had made his decision.
He was bringing Sophie to the shelter.
He packed only what mattered.
Documents.
Medicine.
Clothes.
Food.
Water.
A battery-powered radio.
Two flashlights.
And the small photograph of Sophie and her mother.
Her mother had died three years earlier.
Sophie still kept her photograph beside her bed.
Daniel never left home without his own copy.
“Dad?”
Sophie stood in the hallway.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“Why?”
Daniel crouched beside her.
“Because something bad may happen.”
“What kind of bad?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Sophie looked frightened.
Daniel took her hand.
“I promise I’ll explain everything.”
They drove toward the woodland.
The entire journey was strangely quiet.
Traffic was lighter than usual.
Several gas stations were closed.
At one intersection, Daniel saw military vehicles moving in the opposite direction.
He slowed.
Sophie noticed.
“Are those soldiers?”
“Yes.”
“Why are they here?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
They reached the shelter before noon.
Daniel removed the camouflage covering.
A concealed steel door appeared beneath the earth.
Sophie stared.
“Dad…”
“Come on.”
He opened it.
They descended a narrow staircase.
At the bottom was an underground room that looked nothing like the outside world.
There were shelves filled with food.
Large water tanks.
Solar batteries.
A generator.
A medical station.
Sleeping areas.
A small kitchen.
And an old radio.
Sophie looked around.
“You built this?”
Daniel nodded.
“How long?”
“Almost four months.”
“You knew?”
Daniel looked at her.
“I suspected.”
Before Sophie could ask anything else, the radio crackled.
A voice came through.
“Emergency broadcast.”
Daniel immediately turned the volume up.
“All residents are advised to remain indoors.”
A pause.
Then:
“Do not approach government facilities.”
Another pause.
“Do not use public transportation.”
Sophie looked at her father.
“What is happening?”
Daniel listened.
The announcer’s voice became increasingly nervous.
“Authorities are investigating a major systems failure affecting multiple regions.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
Systems failure.
Exactly what he had discovered.
Then the broadcast cut out.
Silence.
Sophie whispered:
“Is this why you built the shelter?”
Daniel nodded.
“But I don’t think the system failure is the real problem.”
“What is?”
Daniel looked at the radio.
“I think someone caused it.”
Suddenly, a loud noise came from above.
Both froze.
Footsteps.
Someone was walking around outside.
Daniel turned off every light.
He motioned for Sophie to stay silent.
The footsteps stopped directly above the shelter.
Then came three knocks.
Daniel’s heart pounded.
Three slow knocks.
Someone knew they were there.
A voice called from outside.
“Daniel?”
He recognized it.
Martin.
Daniel rushed toward the door.
But before opening it, he stopped.
Because Martin whispered something that made Daniel’s blood run cold.
“Don’t open the door.”
