Chapter TwentyGripping the handle of the hatch, for one horrible moment thoughts of the entrance to the shelter flooded his mind. What if rust sealed it tight, just as it did the main door? Heart beating, he pulled. Something gave. A slight movement, a grinding of long unused mechanisms, wrenched from their slumber, screeching their annoyance. He pulled again, the heavy bolt creaked free and Ben cried out in triumph, put his shoulder against the hatch and pushed.
Slowly, unbelievably, the hatch door eased open and the light flooded in. The door swung right over and fell to the side with a clang. He wriggled through the opening and rolled over onto the coarse grass, gulping in the good, clean air.
From a distance came the sound of voices and he rolled onto his stomach, facing their direct
