by Ma West
A whisper into the wheelbarrow man’s ear dashed Drexter’s hopes and prayers. “Sorry, T, can’t be riskin’ psycho there getting out. Soldier boy and his little girlfriends will just have to figure it out themselves. Besides, what good is knowledge of weapons you don’t have?” Then the wheelbarrow man turned around and resumed issuing fortification orders.
The pitch and intensity of the noise varied and changed, but nothing ever came. At one point, the group actually took cover, only to the have the noise change into a hum. The group took turns hunting through the room, exploring, destroying, pulling, and prodding, yet they never managed to find a way out. It was as the group began discussions of an assault that the silence came.
Tears came first, but it all came. Emilia, now sitting in puke drowned in a terrible pitched noise, spit up the remains of her stomach. Then she ran out of the room and back toward the bedroom.
Sasha, now frantic with guilt and embarrassment, worked feverishly to clean, but she found it hard to see clearly behind the tears. She had never felt worse, physically or emotionally, and the fog from the night before seemed like a dream more than an actuality.
The tears eventually subsided, and Sasha could hear the water running in the bathroom as Emilia washed up. The endless scenarios of what to do or what to say were maddening, and Sasha almost wished none of this had ever happened.
It wasn’t the first time she had felt this way around Emilia, and there was salvation from the last, in the form of hope. Sasha’s head pounded as she replayed the stories, actions, and feelings about Emilia. There was something about her that gave Emilia the gift to make things right. So Sasha kept hope, tried to keep the tears back, and tried with conscious effort not to overthink scenario after endless scenario.
Even since before the gruesome party incident that canceled the Sasha program, she had a good stomach for gross-out stuff, and now while cleaning up this puke, she was thankful for it. Now if only Emilia would clean up the mess between them.
The timing of the silence of course brought about a slew of theories as to the authorities’ actions, all of which were to be proven wrong, as the sound of rushing water slowly built, rising with a commensurate, if yet unseen, force until it finally drowned out all other noise. The noise crescendoed with an impact against the wall that shook the building with a single mighty jolt and knocked Captain Drexter back off his bench.
While he was far away from an ordinance officer, he had never seen anything in the military that could emulate that first nonexplosion explosion. Nor had he seen any military equipment that could bring to bear so much rushing water so as to nearly topple a building.
For one guiltless second, he actually hoped for a natural disaster and a way to skirt all this. It was short lived, as the worry over Sasha again took hold, and the thought of her loose in a natural disaster zone could be disaster piled on disaster—or worse yet, she could be hurt. Once again, the captain’s stomach twisted.
The loud, urgent shouts of some of the freed men drew his attention, as water had started rushing into the room from, of all the worst places, the drainage pipes. He prayed to God that the toilet wasn’t backing up sewage water, and his nose told him otherwise, so he and the fiend jumped onto the bench.
Astonishingly, the angry man still trapped in the cell with him still hadn’t budged, other than to make minor adjustments. His feet now soaked in slightly foul water, still floater-free as far as the captain could see.
Two of the freed men now turned the gurney right side up and filled it with things older children might think would help it float, while the others mostly climbed. The wheelbarrow man, the nondescript lock picker named “T,” and a third man of solid build, with short brown hair, a long nose, and the neck of a man you wouldn’t want to face in a fight—but not necessarily someone you would need to cross the street for either—worked diligently, attempting to stop the inflow of water.
With all the emotion Sasha was putting into her cleaning, she nearly forgot about the noise, at least until it started to change pitch. When a noticeable vibration shook the floor, the hair on the back of her neck rose, until the pounding of the hangover regained its hold.
The room went silent, except for Emilia’s running water, which quit shortly thereafter. The taste in Sasha’s mouth took her to the kitchen in search of some water, but the faucet only spit out air, followed by nothing. Confused and thirsty, she took the cup to the half bath, where that faucet failed as well. However, she could now hear water dripping from somewhere.
The noise led her back toward the elevator shaft, where water was leaking out from under the door. Another leak sprang from the ceiling vent, and then another and another. Soon the intensity of the drips increased. Sasha moved toward the bathroom Emilia occupied and shouted through the door. “Do you have water in there?”
“No, and you’re lucky I was already done shampooing. What did you do, anyway? How did you make that alarm stop?”
Sasha was nervous, tired, and now scared. “I didn’t do anything, but I do think we have a problem.”
“Yeah, I think the steam built up in here, because there is water dripping from the vent. When is your dad getting back, anyway? Shouldn’t he have called or something by now?”
As if Emilia’s tone alone wasn’t annoying enough, now she had given Sasha something else to worry about. “No, it’s happening out here too, and from the elevator. We are underground, right, on an island? Do you think we should worry?”
“I think you should worry about that mess you made.”
“What is up your butt this morning, Emilia?” She had heard Father use that expression once. Now she kinda reveled in the ability to use it herself.
The door opened, and a crying Emilia revealed herself. “I puked too. It’s in the bedroom. I’m so sorry. I just can’t go in there.” With her face covered in tears, Emilia reached out and hugged Sasha.
The unmistakably human quality of Emilia's reaction softened Sasha’s attitude. “Of course, I will take care of it.”
Chapter 24
Shei Yao Yi Bei Shui?
It was a pattern and an unmistakable piece of evidence that disclaimed a natural phenomenon, but Captain Drexter was convinced it wasn’t the authorities either. The pitching, screaming sound that seemed to emanate from everywhere returned, with a decrease in the water flow. The second wave impacted against the building with a slightly decreased intensity, still strong enough to shake the foundation, but the bricks of the wall didn’t move this time.
He searched his mind, but only the most improbable of scenarios fit the available evidence. The authorities, jailers included, must have been outmanned in handling whatever the hell was going on out there. He watched the freed prisoners work, desperately trying to avoid the water, either by floating on it or by comically trying to stop it. Yet as a distraction, it proved insufficient. The knot in his stomach grew, and so did his time away from Sasha. He even remembered jokingly praying to God for it to be an alien invasion—at least then Sasha could make use of herself.
Each new wave brought with it a new surge of water, and it now almost reached knee high and the top of his bench. As it became inevitable that he could have to face the filth, Captain Drexter jumped in and gently tapped the solitary man on the shoulder. “Join us on the bench, no need to punish yourself like that, man.”
“Mind your own fucking self, dude. What you know of punishment? You think I’m worried about drowning in some shit water? Hell, that’s fucking paradise compared to what I’ve got waitin’. So take your goddamn hands off me, and go play hero some-the-fuck elsewhere.”
The comments that only a seemingly short time ago would have sent him into a fury now only brought pity and sorrow to Captain Drexter. “Well I will keep a spot open for you if you’d like to join us.”
This must be what it’s like being a parent, Sasha thought to herself. Only for Emilia would Sasha willingly and even a tiny bit joyfully clean up this mess. Sasha again liked the way she felt around
Emilia—currently, useful and needed.
The flow of water as it steadily dripped from every overhead access made for an easy cleanup along the cement flooring. However, it was starting to back up and puddle along the drains, and that made Sasha very nervous.
After changing clothes, Emilia returned. “What do you think we should do?”
The sight of Emilia’s new outfit—only a tank top and short shorts—completely distracted Sasha from her train of thought, causing her to stare stupidly until Emilia asked the question again.
Sasha shook her head slightly. “Should we call someone? My dad?”
Now that Emilia had showered, her mood seemed better, but not quite like the sweet girl from before. “Yes, yes, he at least could contact someone for repairs. That way we won’t have to talk to that fucking rapist up there!”
Sasha went into the kitchen, where standing water was now accumulating, to use the phone, but there was no dial tone. “Shit, now what?” She looked at the elevator, slowly walked in front of it, and looked at Emilia. “Don’t worry, I kicked their asses once. I can do it again, and they know that now.”
Sasha put her hand on Emilia’s shoulder and squeezed gently with her palm. Emilia placed her hand on top of Sasha’s and smiled. “I know.” The two girls looked at the elevator, and then each other, and held their breath. Then Emilia pushed the call button.
This was getting ridiculous. Trapped with victims and the scum of the earth, Drexter was going to die. A lifetime of service—to society, the future, and Sasha—but at the end, he was going to drown an AWOL officer while his daughter was alone in chaos. Captain Drexter had never felt more like a failure.
The freed prisoners had built some scaffolding, and T was now busy at work on an upper window. The group’s cohesion was quickly lost, and the once-leader apparently had gone missing, whoever he was.
The water was now waist high, and remarkably the demon man had still yet to move, with water now only a foot below his mouth. Water was obviously filling the other rooms as well, but the last blast barely shook the building, and this time, there was no further return of the noise.
“Is it over?” one of the men yelled out.
“First tell me, what the fuck is it? How the hell should anyone know?”
He didn’t bother to keep track of their fighting as he looked around at his cell, pushing, pulling, and hoping to find something loose, anything missing. Escape was becoming more urgent, and he felt his heart rate rise, his shoulders tense, and his stomach churn. How desperately did he ever want a bowl to smoke? That might at least settle his stomach down. Then, as if on a prayer’s cue, the water stopped dripping, and bubbles indicated that the air in the pipes had been replaced by the water returning.
Sasha could feel her heartbeat, and her mind was fogging. She gripped tightly to Emilia’s hand and focused on its warmth, its heat, and its embrace, and she used that focus to push the fog away. The light hummed as water still crept out from the edges of the door. There was a strong vibration that brought with it the return of the alarm.
The elevator light had gone out. The door had failed to open and left the girls with several tense moments before they once again stood at a loss. “Well shit again.” Talking out loud seemed to push out the fog, and Sasha looked around, found a screwdriver in a drawer, and returned to the elevator.
“Good idea,” Emilia said with a smile that showed it was a genuine compliment, which warmed Sasha. Sasha held the screwdriver up to the door and paused before inserting it. Emilia laid her hands on top of Sasha’s. “Is this what we should be doing?”
Sasha smiled and finally felt confident enough to lead in front of someone she admired so much. “I’m not sure, but I am sure we should be doing it together.” The two exchanged glances and inserted the screwdriver.
No field exercise, no deployment, no nasty training event could ever have made Captain Drexter feel so dirty. The water drained at a snail’s pace, and the fiend he had already invested first aid into was now feverish from both withdrawals and hypothermia. Resolved to avoid another failure, he held the man close and tight, hoping to keep both warmth and control. His body lacked the energy to sustain this pose indefinitely, but every other avenue his brain traveled down simply led to another worry, fear, or regret.
His body ached, and the fiend trembled and shivered until, in a desperate act that had never crossed the captain’s mind, the fiend bit him. With a scream, Captain Drexter pushed the fiend, sending him splashing backward into the water. Horrified by the realizations that he had once again missed the obvious and that he would fail in his task of taking care of this soul, he stood stupidly as the man shivered, barely above water.
With an unexpected swiftness that shocked the captain, the demon man reached out, grabbed the neck of the fiend, pushed him under, and held him there.
It was a nightmare, Sasha’s first chance to make a meaningful decision in front of Emilia, and she was going to get them both killed. Water rushed out from the door, squirting in every direction as it rushed past the screwdriver. Pulling the screwdriver out of its hole as a natural reaction only made things worse. Water streamed from the opening with a force of power so great the doors themselves bent outward slightly.
Neither girl was injured, but both were sent to the ground, which was now already covered in an inch or more of water. Dumbfounded, Sasha now stared with hatred at the stream of water. She grabbed a cushion from the couch, walked with determination to the door, and attempted to block the flow of water. She pushed her frustrations out onto the cushion, and Emilia started to laugh at her.
The sight of Emilia laughing only further enhanced Sasha’s anger, but not the fog. “That’s real freaking helpful, Emilia.”
Emilia stopped chuckling and stood up. “No, I was just thinking about what kind of sick humor the Lord must have if he finally gave me a friend only at my end.”
The comment caught Sasha totally off guard. Emilia wasn’t blaming her—she was blaming the Lord. Sasha gave up and threw the cushion off to the side, letting it float away. She walked up to Emilia and hugged her. “This isn’t the end.”
The moment of silence was followed by another strong vibration shaking the entire building, which burst open the elevator doors, allowing a wall of water into the apartment.
The simple murder of a poor drug fiend weighed more heavily on Drexter’s mind than he would have anticipated. Whether it was the stripped-away humanity, pity for a soul lost to the power of drugs, or the guilt of pushing a man to his death, Captain Drexter let a single tear drop. The body floated motionlessly on the far side of the cell. The water level was lowering, but it was still above the bench line and draining entirely too slowly for comfort.
The noises had stopped, and now that the water wasn’t the most pressing matter, Captain Drexter noticed just how dark it was becoming. Judging by his internal clock, it still should have been the middle of the day, but it was noticeably darker, and none of the interior lighting had activated. Whatever was occurring outside left these prisoners to their own devices, and possible survival. It was time for action. It was time to call for help.
The last jolt had obviously burst the dam, for water was flowing at a river’s pace from all directions and rising fast. The two girls ducked and covered, only to spend several seconds moving aimlessly, at a loss for action. The guilt Sasha was feeling had only become more and more amplified, as her mind could focus on nothing more than the forthcoming sight of Emilia drowning because of her.
Damn it, Sasha thought to herself, where the hell is the fog? It was supposed to help her when she didn’t know what to do, but no fog. Emilia had regained composure and first grabbed Sasha by the wrist and then led her off to the side of the elevator. Sasha’s chest labored with heavy breaths. Her skin became paler, her lips bluer, and her eyes darted in all directions.
Emilia wrapped her hands around Sasha’s bicep and moved in close. One of Sasha’s hands brushed across Emilia’s breast, revealing the fact th
at she wasn’t wearing a bra. The sensation calmed Sasha, as her mind was able to rally on a new thought track. “What are we going to do, Sasha?” Emilia’s voice carried a tone not of anger or resentment, as Sasha had feared, but of faith and encouragement.
Sasha closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Swim.”
“Hey, T. Hey, T.” Thus far, “T” was the only name Drexter had learned, and it didn’t seem to be helping him much. He was certain that he was being heard, and he was just as certain that he was being ignored.
Desperate and out of ideas, he didn’t feel too far out of place with the drug fiends, who were only a short time ago begging for outside attention and assistance. “Hey, buddy. Hey, pal, come on, man. I’ll trade you for some pot. I’ll help you guys escape. I’ll be a human shield.” For what felt like hours, Captain Drexter called and called, only to be rejected and ignored.
Right when he was about to give up, a most distressing option presented itself. The man who had so elegantly declared his desire to watch the captain urinate approached the cell with an offer. “Suck my dick and I will get T to let you out.”
For a horrifying half second, he actually considered it. Yet he had already crossed enough lines during this outing, so he decided to try another tactic. “After you let me out, how about I let you suck my dick?”
“Don’t play your mind games on me, soldier,” the man said, unzipping his pants. “I get pleasured, then maybe, maybe I give you what you want.”
Captain Drexter cringed.
“What the hell do you mean, swim?” Emilia’s objection to the plan, while still painful in its infliction, was born out of surprise and a lack of understanding rather than malice or blame.
Sasha said, “Ok, there is only one way in or out of this shelter, the elevator shaft, so we are going to swim up the shaft.”
Emilia’s face bore the strong look of disbelief mixed with fear. “I’m not that good a swimmer, plus water is coming out of the elevator. How the hell are we supposed to swim up it?”