by Vega Lizzie
Again, her fingers touched the cool steel of the valve. Her shoulders moved forward an almost unmeasurable distance, then she took a deep breath.
Her eyes opened but both irises were sheathed white with a soft glow. Push again, it doesn’t seem to hurt as much, maybe I slept…push again. The valve moved an inch. Shannon moved her arms against the wheel, and it rolled forward as one of the wires from the harness caught in its ribbed edge.
With Shannon’s weak touch, the wheel began to turn. The hissing sound in her ears became a roar. “Water ensures the harvest,” she repeated, “find the guardian…the one who is true beside me, the lion that protects the flock. Justa,” she whispered, her words lost in the cascade of water pouring from the relief pipes. Her eyes white as snow, they glared into the darkness, “Procure o leao.”
Shannon woke up as the gushing water reached her face. It was ice cold and before a new wave of fear swept over her, she immediately took a drink. Then it hit her, “I’m gonna drown.”
As the room continued to fill, Shannon used the water to raise up to the lid of the valve box. Walking along the it’s top, she went from end to end, her heart beginning to pound as her fate became clearer.
At the end of the thick piping the largest pipe elbowed into the wall. Behind the elbow, an open ventilation duct was hidden in the shadows. Without considering any alternatives, Shannon stood below the duct and waited for the water to carry her up to the opening. At worst she’d float up. Waiting until the last minute, she tried to swing a leg to the largest pipe. Don’t submerge my phone, Marcus I hope the upgrade was worth the money. Unable to grab the edge of the duct, she shinnied as close as she could and waited.
As the water reached the edge of the duct, Shannon watched and listened for the water to continue climbing. After several minutes, the water level in the room had stabilized and continues to run into the ducting. She looked down at her hands, then reached her arms into the duct. I gotta go, she thought, no idea where…the sewer? I feel stronger…how is that possible?
Crawling several feet, the water divided when it came to a junction of ducting. She put her ear to the steel to see if she could hear anything. The water had to be going somewhere. She put her hands up to rest her head, then she heard it. A distant rumble of traffic suddenly punctuated with a car horn. Momentarily confused by the sound, she looked both ways struggling to decide on a direction. I’ll go right for one minute and listen and back up if I don’t hear anything. The choice proved fruitless. The sounds of the street faded as she began to wonder if she’d made it up in her head. Coming back to junction, the water had stop flowing down the ducting and she waited to rest again.
The sudden beeping alarm of a large truck backing up broke the silence of her steel cage. She thought to yell for help, then reasoned it would be better that she not be heard, lest the whole sequence start over with Darien.
Another few yards to the left and she caught the smell of garbage and heard the pneumatic lift of the garbage truck lifting a dumpster to the maw of the truck. She put her forearm to her mouth, muffling a sob as she realized that escape was now a possibility.
Crawling furiously, she reached a grated opening in the duct only to find it held fast. With a sigh, she backed up to the junction and turned around, inch worming her way back to the grate feet first.
Listening again, it was quiet. The first thrust of her exhausted legs against the steel mesh was laughable. After a moment to catch her breath, her soaked running shoes caught the grid evenly and it popped open. Edging out of the ventilation panel, she turned over and dropped to the ground, catching the asphalt alley hard.
Soaking wet and exhausted from her ordeal, Shannon sat on the pavement for a moment. Looking down the alley, she realized she was still next to the hotel where Darien was staying, possibly still vulnerable if there were other employees that reported to him. How the hell is he in this position, Shannon wondered, what would give him the nerve to approach us…because he’s a pampered Daddy’s boy. I gotta get out of here.
Struggling to stand, she looked down the alley where a series of service alley fed into the core of the convention district. With a quick look for anyone watching, she hobbled down to the first junction and turned the corner. A half a block later, she took cover behind a dumpster to catch her breath. “I’ll wait here until dark, then I can move.” She lifted her hands up to inspect the condition of the wire harness. It hadn’t shifted in almost an hour, if anything, one of the thick cords had loosened and she could move her index finger more than before.
Rising from her hiding place, she looked at the thick steel rod that the garbage trucks would hook to lift their heavy loads into the trucks. It looked solid and strong. With another quick look down both backstreets, she swung her arms around, trying to connect the bracelet portions of the mechanism against the steel.
With a loud resounding crack, the reverberation coursed through her shoulders and she dropped to her knees, breathless and in pain, she inspected for damage. Seeing nothing, she once again made her way down the alley. Looking down the alley, it was a dumpster for every business. Taking another swing at the protruding metal post, she stifled her yelp and began to move to the next container. Get far enough away and call. God, my phone is ruined for sure. Stay out of sight, but make sure I’m far enough away.
Three painful and noisy blocks later, Shannon looked up and caught the setting sun glowing red on the side of the tall buildings looming up beside her. Lights along the alley were beginning to glow as she lined to strike the next dumpster rail. With a desperate swing, she connected square on her left wrist. The resulting crack startled her enough to think she’d broken her wrist but when one of the metal cords released her pointer finger, she realized progress, while still painful had been made.
Bastard, she thought, I’m gonna get a couple of these things and use them on Darien. One choice spot in particular…who makes this kind of stuff anyway?
Coming to a cross street, she looked down the block and saw an ornate old school building and some retail shops. A bar caught her eye, but she was afraid in her current condition, she’d attract too many questions. Now mostly dry from the water and wrists throbbing painfully, she scanned the street, then ducked back into the alley as a group of students in matching school uniforms walked by. Shannon found the first smile in hours as she thought of her daughter and their time at the mall.
Looking back down the street, she saw a bookstore, then a small café. She smiled again when she saw a small storefront. TV repair, the sign said, “Perfect,” she said aloud, “maybe wire cutters and I can call home.”
Dashing across the empty street and down the darkening alley, she found the back door locked and without windows. Slumping against the wall of the building, she began to cry, What the fuck was I thinking? Shoulda called the cops and just dealt with the fallout.
Not looking to see whether she was alone in alley, she raised her arms as high as she could and began to beat them against the concrete sill of the old building’s window. Over and over, oblivious to the damage she might be doing to her hands, Shannon beat on the restraints. With a bright crackle of electricity, one of her wrists came free as half of the bracelet fell away.
Shrieking both in pain and exhilaration, she began to flex her stiff fingers trying to move her thumb to her middle fingertip to begin a trigger sequence. Her strength was weak but the resulting contact with the second bracelet was enough to disarm it and it fell to the blacktop. She slipped to the ground, her arms hanging, she savored the quick beautiful flare of blue green energy, not caring if anyone had seen or not.
But someone had seen. As Shannon stood up, she turned and froze as a figure stepped out of the shadows and began walking toward her. She glanced away as the quick steps came to a halt. Shannon had thought to back away, just avoid the situation of a random bystander and lowered her head to look away.
Chapter 30
Olivia jerked upright, her left hand swinging to tightly grasp her right arm
. The shrieking wail that accompanied her movements had Terra and Eliza at her side in seconds. The young girl screamed again, then doubled over. “It’s Mom…oh God…she’s she’s…”
“Olivia,” Eliza shouted, trying to get her to focus, “What do you see? Ollie, tell us.”
Shaking and grimmacing, Olivia held her right arm close, “it’s bad…call Marcus,” she gasped, “…get Marcus, right now.”
Terra reached for Olivia, touching her firmly on the right arm and she wailed again. as her head leaned back, her eyes were snow white. “Phone….my phone…get Marcus.”
Slumping back to the floor, Olivia appeared to lose consciousness for a moment and her eyes went back to normal. Terra ran for her phone while Eliza tried to comfort Olivia.
“Ollie, I’ve got you,” she cried out, holding her close, “It’s okay. You’re okay.” Terra came up alongside them, phone in hand. After dialing Marcus, she reached out to stoke Olivia’s hair, “It’s okay, we’ve got him.”
“Find Mom,” she sobbed into the phone, “There’s so much blood…find her.”
As Shannon slowly became aware of her surroundings, the heavy throbbing of her arms was contrasted by the ice cold concrete in the alley. She could barely move.
“God, it hurts…what’s that taste in my mouth?”
Only then did her thoughts clear enough for her to remember the beginning of the confrontation.
“I don’t want any trouble,” she’d said.
“Then stay away from me and the people that are important to me.” Before Shannon could speak, the woman rushed at her. Wanting to raise her right arm in a shield panel, the reaction by her weak and stiff hands was too slow. By the time she had positioned a feeble shield to deflect the attack, it was already underway.
The attacker’s hand, she thought, …a…a blade? There was the soft whisper of fabric being cut as something slashed just above Shannon’s elbow. The pain held off for a moment, then swelled just as Shannon’s defensive panel faded without making contact.
“Stop,” she cried out, stunned at the attacker’s speed as well as the silence. “I…I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t know you.”
The cut was shallow but the searing pain that accompanied it seemed to be amplified and rocketed up her arm.
“Who are you,” Shannon grimaced as she pressed down hard on the bubbling wound, “Are you Concla-”
Her question was cut short as another blur went whirling past. Focused by the pain, Shannon quickly repositioned her protection shield and began to plot a defensive attack. Aware of a shape moving toward her, she leaned away, only to see a curving sharp edge pierce through her shield and mark her a second time. This cut was deeper, and it began to bleed furiously. Her shock was replaced by desperation and her robe briefly materialized then sputtered out in the dimly lit alley.
“Are you Freelance?” she spit out as a wave of pain shot through her upper body, “Do you have any idea who I am? Talk to me before it’s too late.” She could have sworn she heard laughter just before the blade sliced through her arm for the third, and what would prove to be the final time. As she slipped to her knees, Shannon looked at the three wounds just as the impact from a body blow sent her flying into the brick wall.
There was a voice in her ear, “This is the only warning you get,” the young woman said quietly. Through the growing haze in her head, Shannon was still keenly aware of the confidence in the woman’s voice. “Try to find me, I will kill you. Search or investigate me in any way, I will seek out those important to you and end them in front of your eyes.”
There was another hard shove and Shannon went limp as she slumped down to the pavement. The last thing she saw was an odd red glow across the young woman’s face and the blade appeared in her face, “No quarter,” the woman said, “No retreat. Tell him I’ve learned well. Tell him I’m coming home to pay him a special visit.” Shannon felt something move along her backside and her phone suddenly clattered to the pavement in front of her.
“Not even turned on,” she heard in her ear, “what kind of idiot are you? Let me do you a one-time favor since I wasn’t planning on killing anyone tonight.”
Through the rushing sound in her head, Shannon heard the pinging of her phone as it powered up. Trying to reach for it, the severity of her injuries became clear. Her arm wasn’t responding and suddenly, she was acutely aware of the thick warmth on her face. A dark pool of blood was spreading.
“Help…help me,” she called out into the dark alley, “Please.” The last thing she felt was a familiar pressure change in her ears as Terra stepped through her portal.
“I’ve got you,” she heard, along with sirens in the distance, then nothing.
Rushed to the hospital, multiple IV’s were inserted, and tests were taken. As Shannon’s blood type was cross matched. The first of several transfusions began along with plasma. The ER doctor didn’t hold back in his assessment. “I don’t know what caused these cuts, but that’s not my major concern. The wounds won’t clot. Has she ever taken a blood thinner or been treated for an autoimmune disease?”
Terra was scrolling furiously through Marcus’s copy of Shannon’s medical file, “No,” she answered quickly.
He paused, “Any chronic use of alcohol?”
Terra continued scrolling, “Nothing at all,” she answered, “never anything blood-related. Always-” She turned as Angela and Olivia burst into the cubicle. Angela took one look at the startled physician and pointed to the hallway, “Get out.” She turned to a shaken Terra, “I heard him. Help’s on its way.”
Taking one look at Shannon’s injuries, she sighed and turned back to the curtain, “Doc,” she called out, “I apologize, can you assist me?”
Terra shook her head, finishing the doctor’s question, “A glass of wine at dinner, maybe a beer on the weekend.”
“Any chance of pregnancy?” When Terra wasn’t as quick with an answer, he looked up at her to see tears in her eyes. She only shook her head and looked away from him.
Angela reached for Shannon’s chart, “Robin will be here in a minute…status?”
Olivia rushed to her mother’s side, “Mom?” she cried out, then all eyes went to the doctor.
“Barely able to keep her stable. The cuts on her arms are…well, two of the three are superficial and normally, easy to deal with. The third is a deep laceration into the muscle.” He shook his head, “All surgically clean cuts. Done fast. I don’t understand why I can’t stop the bleeding.” He looked at Terra, “From your description of the scene, another few minutes and…”
“Enough,” they heard as Robin came flying into the room. Quickly donning gloves, she did a quick exam then looked at the doctor, “Thanks Ricky, I owe you one.”
The doctor looked at her and grinned awkwardly, “Um, I, uh, I’d like to stick around if you don’t mind. I’m curious as hell about this and I don’t get to meet your crew very often.”
“Then you’ll owe me,” Robin grinned, “I can work with that. Get another IV line ready if needed, but if I tell you tell leave…”
“I’m out,” he acknowledged quickly, “and mum’s the word…this time.”
The casual conversation seemed to calm Terra, but it was Olivia that was struggling. Just then Robbie poked his head in the door and Olivia threw herself at him and burst into tears. He took one look at Terra and her blood-stained clothes and dragged Olivia out of the exam room.
“Probably for the best,” Robin murmured as she leaned in close to Shannon’s arm, “She’s gonna be here for a while.” She gestured to Angela, then took a toothed forceps to pull back on the smallest of the three wounds, then dabbed the injury with gauze, “Look at this first cut.”
“It’s serrated,” Angela commented as she looked at the undulated cut in the skin, “Clean but its’ not ragged in the least.”
“Nor are the other two.” Though heavily streaked with blood, the skin around the cut was a pale white, “this first one nicked the cephalic vein just below the
branch.” Robin again leaned toward the wound, then withdrew shaking her head, “Anyway, little but lethal. The second cut hit the same vein.” She turned to Angela, “Whoever did this, is unusually proficient.”
Now Angela leaned in, “Very. Any deeper…but pressure would have been enough to stabilize both until she got to a doctor.”
“I’ll bet there’s a story to this,” Terra said sadly, “She’s been so restless over the last few days. I have no idea why she went looking on her own.”
Angela was quick to point out the scrapes and growing bruises along Shannon’s face, “Someone got the drop on her for sure,” Robin said as she once again moved her face up to the largest of the three gashes, then jerked back just as a fresh spurt of blood surged from the wound. She glared at Angela, then to the ER physician, “Rick, you need to go, sorry.”
Robin looked over to Terra, “Go get Olivia,” she said tersely and watched Terra’s face panic, “I’m sorry. Don’t be alarmed. I’m going to give her something to do so she can feel helpful. Shannon will be okay.”
As both Terra and the doctor left the cubicle, Robin turned to Angela, “So that I’m not completely losing my mind here, put your nose up to the cuts, one at a time. Take a whiff. It’s really subtle.”
Angela steadied herself on the side of the gurney and put her nose up close. Without comment she moved to the second, then most worrisome injury. Her nostrils flared, “What the hell is that?”
“You guess,” Robin suggested, “I don’t want to bias your choices.” Angela glanced quickly to the door then moved her thumb across the edge of the wound. Taking her hand back, she took a deep breath then put her thumb to her nose, “Other than she’s strong and normally healthy as a horse, she’s gotten spicy? It’s overwhelmed by the copper blood smell, but I’d say it’s almost like cinnamon.”