by Alice Rachel
“I’m right here, you know! You can talk to me directly,” William replies, his eyes shifting from Chi's face to his hand on mine before his brows narrow in anger.
Chi snorts with obvious distaste. “Fine,” he exclaims. “What other abhorrent news do you have for us, William?” He pronounces his name slowly, each syllable hissed through his teeth with venom. “Is your family also in charge of getting rid of all the corpses filling the camps? Or is that noble task left to some other corporation?”
Taylor sighs and shakes his head as if he’s had enough and is ready to give up. “Anyway," he says, "we have to act sooner. I’m thinking tonight.”
“What? That’s too soon!” Chi interjects.
“I know, but we don’t have a choice.”
“This is insane,” Chi snaps.
"And what do you want me to do about it, Chi?" Taylor shouts back. "Do you want to just abandon your parents and all those people in the camps?"
"Of course not! But I'm not gonna act blindly and trust some dirt bag like him with my life. I can't believe you're just gonna listen to his bullshit and take his word for it," Chi exclaims.
"You want to stay behind?" Taylor challenges him.
"No." Chi's nostrils twitch.
"Fine! The problem's solved then. I’ll send out some messages and pretend that everything’s going as planned. We'll just double-cross the guards. And William here had better not be lying," he growls while approaching his face inches from William's. "Right, Blondie? Because I'll break your neck if this is some ploy to take us down. You won't make it out of that camp alive if you try to stab us in the back. Having you come along is just another guarantee, but realistically, we don't need you, so don't screw this up for yourself."
"I'm not," William says, his voice shaking. "My father backstabbed me; I don't owe him allegiance." He shoots a quick glance at Chi, but he doesn't explain further.
Taylor sighs. "I’m just glad I didn’t trust any of the guards with our location here. I need to contact the other leaders, ASAP. They need to know what's going on. Do you have anything else to add, William?”
"I’ve been to the camps a few times—especially Camp 19," William explains. "That's where my father keeps his office. He was preparing me to become his second in command. I went through a lot of training that involved supervising each area of the camps, just so I could familiarize myself with the entire process. The guards won't find it strange if I show up in one of the trucks. They'll just think it's part of my training."
Chi's face has paled with disgust, and I'm just staring in shock at William. William's father had seemed like such an honorable man. He had appeared so much nicer than William's mother. The authorities obviously keep this information a secret to prevent personal retaliation against their highest employees. But how could my parents be so blind as to who these people were? I remember the day when Mother told me that Mr. Fox planned on hiring my father in his corporation. I shudder.
“I heard Father talk to his associates," William continues. "He said some guards were arrested, but some of them kept their jobs. That's only because Father managed to intimidate them into collaborating. Working for my father comes with a lot of advantages, which most people don't want to lose. Father didn’t hesitate to threaten their families as well as cut their resources. That was enough to shift their loyalty back to him." William sends Taylor a look. "So, the guys you thought you could trust? I wouldn’t count on them!"
Then William spills out more details about his family's corporation. I don't know what happened between William and his father, but William sounds furious at him. When he's done revealing what we need to know, Taylor calls everyone to the fitness center. I'm standing close to Chi, with his hand in mine. I turn my head when I feel someone's eyes on me, and I notice William staring at us, his eyes veiled with wounded pride. I look away; William's feelings aren't my concern anymore.
“Okay everyone," Taylor calls out. "Some new information was revealed this morning. We have to act a whole lot sooner than we had planned. We’re attacking Camp 19 tonight!”
Gasps echo around the room, followed by a rising rumble of voices, but Taylor is loud enough to speak over us all. “I know, I know! It’s really soon! But I think we’re as ready as we can be at this point. If we want to make it out alive, we have no other choice. There will be no training this afternoon. Just enjoy the day and rest. I want everyone here at three p.m. sharp. I will lay out more of the plans then, but everything remains the same. I have a lot of things to do, a lot of people to contact. I will see you guys later. James, Chase, I need you now. Chi, I want you here at noon.”
People disperse around the room while Chi and I go back to our apartment. When we reach the balcony, the wind blows through my hair, and Chi observes me before pulling me to him.
“Tonight’s the night. Are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asks.
I nod. I'm excited and anxious at the same time. I can't help but hope my mother will come back with us and that we'll all be safe.
Chi's eyes meet mine. “Did you mean what you said the other night?”
“What do you mean?” I pretend not to understand where he's going with this.
“You know exactly what I mean.”
I blink a few times, my heart suddenly racing. “Yes. Yes, Chi. I love you. I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you.”
His grin appears and spreads, filling his entire face. He lifts me up so my feet leave the ground, and he spins me around and around while kissing me. Then he puts me down and walks me backward to the rail of the balcony. He takes my hand in his, and I turn around to look at the river. Chi was right; it does look relaxing.
We spend all morning together, snuggling on the bed, resting, and we avoid talking about what’s going to happen tonight.
When noon arrives, Chi reminds me he's supposed to meet Taylor.
“You’ll be careful out there, right?" he asks. "I can tell you’re not comfortable around weapons, but you have to promise me you’ll use your gun if you’re in danger.”
I look back at him. I don’t know that I can swear to that, but he's expecting me to and I don’t want him to have to watch my back. I hold his gaze and try to sound as convincing as I can. “Yes, Chi. I promise.”
He sighs in relief and holds me more tightly against him. I can tell he’s worried, and I’m terrified for him as well. I don’t know what’s going to happen tonight. More than anything, I fear losing him. This mission sounds more and more like suicide.
I follow Chi to the training room. We don’t have a lot of time left, and I’m not wasting one second I could be spending with him. Kayla and William are there as well. For three hours, we clean and prepare the weapons while Taylor consults with Chase and James to work out the last details.
When the time comes for everyone to meet, Taylor stands by the large table. There, everyone has to wait in line as he assigns them each a different weapon with directions. My hands are shaking when it’s my turn and he hands me my gun, complete with bullets, a silencer, and a holster. I take it all and wrap it around my waist. It's heavy against my thigh, and I instantly hate its deadly weight against me. I would go without it if it weren't for Chi’s insistence that he won’t let me come along without a weapon.
Chi grabs a rifle, which he carries over his shoulder. He has trained for years and he’s not afraid of weapons. This feels more natural to him that it does for me.
Once we’re equipped and ready, Taylor finishes with our instructions. Everyone is listening carefully. Some of us look nervous while some others can’t seem to wait to get going. After a couple of hours, we all head back downstairs. It will take some time to inflate all the rafts and load everyone on the canoes as well.
Taylor has managed to convince Kayla that she should stay behind. She’s furious about it. She pulls her face away when he tries to kiss her goodbye, her every feature creased with discontent. Taylor's lips rise into a tiny smile.
"I love you too, babe," he says
before turning around and directing everyone toward the windows.
Little by little, we make our way out of the building, in line, two to five people at a time. When I reach the balcony, along with Chi and two other people, we climb down to the raft and start rowing, heading north. The closer we get to shore, the harder my heart hammers. Anxiety rushes through my blood when I imagine everything that might go wrong. But I can’t afford to think that way; I can’t let stress control me and confuse my mind.
Taylor starts pacing as soon as we arrive. We're still waiting for a few others to cross the river. He’s probably reviewing all the plans in his head for any potential lethal holes or defects. Chase and James are supposed to be waiting for us with two trucks that the Underground stole from the authorities a few months ago.
When everyone is gathered, we head to our meeting point in the parking lot about a mile from shore. When we get there, Chase and James open the back doors of the trucks for us. Everyone gets in, one by one. Taylor and William join Chase in the first truck while Akio goes to sit by James in the second one.
Everyone is settled and the trucks start moving. The ride gets awkward quickly. None of us dare talk lest we reveal how scared we truly are. Everyone is uncomfortable on the hard metal floor of the truck. We’re squished together, hot and slimy with sweat, like sardines in a can. Chase drives us from Old Bronx to New Tappan Zee Bridge. There, he uses his fake ID to trick the officers into raising the barrier and letting the truck cross the bridge. After that, the ride takes us further north, toward Camp 19.
Eventually, the truck slows down and comes to a stop. Each entrance to Camp 19 requires a pass, which James and William own and will use to let us into the tunnel. I hear a metallic door roll open, soon followed by movements of the truck. We are in the tunnels; the truck has gotten much cooler, though not cold enough to relieve our suffocation.
Chi grabs my hand in his as we get closer to the camp. He squeezes it a few times. He’s getting anxious too. He leans in. “Please be careful!”
I kiss him on the lips, once. “I will.”
The truck stops. As expected, a couple of guards approach the vehicle. I can’t hear the shots because of the silencers, but the sounds of the guards' bodies hitting the ground echo from outside the truck, and bile rises to my mouth. From this moment on, the chill inside me doesn’t let go. Adrenaline pumps through my veins as the back door opens up to William’s face.
I get out and notice Chase from the corner of my eye. He's stripping a guard so as to wear his uniform. He also finds some keys and throws them at Taylor. A few different trucks are parked in the tunnel, waiting to be loaded with merchandise the following morning. We will use them to evacuate the prisoners.
William leads Chase to the room that holds all the controllers to the cameras. Two shots echo from the security room, and my heart squeezes. Two shots, two more deaths. After a few minutes, William and Chase come back out. The cameras in the main yard have been turned off; it's safe for us to proceed. Taylor opens a door on the right, and we walk into the camp in our various small groups. We are to head straight to the different sections of the camp. People here are separated by sex, as well as tasks. William told us my mother was sent to the packaging area. Though it’s late at night and it's dark outside, the prisoners are still working.
Strangely, the place looks deserted. It would be impossible to tell that people are held hostage here if we didn't know what signs to look for. The walls are made of concrete, gray and depressing, and there isn’t a sound to be heard. The place feels morbidly empty, and it smells like death and decay. We hide in the shadows and spot a few guards on the towers, circling around.
I'm keeping close to Taylor, Chi, and James. William, who's walking in front of us, leads the way to the packaging building. If a guard sees him, they won’t suspect anything until it’s too late. As we approach the building, a guard notices William. Questions fill his eyes instantly, but then he nods in respect. William’s loyalty to his father is taken for granted. The guard doesn’t have time to react when Taylor comes out of the shadows and shoots him straight in the head. I inhale sharply. Taylor looks at me, cold as frost, and presses his index finger against his lips in a shushing motion.
Chi positions his rifle on his shoulder. He whispers for me to get ready to shoot. I obey though the cold metal of the gun feels foreign against my skin. I don't plan on shooting anybody if I can avoid it. I know these are bad people, but I can’t help thinking about their families waiting at home for them to return from work.
William opens the door and we are met by two guards, whom Taylor and James take care of right away. A deep pain fills my heart when the bodies fall down to the ground. I remind myself that these people are keeping my mother prisoner for no valid reasons. They chose gaining high statuses in society over protecting human lives. Cold anger grasps my heart and I'm finally ready for what's coming. I need to focus on getting my mother out, and I can’t let undeserved pity distract me from my goal.
James grabs the keys from one of the guards and opens a barred gate. Then he works on the metal door to the packaging room. When he pushes it open, Taylor is ready, on the lookout for potential danger. Of course, more guards are keeping an eye on the workers. I look around and see two of them on the balconies facing us, and three more downstairs watching over the prisoners. James shoots one of the guards facing us, but instead of falling backward, he drops over the railing and comes crashing right into the working room. The other guards react instantly as panic takes over among the workers.
We hide behind columns as the guards start shooting in our direction. But Taylor has been training for years. In less time than I have to think, he has already shot two of them. One man tries to run away and sound the alert, but James shoots him before he makes it out of the room.
Only one guard is left now. He calls out to us frantically, “I’m with you! Taylor, please, I’m on your side!”
“It seems no one in this camp is on our side anymore, Charles! I heard about what happened.”
“I know. I know, but I’m still with you," Charles pleads. "I want to help! Please, you’ll need my help!”
Conflict crosses Taylor’s eyes. He sends Chi a look and Chi nods his head twice.
“Okay," Taylor relents. "We need more forces anyway. But you stay with us at all times. I see you run, call out to the others, or move a finger in a suspicious way and I’ll shoot you on the spot! I see you point your gun at anyone but another guard and you’re dead.”
Charles acquiesces with his head, obvious relief and fear showing on his face.
“Help me get them out of here, now,” Taylor orders before he calls out to the prisoners, “We're here to help you and take you out. Follow our orders and do not bring attention to yourselves. If you hear any shooting, run. Follow Chi and I to the tunnels and don’t look back.”
I take a quick glance around, but I can’t see my mother. Fear squeezes my heart tightly. What if William was wrong? What if my mother is working in a different area? What if I arrived too late? I don’t have time to panic. I can’t afford to panic.
Chi takes the lead quickly and starts walking everyone to the main entrance. Before going out, he strips the guard and puts on his uniform. Then he opens the door to the outside, surveys the area, and beckons for the group to follow him, in line, hiding in the shadows.
Chi and Taylor are to meet more armed rebels outside the building to help secure the group as they proceed to the tunnels. James, William, and I will move on to the men’s building, located farther away to the right. We leave the prisoners to Taylor's care and walk cautiously while keeping close to the wall.
When we reach the gate to the men's area, I catch a glimpse of someone walking toward us. I turn around and relief fills my veins when I realize it’s only Chi. But something’s wrong, different somehow. James is looking at the towers to make sure no roof guard notices us.
Suddenly, everything happens so fast I have no time to move. Chi aims his gun a
t me, and before I can process anything, it’s too late. He lifts his rifle, pointing it at my face, and shouts for us to drop our weapons. I’m petrified, paralyzed on the spot. When Chi yells his order again, James turns around, aiming his gun at Chi. His reaction is too slow. Chi shoots first; James falls to the ground. When I raise my hands, I'm still holding my gun; it looks like I'm targeting Chi. Something flickers through his eyes and he fires, right at me.
William leaps into the air, and I close my eyes as the gunshot rings in my ears. A heavy weight pushes against me, knocking me to the ground, hard. I'm down; something is pinning me to the concrete. I hurt my elbow when I fell and pain needles are shooting though my entire arm. It hurts so much that my head starts spinning. I force my eyes open anyway. Blood is dripping onto my skin. A drop of it falls straight into my eye. I squint instinctively.
Through my other eye, I can see someone lying over me, but my vision is blurred. Black spots are dancing in front of me. I try to breathe deeply, but I can hardly inhale because of the person crushing my chest. Something wet and sticky is running down my face. I try to focus past the dark spots so I can regain my vision. But when I identify the person pinning me down, I suddenly wish I had lost consciousness entirely. The empty expression on his face makes me sick to my stomach heaving with waves of nausea. I’ll choke on vomit if I throw up. I can’t lift myself or move.
William is on top of me. His cheek is stuck to mine and his eyes are wide open. There's a hole in his head and blood is coming out of it, dripping down, all the way to my face. A deep scream tries to force its way out, but I bite on my lip to remain silent, and the wails of horror resonate inside my head instead.
I try to push him off of me, but he’s too heavy and the angle of his body makes it difficult for me to move. I push harder, holding myself with one arm, but my elbow is hurting so much I can’t hold the position. Someone runs to me and gasps. Chi is still standing there, holding his gun on me, but his attention has shifted. He’s looking at something above my head. There's a crooked smile on his face, and my heart shatters upon realizing what he's done.