Rage filled every part of Constance with every word Harvey spoke. His arrogance and the belief that the revolution would soon amount to nothing made things even worse. She could feel herself beginning to lose control.
“That doesn’t mean this revolution isn’t worth anything,” Constance said as she pulled her revolving pistol from the back of her trousers. She pressed the button that took the safety mechanism off and shot at the other revolving pistol. It shattered into several pieces which skittered across the small table and onto the floor. Dorothy screamed and Clarence swore loudly as his hands and knees were shredded with shrapnel. “After meeting a couple families here on the tower I have to say I’m glad my parents had been exiled from the tower. It helped me grow into the woman I am now and that says a lot. I am so glad I didn’t turn out like any of you. I’m glad I didn’t grow to have your ideals about other people. You make me sick. And then you killed my parents, for what? For trying to make other peoples’ lives better? That’s deplorable. You deserve this.”
Constance fired two shots, hitting Harvey in the chest and head. Constance could hear screaming though she wasn’t sure if it had come from Francine or Dorothy or herself. She took a breath as she shot Clarence once and Dorothy twice. She took another breath as she pointed the pistol at Francine. “I’m sorry I had to kill your children. You’re too powerful to allow any witnesses to live. You know my name, you know my face. I’d never have a day or night of peace with you people looking down at me from your tower. This is for my safety and for those I love.”
Francine nodded, “I hope you never have a peaceful night for as long as you live.”
“I expect I will sleep like a baby after this. You have no idea how much I’ve wanted this.”
She pulled the trigger and Francine’s head snapped backward with a spray of blood and brain spattering across the room. She had lied through her teeth when she had said she’d be sleeping well after this, she knew quite well she’d be having nightmares for years. It didn’t change what had to be done or her reasoning for it, although, she wasn’t quite done with her vengeance as of yet. She had to track down Fulcrum and take him out.
He didn’t strike Constance as the sort who would still be down in the underground. He’d have come up with the mass exodus of the underground. If Smoke were still alive, Fulcrum would have been keeping tabs on him. It would have been a matter of finding Smoke and waiting. That not being the case Fulcrum could be anywhere. It was even possible he’d left the area somehow and was miles away. Constance would then never have her full vengeance. The thought aggravated her, though she knew in time she may be able to live with it. After all, nothing said Fulcrum had actually left and if he had, there was a possibility he’d return someday.
She left the home slowly and languidly. The images of the Rocka families death poses haunted her thoughts. As her anger subsided she found tears rolling down her face. She wiped one away before bracing herself against a wall and crying. She had just killed four people in cold blood and it was not sitting well inside her. She’d told herself several times it was vengeance for her parents, and retribution for the surface and the underground. Those people had to die for their part. She stopped herself from going any further in the thought process, not that it had helped anyway. Where would it have ended? With the complete destruction of the tower and everyone within? She wouldn’t have been able to live with herself if that ever came to pass.
She approached the lift and pressed the down button. She didn’t have any means of going up nor did she have any desire to ascend farther in the tower. The doors to the lift opened and she stepped inside. The steam pressed the hydraulics to close the door. The boilers then let the steam loose to bring the lift downward.
The lift stopped at the second above. As the doors opened she was greeted by six revolving pistols aimed directly at her face. She screamed and fell to the floor. Finally one of the armed men said, “Arms down, that’s Miss Ibot. Cobble would be some pissed if he found out we’d killed her.”
The revolving pistols disappeared from her view and she returned to a standing position. Constance took in a deep breath and regained her composure. “Why have I stopped on the second above?” she asked inquisitively.
“That’s our orders ma’am,” one of the soldiers said. “We are to stop any and all lifts going to the bottom because they are likely filled with enemy soldiers. When this lift went to the third above we assumed that’s what you were. I apologize for the scare we caused, but we can’t be too careful.”
“I understand,” Constance said with a voice of authority. “Now, could you let me get to the surface? I have a hunt to continue.”
The soldier shook his head, “I can’t do that right now,” he said apologetically. “We’ve got more soldiers coming from the first above with new orders. I’m afraid that takes priority over your trip to the surface. Once they are up here and have given the new orders we will escort you to the surface. Until then you’ll just have to sit tight.”
Constance nodded. “Alright,” she said hiding her anger.
Four shots were heard in the distance. Constance drew her revolving pistol and told the soldiers to sit tight. It’d be easier and stealthier for one person to go alone. She would whistle in the event she’d need help. The soldiers agreed, not a difficult thing for Constance to achieve considering they all wanted to stay and wait for their orders.
Smoke left the Lang’s home with Blue behind him. The four soldiers gave the two of them grave looks. “Things go as expected?” Leon asked.
“They did,” Smoke said with a grin.
In his arms he held the sack containing the two million skins he’d been promised. Killing the Lang family was dirty business and he didn’t expect he’d get a detective job ever again because of it. That was fine by him; he was done with looking for people. He had his new purpose. That was enough for him.
Four shots rang through the halls and the four soldiers dropped dead. Smoke spun on the balls of his feet to see a masked soldier approaching them. “I almost didn’t think you survived. There have been a lot of rumours about your death. I’m glad to see you’re actually alive.”
“Who are you?” Smoke asked.
“Oh right,” the soldier said before removing his mask and helmet.
Fulcrum’s face grinned at them as the headwear hit the floor. Smoke had guessed the soldier had been Fulcrum. Smoke raised his hands and motioned for Blue to do the same. “I wish I could say the warm feelings are mutual Fulcrum.”
“Oh come now Smoke,” Fulcrum said. “I know our deal was that I kill you and take the skins, but I’m willing to make a deal, one where you walk out of here alive. You leave the skins and I shoot the girl and you and I are square. Deal?”
“Tell me one thing first,” Smoke said with narrowed eyes.
“Alright,” Fulcrum said with hesitation.
“You’re pissed at me because I left and you got captured right?” Smoke asked.
Fulcrum nodded, “Yeah, still mad about that.”
“I assume my father put you through quite a bit of torture to teach you a lesson.”
“Still have the nightmares. Thanks for bringing that up by the way, what’s your question?”
Smoke gave a slight smile, “Why would my father let you go without any visible scars? He’d have at least given you a cheek scar or some way of making an example of you. I’ve even spoken to people from the fourth below; apparently you didn’t even try to leave. So, tell me again why you’ve got a fucking revolving pistol aimed at me!”
Fulcrum scowled, “Because you left. You left the fourth below and I can’t forgive you for that. I tried playing on your humanity and your knowledge of what your father would do to a deserter. I don’t expect you to understand my point, but we were close. When you left you took a piece of me with you, I didn’t want to leave. I had a great job and was starting to garner some power. I learned to live without you being around, I had to figure some things out for myself, but seeing
you again brought that piece back so now I have to kill it. I loved you as a brother, but now you’re nothing to me. Just another life I have to extinguish.”
“Wow,” Smoke said shocked, “Fulcrum, I’m so sorry. I am so sorry you’re such a little bitch that you have to resort to killing me because I decided I didn’t want to be a fucking criminal anymore. Seriously, I’m embarrassed you even got this far. I should have shot you back in the second below; at least I would have been safe to do what I have to do.”
“Here we are though,” Fulcrum said as Smoke watched his mood go from calm to a rising anger. “Your newfound sense of honour stabbing you in the back again.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Smoke pleaded.
“Who are you?” Blue asked.
“Nobody you’re ever going to know,” Fulcrum said, “After all, I don’t leave witnesses.”
Fulcrum raised his revolving pistol a little higher. Smoke closed his eyes and heard the shot go off, matched with the thud of a body falling to the ground. Smoke opened his eyes slightly to see Constance standing before him and Fulcrum lying in a pool of his own blood. “You’re alive?” she said softly.
Smoke looked at the woman as she approached him slowly. She seemed to want to be sure he wasn’t a ghost or some evil specter sent to haunt her. She placed her hand softly against his face. “Hi Constance,” he said softly.
Her face immediately went from soft amazement to harsh anger. She slapped him across the face snapping his head to the side. “You left me in the fourth below!” she screamed, “You left me! Why?”
Smoke hung his head, “You know why,” he said quietly. “Also, be glad you stayed behind. You wouldn’t have survived the trip. I almost didn’t make it.”
“I didn’t think you had survived. But why do you think I wouldn’t have?”
“Trust him,” Blue interjected, “Where we’ve been… It’s not the sort of place you’re ever supposed to escape from.”
“Well, we’ve got some time,” Constance said angrily. “Tell me the story.”
“Later,” Smoke said. “Right now we need to get back to the surface and find Cobble. With Fulcrum dead, I have a promise to keep.”
Constance gave him a look before following behind him. As they approached the lift the soldiers saw Smoke and stood at attention. “Mister Callahan, we have some new orders. We want you to confirm them. You are the leader of this group now and we need you to let us know which direction to take.”
“Alright,” Smoke said confused. “What could you possibly need me for?”
“We just recently got orders to blow the tower up. We’ll be placing boomers along the first above and detonating them tonight once Tower’s Shadow has been evacuated.”
“No!” Constance yelled, “You can’t do that!”
“We can though,” the soldier said.
“There are innocent people here in the tower. Not everyone is an evil bastard who deserves to die. If you blow this tower everyone here will die.”
“What’s it going to be Mister Callahan?” the soldier asked.
“Smoke thought for a second, “We’ll blow the tower tomorrow afternoon. Send soldiers to each home in the tower and inform them of the plan and that they can’t stop it from happening. Those who wish to leave the tower will be escorted out to safety. They will be given opportunities to make their fortunes again, if they can. Those who choose to stay behind… well, they will die with their tower.”
“Smoke!” Constance said angrily.
“That’s my decision,” he shot back at Constance, “I’m giving them a fair chance to leave. No harm will come to them when they come down and they’ll have as much opportunity as the rest of us. The tower needs to come down; it’s a symbol of the oppression to those in the underground and the surface, we’ve suffered for generations. After that, I have a bigger job to do.” Smoke turned back to the soldiers, “Spread the word. Those who don’t answer their doors will have their doors broken down; those who wish not to leave will not be forced to leave. We don’t have time to fight with people who don’t want to be with us.”
The soldiers bowed and saluted, “Yes sir,” they shouted in unison.
“Now, Let us down to the surface,” Smoke said with authority.
The soldiers nodded, “We have our orders now. We can let you back down. We apologize for the inconvenience Miss Ibot.”
“No need to apologize,” she said with a forced smile. “Staying here worked better than I imagined it would.”
“Writer be praised then,” a soldier said happily before closing the door to the lift.
Constance gave Smoke an odd look at the mention of The Writer. “Did he really say Writer be praised?”
“He did,” Smoke said rubbing his eyebrows with his thumb and middle finger, “It looks as if Penelope has been talking with the locals. She’ll likely be setting up a church soon.”
“Who’s Penelope?” Constance asked with a hint of amusement. “You sure seem to have a way with women don’t you.”
“She’s an im-” Blue began before Smoke stopped her.
“She’s the woman who brought me to the lower floors and brought me back up through the underground,” Smoke said as he listened to the steam being released from the lift’s pipes and ignoring Constance’s bad joke. “She also saved the two of us from the engine.”
“The engine?” Constance asked.
“Oh right,” Smoke remembered.
Smoke proceeded to tell Constance the story of what happened starting from the point he left her in the fourth below. He told her about the encounters with Homer and Blaze, she then told him of her encounters with the two men. Smoke listened when she spoke and when she had finished he told her of the emptiness of the seventh, eighth and ninth belows.
The doors to the lift opened and the three exited only for the lift to be refilled by soldiers. Smoke could see a large crowd gathering in the direction of the lift to the underground, “I wonder what’s going on over there?” Blue said.
Smoke shrugged, “I don’t know, but I’m sure Cobble will be there.”
Constance and Blue nodded as they began walking in the direction of the crowd. As they walked he told her about the engine and the tortures him and Blue had gone through, even going so far as to show her the heavily scabbed backs of his arms and legs. He told her about the escape and the mad dash to get to the surface.
Once Smoke had finished his story Constance began telling her story. She told him about her time on the fourth below and as the liaison for the surface during the talks. She told him about how she had pushed back the date of the boomers to give him more time to find Blue and make it back out, only for him to be late anyway. She told him about the climb up the tower’s vents and the claustrophobia she had felt as she climbed. She told him about how well people from the underground had integrated into Tower’s Shadow and become a functioning large community.
“Why were you on the third above?” Smoke asked.
“Dealing with some unfinished business,“ she said in a dismissive tone. “I’m sorry; it’s just not something I want to talk about. All I’ll say is that things are alright with me now.”
Smoke chose to accept her decision and continued toward the crowd. It seemed everyone from the underground and the surface had gathered around the lift. “What’s going on?” Smoke asked one of the men.
“Someone is going down to blow up the underground,” the man said. “From what I’ve heard there’s no coming back for her, the boomer will explode and that will be all. We’ll be safe from the underground forever.”
Smoke’s eyes scanned the crowd. He couldn’t find the center. He pushed himself into the crowd and through people as they pushed back against him. As he got closer to where people were gathering around he could make out three distinct faces: Cobble, Homer and Penelope. Why was Penelope with the two of them? Also, why did she look so uncomfortable?
“Penelope!” Smoke called out.
The immortal woman looke
d at Smoke and gave him a soft smile. “Let him through,” she said loudly.
The crowd obeyed and Smoke made his way to the lift entrance. He wasn’t sure when he’d lost Constance and Blue, but he believed it to be before he shoved himself into the crowd. “What are you doing?” Smoke asked. “What’s this I hear about you sacrificing yourself?”
Penelope smiled, “Smoke, you know as well as I do that I’m not going to die. It might take me a few years to pull myself back together, I mean after this boom there will be nothing left of me to reassemble so my essence will have to take elements from the surrounding area to come back. That will take a long, long time. I have my way back to the surface, so you don’t have to worry about that. I’m just doing something that I really don’t want to do for all the right reasons. I’ll be around long after the engine is gone no matter if it decomposes on its own or if I blow it up. But you people, you need to be able to advance again. You need to be able to survive in comfort. It may not be in your generation or your kid’s generation that will find that comfort. But you will all live freely.”
Smoke placed both his hands on Penelope’s ears; she mirrored the motion and closed her eyes. “You come back,” he said with a smile. “I’ll buy you whatever you need when you get back. I can afford that now.”
Penelope smiled, “I’d like that,” she said softly. “I have to go now.”
She pulled away from Smoke and he watched her step on the lift platform. She gripped the crank and allowed the lift to descend into the first below. Smoke watched as she disappeared from view with a heavy heart. Five men approached the lift hole with a wooden cover and placed it over top. Penelope would not be getting any light until she reached the first below. “What’s that for?” Smoke asked.
The Engine What Runs the World Page 32