Archipelago N.Y.: Flynn

by Todorov, Vladimir

  Peeling his eyes away from the water, Leo Van Zandt now checked his watch. “Let's see ... I say he'll be up in a minute or two, empty handed. Or he won't come back at all! Who wants to make a bet?” He turned to his friends, and then his eyes fell on Madison's horrified face. Leo swept back his blond hair and curled his lip. Here was another reason for him to be so pleased, Leo thought… The girl was such a bonus to finding the elusive Flynn Perry… Leo had expected the Romero boy to be standing watch when he and his mates had swooped on the Seeker. He had not been prepared for an encounter with the gorgeous girl, now sitting in his boat. And Leo had to admit, he was struck by Madison’s beauty from the start… She was what his father would call a ‘fine specimen’... In fact, it was only yesterday that Marcus Van Zandt had spoken to him on a subject related to girls…With Leo’s coming of age just around the corner, it was time for the young Van Zandt to be paired up… It was the Archipelago’s tradition to match boys with girls, so that they could create new family units and ensure the healthy birth of future Archipelago citizens. “We’ll hold our annual Day of Pairing soon,” his father had said, “right after we get the Departure Ceremony out of the way.”

  Leo, of course, was well aware that he was the most eligible bachelor in town… There would be no shortage of female candidates, all trying to catch his attention… His father had already compiled a short-list with girls from a variety of respectable Upper Side families… Leo knew them all… And some he knew really well … Little sluts, the whole lot of them, he thought, and not one came close to being so ravishingly beautiful… Yes, this Madison Ray was something else! One thing was certain now… Leo Van Zandt wanted this girl… And he knew he would have her. That was a given.

  “Worried, aren't we?” Leo sat down next to Madison.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked, glaring at him. “You know it's an impossible dive!”

  “Is it?” Leo pointed at the water, feigning surprise. “He’s supposed to be one of the best divers, right? As my father likes to say, it should be a walk in the park for our hero down there, then!”

  “Walk in the what? There's no park...” Madison stopped mid sentence.

  “Smart girl!” Leo laughed. “You got that right! There’re no parks to walk in! Your friend's not coming back!”

  “You're a monster!” Madison spat at him.

  Leo stared at her. Nobody had ever spoken to him that way… and certainly no girl had ever dared to do so… Suddenly, he found that extremely exciting and pleasurable. He could feel his pulse racing. “Oh? I thought you liked me!” Leo drawled. “I was just about to invite you to dinner tonight!”

  Madison gave him a long, cold stare. Leo allowed his eyes to linger over her for a moment and licked his lips. He then checked his watch and grinned. “It’s been three minutes already!” he announced as he got up and looked at the water. Everyone followed his gaze. There was no sign of Flynn. “Well,” Leo said, “… I’m afraid we may have lost one of the Archipelago’s best young divers!” Starting his boat’s engine, he turned to the guards. “Secure Perry’s raft. We’re heading back!”

  “Wait!” Madison shouted. A single tear rolled down her cheek. “Give him some more time… please!”

  “Hah! Looks like Miss Ray believes in miracles!” Leo laughed and began to turn the boat toward the Archipelago. The second boat followed slowly, towing the Seeker in its wake.

  Madison slumped on her seat and buried her head in her hands. She felt dizzy. They were really going to leave Flynn to drown…This was cold blooded murder! And there was nothing she could do about it. Overwhelmed by the horror of it all, she felt her whole body begin to shake… But it was also Flynn’s fault, she thought angrily, catching her breath and wiping away her tears. Yes, Leo Van Zandt was a monster, but why did Flynn take the challenge? How could he be such an idiot?

  The boats were picking up speed, when Madison suddenly heard Flynn’s voice rise above the roar of the engines. “Stop!” she cried, trying to stand up. “Stop the boat!”

  “Hey! Van Zandt!” Flynn was yelling louder now for all to hear.

  Leo and his friends all turned to look. The sight of Flynn’s head bobbing in the water wiped the smile from Leo’s face. He made a sharp U-turn and headed back toward Flynn. “Look who’s back!” said Leo, struggling to hide his anger and disappointment. “Empty handed I guess?”

  Grinning, Flynn raised his hand above his head. He was holding a six-pack of algae covered cans. “Catch!” he shouted and hurled the cans at Van Zandt.

  Leo almost fell back as he caught the pack. He stared at it for a moment then tossed it to his friends. “Have some beer, boys!” said Leo, trying hard to sound cool and indifferent to what had just taken place… But history was repeating itself! The scum boy had made him appear stupid and weak in front of so many people… His face darkened as he followed Flynn out of the water.

  Flynn now stood on the Seeker’s deck. “So…” he began, with a note of victory in his voice, “… I kept my part of the deal!”

  Leo’s eyes narrowed. He pointed a finger at Flynn. “You lucked out this time, Perry boy! It won’t happen again. One wrong move and I’ll make sure you’re banished! Is that clear?”

  Flynn nodded as he bent down to cut his raft free from the Van Zandt power boat.

  Leo shifted his gaze to Madison. “As for you,” he said, “… my dinner invitation still stands… I bet you won’t miss your hero boy, once you get a taste of the Upper Side!”

  “Really?” Madison flashed her teeth at him. “I can’t wait!”

  “Oh, you won’t have to wait, my dear,” said Leo and turned to his friends. “You can let the girl go.”

  The moment his friends loosened their grip, Madison broke free and was back on the Seeker in a flash. She stood next to Flynn, trying to match his defiant stance. “I think I’ll stay here for now!” she said, throwing her shoulders back.

  Leo Van Zandt cocked an eyebrow. The corner of his mouth twitched. “Your loss, beautiful!” he said and blew her a kiss. Then, pushing down on the throttle, he backed the Fury away from the raft and sped toward the Archipelago.

  With the Van Zandt boats a safe distance away, Madison swung around and slapped Flynn hard on the face. “You jerk!” she cried, hitting him again. “I thought you’d drowned down there!”

  Stunned, Flynn tried to shield himself from her angry fists, but Madison kept coming at him. Throwing his arms around Madison, he pinned her hands down in a tight grip. He felt her struggle against his body. Eventually, the girl began to calm down, and allowed her head to rest on his chest. They stayed like that, locked in an awkward embrace, until Flynn slowly released his grip… Madison pushed away from him gently and stepped back. Still a little teary, she studied his face. Flynn felt his face grow hot and lowered his gaze.

  “How did you do it?” she asked, finally breaking their awkward silence. “How did you manage to stay underwater for so long?”

  “Well…” said Flynn, clearing his throat… After having held Madison in his arms, he was finding it hard to regain his composure. “I’ve got this secret compartment…”

  “Secret compartment, huh?”

  “Yeah, in one of the barrels under the Seeker, you know…” Flynn was now relieved to change the subject and not to be standing so close to Madison. “…Some of my stash was still in there and…. when the bastard challenged me, I thought…”

  “Oh! So, all that time you were hiding under the raft?”

  “Yeah… I could hear everything, and … thanks for your concern back there! You sounded really worried about me.”

  Madison stared at him for a moment then shook her head. “Don’t mention it!” she said and slumped down on the battered car seat.

  “Disappointed?” Flynn sat next to her. “Well, sorry I’m not the incredible hero you thought I was!”

  A tiny smile forced up the corner of Madison’s lips. “I’m glad you’re not! Otherwise, you’d be dead.”

  “It’s no
t too late to go and have dinner with Leo Van Zandt!”

  Madison’s eyebrows shot up and her eyes narrowed. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

  “What?”

  She rolled her eyes, leaned in and kissed Flynn lightly on the lips. “Can you take me home now? It’s been a really long day,” she whispered.

  “Sure!” Flynn grinned, trying not to think about the little kiss. “Home, sweet home it is…”

  ELEVEN

  “I knew this was gonna happen, amigo! That prick will make your life hell,” Tony said shaking his head. Flynn had just finished telling him about his encounter with Leo Van Zandt.

  The two boys were sitting on the roof of Tony’s building, their feet dangling over the ledge. Before them, sprawled the bright green rectangle of the Algae Farm. It was enormous in size. A good three square miles and dotted with at least a hundred harvester rafts. These specialized vessels were crisscrossing the thick algae surface, leaving black trails behind them. The farming of algae was vital to the Archipelago’s existence. As food, algae crops were a great source of protein, minerals and vitamins. They also had amazing medicinal properties and were used to cure just about anything. But most importantly, this algae crop was the Archipelago’s main source of energy.

  Legend had it that Nakamura’s ancestors had discovered a microbe living in the seaweed, and under the right conditions, it could extract sugar from the plant. The sugar was transformed into ethanol and that in turn was used as fuel. All the engines in the city ran on it… But right now, the boys were chewing on the spicy seaweed sticks Flynn had brought. They were delicious! Tony had felt a bit better that day, so Mrs. Romero had finally agreed to let him out for a little walk on the roof… To catch some sun rays. The fresh pigeon eggs Flynn had bartered from Madison also helped in winning the woman over.

  Tony’s face was pale, his eyes tired. “What’re you gonna do now, amigo?” he asked, glancing up at Flynn.

  “Keep training, of course... Nothing’s really changed.”

  “You sure ‘bout that?” Tony looked worried. “Leo Van Zandt ain’t gonna take this lying down, you know… And he’s invited Madison to have dinner with him.”

  “That’s his problem,” Flynn said and spat out a wad of seaweed.

  “I’ve got a really bad feeling ‘bout this. You should find someone else to be your Crew Mate.”

  “But you were the one who told me to go ask Madison…There’s no one else, Tony!” Flynn shook his head. “The Trials are next week… everyone’s teamed up already… I’m going in with her on board.”

  “You’ll be putting Madison at risk... Messing with Leo Van Zandt like you two did… Crazy shit!”

  “She’s not afraid of the bastard! And she really wants to be on my team.”

  “Yeah, ‘coz she digs you, amigo!” said Tony, staring intently at his friend.

  “Alright, I think I get it now!” Flynn began to laugh. “You’re jealous… of Madison… You’re jealous she’s on the team.”

  Tony shook his head and swore under his breath. Flynn couldn’t be more wrong. “No, I ain’t jealous of Madison…”

  “Then what is it?”

  “I’m just trying to look out for you and the girl, amigo… Like I said, I’ve got a bad feeling bout this… That’s all…”

  “Listen Tony, once you get better, you’re coming back with me on the Seeker. We’ll be the best team in town. Madison’s only temporary, OK?”

  Tony looked away into the distance. The two boys sat in silence for a long moment then Tony began to cough. He pulled a dirty rag out of his pocket, wiped his mouth and showed it to Flynn… The rag was covered in specks of blood.

  “See! I’m never gonna to get better,” Tony said. “I keep thinking ‘bout Mr. Chow and what you said he did on that cable car… How he chose to end it all...”

  “What are you saying, Tony!” Flynn’s cried. “That’s crazy talk!”

  “Sometimes I wish…” Tony looked down at the twenty storey drop to the water below, “I wish I was brave enough to push myself off this ledge, and be done… Instead of waiting for the Government to do it for me! Waiting for the day my name shows up on the List!”

  “Stop it! You’re not going to be on nobody’s list!”

  “I know it's against the law!” Tony looked up at Flynn. “…But at least it’ll be my choice, not theirs!”

  Their eyes met and they stared at each other. Tony sat in quiet resignation, while Flynn tried desperately not to choke up, struggling to find the right words. What could he say? Just offer more false encouragements to his best friend…more lies…

  “Tony Romero! Where are you?”

  The two boys turned at the same time. In a way, Flynn was relieved to hear Mrs. Romero’s voice. It had put a stop to what Tony had been saying… Her head poked from behind the roof’s row of solar panels. When she spotted where the boys were sitting, her eyes grew wide with fear. “Get down from there right now!” she yelled as she rushed toward them.

  Tony swung his legs back over the ledge and stood up, followed by Flynn. “Don’t worry, Mom. We’ve done this a million times.”

  “I don’t want to hear about it!” She glanced angrily at Flynn and grabbed Tony by the hand. “Enough fresh air for you today! Soup’s ready!” She dragged Tony away, leaving Flynn to stand alone.

  He stared after them until they had disappeared, then punched the nearest wall. Knuckles bleeding, Flynn kept pounding at the bricks with all his strength… The pain stopped him from thinking about Tony and everything his friend had said...What prevented him from smashing his hand into a hundred little pieces was the low rumble of thunder over his head. Flynn looked up at the sky and caught his breath… Dark, ominous clouds were gathering over the Archipelago… Finally, he thought, the Lower Side was going to get a break. Rain was on its way! And he knew it would be a huge event! A moment later, he heard the sirens, announcing the approaching and long awaited storm.

  Flynn hurried down to the nearest walkway bridge and broke into a run.

  By the time he reached his building, the sky was a swirl of angry blackness. The tower was screeching and rattling with every powerful gust of wind. A few raindrops fell on his face as he rushed into his apartment. Flynn’s father was already there, gathering together all kinds of pots, pans, buckets, anything that could be filled with water.

  “Just in time, Flynn!” Alan Perry cried. “Give me a hand here.”

  Flynn grabbed as many containers as he could carry and ran outside. A flash of lightning lit up his excited face. Seconds later, came the deafening clap of thunder. And then rain began pouring down from the sky. The storm was right above them. Flynn’s father walked out shirtless, wearing only a coarse piece of cloth around his hips. “Quick! Get the soap!” Alan Perry shouted over the sound of more thunder.

  Flynn sprinted inside and reappeared a moment later, holding a small lump of home-made soap. He quickly stripped down to only his shorts and kicked his shoes off. There was a flurry of activity around them now. Half-naked people were rushing out of their apartments, carrying pots and pans, placing them on the walkways to catch the fresh rain water. Flynn quickly lathered his body and passed the soap to his dad. Alan Perry scrubbed away the thick layer of salty grime from his skin and then began to work on his matted hair. When he had finished, he just stood under the cascading rain, letting it rinse him clean. The water was warm and pleasant, pounding his body, washing away the foamy scum. Flynn watched his dad. The man was grinning like a child, whistling a tune as he ran his hands over his body.

  Flynn shifted his gaze to the crowd around them… Everybody was doing the same. Scrubbing, washing… their faces full of happiness… All this joy over something as simple as being able to clean yourself and your dirty laundry with fresh and unrestricted water… The rain storm was like a gift of life for the people on the Lower Side, pouring down from the skies, a reason to celebrate... Jubilant shouts and laughter rose above the sound of buckets being filled by the dri
ving rain. Singing could be heard, mixed with the howl of the wind and the creaking of the tower.

  From a distance it looked like the rooftop had come to life. But it was only a crowd of singing, soaking-wet people, united in some kind of a tribal dance, all their hardships forgotten for a brief moment in time…There they all were… a wild party in full swing, illuminated by the flashes of lightning…Unfortunately, the storm didn’t last very long… The rain stopped as abruptly as it had started. Like someone had turned the tap off, thought Flynn. The wind had blown the clouds over the Archipelago and was now carrying them away over the ocean. The sky cleared and the sound of thunder grew more and more distant, until it finally died away.

  The tower’s occupants took their buckets inside, laughing and joking, slamming their doors behind them. Soon life would be back to normal, Flynn thought… Back to the measly evening water rations again.

  Marcus Van Zandt watched the last few rain drops slide down the window pane and turned away from the dark window. “Well, after such a generous offering from the skies, there should be no water distribution for let’s say…”

  “A day?” suggested Duncan Roth, looking up from his handheld device. He was sitting alone at the big boardroom table.

  “Three days!” Van Zandt said with a wicked grin on his face. “Let them suffer a bit! A reminder that their life sustenance doesn’t come for free… It has to be earned!”

  Duncan Roth nodded and typed something on his screen.

  “Now, what’s the name of that boy again?” Van Zandt’s eyes shifted from Duncan to Leo, who was lounging comfortably on a leather couch and enjoying the warmth of the crackling fireplace before him.

  “Perry!” Leo spat out the name, “Flynn Perry.”