Archipelago N.Y.: Flynn

by Todorov, Vladimir

  Now, the man who ran the Scavenger Trials was standing in a speed boat, only a few feet away from Flynn’s raft. His muscled arms were folded over his chest, his weather-beaten face completely expressionless. Unblinking gray eyes were staring right back at Flynn. Looking at those eyes, Flynn was suddenly convinced that Duncan Roth knew everything about him… about all his illegal scavenging, his trips to the Black Market…and, worst of all, the Rottweiler knew about his two encounters with Leo Van Zandt. Of course, Leo had broken their deal and told Duncan Roth about finding the Seeker outside the permitted Zone, thought Flynn… How could he have been so stupid to think that someone like Leo would keep to his word? Tony had been right, warning him to be on the lookout for trouble… Was the Rottweiler about to accuse him of breaking the law? Was he going to banish Flynn from the Trials? Flynn would have to keep his mouth shut and not argue back…Being cocky with Leo was one thing…to disrespect this man would be another story… “For the Greater Good, sir,” Flynn said, swallowing hard and feeling his blood run cold.

  Duncan Roth didn’t even acknowledge the greeting. He just kept staring at Flynn, saying nothing. Flynn slowly pressed on the pedals and started to move away. No sound came from behind, no movement in the water. Flynn increased his speed and threw a quick glance back. Duncan Roth was still there, looking at him… Flynn kept pedaling. After a while, when he was sure he wasn’t being followed, he breathed a sigh of relief.

  “What was that about?” Madison finally asked.

  “I don’t know,” said Flynn, trying hard to sound upbeat. “Guess the Rottweiler’s just keeping an eye on the teams, that’s all.” But deep down, he was sure there was more to this encounter… and that there would be trouble ahead.

  Flynn dropped Madison off at the basement docks of her building and left without stopping to chat. She watched his raft exit through the gap in the wall, then turned and headed for the dimly lit stairs. Madison had only climbed a few steps, when a figure appeared out of the shadows. It was Leo Van Zandt, standing on the landing above, with a sinister smile on his face.

  “Hello Madison!” Leo drawled as he came down toward her. “What's wrong, beautiful? Aren't you happy to see me?”

  Madison took a step back. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Leo’s motor boat, full of his guards, entering the basement. When she turned round, Leo was standing right next to her.

  “Now, Miss Ray,” he said, casually placing his hand around her shoulder, “will you be a good girl and follow me? I believe, I invited you to dinner … and tonight’s the big night.”

  He took a step down, but Madison didn't move. “Sorry!” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “The Trials are tomorrow… I’ve got to rest.”

  “No, you don’t.” Leo’s smile widened.

  “What do you mean?” Madison asked.

  “You’re not going to the Trials, I’m afraid,” said Leo, suddenly grabbing her hand.

  “Let go of me!” Madison jerked her arm, trying to pull free, but Leo tightened his grip.

  The smile on his face had vanished. “It's no longer an invitation, Madison Ray! It's an order!” he hissed in her ear. “I’ll let you in on a little secret… The Departure List comes out in forty-eight hours… and I know your parents are getting old, so… I think you get my drift?”

  Madison felt as if someone had knocked the air out of her.

  “I bet you don’t want to be saying goodbye to them, just yet!” Leo said with a little chuckle.

  “You…” she gasped, struggling for words, “you can’t do that! They’ve got at least a few more years before their time is up… they’re both healthy and strong…”

  “Oh, I can do anything I want!” Leo’s face was now inches from hers. “So…what’s it going to be, then? Join me for dinner, or we’ll have to make some additions to the List?”

  Glaring at the boy, Madison stood for a long tense moment, her mind racing. And then she nodded slowly, resignation now etched on her face. She allowing her hand to slacken in his.

  “That's better,” Leo drawled, his smile reappearing. “Shall we go then, beautiful?”

  “First, I’ll need to get something from my place.”

  Leo frowned, his eyes narrowing. He hesitated for a second, then let go of Madison and folded his arms over his chest. “Fine! I’ll be waiting for you right here.”

  Madison turned to go, but he grabbed her arm again. “Don’t try anything stupid!”

  “Of course, I won’t,” she said, managing a weak smile. “I won’t be long.” And with those words, Madison shot past him and ran up the stairs. Taking three steps at a time, and trying not to cry, she headed straight for her Pigeon Tower.

  THIRTEEN

  Flynn was seriously worried now. He threw a nervous glance at the row of little rafts moored to the long floating platform of the Scavenger’s Dock. It was built right above the sunken old Ferry Terminals and spanned the base of One, New York Plaza building. All the competing Scavenging teams were already there; busy with their last minute preparations, checking their diving equipment, tightening ropes… Not all rafts were the same, though. Some had the advantage of using pedals and water wheels, while others were only equipped with crudely made oars and short wooden paddles.

  Flynn looked to his right where Pharrell Lewis was fixing a piece of tape around the hose of his air pump. Their eyes met and Pharrell winked at him. Flynn nodded and looked away. He had come hours before dawn, way before all the other teams. He had checked and re-checked his gear many times over and was ready to go… Except, there was no sign of Madison! The Trials were about to begin, and Flynn had no Crew Mate! He could do it alone, he knew that… It was risky and dangerous, but not impossible. He had done many dives on his own, and he was confident enough he could do it again today. But the rules were clear… Anyone without a Crew Mate wasn’t allowed to compete and would be disqualified!

  Flynn had kept telling himself that Madison would show up … But now, as he was counting the last minutes before the race, a terrible feeling of dread had crept in... What if she didn’t? The biggest day in his life was about to end in disaster! All his dreams and hopes for the future, shattered! With his stomach tied up in a knot, and his heart pounding in his chest, it was hard for Flynn to stay calm… Where the hell was Madison?

  The sound of engines made him snap to attention again. Three motor boats shot out from behind the Plaza building, made a wide turn and approached the platform. Duncan Roth was in the first boat. Leo Van Zandt and his thugs were in the second, followed by a bunch of guards in the third. The boats stopped by the platform, killed their engines and the group disembarked. All the Scavenging teams stood up on their rafts and watched the Rottweiler walk over to the center of the platform. “For the Greater Good!” they all cried.

  Flynn heard his own hoarse voice join in the salute. Duncan Roth, his face expressionless as always, slowly glanced over the rows of rafts. His piercing gray eyes stopped on Flynn for a moment, inspected the rest of the teams then returned back to Flynn. It was the same stone cold stare the man had given him the day before. The stare that had sent shivers down Flynn's spine. Duncan Roth took out his handheld device. “Name?” he said dryly.

  “Flynn Perry, sir.”

  “Where's your partner?”

  “She...” said Flynn, feeling he was going to be sick, “… she'll be here ... any moment now, sir!”

  His words were met with a loud snort of laughter from Leo Van Zandt, who was now standing right behind the Rottweiler. He folded his arms and locked eyes with Flynn, an arrogant smirk on his face. Flynn glared back at him.

  Duncan Roth glanced at Leo, slightly raising his eyebrow then turned to Flynn. “Go home Perry!” There was no emotion in his voice. “You'll be assigned to a new job tomorrow, together with all the others who’ve failed the Trials.”

  Flynn felt like a hammer had hit him over the head. The blood drained from his face. His legs felt unsteady and his hands had suddenly gone numb. All eyes were
on him now… “Sir!” cried Flynn, trying hard to compose himself. “I can do it… alone! Give me the chance, so I can prove it to you!”

  “You know the rules, boy!” The Rottweiler's unblinking eyes stared at Flynn. “You can't compete without a Crew Mate! Go home!”

  “But ...” Flynn choked on his words. His eyes found Leo, only to see a victorious smile spread over the boy’s face. Flynn stood motionless for a long moment then started to untie the Seeker from the platform. It was all over! His future wiped out!

  “Flynn, wait!”

  Startled, Flynn looked up.

  Panting and covered in sweat, a familiar figure was running down the Scavenger Dock toward them. Visibly exhausted, Tony Romero came to an abrupt stop in front of Duncan Roth. “Sir…” he gasped, struggling to catch his breath. “I’m his Crew Mate, sir! Sorry I'm late!”

  “You?” Duncan Roth’s eyes narrowed. The boy looked like he could barely stand on his feet. “You think you're fit to compete?”

  “I can do it, sir!” replied Tony. “For the Greater Good, sir.”

  The Rottweiler studied him for a moment then took out his handheld again. “Name?”

  “Tony Romero, sir.”

  “Fine,” Duncan Roth said, typing on his screen. “You're signed in, and you may join your…”

  “Duncan!” Leo cried out angrily. “You can't allow this!”

  Duncan Roth raised his hand to silence Leo’s protest then nodded to Tony. “Go on, boy. Join your team mate.” The Rottweiler then turned to face Leo. “Don’t ever interrupt me again!” he said and waved the boy away.

  Leo, his face turning bright red, opened his mouth as if to say something then closed it. He stepped back angrily, shaking his head. Tony, still panting, scrambled onto the Seeker and stood next to his friend.

  “Tony, what the hell are you doing here?” Flynn whispered.

  “I'll explain later.”

  All teams were waiting for Duncan Roth to speak. The man was now holding a bullhorn.

  “Listen up, everyone!” began the Rottweiler, his amplified voice rising over the Scavenger’s Dock. “Today you'll be scavenging within the waters of the Lower Side. You won't be leaving its boundaries. In a minute, you'll be given maps with the co-ordinates of your individual challenge tasks. There's a map for each team, with a different target for each one of you. I’ve personally planted all targets and drafted all the maps. Each target is unique and different from the rest. The targets are placed approximately at the same depth and not far from each other, so it's a fair game... But expect surprises! Don’t try to cheat, fight or steal another team's target. I'll know! Anyone caught breaking the rules, will be disqualified! Is that clear?”

  “Yes!” cried all the teams.

  “I didn't hear you!”

  “Yes, sir! For the Greater Good, sir!” This time they all yelled like one, the echo of their voices bouncing back from the walls behind the docking platform.

  “That’s better!” said Duncan Roth and started pacing again. “When you find your target, you'll bring it back to me. You’ve got five hours to complete the course. The teams that haven’t come back by then… will be disqualified.”

  His voice was monotonous, without emotion. “Now,” the Rottweiler continued, “the first three teams to complete their challenges and bring me their targets, earn the privilege to be Free Scavengers and members of the Scavenger Crews. All the others, regardless of the order they come back in, will be assigned to the Industrial Scavenging Crews… I'm sure you all knew that already.” Duncan Roth stopped at the edge of the water and added, “Any questions?”

  The teams were quiet, tense and eager to start. Of course, they all knew the rules! Duncan Roth opened the flap of his canvas bag and took out a bundle of square-cut plastic maps. He started handing them out one by one to the teams. When he reached Flynn and Tony, he seemed to hesitate for a split second. Shuffling the maps, he took one from the middle and tossed it to Flynn. When all maps were handed out, Duncan Roth waited a few minutes to allow the crews to study their directions, then stood at the center of the platform and raised his hand in the air. He was now holding a large revolver. “Let the Trials begin,” he cried and fired a single shot.

  The crews sprang into action immediately. Having stood perfectly still and quiet just moments earlier, they were now all scrambling like mad, running and shouting, in a feverish rush to head out. Loud insults flew back and forth. Rafts bumped and crashed into each other in their frenzied attempt to be the first to push away from the dock. A few punches were thrown; ugly curses and deadly threats exchanged… With so much at stake, there was no holding back. The water around the rafts was churning from the crazy speed of the pedals, and the pull of the oars.

  Flynn had freed the Seeker with one swift move, and was already pushing on the pedals, skillfully navigating through the narrow gaps between the other rafts. “Sit back and take it easy. I’ll get us out of here in no time!” he shouted above all the noise to Tony. “Save your strength for the pump and the diving bell!”

  In a couple of minutes, all the rafts had disappeared from the Scavenger’s Dock, leaving a big wake behind them.

  “Tell me what happened?” Flynn finally asked Tony, after he had managed to put a good distance between him and the competition. Only two vessels were ahead of the Seeker. One belonged to Pharrell and his buddy, and the other to a crew he didn’t recognize. But Flynn's raft was light and fast. He had no doubt he would catch up with those rafts, even overtake them round the next bend. They had to all go south, past the Fishing Nets, before swinging into the Lower Side canals. Flynn kept his speed steady as he turned to look at his friend. Tony lay sprawled on the seat next to him. Some color had returned to his face, and his breathing was back to normal.

  “Well...” Tony began slowly, “first, don't be mad at Madison!”

  “Why shouldn't I? She screwed up!”

  “No Flynn, she didn't! She had no choice…”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She got cornered by Leo last night… He threatened to put her parents on the List… and then he took her home with him… back to the Upper Side!”

  “How do you know all that?”

  “‘Coz she managed to send me one of her pigeons with a message.”

  “Bastard!” Flynn's face darkened. “You were right about him…. Should’ve listened to you.”

  “Yeah. I knew Leo would do something… to make you pay… So, here I am, amigo. ”

  “Thanks for doing this, Tony!”

  “It wasn't easy sneaking out… Mom's sure gonna be mad as hell…,”said Tony and chuckled to himself.

  Flynn smiled and looked ahead. “Here… take the map,” he said, “have a look at it… See where we're heading, what's the target… I’ve got to get past these guys.”

  Tony buried his nose in the map, while Flynn doubled his effort and increased his speed.

  Madison stood on her toes against the big glass window and squinted at the rising sun. She strained her eyes at the faint outlines of the Lower Side buildings, far in the distance to her right. She took in the tiny silhouettes floating on the water. The Archipelago’s rafts and boats appeared to be hovering over the smooth surface of the ocean, like little dragonflies. Somewhere out there was Flynn’s raft… She was supposed to be on the Seeker right now, next to Flynn and competing in the Trials… There was no way of knowing if her message had reached Tony…if he had been able to make it to the race on time … if Flynn had been allowed to compete… All she knew was that the Trials had started, and she could do nothing, but wait and hope for the best.

  Madison stepped back and studied the window pane one more time. All the handles had been removed. She had checked and re-checked every inch of it, looking in vain for an opening. Madison had poked in all the holes and cracks, her fingers sore and her nails broken from trying to pry the window open. She had also given up on trying to open the room’s heavy wooden door. There was no way out! Madison had come as L
eo Van Zandt’s dinner guest, but the truth was that she was his prisoner. She was a captive, locked in one of the many rooms of the Van Zandt luxurious apartment, somewhere at the top of the Empire State Building.

  Madison had never set foot on the Upper Side, until Leo had whisked her there in his motor boat the night before. Everybody on the Lower Side knew their neighbors were privileged, but she had never seen or imagined that this kind of opulent life existed…all this solid furniture, thick soft carpets, wonderful smells…The room she was locked in had its own bathroom! A real bathroom! With porcelain toilet seat, bathtub and sink. Madison had marveled at the clean soft towels, the fragrant soap and bottles full of lovely scented lotions. The biggest surprise was when she had turned on the tap and fresh water had poured out, splashing in the sink, flowing freely… No rations and no limits here on the Upper Side… Madison had fought the desire to jump in the shower, or to fill the bathtub and just lie in it for an hour or two…In the end, she had turned the water off and walked away, hating her moment of weakness.

  And then there was the food… the dinner Leo Van Zandt had promised her. She glanced at the table and the dozen different dishes and platters on it. The lavish spread included many delicacies she had heard of, but had rarely or never tasted. Madison couldn’t believe that there were so many different kinds of vegetables and fruit! Grown from seeds that had survived the Flood and cultivated exclusively in the Upper Side greenhouses, these were the rarest of pickings only the Government got to enjoy… Tomatoes and cucumbers, onions, beans and lettuce, cabbage and peppers, apples and pears, melon, oranges… They even had grapes!