I gulped my breakfast down and drank my water. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get a lunch break today or not, so my meal was especially important to me. The room was starting to fill up with people now and it surprised me every time someone walked by and greeted us. Some people I recognized from last night, others I didn’t. It concerned me that so many people knew who we were.
“Drink the tea. It lowers body temperature, which you could use in that hot laundry room,” Jack said.
“Really?” I wasn’t sure if he was serious or not, but I drank the tea anyway. Over hydrating myself couldn’t hurt.
I absentmindedly watched Crystal leave the room. Yesterday I would have run to catch up with her and try to find out what she knew about Jack. But today there’s no doubt in my mind she knows who we both are. Would she tell Madi?
“Sunny?” I heard Jack say my name.
“What?” I asked.
“Are you okay?” Jack gave me a puzzled look.
“I’m fine - just preoccupied. I guess now that everyone knows who we are I’m feeling vulnerable. I don’t know how you’re not feeling that way too,” I questioned him.
“I am feeling that way, I’m just better at ignoring it. I take comfort in the fact that we have guards down here on our side. I know you still don’t trust them though and I understand," Jack picked up my hands from the table and held them in his. “I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe,” he assured me.
“I better get to work. I’m usually there waiting for Madi and I don’t want to disappoint her this morning!” I said as brightly as I could. I really did need to shake off this melancholy mood I was in.
Jack and I stood up at the same time. He draped his arm around my shoulders and squeezed me against him as we walked through the door and out into the hall. I knew he was just trying to show his support and put me in a better mood.
“Be careful at work. Drink water today,” he ordered, then kissed the top of my head and started the climb down the stairs toward the coalmine.
I walked the few flights up to the laundry room. Crystal was already there as I knew she would be.
“Good morning, Sunny,” she greeted me.
I stopped dead in my tracks and gave her a blank look.
“Don’t look so surprised. Everyone knows who you are now. Although, I figured it out the first time I saw you with Jack Kenner.”
“I thought I saw a look of recognition on your face when you saw him. How do you know him?” I questioned. There was no point in keeping secrets now.
“I sing at all the Presidential parties and dinners. In fact, it’s the only time I’m allowed to sing. I used to see Jack there all the time when he was engaged to Leisel. As much as I hate the bourge, it was hard not to notice Jack. I was supposed to sing at their wedding reception,” she said.
Knowing Jack the way I did now made it difficult to imagine him at a stuffy Presidential party as Leisel’s fiancé. The thought made me a little mad. I didn’t want to think of Jack as a bourge, particularly one that had a relationship with the President’s daughter. Yet he must have fit in at those parties. They had all accepted him as their next President.
“What was he like up there?” I asked hesitantly, not sure I really wanted to know. What if he was horrible?
“I never talked to him personally, but he always seemed polite to everyone. I always noticed that whenever they brought girls up from the Pit for their parties, he never touched them. That is, until he left with you the night of his bachelor party,” she said slyly.
“You were there? At the bachelor party?” I asked in surprise. Crystal nodded.
“I was serving the head table. I belong to Malcolm West, one of the President’s closest advisors,” she admitted.
“You belong to Malcolm West?” I asked. She nodded again. “Just like my friend belongs to Holt,” I mused out loud.
“You know Summer?” she asked. I raised my eyebrows in surprise. It never occurred to me that she would know Summer too.
“Yes. But don’t tell anyone she knows me!” I said, horrified that I had just divulged that information. “If Holt ever knew she was my friend, he’d use her to get to me.”
“I promise I won’t say anything. I feel sorry for your friend. The President is really crazy and he seems obsessed with her. Don’t get me wrong, I hate being touched by Malcolm, but at least he’s not insane like the President. There’s no way out for her,” she said.
“What do you mean there’s no way out for her?” I asked warily.
“President Holt has killed every mistress he’s had. He’s fanatical about keeping the bloodlines clean – you know bourge and urchins. As soon as he convinces himself she’s pregnant, he’ll kill her,” Crystal said shockingly.
“What?” I asked in disbelief, trying to process the information she just gave me. “Convinces himself? You mean she doesn’t even need to be pregnant?”
“None of the girls he’s killed has ever been pregnant. Rumour has it he’s not capable of having children. And if the rumours are true, Leisel’s mother took an urchin lover and got pregnant so the President killed her for it, but kept the baby as his own.”
“Is Summer in any danger yet?” I asked.
“No. It usually takes a year or two before he turns on his mistress. It depends how long he stays obsessed with her,” she explained.
President Holt was a bigger monster than I ever imagined. I had to find a way to get Summer away from him before he turned.
“Do you see Summer a lot?” I asked.
“At least once a week the President and Malcolm have dinner together in the President’s suites. I sit in the corner with my guitar and sing quietly, while Summer serves them. I’ll probably see her tonight. It’s the President’s birthday and Leisel is having a small dinner party for him.”
“If you talk to her, can you tell her I think about her all the time? That I miss her horribly,” I pleaded.
“We don’t get much of a chance to talk,” Crystal told me. A sad, scared look came over her face. “When the President and Malcolm are alone they talk. And… well… Summer and I hear things. Things we shouldn’t hear.”
“Like what?” I asked. Crystal looked scared and I wanted to know why.
“Forget it. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I would be killed if I ever repeated what I heard,” Crystal shook her head. “Is it true you and Jack are organizing a rebellion?” she asked changing the subject.
“Yes, but it’s hard to start a rebellion with only fifty people. Not enough are interested,” I said glumly.
“They’re interested. They’re just scared,” Crystal said.
“About the things you’ve heard,” I began, but Madi walked around the corner making me cut off my words. I would have to talk to Crystal later.
“Conspiring again? Don’t let me interrupt,” Madi said sarcastically. She unlocked the door and walked into the laundry room letting the door slam back in our faces.
I tried not to let Madi irritate me, but already my hand was itching to slap her across the face. It was going to be a long day indeed. I scanned in and went to my workstation.
I was feeling better about Crystal now that we had talked. I thought she was being used by someone in the Dome, but it still surprised me to learn that she knew Summer. I felt closer to Crystal now. I understood her so much better.
I took a cart full of dirty laundry and started sorting it. I tried to shut everything else from my mind and concentrate only on the clothes. I didn’t want a repeat of yesterday. I needed water in order to work in this hell.
“Good morning, Autumn,” Di said cheerfully as she came to stand beside me. I guess she knew that wasn’t my real name too.
“Good morning, Di,” I returned.
“News travels fast around here,” she said conspiratorially.
“So I see. Are you going to turn me in?” I asked. I almost didn’t care at this point. At least they would put me in a cool apartment with running water so I wouldn�
�t die of heat exhaustion.
“Don’t you worry.” Di patted my hand. “Anyone down here that turns you in is asking for a slow and painful death. We all agree about that!”
“Hey Di,” Madi yelled as she walked toward us. “No reason for you to help Jones anymore. If she doesn’t know how to do her job yet, I’ll beat it into her by the end of the day.”
Di took off when she saw Madi heading toward us. The Supervisor came to stand behind me. “You know how to be a good worker, right Jones?” she said in a threatening voice.
“Yes, Supervisor Madi,” I said respectfully. How long could I put up with this woman?
She slapped the back of my head and walked over to Crystal’s station and watched her in a menacing way. I saw the threatening look she gave Crystal before she went back to her desk. Supervisor Madi was a problem that just wouldn’t go away.
I finished sorting my cart and began taking each load to a machine for washing. I had a small pile of hand washing that I was afraid to give Crystal. Any contact with her might provoke Madi in the mood she was in today. But I didn’t want to give it to Di to take to Crystal either, in case she was discovered doing my job. I swallowed my fear and picked up the few articles of clothing and started walking toward Crystal. I saw Madi look at me, her brows drawing together in anger. I held up the clothes for her to see.
“Supervisor Madi, may I take these to Crystal to be hand washed?” I asked as respectfully as I could. Madi gave me a reluctant nod.
I put the clothes on the counter beside Crystal and retreated quickly back to my table. The first wash I had put on was done now and I went to sort it out. I spent the rest of the morning painfully conscious of Madi’s stares. I managed to finish two carts of laundry before the lunch bong bongs rang. I was already hot and knew I needed the water badly. I prayed Madi wasn’t going to prevent me from having it again today.
I was grateful when I was given water and food. I drained the glass as soon as it was in my hand, too worried that Madi might change her mind and take it away from me. I was halfway through my stew when I noticed Di staring at me.
“Have mine too,” she said offering me her water.
“No. You need it,” I said gratefully. “It would only provoke Madi if she saw you give it to me anyway.”
I saw Madi’s head come up and look at us when she heard Di and me chatting. I put my head down and finished my lunch.
“Back to work!” Madi yelled at us before the lunch break was over.
I heard Di groan as she got back on her feet. I hadn’t seen Kai off in the corner by himself, but he came over now with a smile on his face.
“Is that cart finished, Miss Autumn?” he asked politely.
“Yes it is Kai, thank you.” I gave him a warm smile. He was the first person I talked too today that didn’t make it known he knew I was Sunny O’Donnell.
The afternoon got hotter and hotter and I tried to think of other things besides my need for cold water. Madi kept cruising between Crystal and me, trying to find fault with our work. I noticed Crystal had a lot of hand washing and ironing to do today. She was having trouble keeping up and it didn’t go unnoticed by Madi.
As the day wore on, I could tell Crystal was getting anxious. She tried to hurry through her work, which made her sloppy. Water splashed over the sink a few times and Madi screamed at her to be more careful. The bong bongs rang out to signal the end of the workday and Crystal still had a lot work to do. I saw the look of panic on her face. Then I remembered she told me she had to be upstairs for the President’s birthday dinner.
“You gotta finish, Crystal. Those shirts and dresses still need to be pressed. They came down here with specific instructions to be done in time for this evening,” Madi harped at her.
I wished I could go over and volunteer to finish Crystal’s work, but I knew that would send Madi over the edge. Crystal was doing her best to finish, but Madi was standing over her watching her every move. Tears were starting to fall from Crystal’s eyes. She was in an impossible predicament. She had to finish pressing the clothes for the people who were attending the President’s party, even though she had to be at the party herself. She couldn’t leave this job and she couldn’t be late for that one.
“Cry one more time on that shirt and I’ll make you wash it again!” Madi threatened at the top of her lungs.
Most people had left for the day, save for myself, Di and Kai. I could tell Crystal was about to break. I felt my own anxiety rise as I watched her in distress. The more Madi screamed at her, the harder Crystal cried and the more I cringed. Then Madi struck her. Hard. Crystal fell to the floor and I watched, as if in slow motion, as Madi pulled her leg back and kicked Crystal in the stomach.
Something inside me snapped.
“Go home, Kai,” I said in a low voice.
I strode toward Madi, picking up speed as I went. I knew I had to stop her. She saw me coming and turned her attention away from Crystal and focused on me. I thought I saw a smile on her face and I was gladly going to wipe it off for her. As I closed the distance between us, she pulled her right arm back to throw a punch at me. I easily ducked it and brought my right fist into her stomach. As she doubled over, I snapped my knee into her face. I moved like Jack taught me too, allowing one move to create the next. I grabbed her by the hair and pulled her face up and slammed her back against the table. I didn’t see her reach back and pick up an iron, but I saw it when she swung it at my head. I stepped back out of the way and the iron missed me by less than an inch. The distance between us gave Madi an opportunity to throw a punch at my stomach. I felt the impact, but not as much as I could have. The vest I was wearing gave me an advantage. I saw her pull her hand back in pain and I smiled. I brought my leg up and kicked her back against the table.
I came at her fast, but she recovered before I could throw another punch and was ready for me. She bent down and came at me full on, grabbing me around my waist and pushing me backwards. I hit the floor hard and she came down on top of me. She was heavier than I originally thought and I struggled against her weight. But I knew to win this fight I would have to get her off of me. I rolled on to my side to throw her off, but I couldn’t get enough force behind the movement to budge her. Madi held my arms down at my sides. I was pinned.
“Now I got you, bitch,” she said sitting up on top of me.
She let go of my arms to use her fists against me and as soon as she did, I threw a punch and caught her at the base of her throat. Her eyes widened in shock as both her hands went to her throat. She seemed to be gasping for air. She rolled off of me onto the floor and I got up as fast as I could, getting ready for her next attack. But none came. She flopped around on the floor looking for a breath that never came to her.
I realized she was dying. I had killed her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I watched in utter shock as Madi struggled to hold onto life. It was obvious she couldn’t breathe and I didn’t know how to fix her. I became aware of Crystal and Di staring at me. Sweat was dripping from my face and I felt a little dizzy. With all the exertion of my fight with Madi, I was overheating again. I went to the sink and turned on the faucet and stuck my head under it. I let the cold water run over the back of my neck, then I turned my head and gulped. I stood back up and turned to look at the two other women in the room.
“I didn’t mean to hurt her that much!” I said in explanation. I was at a loss of what to say or do.
Di picked up a sheet and threw it over Madi’s spastic body. Crystal and I both gave her a strange look.
“What? I don’t want to see that mean old thing die,” Di shuddered. “And she got what she deserved if you ask me. Well done, Sunny.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t put the sheet over her until she’s dead,” I pointed out.
“You take the sheet off if you want to,” Di said, shaking with revulsion.
Within seconds, Madi’s body became still. It was a long time before any of us moved though.
“Do you thi
nk she’s dead now?” Crystal asked.
“Yes,” I said.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about killing someone. A jolt of panic went through me, but then I remembered how hateful Madi was and it seemed to go away. I knew I would be in a lot of trouble for killing a supervisor, but I was already on death row. Life really wasn’t going to get any worse for me.
“What are we going to do now?” Crystal asked.
“You’re going to get upstairs before you’re late for the President’s party,” I said decisively. I would deal with the body.
“But I can’t just leave you with this mess. It’s because of me you-,” Crystal began, but I cut her off.
“This is not because of you. This is because she was a mean and hateful woman who was spoiling for a fight so I gave her one.” I wouldn’t let Madi’s death make us feel guilty. She got what she deserved.
“Where did you learn to fight like that?” Crystal asked.
“Jack taught me,” I said absentmindedly. Fighting was the last thing I wanted to talk about.
“Is that what the two of you are teaching everyone in the common room?” she asked.
When Crystal mentioned it, I remembered I was supposed to be in the common room right now having dinner with Jack. After that we would train with whoever stayed behind to learn. Now I wasn’t sure I could make it there on time.
“It’s not just about self defense. It’s about uniting everyone to work together for a better future. Unfortunately, fifty people in a common room learning a few good moves aren’t going to change anything. We need everyone to make it work,” I said. I knew I sounded preachy, but I didn’t care.
“Well, you can sign me up,” Di said brightly.
“After tonight, I’m a believer,” Crystal said, looking at the lump under the sheet that used to be Madi. “No matter what, you two have to succeed. You’re our only hope,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.
I looked at her and saw tears streaming down her face. Was she crying for Madi? Or for something else? Then I remembered she said she had heard things. Things she wasn’t supposed to hear. Did she know something the rest of us didn’t? I wanted to talk to her, but she was going to be late if she didn’t leave now. And I had a mess to clean up.
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