Why do I have to wait so long?
He’d paced the rows between the coves at least a hundred times. He’d even gone to peek to see if Rann was inside her quarters. Her door was shut. He was pretty sure it was locked.
She’s going to be so mad at me if I leave without her.
He’d been looking for Stewart and his gang too, but there weren’t any signs of them. Chances were that they’d gone outside the flats, but they’d have to be back by dark. The streets were empty after dark, aside from the Blue Guard patrols. The Count of the Burg kept a tight leash on things. Curfew started at night and was lifted at dawn, unless you had special reason. Gabe did. Tim would take them to the den before dawn. It was a privilege.
Night came. Gabe sat in the gloom for about a hour and a half. The youth of the flats still hung out outside of their coves. It was loud behind the fences and inside the buildings. One couldn’t be out in the main streets, however. So the community thrived inside the bigger buildings that buzzed with shrill activity into the wee hours of the early morning. An hour later, Rann rounded the corner of his row, coming straight for him.
Standing over top of him she said, “I’ve decided to forgive you, Gabe.” Her eyes grew. “My! What happened to your face? Is that a bruise?”
Gabe’s face was swollen from where Stewart had hit his face. “No, it’s a wart. Of course it’s a bruise.”
“No need to be nasty. I was just concerned. What happened?”
“One of the gangs bushwhacked me. They took our food. I didn’t get a good look at them.”
“Did you tell Tim?”
“No.”
“Let me see it.” She reached for him.
Gabe jerked away. “Leave me alone, will you? One second, you’re mad at me, and the next, you’re not. Just go!” Rann shuffled back. He saw the hurt building in her eyes.
“Fine, then, Gabe! Fine!” She marched off with her fists balled up tight at her sides.
Gabe felt ashamed as he watched her storm down the aisle and vanish around the edge of the row. He wanted to crawl into his cove and close the door. Stewing in his own misery, he lay inside the cove with the door half-closed.
Finally, Earl showed up. He had a goofy grin on his face that gave him an innocent look. He spoke with a different accent than the others. There was something more educated about him. “Come on. And lock up.”
Earl hustled down the rows on cat’s feet with his elbows swinging outward. He moved funny for a person. They went one row over toward the guard station and headed to the back. Most of the sheds in that area were in bad condition. Earl led him inside a cove with a busted-up door that was hitched up with a two-by-four. Stewart and Clancy were waiting. Clancy and Earl moved outside. They closed Gabe inside with Stewart. The older boy smoked a cigarette.
“Listen to me,” Stewart said in a stern voice. “If you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill you. And I mean it. I’ll kill you before the Dominion gets ahold of you. I shouldn’t be doing this, but I am. That’s what I do. It’s how I survive, unlike a precious one like you.”
“I’m not precious.”
“You have a dragon. You rode in with the dragon riders. You’re precious, and everyone here but you knows it.” Stewart flipped up a mattress onto its side and leaned it against the wall. There were flattened cardboard boxes beneath it. “Move those.”
Gabe slid the boxes away. There was a manhole cover underneath. “Whoa.”
“Yeah, the dumbass Blue Guards still haven’t found it. No one else knows about it either. Just my gang of three and now you. Don’t blow it.” Stewart squatted down, and with Gabe’s help, he slid the heavy cover away from the floor. “Are you scared of tunnels?”
“No.”
“The dark?”
Gabe rolled his eyes. He swung his legs into the tunnel and climbed down the handholds.
Stewart followed him inside, covering the hole before he climbed down. The tunnel was pitch-black. He flicked on the flame from his lighter, found a small lantern, and lit the fire. “Okay, follow me.”
The tunnel was wide, about six feet high and just as wide. The smell was rank, but the grimy floor was dry. After a few bends and turns at the intersections, Gabe was lost. If he had to find his way back, he wouldn’t make it. Curiously enough, he wondered where all of these tunnels could lead him. “Do these tunnels lead under the Dominion’s side of things?”
Stewart flashed his teeth. “Maybe.”
“Is there a way out of the city?”
Stewart rolled his eyes. “Yinzers, death is the only way out that I know of without permission.” He moved on, coming to a stop about fifteen minutes later and standing under another manhole. “You go up there, and I’ll wait down here. But don’t be too long. Things still creep and crawl down here.” He opened up an inch-long pocketknife. “Big things.”
CHAPTER 42
At the top of the manhole, Gabe was met by an old man with a full beard. He was tall but hunched over a little. He sported big gold rings on his fingers. There was still plenty of strength in the man’s limbs as he pulled Gabe out of the hole with a long arm. “Come on.”
Gabe was inside a building, much like buildings he’d been inside before, with white-painted walls made from cinderblock. The old man carried an oil lantern that revealed more details of the building. Gabe saw red exit signs outside of the stairwells. They passed sealed, split, stainless doors of an elevator. Gabe quickly got the feeling that he was inside a hospital, much like the one he’d grown up in.
“Are you taking me to see Mabel?”
“Yes.” The man’s voice was a little gravely. “I’m Ben. A friend.” He pushed open a stairwell door and started up the steps with a groan. He moved at an agonizing pace. “It sucks to be old. You’re better off dying young, if you ask me. It takes a lot of the fight from you. I’d be dead by now if there still wasn’t some left in me.”
“How old are you?”
“Ninety, I think. I lost track of a few years after the Great Burning. Things were hazy then. Fighting to survive, you quickly lose track of time. The last I heard, it was twenty seventy-five. Huh, maybe I’m older than that.” Using the rail, the man pulled himself up the steps. It took long minutes to make it to the fourth floor. The stairwell door groaned when he pushed it open. The metal hitting the back wall echoed in the open hall. Someone crouched in the hallway shushed them. “We’re here. Come on.”
Moonlight spilled through the windows at the ends of the hallway. There were people lying on the floor underneath blankets. Many of the doors were open to the rooms. The feeling inside the hospital was familiar and comforting in a dark sort of way. Ben led them into a room three doors down from the stairwell. As they were about to enter, another elderly man stopped them. He wore blue slacks and a burgundy jacket that was sewn up in several places. He blocked the doorway Ben was attempting to enter.
“Who is this young man, Ben?” He adjusted the loose tie on his neck.
“Go away, Charlie. He’s not interested.”
Charlie combed back his hair with his fingers. He looked younger than Ben but was shorter with a lithe frame that a stiff wind could take away. His voice was strong, convincing but raspy. “Now, how could he possibly know that?” He extended his hand. Gabe shook it. Charlie put his arm over Gabe’s shoulder. “Young fellow, I have something for you that will change your life not only forever, but for the better. The deal is sweeter than a honeycomb. Have you ever had a honeycomb?”
“I’ve had honey.”
Smacking his lips, Charlie made a joyful gasp. “Ah! Then you will like this.” He poked Gabe’s chest. “No, you will love it. Have you ever heard of the beach?”
“Yes.”
“But, have you ever seen the beach? Miles of white sand and a sunset you can bask in for hours. Drink cold beers all day long.” Charlie’s eyes gleamed in the dim light. “It’s a paradise.”
“No. I’ve never seen one.”
Ben tried to pull Gabe away from Charlie�
�s eager grip. “We have to go, Charlie.”
“No, wait, just a moment, Ben. I’m almost finished. Listen, young fella. You can have paradise, and I can give it to you once a week, every year. Total bliss. There will be women with cascading golden hair. You can ride horses on the beach. Swim the waters, surf the waves, and crash on the beach. Would you like that, son?”
“I suppose.” Gabe tried to envision what the man was talking about. Charlie made it all sound delightful. “Where is this place?”
Charlie turned in front of Gabe, spread his slightly shaking hands, and said with growing enthusiasm, “It’s not a single place. It’s a time share!”
“Okay, that’s enough, Charlie. We have to go.” Ben gave Charlie a shove.
“No, wait, I just started my presentation. Wait right here, young fellow. I’ll be back with paperwork. Once you sign up, I’ll bring you tickets to the Dixie Stampede show.” Ben pushed the man down the hallway. Charlie teetered down the hall, waving his fists and saying, “Ring the bell! Ring the bell! I got another sale!”
“Did I just buy something?” Gabe asked.
“Maybe, but he probably won’t remember tomorrow, and he’ll pitch you again later. It’s best to avoid him.” Ben led them inside the room and closed the door behind them.
The room had one hospital bed, a sink, small chairs, a table, and some cabinets. It was much like Gabe’s old room, but the walls were painted a pale shade of pink. A woman sat in a padded blue vinyl chair facing the window.
The woman turned and looked at Gabe. It was Mabel. Her hair was full and cotton white, and the wrinkles in her tanned skin were deep, but she appeared healthy. She wore brick-red robes and had a blanket on her lap. “So, you met Time Share Charlie? Always take the offer for the Sheraton. He’ll leave you alone then.”
Gabe hurried over and gave her a hug. Mabel squeezed him back. “I’m glad I finally found you. I was getting worried. If we hadn’t intercepted that pigeon Count Angus sent, we might not ever have found you.”
“What happened? I followed the broken road. I didn’t find anyone except the Eyewatch.”
“The who? Never mind. It doesn’t matter now. What matters is that now you are found. Gabe, I’m sorry, but the Resistance should have been expecting you back at the broken city. They didn’t get my message. It’s my fault.”
“It’s okay. I’m fine now.” He held Mabel’s hands. Her leathery fingers were still strong. He peeked out the window. “Where are we? Are we still in the Burg? I didn’t think there were any old ones here.”
“Oh, we are here. They just keep us hidden in these hospitals and the like. They won’t let the young come near us.” She smoothed over the blanket that covered her lap. “They are just waiting for all of us to die. They really hate people like me and Ben, who stick around much longer than we are welcome.”
“She I be worried? If they find me here, it will bring trouble.”
“No, the guards are too lazy. They control the entrance, but they only come up here if someone dies. Usually, they just send orderlies up to haul off the bodies.” She patted his hip. “You’re safe here, Gabe. We might be old and slow, but we manage to stay a step ahead because we know things. So how is your dragon?”
Gabe stared out the window. He had a decent view of the city. He could even see the front end of the coliseum. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in weeks.”
“That’s a problem.”
CHAPTER 43
Gabe found his grandmother’s words unnerving. “I know it’s a problem for me, but why is it a problem for you?”
“It’s not a problem for me, Gabe. It’s a problem for all of us.” She glanced at Ben. “I suppose we need to figure out where the dragon is. I thought he already was in the den with you. We’d been planning to help you escape. This puts us in a bind.” She coughed and winced. “My ribs still ache from Angela’s gunshot.”
“I’m going to escape, Mabel, but I need to know where to go when I do. And I’m not going without Rann either. She’s my friend. They’ll kill her if I go.”
Mabel took him by the wrist. “Gabe, you can’t afford to have close ties with anyone. The Dominion will only use that against you. You have to be a loner until we can get you safely to the Resistance.”
“Even if I go, the Deathriders will hunt me down like they did before. I need to get as far away as I can as fast as possible, but I’m not doing it without Squawk or Rann.”
Mabel said to Ben, “Maybe we can get the girl safely out first.”
“I’ll look into it,” Ben said.
“What about Mom?” Gabe asked. “I thought I was going to find her too. Where is she?”
“I don’t know. We’re still working on that. It’s been difficult getting information. After what happened in Newton, the Dominion has gotten more aggressive in searching out the Resistance.” She sighed. The wrinkles in the corners of her eyes tightened. “I need to concentrate.”
Gabe’s frustration built. The situation in Newton was the same as the one in the Burg. He had to flee the Dominion, but to where? All he knew was that the Dominion was bad, and the Resistance was good, but he didn’t even know who the Resistance was. Mabel’s plans weren’t the best either. He was supposed to escape and go—where? Last time, it backfired. All he ended up doing was escaping and winding up in the same situation but worse.
“Why don’t I play along for a while, at least until I’m united with Squawk again? Let them think I’m cooperating. In the meantime, we can meet in secret until it all comes together.”
Ben’s brows lifted. “He’s a wise young man. Brave too.”
“Yes, he’s very much like his father.” She looked Gabe in the eyes. “He is very bull-headed too. Gabe, the Dominion will try to win you over as they did before. They can be quite convincing. Newton was an armpit compared to what they can offer in the Burg.”
“Like what?”
“Anything you can imagine. That’s what lies on their side of the walls. You haven’t seen it yet, and I hope you never do, but they’ll expose it to you soon enough.”
“They killed my father for no reason. I’m not going to forget that. I think about it every day. I can handle it, Grandmother.”
“Gabe, in these dark times, you’ll need all of the help you can get. Trust us. We’ve been through the worst of it. You have to remember that the Dominion always lies. The truth to them is nothing more than a dream. Their lies destroyed the world, and it will be their lies that keep men and women feasting on themselves. We have to stop them.”
“But they control everything. How?”
“They seem like many, Gabe, but they are few,” Mabel said. “Do you really think that the people want to live like this? Of course not. In our generation, we had freedom, life, and liberty to do things. At the height of our times, it was grand. But we lost sight of ourselves, and a government, much like the Dominion, took over our hearts and minds. We could have stopped them if we hadn’t been so stupid. All we needed to do was rise up. It is hope, Gabe, that moves people. Hope, faith, and love. They need to see that again, and when the people do, they will respond to it. I think that you and Squawk are the hope that this world needs.”
Looking out of the window, Ben said, “The one who rules the dragons is the one who rules the world. I believe it.”
“I believe it too,” Mabel said.
“Are you telling me you think Squawk and I are going to save the world?”
Mabel gave a little shrug. “People will believe it so long as you do too.” She yawned. “I need my rest. When the time comes again, I’ll send for you.” She squeezed his hand. “It’s good seeing you again, Gabe. Your father would be proud of you.” Her eyes became distant. Her lids closed.
“I think he’d be proud of you too.”
Ben led Gabe out of the room and into the stairwell. “It’s a lot easier going down than up. Come on.”
“I can make it on my own if you want to stay up here with Mabel.”
“N
o, thanks. The more I move, the more I live.” Holding the rails, he hobbled down the steps. “It’s a shame when you get old. The mind can do what the body can’t. My goal is to make it to one hundred. I always wanted to be a centurion. That’s someone who lives to be one hundred years old.”
“So you’re part of the Resistance?”
“Everyone over eighty is, but we are a dying breed, obviously.” Ben slipped on a piece of tile. He swung under the rail and hit his backside. “Ouch! Help me up, will you?”
Gabe helped the big-boned old man back to his feet. “Are you okay?”
“Of course. I’m used to getting knocked down or falling.” Ben continued down the steps at an agonizing pace. Finally, they made it to the arena and stood over the manhole that led into the building. “Good luck in the coliseum, Gabe. There’s nothing more exciting than that. Whatever it is you do, give it one hundred and ten percent. And no matter what, if they knock you down, get back up again.” Ben winked at him. “Resist the Dominion.”
“I will.”
CHAPTER 44
Gabe spent the next two days working in odd silence with Rann in the Dragon Den. Typically talkative, she’d managed to stay quiet the entire time. She worked, cleaned, scrubbed, went back to the flats, took her food, and headed into her cove. Gabe wouldn’t have minded it if he didn’t like her, but he did.
On the morning of the third day after he’d seen Mabel, while moving the dragons from cage to cage he said, “I’m sorry, Rann. How many times do I have to say it?” He put a winged dragon inside a clean cage. The dragon’s name was Rex, and he had unusually large teeth. His snout had a short overbite. Gabe sighed. “I’m sorry again.”
Flight from the Dominion (The Gamma Earth Cycle Book 2) Page 13