by Chris Yee
He paused to let Vince respond, but he still remained silent.
“Still nothing? I can’t blame you. It’s better than that labbie. She wouldn’t shut up about you. Just kept on going on about how you’re a traitor and a disgrace to the Spire. Yap, yap, yap. I had to put her on her own level just to shut her mouth. But you, both of you, are easy.” He tapped his fingers against the metal. “Well, I’ve got some work to do. We need to find a new doctor.” He walked away and out of sight. “Don’t get too comfortable,” he said, walking away.
Vince glanced at Izzy, who stared back at him. “How long was I out?” he asked.
She playfully rocked back and forth. “Three hours maybe.”
“Where are Charlotte and Alan?”
She shook her head and shrugged.
He pressed his palms into his face and fell back against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting. He took a deep breath and sighed. “What is wrong with me?”
Izzy walked by his side. “What do you mean?” she asked.
“I drained a human,” He shook his head. “I said I would stop, but it’s only gotten worse.”
“Stop what?” Izzy asked.
He stared straight ahead. “It’s a long story. You wouldn’t understand.” He held out his hand to see the microscopic tendrils poking out from his skin. From a distance, they looked like hairs, but up close they were grotesque. “I’m stuck in an endless cycle, and I’m so tired.”
Izzy stared at him, but did not say a word. He did not expect her to. He patted down his clothes to see what they had taken. His knives and guns were all gone, but there was something in his cloak pocket. He reached in and pulled out a capsule. The poison. He held it in front of his face, turning it in his fingers.
Izzy wandered the cell and strummed the bars with her fingers. “What are they going to do to me?”
Vince slipped the pill back in his pocket and looked up. He didn’t have the heart to tell her to truth. “They’re going to test you. Me as well.”
“Why do they want to test me?”
“You’re one of Greene’s test subjects. Both of us are.”
“Test subjects? He doesn’t test me, though. He’s my daddy.”
Vince admired her innocence. She had started as a test subject, but she grew into something much more. There was no doubt that Greene loved her, but had he really abandoned his plans to test on her? The monitor journal expressed much love for his daughter. It was hard to imagine he would treat her like his other subjects.
“I don’t want to test,” she said.
“I’m afraid we don’t have a choice.” This part he said with genuine sorrow. There was no chance of escaping. They had been lucky so many times, they were due for some misfortune. The girl would certainly die. Vince’s future was a less certain, but it was not promising.
He sat against the wall, staring straight ahead. A tear fell from his eye.
TWENTY-TWO
ALAN KEPT HIS hand on the throttle, pushing forward even though it was already at full speed. The boat cut through waves with impressive speed. The coast appeared on the horizon. He was making good time. A trip that previously took several days was reduced to just one, but he was still anxious. He wanted to go faster. The girl’s life depended on it.
He approached the shore, only slightly reducing his speed. When the boat hit land, he cut the motor. The boat wedged through the sandy beach and slid to a halt. He jumped on shore and ran across the beach. Clouds of sand kicked up behind him as he dashed towards the cave. Inside the hollow cavern, the sound of his footsteps bounced off the walls. The horrible stench he had tried to forget came rushing back with a wave of memories. The pile of bodies was still in place, with Barnabus’ corpse stuck beside it.
He glared at the cage that encompassed the pool of dismembered flesh. The goo-like substance was dripping off the edge, covering the seat and controls of the vehicle. He examined the motor attached to the front and recalled what Charlotte had said. The walk to Snow Peak was five days, but the cage would cut that in half. Alan was repulsed by the idea of dealing with the bodies, but matters were urgent. He could not bear to ride with the mess in the back. His only option was to clear it off.
“Damn it, Charlotte. Quit being right all the time.”
He rolled up his sleeves and tightened the scarf around his face. The smell was still strong, but it helped a little. He dug his hands into the pile of mush, and a strange bubbly gas rose up, hissing at the surface. A salty taste rose into the air and entered his mouth. The piercing stench crawled up his nose and made his head spin. He swung around and hunched over, throwing up against the wall. A pool of bile collected at his feet. He stared down at the greenish liquid as it oozed towards his boots. His own vomit was more pleasing to look at than the grotesque gelatinous body pile.
He stepped away for a breath of fresh air, and to regain his composure. Going back in was the last thing he wanted to do, but he knew it was necessary. If he wanted to save his friends, he would have to drive the cage. He turned around and returned to the nauseating sludge pile.
He scooped slops of gelatin in his hands. As he reached the bottom, bones poked out in different directions. At the sight of a spine, he spun around and gagged once more. This time, nothing came out. He had already emptied his stomach the first time. He turned back around and picked out the bones, tossing them to the side.
When the cage was cleared out, he climbed into the front seat and took control. The buttons and levers resembled the controls of the boat. He searched for the ignition button, and when he found it, he slammed his fist down. The motor briefly purred, and then petered out.
He threw up his hands in frustration. “Please don’t tell me I cleaned up that mess for nothing!”
He pressed it again, this time holding it down. The purr grew to a light growl and died down once more.
“Come on, damn it!”
He raised up his fists and slammed down on the panel. The motor burst out in a loud roar and leveled off at a steady hum. He sighed with relief and hit the gas. The cage lurched forward and rammed into the wall. The steering felt different than the boat. It would take some time to adjust. He backed away from the wall and carefully steered towards the exit. Once he was out in the open landscape, he revved the motor and sailed through the snow plains, hurtling towards Snow Peak.
TWENTY-THREE
IZZY PACED AROUND the cell. Despite their situation, she was full of energy. She hopped to and fro, trying to entertain herself. “When do you think they’ll let us out?” she asked, balancing on one foot and hopping onto the other. “It’s been a long time.”
Vince watched from the corner. “They’re certainly taking their time. They must be having trouble finding another doctor.”
They heard the faint call of someone in the distance.
“Who is that?” Izzy asked.
“I don’t know, but they’ve been at it for a while. Is someone else locked up in these cells?”
“There’s Trish.”
He shook his head. “That’s not a woman’s voice. Jonah must have found more test subjects.”
They sat a while longer, listening to the cry of the distant prisoner.
“I’m bored,” Izzy said. “We’ve been in here for so long.”
Vince chuckled. “This is nothing.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been around for over two hundred years. With that many years under your belt, you build patience.”
Her face lit up. “Two hundred years?”
“That’s right. Two hundred long years.”
She stopped pacing and sat next to him. “That’s a long time. What do you do? What have you seen?”
“I’ve seen many things. Oceans, deserts, mountains, valleys. You name it.”
Her face glowed with awe. “I want to see it all. I only know the Spire. Daddy never let me leave. I’ve seen a view of the City from his office, but that’s it. I’ve read books about different places. I can onl
y imagine how beautiful they are.”
“You’ve seen the ocean now. What did you think?”
“It was amazing. The air. The smell. Everything about it was perfect.”
Vince nodded. “It was very beautiful. You’ve seen the beach, and the snow plains as well.”
She bounced up and down. “I know. It was so much fun. The sand felt really neat, and the snow was different than I imagined, but I liked it. The trees in the forest were pretty too. They smell really nice.”
“Yes, I suppose they do.”
“I want to see more. What’s the desert like?”
“For the most part, it’s miserable. The desert is not a place to get lost.”
Izzy shrugged. “I still want to see it. I want to see everything.”
“Well, I’ve seen just about everything in the time I’ve been given. It loses its thrill after a while.”
“Do you get bored?”
He thought about the question. “I get tired.”
“Tired of what?”
“Everything. Waking up. Traveling. It’s all so tiring.”
She looked up with a cheery smile. “Then go to sleep.”
“I can’t. I have to watch you. It’s important that you’re safe. I have to protect people like you from people like Simon and Jonah. There are always people like them who need to be watched.”
“I’ll be okay on my own. You don’t need to look after me. We can tag team. I watch you while you sleep and then we switch.”
“Tag team?”
“Yeah. You can’t stay awake forever. We can take turns.”
Vince gave it some thought. He had never considered letting her keep watch, but he saw no reason not to. Still, something about it made him uncomfortable. “I should stay awake. At least for now.” He watched her thumbs twiddle about. “You said you’re bored? Let’s play a game.”
She popped up with excitement. “A game? What game?”
“Here, we’ll make sentences. I’ll say a word, then you say one, and we’ll see how the sentence turns out. Ready?”
She nodded and flashed a large smile.
If. I. Had. A. Flying. Dog. My. Life. Would. Be. Complete.
They laughed at the ridiculous sentence they had formed.
“I’ve always wanted a dog,” Izzy said. “I’ve see pictures, but never one in real life.”
“They can’t fly,” Vince said, snickering to himself. “You know that, right?”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. But a girl can dream. Let’s do another one.”
“Okay. You start this time.”
Whenever. I. Eat. My. Tummy. Tries. To. Escape.
They shared another laughing fit. This sentence was more ridiculous than the last.
“One more,” she said. “It’s your turn to start.”
How. Do. We. Know. What. The. Time. Is. If. You. Don’t. Go. To. Sleep.
Vince shot a suspicious glare. “Are you trying to get me to go to sleep?”
“Maybe,” she said.
“You’re a sneaky one. Okay, you win. I’ll sleep for a little bit. Not for too long, though. And when I wake, we’ll switch.”
“Tag team,” she said.
“Right. Tag team.”
He took his spot against the wall and stretched his legs. His fixed his eyes on Izzy, who stared back.
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep watch. I’m good at it. I promise.” She spun around and vigilantly peeked through the bars.
“If anyone comes, wake me up.”
“Yes, sir.”
Vince’s eyes drooped as a wave of fatigue washed over him. He did not fight it, but instead, embraced it. After all, he had been through, it was nice to have someone else watch after him. His body slumped over, and sleep took control.
TWENTY-FOUR
THE SUN POKED out from beneath the horizon, as Alan steered the cage to the edge of the woods. He slowed to a stop and hopped to the snow. He gazed into the thick forest. With trees and roots scattered about, there was no room for the cage to fit.
“I guess I’m going on foot from here.”
He was exhausted, but he managed a light jog. The snow was hard to run in, but time was important. Puffs of breath blew from his lips with each huff for air. I should really get in shape, he thought. He had been awake for almost twenty-four hours. Sleep chased him, trying to pull him down, but he fought it off with all his effort. His joints ached. His head hurt. But he did not care. Lives were at stake.
He hoped to convince Rupert and Ella. He was not so much worried about Rupert. It was Ella who would need persuasion. If she was still sour at Vince, things would be much harder. But she also cared for Vince, regardless of how angry she was. It would take some effort, but he could convince her.
A part of him was excited to return, and the other was terrified. He wanted to see Ella and Rupert. He was sure they would happily welcome him back, but they might also scold him for leaving in the first place. Regardless, he was looking forward to seeing their faces. Fred’s, as well.
The sun was now up, and the tree shadows stretched far in front of him, causing a collage of light and dark on the blank canvas of snow. He stepped in the prints from their previous trip, but it was difficult to do so while running. He remembered Barnabus’ special snow shoes and regretted leaving them back in the cave. Then, he remembered the vicious wound on Vince’s feet and decided his boots were not so bad. It was better than nothing.
He reached the end of the woods and saw the cabins in the distance. Smoke rose from the chimneys, a sign that the cabins were occupied. The Spire folk were settled into their new homes. The vast difference from the City to Snow Peak would have been jarring.
“No more temperature control,” Alan said to himself. “Now just good old hand built fires.” He moved toward the village, yelling and waving his arms. “Ella! Rupert!”
Ella was chopping wood when she heard him. She looked up and saw him running out of the woods. She wiped the sweat from her brow and glanced back as Rupert stepped out from his cabin. Fred was comfortably perched on his shoulder.
Rupert crossed the road and walked past Ella. “What is this all about?” He marched out and met Alan in the middle. Ella leaned her axe against the wall and followed.
Alan stumbled in the snow and fell to his knees, gasping for air. Rupert bent over and helped him to his feet.
“Alan, you look terrible,” Ella said. She studied the streaks of blood on his face, and the deep red stains coating his hands. “Are you okay? You’re covered in blood.”
His breath leveled out. “It’s not my blood. I needed to get here fast, so I cleaned off that bloody cage.”
“What’s so urgent?” Rupert asked.
“Charlotte’s dead. Vince and Izzy are captured.”
Ella shook her head. “Simon, that bastard.”
“No,” he said, “Simon’s dead too.”
“What?” she exclaimed. “Simon’s dead? How?”
“Vince snapped. He went berserk and drained the man.”
“If Simon’s dead, who locked them up?” Rupert asked.
“Simon’s grunt turned on him. Jonah.”
“Good old crooked tooth,” Ella said.
“He wants to continue the tests, but he needed Greene out of the way. He said Greene was doing things wrong. He was holding back. So now Jonah is taking over, and he’s starting with Izzy and Vince. He wants to slice the girl’s head open.”
“Why would he want Izzy?” Ella asked.
“She’s special,” Alan said. “I have a feeling you already knew that. We found a journal written by Greene. It says she was an experiment. She was conceived in a lab and raised in a test tube. Her brain has mutated, and Jonah thinks it’s the key to immortality or something like that.” He shook his head. “You know, I’m getting really sick of this immortal mumbo jumbo.”
“He sounds much worse than Greene,” Ella said with disgust. “Delusional, even.”
“He is.”
“What happened to C
harlotte?” Rupert asked.
“She saved Izzy, but she didn’t make it out. She bought both of them more time, but I don’t know how much. That’s why we need to hurry. We have to go back and help them. I can’t do it on my own. I need my family.”
Rupert looked at Ella, “This is something we need to discuss first.”
“What is there to discuss?” Alan asked. “Vince is our friend. He needs our help.”
“There are things to consider. We already know the City is dangerous. Two of our friends have died. We can’t charge in blindly at the risk of losing more people.”
“If we don’t go back we will lose more people. We’ll lose Vince. We’ll lose Izzy.”
“They’re not the only ones at stake,” Rupert said. He had a natural way of commanding authority. “You could die. Ella could die. That place is a deathtrap and every time we go, someone gets killed.”
“I know our track record isn’t great,” Alan pleaded. His voice was frail in comparison, “but Vince would do the same for us.”
“Would he?” Ella asked.
“Of course he would. What are you saying?”
“He let our whole village get murdered,” she said. “All he cared about was Greene. He didn’t consider us.”
“That’s not true, and you know it. What about the girl? She doesn’t deserve this.”
Rupert looked down at his feet. “It is a shame she got dragged into this.”
Ella had no answer. She knew Alan was right. They needed to save Izzy. It was something she had argued with herself for the past few days. Not long ago, she yelled at Trevor for not caring, but had since changed her mind. She knew her gut was right. She knew returning to the City would lead to more death, but now Alan’s words made sense to her. Regardless of how mad she was at Vince, he was a friend. She could not abandon him.
“If you don’t come, I’ll go alone,” Alan said. “It’s the right thing to do. Deep down, I think you already know that.”