by Kip Nelson
Yet, they did not take the bait. Grace beckoned to one of the members of the patrol, who came forward with a torch. Grace took it from him and leaned down, putting the torch so close to the prisoners' faces that the flames almost licked their flesh.
This did bring a reaction, the two of them flinching back, trying to avoid the fire. They had no idea of what Grace was like, and for all they knew, she could have been an unpredictable warlord who tortured and maimed whoever she wanted to get to the truth. They looked uneasy as they glanced at each other, their faces cast in an orange hue. Grace also had a better look at them now, and saw their hollowed-out eyes, and their pale skin.
“You can remain quiet for as long as you like, but I will have my answers. We're not letting you go until you do, and even though those cloaks make me want to vomit, they do look warm. I'm sure they'd come in handy for my people to use. Of course, that does mean you'll be vulnerable to cold. And let me tell you, it does get very cold, especially in the middle of the night. We also don't have enough food to spare, so the days could get quite long for you. I know you're probably thinking that if you just stick together and neither of you say anything you'll be able to wait it out, but that's not going to happen.
“I think you've become used to the sewers, and the longer you stay out here, the worse you'll feel the chill. It will get right into your bones, and I'll make sure to keep this fire away from you. Oh yes, you won't have the luxury of a shelter or a cloak. You'll just be alone. And the longer you stay with us, the more clothes I'm going to take from your back. Then you might be clean, but you'll be freezing, and after a few nights of that, you'll tell me anything to get these cloaks back,” she snarled.
Then, to emphasize her point, she drew back and gave the torch back, letting the darkness swallow them. Then she ordered the cloaks to be taken from them, but before that could happen, one of them spoke up.
“We just wanted to learn about you! That's all! We keep watch over this world, and we saw you coming. We wanted to know what type of people you were.”
His companion was not too impressed. “It doesn't matter anyway. There are too many of us for you to attempt an attack. You'll be slaughtered. You can do what you like to us, but it won't make any difference.”
Grace left them to dwell on her words and went back to the others. There was a great debate about what to do with them, whether they should take the captives back to New Haven, or deal with them here. Eventually, Grace decided that with their people in danger, they couldn't afford the time it would take to deliver the prisoners to New Haven. They were going to have to take matters into their own hands, and Grace hoped she could make the same decisions as Mack would have made.
When she returned to the prisoners they were chuckling smugly, evidently recovering some of their resolve after Grace's initial threats. “I don't know what you're laughing about,” Grace said. “We know where you're from now, and we're going to get our people back. Nothing is going to stop us.”
“You might have worked out that we live down below, but you don't know where. The place is a labyrinth, and you'll never find where we live, and even if you do, you'll never find your way back!”
“Well, in that case,” Grace said, equally as smug as her prisoners, “you're just going to have to lead us down there.”
“And why would we do that?” they asked.
“Because of everything I've already threatened you with. Because if you don't, I'll take the two of you and find where you hurt the most. I'll make you wish you had died in the end of the world. I'm not usually a violent person, but we protect our own, and we take any threats against each other very seriously. You can either lead us down into the sewers, and you'd better lead us to the right place, otherwise you'll suffer the same fate, just down there, or you can stay up here, and I'll let my people have their way with you. Now, with that being said, you have to ask yourself if this information is really worth all that pain. Is it?”
The prisoners reluctantly looked at each other. One of them looked as though he was going to crack, and Grace pressed him with more threats until the glares of his companion were not enough to steel his resolve, and he wilted in front of her.
“You're going to pay for this,” the other sewer dweller said, but he too agreed to be taken along.
Still allowed to wear their cloaks, they shuffled away to a nearby manhole cover. Hiding in plain sight. Grace and the others shook their heads as they had been so oblivious, and had thought only about what was on the surface, not about what could have been lurking beneath the city streets.
“So, this is where it was all along. Makes sense, you could just slip out and drag them down here, and once you were underneath the surface, we wouldn't be able to hear their screams or cries for help. We spent so long looking all around the area we didn't even think to check here. How many times did we walk across this thing?” Grace shook her head, frustrated at how close they had been all this time. Without wasting any more time, Saul bent down and strained to lift the manhole cover, and they all peered down into the deep, dark hole.
Chapter Twenty
Before the patrol descended into the sewers they had to come up with a plan of action. Grace and Anna led the discussion, for they both had bright minds and thought along similar lines. The prisoners were kept standing away from them, not just so they could not hear the plans being discussed, but also to keep the stink away from Grace and the others as long as possible.
“We're going to have to be careful while we're down there. Do you think we should keep some people up here just in case, to keep watch?” Anna asked.
Grace considered the possibility, but eventually shook her head. “I don't want to split up the group any more than it already is. We have no idea where these sewers are going to lead, and I don't want to end up halfway across the city, unable to get word to the people we've left behind.” There was also the fact that the last time she split up a group some of them ended up kidnapped. So, Grace was eager to keep everyone together.
“We're going to have to pack up all our stuff and bring it with us. I know it's not going to be easy trudging through the sewers carrying all that, but I don't just want to leave it here. We're going to need the food and water, and I’m sure the blankets will come in handy at some point,” she said, and immediately dispatched a few people to start collecting everything from the camp they had made.
“We still need to figure out what's going to happen when we get down there,” Anna said, while everyone else listened intently, waiting to hear what Grace had to say.
“We're going to take it slowly and play it smart. From what they've said there are plenty of them down there, so we're going to be at a disadvantage. They also know the terrain much better than us, so we're going to have to be careful. We'll walk in single file, and try to be as quiet as possible. I don't want to alert anyone to our presence until the last possible moment.”
“If we find anyone down there, do we attack?” Gary asked.
“Let's try to keep things as friendly as possible. Like Grace mentioned earlier, we don't want to start a war. We might find that we can negotiate with them. Remember, they're just people like you or me and they've been through the same things we have. They're probably just as scared of us. Even though they started this by taking our people, we shouldn't just assume they want a fight,” Anna said.
“But we'll be ready if they do want a fight,” Saul interjected, and more than a few people nodded at this sentiment.
“Our main objective is to get our people and get back out here alive as soon as possible so we can continue with our mission to get food. I know it seems as though these people are our biggest enemy, but our main one is time, as it always has been. That's what we're up against. These people in the sewers are just another obstacle for us to overcome. As soon as we find our people, we're going to get them back and get out of there. Don't wait around, don't look for revenge. We'll defend ourselves if need be, but that's what I want us to focus on, and I want ever
yone to be on the same page. Let's not get distracted by anything else. Stay together, and don't get lost, because I don't want to go walking around the sewers for any longer than necessary. Is that clear?”
The rest of them nodded as they listened to Grace, and they all thought to themselves that she was a fine leader. She had their undivided attention, and the arguing was over, now that they had something upon which to focus their anger. Saul, however, still was concerned about the two prisoners.
“How do we know they're going to lead us where we want them to?”
Grace looked across at them. “They know I won't let them out of my sight, and I don't think they want to find out what I’ll do to them if they intentionally lead us in the wrong direction. They'll want to get home as well. We'll gag them soon to make sure they don't shout out and alert their friends to our presence. We probably should get some cloth as well to hold over our mouths. That might help us stand the smell down there.”
With that decided everyone moved quickly, gathering up their supplies and ripping up pieces of cloth to offer protection against the stench that awaited them. They had been given a small taste of what that was like from the prisoners, but it would be even worse once they were in the sewers. They all had taken to heart what Grace said about time being of the essence. So, they moved quickly, and soon enough, they all were prepared to descend into the sewers. Grace pulled the cloth over her nose and mouth and descended the ladder first, followed by Anna and Saul, then the prisoners came down, followed by Gary, and then the rest of the patrol.
Grace's feet landed with a plop, and then she stood knee-deep in the waste of the city. As soon as she took her first breath she almost vomited, and felt the awful taste and smell pervade all of her. It was the most disgusting thing she ever had smelled, and she wished she could race back up the ladder. She pressed the cloth against her mouth and the aid it offered was welcome, even though it wasn't as effective as she had hoped. One by one, they came down the ladder, each of them having the same reaction as Grace, except for the two who were used to living in the sewers.
Grace never wanted to get to the point where she was used to something like that.
“Alright, lead the way,” she said once everyone was down.
They lit torches and the glowing flames lit the way through the old tunnels. The stones overhead curved at the top, and were about eight feet off the ground, which gave people lots of room to move. Still, the going was slow as people had to drag their legs through the sewage, feeling the chunks of waste pass by them. Grace heard a lot of muttering behind her, most of it from Gary.
“I never thought I'd ever end up walking through a sewer. This is the most disgusting thing I've ever done. I'm going to have to wash for about a week after this. How can people live down here? It doesn't make any sense to me. I'm starting to think we should have left a couple of people at least up top, just in case, and I'd like to be the first volunteer for that mission. I just can't handle this, I really can't. I'd love to, but every breath just gets worse, and I don't know how you're all standing it. Seriously. And it's so dark and damp. We can't stay here for long. We should just go. Come on, we're not too far from the ladder. Let's get back to New Haven. We'll tell Mack all about this, and we can send some other people down here. We're not equipped for this,” he said, rambling on.
“Shush,” Grace said sharply, “or do I need to gag you like I did them?” she said, tossing her head toward the sewer dwellers, who seemed amused by Gary's rants.
“None of us want to be here, but it's just another thing we're going to have to do, like so many other things we haven't wanted to in this world. Now be quiet. Who knows how far the sound will travel in these tunnels. We can't let anyone know we're here,” she said, and the group moved forward slowly, with the odd gasp of surprise as something seemed to swim against their legs.
Grace didn't even want to think about what sort of creatures lived in that environment, but it did make her think about the things that survived the end of the world. Humans always thought they were at the top of the food chain, and had an almost divine right to live, but in the dark depths of the sewers there were all sorts of monstrous creatures who were thriving when so many people had died. It made her think about the future, and what the state of the world would be like in fifty or a hundred years, or even beyond. It would be far after her lifetime, but it still filled her with a sense of sorrow. For all they were trying to accomplish, it was going to be hard for the human race to survive, at least in the dominate position it had enjoyed before the EMP hit and sent them back into the Dark Ages.
“So, glad you came along?” Grace asked Anna in a quiet voice, so low it was almost a whisper.
Anna shrugged. “It'll be a good way to test how much Mack loves me after I tell him what we've been through. What about you? Think Luis still will love you?”
Grace smiled grimly. “I don't think there's anything that could stop him loving me.”
“You say that like it's a bad thing.”
“I know...I feel like it is. It's hard to explain. Sometimes it just feels like he loves me because he needs to love me, not because he wants to. Do you get what I mean?”
“I think so, almost like he's loving you out of habit?”
“Yes, exactly!” Grace said, a little too enthusiastically, and had to catch herself for speaking too loudly. “But then again,” she continued, lowering her voice, “I'm not even sure how I feel anymore.”
“Maybe you should figure that out first before you start getting annoyed at him. For him things probably haven't changed, but you've obviously got something going on, and he's not sure how to handle it. I'm sure he feels a little lost as well, as though he can't do anything to help.”
“I thought I needed space, but I've spent time away from him, and it's still not helping.”
“Well, have you put your finger on what the problem is?”
“Not exactly. I just know that I don't feel like I felt when we first got together. I don't feel...I don't feel like I want to feel.”
“Do you think it's possible you have this idea in your head of how you're supposed to feel, and it's not matching up, so you're working yourself up into this state where you think something is wrong?”
“That sounds about right.”
“Then maybe you should take a step back and stop worrying that you don't feel like you're supposed to, and just enjoy feeling like you do. I'm not saying that you should be with Luis because it's easy, or it's what you're used to, but you haven't actually said that you don't love him anymore. Mack told me you were a hacker before this world, so I'm guessing you haven't really had many relationships?”
“No, Luis is my first one.”
“Then it's natural that there are going to be some things like this. People don't feel the same way all the time. Just because you love someone doesn't mean you're not going to need your space from them. That's just natural. What matters is that you can be honest about your feelings and that you can trust each other.”
“The biggest thing that bothers me is how needy he is, and how he's trying to control me by saying that I should stay in New Haven.”
“Are you sure he's needy, or do you think that, subconsciously, he can sense you pulling away from him, so he's trying harder to get you to stay?”
Grace didn't have an answer for that. Anna continued. “I think right now you're complicating matters. When we get back home, have an honest conversation with him. Don't let an argument start, just talk about your fears and your worries and you'll feel better, trust me. I know those conversations are hard to start, but once you start having them you'll feel a lot better, and they'll bring you much closer together.”
Grace felt relieved after having the conversation, even though it wasn't particularly the most appropriate time. There were a few other smatterings of conversation in the background as well, although they died down as the group ventured deeper and deeper into the sewers. The air was muggy, and their skin crawled with every
breath of it. Despite the cloths, the smell of the sewer seeped into their noses and mouths and left a horrid taste in the backs of their throats. Grace knew she would have to harden herself against the urge to vomit, because she didn't want to show any weakness, especially in front of her captives. As they came upon a fork in the tunnel, the two prisoners pointed the way. Grace only hoped her instincts were correct, and that the two would lead her to their people, for she didn't want to be damned to walking through the sewers for eternity.
The patrol continued onward, sloshing quietly as they dragged their legs through the muck. The occasional rat scurried by and squeaked at them, but other than that, there were no noises to startle them. It seemed as though they had been walking for a long time when Grace sensed a change in their captives’ demeanor, but it was too late for her to alert the others. They both raised their hands in unison and pointed down to a tunnel that glowed with the light from wooden torches and oil lamps. Grace gulped as they walked forward, and it was clear they had no chance.
What she saw astounded her. Lines of people, all in the same hooded cloaks that the two men were wearing, were standing along the tunnel, beckoning them forward. If this was the welcoming party, then Grace was sure the men hadn't been lying about their numbers. Tension ran through the patrol as they realized how outnumbered they were. Grace felt the weight of a gun against her back, but knew it was futile to draw her own. Not yet, not until they knew their people were safe.
Grace raised her hands and brought the two prisoners forward.
“We don't want any trouble, just a simple prisoner exchange,” she said, but there was no response.
Instead, the hooded figures came up and escorted them into their abode. Any resistance was met with a swift kick in the back of the knees, which sent people even closer to the muck. Grace exchanged a worried look with Anna as they were led into a place unknown to them.