by Eliza Green
‘Tell me what?’
Kevin dropped his gaze.
Albert rubbed his eyes. ‘Serious issues are happening in Waverley and the people living on my ground floor aren’t here for the thrill of it. I’ve had it up to here with the pair of you, always disappearing when I need you to watch this place. Do I have to ground you both?’
‘I found Kevin with Marcus behind the storage unit at the markets,’ said Ben.
A panicked Albert grabbed Kevin’s arm. ‘Are you okay, son? Did he hurt you?’
‘He wasn’t hurting him, Albert. Turns out Kevin’s doing jobs for Marcus now.’
Albert slapped Kevin’s arm. ‘Marcus? That thieving, murdering lowlife? Kevin, why would you want to do business with that scum?’
Kevin yanked his arm away. ‘I can do what I like. You and Ben do. Like giving that Indigene freak a job. I never agreed to her working here. Seems like I have no say in this family anymore.’
Albert stared at his grandson who he barely recognised anymore. When had things changed so much? ‘What happened to you? What’s made you so bitter about life?’
Kevin’s cheeks bloomed red and he folded his arms.
‘There’s more,’ said Ben. ‘Kevin stole the money from Sal’s safe.’ Albert gripped the table. ‘And it gets worse. Marcus told him to do it.’
Albert closed his eyes for a second. ‘Kevin, please. Explain how this happened.’
Kevin spoke quietly into his chest. ‘He told me to take just enough to put the neighbourhood in debt. He wanted a reason to confiscate some generators.’
‘So where’s the money now?’
‘I buried it behind the tavern.’
The red mark on the tavern. It had simply been to mark the location of the money. Relief washed over him. ‘So, this is all over? Kevin returns the money and life goes back to normal.’
‘He can’t return the money,’ said Ben. ‘If he does, Marcus will know he told us where it was.’
‘I can handle Marcus,’ said Kevin.
‘No you can’t,’ said Albert. ‘So don’t even try. What even possessed you to get mixed up with the likes of him, anyway?’
Kevin’s expression softened for the first time since he sat down. ‘The criminals always have nice things. I guess I wanted the same. I can’t stand this neighbourhood, and other boys living here feel the same way.’
Albert couldn’t believe it. ‘Look at me.’ He waited until Kevin did. ‘Everything comes at a price. All that money, all those nice things? You have to pay in other ways. Most times you pay with your life. Marcus doesn’t give a crap about you or the other boys. I’ve seen the way he treats people who cross him. It’s not pretty.’
‘There’s something else,’ said Ben, nudging Kevin again.
Albert’s stomach danced at the thoughts of what could be left to reveal.
‘Marcus asked me to trash Sal’s place, to take enough generator parts so she couldn’t fix what she has.’
Albert gasped. ‘Sal has nothing to do with any of this.’
‘Marcus says it’s because she took in the bottom-feeder,’ said Kevin. ‘He says she needs to be taught a lesson.’
What Albert needed was to calm down, take control. ‘Tell me when Marcus wants the job done?’
‘Tonight.’
‘And when do you meet up with him?’
Kevin looked down. ‘Tomorrow, behind the market. I give him the parts, he pays me.’
He didn’t see how the boy had a choice. ‘Fine. Carry out this job, then after, tell him you’re done. Do you hear me? No more jobs. You come straight back here after you’re finished. Sal will be waiting for you and you’ll hand over everything Marcus paid you for the parts.’
But Kevin didn’t look up. ‘He also asked for a list of troublemakers.’
‘A list of what? Why?’
Kevin lifted his head. ‘I dunno, Granddad. He just did.’
What would Marcus want with that? The only reason Albert could think of was to make trouble in Waverley. But when he saw Ben biting his thumb, he braced for more bad news.
‘Please don’t tell me there’s more.’
‘No, I... I need to talk to you about something else,’ said Ben.
Albert stood up and ushered Kevin out the door. ‘Sal’s downstairs. Tell her what you’ve been asked to do.’
‘But—’
‘No excuses. You’ve agreed to do this. You must face the consequences of your actions. Go.’
With Kevin gone, Albert sat back down again. ‘Please let this be good news. I can’t handle any more bad news.’
‘It’s about Isobel. I don’t know if I should tell you this. She swore me to secrecy.’
‘Is this something that can help the neighbourhood?’
‘Maybe.’
‘Then she will forgive you. Now, out with it.’
Ben fidgeted with his sleeve. ‘She tricked the criminals at the docking station. She’s not an empath. She’s a structural engineer.’
‘Can she fix the generators?’
‘She says she can’t.’
‘Well, I can’t see how that skill would be of any use to us.’
Ben shook his head. ‘You’re missing the point, Albert. Where do the skilled workers live?’
‘In the medical facilities, underground.’
‘And what did the Italian woman say had happened to their tunnels?’
‘A partial collapse.’
‘If there are blueprints, documents about the tunnel structure, I should be able to find them at the digital library. If Isobel came with me, she could see if the blueprints are of any use.’
Albert stood up, feeling energised for the first time that day. ‘Well, I never expected this. A structural engineer in our neighbourhood.’
‘You can’t tell her you know. She told me not to tell anyone.’
Albert opened the door and stood at the top of the stairs, surveying the quiet chaos below. Ben followed.
‘You say she swore you to secrecy?’
Ben nodded.
Albert glanced at his watch. It was already 7pm: an hour from curfew. ‘It’s too late now, but I’ll speak to Isobel first thing tomorrow morning. If she understands how she could help the skilled workers, she might be more willing to help us.’
‘You promised you wouldn’t say anything, Albert. She’s worried about Marcus finding out.’
Albert nodded as he clutched the rail. ‘That’s why we will speak to her privately about this. I won’t breathe a word to Kevin. That much I promise. I’m not sure if I can trust him, not after all he’s done.’
With a tidier downstairs and the clothes lines gone, Albert felt better. Sal was helping Sofia to fold towels while the men sat at several bunched-up tables playing cards. Kevin sat in a chair away from everyone else, resting his head on folded arms.
‘Did Kevin tell you what he did?’ Albert said to Sal.
‘It’s fine.’ She waved at him but Albert could tell she was hurt. Kevin, a boy she had known for many years, had betrayed her. Sal nodded at Sofia. ‘She’s agreed to go.’
Sofia stopped what she was doing. ‘Si. I am happy to help. I know where la Fortezza is.’
‘Thank you,’ said Albert. ‘But I need another favour from your group, if you don’t mind. While we’re gone, could they keep an eye on this place and my grandsons?’
‘Si. I will translate.’ Sofia muttered a few words in Italian and the group nodded collectively. ‘They are happy to help. You have done so much.’
An alert Kevin stood up. ‘I don’t want to stay here. Let me come with you, Granddad. I can help.’
Albert shook his head. ‘Not until I can trust you again.’ He checked his watch. ‘Don’t you need to be somewhere, Kevin? Try not to mess up Sal’s place too much and get back here before curfew.’
23
The air inside the tavern felt like a hand around his neck. Ben kept his gel mask on while he set up for opening. He slowed down his breathing; the air from his new canister tasted so cl
ean, he didn’t want to waste it. The second Ben opened the door Old Pete pushed past him and sat in his seat. He hadn’t seen him since his attack on Isobel four days ago. Ben grilled him on his return; Pete, with his usual lack of clarity, shrugged and said the beer was better.
Ben sat at one table and removed his mask to preserve air. His skin felt clammy, his lungs desperate for proper relief. How much longer could they live like this? Pete stayed quiet on his favourite stool at the bar, occasionally looking over at the Italians and mock-saluting whenever he caught Ben looking at him. The normally vocal Italians stayed quiet in the old man’s presence.
Isobel showed up an hour later. She was in a good mood and, out of Pete’s earshot, even agreed with Ben to accompany him to the digital library to check out the blueprints for the underground medical facilities on Harvard University Campus. But then Albert had a quick chat with her in the storeroom and she emerged with a stormy look in her feral eyes. She glared at Ben for the longest time before putting on her coat and heading out.
Ben didn’t know what to do. Should he go without her? The blueprints meant little to him. She had to come.
An hour later, the tavern door swung open and Ben braced himself for an irate Isobel, but Kevin walked in, carrying an empty burlap sack.
From the bottom of the stairs, Albert rushed over to him. ‘Thank God you’re okay.’ He turned Kevin’s face one way, then the other. ‘Did Marcus hurt you?’
Kevin shook his head. He looked contrite. At least that was something.
Old Pete shifted on his chair and lifted his beer to his lips without a word.
‘Good.’ Albert let him go, then glanced at Pete. ‘Come with me, both of you.’ He led Kevin and Ben upstairs to the kitchen, away from Pete.
‘You’ll pay Sal back all the money Marcus gave you for the generator parts, and then you will work off your debt to me.’
‘That’s just it,’ said Kevin. ‘Marcus didn’t pay me. He told me he’ll pay when he gets the list.’
‘When does he want it?’
Kevin lifted one shoulder. ‘As soon as possible.’
Albert fell silent. He leaned against the kitchen counter. ‘I’m sick of Marcus pulling the strings around here and I’m not sure if Kevin can walk away yet.’
Ben rose to his feet. ‘You’re not considering letting him go back?’
‘At least I’ll know where he is.’
‘Marcus is dangerous, Albert. Who knows what he’s planning to do next?’
‘Kevin has an inside track to Marcus’ plans,’ said Albert. ‘And that gives us an advantage.’ Albert looked at Kevin. ‘What do you say, son? You want to do something right in your life?’
Kevin looked up, hopeful. ‘You’re giving me permission to work for Marcus?’
‘Sort of, but I want you to report back everything that Marcus says to you, every little thing he asks you to do. Do you understand?’
‘Okay. I guess I can do that.’
‘Good lad, now go put the sack away in the storeroom.’
Kevin sloped off with the empty sack, taking some of the tension with him.
But Ben couldn’t relax. Would Isobel ever talk to him again? He’d broken a promise he’d sworn to keep.
Albert seemed finished with their discussion when he set the kettle to boil, so Ben packed his backpack and prepared to go to the library alone. But to his relief Isobel returned, and, after a snipe about keeping promises, agreed to go with him to the library.
Ben hoped they could find some useful information about the medical facility tunnels in the old World Government files. Maybe they could pinpoint the exact location of the entrance to the tunnels and give the travelling party of Albert, Isobel, Sal, Jenny and Sofia some advantage when speaking to the skilled workers.
☼
A nervous Ben gnawed on his thumb as he and Isobel, wearing a head scarf, walked through the gates of Waverley. Her breaths sounded even, like she was calm. But for Ben, every guilt ridden step he took and every silent moment between them made the journey a torturous one. He would take Albert’s silent treatment over Isobel’s any day.
They ghosted on the back of a vehicle heading to Manhattan Island. As they crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, Isobel’s breathing grew slightly ragged. Ben avoided her gaze that he knew was on him.
When they neared the Hudson Park Library, they both jumped off and darted down a street before the vehicle occupants saw them. Ben led the way to the side door he used to gain entrance to the library. He squeezed through the small gap. Isobel followed, opening the door wider with her Indigene strength. Inside, their footsteps echoed unnaturally in the stillness.
Ben checked the new canister on his hip. Unlike the older versions, this one had a gauge on the side that showed how much oxygen was left. The mix tasted purer than the giant refill bottles the criminals allocated to Waverley each month, and Ben found he didn’t need to breathe so hard.
The gauge was at thirty-eight percent. When he had left the tavern, it had been on forty percent. Had he been using one of his old, leaky canisters, there would be close to nothing left.
They ventured further into the giant room. With no air, Ben had to keep his mask on. His breath quickened when Isobel knocked against his shoulder as she passed.
He spun her around to face her. She stared at his hand on her arm.
‘Please talk to me. This is killing me. You have to understand... I had to tell him. If you can help in any way—’
‘I knew you weren’t to be trusted.’ Her anger didn’t match the severity of her words. ‘Why did you tell him, when I expressly forbid you to?’
‘Why are you so reluctant to help us?’
Isobel’s hard gaze softened. ‘I’m not. I’m protecting you from Marcus. If he discovers what I can do, he will punish you, Albert and Kevin.’
‘Please don’t hate me.’ He feared she might hate him forever. ‘I had no choice.’
‘I don’t hate you, but you did have a choice. You could have respected my wishes. Do you know Kevin is meeting Marcus behind your backs?’
Ben nodded. ‘How did you know?’
‘I can smell Marcus’ stench on that boy a mile away. And on Pete’s.’
They all knew that Pete had been fraternising with the enemy. But Albert would be disappointed to hear Isobel had confirmed it.
‘I promise I didn’t tell Kevin anything. Only Albert.’
Isobel sighed. ‘I know. I could sense that from him when I returned.’ She walked further inside the library. ‘Let’s check out these documents before anyone notices us in here. Where do we look?’
‘Does that mean you’ll help with the skilled workers?’ Even if there was a technology expert at the Fortress, would they be able to decrypt the message on the DPad? And even if they could, would the message fix the life support issue in Waverley neighbourhood?
‘One step at a time.’ Isobel glanced at him. ‘Beyond you, Albert and Sal, I’m not sure who I can trust. The people here harbour too much hostility towards my kind. Do you think Albert will let me go when this is all over?’
‘Albert never wanted to keep you a prisoner here. It’s Marcus you should worry about. He might not let you leave.’
‘I think I always knew that.’
Ben brought Isobel over to the librarian’s desk. He sat down and activated the DPad while she looked over his shoulder. He hadn’t given much thought to where the power for the library came from. Now it was all he could think about. ‘Do you think the skilled workers have access to the power grid controlling places beyond the neighbourhoods?’
‘I don’t know.’
Ben began his search. ‘Albert said that when the last passenger ship left, the World Government falsified stories about the true location of the medical facilities. But then someone leaked several confidential documents detailing everything the World Government owned or had created. If they’re in here, they might be in the archives.’
He ran a search for ‘medical facility’ and the D
Pad returned over one hundred thousand documents. He opened a few and read them but found nothing about the location of the facilities, or their design.
Ben sighed. ‘This will take forever.’
Isobel pulled up a spare chair. ‘Mind if I try?’
He scooted out of the way and Isobel flicked through the documents at an alarming speed. Ben hadn’t seen anyone move that fast since Stephen ran from Belgrave Square Gardens the second morning they’d met, when he was eight years old.
‘I found several articles on genetics, doctors and experiments. I’d like to read these another time. But so far, nothing on location. Hang on...’
Ben blinked away his surprise and concentrated on an article she had opened. It began with the line, ‘Official World Government sources say...’ and mentioned how the medical facilities were at the forefront of genetic advances and how teams of doctors were creating breakthrough medicines that could cure all known genetic abnormalities.
After meeting Stephen and discovering his true origin, Ben had learned as much about the Indigenes as he could. When he and his mother had been forced to return to Earth, he had taken every opportunity to research the race. The libraries had been better documented than they were now. He knew enough about Stephen and had read enough false reports on the race living on Exilon 5 to know a propaganda article when he saw it.
‘Ignore any article that starts with, “Official World Government sources say”,’ he said. ‘They’re bullshit.’
Isobel nodded. She added the word ‘design’ to the medical facility search, but the console became non-responsive to her touch. ‘It won’t work.’
Ben scooted his chair forward. When he tried, the console accepted his addition. ‘Must be something to do with the identity chip in my thumb. You don’t have one.’ He hit search. Several thousand documents were returned. None explained the structure of the tunnels.
‘Are you certain there are real articles about the tunnel schematics?’ said Isobel.
He looked at her. ‘When the last World Government spacecraft left, it created a free-for-all concerning information. The government destroyed all their documents, except for the ones a few angry workers had leaked to the public before they transferred. The government didn’t care since their business on Earth had concluded anyway.’ Ben stared at the DPad. ‘They’re in here. We just need the right search term to find them.’