by PJ Sharon
Chapter 19
The ride downtown took almost an hour through all the traffic, people on foot, and others zooming past on two wheeled Segways. People on bicycles and motorized scooters wove along the sidewalks and road until it became one mass herd of humanity making their way to market. Rudy’s truck putted along at a snail’s pace.
The slowness of traffic gave me time to absorb the surroundings. A huge stone wall encompassed the government buildings, the museums, and the stadium. I craned my neck to see it all, and noticed the hustle of passersby with multicolored skin paint that supposedly protected them from the radiation, their many dyed hair colors reminiscent of a rainbow. Unaffected by my obvious fascination, they only looked ahead at what was directly in front of them, as anxious as I was to reach the marketplace where all the action was.
I stared at a man with hair piled high on his head in a ridiculous bun propositioning a woman in black leather boots with barely more than a short skirt and a tank top covering her body. It was only midmorning and she, along with several other half-naked women, was already prostituting herself for trade goods. I shivered at the thought of giving myself over to such a plight in order to survive. If Albany was taken over by the new government, prostitution would become illegal for free trade, but could be an assigned task to any woman under government rule. It seemed our new government was trying to stay one step ahead of the money, with all of the proceeds going into someone’s pocket. Sam and the Network would do all they could to stop the tyranny from spreading.
Rudy peeled off from the crowd, pulled around a corner toward the river, and drove behind the long warehouse. I jumped out of the trailer as it slowed to a stop. Three largely muscled men, looking less than thrilled to have to spend the day unloading trucks in one hundred and five degree heat, approached.
Rudy came up beside me. “You all know where Mr. Aaron is?” he asked. Joe Aaron had a reputation for being honest and efficient in his dealings, unlike some others who might try to skim as much off the top as they could get away with. He and Rudy seemed to have become good friends over the past few years.
One of the hefty young workers nodded toward the interior of the building and Rudy brushed past him, pointing a finger at me. “You wait here. I’ll be right back.”
“But I’m supposed to see Mr. Aaron myself.” I looked nervously from Rudy to the other men who were unloading crates marked Wine from a van ahead of us.
“You stay out here and make sure no one touches our load until I get back.” His tone didn’t leave much need for a reply. I nodded and leaned against the trailer, exchanging hard looks with the burly bald guy giving me the once over. I crossed my arms and tried to look tough.
Five minutes passed and then ten, time enough to be thinking far too much about Will’s kiss and not enough about what I had to do to get my hands on the coinage I would need for Sam’s medicine. As much as I trusted Rudy, I wasn’t so sure he would trust me to carry the purse and negotiate for drugs. My impatience was just getting under my skin when finally, Rudy and a tall, thin, greasy-looking guy came out the door.
“I remember you from last year,” Joe said as he acknowledged me with a curt nod. “As I recall, you and your uncle accompanied those lovely McKinley sisters. How are the ladies?” Mr. Aaron’s eyes were sunken in and his nose prominent against his olive complexion, but he had a pleasant expression, as if he were genuinely fond of Nora and Maggie.
I stood tall, barely making it to his chin. I tipped the wide brimmed hat off my forehead. “The ladies are doing well and send their regards.” I kept my voice low, trying not to attract attention from the other merchants who packed the loading dock now and were already pushing the workers to get to their orders next.
“Mr. Sinclair here tells me I’m supposed to deal with you, is that right?”
My doubts about Rudy faded and I sent him a conciliatory nod. After a short negotiation, and a thorough search of our crated trade goods, Mr. Aaron handed me a thick wad of vouchers and a small bag. I dipped my nose into the bag and then pulled the string tight again. The silver, copper, and gold coins clinked together and I tasted the distinct tang of precious metals on the air. I glanced around and tucked the bag into my deepest pocket. Then I sifted through the coupons, noting that there were vouchers made up for each of the items on Sam’s and the sisters’ lists with some to spare.
“This should do just fine,” I said, feeling satisfied at how smoothly the transaction had gone.
Mr. Aaron waved his men over and gave them instructions about the cargo. He and Rudy had their heads together and I was giving my stack of vouchers one more pass when I saw a familiar head of sandy blond hair in the crowd. My heart gave a jolt. I climbed up on the trailer, scanning the swarm of people, all heading toward the boardwalk where individual vendors would be gathering along the river.
I yelled to Rudy as I jumped down. “I’ll meet you later back at camp. I’ve got something I have to do.”
“Wait! You can’t go runnin’ off alone. We need to go fill those orders….”
He was still calling after me when the crowd sucked me in and I fell into the throng. I knew I should stay with him. He had the trailer and the truck and I had all the vouchers. He couldn’t shop without me and I couldn’t carry one tenth of what I had to purchase. I saw Will take a corner up ahead and dismissed my better judgment, pushing harder through the crowd to gain on him. What was he up to?
I slipped out of the rushing crowd and down the alleyway, taking the opportunity to break into a run with the thinner herd. Far up ahead, I saw him again. Then I realized he wasn’t alone. A broad shouldered man with a black tee shirt, khaki pants, and a severe buzz cut escorted Will through the door of a large faded brick building. Sweat trickled between my shoulder blades. Could that man have been leading Will to his father? Maybe he didn’t need my help after all. But something didn’t feel right.
When I came upon the wide wooden door, I sidestepped a group of merchants. They pushed their carts haphazardly through the alley trying to avoid the rush and take a short cut down to the old bike path that had been converted into a large market area. I waited for the next group to pass and then I slipped into the building.
There were stairs immediately in front of me leading up, and a long corridor before me. At the end of the hall I could see another stairwell with an exit sign over a door. I stood listening, reaching out my senses to see if I could feel Will’s pulsating strength. I’d noticed it the first time we met, and any time he was near, a dull throb pulled at my heart. I’d been trying to ignore it for days. Now, all I wanted to do was tune into it.
Voices echoed down the empty corridor, the dim overhead lighting giving rise to shadows cast through office windows and doors. I tiptoed toward the sound of a man’s harsh tone, my back pressed to the wall. The voice grew louder and more demanding.
“Where is the girl?”
“I told you I don’t know.” It was Will. I could feel the tension in him from where I stood, hovering outside the room, straining to hear the conversation behind the glass door. The memory of my father being questioned about my whereabouts hit me out of nowhere. I froze in place, terrified that Will might find the same fate.
“My sources say you were with her when she came into town.” The man’s voice had changed to an ingratiating tone and a ball of ice formed in the pit of my stomach. The voice sounded familiar but I couldn’t place it. “I appreciate all your hard work in getting her here. Don’t tell me you’ve had a change of heart? You know the deal—the girl and her brother for your father.”
“I don’t know where she is.” Will’s voice was calm but I could feel the panic behind it. I didn’t know what to think about what I’d just heard. Hurt and betrayal superseded all other emotion. My head wanted to believe he’d had no choice since they had his dad, but my heart felt the sting. Will was a liar and a traitor. It served him right to be in trouble.
“Not good enough!” the man snapped. “And I suppose you don�
��t know what happened to Field Agent Marx, either.” The man’s pacing slowed and I pictured him leaning over Will, threatening. “You will tell me everything I want to know! I ask—you answer! Are we clear?”
Will responded, his voice low and steady. “All I can tell you is that he left Stanton without me. I haven’t seen him since.”
I thought about the man I’d seen in Mrs. Higgins’ store. That was the same day Will had turned up. My gut twisted. How could I have been so stupid?” I leaned against the cool brick with my eyes shut tight as I tried to keep the tears from spilling over.
“We’ll see if a few days in a holding cell will improve your memory. Graves! Take him away.”
When I heard feet shuffling toward the door, I slipped under the nearby stairwell. I pushed my panic down and hoped they couldn’t hear my heart exploding in my chest as they passed. What had he gotten himself into? And how was he going to get out of it? I clamped down hard on my emotions.
It had all been a lie—a setup. He was working for the Industry the whole time. Now, he knew where we lived, how to get around our perimeter traps, and—he knew about Zeph. I couldn’t let him start talking. I’d heard stories of what the Industry was capable of—and they knew I was in Albany. A chill ran along my skin.
I peeked out from under the stairs and watched as the muscle-headed Industry agent, apparently named Graves, shoved Will onto an elevator and the down arrow lit up. What would they do with him? A knot formed in my gut. They wouldn’t hurt him, would they? He was the President’s nephew. That had to count for something. But somehow, I knew he was in trouble…and in spite of his betrayal, I needed to help him.