Drastic Times (Book 3): Fierce Freedom

by Rock, R. A.

  And when I went through the intake hole, it was dark.

  And it was longer than I expected. I started to feel claustrophic and panicky as the tunnel went on and on. But finally my grasping fingers felt the edge of the hole and there was a large piece of some sort of dam engineering sticking out that I grabbed on to, pulling myself out. I made it to the surface and sucked in a deep breath.

  Then I was into the rough water of the spillway that was tumbling me over and over. The rapids made it impossible to get my head out, so I let them take me where they would. I remembered from when we had entered the castle that the spillway was short, quickly spreading out, the water calming into its normal flow within twenty or thirty feet.

  But it didn’t feel short now, when every moment made me want to draw a breath. I knew that if I did, I would breathe in water and drown. So I held on longer and longer, though I felt myself starting to black out.

  And then the current no longer had me. I kicked hard for the surface and heard someone shout my name. When I was close to shore, hands grabbed me and hauled me on to the bank. Finally I could breathe again and I opened my eyes.

  Shiv was standing over me.

  “I HAVE to go back,” I said to Shiv. I sat wrapped in a grey, wool blanket on a rock near the river bank as the first light of dawn painted the walls of the dam pink. Shiv and Audrey had gathered an army and had plans for attacking the castle. They were going to move at shift change, of course. It was the only time that all eyes weren’t on the gates.

  I was glad that they were going to attack but I still had to get back in. There were people in there counting on me.

  I glanced around, surprised that there was no sign of the large army that he and Audrey had assembled. The Survivors had come, after all, which had been a bit of a shock. Yumi had been keeping Shiv and Audrey appraised of the situation at all times and when they had told Kyle about how Nathan had made us fight each other, he had been incensed. Kyle had said that Nathan was getting too uppity and needed a taking down. He had gathered a group and they had set out the day after we had left. When they got here, they had found two other groups were already camped out, waiting for word from us.

  One of them was led by Russell Okemow, the war chief of Cross Lake who was here with a contingent of warriors. Apparently he wasn’t exactly of one mind with the Chief in the decision they had made about helping us. He had managed to convince her to let him take anyone from Cross Lake who was willing to come and fight with us. It was almost enough to make me forgive him for hitting on Yumi.

  And Gideon had brought people from The Sanctuary who were trained to fight, along with some other friends of his. They were acting on their own — not officially for The Sanctuary — of course. No one else knew where they were really from. The others just thought he was Gideon, the guide and trader. They believed that he had heard about a fight and brought some friends from Gimli and up north — other people who didn’t like the idea that Brett was selling slaves to Nathan.

  It hit too close to home, I supposed. If Brett could attack and burn down Sipwesk, take them all prisoner, and then sell them off, he could do the same thing to Cross Lake or the Survivor community. These people were just starting to get a small foothold of normalcy and control back over their lives and they didn’t want a couple of asshole petty tyrants ruining that.

  All three groups were the remnants of civilization and I wondered that they didn’t work together. They would all be stronger that way. I guessed, that it wasn’t that easy to trust other people after what had happened, though. But maybe this would change that. Maybe this fight could unite them. And then that union might continue once the battle was over.

  “Go back? That’s crazy talk,” Shiv said, scowling at me and then at the bank of clouds that was rolling in. “The wind’s coming around and there’s a storm blowing in from the north east. How would you even get back in? We’re going to attack the castle, then we can get them out through the door.”

  I shook my head. The snow swirled down, dry and dusty, spinning away in little snow devils along the grassy bank.

  “If the wind’s coming around, they may not have that kind of time, Shiv. And none of them will try to come out if I don’t go back because they’ll think it’s too dangerous.”

  “But how would you even get back in?”

  “I’ll jump off there,” I said, pointing to the strange rectangular structure that must have been of some importance to the dam. Shiv gave me a look of disbelief. “There’s a big metal thing sticking out right under the water there. I can grab it and then duck under and swim back in.”

  “Chad, please don’t do this,” Shiv said, his dark eyes begging me. “We can’t lose you. Especially after what happened to Zoe.”

  I had given him a really quick recap of the events that had transpired since Yumi had last updated them.

  “I know,” I said, throwing off the blanket and putting my hand on his shoulder. “But I have to. They’re counting on me.”

  I didn’t let my mind dwell on all the things that could go wrong or how much I didn’t want to go back into that freezing, dark water. I just remembered the people inside. And Yumi, trying to keep her head above water.

  Shiv only nodded, resigned. He knew he couldn’t talk me out of it. I climbed from the bank onto the structure and edged myself along on the tiny ledge until I was as far over as I could get. The last thing I wanted was to miss the piece of metal that was jutting out and have to do this again.

  I took a deep breath and without thinking, forced my body to jump. The current caught me instantly and I was swept forward. I couldn’t see because I was under water. But I prayed I was going in the right direction.

  When my guts suddenly slammed into metal, I knew I was in the right spot. The force was so strong, I puked into the river, never letting go of the metal piece that stuck out right beside the water intake. As I hung on, I wished that the damn intake hole had been put in a better place but considering the layout of the castle and where the water chamber was located, I supposed they didn’t have any other choice.

  As soon as I had composed myself, I breathed in and ducked under the water, fighting against the current to shove myself into the tunnel. Then I swam and pulled myself along until I came out into the room. I kicked for the top as quickly as I could, feeling my breath running out.

  My face broke the surface and I saw that the water was higher than any of their heads and they were all treading water.

  “Chad,” Yumi called out as soon as she saw me pop up. She looked like she was going to cry.

  I gave her a quick smile.

  “Listen up, everyone.”

  I gave them a quick run down on what they could expect — about the tunnel, and the piece sticking out, and the spillway, and that someone from the gathered army would help them get out of the river. Then I began sending them out. As each person disappeared, we began counting. One one thousand. Two one thousand. Three one thousand…

  I wanted about three minutes between each person so that no one would get stuck behind each other. When three minutes had passed another person went. And another. Matt was last. He shook my hand, a determined look on his face. Then disappeared under the water.

  Finally there was no one left but Yumi and I. I glanced around and noticed that the water was rising quickly now, thanks to the storm Shiv had warned me about. It had almost reached the light fixtures, meaning that soon we would risk not only drowning and hypothermia, but also electrocution.

  “Okay, Tanaka,” I said. “You’re next.”

  She only looked at me with sorrowful eyes.

  “No Red,” she said, quietly. “I can’t do it.”

  “YUMI,” CHAD SAID, his voice hoarse, his eyes dismayed, no doubt by the certainty he heard in my tone.

  I knew what it had cost him to come back in here to the water chamber. To get everyone out. I had felt it all through the soul bond, as he hadn’t made any attempt to shield when he was so preoccupied with what he was doi
ng. He hadn’t wanted to go back under that cold dark water, but he had. To save us. And now I was going to make it all for nothing.

  God, I was such a worthless human.

  “You’re not,” he said, his voice rough. He swam closer. “You’re an amazing, flawed person just like all of us, Yumi. And you deserve to live. Now come on. It isn’t very far and soon Shiv will be pulling you up on to the bank and wrapping you up in a blanket and giving you shit about not being more smart about who you shoot.”

  I gave him a tiny smile.

  The blanket did sound good. I was barely shivering at this point, which was a very bad sign, I knew. We needed to get out of here. Now.

  But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t go under that dark, cold water. The terror that assailed me at even the thought of it, made actually doing it completely impossible.

  I shook my head.

  “I can’t do it, Red. You get out. Go to Shiv. You said that they’re planning to attack. Go out. Help him. Then come get me. I’ll be here.”

  “Yumi, you don’t understand,” he said, fear in his eyes. “There’s a storm blowing in. The water will be pushed straight in here. I don’t think we’ll have time to get you out that way.”

  “Well, you’re not staying,” I said, positive about that. “You have to get out there and help them take the castle. They need all the bodies they can get. Besides, I’m hoping to freeze before I drown. You know they say that when you freeze, you feel warm right before the end. And then you just go to sleep. It’s the best way to die.”

  “Jesus Christ, Tanaka,” he said, getting that stubborn look I knew from many fights during our childhood and youth. “I’m not leaving without you.”

  “Chad, please,” I said, knowing that he would be impossible to convince once he dug in his heels. “You need to do it for Grace. She needs you to help get in the castle and free her.”

  “Shiv will get her,” he said.

  “Goddamn you, Dvorski,” I said, tears leaking out my eyes and I regretted the warmth that was probably going with them. “Why do you have to be so damn loyal? Such a damn good person? If you were the least bit selfish you’d leave me…”

  He wrapped one arm around me, holding on to the edge of the door frame to keep us up and kissed the warm tears from my cheeks.

  “If we’re going down, we’re going down together, Tanaka,” he said, gazing into my eyes with no trace of regret. “Just like we do everything. Even when we’re fighting. Even when we’re broken up. Even when we can’t stand each other. Even during the worst times…”

  I shook my head, unable to believe it was going to end like this.

  “We don’t know any other way to be, Yumi.”

  “I won’t let you die with me, Chad.”

  “Then come out. Let’s get out of here,” he said, desperately.

  But I swallowed hard against the lump of terror that had risen in my throat and didn’t say another word.

  “Then we’ll stay here,” he said, seeming to understand. “I’m sure things will work out okay.”

  I laughed through my tears.

  “You’re nuts. How can you say that?” I said, unable to hold on to him anymore because my fingers refused to move. He held me up, with one arm under mine and one hand gripping the door frame, so I wouldn’t slip under the water.

  “I can say that because even if we die, Yumi…” He gave a tiny shrug. “We did it together. And that’s the only way I want to go.”

  “Fucking hero,” I muttered, my eyes getting heavy as I felt suddenly warm. “Are you getting warm? Oh damn, that’s nice. I’m just going to close my eyes for a second.”

  I could sort of hear Chad yelling at me and shaking me but I ignored it. He was worried over nothing. Shiv must have got in and we were back in the hot springs, warming up. It would all be okay. I could rest. Just for a second.

  I had a nagging feeling that for some reason that was a bad idea, but with the wonderful warm, drowsy feeling enveloping me, I couldn’t help giving in.

  I closed my eyes and drifted away.

  YUMI WAS SUCCUMBING to hypothermia in this fucking water chamber and I couldn’t do anything about it. The torture chamber/execution room was almost full to the top with my head bumping the ceiling at this point. But I hung on to the door frame and to Yumi, knowing that if I let go of either, we would die. It felt like the scene from last night — where Zoe died right in front of Ernest — was replaying, this time with me as an unwilling participant.

  No. She couldn’t be dying. Not after what we had been through. Not after we had finally started getting our relationship back on track.

  I thought of how devastated Ernest had looked when Grace said that Zoe was gone. I didn’t want to look like that. Ever.

  She had been out for over a minute now and I didn’t know what to do. If I had thought of it, we could have made a Circle and maybe generated some heat that way. But I couldn’t link minds with her under these circumstances, especially with her unconscious.

  I didn’t know how Grace did it, but she was able to create heat, though that was probably a Kinetic thing. She had warmed Yumi up more than once when she almost froze to death. But I didn’t know how. I cursed myself for not learning to do it when I had the chance.

  Soon, I felt my eyelids wanting to close. I blinked and opened my eyes wide. I clutched Yumi tightly, my fingers were aching but I didn’t dare let up for an instant, lest she slip under the water.

  For what seemed like hours but was probably less than one, I hung on to the door frame, keeping us both above water. And Yumi was still breathing so I clung just as stubbornly to the hope that somehow we might get out of this.

  But gradually I felt myself needing to sleep. Just for a moment. I yanked myself back out. But a second later, I could hardly keep my eyes open. Damn it. This was how it ended, I guessed.

  I gazed at Yumi, wishing we had never put on those time travel bracelets. But that was silly. It was like wishing away every decision we had ever made in our lives because all of them had led us here. To exactly this point…

  Where our lives would end.

  At least I had told her I loved her one last time.

  That would have to be enough.

  I felt my fingers slipping and wished things could be different. And then I felt acceptance come in. It was all as it should be. All would be well. I slowly closed my eyes and when I tried to open them again, I couldn’t.

  This was it then.

  The end.

  I HAD TO say, this wasn’t how I had imagined death.

  As my head sank under the water, there was a whooshing feeling as if I was being swept up in a wave of light…

  Wait a minute.

  That wasn’t light. That was water.

  Suddenly my body collided with a rock hard wall, slamming my head against the concrete.

  Fuck that hurt.

  What was going on?

  I wasn’t dead, that was for sure.

  Or if I was, death sucked.

  Wasn’t there some bullshit about there being no more pain when we died?

  I tried to touch my throbbing head with a hand so stiff I couldn’t move it and decided that this definitely wasn’t death.

  “Where are the bodies?” someone said and I tried to pry my eyes open.

  “Doesn’t matter. Bakersfield only wanted these two, anyway. I guess he misjudged the weather though. A few more minutes and they would have been dead.”

  “I’m not sure they’re going to survive anyway. This one’s blue.”

  “As long as Bakersfield can torment them some more with this wedding, that’s all that matters. He’s going to kill them when it’s over anyhow.”

  “What a sick fucker.”

  “Yeah, well he’s the hand that feeds you, so don’t be stupid enough to bite.”

  I felt myself picked up and thrown over a shoulder and some huge man carried me up the stairs. I wondered if it was one of the ones that Yumi and I had defeated in the arena and if he was kn
ocking my head against the corners on purpose.

  I couldn’t do anything about it, anyway. My body was almost completely unresponsive. And some warmth was beginning to come back, sending tendrils of pain up my limbs and promising endless agony later as heat came back into the rest of my body.

  That is, assuming I survived the warming process. There was always the after drop to worry about, which occurs when your heart starts pumping the cold blood back into your core and your body temperature drops rapidly. Sometimes it kills a hypothermia victim right when they thought they were safe.

  Eventually, the brute dropped me on the floor and I felt Yumi land beside me, her arm was flung out and lay unmoving across my chest.

  “We were almost too late,” one of the voices said. “These ones were barely alive.”

  “And what of the others?” came Nathan’s bored, cultured voice.

  There was a pause as if they were afraid to answer. Then a different voice answered in a bold tone.

  “No bodies.”

  “No bodies?” Nathan’s tone was incredulous. “Well, where have they gone?”

  “No idea, your excellency,” the first voice said.

  “Well, we’ll sort this out later. Right now, see if you can warm these two up. They have a wedding to attend.”

  A wedding? He had saved us to come to a wedding? What the hell was this crazy fuck up to now?

  “LET ME help them, Nathan.”

  It was my sister’s sweet voice.

  She was alright.

  Thank goodness.

  “Take these cuffs off me. If they aren’t warmed up correctly, they could die.”

  “They’ll die eventually anyway.”

  “But Nathan, don’t you want them to have to watch our marriage? Wasn’t that the idea? I’m just trying to help.”

  I managed to drag one eye open and saw that Grace was in a white dress, her bright red hair piled on top of her head with a silver circlet holding back her curls, which spilled down all around anyway. Morning sunlight poured over her from one of the windows in the great hall, where we had been brought.