by Cross, Amy
“We're going to die here.”
I open my mouth to reply, but then I realize what she just said.
“If we stay,” she continues, and suddenly she seems much more serious. “These people are barely hanging on, and there's trouble brewing. I've got a feeling that eventually they're gonna follow through on their threat to storm the gates of that Project Atherius place, and when they do it's not gonna be pretty. They're gonna get splatted like bugs on a windshield.”
“You don't know that for sure.”
“No, but there's an extremely high probability.”
“So where would we go?” I ask. “I've got to admit, geography's not my strong point, but we can't just go back to wandering around.”
“I agree, which is why we have to be smart and pick somewhere.”
“We could go back to New York.”
She shakes her head.
“Why not?”
“I didn't want to have to tell you,” she replies, “but I heard a rumor that New York's... not there anymore.”
“That's impossible.”
“Maybe. It was just two people talking.” She pauses. “We're gonna head south. Dead south, as fast as we can, straight as an arrow. Through the Carolinas, check out Florida and Louisiana, then maybe keep on going all the way to Texas.”
“Why there?”
“Because between you and me, and the other people we've met, we've tried pretty much everywhere else in the country. So unless you want to try to steal a boat and sail off to Europe or somewhere, we're running out of options fast.”
“I've already been to Texas,” I explain. “I passed through it, at least. There's nothing there.”
“I think it's worth a shot.”
“New York's still there,” I tell her. “It has to be.”
“Why? Because your girlfriend's there?”
“She's not my girlfriend. I just saw New York, that's all, and it was obvious that they were picking up the pieces. Ask anyone, ask Riley.”
“Riley's gone.”
Sighing, I lean back in the chair. I know Martha's right, but at the same time I don't have any better ideas to throw back at her. I've accepted that there's no point going back to Lake Erie, that Melissa and Katie are either dead or gone, but I guess I was still hoping to go back and find Elizabeth at some point. At the same time, I can't leave Martha behind, and I've always been really bad at persuading her to do things. If she wants us to head south, then eventually we're gonna head south. That's just how things work these days, at least while I still think of her as my older sister. She's in charge.
“Where exactly did Katrina go?” I ask.
“She said something about trying the streets north of here, around that park we saw yesterday.”
“She shouldn't be out there alone.”
She shrugs.
After finishing my water, I get to my feet.
“Where are you going?” Martha asks.
“I should find Katrina and make sure she's okay.”
“She's a big girl. She can look after herself.”
“That doesn't mean she doesn't need a little help,” I point out as I head to the door. “Anyway, I don't think she's thinking straight.”
“We're a team, Thomas,” she says firmly. “You and me. We're family. Everyone else is... I mean, they're nice, but we have to stick together. For Mom and Dad's sake. For Joe. For everyone else in the family. We can't let other people get between us.”
“I know,” I reply, stopping and turning to her. “Katrina needs our help, though.”
“Just don't go getting yourself into trouble in the process,” she says. “She chose to go out there. She knows the risks. It's every man for himself in this world right now, Thomas, and there's enough trouble without us going looking for it. I'm gonna figure out a more concrete plan today, and I'm gonna see where we can find a vehicle. Philadelphia's just a rest stop on our journey. I don't know where our final destination is, but I promise you it's a long way from here.”
Her words are still ringing in my ears as I head toward the exit. Martha seems to be hardening lately, as if she's starting to close herself off from the rest of the world. The Martha I knew back home would have done anything to help other people, she had a bleeding heart for every poor soul she encountered, but now she's almost the complete opposite. I guess the world is changing, and we're all changing with it, but I don't want to become a completely different person. I've left enough people behind so far, not just Elizabeth but also Melissa and Katie and George and a whole load of other people – and I don't want to do it again.
For a moment, I think back to that dream about Elizabeth. Martha claimed that New York has been badly damaged, but I still don't quite believe that can be true. I saw with my own eyes that the city was being rebuilt, and I still believe that Elizabeth and all the others are getting on with their jobs. Martha simply heard some false rumors, and my dream was a coincidence. I've heard a few rumors too, but I refuse to believe them. Elizabeth's just fine, and New York is getting better with each passing day. I'm sure of that.
Reaching the plaza at the front of the building, I look out at the city and try to figure out which way's north. I have to at least try to help Katrina.
Thomas
This place is like a maze.
As I make my way along yet another narrow, crowded street, I feel as if the city is breaking down. The street isn't even that narrow, not really, it's more that it's been filled with junk that people have hauled out of nearby buildings. Anything that could be moved, has been moved, and it's pretty clear that the buildings are being gutted. Outside a Moolio's fast food place, for example, all the cooking equipment has been dumped onto the sidewalk along with about a hundred plastic seats. At the same time, there seems to be some order to the chaos, as if these people at least have a plan. I guess they're reclaiming the buildings for whatever fresh purpose they have in mind.
“Are you free?” a guy asks, watching me from the doorway of an old bookstore. “Hey, have you got time to give us a hand?”
“Sorry,” I mutter, picking up the pace a little.
A moment later I hear a roaring sound high above, and I look up just in time to see another helicopter racing across the sky. A few people yell and scream, but the reaction today isn't quite as intense as yesterday, as if the people don't get so angry when they're not being deliberately whipped up. As I watch the helicopter disappear behind some other buildings, I can't help wondering who's onboard and where exactly they're going, but I guess it's all got something to do with the mysterious Project Atherius.
“Assholes,” a voice says nearby.
Turning, I watch as a man sets a large crate on the sidewalk.
“They'll get what's coming to them,” he tells me.
“Who?”
“Who do you think? Atherius. The Atherians. Whatever you wanna call them. The longer they try to deny us, the worse it's gonna be for them when we finally get through that gate.”
“And what are we gonna find when we get through?” I ask.
“Everything. All the stuff they've been keeping for themselves. Isn't it obvious?”
“So it's a military site?”
“And then some.” He sniffs. “We've sent delegations to talk to them, to negotiate freely and openly, and do you know how they responded? They didn't even acknowledge us. They act as if Philadelphia's not even here, as if we're something to be ignored. I always heard rumors about the place, even before all this shit went down, but I thought most of those rumors were just conspiracy theories. Now I'm not so sure.”
He turns to go back into the building.
“What kind of conspiracy theories?” I call after him, but he doesn't respond.
Turning, I set off again, but then I hesitate as I spot a familiar figure ahead. Krex, one of the guys from the camper van, is making his way across the street, and he doesn't seem to have noticed me. He quickly disappears around the far corner, but I figure he might know a few things abou
t the world beyond Philadelphia. If nothing else, he might be able to help me work out what might have happened to Riley, so I set off after him. Sure, he ran us off the road and kidnapped us, but at least he brought us here and turned us over to Doctor Hoyle and the others, so he can't be all bad. And if you're in trouble, sometimes it's people like Krex who can help out the most.
***
Damn it, where is he?
Stopping at the next junction, I look both ways, but I still don't see him. I don't quite understand how I could have lost him so quickly, but it's like he disappeared into thin air. I guess he might have gone into one of the buildings, but these last couple of streets have been much less busy than the others and I think I'm getting to a part of the city that's maybe not quite so populated.
I turn and look around, but there's no sign of anyone at all.
“Hey, kid.”
Startled, I turn around and find Krex standing almost right behind me. I instinctively take a step back, almost tripping on a piece of broken wood on the ground, and Krex starts laughing.
“I thought someone was following me,” he says, “but I had no idea it was you. How are things going? How's your new life in the city?”
“You kidnapped us!”
“All's fair in love and war,” he replies, still chuckling. “I wasn't going to get paid if I just let you guys walk away, was I?”
“Paid?”
“No-one told you? People like me, we spend most of our time outside the city, looking for strays. And when we find them, we do one of two things. The ones who are weak, the ones who are no use to the people running this place, we get to keep for our own purposes. And the others, the ones such as yourselves, we bring back here and we collect our little bounty. It's actually not a bad way of doing things.”
“Those people in that other car... Did you kill them?”
“That was a complicated situation,” he replies. “They were a little better at fighting back than you guys, so things turned uglier faster. That's just the way it goes sometimes.” He pauses, before holding a hand out toward me. “No hard feelings?”
“I'm not shaking your hand!”
“Then what do you want?” he asks. “You were following me for a good four or five blocks, and that seems odd seeing as how you don't seem to like me. You also seem pretty scared, so -”
“I'm not scared of you!”
“You should be.”
“I want to know about my friend,” I tell him. “The first time you met us -”
“We were scoping you out. We don't always strike at the first opportunity, we like to play a little first. It was clear you wouldn't get far.”
“We had a guy with us. Riley.”
“I remember. Cocky little bastard, wasn't he?”
“He disappeared,” I explain, “while we were at the gas station. One night he was with us, and the next morning he was gone.”
“So?”
“So did you take him?”
“We're not the only ones out there, you know,” he replies. “The good people of Philly offer a decent bounty for waifs and strays. There are other people who might have spotted him and plucked him out of the dirt.”
“So you swear you don't know where he is?”
“If he's here, then I don't know about it,” he tells me. “If he got into trouble and ended up getting his bones picked clean, I also don't know about it. I'm a lot of things, kid, but I'm not omnipotent. Not yet, anyway.”
“Is there anyone else who might know?”
“You need to get over this,” he replies. “People come and go these days, kid, and there's no way of keeping tabs on them. After we dropped you and your two friends off and collected our bounties, we never expected to see you again. We're just going about our business, and I'd advise you to do the same. You should also stick to the more central parts of the city, because right now you're out in our territory and you're taking an awful risk. Let's just say that our rules are a little different to anything else you might be used to.”
“We're not even staying,” I tell him. “As soon as we're sure Riley's not here, we're leaving.”
“Says who?”
“It's our plan.”
“And have you run that by anyone?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that a bounty was paid for you. They want you here. They need you. To work, to fight, to do all the sorts of things that they can't do alone. There's simply no way that you'll be allowed to walk out of this city.”
“They can't keep us here.”
“They sure as hell can,” he replies, “and they will. They'll play things nice for now, but you need to understand that everyone in this city is here because they're useful. The people running this place know exactly what they want, and whatever it is, it's in that stupid bunker place on the outskirts. Personally, I don't care what's in there, I can look after myself just fine, but the higher-ups of Philly are desperate to break through that gate. And the more bodies they have to throw at that thing when the time comes, the better.”
“Who is in charge of Philadelphia?” I ask.
“Beats me. Some of the theories are crazy, but...” He pauses, suddenly looking past me, and then he takes a step back. “You should get out of here now,” he adds. “Out of these streets, I mean. Get back to where there are other people about, to where it's safe. You've come to the wrong part of town for a stroll, my friend.”
“I want to know who's in charge,” I reply, but he's already turning and walking away. He disappears around the corner, and I hurry after him, but then I stop as I find that he's already gone. “Hey!” I yell. “Come back! I've got more -”
Hearing a scraping sound over my shoulder, I turn and look along the street. I don't see anyone, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm being watched. I wait for a moment, constantly looking around in case I spot movement, and then I start going back the way I just came. I'm still not sure that I trust this Krex guy, but I figure I should at least tell Martha everything that I just heard, and we should probably start looking into our options. Maybe she was right when she said we should get out of here.
Suddenly something slams into me from behind, sending me crashing into a nearby wall. I turn, just as a figure raises a large club and brings it thudding down against my head.
Thomas
The scream wakes me, blasting out of the darkness and forcing me to sit up. For a few seconds, I can only listen as the scream continues, but then the agonized sound begins to fade and finally I'm left in silence.
Looking around, I find that I'm in some kind of small, dirty room. There are dark stains on the cobbled floor, and several sets of chains are hanging from the walls. This is obviously some kind of cell, and a moment later I hear a shuffling sound over my shoulder. Turning, I see a bloodied man sitting in the corner, staring at me with wide-open eyes.
“You poor bastard,” he says, his voice sounding harsh and damaged. “You're one of us now.”
“Where am I?”
“I don't think it has a name.”
“Who are you?”
“I don't think I have a name,” he adds, before furrowing his brow. “Damn it, I do. Roger. Man, that sounds so weird after all this time. I think you're the first person who's asked me my name since... Well, since I got here a few weeks ago.” He pauses for a moment. “I almost think it was better to have forgotten.”
“What is this -”
Suddenly I hear the scream again, accompanied by what sounds like distant laughter.
“That's good,” Roger says eagerly. “I think she might be going to get lucky today.”
“Lucky?”
“She was so disappointed yesterday when she was brought back in here,” he explains. “She was convinced yesterday was going to be her day, and frankly I thought so too. Then they brought her back in, and she sobbed for hours when she realized she was still alive.”
“Still alive?”
“It's the only way out of here,” he continues. “Th
ey carve away a little more each day, and all you can do is hope that eventually they'll make a mistake. They never do, though. The Master Carver, that's what they call him, and he's an expert. He knows exactly where to cut, and how to cut, to make sure that the damage isn't fatal. Obviously everyone dies eventually, but this guy... I mean, man, he knows his stuff. He can have you still alive and half-eaten, and let me tell you, that's not a good state to be in.”
I stare at him for a moment, before turning and pulling on my chains. They're attached to a ring on the wall, and the ring seems firmly secured. This isn't the first time I've ended up like this over the past year, but I swore it wouldn't happen again. Now look at me.
“They'll come for you soon enough,” Roger says with a chuckle. “They always like to get a taste of the new ones soon after they've arrived. I'm surprised they didn't take you straight through to the kitchen, but I guess they were already working on poor Erica. I'm sorry, my friend, but I don't have any words of comfort to offer you. I'm afraid -”
Suddenly there are footsteps outside, and we both turn just as the door swings open. Two large men come through, dragging a bloodied corpse which they throw down onto the floor next to me, and then I watch in horror as they attach manacles to the corpse's wrists and ankles.
“I'm afraid to say I told you so,” Roger says as one of the men starts freeing me from my chains. “The only consolation I can offer is that they won't let so much as a scrap of you go to waste.”
“No!” I yell, but then I'm twisted around and hauled up from the ground. My right arm is behind held behind my back, and I scream as I feel a sharp pain running all the way from my wrist to my elbow.
“If you're smart, you won't struggle too much,” Roger tells me as I'm led out through the door. “The best thing to do in this place is just to give up. Anything else just prolongs the agony.”
I try to pull away, but the two guys are holding me far too tight and I'm already being led along a dark corridor. I hear the door slam shut behind me, and then I pass another door and I spot several children sitting on the floor as a woman prepares some toys. One of the children, a little girl, looks straight at me, and I spot a trace of blood on her chin before I'm shoved further along the corridor.
