by Xu, Lei
I stepped close. "Xile."
Seeing me, she rushed over and threw her arms around me. I could feel her entire body tremble. She must have thought I'd abandoned her. This realization made me cringe. Any man, let alone a woman, left here stranded and solitary was bound to fall apart
"It's okay," I whispered. "I'm here." I took a deep breath and embraced her, hoping she'd calm down and let go, but she only held me tighter. So I picked her up and laid her down on the bed. "I won't leave you," I said to her, squeezing her hand. "I'm just thinking of a way to get us out of here. Don't be afraid."
She continued to stare at me, no less agitated than before. Tears ran down her cheeks. She reached out and embraced me again. I sighed. What could I do? The look on her face would have softened the hardest heart. I couldn't bear to push her away again, so I hugged her close and together we slowly relaxed together.
I don't know how long I held her before she began to calm down. Pointing at the cans, I indicated that I needed to fetch more wood to relight them. She reluctantly let me go. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and gathered all the cans she'd knocked over. I filled each with firewood and relit them. While doing so, I realized that this wasn't going to work. There was no way I'd be able to persuade her to calmly wait here while I ambushed the spy. She'd been alone in the darkness for too long. Watching me leave would terrify her and I didn't want to torment her any further. She couldn't speak and probably couldn't understand me when I did. I had to think of some other method to let her know I would always return.
I walked back to the bed and felt Yuan Xile's forehead. Her fever remained, but she was used to braving the elements and was in excellent shape. If not, she would have already been long dead. Standing over her now, I saw her body and face were filthy. I felt her hands and feet. They were frigid. Her feet were covered in blisters, yet despite it all they remained slender and fine. She must come from a good family, I thought. Still, after all the miles she'd walked as a prospector, the cramped confines of her PLA boots had left their mark.
I heated up a can of water. When it was warm, I tore off a piece of my clothing, wetted it, and wiped her feet clean. Then I used the prong from my belt buckle to pop her blisters one by one. The warm water had already softened them and she seemed to feel no pain. She just kept staring up at me, not saying a word. I squeezed her blisters dry, then once more wiped her feet with warm water. This had to hurt. Several times her whole body clenched up, but she continued to watch me calmly, doing her utmost to endure the pain. And then she smiled. My heart melted. Back when she was known as the "Soviet Witch," her smile had been extremely hard to come by, but now she looked just like a young girl again, incomparably gentle and sweet. What a pity all this had to happen under these circumstances; if she ever regained her sanity, none of this would mean anything to her. Our relationship would be just as it had been before. Yet somehow, my heart was content. In a place like this, to see her perfect smile was all I could ask for.
When I was done, I laid her slender feet on the bed, then washed her socks and placed them aside. Even with several recent-looking holes, they were still in much better shape than mine, which had long since begun to resemble a pair of dirty nets.
"Tomorrow you can get up," I said, looking at her, "but right now it would be best to stay in bed. How about it?"
She nodded and motioned for me to lie down with her, but I shook my head. Suddenly I understood how to get her to let me leave the room.
Over the next three days, I never stopped listening for noise from the corridor beyond, but all was silent. The spy's patience was remarkable. Unfortunately, there was also no word from Wang Sichuan or Ma Zaihai. Twice a day I washed Yuan Xile's feet. Gradually, her blisters disappeared. Given how dirty the place was, it set my heart at ease to see no sign of infection. Once her feet were washed clean, I'd walk outside the room, dump out the dirty water and fill a can with clean water from the exposed pipe in the wall. I did this every time, and each time I made sure to stay away longer than the last. At first this worried her, but when she saw I always returned she began to trust me. Soon she was no longer so anxious.
As for the other part of my plan, I shaped one of the can lids into a triangular, three-pointed blade. Cans in those days were sturdy and sharp-edged. With only a little work, one could be turned into a vicious weapon. I also experimented with soaking my clothing in water and venturing out into the poisoned air. I discovered that if I wrapped three layers of wet cloth over my nose and mouth, I could last for five or six minutes before beginning to feel the ill effects. This might not be long, but it was long enough. Next I attached the prong from my belt buckle to the inside of one of the empty cans, forming a makeshift bell. Then I took apart Old Tang's bag and tied a length of its thick cotton thread to the end of the prong, allowing me to ring the bell at a distance. Finally, I hung the bell in the room that was to be my trap.
Each night we retired to our separate beds, but, when I opened my eyes the next morning, there she was, soundly asleep on my chest. At the time I believed this was the most intimate two people could be with one another. I'm no saint, though, and feverish urges gripped me, but I could see no alternative. In the quietest hours of the night, as she slept peacefully on me, a single hope would appear in my mind.
I hoped the spy would never come, that Yuan Xile and I would remain alone in this quiet forever. But what must come will come. It always does.
CHAPTER
17
The Spy
Four days passed before it happened. I was sitting by the entryway, silently listening for sounds from the corridor, when I heard the soft echo of footsteps. I'd become so accustomed to quietly passing each day that at first I thought I must have been mistaken, but there was no mistaking it. The echo continued. Someone else was down here. My heart sprinted. Grabbing my blade, I tried to gauge where the footsteps were coming from, but all I could tell was they weren't yet close by.
I hurriedly washed Yuan Xile's feet and signaled to her that I was going out. My face must have betrayed my agitation. She seemed reluctant to let me go, but I gave her no time to react. Grabbing the empty water can, I quickly stood and left. Out in the corridor, I felt around for the end of the thread I'd prepared. I pulled it and the makeshift bell rang out, breaking the silence. The clang of metal striking metal ricocheted through the passageways. The footsteps stopped.
Not wanting him to become overly suspicious, I waited a minute before ringing again. I held my breath and listened. His footsteps, softer now, their direction impossible to discern, creaked through the quiet that followed. He was being more cautious.
Taking a deep breath, I waited, ringing the bell only once every two or three minutes. Curious of the sound's pattern, he gradually drew closer. Gripping the blade between my teeth, I sunk underwater and floated towards the bell room.
I didn't know which direction he'd be coming from. If he appeared somewhere ahead of me along the corridor, I could probably the jump on him, but I hoped this wouldn't be the case. Yuan Xile was directly behind me, waiting in the darkened safe room. Ideally, the spy would come from the far end of the bisecting corridor and as soon as he was inside the bell room, I'd make my move.
Now that I was soaked to the bone, I'd be able to stay out here for at least five minutes before worrying about the poison. All the time in the world. The footsteps were soon very close by. He was moving much more slowly now, pausing a few seconds between each step. There was a lonely stand of light some distance ahead of me. No shadow appeared. He must be coming from another direction. Indeed, the more I listened, the more the footsteps seemed to be sounding from somewhere off to my right. Just as I had hoped; he was coming from the far end of the bisecting corridor.
I crept up to the intersection of the two corridors and peered to the right. No lights in that direction, a sheet of total darkness. Crouched just beyond the water, hiding behind the corner of the intersection, I started to feel sick. I had to dunk my head in the water every few minut
es to stay lucid. I'd never been gone this long before. Yuan Xile was like a ticking time bomb, just waiting to go off.
I didn't ring the bell again. I didn't want to risk him hearing the thread rub against the side of the entryway. Gritting my teeth, I endured the nausea and focused all my attention on what I was hearing. The footsteps drew closer and closer. At last I could hear the rustle of his clothing. He was somewhere just outside the bell room. I didn't dare move. I heard the boards being lifted away. I had placed those boards there. He was so close, but still I waited. Come on, little one, I thought toward him. There's nothing in there, nothing to be afraid of. It's perfectly safe. Go inside now.
I heard a loud grunt and then a crash. He must have tossed a board down the corridor. My heart skipped a beat. All was silent. Was he already inside the room? Impossible. The entryway was tiny and the boards weren't the only things I'd left there. No way could he have made it through without making a sound. He was still waiting just outside the opening. Waiting for whoever was inside to come out. I swore to myself. What was I supposed to do now? How long would this standoff last? But I knew my only choice was to just keep waiting. This was a test of patience. Sweat dripped down my forehead and I realized that I'd erred in believing everything would go perfectly. My target was a master strategist, not some reckless, wild sparrow. I waited.
Nearly 15 minutes passed before I heard another sound. This time I knew he was climbing inside. At last. A crash sounded from within. The objects I'd placed must have toppled over. Wild with excitement, I dashed towards the entryway, hoping the clatter would muffle my footsteps. Feeling my way along the wall, I readied the blade. I came to the entryway, told myself to be calm and rounded the corner. A light shined into my eyes, blurred my vision, and some unseen object smashed into the side of my head. Seeing stars, I lurched backwards. Something slammed into my knee, crushing the cartilage. My opposite knee dropped to the floor. In an instant I felt the cold blade of a knife pressed against my throat.
I almost jumped out of my skin.
A voice emerged from behind me. "Move and I slit your throat."
I froze. My arm was yanked back and I was forced up against the wall. I wanted to speak, but the knife was pressed so close to my throat, the slightest movement and I feared it would slice right through me. I'd never been in a situation like this before. I had no idea what to do. On each exhale the blade pierced my skin. It was some time before I fully comprehended what was going on.
"Where is it?" the voice continued. "Where is the film?"
The voice was deep and hoarse, its accent indescribable. I searched my memory, but it didn't belong to anyone I knew. Who was he? My mind was full of questions, but this wasn't the time to pursue them.
Pressing the blade tighter against my throat, he spoke again. "Answer the question."
I tried to compose myself. I needed to think of a way to escape. I could figure out his identity later. But my body was too weak to think. I could only stammer out a few unintelligible words.
He grabbed my chin and wrenched it upwards. "Speak. Or I'll split you open right here." The voice had grown deeper.
What was I supposed to say? I didn't know where Wang Sichuan and the film canister were. And even if I told him everything I did know, I was still going to die. I knew I should just keep my mouth shut. "Let me go so I can take a few breaths, and then I'll talk," I said.
"Cut the bullshit." His voice was emotionless. "You haven't seen my face yet, which means I don't have to kill you, but I will if you don't tell me what I want to hear. It's up to you."
Fear grew as I listened to him. If I were in his place, I could never have remained so composed. This was clearly nothing new to him. Behaving recklessly would only get me killed. I decided to tell the truth. "I know you're not going to believe me," I said, "but I don't know where the film is either. I do know how to find it though."
As soon as I stopped speaking he slid the knife lightly up my throat. My heart skipped a beat. I was sure he didn't believe me and was going to kill me right then and there. Instead he slid it all the way up my face until its point was inches away from my eye. "Don't lie to me," he said, "and don't try to think your way out of this. If you even attempt to escape, I'll dig out your eyeball and slit the tendons in your hands and then make you lead the way. You'll wish you were dead. I don't intend to kill you if you tell me the truth, but you're not giving me an alternative. For the last time, where is it? Do not lie to me again."
At last I could see it was hopeless. Movie protagonists are always given endless opportunities to escape from such situations, but this was real life and I was out of options. "Wang Sichuan has it," I said, "not me."
"Who is that? And where is he?"
"He's dead," I lied.
"Dead?" The voice was surprised. "Then where is his corpse? Why didn't you take the film?"
"There was no time. The air here is toxic and the woman I were both sick. We were lucky to make it this far."
"Lucky?" He laughed coldly. "No one sent to this place could be called lucky." Pulling my hair, he yanked my head back. "Let's go take a look. If you're tricking me, prepare to lose an eye."
My head was spinning. The poison had spread throughout my body. "I'll be dead before we get there."
He laughed again, and was about to respond when something heavy suddenly struck him from behind. He groaned and toppled forward. His dagger cut a bloody arc down the side of my face. Before I knew what was happening, he was struck again. His head smashed into mine. His flashlight flew from his grip and knocked against the wall, switching back on.
As it dropped to the ground, the twirling beam illuminated Yuan Xile. A triangular blade in her hand, she was stabbing him again and again. The two twisted together in a flurry of blood and flailing limbs.
CHAPTER
18
Death bound
I grabbed the fallen flashlight and ran over to help. The spy's hazmat suit was already pockmarked with holes from Yuan Xile's blade, but her strength was no match for his. In a moment he'd thrown her off and was wildly brandishing his dagger. Pulling Yuan Xile away, I shone the flashlight beam on him. He stumbled backwards, holding his wounds. Then he turned and fled into the darkness.
Looking around, I swore to myself. The floor was covered in blood. Yuan Xile must have taken the spy completely by surprise. I was sure his wounds were deep. Even his gas mask had been riddled with holes. I should have grabbed him while I had the chance.
Dropping the blade, Yuan Xile grabbed hold of my arm. Her hands were covered in blood and she was shaking terribly. Holding her close, I illuminated the bloody blade. Where had it come from? I wondered. There was no time to think about it. My chest was already aching with poison. We returned to the safe room and washed and scraped our bodies clean. This time I knew what I was doing, but when I looked over at Yuan Xile, I still couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
I didn't know what to say to her. I'd never imagined she'd come to my rescue, but if she hadn't I would probably be dead by now. Still, she'd taken too great of a risk. I almost wished she'd just stayed put. Later, when I washed her hands I saw her palm was split open, though the blood had already dried. She must have crafted a weapon in the style of my own when I was out of the room, but she'd left the edges of the handle sharp and they'd sliced through her skin. I was moved as I thought of the danger she'd faced for my sake. I looked her in the eye.
"Thank you," I said. I took her hand in mine and smiled at her.
Previously when we'd worked together, she'd always been stern and untouchable. I'd never imagined we could be so close. Now she was almost acting like my girlfriend. She stared silently at me with tears in her eyes. Her mouth opened as if she were about to speak. Biting my lip, I waited for a long time, but in the end she said nothing. I sighed and patted her hand. We have to get out of here, I told myself. The sooner I turned off the lights the better. But as I tried to stand, she grabbed my arm and pulled me back down. My heart ached. I knew
I'd lost her trust. I was thinking about how to explain things when she suddenly leaned forward and kissed me. For an instant, the most wonderful fragrance flooded my senses. My mind emptied of all thought. Our lips parted. She took my hand and led me behind the bed.
A single sentence was carved inconspicuously into the wall. What will be will be. The words were nearly illegible. Although I didn't know what they meant, they must have been carved by one of those trapped here, probably by Yuan Xile herself.
"Did you write this?" I asked.
Shaking her head, she pointed to my heart.
The sentence was baffling, but it was a good sign that she wanted me to read it. I could tell she was recovering. Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw something move. All the lights in the corridor had gone out. Total darkness descended once more. Had the power shorted? Or had someone flipped the master switch? Could it be Wang Sichuan and Ma Zaihai? I knew this was unlikely. Even if they were somehow still alive, they wouldn't be doing well. Their chance to cut the power had long since passed. It had to be the spy. With his gas mask full of holes, he was as helpless against the poison as we were. If he wanted to make it out of here alive, his only choice was to turn off the lights. He'd done me no small favor. Now Yuan Xile and I could leave right away.
