by Ryan Gawley
She ran back up the corridor to check again that Stone hadn’t moved and her heart nearly stopped when she looked down and saw the empty chair and the big book lying open on the table.
‘Shit! Where is he?’ she whispered. Just as she was about to dash back to the other side of the balcony she thought she heard a faint clinking noise over the drone of the vacuum and a few seconds later she saw Stone walk from beneath her carrying another beverage back to his seat.
‘Oh, thank you! Wow, he really knocks them back,’ she thought. She supposed nobody would arrest Victor Henderson’s own man for drunk driving.
Seizing her chance she ran back down the corridor to the locked door at the end. She retrieved the little knife from the fold in her apron and tried wedging it in the door jamb hoping to prise the lock but there was no straight path to the latch. She wiggled and scratched the blade in as deep as she could get it but it was hopeless and the lock refused to co-operate.
‘This is crap, why does it always work in the movies,’ she said aloud, catching herself again and slapping a hand over her mouth.
‘Who’s there?’ asked a groggy sounding female voice from inside the locked room.
‘Shit!’
‘What?’
‘Oh, balls!
‘Who is that?’ the voice asked again more urgently.
‘Shhh! Keep your voice down,’ pleaded Lucy. ‘I’m just the cleaning girl, can you open the door so I can finish up?’ she asked quietly, feeling excited but nervous to think she might actually see her sister in the flesh.
‘I can’t, the door’s locked from outside but listen, you’ve got to get me out of here. You’re the first person from outside I’ve spoken to in ages. Please, I’ll give you anything. They keep me locked in this apartment and I haven’t been outside in years. Please, find the key or break the door or something.’
‘Kathy?’
‘How did you know my name? My father told me no-one knows I’m here except for Derek.’
‘Derek? Is he the tall angry man with the eye patch who let me in here?’
‘Yes, that’s him, he’s an ex-soldier or cop or something. My father pays him to do his dirty work and he usually keeps me locked up or sedated while your people are here. Look, it doesn’t matter; just find some way to get me out of here, please.’
‘Listen Kathy, I’m sorry but I can’t get you out, I’m here alone and I don’t have much time but I have something for you.’
‘What could you possibly have for me that would make any difference?’
‘Kathy, please believe me, I so much want to see you free from this place. I didn’t even know you existed until a few days ago and I’ve risked my life to be here talking with you now. I don’t know how else to say this so I’m just going to say it. My name is Lucy Nolan and I’m your half-sister.’
‘What the hell are you talking about? I’m an only child. Is this some kind of sick joke? Did my father hire you to twist my mind, play with my head? Well it won’t work, you hear me? I’m not listening to any of your bullshit.’
‘Please Kathy, keep your voice down. If Stone hears you we’re both going to be in serious trouble and me more than you. Look, I know it sounds crazy, believe me I’m still getting my head around it myself but here, this is for you.’
Lucy pulled up the back of her dress then took the letter she had been carrying for the past few days from the waist of her underwear and slid the thick envelope under the door. She could see the end of it sitting there for several seconds before Kathy finally snatched it away from the other side.
‘Kathy, you have to believe me. I wrote you a letter that explains it all but Henderson is not your father. We have the same dad you and me but different mothers. I know it’s a lot to take in but look at the photographs. That’s you and there’s one of your mother and your real father, our father. His name was James Nolan and he and your mother were lovers. See on the back of the photos, your age and the dates are written. That’s your mother’s hand-writing isn’t it? You see, I’m telling the truth Kathy. I am your sister.’
The silence from the other side of the door was agony for Lucy as she crouched on the floor at the end of the corridor. She had risked everything as she knew she had to and now she needed to know it hadn’t all been for nothing.
‘Kathy?’
‘Yeah, I’m here Lucy.’
The sound of her sister speaking her name brought tears to Lucy’s eyes but she stayed silent, waiting for Kathy to come round in her own time, longing for them to be able to see each other, to hug and for just a moment be together.
‘I don’t know what to think Lucy, this is, well, I guess it all seems real enough but I need to think. I need time to think about all of this and more than anything I need to get out of here.’
‘Kathy, I need to go, I can’t stay here. Stone is downstairs and if I don’t get back to work soon he’ll know something is up. Listen, I’m leaving the city tomorrow. I have a boyfriend; his name is Sam. I’m supposed to meet him outside the city in a couple of days’ time. We’re heading north to the mountains and we can take you with us but you’ll have to get out of here on your own. Can you do that?’
‘It’s not like I haven’t tried to escape but the only way out of here is in the lift and only Stone and my father, I mean Victor have access to the controls.’
‘If you were to get out is there anywhere safe you can go? Somewhere you could hide? I’ll not be able to get back in here again after today but maybe I could come find you. You have to try again Kathy, whatever it takes.’
‘There isn’t anywhere I know of, I was always driven with Victor and my mother from one stupid dinner or speech or event to another. I actually don’t know my way around the city at all and things have probably changed a lot since I was last even outside this apartment.’
‘Are you alone with Henderson at night? I mean I assume Stone doesn’t stay here and lives somewhere else?’
‘No, he leaves Victor here in the evenings, then goes home I suppose. Victor normally doesn’t like to be disturbed when he comes back from the office so unless he’s called in for something unusual Derek won’t be back until the morning.’
‘That’s good; at least we’ll only have to deal with him if Stone isn’t around. I noticed on the way in here that the underground car park has loads of cars all under dust covers. If you could get that far you could hide there for a while until I come for you. If Henderson notices you’re gone he wouldn’t think you’d still be practically under his nose.’
‘I suppose I could do that. I’ve tried before several times but I’m not giving in to that bastard. If I get out you have to promise to find me.’
‘Don’t worry Kathy; I’ll come back in a week from today, okay? I’ll come back and we can leave together then but you have to find a way out. Remember this day a week from now; I won’t be able to wait for you if you’re not there.’
‘I’ll find a way Lucy, I’ll think of something.’
‘Right, hide that letter; don’t let anyone see it or we’ll both be killed over it. I have to go; I’ve been away too long already. See you soon Kathy and keep safe until then.’
‘Lucy?’
‘I’m still here, what is it?’
‘This is real, right? I’m not alone?’
‘You’re not alone Kathy, whatever happens always remember that.’
Lucy crept back up the corridor and again saw that Stone had moved from his chair.
‘Shit, where is he now?’ she cursed under her breath. Waiting cautiously for Stone to reappear in the living area below she put her shoes back on so as not to arouse his suspicion if she was spotted and rolled the little kitchen knife back into her apron. Then in the corner of her eye she saw movement and looked across at the opposite corridor to where Stone had appeared from one of the other rooms. He noticed her at the same instant and realising she was caught Lucy walked confidently across the balcony toward him.
‘Where were you? What were you doing ove
r there? The vacuum has been running for some time but I noticed the pipe wasn’t moving so came to check what you’re up to. Looking for something to steal perhaps?’
‘I just thought I’d check the other rooms for laundry, you know, gather it all together first. One of the doors is locked so I was looking for a key. That’s all,’ said Lucy as her voice trembled involuntarily.
Stone stared at her trying to decide whether to believe her or not.
‘Yeah, well that room is off limits. It was Mrs. Henderson’s personal chambers and it’s been sealed since she died. No one but Mr. Henderson goes in there so you’re to leave it alone, understand?’
‘Yes sir, I was only trying to do my job, I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I’ll just finish off here then and I’ll get out of your way.’
‘No there’s no time for that now. I have to leave shortly to pick up Mr. Henderson downtown so if he’s unhappy with your work he’ll be unhappy with your boss. I’m sure Harper will try and take it out on you but I’ll cover for you this once. I’d suggest finding another line of work if you can.’
‘What do you care what happens to me?’
‘I don’t, I just can’t abide a man hitting a woman. I don’t want to have to get physical with Mr. Harper. He wouldn’t like it,’ said Stone with a flash of anger in his eye.
As Lucy hurried away and gathered her belongings onto her cart and replaced the vacuum hose in the recess behind the panel in the hall Stone walked down the left hand upper corridor to Kathy’s room. He took a key from his jacket pocket and opened the door to find Kathy lying on the bed where she stirred slightly but appeared not to be fully conscious. Satisfied that all was well he backed out of the room and leaving the door unlocked he joined Lucy as she waited at the lift.
Using the wall panel he pressed his thumb on the scanner to call the lift then again using the thumbprint scanner selected the basement and accompanied Lucy down to the car park leaving Kathy imprisoned as always in the penthouse high above.
‘Do you have a good life Lucy?’ he asked, breaking an awkward silence.
‘It’s okay, I get by. What the hell has it got to do with you?’
‘Nothing. Nothing at all,’ replied Stone as the lift chimed and the doors opened onto the basement car park.
Stone sped off behind the steering wheel of Henderson’s executive city car leaving Lucy standing alone among the museum of stationary vehicles. She took off her apron and stuffed it into a bag with some cleaning rags and wheeled the cart toward Harper’s beat up van which was still parked where he’d left it since the other girls obviously hadn’t finished providing their rich client with additional services.
She walked up the concrete ramp and past the wolf whistling guards, squinting in the bright daylight to begin her long walk home.
‘Well,’ Lucy thought to herself, ‘I found my sister, now I just have to meet up with Sam and then come and find her all over again.’
CHAPTER 12
Hearing the lift doors close and the carriage descend Kathy knew she was once again alone in the grand apartment, trapped one-hundred and eighteen floors above the crowded city streets. She leapt from her bed and ran across the upper floor landing to one of the vacant guest bedrooms where she pressed her face against the heavy glass wall shielding her eyes with her hand. Far below she could see her father’s executive car driven by Stone hastily exit the building car park then a moment later she could make out a figure in a black dress walk from the car park and heading vaguely in the direction of the sector barriers. She knew it had to be the girl called Lucy, the girl claiming to be her sister and tried to follow her as far into the crowd as possible.
‘If she was a setup planted by Victor then Stone would have driven her away in the car,’ Kathy thought to herself, trying to temper the rising hope in her heart with some rationalisation and logical thinking.
She returned to her own bedroom and examined the photos Lucy had passed under the door. She laid each one down on the bed when she had studied them, seeing her own face at different ages, her mother and this man she had never met but who was her real father. At least that was according to Lucy who apparently was her half-sister. It was all explained in the letter and now Kathy felt the same mental contortions that Lucy had experienced only a few days previously when she discovered the letter left to her by her Aunt Susan.
Kathy considered that of course the photographs could have been faked but there was no doubt about the hand writing on the back being that of her mother Claudia. And why would this girl Lucy put herself at such risk to bring this to her? Although it made sense it was all too unbelievable and so she sat and read again and again the words Lucy had written which confirmed the story she had whispered through the locked door. Kathy so desperately wanted to believe it was true and decided that she would use the week she had ahead to prepare another escape although reflecting on her previous failed attempts she felt no more optimistic for her chances. She knew at least she could look forward to help if she could just get out of the damn apartment.
Feeling the swelling on the back of her head from her fall against the table in the hallway Kathy looked at her reflection in her dressing table mirror. Once again she was alone in the huge apartment.
‘What the hell, it’s not like I had a hot date tonight,’ she said aloud, laughing and almost crying at the same time.
Lucy had agreed to come back this day one week from now and Kathy knew she couldn’t risk leaving too early or she might be discovered before the rendezvous that would be her best chance of making it on the outside so for now she’d bide her time and be prepared for the chance when it came. Knowing in her heart that Henderson wasn’t her real father and the rage she felt toward him for what he had done to her mother she was ready to do anything, whatever it took to escape and destroy the man who had ruined her life.
Her plan had always just been to get out of the apartment, thinking to run and disappear into the streets, maybe make it to the Dreg quarter and take her chances where she wouldn’t be recognised and figuring it was the last place her father would think she would run to. She realised it wasn’t much of a plan but someone would take her in wouldn’t they? Someone would help her surely. She knew she was fooling herself but to be free on the streets would be better than living as a prisoner in luxury. Now though she had a chance for something better. She had someone who cared for her, people who would take her away from all of this.
Although she would never have given in she had to admit Lucy had given her new hope and it strengthened her resolve and determination. It was something worth fighting for and she would be ready when her chance came.
She worked with what she had and gathered some favourite clothes, makeup and sanitary products and some jewellery thinking perhaps it could be sold since she had no access to cash. She gathered up the photographs and the letter from Lucy into their envelope and carefully wrapping it inside a fine wool shawl she piled it on top of everything else she had laid out across the floor. She went downstairs to the kitchen and gathered some fresh fruit and some cured meats placing them in bags. She also filled a small thermos flask with fresh water from their filtered water system and brought it all back to her room placing it along with everything else.
Although the Henderson family was one of the wealthiest in the country Kathy didn’t have many personal possessions but what she did have was of the highest quality money could buy. Her problem was that she didn’t have anything she could imagine being useful for a trek to the mountains. Looking now at the piles on the floor she knew she wouldn’t make it without help but told herself this was her time, it was going to happen and she would have her own life at last, whatever it was to be.
She took a small suitcase from an expensive set of matching luggage belonging to her dead mother and packed the little pile of belongings and food sealing it all with brass zippers. She extended the pull handle and dragged it around her bedroom testing the weight and felt excited at the notion she was now prepared as best as
she could be. Perhaps just one small step but a step forward none the less. Now the hardest part lay ahead and her stomach flipped thinking of what she still needed to do.
***
The senior technician stood trembling in the boardroom, his shirt clinging to the cold sweat running down his back. He had been called to deliver a report to the Upper Council regarding the stalled progress of the Project. Using a network tablet he controlled a presentation playing on a large recessed glass display panel in the wall at the end of the heavy table.
‘You see our initial estimates were for simultaneous psychosis events to occur in both Raven City and Rook City,’ he explained as the tablet shook in hands, ‘but it’s nearly impossible to predict exactly when the first subjects will be affected.’
One of the Council spoke making no attempt to conceal his anger. ‘It is simply unacceptable, we have had reports of Dreg communications between the two cities and news is spreading through the Dreg sectors in Rook of how subjects in Raven have been affected by the process. If people know what to look for they will try avoid those affected, severely diminishing the ripple effect that you so carefully explained to us was necessary for the spread of the psychosis.’
‘Yes sir, my team is working to alter the broadcast frequency encoded with live video streams to the Dreg sectors. All street displays, business and residential area net-screens will stream our subliminal coding at the maximum intensity possible while still remaining undetectable.’
‘Well why has this not been done from the beginning? Your incompetence is a grave disappointment.’ It was Victor Henderson who spoke this time, his fat jowly face practically glowing red as his blood pressure spiked.
Being addressed directly by the head of the Council nearly caused the technician’s knees to finally give out but he struggled on hoping to come out of this with his life.
