Under Ground

by Alice Rachel

  I change the subject before I get to dwell on the matter for too long, "Did you just say you knew some officers? Does anyone know where Chi is?"

  “Yeah, Bryan saw him. They're keeping him at the main police station in Eboracum City. He’s in poor shape right now, and they’re going to move him to the closest camp tomorrow. Bryan’s not even sure they’re going to put him in the work force. He’s worried they might execute him.”

  The blow hits me hard. The threat of losing Chi is real and painful. Fear grasps my heart so hard that I can’t breathe. I can’t have a panic attack! Not here. Not around these people I hardly know. I take a deep breath, feel my way to the couch, and sit down. Taylor places his hand on my shoulder and crouches in front of me. My legs are shaking. Kayla sits by my side and pats my hand.

  “Thia, we’re not going to let Chi rot in that place," Taylor says, "and we’re not going to let him get killed either. He’s a valuable friend. Okay?”

  His voice comes out soft, reassuring. Though he means well, he can't quite hide the uncertainty seeping through his tone.

  “We know they’re taking him to one of the camps tomorrow," he adds, "and Bryan knows the route they always take when they transfer prisoners from downtown Eboracum City to some of the closest camps. We’ve already planned everything and we’ve got all the weapons ready. Tomorrow, we’ll go, just a few of us. We’re going to intercept the police car and get Chi out of there.”

  He sounds like he means it this time, and relief quickly alleviates the worry inside my heart.

  "What about Oliver? Is he okay?" I ask.

  Taylor stands back up, and grief passes through his eyes quickly. He shakes his head and a profound hollowness tears at me. Taylor clears his throat.

  “Well, not to be rude, but I was asleep when you showed up, so I’d like to hit the sack." He's only changing the subject because this one is too painful for him. "Kayla, can you take Thia to the guest room, babe? Thia, you’ll stay here tonight. But tomorrow, after we get Chi, we'll go into hiding. Everything’s ready for the attack. After what just occurred, we can’t stick around here anymore.”

  Before he leaves, he turns around one last time. “And Thia, everything will be fine. But you need to harden up. Shit’s about to hit the fan. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but you need to be ready for the worst.”

  I nod, my heart sinking, and then he's gone. Kayla stands up, takes my hand in hers, and leads me out of the living room, all the way down the hall. She opens the door to a bedroom next to the staircase and turns on the light.

  “Do you need anything?” she asks, her eyes shifting toward my backpack.

  “No, I’m fine. Thank you for helping me.”

  “Anytime. And Thia..." She pauses and sighs deeply. "I’m sorry about what happened. But Taylor always holds on to his words. If he says we’re going to save Chi, he means it. We’re going to do everything we can.”

  “Sure, thanks.”

  She pats me on the shoulder and closes the door behind her. I sit at the edge of the bed and hold my face in my hands, stress pumping through my veins. My head fills with images of Chi and what might be happening to him right now. Not knowing is worse than seeing it for myself.

  I take my clothes off and leave them on an armchair. I slip into my sleeping gown and turn to the queen-sized bed. I probably won’t be able to sleep tonight. I lie down under the covers anyway. The bed is comfortable, but the torment in my head won't let me rest. I toss around and hardly sleep all night.

  I finally manage to doze off and fall into slumber as dawn comes breaking through. Eventually, noises and voices stir me awake. I get out of bed and put on the clothes I was wearing last night. I open the door to the bedroom and follow the sounds all the way to the living room. Some of the men I met last time are standing and chatting with Taylor by the fireplace. They don’t turn around when I walk in. They just keep on discussing the plans to locate and rescue Chi.

  “Chase and James, you’ll be in the car with Thia and me. Akio will be in a truck with Kayla. Based on what Bryan said, they always go through Flatiron Street on their way to the camps. Akio, you'll wait with Kayla on Manhattan Avenue. You’ll park there. James will page your walkie talkie when the police are on their way. You don’t pick up; it’ll be your signal. When you get it, you drive in the way of the police car and intercept them. You need to block the path. They’ll probably lose control. Make sure they don't hit you. Kayla, make sure you shoot those guys dead, babe. The last thing we need is to get ambushed by them. Chase, you get Chi out of that vehicle. Akio, we’ll meet a mile away from New Tappan Zee Bridge. And be careful with Kayla, man. I don’t want to have to hunt you down if anything happens to her.”

  “Yep, I’ll protect her,” Akio replies. He's a man of Asian descent, standing tall with a stature heightened by a thin frame. His dark eyes shine with intelligence while his beautiful features are so symmetrical that he could have been carved out of marble.

  Kayla's narrows her eyes at Akio playfully as she puffs with feigned disdain. "I'll be protecting you is what you mean!" she exclaims, and Akio's lips curl up into a smile.

  "Wanna bet?" he asks.

  Taylor cuts them off, "How about you don't bet on stuff like that. I'm not kidding, Akio. You'd better protect her if you don't want to get your ass kicked."

  Kayla's brow furrows for real this time. "I'll be just fine, Papa Bear, thank you very much!"

  Taylor is about to respond when I step a bit closer and they all turn to me. Everyone greets me with a simple nod. Kayla comes over to grasp my hand and lead me to the kitchen, next door to the living room.

  “I'm going to feed you! You'll need the energy!”

  “I’m not really hungry,” I protest, half-heartedly.

  “I don’t want to hear about it. You look like you're ready to fall over. We have bacon, eggs, milk, cereal, and grapes."

  All fancy upper-class food.

  “I’ll have some eggs, please."

  "Do you like omelets?" she asks while looking in the fridge. "With cheese?"

  Kayla grabs a pan. I ask if I can help, but she shakes her head. Her kindness warms my heart as I sit down and watch her prepare a real feast for all of us.

  Chapter 28

  That evening, I get in the car with Taylor and the others. My heart is pounding with anxiety. Taylor starts the vehicle and drives through the city, straight toward Flatiron Street. The police station where Bryan works isn’t far from there, so we know Chi and the officers will be close by. Everyone remains silent through the entire ride. Finally, we reach the street, and Taylor parallel-parks before he turns around in his seat to lay out the plans one last time.

  After half an hour, Taylor’s walkie talkie turns on. He glances at it. It’s the signal from Bryan. My heart speeds up, and things happen at such a crazy pace that I have trouble keeping track. Five minutes after the signal, a police van passes by us. Taylor starts the car and follows the van from a safe distance. I don’t see everything that’s happening ahead of us, but I can hear gunshots, and the police van in front of us swerves a few times before coming to a stop. Akio’s truck is in view now. Kayla is at the window, holding a rifle.

  Taylor stops the car abruptly. We step out. Two guards exit the back of the police van. Taylor and Chase grab their guns and start shooting. I’m horrified and stop where I am. I’ve never seen a shooting before. It shakes me; the sound is deafening. But I have to act now, or I could die.

  I look up, spot Chi, and run to him. He’s sitting in the back of the van. His eyes are closed, his head leaning backward. Sirens and shots resound around me. Of course, we knew they'd have the van followed by at least one more car. I don't stop to look around; I just hope a bullet doesn’t hit me. I climb into the van and sit next to Chi. He doesn’t open his eyes. His face is bruised. He’s been badly beaten. His lip is cut. Blood has stained his entire shirt. There’s a deep wound on his arm, too.

  I'm sickened with worry. Terror courses through my ve
ins. Please, Chi, be okay! We may be too late already. I lean over him and shake his body. He doesn’t respond.

  "Chi, wake up!"

  I shake him harder. He winces and a groan escapes his throat, filling me with immediate relief. Chi coughs and opens his eyes. Surprise marks his face when he notices me.

  “Thia?” His voice is raw, and a drop of blood rolls down his bottom lip as he speaks.

  I press my finger against his mouth. “Shhh, I’m here. Can you walk? We need to leave. We don’t have much time.”

  I put my arm under him as he tries to stand up. He winces, falls backward, and sits back down. The sounds of gunfire echo loudly from outside the van.

  "Are you okay?" I ask. "Can you do this?"

  He rubs his eyes with the heels of his hands, nods, and replies, "I'm dizzy."

  The noises stop. Someone comes running to the van—Chase. He jumps in and helps me support Chi. We pull him up so Chi can finally stand. He’s unsteady and about to fall again, but he manages to put one foot in front of the other, slowly. Each step draws a grimace from him, and I wonder how many wounds might be covering his body.

  His pain breaks my heart and my nostrils flare with sudden rage. Violent thoughts plague my mind as I think about the people who did this to him. Vivid images of all the horrible things I want to put them through just fill my head while wrath beats right through my veins. I try to ignore the thoughts, but they just keep coming, my blood pumping with furious venom. Whoever did this to him, I want to find them and make them pay.

  We are now at the door. We’ll have to jump. I’m not sure Chi can do this. Chase gets down first. He puts his hands under Chi's armpits and lifts him up before bringing him down. Chi's forehead furrows in pain and humiliation. His pride is wounded.

  A car races our way and the tires squeal as the vehicle brakes. It comes to a stop next to us. Taylor comes out, opens the back door, and yells for us to hurry the hell up. We pull Chi all the way to the car. We help him get inside, next to the door. I get in the other way and sit in the middle by Chi's side. James takes the seat next to me, and Chase sits in front. We hardly have time to settle in before Taylor steps on the gas.

  He turns around and heads in the opposite direction. I’m not sure where Akio and Kayla went, but they’re already gone. They were supposed to take a different route to confuse anyone who may try to follow us. Taylor is driving like a lunatic, and I have to hold on to my seat because I don't want to fall over Chi. Each swerve makes him wince, and each sound escaping his mouth tears at my heart a little bit more. At some point, he asks Taylor to stop the car. He hardly has time to open the door before he throws up on the side of the road. When he's done, he sits down and leans back, with his head against the seat.

  "Damn headache," he mumbles.

  Taylor sends me a concerned look through the rearview mirror. Chi’s hand reaches for mine. He entangles our fingers together and holds on tight. We don’t speak the whole time. Taylor slows down when we are out of the city. It doesn’t look like we’ve been followed. We don't want to bring attention to ourselves; the last thing we need is to get pulled over now.

  It takes over an hour to drive and reach New Tappan Zee Bridge. Taylor parks the car by Akio's truck, about a mile from the bridge. He turns to Chase. "You're sure they don't control this bridge anymore?"

  "I never said that," Chase replies.

  "Yes, you did," Taylor exclaims.

  "No. I said they don't check the vehicles all the time."

  Chi's hand tightens around mine.

  "What the hell, Chase!" Taylor shouts. "You plain told me this bridge was secure!"

  "I never said that! You need to listen when I speak, man."

  Taylor exhales his frustration and shakes his head.

  "I said I've never seen them check the contents of the trucks," Chase explains. "They just look at the drivers' IDs. I thought James was driving us over the bridge. You can just ask him; that's his job. He's the one working for the authorities, man. I'm not the one driving food to the poor areas. James knows better than me if the bridge is safe to cross or not."

  "Yeah, we'll be fine," James says while leaning forward, closer to Taylor's front seat. "I know those guys personally. They never ask me anything. Jenna and I brought all that stuff over to the building and the officers didn't even notice."

  Chase looks at Taylor pointedly and raises his eyebrow. Taylor rolls his eyes.

  "You really should look into anger management, dude," Chase hisses. "I swear, it's like talking to a rabid raccoon sometimes."

  Taylor grasps the steering wheel and glares at Chase. He inhales deeply, but he doesn't apologize. "Okay, let's go," he tells us. He opens his door and sends one last glance at Chase. "You and I need to talk—later."

  Chase mumbles something unintelligible that sounds like "pendejo," and Taylor's shoulders stiffen in respond.

  "Don't push your luck, Chase," he snarls as he steps out of the vehicle without looking back.

  Chi shrugs when he sees my quizzical expression. Whatever slang it was that Chase used, Chi didn't understand it either.

  The rest of us exit the car and I help Chi out. My heart aches at the sight of him struggling. I put my arm around him before closing the door behind us, and I force him to lean against the vehicle.

  Kayla takes a few steps toward us. "What took you guys so long to get out of the car?"

  "Don't ask," Taylor replies while glowering at Chase.

  Chase shoots him an ironic smile and Taylor's nostrils twitch in response.

  "Okay, so we hide in the truck and just go over the bridge, right?" Kayla asks.

  "Yes, James is driving," Taylor replies. "Let's go."

  Our car is hidden deep behind some bushes. Taylor takes the license plate off to avoid recognition, and James takes the ignition key from Akio. He sits in the cabin of the truck while Chase opens the back door to let everyone in. He helps me pull Chi inside and closes the door behind us. It's pitch dark in the trailer.

  "Does anyone have a flashlight or something?" Akio asks.

  "Yeah," Chase answers. "One sec."

  The truck moves and a faint light comes on. It illuminates Chase's face first and then the rest of us. I scoot closer to Chi and grab his hand. I'm stuck between him and Akio. Chase is on the other side. Taylor and Kayla are next to Chase. There are two canoes facing us, stacked on top of each other, next to twelve paddles and one inflatable raft.

  The truck stops. We've reached the security area. Sounds and voices pour in through the walls of the truck, but it's impossible to tell what's being said. My heart races. Laughter irrupts from outside the vehicle—James sharing a few jokes with the officers. I squeeze Chi's hand more tightly. He closes his eyes as if he needs to throw up again. I caress his cheek and the truck starts, as if on cue.

  James drives for another thirty minutes, heading south through an area called Old Bronx. Everyone remains silent for the duration of the trip. Chi's palm is warm against mine. He winces every so often, but doesn't complain once.

  When we reach our destination and step out of the truck, the night covers us with a shroud that will hide our whereabouts. I hold on to Chi while Taylor and Akio take out the first canoe. Kayla and Chase grab the other one and conceal it behind a bush. Chase and Akio will hide the truck. Chase knows the area well. This was his home, where he used to live before he joined the Underground. He said some structures around here are multi-level garages. That's where they'll park the truck. Then they'll come back to the river on foot, and they'll canoe their way through the water, all the way to Old Manhattan.

  James inflates the raft, and Taylor joins Kayla as she steps in the canoe. He pushes it in the river and settles behind her. I bring Chi to the raft. James steps in first, then Chi. When he sits down, his face contorts under the pain. I go next. Chase and Akio push us down the river as I wave to them. Akio waves back and turns around to leave.

  James and I start rowing. We follow Taylor and Kayla as closely as we can, but
we are slow compared to them. We can hardly make out anything in the dark. We can only tell where Taylor is from his faint flashlight. We row across the river until we see a building in the distance. Slowly, more and more of them appear, barely visible in the moonlight, a ghostly vision of a time long gone—the rest of New York City, submerged in water.

  We head toward one particular place, a skyscraper shaped like bundled cylinders. It’s hard to see the differences among the structures, but this one stands out because it's the only building illuminated from the inside. Despite the flood, the building is still standing tall above the water, and its peculiar shape makes it impossible to miss. Jenna was the one supposed to light candles in one specific part of the building to help us locate the place.

  When we arrive, she's standing on a balcony, greeting us by waving her arms high up in the air. She's a small girl, with short pixie hair. Taylor's canoe has already reached the building. He throws a rope to Jenna, who takes it and ties it to the rail. Because the balcony is slightly above the water, we’ll have to climb over the ledge. I glance at Chi. How is he going to manage this feat? If he's concerned about it, he's not showing his feelings.

  Taylor and Kayla climb in first, one after the other. They pull their canoe out of the water and drag it inside. Taylor has warned us about patrols already. We can’t leave anything out that may raise suspicion or reveal our location. Tonight is the only night we are allowed to use candles and flashlights for convenience. After that, we won’t be allowed to have any lights on after dark.

  James and I row our raft closer to the building. James stands up first and throws the rope to Taylor. Then he climbs over the ledge of the balcony, turns toward Chi, and holds out his hands for Chi to take. He bends over the railing and helps Chi, who pushes himself up by holding on to the bar. Wincing through the whole process, Chi passes one leg over the ledge and then his other foot. When he's done, James helps him steady himself, and Chi turns around to look at me, his face impassive, expressionless. I climb the railing next. When we’re all standing on the balcony, James and I pull the raft out of the water to deflate it.