Running Dry

by Wenner, Jody

  "Maybe. I'll see what I can do."

  There is silence, so I nervously take a sip of the tea while trying to formulate my next favor.

  "I can tell there's more," he says softly, questioning with his eyes.

  "How'd you know?"

  "Your foot is tapping faster than the water is drying up and you haven't relaxed, even after the discussion about Regina."

  "Yeah. I’m just getting started. Do you remember Bekka?"

  "Sure. Cute little blonde girl who lived down the hall. I could tell even when you were only knee high that you loved her. Do you still?"

  I nod.

  "And?"

  "She was sent to do espionage in the South."

  "Oh, Zane. I'm sorry. But I definitely can't do anything about that."

  "There's more. She's been told to track Frankie, the woman I introduced you to, Zander’s girlfriend."

  "Shit."

  "And I got a note. Someone came into my apartment when I was gone. I'm sorry, Dad."

  "Why are you sorry?"

  "You've been doing fine until I came along. I thought I was being so careful, but I guess not. I don't want to jeopardize this mission. I've been thinking about how I really am proud of you, for trying to do something. I've hated this war my whole life; even more so now that I know some of the Southies. Frankie is a good, kind person. She lost her dad to the war."

  "We might need to postpone the sanding mission, lay low for a while. That's all. This has happened before...We'll be alright."

  "Don't you think now is the best time to run the mission? Escalate everything. I don't want to be the one responsible for stopping that."

  "Maybe. I'll think about it, take it to the council."

  I nod. "What about Frankie? And Bekka?"

  "I guess we need to pull them out. I'll get word to you once everything is in place."

  "Thanks, Dad."

  "What about you?"

  "I want to be here too, with you."

  He nods and there are tears in his eyes.

  Chapter 33

  Bekka

  As I walk to work, I keep thinking about LeRoy, his warning, and the poem. Does any of it mean anything, or is he really just a nut? I want desperately to ask him more questions, but as I round the corner to his street, I can see the sidewalk is still bare. No LeRoy. I wish he would have told me about his wife. I wonder what happened to her. I wonder what happened to him.

  While I pack foodbars, I make eye contact with Frankie at her station several times. I'm happy to know she's not evil after all. Zane told me she lost her father in the war and has been fighting for peace ever since. That's the opposite of evil. I wish I could say the same about myself. When my mom died, I tried to follow in her footsteps, literally. Little good that did me, or anyone else.

  Zane was right about the war. I can't believe Jameson was making me follow Frankie in the first place. Like she could be a big threat to this massive front the government has going on. Yet, I'm still worried for her safety. I don't trust Jameson and I wouldn't put it past him to do something before I report back. I wrote Frankie a note last night, so I push my button to divert the belt and I head for the restroom. On my way back, I walk the long way around to get back to my station and I slip the note under a bar headed on the belt toward Frankie.

  I purposefully avoid her in the yard for lunch and I sit with some other coworkers at one of the picnic tables. As I listen to them talking about their weekend plans, I see Frankie unfold the note and read it while she eats her lunch in our usual spot in the dirt. She looks up at me and nods when she catches my eye.

  After work, we meet at the small cafe near my apartment. It's empty, except for the old lady behind the counter, on the opposite side of the room.

  "Hey," Frankie says, taking a seat across from me.

  "Hi. You're not wearing your hat." I've never seen her without it.

  "I figure it'll be harder for people to recognize me this way."

  I nod.

  "So, you and Zane, huh? I really thought you were more suited for Bones." She smiles.

  "I can't believe the crazy connection. I really am the worst spy ever."

  "Well, what are the odds of me actually knowing your Northern boyfriend, right?"

  "He's not my boyfriend."

  "No? Then why are you blushing? I thought you..."

  "Okay. Okay." I cut her off before she can say more. "Thanks."

  "For?"

  "Bringing him to me."

  "I could tell you needed him, and it worked out for me too. If I hadn't, you might be turning over evidence on my whereabouts right now."

  I sigh. "I really hate this. What are we going to do?"

  "I dunno. It's a mess. We just have to wait and hope Zane and his father come up with a plan."

  Zane

  It's a tense few days as I wait for word from my dad about the next steps. Finally, after several messages back and forth, and help from Fulton, everything has been arranged. I bring Fulton all of my mom's excess water. He gives me the access codes I need. In the privacy of his apartment, I hug him. He hates it, but I don't care. He has become my only true friend and I'm grateful for him.

  I'm going to take my Mom, Bekka, and Frankie all to No Man's Land for the time being; what happens after that is still to be determined. I'm hoping something major comes from the sanding mission, but I'm not betting everything on it. It's still probably a longshot.

  I get my mom a visitor's pass in order for me to get her on base. Parents are allowed five visits per year so it's not unusual to sometimes see civilians walking around base with their kids.

  She arrives and we have dinner together in the mess hall, then I get Fulton to punch her out, but instead of her leaving I take her back to my apartment and we both try to sleep a little. It's going to be a long night.

  At two in the morning we enter the tunnels. She has only one bag, which I carry. I'm worried about the amount of walking she is going to have to do. Plus, the tunnels are slick and muddy. But, she seems to do all right as we trudge along.

  "You still okay?" I keep asking, her hand on my shoulder so she knows the way.

  "I'm fine, honey."

  "Good. Almost there."

  "What's it like?"

  "No Man's Land? It's kind of nice, actually. It's quiet but in almost a serene way. Probably the biggest difference is that the streets haven’t been maintained so they are mostly all dirt now, instead of concrete. I like it though. It feels more natural. There is a greenhouse where they grow plants and a well for water. I think you'll like it there."

  "I'm sure I will," she says, but I don't detect much confidence.

  "Are you nervous?"

  "Of course. I haven't seen your father in a very long time. And I've never been out of the city. But I'm ready for a change. I'm happy to be leaving. It's just a lot to take in."

  "You'll be okay."

  "And, this means I'll get to see you more, right?"

  "Absolutely. And Bekka. You are going to love Frankie, too."

  "It'll be like having a little piece of Zander. Almost like having my whole family back. It's hard to imagine."

  I can't see her face, but I know she's smiling. Warmth fills my body, even though I'm tense. I'll be happy when I get her there.

  "Frankie is bringing Bekka through and we'll meet them at the nook just before the exit, so don't be worried if we hear something or someone soon. Though if I know Frankie, we probably won't hear them at all."

  "Okay."

  "You still doing okay, or do you want to take a break?"

  "I'm fine. Let's keep going."

  After another twenty minutes or so of walking, we finally get to the nook. Frankie and Bekka aren't there yet and I feel immediate panic. I check my watch and somehow we have made it here in good time. Plus I had allowed for a lot of extra time, assuming my mom would need to stop and rest a bunch. Turns out she is stronger than she looks.

  "We're a bit early. We can rest until they arrive. You
want to sit? There is a little ledge against the wall here." I lead her to the ledge and hand her my water bottle. I stay standing, counting the minutes in my head, hoping they get here. Eventually, I sit on the skinny ledge next to my Mom. She puts her hand on my knee in the dark.

  "They’re gonna come, Zane." She has always known exactly the right thing to say. I take a deep breath and try to relax.

  Chapter 34

  Bekka

  I'm doing it. I'm running the tunnels. It's amazing and terrifying all at the same time. I'm happy I got to experience it though, if only this once. And I'm slightly relieved that I never have to do it again. It's nothing like my dreams. It's dark and damp, and Zane was right, as usual. It's not at all like running on the outside. It's scary and almost impossible to go very fast, which is the part that I actually liked about running.

  My pack is heavy and I'm trying to follow Frankie, but I can't see or hear her. We are tethered, just like the other time I was down here, but this time, we are running, or trying to, at least. How Frankie knows the way, I have no idea. She slows slightly for the couple of turns we have to make and her feet barely make any noise, while mine are loud, as hard as I try to make them soft.

  After a distance, Frankie finally stops. I have so many emotions. I'm happy to be getting out, but I'm still nervous about Jameson finding me somehow. Now that I know what really happened to Zander, it makes the danger seem that much worse. Still, leaving Jameson, the monotonous work of the factory, and everything else behind, in order to be with Regina, Frankie, and Zane, I think it's a good trade.

  I feel the tether go slack and I catch up to Frankie. She whistles once, soft and fast. Then we are walking again. I hear more feet and I know we are following Zane and his mother. After just a short walk, we stop and make our way up a ladder.

  I'm the last to climb up. It's still dark on the outside, but not as much. The moon and stars are providing enough light for me to see Zane standing over me, holding his hand out. I take it and he helps pull me up and out of the tunnel.

  "Hi," he says, smiling.

  "Hi." I feel nervous and happy and awkward all at the same time. We hug quickly but I feel weird knowing Zane's mother and Frankie are watching. We separate and then Zane introduces Frankie to his mother. They hug and cry together, but there's no time for much more than that. We need to get going.

  As soon as we start walking Zane says, "Something isn't right." His voice is fraught with concern. We stop.

  "What's wrong?" Frankie asks.

  "I don't know, but I think we should find a place to stop for tonight and wait until the sun comes up. I don't like not being able to see what we are walking toward," he says.

  We hunker down in an alley between two taller buildings. Nobody discusses the possibilities of what's happened to No Man's Land. There's a smell in the air that's not right, even for here, I know that much. What it is specifically, I have no idea. None of us will know for sure until the sun shines again.

  It's a long and quiet few hours. I know I should try to rest, but I don't sleep more than a few minutes here and there. Zane sits against the wall next to me with his knees up, his right leg bouncing up and down in spurts and starts. I want to touch him, try to soothe him, but as I move my hand toward him he jumps up and starts pacing back and forth in the alley we've holed ourselves up in.

  Zane

  Finally, after several restless hours, the sun slowly creeps up. I stop pacing and step out to face the town with trepidation. All at once everything is confirmed to me. I get the girls and we make our way through what remains of No Man's Land.

  "This is not good," Frankie says quietly.

  I can barely believe this is the same street I'd been down a few days ago. Building

  fragments are strewn everywhere. Things are smoldering. The place is essentially flattened. Looks like explosives. By whom and for what reason, I have no idea.

  We carefully wade through brick, glass, wire. Smoke and ash fill the air. Not a soul in sight. It's eerily quiet, but in the wrong way. Not the peaceful quiet I was telling my mom about. My heart begins to break for her. She's already been through too much in her life. The fact that she might not have this reunion is devastating to me. I can't even look at her, hoping there is still a chance. I continue on, trying to figure out where Dad's little shack would have sat in all of the chaos.

  When we get to the spot I believe it was, I start calling his name and grabbing boards and tossing them to the side. Frankie and Bekka join in. It's hard, exhausting work but it makes me feel oddly better, being able to exert this energy, this anger that's boiling over inside me. I start sweating and my hands quickly become cut up from all of the sharp edges, but I need to know if my father is in this mess somewhere.

  The more I dig, the harder it becomes to pull up each piece, knowing he could be under the next one. My brain wrestles with whether or not finding him would be good or bad. If we don't find him, maybe there's still a chance he's made it out. At the same time, if he isn't here, and we don't locate him, there is way too much uncertainty. We may never know what happened to him. I keep digging.

  "Zane!" I hear Bekka call, ending the struggle. I can tell from her voice what she's uncovered.

  When I make it over, I can see an arm sticking out from under a pile of rubble. It's the left arm of a man with a gold wedding band on his finger.

  "It's him," I say, not turning to look back at my mom, but I hear her sniffle.

  Frankie helps me clear everything away around him while Bekka goes to comfort my mom. Eventually, the rest of my Dad is revealed. What's left of him. It's enough to know he's gone.

  "Damn it!" I drop down on the pile of junk I created to clear it from the body.

  We were so close. So close.

  "I'm so sorry," Frankie whispers, sitting down next to me.

  I look over at my mother. Rage boils inside of me. This is my fault. I'm sure of it. I pound a piece of wood next to me until it breaks into slivers and shards. I want to pulverize it even more, but there's nothing left of it.

  Frankie grabs my arm. "Hey, look at me!"

  I don't want to; I want to keep hitting things until I work all of the anger out, but I hear Frankie and it sounds like my brother's voice coming out of her. "We're going to be okay," she says. I want to believe her. "We need to stay strong now, for your mom." She's right. I stop punching and let her arms embrace me as if attempting to smother the hate I'm feeling.

  Chapter 35

  Bekka

  We are filthy, exhausted, numb, and thirsty. We wander around for another hour or so, checking out the spots Zane's father had shown him when he'd visited, looking for any survivors, looking for answers, but finding neither. Regina, besides feeling far away, is holding it together. I feel horrible for her. After everything, now this. Zane holds her hand as we walk, and Frankie and I follow behind.

  Thankfully, we find the well still functioning so we fill our water bottles. Not much else is intact. A few buildings have been spared here and there. Some are still standing but their tops are blown away and others have gaping holes in the side, waiting to topple.

  We slouch down on a pile of bricks near the well to rest and sip the water and figure out what to do next. I mostly want to sleep, but everything has me too tense to do so. I curl my body into a ball, my back against the rubble and try to steal comfort from the fact that Zane's leg is touching mine. I wipe away some soot from his face. He is clearly still shaken, but he's strong like his mother. He smiles numbly at me when our eyes meet.

  "Why do you think they did this...now?" Frankie asks.

  Zane says, "I don’t know. Maybe they'd gotten wind of the sanding, but I don't see how. Unless that's what the note I got was about."

  "What note?" I ask.

  "Someone broke into my place last week. Left a note. All it said was I know about you, Zane Brenner."

  "Oh." I cup my hand over my mouth.

  "What?" Zane turns his whole body toward me.

  "I thin
k it was Jameson. My agent. I don't think it had anything to do with this though. It had to do with us. You and me. I told him we were together. I was trying to get his hands off of me."

  Zane tenses but doesn't respond with anything more than a nod.

  Frankie says, "It makes sense. They've known about this place forever and have left it alone until now. They must have been attempting to stop the sanding operative."

  "I guess," Zane said. "But according to my father, No Man's Land was actually beneficial to them. They used it to exile people. Sort of strange that they didn't make it more well known."

  My body goes tight and I sit up straight. "What did you just say?"

  "They used this place to punish people, like a prison...only worse," Zane repeats.

  "No. The other thing. This place is called No Man's Land?" Either is was the first time I had heard it being called that, or it was the first time I really heard the words and connected the dots.

  "Yeah. Why?"

  "No Man's Land," I repeat. Then I pull the notebook out of my pack. "I've hear of it before. LeRoy wrote about this place in a poem." I open to the page and read it to them.

  "Don't go to No Man's Land

  Instead head for the sand

  In order to flee

  Try three

  61 is the key

  You'll be free, like me."

  "You think he knew about this?" Zane asks.

  "Remember I told you he warned me something bad was about to happen. How could that crazy old coot know about something like this?"

  Zane didn't answer. It was clear his mind was already onto something else. He takes the notebook and reads the poem again, under his breath, then he passes it to Frankie.

  "61 is the key. What do you think 61 is?" Frankie asks.

  "I don't know, but I'm thinking three might mean tunnel three. Have you ever been?"

  "Tunnel three? No," Frankie says. "Have you?"

  "No. It might be one of the only lines I haven't been through. That seems like it could mean something."