by Brad Carr
“I shouldn’t have done this.” she whispered to herself. “Maybe I can yell. They’ll hear me and stop the train.” Leah screamed as loud as she could, “Help! Stop the train!”
Leah tried for a few minutes until she realized they would never hear her. Her throat felt raspy from all the yelling. Maybe they would see her if she could get out of the crate. Pushing her feet against the thin boards they began to crack. Unfortunately for her, the crate was butted up against another. An escape would be difficult. All she could do is wait for the train to stop at the another district, then try to get their attention again.
***
The cargo train finally came to a stop in the Kashem District tunnel. David and Patty playfully bickered. Leah shouted as loud as her vocal cords could strain.
“Look all I’m saying is, how can Enzo Albert just disappear?”asked David.
“He didn’t disappear. His family took a vacation to Phantom Island.”
“Nobody goes to Phantom Island Patty. It’s fucking boring. Nothing is there except run down shacks, marsh land, and fucking ghosts bothering you all night.”
“Ghosts? That is just stupid talk David. No such things as phantoms, only idiots believe in that shit. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe he’s expanding his territory for spiker or heroin patches?”
“Why? They can’t afford anything there, not to mention drugs. I’m telling you, something is fishy. LeFleur is acting like a boss for a reason.”
“And what reason is that?” asked Patty.
“He’s dead. Enzo Albert and his family are worm food. LeFleur is just trying to keep the business going. And I say, great! I need this job. Just delivering cargo isn’t enough. Dropping off drugs is my strip club money.”
“Listen you dumb fuck, Enzo is not dead.”
“Whatever Patty, I’m tellin’ you, I’m right. You’ll see. Tell you what, I’ll wager you. Within fourteen days time, we’re going to hear of Enzo’s death. And then you’ll owe me something.”
“What do I get if I win?”
“Whatcha want?”
“You’ll give me two weeks of your pay for the drug deliveries.”
“Fine. No problem because I’m right. And I finally get to fuck you.”
“What? Get outta here.”
“I’m serious!”
“No way!”
“Then no bet. Fine with me.”
“I’ll give you a hand job instead. How about that?”
“No way Patty, I want to tap your.…Wait! Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“A voice, it’s coming from the cargo.”
Staring at each other, Patty whispered, “Grab the crowbar from the cab. I’ll check it out.”
David nodded in agreement. Patty paced cautiously towards Leah’s voice. Hopping up on top of the cargo, she investigated the sound while moving the crates.
“Help! Please!” cried Leah.
Leah could hear the sound of a crowbar prying open the top. Wood cracking loudly, the light entered the crate.
“Thank you! Thank you so much. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I just wanted to see what the tunnels looked like. Please, can you take me home now? My Mom is going to be worried.”
“Stay there. Don’t get out,” commanded Patty.
“But…I have…”
“Did you hear Patty and I talking?” asked David.
“It’s quiet in here. I can’t hear anything.”
“Who are you?” asked Patty.
“I’m Leah Transmith.”
“You’re from Outpost Seven, I mean, the Tyra District?” inquired David, correcting himself.
“Yes, can you take me back home?”
“No, we won’t,” replied Patty.
“Patty, we can’t just keep the girl here. I’m sure…” David’s short protest to Patty was interrupted. Patty shoved Leah backward. Leah’s head struck the back of the crate, leaving her unconscious. “Patty! What the fuck are you doing?”
Grabbing David by the collar, Patty placed her hand over his mouth and lowered her tone to an exclaiming whisper, “I’m saving our skins asshole! You want us to get arrested?”
In a hush tone David removed her hand from his lips and replied, “But Patty, she’s just a little girl. Why did you hurt her?”
“Because you talk too much David. You mentioned that we delivered drugs in our conversation just now. She may have heard that. We’ll be arrested for sure.”
“But she didn’t hear us.”
“You want to take that chance? If that girl talks to Brakion Vol, tattling to him that we deliver drugs to his district; he’ll have our asses on Prison Island in a blink. Or worse, he’ll kill us on the spot.”
“Why would the girl talk to AG Vol?”
“Because he’s been seen out and about with this girl’s mother. Gossip travels fast. He’s probably fucking the woman. Brakion may be this girl’s step daddy for all we know.”
Frantically putting his hands to his head, David grasped his hair in panic. “Shit! Shit! Shit! What are we going to do Patty? We can’t just leave the girl in the box.”
“We aren’t. I’m going to stay here and watch over the girl while you pick up the deliveries? We’ll get rid of her on route to the next district.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Listen, the girl knows too much. She can’t go back to the Tyra District. We have to get rid of her. Leave her body in the tunnels. No one will find her.”
“Are you fucking insane woman? You’re talking about murdering a little girl.”
“Then what do you suggest we do dumb ass?”
“Um…well I don’t want to kill a child that’s for sure. Damn Patty! How can you be so cruel?”
“It’s either her, or us. Simple math,” Patty stated coldly.
David was shocked by her notion to murder. He couldn’t believe the words that protruded from Patty’s lips. It was then that David thought of another option to extend Leah’s time; until he could think of a non-lethal suggestion.
“I got an idea. How about we lock her back up in the crate? Then we can figure out another option once we leave here.”
“Fine David, but you’ll see soon enough, this girl needs to disappear, forever.”
***
Leah felt the warm sensation of urine spreading through the fabric of her overalls. Her head swelled. Pulsing heartbeat patterns vibrated in her eardrums. Sight blurry, slowly focusing onto the light wood grain inside the darkened crate. Vision clearing, she touched the back of her head, and felt a scab. A small circumference of blood had dried into her curly blonde hair.
Whimpering dreadfully by the situation she found herself in, and disgusted by her soiled clothes; Leah shook off the notion of allowing any more rest. It would have been easier to accept defeat, hoping that pity would be given to her for being a child. However, Leah perceived that Patty wasn’t the type to have empathy.
There wasn’t any way of knowing how long she had been trapped, or how long ago she was injured. Sitting up on her elbows, her vision blackened for a brief second and immediately returned. The top of the crate had been screwed down again. In vain, Leah attempted to kick open the wooden slats. “Maybe rocking the box would help,” she convinced herself. This too, was futile because other cargo rested against, and on top of her crate.
Minutes later, the train sluggishly stopped. Muffled voices of David and Patty could be recognized. The conversation was too difficult for Leah to comprehend.
“This is the time,” Leah thought to herself. “I have to do my best to fight them off when they open the top.”
But Leah would be waiting longer than expected. A portion of railroad track was destroyed. David and Patty knelt down to investigate the skewed, mangled pieces of steel halting their progress.
“There’s scorch marks on the ends. Somebody destroyed this on purpose,” David deduced.
“Look dumb ass, how can someone destroy a track in these tunnels? No one is stupi
d enough to come down here unless they are railroad workers. It’s probably some damn vermin lurking in these tunnels,” guessed Patty.
“Patty don’t be stupid. How can vermin, even cave vermin, bend and remove steel?”
“Probably those cave rats, you know, the ones who spew acid.”
“You mean trigger rats?”
“Yep, those damned things.”
“Patty, didn’t you ever pay attention in school when you were a kid. Trigger rats only cause your skin to peel and blister, like a sunburn. It’s the teeth you have to worry about. But those things can’t eat through steel.”
“It doesn’t?”
“No, and even if it did, you would be talking about some huge goddamn rats the size of war pigs.”
“How about venom crickets?”
“I’ve never seen a venom cricket down here before, not much of a food source.”
“First time for everything David.”
Looking down at the burned ends of the removed tracks, David shook his head. “No way Patty, I’m tellin’ ya, this looks like scorch marks from a laser rifle.”
Conceding to David’s observation, she agreed and suggested, “Look around. Hopefully they are gone. I’ll get the equipment from the cab and try to weld them together.” Turning away from him, Patty continued, ”I got a few spare pieces of emergency track in a box.”
“Don’t move!” commanded a female voice from the darkness. “Turn around.”
Patty gingerly turned her head to the side. The rest of her body rotated to face the situation. David’s arms were raised high above his head. With a rifle pointed to the back of his skull, he stood silent. Scarla was the gunman. Standing nearby, was Pierre Albert.
“What do you want?” Patty asked, unafraid.
“First off, we need food and water. Second, you are going to take us to Outpost Seven.”
“You mean the Tyra District?”
“Yeah, whatever it’s called nowadays. Do it and I’ll let you and your partner live. But first, you need to go over to the wall and face it. If you try anything your buddy here gets a burning sensation. Understand?”
“Go ahead then. He gets on my nerves anyway.”
“Patty? What are you doing?” asked David.
“Go ahead! Shoot em. See if I care.” Patty put her right hand inside her pocket. “You fast enough to shoot me before I get to…”
“Take your hand out of your pocket!” commanded Scarla.
“No, I don’t think you got the guts to shoot him. You’re just a scared bitch trying to take our cargo. Well, shoot em you dirty bitch! I’ll just blow that little boy’s head off before you get to me. Mosey back out of that hole you came from, and I’ll forget I saw you.”
“You kill this boy and you’re both dead.”
“Well we got an impasse ain’t we?”
“I guess we are. Look, I wasn’t lying to you. All we want is food, water, and a ride. That’s not so hard is it? Hell, just take us to the nearest district other than the Genesis. It’s not so much to.…”
David’s head burst open like a crushing watermelon. The shot came from Patty’s pistol. Slight hesitation by Scarla, gave opportunity for Patty to take another aim at her. Firing their weapons at each other in a flurry, short neon blue segments filled the air. Patty was eventually hit in the shoulder. Slumping down she was able to fire off a laser round to Scarla’s left side, below her ribs. The light of the bursted beam shattered stones off the cave wall, passing through Scarla’s body.
“Fuuuuck!” Scarla hollowed as she dropped to the rocky soil. “Goddammit!”
The two women pointed their weapons at each other again, squeezing their triggers. A blue light entered Patty’s chest, piercing her heart. Glistening crimson liquid exploded out of her upper back. Patty’s last dying shot,whizzed past Scarla’s ear, narrowly missing her.
Pierre was curled up into the fetal position with his hands over his ears. When the gunfire ceased, he stood. Shuffling his feet slowly towards Scarla, he knelt down beside her. Her teeth clinched tight, to hold back agonizing cries.
“Miss….Miss Scarla?” Pierre asked, poking his finger to her shoulder to give a slight nudge. “Are you okay Miss Scarla? I’m scared. I want to go home to my mom. Please, we can get you a doctor to fix you.”
Rolling over to her back, she gazed into the frightened boy’s eyes. Uncontrollably coughing, Scarla’s teeth were stained pink from internal bleeding. Gurgling, she spit out a mouthful of blood to the ground, while turning her head.
“I’m not going to….(cough)….make it kid.”
“No Miss Scarla, you’ll be okay. My Dad will take care of everything. He always does. I’ll tell him to take you to the doctor. You’ll be good as new. I…”
Scarla interrupted him, “I don’t have t…time kid. Reach in my pocket. I…(cough)…I need you to take this to Kashem District tunnel entrance.”
Pierre hesitantly reached into her left leg pocket but found it empty. Checking her right leg pocket, he found a small hard electronic device close to five centimeters long, rectangular in shape. Holding it up to his face he asked, “What is it Miss Scarla?”
“It’s a…recording device…(cough)…tell the guards it’s a recording of….Kansas Sparks and I….they need to get this…(cough)….Brakion Vol. Can you do that?”
Pierre began to pitifully weep, “But I don’t know where to go?”
“It’s a straight tunnel kid,” she stated while spitting out another mouth full thick red goo. A few droplets hit Pierre in the forehead when she coughed. A pool of blood increasingly spread outward from under her back. “Just keep walking the same direction we were going,” Scarla tried to speak, but it was impossible. Scarla's lungs wouldn’t allow another word to utter.
Pierre stepped away when her body convulsed. This was his first look at death, and the boy was frightened by the sight of it. Her head tilted to his direction. Scarla managed to give the boy a hopeful glance, her last attempt was a failed attempt to comfort him. Scarla closed her eyes, knowing death would overtake her. She felt the sense of pride, that she had finally accomplished something good at the end. Peacefully drifting into the unknown, Scarla expired.
Scarla lay motionless on the ground. Pierre approached again, “Miss Scarla? Wake up Miss Scarla.”
Pierre expected her to wake up. Finally, it dawned on him that she expired. Weeping silently, he put his hands over his face. A swift gust of breeze, blew through his hair. Then the air returned to a think stagnancy.
Pierre stood frozen there for a few minutes. But then he decided to withdraw to the cargo on the train. With a stomach aching in hunger, and a mouth parched from thirst, he couldn’t focus on Scarla’s death right now. The boy required sustenance if he was to survive his travel to the Kashem District.
Climbing onto the cargo car, he started sifting through boxes. Most of wood crates were sealed by nails or screws. Frustrated he began to pound his fists on the top of a large crate.
Leah could see Pierre through a small crack in the crate. Not knowing what all the commotion was about, she assumed that safety was near. “David and Patty wouldn’t allow a kid on their train,” she thought. “Hey!” she screamed. Leah tried to shake the box to get his attention. “Get me out of here!”
Pierre fumbled over a few boxes to get to her. “Is someone here?”
“Yes! Please help me! I’m trapped in this box.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Leah. Now will you please get me out?”
“I…I can’t. The box is shut tight.”
“Get the crowbar!”
“What’s a crow bar?”
“Are you kidding me?” Leah said in disbelief of his ignorance. “It’s a metal pole-like thing with a curved end.”
“Do you know where it is?”
“Check the driver car.”
“Driver car?”
“The one that drives the train!” Leah’s patience wore thinner.
“Oh, okay.�
�
Leah must have waited for what seemed like an eternity until Pierre finally came back. She was beginning to think she was abandoned.
“Is this it?” he asked holding the crowbar.
“Yes! Great! Now pop the top of this thing.”
“How?”
Through Leah’s best instructions she could possibly give, he finally figured out how to use a crowbar. The crate opened, and she hurdled out. Staring at the boy in appreciation, Leah thanked him. Pierre and Leah opened many crates and finally found one with apples. They ate until their bellies were full. Pierre explained what had happened to Scarla. He showed Leah the bodies, and informed her about the recording device he was given.
“Miss Scarla said I should give this to Brakion Vol. Who is he?”
“Oh Wow! I know Mister Vol. He’s been dating my mom. I like him. He’s smart and funny. Mister Vol is the Alpha General. But he’s old.”
“You think we can make it to the Kashem District though?”
“Hell yeah we can! I made it this far. But I gotta do something first.” Approaching Patty’s body, she gave it a hard kick. “Take that you bitch!”
“Gross! Why are you doing that?”
“She hit me, she was going to kill me.”
“Really?”
“Um, yeah really,” she replied. Leah’s mind recalled something she had learned in school. “Holy crap! Trigger rats will be here to eat the bodies.”
“What? Trigger rats?”
“Yeah, they’re about the size of a small wolf puppy. One or two can’t kill you. You just squash em. But if they come in a pack, they’ll eat us too.”
“What? Oh no, what do we do?”
“Maybe we can drive this train?”
“I don’t think so. You aren’t going anywhere,” a strange voice interrupted them from the tunnel shadows.
Chapter 18
Kansas Sparks appeared, but only as a floating head because of the invisibility suit he wore. The rest of his body reappeared when he pressed a button on his chest. Two others appeared on each side of Kansas, turning off their suits. To his left, was a small framed dark skinned man with his hair braided in cornrows. On the right side, was a tall woman of light complexion, with a shaved head.
