The Block

by Ben Oliver

  “Tyco, the rain, call it off.”

  “Happy has called off the soldiers and the drones, but has left the decision regarding the rain up to me.”

  “Why?” I ask, feeling the first waves of desperation wash over me.

  “Because that’s the deal.”

  “Well, I won’t come with you,” I say. “If you don’t stop the rain so that Igby has time to let everyone out of the panic room, the deal is off.”

  “No,” Tyco replies, with horrible calmness in his voice. “No, that’s not the deal. One of your friends will die. Happy has run the probabilities and it knows how this scenario ends: One of your friends dies, and you still come quietly.”

  “Tyco, listen, if Happy has really left the decision up to you, then this is a chance for you to do the right thing. Don’t let someone die because of—”

  “I’m going to stop you there,” Tyco says, holding up a hand. “I’ve already made up my mind. One of your friends has to die—if I can’t kill you, that’s the next best thing.” His lips contort into a gleeful grin. “At least you’ll suffer. At least you’ll have their death on your conscience for as long as you live.”

  Despite everything that’s happened, I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Why does this boy hate me so much? “Tyco—”

  “You will not convince me otherwise. If you try to fight, we will not kill you; we will capture all of you and take your friends to the Block. They will all be batteries for eternity, we will not let them die, not let them go insane, we will use their energy for as long as the universe exists. It will be hell for all of you, beyond anything you can possibly imagine. That is your choice, Luka: Come quietly and let one die, or all your friends become batteries. That is Happy’s mercy.”

  “You’re a monster,” I tell him. “How can you go along with this? How can you be on Happy’s side?”

  For a moment, he’s silent. Without the soldiers and the drones, it feels like Tyco, the rain, and me are the only things left in the world.

  “The rain is falling, Luka. Time is running out. Better tell your friends the deal.”

  I try to think of another way out of this, but nothing comes, and there’s no time.

  I run back to the library’s checkout desk and find the intercom. I press the button.

  “Hello, can you hear me?”

  There’s a sound of static, and then Igby’s voice replies. “Luka, you’re still alive? I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “I’m coming down,” I say. “Open the doors.”

  I climb halfway down the wooden staircase—the corridor is virtually submerged now. I jump into the cold water, swimming along the tunnel to the safe room door, which spins open when I hammer my fist against it.

  The water surges and I’m carried through. As soon as I’m back inside the panic room, the door slams shut behind me. The water in here is hip-deep.

  “So?” Pod asks. “What happened?”

  I look around at my friends, trying to figure out a way to tell them one of them has to die. I’m about to answer when the silence is broken by the first piercing cry of Sam’s newborn baby.

  We turn to see Sam, exhausted, smiling, holding her child close.

  “We’re getting out of here,” I say.

  There’s a simultaneous sigh of relief from almost everyone in the room. Sam kisses her baby’s head, Malachai holds Wren close to him, but Pod doesn’t smile, and Pander looks at me questioningly.

  “Happy didn’t make a million drones to track us down just to let us go. What’s the whole story?” Igby asks.

  “They need one of us to go with them,” I say. “I told them I’d go if they let the rest of you go free, and they agreed.”

  “Luka, you are not trading your life for ours,” Kina says.

  “No,” I say, “I’m not. But I convinced them to call off the drones and the soldiers, so as soon as we’re all out of here, all we have to do is take out Tyco and make a dash for the Red Zone.”

  I almost convince myself with this lie. When I see the smiles and looks of relief on all my friends’ faces, I wish the plan were real. But I know if we kill Tyco, or try to run from him, Happy will find us in seconds. I have to find a way to separate myself from the group and go with Tyco.

  “Dr. Ortega,” I say, trying to hide the sorrow from my face, “help Sam and her baby out first. Wren, you go with them, okay?”

  Abril slowly helps Sam get to her feet, and she hobbles toward the door. Malachai kisses Wren and she moves toward the door with Dr. Ortega and Sam. Once they are there, Igby spins the handle, and the four of them leave the room. More water gushes inside. It’s up to our waists.

  I turn back to the remaining group.

  “There’s something else, isn’t there?” Pod asks.

  I nod my head. “Yes. I wanted to get them out of here first. Happy has refused to switch off the rain.”

  One by one the meaning of this hits them all.

  “Someone has to stay behind,” Kina says.

  There’s silence for maybe five seconds. “Luka, you can’t stay,” says Pod. “We need Tyco to think you’re going with him.”

  I nod. Even though I’ll be making my own sacrifice very soon, I feel guilty.

  “How do we decide?” Kina asks.

  “The books,” Pod says. “Aren’t there books in here?”

  We all look to the shelves. Igby wades over, grabbing five books off the shelf. He nudges the old handgun as he reaches for them; it spins slightly, the barrel coming to a stop pointed right at me.

  Igby hands the books out. “Last alphabetically stays behind?” he says.

  We all nod. Pod opens his first. “What is it?” he asks, leaning close to the small print.

  Igby takes the book from him. “It’s a D. Mine is M.”

  Pander goes next. “A,” she says solemnly, and then leans over to check Malachai’s. “His is L.”

  “F,” Kina says, and I breathe a silent sigh of relief.

  Slowly, we all turn to Igby.

  “All right,” he says, smiling joylessly, “fuck it, I’m staying behind.”

  I’m sorry, Igby, I think. The two of us have to die so the rest can live a little longer.

  Igby’s eyes meet Pod’s for a brief moment before he looks to the rising water at his midriff. “Better make it quick,” he says. “Not much time.”

  He pushes through the waist-high water and stands at the spin handle.

  “Igby …” Malachai says.

  “Hey, it’s all right,” he says, his voice cracking. “You guys have to go. Get out of here, okay?”

  Pod steps toward his friend, holding out his arms to hug him one last time. As Igby raises his own arms to accept the embrace, Pod clenches one hand into a fist and swings it in a tight hook, connecting with Igby’s jaw.

  Igby’s eyes roll back in his head, and as he falls limply backward into the water, Pod grabs him around the middle and hands him to Kina.

  “Whoa, what’s going on?” she asks.

  “Why did you do that?” Pander yells.

  Pod grabs the old pistol off the shelf and points it at us. “Take him and get out of here,” he demands.

  “Pod,” I say, stepping toward him. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m staying behind. Not Igby, me.”

  “We agreed,” Malachai says. “We all agreed whoever—” His words are cut off as Pod fires the gun to the right of our small group. A spray of water spits up from the bullet as it enters the water.

  “This is not a debate!” Pod screams. He reaches out one strong hand and spins the handle, opening the door once again. “Get out and get Igby to safety.”

  The water, now at chest height, has already taken away our ability to reason with the boy with the gun.

  One by one the Loop inmates make their way into the narrow hallway, swimming to the staircase.

  Now there is only Pod and me left in the flooding room.

  “Pod, what you’re doing is the bravest thing I can imagine.�
��

  “It’s no different from what you’re doing,” he replies.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Your plan to run from Tyco, it’s bullshit.”

  I almost deny it, but what would be the point? “How did you know?”

  “A few reasons: First, you’re a terrible liar; second, the plan doesn’t make sense—if you betray Tyco, Happy will kill all of them.”

  “You’re right,” I say. “I’m going to go with him. I made a deal: Happy will let the rest of them live if I go quietly.”

  “It’s probably a trap, you know?”

  I nod. “Yeah, I know, but there’s nothing else I can do.”

  “I hope it works,” Pod says.

  “You know, when this is all over, when we’ve won this thing, the survivors are going to remember you forever for this,” I tell him, looking around at the submerged panic room.

  Pod smiles. “I don’t care about strangers remembering me,” he says. “I’m doing it for my friends.”

  “I’m going to miss you, Pod.”

  Pod nods his head. “I only wish I had a chance to say goodbye to Igby.”

  I step forward, hugging the large boy one last time.

  I dive into the cold water and drag myself forward, feeling the shock wave pass through me as the door slams shut for the final time. I use my arms and legs to drive myself through the water until I reach the stairs. I climb up, the water pouring out of my clothes.

  I make it to the library, where everyone is gathered, away from the falling rain. The varnished floor is a flowing, shallow river of water. Tyco still stands in the doorway, watching.

  Sam lies on one of the gurneys from the bathroom, smiling down at her daughter, who is wrapped in blankets. Abril checks mother’s and baby’s vital signs.

  Everyone else is gathered around Igby, who is sitting up and rubbing his jaw.

  “What happened?” he asks as I join the small group. “Where … ? Why am I up here? Where’s Pod?”

  “He stayed behind,” Kina says.

  “No! That was my job; he is not dying for me!” Igby gets to his feet and tries to run toward the trapdoor, but his brain refuses to control his legs. He falls back into the water, still dazed from the blow.

  I run over to Tyco, who still stands in the doorway, smiling vacantly.

  “Tyco, I’m begging you, don’t let Pod die.”

  “Why not?” Tyco asks.

  “He’s a good person. You hate me because I let your brother die, right? So how are you any better if you let Pod die?”

  “I’ve already told you, Luka, you’re not going to change my mind.”

  I yell, hold my head in my hands. I feel all my energy die inside me. Finally, I look up at Tyco. “I’ve told my friends that we’re going to make a run for it. They wouldn’t have let me go with you otherwise. I’m going to leave with them. Wait here for five minutes and I’ll be back. Promise me you’ll leave them alone, promise me Pod isn’t dying for nothing?”

  Tyco nods. “It’s not my promise, Luka; it’s Happy’s. They want you.”

  “I want you to know,” I say, leaning close to Tyco, “that you will regret letting that boy die. I promise, you’ll regret it.”

  Tyco smiles. “I very much doubt it.”

  I turn and walk back toward my friends, and as I cross the room, I notice the intercom at the library checkout desk.

  I run to Igby and kneel down beside him.

  “Igby, there’s nothing we can do to save Pod, but you can say goodbye.”

  I help him to his feet and lead him to the intercom, and as I do, I slip Tyco’s artificial eye into his pocket. Igby is the smartest person I know, and if he thinks the eye can help, he’ll figure out how. Igby looks from the intercom to me, and nods.

  I walk away and rejoin the rest.

  “Pod, Pod, can you hear me?” Igby asks. The sound of static comes back.

  “Pod?” Igby repeats. More static.

  And then, finally, Pod’s voice comes through. “Hey, Igby, how the hell are you?”

  Igby rubs his faces a few times and then smiles. “Going to have a pretty big bruise on my chin, thanks for that, Pod. How are things down there?”

  There’s a pause of static before Pod’s voice comes through. “Oh, you know, it’s not so bad. Can’t complain.”

  “Hey, do you know what sucks?” Igby asks.

  “Other than the fact I’m about to die?”

  “Well, sure, that, but also, we were so close to finishing our quest. Like, three more sessions and we would have made it to the Temple of Zah.”

  “Damn,” Pod says, real disappointment in his voice. “I guess you’ll just have to finish it on your own.”

  Igby turns his body away from us slightly. “I don’t want to finish it on my own. I want you to be there at the end.”

  “I want to be there too, Igby. I wish I could be there, but we knew there would have to be sacrifices if we were going to win this war.”

  “Yeah, but not you, Pod, it wasn’t supposed to be you. I love you, for fuck’s sake. You big idiot, I love you. And … and you’re so close to being able to see again. It’s not fair.”

  “Hey, you know what,” Pod replies, “it’s probably for the best. I’ve heard you’re ugly as sin. I would’ve dumped your ass as soon as I saw your face for the first time.”

  Igby laughs, a wet shaking sound. “Fuck you, I’m beautiful.”

  “Hey, the water’s getting pretty high now. I should go.”

  Igby thumps the checkout desk hard, and I can see his body shaking. “Listen, Pod,” he says, composing himself, “I don’t know what happens when you die, but if I show up to the afterlife and you’ve hooked up with some other dead guy, I’m going to be so pissed off.”

  “Definitely going to hook up with an angel, are you kidding me?” Pod replies.

  “I love you, Pod.”

  “I love you too.”

  “Are you scared?”

  “Am I fuck.”

  “You’re braver than me.”

  No reply comes back this time.

  “I said, you’re braver than me, Pod.”

  Still only silence from the other side.

  “Pod?” Igby says, his voice frantic. “Pod? I love you, Pod. Pod?”

  Silence.

  Igby takes his finger off the intercom button, composes himself, and turns to face us.

  “All right,” he says, his voice thick with tears, “I guess that’s that.” He walks over to us.

  “Igby, I’m so sorry—” I start.

  Igby holds up a hand. “Hey, he was right, you know, this is a war, people are going to die.”

  I watch as Wren leaves Malachai’s side, walks to Igby, and puts her hand on his shoulder. “We all loved him,” she says, in her quiet and hoarse voice.

  Igby nods, tries to reply, and then bursts into floods of tears. We surround him, all holding him. One by one we move away, until it’s just Dr. Ortega who remains. She takes his face in her hands and speaks quietly to him.

  “Most people don’t get last words, last thoughts, last requests,” she says. “For most people the world just cuts to black. It can happen at any time, in any place; it could be in one minute or in a hundred years. I’m sorry your friend died, boy, but he died for love, and not many people get to die for love …”

  She continues to speak, and Igby nods, wiping the tears away from his eyes. I choose not to listen to the rest; her words are not for me. Instead I walk to Kina, turn her gently around by the shoulders, and hug her.

  “I never knew they were together,” I tell her, my voice shaking. “I thought they were friends; I didn’t know they were in love.”

  “I didn’t know either,” Kina replies.

  “I love you,” I tell her. “It’s not just the end of the world talking; I really love you.”

  “I love you too,” she says.

  And I’m glad I have that to take with me when I go to die.

  “We have to get out o
f here,” I say, turning to the group. “I bought us some time; I convinced Tyco to give me five minutes to say goodbye.”

  I hate lying to the people I care most about in this world, but it’s the only way to save them.

  “All right,” Pander says, trying to remain composed, but I can see she is holding back tears. She leads the way to the tunnels, Dr. Ortega assisting Sam.

  “Go on,” I say to Malachai and Wren, who walk off toward the tunnels. Malachai wraps his arm around Igby as they go.

  “Come on,” Kina says, trying to pull me toward the tunnels.

  “You go. I’m right behind, I’m just going to grab some weapons from the armory.”

  “I’ll wait here,” she says.

  “Five minutes, Luka,” Tyco calls from the doorway.

  I walk quickly to the armory and grab the three ancient grenades Pod had stolen from the museum and refurbished. I shove them into my pockets.

  “Let’s go,” I say, and Kina and I head to the bathroom.

  We climb down into the darkness and quickly catch up with the group.

  I begin to hang back, slowing down and building the distance between me and the group. I watch as Kina’s form begins to disappear into the dim light and I know that now is the time, before they realize I’m gone, before they run back and try to find me. Here, where the tunnel is narrow.

  I take the grenades out of my pocket, and hesitate.

  Just run, just go with them, I think.

  But I can’t. Happy would have us traced and trapped in minutes. If they can make it to the arcade, if they can mobilize the Missing, then maybe … maybe we can win.

  They see leadership in me, even if I have never seen it myself—it’s time to trust them; it’s time to be a leader.

  I grab all three bombs, hold them against my chest with one arm, and remind myself that I have four seconds. I pull the pins, throw all three grenades a few yards, and run back to the bathroom.

  The explosions erupt behind me; I hear bricks tumbling, cries of surprise echoing. I don’t know if the grenades have blocked the tunnel, but they have definitely bought me enough time to disappear into the city with Tyco.

  I reach the ladder, tears in my eyes as I run away from Kina, from my friends.