Текст книги "Sunset Rising"

Автор книги: S. McEachern

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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 22 страниц)

Chapter Eleven

The big steel double doors were our only way out of the Dome and into the Pit, and to get to them we were going to have to walk through main reception. The whole area was still in a state of pandemonium after that morning’s wedding debacle. Jack was hoping we could slip into a service elevator unnoticed to get to the main floor, but there were long queues at every elevator. We were going to have to go down the grand staircase in full view of everyone.

I followed the same path I’d taken that morning as a bride and approached the top of the staircase. I hesitated for a moment, the memory still fresh in my mind, but Jack didn’t miss a beat. He wrapped an arm around my waist and swept me along with him.

Traffic on the staircase was thick, but Jack didn’t let go of me until we reached the last step and began our trek across the busy room. Both steel doors were open for the servants wheeling carts back out to the kitchens. I noticed that none of them were wearing kitchen uniforms and then remembered the Pit was on lockdown. The bourge had to do their own work during lockdowns. I decided that we could easily act like we’d been sent to help. I led Jack over to the line-up of carts waiting to go and motioned for him to take one. I grabbed one and started wheeling it toward the door. I looked back and saw that he was following me.

I kept an even pace, resisting the urge to run through the doors. There was a line, and I realized with a sinking feeling that they were going to make us scan-in to pass through the doors. I stared down at my hand where Jack had inserted the new chip. I bit my lip, wondering if it would work. I was so close to being home. Just through those doors, then I could get back to the Pit. Beeps sounded up ahead as people passed the scanner before they filed out. Armed guards stood on the other side of the door. They were always there to keep the urchins out of the bourge’s domain.

One more to go, and then it was my turn. The person ahead of me scanned and continued on his way. I began to sweat. I moved forward and waved my hand in front of the scanner. Nothing. I tried again. Nothing. My heart pounded harder. Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Jack. He looked nervous, too.

“Wait a minute,” said one of the guards as he walked toward me. For just a second, there was no doubt in my mind that I had been caught, but I couldn’t run. My legs were too weak and my feet felt like dead weights. “Scanner’s been acting up all morning,” he said, hitting the side of it a few times. “Try it again. I might have to find a new one.”

The guard watched as I raised my hand to try again. My hand was trembling ever so slightly, and I focused on getting it under control. I passed my hand over the scanner. A beep, and then a green light flicked on. The guard waved me through and motioned for Jack to come forward. I heard the beep behind me.

It took all of my energy to walk on my weakened legs. I hung onto my cart tightly in case they gave out on me. Then I was through the steel doors and out into the lobby and the entrance to the Pit. The other people with carts were well ahead of me, but I knew my way to the kitchen. This was familiar territory. I walked down the hall and joined the line for the kitchen. I looked behind me and Jack was there. I gave him a worried look. Someone was bound to recognize me in the kitchen. In fact, I was sure I heard Supervisor Bailey instructing people on where to put their carts. She would know me for sure.

A few more carts pulled up behind Jack. I shuffled ahead as the queue moved, and my panic rose with each step. I cast Jack another look.

“Hey, buddy,” Jack said to the guy behind him in line. “Can you do us a favour and take these carts in? We were told to get back ASAP to start tearing down that altar. I guess it’s offending the president.”

The guy rolled his eyes. “Can’t imagine why. Although you can’t blame Kenner. Leisel’s not much of a looker even if she is the president’s daughter. That urchin he married isn’t hard on the eyes, though. What’s her name?”

“Sunny O’Donnell.” Jack grinned. “Hard to forget the pretty name that goes with the pretty face.”

I couldn’t believe how brazen Jack was being. He was going to get us both killed.

“Sunny O’Donnell,” the man said. “That is a pretty name. Yeah, sure I’ll take your carts for you. See you back in there.”

“Thanks.” Jack turned and walked away.

He didn’t wait for me, so I walked quickly to catch up. The hall we needed to go down was coming up on the right, and I pulled Jack into it when we came upon it. We hurried down the hall and turned left, toward the old mine shaft. No one was back there, so I broke into a run. I could see the small door to the shaft. When I reached it, I took a deep breath and pulled it open. I was relieved. They usually forgot to lock the shaft doors when they did a lockdown, and I was glad this time was no different. We went in, and I shut the door. It was dark.

“Just give your eyes a minute to adjust,” I said.

“It’s pitch black in here. My eyes aren’t going to adjust.”

“They will. What about cameras? I assume there aren’t any in the shafts?”

My eyes had already adjusted, but I was comfortable in the dark. I searched for the rope I knew was here. Years ago, the shafts were used to transport coal and mining debris up to the Dome. But the system was prone to breaking down, so they built a new one, closer to the place where debris was dumped.

“There aren’t many cameras in the Pit—only in the common rooms. It was going to be a lot of work to put them in, and there didn’t seem to be much need.”

“We were always told that there were cameras everywhere. That the walls have ears.”

“That’s exactly why we didn’t bother putting cameras in. Rumour seems to be working just as well. That, and there are armed guards everywhere. Any of you get out of line, and they can just shoot you,” he said, in a joking tone.

“Oh, Jack. You’ll soon find out that was no joke.”

I found the rope and gave it a good tug to make sure it was secure. “Here. Use this to rappel down. I’ll go first and guide you along as best I can.” I scrambled over the side and began my descent.

“Wait! Aren’t you going to use the rope too?” He sounded terrified.

“I don’t need it. I’ve been doing this since I was five. And besides, I don’t think that old rope is going to hold two of us.”

I climbed down about ten feet and waited for him to start. I heard him double– checking the rope. “Come on,” I said.

“I can’t even see!”

He finally lowered himself over the side. Hanging onto the rope, he tentatively lowered one foot. I descended another ten feet and looked up. Jack hadn’t made any progress. “Jack, you’re taking too long. Trust the rope.”

“You mean this old rope? Easy for you to say. You don’t even need it. I can’t see anything. How can you do this?!”

“Just lean out away from the rock, hang onto the rope, and start walking backwards. You have the rope—you don’t need to find footholds.” I heard him take a deep breath and watched him lean out. He lowered one foot, then the other, and again.

“Hey, I’m doing it!” he said excitedly.

He continued to rappel in a slow and steady rhythm. I descended another ten feet. I probably shouldn’t be this close. If he fell, he would take us both down.

“How far do we have to go?” he asked.

“About a mile.”

“Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“Nope. But we’re almost there,” I lied.

Down we went, me staying ten feet below Jack and encouraging him along. He was painfully slow, but I tried not to get frustrated. I remembered it was hard the first time I did it, too. Of course, I was only five.

Finally, I arrived at the sixth level. I reached over and pulled myself onto the landing.

“Almost there, Jack,” I called up.

When his feet dangled just above my head, I gave them a little tug to help him along.

“Stop!” Jack’s voice was edged with panic. “I’ll do it myself.”

I let go of him. I didn’t need him screaming and bringing the guards in here. He lowered himself far enough to reach over to the landing. I grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him in. He hugged the side of the shaft, testing to make sure his feet were firmly on the ground.

“That was the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life.” His face was covered in a sheen of sweat.

I left him alone to collect himself and walked over to the door. I pressed my ear against it but didn’t hear anything. There was usually traffic in the halls, but everything was quiet. Again, I had to remind myself that the Pit was on lockdown. Everyone would be in their homes.

“I keep forgetting about the lockdown. The only people in the halls right now are the guards.”

“We can pretend we got lost or something. Took a wrong turn and we’re trying to get back to our home. Make something up.”

His naïveté surprised me. “The guards will shoot us on sight—they’re not going to stop and ask us anything.”

“They don’t fool around down here, do they?”

“Nope.”

Jack walked toward the shaft. “What if we climb back up and…”

“Stop!” I yelled.

He froze. He’d been about to walk over the edge. I went to him and gripped his arm. The toe of one of his shoes hung over the edge. “Back up,” I said, pulling him back with me.

The door opened and a dim stream of light fell on us. We turned around slowly. The only escape was back into the shaft, and we would be nothing but target practice for the guard in there.

“Sunny? Is that you?” someone called from the doorway.

I squinted at the guard. “Bron?”

“It’s me.” She came in and shut the door. “Mr. Kenner, sir, it’s an honor.” She nodded at Jack. “What are you two doing here? I thought you were in the Dome waiting for your… trial.”

“Are you going to turn us in?” I asked. I needed to know. I had come so close to getting home.

“I could get in a lot of trouble if I don’t.”

“I know. Which is why I won’t ask you to help. I just wanted to get home and see my dad before… you know…”

“That was quite a wedding. Everyone is talking about it. Everyone’s talking about you, Sunny.” Bron smiled.

“The whole thing was an accident, Bron. Leisel betrayed us. It’s a long story.”

“Then keep your story to yourself. Right now you’re a hero down here. You were sent upstairs to be a plaything at a bachelor party, but instead you married the groom and made the president’s daughter a laughingstock. Don’t tell them it was an accident.”

“Don’t tell them? Does that mean you’ll let me go and see my father?”

“I can take you to him, but you can’t stay there for very long. There’ll be more guards down here soon for the check-in.”

“Check-in?” Jack asked.

“When we’re on lockdown, we have to return to our apartments and stay there. We can’t visit anyone or go to the common rooms. The guards frequently carry out check-ins to make sure everyone is where they’re supposed to be,” I said.

“Divide and conquer,” Jack said.

I gave him a confused look.

“Riots happen out of anger, so if you’re left to stew together, you might just talk and come up with a plan to revolt. If you’re separated, you can’t talk.”

“I always thought we were just being punished.” It never occurred to me that the bourge would ever see us as a threat.

“You’re correct, sir. We are under strict orders not to let them fraternize during a lockdown,” Bron said. “What will you do after you see your father? Do you have a place to go to?”

“I secured an apartment for us. It’s on the fourth level,” Jack said.

“Well, come on then.” She held the door open for us. “I’ll take you to see your dad.”

I hugged her. “Thank you, Bron.”

“I’m doing this for your mother. I know she’d be very proud of you right now. And I’m doing this for the Kenners. I’ve been a loyal member of Liberty all of my life.”

I was shocked to hear that Bron knew about Liberty.

“I appreciate it,” Jack said. He held out his hand and they shook.

Bron looked pleased beyond words. I had no idea what was going on between them, so I said nothing.

Bron opened the door, and we walked out. I had walked these halls since the day I was able to take my first step. This was my home. When I was up in the Dome it felt like it had been an eternity since I had been here, but now it was like I had never left.

Luckily, we didn’t pass any other guards on the way. My home was an exact replica of all the other homes down here: square box houses made from replicated wood and all attached to each other in a long row, backing onto the stone wall. Each box had a narrow door that led into a two-room apartment. I opened the door and turned on the light. My father was probably still in bed, right where I left him.

“Stay here,” I told Jack.

My father lay under the thin blanket with his back to the door. I went in and sat down beside him on the bed. I placed my hand on his back, feeling for his heartbeat. It had been almost three days since I’d seen him, and he hadn’t eaten that last day either. Four days.

“Dad?” I said softly. No answer. “Dad. Dad.” I was starting to panic, but then he stirred slightly. “Dad, it’s me, Sunny. I’m back.”

“Sunny?” He rolled over to look at me. I was shocked by how pale he was. “Is that you? Where have you been?”

“You scared me. I thought you were… Have you eaten since the last time I saw you?”

“I’m not hungry. I missed you, though. I wondered if you were coming back or if you had run off and married Reyes.”

Obviously my father had not been out of bed that day or he would know that I did indeed get married, but not to Reyes. Jack came into the room with a glass of water. I was annoyed that he didn’t stay out in the living room as I’d asked but thankful he brought the water.

“I wouldn’t run off and leave you, Dad. I love you too much.” I took the glass of water from Jack and put it to my father’s lips. He drank.

“Who is this young man?”

“I’m Jack Kenner, sir. I’m pleased to meet you.” Jack bent down and extended his hand. My father took it and gave it a weak shake. I watched Jack for a moment, surprised and confused by the respect he was showing.

“I’ve never met you before. Why are you here with my daughter?”

“I’ll let your daughter explain that, sir. Sunny, I’ll be out in the living room. Bron’s gone to get some food.”

“Sunny?” my father asked when we were alone again.

“Well… I guess maybe I did run off and get married, although I didn’t mean to. It’s complicated. Jack Kenner was supposed to marry the president’s daughter today, but instead he and I got married. It was kind of an accident.”

How could I explain all this to him without telling him I had been forced into going to Jack’s bachelor party? I didn’t want him to think badly of me.

“An accident? You got married by accident? To a bourge?” My father was smiling now, almost laughing. It had been a long time since I’d seen him look happy.

“It’s not funny, Dad!” But I couldn’t help but laugh, too. It all sounded so ridiculous. “Don’t ask me how I got involved in this, but I met the president’s daughter, Leisel, and she convinced me to take her place at her wedding today.” I decided to leave out the part where Leisel thought she might be assassinated, so I played the role of decoy for her. “We were supposed to change places before the bride and groom were registered, but she didn’t show up. So I had to scan in myself and, well, the scanner worked. It shouldn’t have. It should only have worked for Leisel, but she betrayed us. Jack and I are in a lot of trouble.”

“So President Holt didn’t know it wasn’t his daughter getting married?” He was still laughing.

“Not until Jack’s mother ripped off my veil and wig.”

My father was laughing so hard he started to cough. I realized laughing was using up what little energy he had left.

“I bet you caused quite a ruckus up there. The president must be red-in-the-face, spitting mad.”

“He is. Spit was flying everywhere. I’ve never seen him that mad.”

No one in the Pit liked the president. He was known for his rages. Whenever something went wrong in the Pit, or we didn’t produce enough coal or diamonds, he would televise a lecture, and we would be forced to go into the common rooms and watch him. When we were all stuck there like that, what else could we do but make fun of him?

“Oh my daughter, you make me proud. But now you’re in a lot of trouble. How much trouble?”

“How much trouble do you think an urchin would be in for humiliating the president’s daughter and marrying her fiancé?” I tried to sound lighthearted. But our moment of humor was gone, and the reality of my situation hung in the air.

A tear trickled from the corner of my father’s eye. “Are they going to make it a public execution?”

My breath caught on a sob. Was this our goodbye? “The only reason I’m here with you right now is that I escaped. I don’t know if they’ve discovered we’re gone yet or not, but when they do, they’ll come looking for us. I don’t intend to go back into the Dome alive. I won’t give them the satisfaction of a public execution.”

My father sat up and looked me in the eyes. “Then you stay hidden. Do you hear me? You don’t let them find you.”

“I’ll do my best, Dad. Jack and I have new identities, so maybe we can live down here for a while.”

“You do everything you can to stay alive, Sunny. Get more coal and cover up that hair of yours. Stay out of sight.”

The front door of the apartment opened, and the smell of the food Bron had brought wafted through. She came into the bedroom and handed me the container.

“I promise to stay alive if you promise,” I said to Dad. “Eat this.” I opened the container of stew and started spooning it into his mouth. I could tell it was making him feel sick, but he swallowed it. I managed to get a few more mouthfuls into him before he collapsed back on the bed. I put the glass of water to his lips, and he drank.

“You’re running out of time, Sunny. I need to get you upstairs,” Bron said quietly.

“Can’t I stay here with him? I don’t want to leave him like this.”

“I’ll be fine, Sunny,” Dad said. “I promise I’ll eat and drink. You try and come to see me tomorrow.”

“I’ll check in on him,” Bron said. “Right now, we have to go.”

I kissed my father goodbye and went back out into the living room. I took the coal I always kept in my cupboard and put it in my pocket. Jack gave me a questioning look but didn’t say anything.

“The place is filling up with guards now, so I want the two of you to march in front of me. It will look like I caught you out during curfew,” Bron said.

“Let’s go.” It pained me to leave my father, but I risked everyone’s safety if I stayed. If I were discovered here, my father would be in trouble for hiding a criminal. And if I sent Jack on to the apartment that Benjamin and Autumn were supposed to share and Autumn was absent during the check-in, then he would be questioned about my whereabouts, which would probably blow our cover. I had no choice but to go. I silently cursed Jack for giving me an identity that prevented me from looking after my father.

We marched toward the stairs, Bron behind us with her gun. We only had two levels to climb, so it would be a short walk. As we started up, two guards coming down stopped us.

“A couple of troublemakers?” one of them asked.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Bron said. She motioned for us to keep moving.

“Why are you even bothering to take them upstairs? Just shoot them,” the other guard said.

“That’s against regulations.” She prodded us with the barrel of her gun. “Keep moving.”

“Since when do we worry about regulations down here?” The guard laughed and the other joined in. “Listen, if you want to get your exercise climbing up and down those stairs, be my guest. But I see anyone out, I’m shootin’ them.”

We made it to the fourth level then without further incident. Once we located our new apartment, I nervously passed my hand over the scanner. I was relieved when I heard the door unlock. My new chip worked.

“I have to go back down, so you’re on your own. I’ll keep an eye on your father,” Bron said.

“Thank you for everything.” I wanted to give her another hug to show how much I appreciated her help, but if a guard came around the corner and saw it, we would both be in a lot of trouble.

“Thanks,” Jack said.

“It’s been a real privilege, sir. I’ll help out any way I can.” She left to go back to the sixth level.

We went in and checked out our new home. The place looked tidy. I wondered about the previous occupants and where they might be now. Culled? Shot during the riot? How long had it been empty?

“Why was Bron acting that way with you?” I asked.

“I told you Liberty has supporters, and I guess she’s one of them. Why did you take the coal?”

“My hair.” I took off my cap and threw it on the table. My hair was still in the tight bun I’d worn under Leisel’s wig. I took out the elastic and shook it loose. It felt good. I picked up the coal and rubbed it against a lock of hair. “See? No more red. You should use it too. No one has light hair down here.”

I finished rubbing the coal through my hair and handed it to him. He took it, looking at it dubiously. Then he took off his cap and started rubbing his head with it.

“Not like that. You’re making a mess.” I sat him in the chair and rubbed the coal just against his short strands, staying away from his scalp. “There.” Dark hair didn’t suit him at all, but I decided to keep that to myself.

I walked over to the sink and turned on the faucet, hoping the previous occupants hadn’t used up all their water rations. The water flowed. I took a glass down from the cupboard and filled it.

“There won’t be any food in here, but we have water,” I said. I had almost drained the glass when there was a knock at the door.

“Is that the guard for the check-in?”

I nodded, went to the door, and opened it. A guard stood there with a scanner. We waved our hands over the scanner and received green lights. I realized too late that we didn’t have our hats on, but at least we’d covered our hair with coal. The guard moved on to the next apartment.

“How can your father do the check-in if he can’t get out of bed?” Jack’s voice held a note of concern.

“Bron’s been the guard in that section for as long as I can remember. She’s probably checking him in.”

“He looks really sick,” Jack said softly.

“He is.” He was sick with grief over the death of my mother; sick with despair knowing his own death was only months away. I should be with him, but I was trapped. “And thanks to you, he’s on his own.”

Jack held up both his hands as if to ward off a blow. “I didn’t know.”

“I told you! Before your wedding, I told you my dad was sick and I had to look after him. But you didn’t listen because you didn’t care.”

“I’m sorry.”

I saw the sincerity on his face, but the sentiment had come too late. My father was alone because Jack didn’t want to be left on his own down here. I blamed him for my predicament.

“I need sleep.” Without another word, I escaped into the bedroom and closed the door. I didn’t care where he slept or even if he stayed. I just crawled onto the thin mattress and tried to blot out the last three days of my life.

I felt so hopeless.