Zeus’s ears perk up, and a low, guttural growl escapes him. Cole grasps his collar. I don’t want the girl to be afraid of him. I catch eyes with Cole, and sensing my panic, he makes Zeus sit. Then the sound of a car approaching interrupts us. My head snaps up. The little girl holds her pointer finger to her sealed lips. She flicks her head to the left and points in the direction of the car, which sounds like it could be about three blocks away, coming quickly. Its muffler makes a loud rattling noise.
Bruno leads us into the crevice of a building and hunkers down. As I take cover, I look back in the window for the girl, and she nods silently. Then she disappears.
The car comes closer, and we slink into the shadows. I hold my breath as it passes. It’s black with tinted windows, like all the others, but I notice a loudspeaker mounted on top of it.
After it’s gone, Bruno stands up. His knees crack. My mouth feels like cotton’s been shoved inside. I’m starting to have a harder time focusing, and occasionally my boots catch on the ground and I trip. Cole grabs my shoulder, but judging by the weary lines on his face, he may be running out of energy too. When are we going to get there? It’s nearly impossible to get my brain to think rationally.
Five blocks. Six blocks. Seven blocks pass in a blur of desolation. I tell myself to speed up, but my legs are heavy, like I’m dragging them through mud. Our stops become more frequent. Every time we start out again, Grace sighs. I’m irritable, and the sweltering heat doesn’t help.
“Dude. I’m pissing brown,” Bruno says after taking a quick break. Come to think about it, I haven’t peed all day.
“Thanks for sharing that with the group, love,” Grace says.
“Just keeping it real.”
“So this is what it’s like being around him twenty-four seven,” I say to Grace.
“I’m afraid so. Sarcasm is Bruno’s trademark. I’ve learned to roll with it.”
My eyelids start to flutter, and my head begins to bob.
“Lexi, you still with me?” Cole asks, putting his hand on my waist. I lean against a wall, closing my eyes.
“Not so much; my head’s spinning,” I say.
“Hang in there; we’re almost there,” he says, sounding dehydrated too. I bring my hands to my face and rub my burning eyes, but the spinning won’t stop. My body leans forward, and he catches me with both hands. “Whoa, there. I got you.”
He hoists me over his shoulder.
“You don’t have to carry me,” I say. But it comes out sounding more like a long groan.
“Yes I do and I am. Where I go, you go. And you weren’t moving.” He grunts under my weight. His shoulder pushes through my stomach, but I don’t have the strength to argue with him.
“Dear God in heaven, please say we’re here,” Grace says, holding on to Bruno’s arm.
“Well I’m not God, but we’re here,” Bruno says.
Cole lowers me to the ground and bends over to catch his breath. Zeus plops down next to him, his nearly dry tongue dangling from between his teeth.
“It’s that building right over there.” Bruno points.
“Hallelujah,” Grace says, raising her hands in the air.
“One last push,” Bruno says, wiping sweat from around his eyes, “and we’re in.” He straightens his back and lifts his chin.
Cole extends his hand to me and pulls me to my feet. “Do you think you can manage?”
“Sure.” I twist the ring around my finger, drawing strength from its inscription.
Bruno sprints along the building, checks the timing of the cameras, and then shoves through the heavy metal door. Relief floods through me. It’s open.
It’s dark inside except for the light that spills through blown-out windows. The smell of feces and urine fill the air. My skin crawls at the sight of rats the size of small cats skittering across the floor in front of me. Empty water vials and cans of peas litter the floor.
“Lexi, come on,” Cole says, and then I realize I’ve fallen behind.
We follow Bruno into the same monotone office space as last time, where chunks of drywall lie crumbled on the floor. Empty bookshelves and a desk covered in dust sits in front of a chair that has been turned over.
Bruno points to the open closet marking the entrance to the underground. Cole eagerly, but carefully, lifts the floorboard panels in the closet and then peeks into the empty space.
“I can’t see a damn thing,” he says.
“Hold up; I’ve got a flashlight,” Bruno says, pulling it out of his pack. Bruno shines the light in front of Cole, making a pathway for him.
“That’s better; I’ll take Zeus down the ladder first,” Cole says.
I remember how this went last time.
Sure enough, Zeus whines as he crushes Cole’s face with his oversized paws. Cole curses the entire way down. Who knows how Cole has the strength to carry him after everything we’ve been through.
“Okay, Lexi, you’re up,” Bruno says, moving aside so I can make my way down the rickety ladder.
Stepping into the shaft, I use my right foot to feel for the next rung down. It’s slippery and just as precarious as the first time I made this trek. I close my eyes, willing myself to concentrate on getting down without slipping off and hurting myself. The light from Bruno’s flashlight is like a small candle to an abyss. It barely just reaches the bottom of the landing.
Soon, almost everyone is down, and Bruno replaces the board at the top. The ladder creaks as he climbs down. I hear a snapping sound.
“Oh shit!” Bruno says.
Six steps from the bottom, the whole thing gives out. Bruno lands, with a crash, on his back. The flashlight skitters across the floor, and for a minute, he doesn’t move. His hulking figure lies on the hard floor with the flashlight spinning in circles, before I reach down and pick it up. Grace rushes over to him.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” she asks. He groans. “Move your toes.” In the dim light, I watch him wiggle his toes. “Did you hit your head?”
He mumbles.
“What?” she asks in a panicked voice.
“No, but your shirt’s in my face,” he says as he pushes her back an inch. “Not that I’m complaining about your boobs but … ”
“You’re such an apple,” she says, a chuckle coming out of her. Bruno laughs weakly and rolls onto his knees.
“First cracker … now apple?” Cole asks. “Grace, we’re starving, and you’re cursing with food?”
“I know, sorry. But it’s a habit.”
“Now I know how the giant felt when he came down the beanstalk.” Bruno laughs at himself. I can’t stop myself from snorting. Grace takes Bruno’s hand and hugs him close, then she shoves him away and frowns at him.
“Guess we’re not getting out the way we came in,” she muses over the broken ladder.
I flick the light down the tunnel, eyeing the weeping ceiling, the bars lining the walls, and the black hole at the end. This time, no firelight welcomes us. In fact, all you hear is the dripping of water and the echo of our voices against the pitch black.
“Where’s Steven when we need him?” I ask, remembering the first time we arrived, when Steven escorted us underground. Now, it’s Cole’s turn to chuckle.
“I wonder if he got out,” he says.
“He did,” Bruno says. “He was in my group, remember?”
“Say, where’s the dripping coming from? I’m about to start licking the walls,” Grace says. She looks at Bruno, and the flashlight casts weird shadows beneath her eyes.
Zeus takes off ahead of us. He stops to whizz a few times, but nothing’s coming out, and he raises his head to look at us while making a snuffing noise. In the darkness, his eyes shine an eerie green.
“Oh, don’t worry … we see you, doofus,” Cole says. “Your hose ran dry. It happens.”
I shine the flashlight ahead, occasionally flicking it to our feet to make sure there’s nothing for us to trip over. I still feel weak, but the drop in temperature wakes me up. My head’s
clearer. Or maybe I just have hope.
“Keegan lived down here, right?” Grace asks, lowering her voice into a whisper as we walk.
“Yes, he did.” My voice trails off.
We enter the space where my brother Keegan and I reunited around the fire for the first time in years. I was so happy to see him. God, how I miss him. A charred, black spot stains the floor where the fire had been. Blackened wooden planks used for seating look abandoned and sad. The heaviness in the air settles in. Zeus sniffs around and finally settles on an old t-shirt lying on the floor in front of him, dirty and forgotten. My feet freeze in place.
It’s just … empty, a disturbing reminder of what used to be. A hand touches the back of my neck and squeezes. It’s Cole, of course. If only Keegan were here now. He’d know what to do. He’d have an answer, even if it wasn’t the right one. He was passionate about what he believed and never backed down from anything or anyone. My brother had a heart of gold. I loved him. I love him still. And someday, I’ll bury him like he deserves.
Zeus’s head perks up. His ears stand up straight as he woofs at something.
“Zeus, what’s there?” I ask as we all turn toward the hallway.
I point the flashlight down in the direction he’s looking. Was that a face I just saw? I squint and step in that direction. By now, Cole’s next to me, hand on his gun.
“Come out with your hands over your head,” Bruno says in a firm voice. It echoes into nothingness.
Zeus continues to growl, each one getting louder. But no one answers, and the shadows play with my mind. If I think too hard, I see bodies moving in the darkness. The flashlight feels slick in my sweaty palms. I stop moving and listen intently for noise. Zeus’s whole body points in the direction of whatever is out there. The drip, drip, dripping of water sliding off the pipes overhead makes the only identifiable noise.
“Show yourself,” Cole says. I hear nothing in response. Cole doesn’t lower his gun. He’s focused on the energy of his dog. He knows Zeus would not be acting this way if there wasn’t anybody out there.
Zeus barks louder, making me jump in my own skin. His fur stands straight up on his back, and his tail moves in a measured manner, all while his posture remains tight. He cocks his head to the left.
“What the hell is his deal? He looks confused,” Bruno says, sweat glistening as it rolls down his biceps.
“He’s trying to get a sense of what he’s hearing,” I say.
“You’re kidding, right?” Bruno asks.
“Nope. Zeus has the best intuition, especially when it comes to people we don’t know. If he trusts them, Cole does. So that’s enough proof for me.”
“Come on, follow me,” Cole says to Bruno. Cole takes the flashlight from me.
They move forward with their guns raised, the small light fading as they travel farther into the dank hallway. Zeus takes off after them, sniffing along the way.
My body shivers, and I wrap my arms around myself, but it doesn’t help. My heart’s palpitating so fast, I need to sit down. Without that little bit of light, the room gets darker and darker. All I can think about is the last time I was here with Keegan, as the only sound coming from the hallway is the drip of water.
The very thought of water makes me lick my lips. My throat’s so dry, it feels raw.
Grace sits down next to me. It’s so dark that if I didn’t feel her warmth, I wouldn’t even know she was there. I lean my head on her shoulder.
“Don’t move,” a voice says.
My breath catches in my throat. It’s hard to make out where the voice comes from. Grace tenses up beside me.
“Why are you here?” the voice asks, in a demanding tone. “I didn’t invite you, did I? I don’t recall inviting anyone.”
“Why are you here?” I ask right back.
“I live here. Well, I hide here,” he says.
The man is in front of me, off to the right, and although I can’t see him, I detect the slight smell of alcohol permeating his breath when he speaks. Great, he’s been drinking, and he’s probably armed. He shines a light in our faces. I blink my eyes and turn my face away as he cackles. Grace links her arm through mine.
“Well I’ll be damned. If it isn’t Lusty Lexi.” He laughs a deep, throaty laugh.
“How do you know me?” I scrunch my forehead to protect my eyes, and he flicks off the light. Lusty Lexi? Who used to call me that?
Just then, Zeus barks, and I hear footsteps heading toward us. Cole’s flashlight appears. The man puts his light back on and shines it toward Cole and Bruno. That’s when I get a good look at him. The scraggly hair and missing teeth give him away immediately.
“Stop right there, or I’ll smack them,” he says. “Or should I say kick them? My legs are stronger.”
Zeus parks his body at the edge of the light and ducks his head down. His butt goes straight into the air, like he wants to play. He dances around the man wildly.
Cole and Bruno stop dead in their tracks, pointing their guns at the man who points a gun at me and Grace. Cole’s eyes track Zeus, looking for cues.
“If you so much as touch them, I’ll blow your brains out,” Bruno says.
The man laughs. “Lusty, your guard’s alive; that’s great,” he says. “Or maybe it’s not, depending on if you like him. Do you?”
“Former guard,” Cole says with an edge in his voice. “And yes, she’s with me, so I suggest you back away from her.”
Zeus continues to pop up and down. He almost runs into the man, who attempts to push him away. Trying to follow Zeus while keeping track of the conversation isn’t easy.
“Cole, you know him,” I say. The man’s eyes flick to me, a grin spreading across his face as I stare down his barrel.
Cole shakes his head.
“You don’t recognize him? It’s Bill,” I say.
A look of recognition crosses Cole’s face.
“Ah! You remember me?” Bill asks, clapping his hands and jumping up and down. I’m not sure why he’s so excited; you would think he had just won the lottery or something.
“Yeah … ” I say.
“Bill? Crazy Bill?” Cole steps in closer with his gun pointed at him. “Of all people, how the hell did you manage to survive?”
“By eating and drinking, and I forget what else. Maybe breathing?”
“No, you moron. I meant the revolt, how on earth did you manage to survive?”
“I came down here.”
“When?” Cole asks.
“Um. Give me a minute.” We all stare while he counts using his fingers.
“Forget it. How did you know the underground even existed?” Cole asks impatiently.
“I’m a nosey person. I watch people. I watched them coming and going from the opening. I love secrets; they’re so much fun. Don’t you think?”
Cole’s face has confusion and annoyance written all over it. Bruno inches closer, gun pointed at the man’s head. So I decide to change the subject before Cole or Bruno punch him—or worse.
“Hey, Bill, do you have any water?” I ask.
He scrunches his eyes at me, looking me up and down, slowly lowering his gun and placing it in the waist of his pants.
“I do, I do. I’ll get you guys some, and then you can leave?” He glances at Bruno and Cole, who haven’t lowered their weapons.
Bruno jumps forward, holding Bill at gunpoint. “You’ll give us water and food, but we’re not leaving.” Bill laughs, even as Bruno shoves the barrel into the side of his head.
“I like your style. Straight to the point. So now we’re roommates? That’s great, I love roommates. Okay, be right back.”
“I believe Bill has fallen off his rocker,” I say to Cole.
“Yeah … he’s … crazy all right,” Cole says, laughing and shaking his head.
“Or it’s an act,” Bruno says.
A while later, we sit in the old training room, in the middle of the floor, sharing water and snacks. Bruno stands over us, gulping down as much as he ca
n handle. The lights are dim, only a few still work.
The feel of the hard mats under my hands reminds me of my training. All the times I wrestled with people in my group, ran sprints, and worked to build strength come back to me. But most of all, I feel Keegan’s presence.
“For the main operation, we divided everyone into teams. I’m assigning you to mine. One, because I love you, and two, because you’re that damn good,” Keegan had said.
I close my eyes and remember the way he looked at me when he said it. He cracked his neck like it was no big deal. But it meant everything to me, my older brother believing in me that much.
“Lexi, water?” Cole’s voice snaps me back to the present.
“What kind of question is that?” I have to shake away the memories, or I’ll drown in them. I tip the bottle to my lips and concentrate on just hydrating myself. Keegan would want me to be strong.
If there’s one positive thing about the Hole right now, it’s this—the first taste of water I’ve had in days. In order to keep from getting sick, I sip it. But part of me just wants to dump the whole thing all over me like a shampoo commercial and sing out loud.
“Why’re you keeping this all to yourself? Don’t you have any friends?” I ask Bill, who sits to my left. “I don’t get it.”
“Lusty, you silly girl. If I shared this with the outside, you wouldn’t have any right now. See what I mean?” He casually tips back a bottle of water and sips it. Then he pulls out another container, a round one with a cap on it. He bites off the cap, and I smell the stinging burn of alcohol. He takes a long swig before putting it away.
“There’s no one around up there to take the stuff, man,” Bruno says. He shakes his head and squints his eyes.
“Things have been happening since you all … ” He throws his hands in the air. “Left.” He leans back, putting his hands behind him, and glares at Bruno. “Oh they’re out there all right. Hiding. Oy vey, did you see that bug? That was a nasty one.” We all turn to see what he’s pointing at, but there’s nothing there.
“Bill, why are they hiding?” I ask.
“So they don’t get taken. Being taken never has a good outcome.”