Pipe Dreams (16 page)

CHAPTER 30

J
eremy’s face twitched and his
muscles ached. Staggering on unsteady legs, he tried to comprehend what Ashley was saying, but the monstrous sight she presented made concentration difficult. Believing he was delirious, he struggled against her, willing the apparition away. Finally Mariah interceded and Ashley released him.

“Breathe, girl. Take a minute and breathe,” Mariah said as Ashley stopped fighting and crumpled against her. “Jeremy, this kid
’s in bad shape. Can you get to the library?  We’ll meet you there.” 

Still dazed, Jeremy threw on a robe and wobbled out of his room. In the library, he dropped into his chair, shivering violently. A pounding headache sent needles through the backs of his eyes, making it hard to sit upright.

While Mariah bathed Ashley’s bleeding feet, the girl recounted her story of abduction and escape. As if Jeremy were underwater, Ashley’s words sounded garbled and far away. Her voice intensified as she described the rumble of approaching trucks.

“Honey, they won
’t find us. That’s why this place is so special. There’s no way they’ll figure out its even here,” Mariah soothed.

Jeremy leaned forward, appalled by Ashley
’s appearance. He gripped the sides of his head to help him concentrate. Like a dandelion puff, Ashley’s blond stubble caught the light above her mud-streaked scalp. The jagged cut on her nose was caked with blood and oozing slightly. She wore a tattered shirt that barely covered her body and her pale legs were cut and raw. Mustering his strength, Jeremy met her eyes.

“Mariah
’s right, Ashley. We’re safe as long as we don’t go out.”

At first Ashley protested, but eventually she responded to their quiet conviction. In dire need of a shower and rest, she allowed herself to be led away. Before they left, Mariah tossed a blanket over Jeremy. He pulled it close,
grateful for its warmth.

On her return, Mariah asked, “What do you think?”

“Could be serious. I don’t think they’ll find the Gate, but we need to find out what’s happening. Who’s on the roof?”

“Ben.” Mariah rolled her eyes.

“Shit,” Jeremy murmured before another spasm wracked him. When it passed, he massaged his jaw and sank back against the soft leather.

“Yeah, but we
’ll handle this. You need to get back to bed,” Mariah said.

“No can do. Do me a favor and get everyone in here. We need to tell them what
’s happening and make sure nobody leaves.” 

When the cell members crowded the library, Jeremy relayed what he had learned. Fear spread through the group and their nervous titters rose like birds in the park until Jeremy held up his hand.

“We’ve had a run of bad luck, but this isn’t part of it. The basement’s the safest place to be. They won’t find us here. Soon as everybody’s back, we’ll seal the Gate. Then, there’s no way in. We’ve got enough food put aside to last awhile. If we don’t panic, we’ll weather the storm.” 

“What about the men who are already outside?” one of the women asked. Worry masked her face, contorting her features. She and Paul had been an item for some time.

“We’ll wait for them. If something’s really going down, we’ll know soon enough and so will they. They’ll book it back here in no time. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to lie down for a bit,” Jeremy said.

Scattering reluctantly, the people clustered in small groups to talk among themselves. They trusted Jeremy more than he trusted himself and the knowledge was disconcerting. As he shuffled back to his room, he hoped he was right.

Michael and Mariah remained in the library. Straining to maintain a calm demeanor for the other cell members, they spoke in hushed voices, examining their predicament. Each of the previous purges had been violent, vicious, and for a specific reason. Since the last one, the cell had been overly cautious and there had been serious dissention regarding the calls they made in the park.

Some members thought the calling needlessly incited the
NSO against them. They wanted to stay out of sight all together. Others, including Jeremy and Michael, believed the leers served a valuable purpose. They kept the rest of the Fallen at a safe distance and protected the cell’s basement home. Until now, their efforts had been successful 

In a low whisper, Mariah brought Michael current on everything Ashley had related. Michael picked a scab on his arm while he thought through what he had learned.

“The thing that’s sticking in my mind is what Ashley said about not needing the shot anymore. What do you think Lewis meant?” he asked.

“I don
’t know Michael. I haven’t been able to figure it out either, but something’s up and it doesn’t feel right.”

“Okay, so let
’s say everything Vanessa said is true and they’ve been mutating kids’ DNA to make them subservient. Assumin’ she’s right, then they’ve been cullin’ people they don’t need and replacin’ them with the mutants as they come of age. Seems to me there’s a pretty big gap between having enough workers and enough replacements. What if they’ve found a way to infect everyone with this thing?”

“Then the shot would be a vaccination to prevent some people from getting it and the infection would ensure everyone else meets the new criteria.
Oh my god! Michael, do you think that’s possible?”  

“It
’s the only thing makin’ sense right now. How’s it work, Mariah?  I mean, sayin’ it’s true, how could they do it?”

“Viruses are strange. Some are only passed through blood. Some can be passed through any bodily fluid. Some are airborne and often extremely contagious. Michael, they
’ve had years to perfect their research. It’s possible they’ve derived an airborne version of the mutating virus and the shots are the only things that prevent someone from succumbing to infection. It’s the only thing I can think of.”

“So, if you
’re right – and I hope to god you’re not – then it doesn’t matter how protected the basement is, does it?”

Mariah shook her head and her eyes glittered with unshed tears. “No, but Michael, it
’s only a guess. I have no idea if it’s true. It’s just one possibility. We have to do the best we can with what we know for certain.”

“That
’s not good enough, damn it!”

“You know, I never got along with my mom. She was always one of those super religious types quoting scripture left and right. But one thing she said has always stuck with me. She said,
’God’s got a plan and there’s nothing for us but to put one foot in front of the other.’ That’s what we’ve got to do now, Michael. It’s worked so far, hasn’t it?”

“Jesus, Mariah, you
’re starting to sound like them. That’s their bullshit. You and I both know it ain’t that easy. Somebody’s got a plan, but it ain’t God. He doesn’t give a shit!

Michael rose and was hobbling toward the kitchen when the door opened. Ben burst into the living room, red-faced and gasping for breath. “There are trucks out there!  And soldiers!  I saw them from the roof!” he cried.

Mariah rushed toward him. Michael followed as fast as he could. Together, they quieted the boy and steered him to Jeremy’s room, trying to avoid further agitation within the cell. Rousing Jeremy from his light sleep, Mariah apologized for waking him and turned on the lamp.

He rolled
over, his pasty face wet with sweat. Ben shared his story again and Michael questioned him, trying to glean more information. The boy was too excited to do more than repeat what he had already said.

“
Okay. This part’s important, Ben. I need you to think. Did the soldiers see you?”  Michael asked.

“I don
’t think so. I came down the fire escape, and that’s behind in the alley, so they couldn’t have seen me. Really. I promise.”

“What aren
’t you telling us, Ben?” Michael pressed.

“Nothing. I swear!” 

“Come on, honey. It’s okay. We just need to know. You’re not going to get into any trouble,” Mariah coaxed.

“They didn
’t see me!”

“I know, but something happened, didn
’t it?” she asked. The boy hung his head. When he looked up, his eyes shifted between the three adults.

“I tripped coming off the ladder and fell onto the dumpster. It was pretty loud. They might have heard me, but I don
’t think so. And even if they did, they wouldn’t have known where I went, right?”

“Yeah. Sure. They wouldn
’t know. You did a good job, Ben. Everyone’s going to stay inside for awhile, okay?” Jeremy said.

Ben smiled. “Can I get breakfast now?” Mariah nodded. When he was gone, Michael pounded his fist on his good leg.

“Fuck!” he hissed.

“It
’s alright, Michael. As long as they didn’t see him, we’re okay. Who’s still out?” Jeremy asked.

“Paul and Ramirez left pretty early and won
’t be back until tomorrow, at the earliest. Sarah and Jon are checking the traps. They’ll lay low until the trucks are gone. I’m sorry, Jeremy, but we have to lock the Gate,” Michael replied.

The idea of trapping cell members outside was reprehensible, but they didn
’t have a choice. They couldn’t risk anyone discovering the basement. In addition, if his suspicions were correct, it wouldn’t matter where anyone was in the end. Locking the Gate would only buy them time.

Mariah nudged him, her eyes begging him to keep quiet about their hypothesis. He gave her a reassuring nod. Worrying Jeremy about a new, airborne virus wouldn
’t do any good. Right now, he needed to focus on getting well. Michael patted his arm.

“Get some rest, man. We
’ll let you know if anything changes.”

“I
’m trying,” Jeremy smiled weakly.

“Sorry
, Bro. We won’t wake you again. Get some sleep.” Michael turned to follow Mariah and Ben to the kitchen where breakfast preparations were underway. The cell would go on rations soon, but for now it needed to tend its frazzled nerves.

After eating, Michael
invited Vanessa to join him in the library. He wanted to question her more about the genetic modification, but refrained. Instead, he pointed to a boxed chess set on a low table and asked if she wanted to play. Focusing on a game would relieve his gnawing worry.

“One foot in front of the other, my ass,” he mumbled as he arranged his pawns.

“What did you say, Michael?”

“Nothin
’, girl. I didn’t say nothin’.”

When they first smelled smoke, they thought something was burning in the kitchen, but a quick glance in that direction revealed their misconception.
They abandoned the game and moved to the center of the living room, searching for a cause. Looking up, Michael clutched Vanessa’s hand. Curls of gray smoke filtered through the ceiling ducts, darkening the air above their heads. A woman screamed, “The building’s on fire!” and the cell panicked, scattering in search of children and precious objects. Jeremy appeared beside them, fully dressed.

“Michael, Vanessa, block the door. Don
’t let anyone out until I say. I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?” Michael asked.

“To get the key. I’ll be fast,” he responded over his shoulder. Vanessa sprinted to the door. Michael took a place beside her. Together, they organized the cell. By the time Jeremy returned, the frightened group was coughing and hacking. He counted bodies to ensure everyone was present and opened the door.

In the tunnel, Jeremy turned right and proceeded deeper into the smoky depths. Descending in a huddled mass, they followed him, holding onto each other through the darkness. Finally, Jeremy unlocked a door and opened it, revealing a small alcove lit by a dim, red light. “Everybody in,” he said, gesturing at another tunnel that gaped like an open mouth in the rear wall. As they shuffled past him, Jeremy pulled Michael aside.

“I forgot the seeds. We can’t leave them behind. They’re all we’ll have if this place ….”  Jeremy’s voice trailed off and Michael squeezed his shoulder. The basement had given them their one, real shot at building a life. Its loss would be devastating.

“I know, Bro.”

“Michael, who wrote that poem? The one about the world in a grain of sand?”

Michael shook his head and smiled. “Crazy as always. What got you thinkin
’ about that all of a sudden?”

“Don
’t know. Been meaning to ask is all. Now seems as good a time as any.”

“Yeah. Ain
’t no time like the present, huh?”  Michael’s eyes lingered on the sharp planes of Jeremy’s face before they trailed to the floor. “William Blake, man. The great William Blake wrote that poem.”

Jeremy fought a shiver and nodded, memorizing the name. “Michael, I want you to go ahead without me. Keep them together and keep them moving. Don
’t wait for me. There are a couple of lanterns on a shelf just inside the opening. Take one, but leave the other. I don’t want to be chasing after you in the dark.”

“What about the druggie?”