Chapter 11
The rest of the week went much the same way. Arie would pick Wendy up in the morning, they would go through a variety of practice drills and skill learning until the final day of the week. This was supposed to be the big exercise. Wendy wasn't quite sure what to expect. Arie arrived, and the two girls once again made their way to the top floor of the complex.
It felt good to go up the stairs. Wendy's legs were stronger, and she didn't get winded as quickly. A crowd was gathered around Jeff, who stood in the entry room on a crate.
His brown eyes spotted Wendy and Arie. “Are you two the last?”
Arie jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “Not quite.”
Kev joined the girls while Cal stepped in on their other side. Like an honor guard. Or a trap.
“You trying something new?” Kev asked Arie.
“What are you talking about?”
Cal looked at Wendy. “Arie is the fashionably late one of the group. You're a good influence.”
“Just because I'm not here early like everyone else doesn't mean I'm late,” Arie said.
The two boys looked over the girls' heads at one another. The knowing glance that passed between them reminded Wendy so much of something Kenzie would do, she almost laughed out loud. It was hard to remember she had to infiltrate this place—use these people—when Kev and Cal were so funny. And real. She wasn't sure they could lie.
Wendy mentally shook her head. Anyone could lie.
The last of the trainees made it up the stairs.
Wendy looked around. “Where's Matt?”
“He got called out on a mission,” Arie said. “His first real medical assignment.”
“I thought he was training with us,” Wendy said. She missed seeing Matt's smiling face.
“I heard Doc make the call.” Arie turned her attention to Jeff.
“Today is all about speed and coordination,” he said.
A few people groaned.
Jeff's face held an expression Wendy had never seen before on him. Excitement. Like a little kid with a toy.
“Why is Jeff so happy?” Wendy whispered to Arie.
She leaned closer. “He loves this stuff. It's his favorite part of training.”
“What's your favorite part?” Wendy liked hand to hand the best.
Arie grinned. “Long outside exercises.”
Jeff's voice cut them off. “Each team will get a starting point, a destination, rooms you must go into and a rendezvous where you will need to meet other teams and exchange flags. I have papers for each team. Instructions are on the paper. Some of the maps are a little old, so use caution, be ready to think on your feet.” He looked around at the teams. “There’s no fighting on this one, so no injuries, please. You're all working together, but you can't talk until you reach the rendezvous.”
“What's the goal?” Dennis, who stood on the far side of the group asked.
“To accomplish the objectives in the time allotted.”
“Are there traps?” The other team lead, Sven, said.
Jeff raised his eyebrows. “You have to ask?”
More groans.
Jeff grinned and started handing out papers. Cal reached right over Wendy's head to grab theirs.
“You have five minutes to come up with a plan,” Jeff said. “No talking to another team.”
Arie grabbed Wendy by the shoulders and steered her toward one corner of the room. Kev and Cal followed with their heads together, looking at the map.
“I think we can get through there,” Cal said.
“You know Jeff blocked that off. Besides, we have to go into that room. There's a red flag in there.”
“Yeah, but there's this vent he doesn't know about.”
“Can you still fit through there?” Kev asked.
“I didn't eat that much for lunch.”
Arie stopped and motioned them all down. Cal put the map on the floor.
Wendy studied the crisp piece of paper and wondered how Jeff had found a way to make an actual copy. The lines were far too clean to be anything else. Except for the thick, red line that meandered through the rooms. “What do the different colored flags mean?”
“Each color is worth points. Some more than others,” Arie said. “If the group gets 25 points collectively, then we don't get extra chores.”
“I hate chores,” Kev said.
“Looks like we start in this room and end up in this room,” Arie said. She glanced at the two boys. “It looks too easy. What will be blocked?”
Cal pointed to a set of three rooms. “There is a blockade here for sure. Maybe here. There's a little vent that will let us go through here. We'll miss this room all together, but it will save us a lot of time.”
“Does Jeff know about the vent?”
“Don't know,” Kev said. “That guy always knows more than I give him credit for.”
“But we're the experts up here,” Cal said.
Arie pointed. “We meet Dennis or Sven here, we can't afford to miss that.”
“That's why we take the short cut,” Cal said.
Wendy spoke up. “Do we have to stick to the exact route?”
“The point is to get the flags and meet the other team. Plus, we all have to get out alive.” Arie said. She traced a path with her finger. “Pretty much Jeff wants everything.”
The boys nodded.
Arie glanced around the little circle. “Cal, you're on point. Kev, bring up the rear. I'll go second with Wendy behind me.”
“What do I do?” Wendy asked.
“Just follow along. This is fun. There are trip wires, booby traps and anything else Yan and Jeff can think up.” A crooked smile lit up Arie's face. “Having fewer people to set off traps is going to help us out in here. Plus, Cal and Kev really do know this place better than anyone else.”
“One minute,” Jeff said over the din.
The group moved to their assigned door. Black grime covered the tiles at their feet. It looked as if a puddle was oozing from the next room into this one. Cal poked at it with his toe, and when it moved, he made a face and pulled his boot back.
“Don't look too close,” Kev said to Wendy. “This place is pretty old, and no one has lived here for a long time. There are some skeletons and stuff. I hope you're not squeamish.”
“Ten seconds,” Jeff said.
Wendy turned to look at Jeff. Their eyes met. Excitement still filled his expression, and he smiled at her before he spoke.
“Ready, go!”
Kev grabbed the tarnished silver door handle and turned. The wood and steel gave way with a screech that had Wendy’s hair standing on end. Kev pushed the door open, and Cal went through. Arie followed Cal. Wendy gave it two seconds and joined the train.
A large counter ran the length of the first room. Beyond that were walls that didn't go to the ceiling. Some leaned like a tower of falling cards. Broken picture frames hung on the walls, and a low table sat to Wendy's right. A rusted, free-standing coat tree stood in one corner near a couple of piles of junk that may have been chairs. The black goo covered a good portion of the floor. Wendy stayed away from it, afraid it might ruin the traction on her shoes. Or that she might lose her shoes altogether.
Dust coated all but a two foot wide swath in the middle of the counter. Cal ran, jumped and slid over the surface, landing smartly on the far side. That would explain the clean spot. Arie moved to the end and went around. Wendy went with Arie. Kev followed Cal, landing with a satisfied grunt.
Cal made his way through the leaning partitions. A green flag dangled from a broken picture frame, and Cal snatched it as he went by.
No one spoke. Instead of feeling jovial like the rest of them, Wendy’s palms started to sweat. Her fingers itched for a weapon.
Beyond the cubicle walls, they found a small space filled with three desks and more bits of office furniture. A rat skittered across the floor. Arie jumped.
“Easy, just my buddy Rob,” Kev said from behind Wendy.
“Shut up,??
? Arie said.
A closed door—this one draped in dark, peeling paint—stood beyond the desks.
“Anyone see more flags?” Kev asked.
Wendy glanced around and shook her head.
Cal got to the door and stopped.
“What is it?” Arie asked.
“There,” Cal said, pointing to a small, clear wire. It ran up the edge and disappeared through the top of the door.
“Nice,” Kev said.
Cal got closer to examine it. His eyes followed the wire up the side of the door and through the hole at the top. “It’s all on the other side. We’re going to have to set it off.”
“And hope I don’t get buried in black sludge like last time?” Kev asked.
“Pretty much,” Cal said.
“Everyone but Kev back,” Arie said.
Cal complied. Kev made a face. “Oh boy.”
“What is it?” Wendy asked.
Cal glanced at Kev. “Wonder boy over here isn’t the best at spotting them, but he's great at setting them off. Most of the time he's quick enough to get away with only a little paint on him, but sometimes he sets them off in a truly spectacular fashion.”
“I hate you guys,” Kev said.
“Know anything about traps?” Arie asked Wendy.
Wendy shook her head. “So they expect us to just go through and get hit with whatever is behind the door?
“Well, we're supposed to avoid them. If you get more than 30% of your body covered in paint then you're out.” Cal said. “Setting them off is easier than going around, and faster.”
“Grab that coat hanger in the other room and use it to pull the door.” Wendy waved her hand back the way they had come. “That way no one gets slimed or whatever. It shouldn't take long.”
“Good idea,” Kev said, and turned to retrieve the coat hanger.
“You're ruining my fun,” Cal said.
“Step back,” Kev said when he pushed the foot of the coat hanger toward the knob. Cal guided it in, and at the exact moment he stepped back, Kev pulled.
A splash of bright, purple paint spilled from above, engulfing the entire doorway. Kev grinned at Wendy when only got a little on his shoes. “The shrimp is good.”
Arie rolled her eyes. “Keep moving.”
The next two rooms held rusting desks and broken chairs. A few filing cabinets—something Wendy had only seen in pictures—sat in the corner of the second room, their drawers sagging open and empty. A few desks still harbored dust covered personal items that lent a hint of color to the drab brown and white atmosphere.
Wendy’s eyes swept each new room in turn, taking in everything and searching for flags.
“Right there,” Wendy said, pointing under a chair.
“Go get it,” Kev said, giving her a shove.
Wendy did so, careful to look for wires and even more careful not to disturb anything. The green cloth felt gritty in her fingers.
“Here,” Kev said. He held out his hand. “I’ll put it with the others.”
They found three more booby traps, Cal having spotted all but one.
Kev examined the dingy sign next to a door. “This way.”
“Whoa,” Cal said. His hand shot out to stop Kev from touching the handle. “That says 110, not 101.”
“Oh, right,” Kev said. “Sorry.”
“Two more rooms,” Cal said, “then the shortcut.”
“Keep your eyes open,” Arie said. “You know how—”
The lights—dim anyway—went out.
“Oh hell,” Kev said.
“Why?” Cal said, sounding sincerely upset.
“Because you hate it,” Kev said.
Wendy’s already sweating palms curled into fists. Her body froze.
“Who has the light?” Arie asked.
The space around Wendy got darker, and the same roar that had sounded in the combat rooms filled her ears.
“I got it,” Cal said. A second later, a weak light clicked on.
The shadow from one of the chairs slid across the floor, and Wendy jumped back, hands up and on guard.
“Whoa, easy,” Cal said. “Just the chair. Nothing is going to attack us.”
Wendy forced her hands down, and her voice to be calm. “Right, sorry.” It didn’t stop the tight ball of fear in her chest.
Jeff’s voice from the combat room came into her mind. “Inhale.”
Wendy did, ignoring the stale, stagnant taste of the air. Then she exhaled. She rubbed her thumb on her index finger in a circle and forced herself to focus on the motion. Her heart rate went down to a manageable level, and the roaring in her ears diminished.
“Hey,” Kev said as he gave her a little shove from behind. “You going to stand there all day or what?”
The others had gone through the door into the next room. Wendy didn’t answer. Glass crunched beneath her feet and the air around her felt thick, but she put one foot in front of the other just like she’d been doing a minute before.
It worked.
Cal found two more booby traps while the rest of them spotted three more flags—including the white one they were supposed to trade. Wendy continued to focus on breathing and the feel of her thumb on her finger.
She could do this. She would not break down. She would not attack anyone. She would walk forward like nothing was wrong. Because nothing was wrong.
If only her mind would believe it.
“Here we go,” Kev said as Wendy entered the last room before the shortcut. A barricade of desks and chairs stood before the door they were supposed to go through.
“Told you,” Kev said. “Blocked.”
Cal went to a filing cabinet that looked as if it hadn’t been moved in years. Kev joined him, and together they lifted it straight up. A hook on the wall, which should have been used to hang a picture, held the weight of the cabinet as Kev and Cal hung it.
Curiosity overrode Wendy’s anxiety, and she squatted down with the others to look underneath.
A hole just big enough for Kev’s shoulders to get through had been punched through the wall.
“Our shortcut,” Kev said.
“You sure you can get through there?” Arie asked.
“Yeah, I just did it last week.”
“Why?” Arie asked.
“To get to the farms. You help up there for a few hours and they’ll let you pick stuff off the vines.” Cal’s eyes went glossy. “It’s delicious.”
“You two and food,” Arie said. “Let’s go. Kev better go first in case he gets stuck.”
Kev screwed up his face. “What are you going to do, push me out?” He put a finger to his lips. “Oh, I get it; you want to touch my bum.”
Arie gave him a flat stare. “Why don’t we have Wendy go first? She’s small and fast. She can tell us if there are any traps.” She looked at Wendy and raised her eyebrows.
The more Wendy studied the hole, the smaller it got. And was Cal’s flashlight was getting dimmer?
She mustered her courage. “Okay. Is that the only light?”
Cal nodded. “I’ll go second and shine it for you.”
“How long is this vent?”
“About twenty feet,” Kev said. “It’s a straight shot, so don’t take any turns.”
Wendy squatted down in front of the hole. Cal's arm reached around her as he shone the light into the vent.
The illumination didn't reach to the other end.
The light glinted off the clean metal. Wendy had expected dust and grime, but most of it had been wiped away. Probably by Kev and Cal. Wendy steeled herself, ordered her mind to behave, and started forward.
A chill ran up Wendy's arm as she slid her fingers beyond the threshold of the hole. She gritted her teeth and moved her other arm in. Then her head. Her body didn’t take up half of the space, so light got around her, but instead of brightening the way, it brought the vent to life. The dust turned into stone and the shiny bits transformed into cutting swords aimed for her head.
Wendy
told herself it wasn’t real and kept going. If she got to the end, then she could get out. Simple.
She just had to get to the end.
Silver flashed, darkness leered in toward her. Wendy kept crawling, fighting back the urge to growl. Once again, her fingers itched for a weapon. Her right hand even reached down to grasp a knife she didn’t have.
But it was there. The tunnels, the emaciated people, the crude weapons. They were all in her mind, ready and willing to act out a scene in her head as if she were watching a play.
Kev may as well have been sitting on her chest for all the good her lungs were doing. The cool air became hot, and sweat started trickling down her neck.
“Are you almost out?” Cal’s voice somehow broke through Wendy’s delusion.
Wendy squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. She'd just passed an opening on her right. She wasn't in the tunnels.
“Wendy?”
She opened her eyes. “I—” The light reflected off a tiny strand of thread. Wendy stopped cold.
“What is it?” Cal asked.
“Shine the light down my right side,” Wendy said in a raspy voice.
Cal swore. “Did you trigger it?”
Wendy swiveled her eyes to follow the thread. “I’m on it.”