Stitch (19 page)

Isaac groaned as the rush of memories subsided.  He reached out to Alessa, who was kneeling beside him, and croaked a weary, “I remember.”

Alessa flung herself over his chest, breathing a sob of joy as she circled her arms tightly around him.  “Oh, Isaac.”  After a long embrace, she sat up and cupped his face gently in her hands.  With a bright smile, Alessa stared deeply into Isaac’s eyes, her words infused with relief.  “You’re back.”

33. Betrayal

Despite Isaac’s irresistible sapphire eyes, Alessa was having trouble training her vision on his face.  Still woozy from whatever the producers had used to knock her out for transport to Isaac’s set, she was struggling to focus her mind on anything at all.  It was a miracle she’d even made it this far.

But now Isaac –
her
Isaac – was finally back. 

Alessa’s body buzzed as she leaned in, hastening the moment when their lips would finally meet after so many months apart.  They pressed together, their kiss releasing a dizzy burning that radiated throughout Alessa’s being, taking her breath away.

For the first time in over a year, Alessa felt whole once again.  She clutched the wall behind her for support as lightheadedness descended over her, born from the intensity of the turmoil Isaac’s touch had induced.  She ran her fingers roughly through his thick hair and concentrated on pouring every ounce of her longing into the kiss.

As they broke apart from their embrace, Alessa struggled to steady herself.  She could see from Isaac’s dazed expression that the kiss had shaken him as well.  He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall, a contented smile on his face.

Alessa gathered up the map from the floor and caught her breath as she allowed Isaac to rest for a few more moments. Having just regained his memories, Alessa knew from experience that it would be some time before Isaac could really process everything he’d been through.  In the meantime, she would have to take responsibility for leading them to safety.

As the sound of the guards’ voices drew nearer, she was forced to interrupt his repose.  Shaking Isaac’s shoulder gently, she whispered an urgent plea.  “Isaac.  I know you’re exhausted, but we have to get going.  They’re getting closer.”

Isaac moaned and nodded, rubbing his temples with his fingertips.  Alessa crawled to a second ventilation shaft on the floor opposite the one they’d entered through and dug her nails under the edge to pop it from the wall.  With a quick glance behind her to make sure that Isaac was following, she slid on her stomach into the narrow chute.

Shimmying on her belly, Alessa felt her way in the darkness through the path that the map had laid out.  She and Isaac moved as quietly as they could, keeping their hushed discussion to a minimum.  Finally they arrived at a vent that opened onto a large room.  It was marked on the map as the most direct route for crossing into another series of tunnels which would lead to the sewer.

Alessa carefully peered through the grate to check that the room was clear.  It was fairly well lit, and all Alessa could see from her position at the base of the wall were some empty desks and chairs a few yards away.  For a moment she thought she’d seen a quick movement – a shadow maybe – but when nothing else stirred after two minutes of waiting, she decided she must have imagined it.

Using her elbow, she swung through the cramped space into the grate.  It popped out of the wall and clattered across the tile floor.  Alessa paused, listening for any signs that the disturbance had been heard, but there were none.  She reached through the hole and started drawing herself out into the room.

It was only when she was halfway through the opening that she realized her mistake.

Alessa heard a soft click to her left and her heart dropped to her stomach.  She wasn’t alone.  Slowly looking over her shoulder, Alessa was horrified to find four guards in heavy black armor with guns pointed in her direction.

The nearest one snarled a quiet, “Freeze.”

Adrenaline surging through her body, Alessa knew her only chance was escape.  “Isaac, run!” she screamed, simultaneously shoving herself back into the shaft.

But the guards were too quick.  The nearest one swiftly reached into the shaft and snatched up the end of the long ponytail that trailed behind her.  He pulled hard to drag her out of the tunnel.

Alessa flipped onto her back and clutched for the knife hidden at her waist, withdrawing it from its sheath and jabbing at the guard’s wrist.  The blade glanced off his armor uselessly.  She aimed again for his hand, but the sharp blade was unable to penetrate his tightly-woven protective glove.

Alessa fought the urge to panic as she felt her body inching out of the chute.  Isaac had grabbed on to her ankles, but in his shaken state, he was unable to do much more than slow the guard’s progress.  Alessa could feel her skin starting to lift away from her skull, strands of hair ripping from her scalp and dropping to the floor beside her as the guard tugged with all his might.  Then suddenly, she knew what to do.

Alessa positioned her knife at the base of her scalp, swinging skyward as the razor-sharp blade sheared through her hair in one swift motion.  And just like that, she was free.

As she slid back into the shaft, she saw the guard stagger backward, knocking into the three behind him as they all lost their footing like toppling dominos.

“Go, go, go!” she shouted to Isaac as they retreated into the depths of the tunnel.

Once they were safely away from the opening and hidden beyond an erratic set of turns in the dark chute, Isaac gasped for air as he looked to Alessa for a report.  “What
happened
back there?”

Alessa tried to catch her breath as she replied.  “They… were waiting for us.  I don’t know… it was like… they
knew
.”

All of a sudden it dawned on Alessa.  They
did
know, and there was only one way they could have.  Someone had leaked their escape route to the producers; there was a traitor within the rebels.  “No…” she whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

Alessa felt sick as she considered what her realization meant.  First of all, she and Isaac obviously could no longer follow their planned route to the exit, that much was for sure.  But that problem wasn’t insurmountable – assuming that their map was accurate, they should be able to find another path.

More concerning was the fact that Janie was in the middle of executing her own escape, and Alessa had planned to meet up with her at the exit to the sewer.  If the guards knew where Alessa was headed, would they set up an ambush there as well?  Alessa shuddered.  There was no way to send a warning to her sister.

Isaac sensed her trepidation.  “What is it, Alessa?”

“There’s a traitor…  Someone told the producers where to expect us.  And now Janie…” she couldn’t bring herself to say it.  She closed her eyes and shook her head.

Isaac’s eyes grew wide and his breathing quickened.  He whispered urgently.  “Alessa,
what
?”

Alessa opened her eyes and stared ahead blankly, a numb look on her face.  “She was supposed to meet us at the exit.”

Isaac grasped the implications immediately.  “Oh, no.  She’s going to walk right into their trap.”

Alessa broke down as she nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

After all this, all they had survived together – the war, the outbreak, life in Paragon, the drama – she was finally going to lose her sister.  Alessa couldn’t move, couldn’t think.  Anything she did would be futile.  She was powerless.

The hope drained from Alessa, left her empty and hollow.  She would lose them all, one by one, everyone she cared about.  It was only a matter of time before they got Isaac, too.  And then what would she have left?  What would be the point of any of it?  Why should she even bother?

Alessa was no hero, she knew that now.  It had been fun, for a time, to put on the rebel’s shoes, to play at subterfuge and revolt, to feel for a moment that she could make a difference.  But when it came down to it, she was only just a girl.  How could she ever have thought that she could change things?

Isaac clutched Alessa’s hand.  “Alessa.  Alessa, look at me.”

Alessa sighed heavily, her head slumping towards her chest, her entire body collapsing inward.  There was nothing to do now but wait, wait to be caught and put back on another show in another place.  This time, she would stay there.  Anything was better than here.  Maybe they might even kill her, just end it all.

“Alessa!” Isaac shook her violently.

Begrudgingly, Alessa peeked up at him.

In a hushed voice, Isaac continued.  “Less, come on, don’t give up on me yet.  Maybe we can beat them to the exit, get a warning to Janie.”

Alessa only sighed in response.  Now was no time for false hope – it was time to face the truth.

But Isaac was persistent.  “Come, we have to keep moving.  Where’s the map?”

Without lifting her eyes from the ground, Alessa listlessly withdrew the map from her pocket and held it in Isaac’s direction.  She couldn’t even bear to look at it, couldn’t muster the will to hand it to him.  Her sister was all but lost, and they would be next.

As Isaac pored over the page, Alessa distractedly ran her hand through her newly cropped hair.  It fell to her chin in soft layers that framed her face, the strands at the nape of her neck – only an inch long at most – ending abruptly in her fingers. 

Isaac looked up from the map and noticed Alessa nervously toying with the ends of her hair.  He ran his fingers through a lock and let it fall back into place, smiling.  “I love your hair like this.  Do you remember the last time you cut it?”

Alessa thought about how she had felt the last time her hair was this short, a few months after Joe had died when she began working for the rebels in earnest.

At the time, she had told herself it was for convenience – with her late night missions and the constant stress of staying undercover, the last thing she had time to pay attention to was her appearance.  But the moment she’d made the first cut, Alessa had realized that it was much more.

She’d been at the precipice of a new stage in her life, and she’d realized in that moment that her new style was symbolic of her transition.  The frightened long-haired girl who had stepped through Paragon’s gates clutching her little sister – and the world that girl had come from – was no more.  Alessa had decided that she was done being afraid.  With each strand that had fallen to the floor around her, Alessa’s resolve had been strengthened.  She wasn’t going to be a victim anymore.  She was going to fight.

And as Alessa remembered that feeling, her tears subsided and her heart filled with rage.  Paragon could take everyone she loved – Joe, Janie, even Isaac – but she would
never
back down.  As long as she had an ounce of life left in her, she would fight them every step of the way.

And Janie wasn’t gone yet.  Isaac was right – they needed to find a way to beat the guards there and warn her.

Fortified, her voice rang with tenacity.  “Do you have a plan?”

Isaac beamed.  He nodded, turning the paper in her direction.  “Look – if we go back out and follow the first tunnel, it should lead to a maintenance room that has sewer access.  There’s another drain opening not far from where we were supposed to meet Janie.  If we hurry, we might be able to make it there in time.  But first –” a mischievous grin crept onto his face “– let’s slow them down a bit.”

34. Diversion

Isaac led the way through the shaft back to the utility tunnel they had first entered through.  Carefully, he and Alessa worked their way through the long, narrow hall, listening closely for any sign that they’d been followed.  Alessa was not about to walk into another ambush.

After a few tense minutes, Isaac looked up from the map.  “If I’m reading this correctly, there should be a maintenance closet up ahead with sewer access.”  He pointed toward a door 10 yards away where the tunnel ended.  “That’s our path to the outside.  But before we go, I want to create a diversion to distract the guards while we make our way to Janie.”

Alessa nodded.  She wasn’t sure if Janie would even make it that far – after all, they may try to intercept her along her route as well – but she pushed the thought aside.  If Janie could make it out, Alessa would be there to receive her.

Isaac reached up and ran his fingers along a set of gray pipes that ran against the ceiling.  He knocked against the pipes a bit, testing for something.

“Some of these are carrying water and some are carrying gas, but I’m not exactly sure how to tell which is which… Do you have that knife still?”

“Here.”  Alessa drew the knife from her jeans and pointed the handle towards Isaac.

Isaac grasped the knife and looked up at the pipes once more.  “Well, one way to find out.”

With a swift swing of his arm, Isaac jabbed the tip of the knife into one of the pipes.  Alessa could hear a quiet hiss coming from the hole, and a moment later she smelled the distinct aroma of gas.

“Got it,” Isaac said.  “Okay, let’s move.”

Alessa followed Isaac towards the closet, but she still wasn’t entirely sure what he was planning.  “Isaac, wait.  What’s the plan here?”

Opening the maintenance room door, Isaac headed straight for the manhole cover in the middle of the concrete floor.  Grunting as he shifted the heavy round plate to the side, he explained, “I’m going to blow up the shaft.”

“What?!”  Alessa fired off questions.  “How?  Won’t that kill us?  What about Janie? She could still be inside!”

Withdrawing his head from the sewer hole, he replied, “These are 12-inch concrete floors, and we’re going to be on the other side of them when the explosion happens.”

“And what about everyone else, the other actors on your set and Janie?”

“If these gas lines were built correctly, there should be safety mechanisms that will keep the explosion relatively isolated, and we’re far enough away from the set now that nothing but smoke should reach the house.  As for Janie, we can only assume that she’s still headed toward the original sewer drain, so this area of the tunnel shouldn’t be in her path.”

Alessa was still a little wary, but without any better options, she decided to go along.  Even a small explosion would still cause quite a mess for the guards to deal with.  Hopefully the diversion would buy enough time for Janie to make it to the meeting point unscathed.  “Okay, and how are you planning to ignite the blast?”

“Simple – all we need is a spark.”

Isaac propped the door to the maintenance closet open, giving him a direct line of sight to the pierced pipe.  The scent of gas was overwhelming now.

He directed Alessa to descend through the manhole to the safety of the sewer below.  She climbed down the ladder and scurried a few yards deeper into the tunnel away from the manhole, bracing herself under one of the overhead supports.

Isaac mounted the ladder and took a few steps down until he was mostly through the hole.  Holding the knife gently in his hand, he took aim and whipped the knife toward the section of the wall directly below the open gas pipe.

The end of the handle glanced off the wall and the knife skittered across the floor.  Isaac cursed.

Dipping his head into the sewer, he took a deep breath and scrambled up the ladder.  A moment later he returned, gasping through the manhole, knife in hand once more.

This time his aim was true.  With a skillful flick of the wrist, Isaac’s blade hit its mark, glinting off the wall’s metal grating in a shower of sparks.  The gas ignited in a tidal wave of flame.

Isaac dropped through the hole and hit the floor hard, covering his head with his arms as debris and smoke raced behind him.  Alessa grasped the sewer wall for support as the fiery gas raced through the pipes with a loud boom that shook everything around them.

“Isaac!” she called.  “Are you okay?”  The sewer was quickly filling with a thick black smoke – she could only barely make out his form.

Isaac coughed and stretched in the direction of her voice.  “Alessa?  Yeah, I’m all right.”

He coughed more and began crawling towards her.  Alessa dropped to her knees where the visibility was better and scrambled over to meet him.  She knew he was drained to begin with after the shock of regaining his memory, and she was worried that he might be injured now on top of it.

Reaching him, Alessa was relieved to see that he had suffered no worse than bumps and scratches from the falling debris.  He sat up and slumped against the wall.

“I just need a minute, Less.  To catch my breath.”

Alessa kneeled next to him, waiting.  But every moment they delayed, the tunnel got darker, and the air more difficult to breathe.  Finally, she took his hand.

“Isaac, we’ve got to go.”

He nodded and followed her to his feet, but as he put pressure on his right ankle, he let out a small yelp.

“Are you hurt?” Alessa demanded, concerned.

Isaac gingerly put more weight onto the affected foot.  He grimaced.  “I think it’s just a sprain.  Let’s keep moving.”

Limping, he trailed behind Alessa as she made her way through the sewer, ducking to stay below the thick smoke that had filled the upper part of the tunnel.  Luckily, there was enough light from the opening up ahead that they managed to avoid the stream of fetid muck that trickled down the center of the tube.

Hand in hand, Isaac and Alessa made their way towards the outside, praying they had given Janie the opportunity she needed to escape.