Under Ground (25 page)

James drives for another thirty
minutes, heading south through an area called Old Bronx. Everyone
remains silent for the duration of the trip. Chi's palm is warm
against mine. He winces every so often, but doesn't complain
once.

When we reach our destination and
step out of the truck, the night covers us with a shroud that will
hide our whereabouts. I hold on to Chi while Taylor and Akio take
out the first canoe. Kayla and Chase grab the other one and conceal
it behind a bush. Chase and Akio will hide the truck. Chase knows
the area well. This was his home, where he used to live before he
joined the Underground. He said some structures around here are
multi-level garages. That's where they'll park the truck. Then
they'll come back to the river on foot, and they'll canoe their way
through the water, all the way to Old Manhattan.

James inflates the raft, and
Taylor joins Kayla as she steps in the canoe. He pushes it in the
river and settles behind her. I bring Chi to the raft. James steps
in first, then Chi. When he sits down, his face contorts under the
pain. I go next. Chase and Akio push us down the river as I wave to
them. Akio waves back and turns around to leave.

James and I start rowing. We
follow Taylor and Kayla as closely as we can, but we are slow
compared to them. We can hardly make out anything in the dark. We
can only tell where Taylor is from his faint flashlight. We row
across the river until we see a building in the distance. Slowly,
more and more of them appear, barely visible in the moonlight, a
ghostly vision of a time long gone—the rest of New York City,
submerged in water.

We head toward one particular
place, a skyscraper shaped like bundled cylinders. It’s hard to see
the differences among the structures, but this one stands out
because it's the only building illuminated from the inside. Despite
the flood, the building is still standing tall above the water, and
its peculiar shape makes it impossible to miss. Jenna was the one
supposed to light candles in one specific part of the building to
help us locate the place.

When we arrive, she's standing on
a balcony, greeting us by waving her arms high up in the air. She's
a small girl, with short pixie hair. Taylor's canoe has already
reached the building. He throws a rope to Jenna, who takes it and
ties it to the rail. Because the balcony is slightly above the
water, we’ll have to climb over the ledge. I glance at Chi.
How
is he going to manage this feat?
If he's concerned about it,
he's not showing his feelings.

Taylor and Kayla climb in first,
one after the other. They pull their canoe out of the water and
drag it inside. Taylor has warned us about patrols already. We
can’t leave anything out that may raise suspicion or reveal our
location. Tonight is the only night we are allowed to use candles
and flashlights for convenience. After that, we won’t be allowed to
have any lights on after dark.

James and I row our raft closer to
the building. James stands up first and throws the rope to Taylor.
Then he climbs over the ledge of the balcony, turns toward Chi, and
holds out his hands for Chi to take. He bends over the railing and
helps Chi, who pushes himself up by holding on to the bar. Wincing
through the whole process, Chi passes one leg over the ledge and
then his other foot. When he's done, James helps him steady
himself, and Chi turns around to look at me, his face impassive,
expressionless. I climb the railing next. When we’re all standing
on the balcony, James and I pull the raft out of the water to
deflate it.

Taylor, Kayla, and Jenna have
already entered the building through a French door. When Taylor
tells us to join them inside, I follow Chi in, and we find
ourselves in a bedroom completely furnished. When the surge hit,
many people were forced out of New York City in a hurry. That’s why
Taylor chose this place; it’s secure, hidden, and nicely arranged.
The building hasn’t had electricity for a long time, but we should
do fine with flashlights.

Everyone turns around toward Chi,
expecting him to talk about what happened to him at the police
station. I’m glad when Taylor interrupts the invasive
gazing.

“I think Chi needs to clean up and
rest. Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, you can give us all the
details. I know you enough to trust you didn’t tell them much they
can use. I’m not worried. Just go rest.”

He taps Chi on the back and tells
Jenna to show us to our apartment. Taylor will be staying in the
condo down the hall so he can keep an eye out on the other side of
the building. Chase and Akio will be sleeping in the one across the
hall from us. James is staying with Jenna right next door to us.
Everyone seems ready for bed. Only Taylor will stay up until Chase
and Akio make it back here. We wish everyone a good night, and
Jenna walks us to the place Taylor has assigned for us.

Chapter 29

Chi and I step
into the entrance,
and Jenna gives us a tour of the
apartment, starting with the kitchen to the right of the foyer and
the bathroom to its left. She walks us to the living room facing us
down the tiny hall. Though this building was abandoned a long time
ago, the luxury of the place hasn't completely faded away. It’s
beautiful, with a bay window opening on to the sky above and the
river below. Jenna opens the bedroom door to the left side of the
living room. Taylor explained to us that certain condos here
contain up to four bedrooms, but ours is a one-bedroom apartment.
That’s a lot more than I was hoping for. Jenna has made the effort
to clean the place up, too. Her gesture touches me.

I turn to her before she gets to
leave. "Thank you for everything you've done."

“Don’t mention it; that’s my job,”
she says. “I’ll see you tomorrow for breakfast. I stacked all the
food in the first apartment you saw. Wait till you see the dining
area there; it’s huge. We’ll have breakfast together. You guys can
use the shower. If I were you, I'd enjoy it while you can. Once the
refugees from Camp 19 are here, Taylor's going to limit our
consumption."

I nod.

"Okay, well, see you guys later,”
she says.

I wish her goodnight and help Chi
into the bedroom. He sits on the edge of the bed, and I can finally
give him my full attention. I crouch in front of him and examine
his face. Blood has dried on his forehead. It’s probably hiding
some nasty bruises underneath. One of his eyelids is black and blue
from the strikes. I cup his right cheek with my hand and caress it
softly with my thumb. He flinches and I pull back.

"I'm sorry."

He shakes his head. "It's
okay."

I look him in the eyes. The
seriousness of his face is unsettling. I miss the impish grins on
his lips, the playful smiles telling me that he’s truly
fine.

“Chi, I’m sorry. I—”

He stops me, shushing me with his
fingertip. I lean forward to kiss him, but he turns his face
away.

"It might be best not to kiss me
right now." He sends me a glance. "I threw up earlier, remember.
That's not really the kind of reunion kiss I wanna give
you."

"Chi?"

"Yeah."

"I am so sorry...for doubting you
before." I want to bring him comfort and tell him I'm never leaving
his side again. I am here for him now, no matter what.

“You came for me; that’s all that
matters, Thia." His eyes hold mine in place. "Words don’t mean
anything; only actions matter. You came back for me.” He smiles at
last—a grin so small and mirthless it never reaches his sad
eyes.

“We should wash the blood off of
you and clean those wounds."

“Yeah, I guess we should,” Chi
replies with a deep sigh.

He stares at the door with a look
of determination, as though making his way there would be a small
victory. I support him and help him stand up. His right leg gives
in and he falls back on the bed. He growls as anger covers his
face. I’m sure he’d rather do this on his own without my witnessing
it all, but he doesn't have a choice. He can hardly stand on his
feet; he won't make it to the door without me.

No matter how strong Chi is, he is
only human after all—a fact that he doesn't seem so willing to
accept. I love him for his weaknesses as much as his strengths, but
I don’t speak my thoughts. I simply put my arms under him again.
This really frustrates him—having to lean on me, the girl he wants
to protect. The reversal of our situation does not please him one
bit, and he lets it show quite clearly. He leans against me and
stands on both feet this time. We walk through the living room,
then the entrance hall, and enter the bathroom. I push the door
open with my left hand, and it squeaks in its hinges.

The bathroom used to be luxurious,
with marble walls, but the whole place is desolate now. Because the
room lacks heat or air conditioning, mold has made itself at home
on the walls. I’m not sure the faucet is still working either, but
we’ll just have to try. Jenna said we could use the water coming
from the tanks on top of the building. The tub is cracked at the
corners, revealing the concrete hiding underneath the tiles. I ease
Chi down so he can sit on the toilet seat while I lean over the tub
to turn on the faucet.

Nothing comes out at first, and
when the water finally starts running, it is so slow that only
droplets fall out. It becomes more fluid after a few minutes as a
brown liquid streams out, foul and disgusting. I hesitate.
Would
it be better to leave Chi covered in blood or to risk cleaning him
up with this filthy water?

I let the water flow for a long
time as I observe Chi. He’s holding his face in his hands, still in
pain and trying to get it together.

“Are you going to be all right?” I
ask

“Yes, I’ll be fine. I just have a
migraine.”

I dread some concussion, but I
don't speak my fears out loud. I have to convince myself that Chi
is going to be okay. Even if he isn’t, there is no hospital we can
go to. The search for him will have doubled by now, and the
authorities will be on the lookout. We have to make the most of
what we have here and hope for the best.

“I’ll go get some
medication.”

I cast Chi one last glance and
walk out. When I exit the apartment, his image remains printed
inside my brain—a picture of him wincing, ashen with pain. I hurry
through the corridor, reach Taylor's apartment, and knock on the
door. It takes just a few seconds for him to greet me.

“I’m sorry to bother you. I need
some antiseptic and medication for Chi,” I explain.

“No problem. Please, come in. How
is Chi?” Taylor asks while turning his back on me.

“Not great.” I sigh.

He grabs a duffel bag from a chair
in the living room and rifles through it. He holds out a bottle of
pills as well as a tube of antibacterial cream, some bandages, and
medical tape.

“Here,” he says. “It will be hard
to get more of these, so use them wisely.”

“Thank you,” I say. “Are Chase and
Akio back yet?”

“No. It takes a while to park the
car and row back here. They should arrive in an hour.”

"Okay. Thank you for the
medication."

Taylor nods and grabs my arm
before I exit the room. The concern on his face is laid bare for me
to see. “Call me if there’s a problem. Chi was badly beaten up. We
need to make sure he’s okay. If his symptoms get worse, come to me
immediately.”

I nod again, thank him, and rush
back to the apartment. I make it to the bathroom as quickly as I
can. I don’t want Chi to have to wait longer than he should. When I
walk in, I find him leaning over the sink, brushing his teeth. He
turns around and asks if I’m okay.

“Yes, yes,” I reply, too quickly.
I'm fine, just worried sick about him.

He narrows his eyes at me, but he
doesn’t push the subject. I approach the tub. The water from the
tap is clear now, but it's still cold to the touch, though not
freezing.

“So, are you gonna help me undress
and step inside?” Chi asks with feigned nonchalance.

A mischievous smile has spread on
his face. He's enjoying my embarrassment just a bit too much. I
flush as I meet his eyes, his words setting my cheeks aflame, and
he chuckles.

“I thought I might just help you
clean your face and then you could take care of the rest yourself.”
I clear my throat, but it's too late for me to pretend his words
didn't just set me on fire.

“Right.” There's no sarcasm in his
voice when he says it. He just means it as a statement.

He comes to sit on the edge of the
tub, and I settle down next to him beside the faucet. I let the
water run through my fingers and watch it pour down my hand. Jenna
has left some soap here for us as well as a couple of towels. I
grab a cloth hanging from the wall and pass it under the water
until it’s soaking wet. I touch the fabric to Chi’s face to clean
his skin as delicately as possible. I work on his forehead first
and then his eyebrows.

Grime and blood smear the cloth
right away. I rinse it in the tub, soiling the water, turning it
light brown and pink. As I clean Chi’s face, a cut appears; it's
slashing through his left eyebrow. On his cheeks, some red and
slightly swollen bruises reveal themselves from under the dirt
covering his skin.