16
Escape from the Underground
Dogboy asks for clarification. Escape from the underground. Mr. Horum gets one last customer before he closes up shop.
Andrus stood in front of a large blueprint of a stage that was taped to his office wall. He was studying the blueprints for security holes they could take advantage of on Independence Day. Osbert stood behind him looking through some notes.
“Your test results have surpassed all of my expectations, sir,” Osbert said. “Remarkable progress. To be honest you are so adept I have to ask if this is your first time with–”
“Years ago, but only for a short time. And there was no chemical intervention required,” Andrus said. “You understand how important it is we keep this between us I hope.”
“Don’t worry about me, sir,” Osbert said.
“Thank you for your discretion, brother,” Andrus said. “You can go. I’m expecting someone shortly.”
Osbert saluted Andrus then left. Andrus picked the cane up off his desk. He stood in the middle of the room, faced the door, and waited.
Hot John barged through the door carrying Bronson. The door slammed off the interior wall.
“I didn’t ask you to manhandle the boy,” Andrus said.
“But he was—” Hot John said.
Andrus slapped Hot John across the head with his cane.
“Let him go,” he said.
Hot John set Bronson down. He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Andrus turned back around to the blueprints.
“Don’t know where you were but you missed my announcement of our latest conquest,” Andrus said, “as well as your big debut. No matter…as long as you make it there for the Fourth of July. Thousands of people elbow-to-elbow in Dixon Park. The police stretched thin. Lots of distractions. Imagine our brothers as they slip through the crowd. Such a perfect fit. I really must send Mayor Lane a thank you note for putting together such a perfect event for us.”
“Did you hurt that cowboy guy?” Bronson asked.
Andrus leaned down close to his face. “I’m the one who asked for it to be done, yes. Why? Does that bother you?”
“Why did you do it?” Bronson asked. “Sure, I fought him a couple times but he seemed like a nice guy.”
“He let you get away,” Andrus said.
“Because of me? You did that… awful thing to him because of me?”
“You are important to the guild’s future,” Andrus said. ”I had to punish him. Imagine how it would have looked to the rest of the guild. They would have thought I was weak, and they would have been right.”
“You… you aren’t a good guy,” Bronson said as he fumbled for the door knob behind his back.
“Maybe not by their standards,” Andrus said, “but we work for the greater good.”
“Anybody who could do that to a person can’t be a good guy,” Bronson said. “I won’t help you anymore.”
Andrus turned around. Bronson edged toward the door.
“Why not? By being here with us, Bronson, you’ve already broken the laws of man. Everybody knows you. You’re a bit of a local celebrity. They know you work with us. You show your mask up there and you’ll be locked up in juvenile hall for the next five years. Nobody up there wants you.”
Andrus might be right, Bronson thought, but he figured he was a lot better off on the street than in the subway tunnels. Bronson slipped his fingers up the back of his shirt. “I know. I’m a little scared, is all,” he said, trying to buy himself a few more seconds.
“We don’t have the luxury of fear,” Andrus said. “We’re in this together, and we will win.”
Bronson smiled and nodded. “Yes we will,” he said.
Andrus pointed to a small trapezoid on the blueprints. “This is where the band will enter,” he said. He pointed to a small area at the back of the stage. “And this is the police cordon.”
“Wow, sounds like you’ve been busy,” Bronson said as he pulled the knife out of its sheath. “One thing you didn’t think of though.”
Andrus chuckled. “My boy, what could I possibly be missing?”
“Where do we stick you?” Bronson asked. He rammed the knife into Andrus’s arm then ran to the door. Andrus lunged after him. “Bronson, we could’ve saved the world together.”
“Odds are one of us still might,” Bronson said, then he ran down the hall until he was out of sight.
Bronson rushed into the cavern with the subway car. He knew he had to be quick. This was the first place they’d look for him. He threw his wet cloths in his trunk then locked it shut. He pulled the mask over his head, breathing in the sweet smell of plastic and sweat.
Dogboy pulled the trunk over to the entrance of the tunnel so he could grab it on his way out. He turned back to the subway car, jumped in, then ran into the back. Blaze was unconscious. Dogboy pulled out his knife, then cut the ropes and lowered Blaze onto the ground.
He ran over to his trunk and hoisted it up with the handles. It felt lighter every time he moved it. He supposed he might be getting stronger. He looked out into the tunnels. He saw a light coming from the direction of the meeting hall. He’d have to head the other way. He’d never been down there before but desperate times and all that.
He ran around the corner and hid just as Andrus and a few of his men rounded the corner. He pulled out his knife and held it up by his chest, ready to use it if needed, as he listened to them approach.
“All his stuff is down here. I saw it,” Hot John said.
Dogboy stayed in the shadows as he peered out to make sure they were gone. He figured he had a few minutes while they searching the area to make his escape from the underground. He ran down the tunnel, lugging his trunk behind him.
When he reached a spot where the tunnel branched out into three separate tunnels He evaluated them, then decided on the darkest tunnel to the left. He disappeared into the shadows as Andrus’s men combed the cavern behind him.
Erica waited on Platform A5 for the train that would take her to the hospital for another late-night shift. The attack a few weeks ago made her reluctant to travel around at night, but things had been relatively quiet since then. She’d relaxed back into the old routine. She sat on a bench waiting on the 5:45 to Sully Bend. She never stood next to the platform. Every couple months she’d hear about somebody who fell down on the tracks or was pushed. Gruesome stuff.
About nineteen inches from her head a metal grate flew off the wall. Dogboy jumped out, pulling his trunk behind him.
“You again?” she asked.
Dogboy waved. “Oh, hi. Sorry, can’t talk. On the run.” He ran to the edge of the platform. Across the tracks there was an escalator that went up to the street level. Dogboy looked down the tunnel. No train as far as he could see. If he timed it just right he could get himself and his trunk over onto the other side before one came through.
Dogboy jumped down onto the tracks then lowered his trunk down behind him. He pulled the trunk across the track with both hands, stopping to lift it up over the big bumps.
A wind whipped down the tunnel when he was halfway across. A train rushed down the track toward the station. He wrapped his arms around the trunk then threw it up on his shoulder. He winced and groaned as he carried it over to the other side. He leaned it on the ledge then pushed it up onto the platform.
The train was about thirty seconds away now. Plenty of time to climb up off the tracks and—
“Dogbrat,” Hot John yelled down from the opposite platform, “where ya going, pal?”
Dogboy jumped up the wall then pulled his trunk with him over to the escalators.
Andrus climbed out of the hole in the wall next to Erica, who looked up at the weird hooded figure.
“How many of you guys are there?” she asked.
“Many, my dear child,” Andrus said, “only two with masks though.”
Hot John climbed up onto the opposite platform as Dogboy reached the escalators. It was narrow, but there was enough room to put his trunk on. Dogboy stepped onto the escalator then turned around. Hot John ran toward him, knocking people out of his way as he approached. Dogboy climbed over his trunk. As he reached the opposite end of the trunk Hot John grabbed his leg.
“You ain’t going nowhere, buddy,” he said. Dogboy pulled on his leg so hard he thought his knee might pop. He couldn’t break Hot John’s grip. He began to panic but then realized he still had his secret weapon. He closed his eyes and tried forcing a flash forward to find a way out.
Hot John yelled. Dogboy’s eyes snapped open. Hot John stared at smoke that wafted off of his good hand. Free from the John’s grasp, Dogboy ran up ahead of his trunk. Hot John leaned against the trunk for support as he sucked his burn. Dogboy shook the trunk and Hot John went tumbling down the escalator.
Hot John landed at the bottom of the escalator hard. He sat up. Andrus stood in front of him.
“You had him, you idiot,” Andrus said.
Hot John held out his palm to Andrus. The flesh was black and blistered.
“Kid learned a new trick,” he said.
Most of the lights were out in The Old Curiosity Shop. Mr. Horum sat behind the counter counting out the drawer. The bell above the front door sounded. A man stepped into the store. He walked toward the back shelves away from the light.
“No magic left tonight,” Mr. Horum said. He put his hand on the baseball bat underneath the counter.
“Do you know a boy named Bronson, sir?” the man asked in a muffled voice.
“Good kid,” Mr. Horum said, “bad some days, but good kid. Don’t tell Horum he in trouble.”
The man… Andrus… stepped into the light.
“You could say that. Don’t worry though. My guess is he’ll come here to talk with you about resuming his employment soon. When he gets here I have a message I need you to deliver.”
Mr. Horum tightened his grip on the bat. “What message?” he asked.
“Tell him his family misses him,” the man said. He pointed a pistol at Mr. Horum. Horum pulled out the bat from behind the counter.
He heard a loud noise. A sharp pain… like a bee sting in his chest. He thought it might be his heart but when he reached down to his chest he a warm wet spot. He fell to the floor, blood dripping from his wound. He muttered curse words in his native tongue as the bell above the door rang.
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