Archipelago N.Y.: Flynn (18 page)

“Really?”

Madison could feel
his warm breath on her face.

“Give us a kiss
then,” Leo said.

Madison leaned
into him and pecked him on the cheek. Leo frowned, then tried to find her lips.

“Be patient,
please!” whispered Madison, pulling away. “I…I need some time!”

The corners of
Leo’s mouth dropped. He hesitated for a moment before relaxing back in his
seat. “Fine,” he said dryly, “I can wait.”

They sat in
silence for a moment, Leo drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, the engine
purring gently as boats and rafts passed them by. “So…,” he finally said, “what
would you like to see next?”

“The greenhouses… the
rooftop gardens I’ve heard so much about.”

“Very well.” Leo
pushed the throttle and the boat lurched forward.

“Not too fast,
please!”

“OK, beautiful,”
said Leo, turning his boat into Seventh Avenue Canal.

They were now moving
slowly enough for Madison to really look at the Upper Side. Of course, the
buildings were all weather beaten, with long vertical streaks of grime running
down their sides. But they all had proper glass windows. Also, she could see
their original facades. The buildings were free from any shack-like extensions
so typical on the Lower Side. Yes, there was the occasional add-on structure,
sticking out like a giant bird’s nest, and she did notice several outdoor
pulley elevators and platforms… But here, the buildings had been left
untouched, their silhouettes a lot more streamlined. There were no apartment
towers rising from the rooftops … One thing that the Upper Side had in common
with the Lower was the suspension bridges connecting the buildings and the
cable cars crisscrossing the sky above.

The
Fury
exited the canal, and the vast space of Central Park Bay opened up before them.
Leo took a leisurely left turn into Fifty Ninth Street Canal. On their right,
the entire length of the waterway was fenced off, check-points at every block
or so. The traffic here was heavy and there were armed guards everywhere.

“What’s that?”
asked Madison, craning her neck to get a better view over the fence. She could
see a number of giant water wheels turning slowly, pumping sea water into a web
of pipe installations, mounted on large floating platforms. There was a flurry
of activity going on around them. Huge rafts and barges, loaded with barrels,
were moving back and forth between the floating docks.

“This…,” said Leo,
“…is your life support! The one thing you can’t live without!”

“Which is what?”
Madison turned back to look at the fenced area they had now left behind. There
was a wry smile on her face. The one thing that Madison couldn’t live without
was Flynn Perry… but she wasn’t going to tell Leo that…

“It’s the Van
Zandt Desalination Plant, of course!” Leo announced proudly, not realizing that
Madison had stopped listening.

Madison was
completely spent… physically and emotionally drained. She sat slumped on her
seat as Leo’s power boat entered the Lower Side, followed by his guards. He was
taking her back home after they had spent hours at the Hanging Roof Gardens. It
was dark now, the sun already gone… but the lush green colors of the gardens
were still swimming in front of her eyes. The apple and orange trees, the grape
vines, and the rows upon rows of planted tomatoes, cucumbers and salads… the
terraced rooftops of several buildings at the corner of Central Park Bay were
alive with all sorts of vegetation… Hanging Gardens they called them. True to
their name, they really were hanging! Huge platforms connected by strings of
bridges, a web of cables and pulleys, holding everything together…the gardens
were a true marvel of engineering and water irrigation… and a luxury only
afforded to the Upper Side Government.

But after her
glimpse of paradise, Madison had also witnessed something horrific... She had
seen a man’s lifeless body floating next to the platforms of the Van Zandt
Pipeline, his scull caved in by a vicious blow. According to the guards, the
man had tried to steal fresh water, and they had decided not to waste their
bullets… It was a grim reminder of the harsh reality beneath the beauty of the
Roof Gardens. This was what went on in the real world, Madison thought.
Everything else was a cruel charade.

She swallowed hard
and looked sadly down at her basket. Leo had killed her little pigeon without
any remorse, but had filled the empty basket full of fruit and vegetables…a
gift she was taking to her parents… things they had never seen or tasted in
their lives… It was supposed to be a token of Leo’s love for her. As far as she
was concerned, it was just a warning shot of what lay ahead.

“That’s it then,
Miss Ray,” Leo said as he steered his boat through the entrance of her building
and bumped the tires lining the docking platform. His guards stayed back,
keeping their distance. Madison picked up her heavy basket and hopped on the
platform.

“And don’t
forget,” said Leo, pointing a finger at her, “I’ll be watching you, beautiful!”

Madison nodded and
waved at him. She saw Leo turn his boat and exit, followed by the guards. She
stood on the platform for a moment, her body trembling, relieved that Leo had
finally let her go. She had done a good job in playing her game and done little
to raise his suspicion... Madison had even allowed him to kiss her properly on
the mouth… Trying to erase the memory of it, she turned and headed toward the
stairs.

“Having fun, Miss
Ray?”

A dark shadow
detached itself from one of the support columns, and stepped slowly into the
light.

“Flynn!” cried
Madison, dropping her basket and running toward him. “Thank God! I’m so glad to
see you!” She reached out to hug him, but he stepped back, leaving her to stand
there with outstretched hands.

“I don’t think so,
Miss Ray!” Flynn shook his head and stared icily at her.

“Flynn…” Madison
reached out to touch him again. “Listen to me… It’s not what you think…”

“I saw enough
today!” His voice sounded strangled, distant.

“You saw nothing!”
cried Madison. “And you know nothing!”

“Really? You were
all over Leo Van Zandt… couldn’t keep your hands off him.”

 “I’m buying us
some time…I’m doing it for my parents…doing it for you, damn it! It’s not for
real!”

“How very generous
of you!” Flynn sneered. His lip curled up in a sarcastic smile. “But I don’t need
your sacrifice, beautiful.”

“Stop it! I had no
choice…”

“And what exactly
did you offer in return?”

Madison looked
away.

“What was the deal,
then?” Flynn shouted at her.

“I promised to
marry Leo, after…”

“After what?”

“After I help him
catch you out… catch you breaking the rules!” Madison said, looking to meet his
eyes."I don't know why, but he hates your guts, Flynn! He wants to destroy
you… to send you off to the Waste Crews ... he wants you dead!”

Flynn stared at
her for a long moment, not saying a word.

“What did you do
to make Leo so mad?" Madison asked.

“Nothing much…
Saved his life once!”

“And he hates you
for that? Why?”

“Never mind,” said
Flynn, as he turned and walked over to his raft. “Good luck helping him out… I
won't interfere…”

“Flynn!” Madison
shouted after him. “You know I’ll never do such thing! I made Leo believe that
I would… so he’d let me go!”

“Good-bye,
Madison!” Flynn said without turning. He pushed his raft away from the boat
slip and pedaled towards the exit.

“Wait… please,”
Madison called out, “I had no other choice!”

But Flynn was
gone! Madison stared ahead into the darkness, her chin trembling. Suddenly, the
terrible ordeal of the past twenty-four hours was too much for her to bear… Her
knees buckled, and she collapsed on the steps… Shivering and exhausted, Madison
Ray finally allowed herself to cry, letting her tears fall freely down her face.

Alan Perry sat
hunched over his dining table. Motionless, frozen like a statue, his eyes fixed
on the door flap. He had been staring at it for many hours now, hoping that it
would fly open, and Flynn would walk in… It was late. Way too late… way past
the water distribution hour, way past dinner and bedtime… Their tower had gone
quiet a long time ago, with all its tired occupants having surrendered to a
comatose kind of sleep. He could hear loud snoring coming from the unit next
door. But Alan Perry was wide awake. He couldn't bring himself to lie down on
the empty mattress. Couldn't imagine falling asleep without hearing Flynn's
regular breathing next to him… His son had never done that! He had never failed
to come back home. Ever!

Alan Perry's eyes
darted from the door flap to the rusty clock sitting on the shelf next to it.
It was almost dawn. The sun would rise in an hour or so. Where was his boy? In
his mind, he'd gone through all the possibilities… Flynn caught and arrested at
the Black Market… injured in some kind of accident…lying dead at the bottom of
the ocean… But deep down in his heart, Alan Perry knew it wasn't any of that…
He knew Flynn was safe somewhere out there, spending a second night alone
because he was angry… Because Alan Perry had failed to praise his son on the
biggest day of his life… to show respect and acknowledge Flynn’s achievement.
He sighed and lowered his gaze. Suddenly, his eyelids felt heavy. He let them
close and before he knew it, he had dozed off.

The sound of heavy
footsteps outside on the tower’s walkway made Alan Perry jump in his seat. He
turned his head back to the door, his eyes full of renewed hope. Was that
Flynn? The steps stopped a few doors away. It was quiet for a moment. He
strained his ears and listened. Someone was having a hushed conversation which
ended abruptly and was followed by the slam of a door. A female voice cried out
and then began to sob. He recognized it immediately. It was Mrs. Voinovich,
their neighbor. He glanced at the clock again...  it was the crack of dawn.
This could only mean one thing, he thought as a cold shiver ran down his spine.
The Departure List was out! It had begun, then!

Alan Perry rose
stiffly from his chair. The footsteps echoed closer now. Two heart-beats later,
there was a knock on his door. Slowly, he walked over and threw open the
plastic flap. Vince Jordan, the burly Chief of Security, flanked by two of his
guards, filled the door frame.

“For the Greater
Good, gentlemen! How can I help you?” Alan Perry said softly.

Jordan checked his
hand-held device then stared blankly at him. “Are you Alan Perry?”

“That's me.”

Vince Jordan
cleared his throat. “Mr. Perry, you've been selected for...”

“I know why you're
here,” Flynn’s father said quietly. “What do you want me to do?”

Expecting trouble
or some kind of resistance, the two guards tensed, their hands gripping their
gun holsters. Jordan looked into the room past Alan Perry's shoulder. “You
alone?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Very well!” Vince
Jordan said, taking a deep breath before starting on his well-rehearsed speech.
“You'll be escorted to the designated platform from where the Departure car
will take you the Van Zandt Building. That’s where you’ll be spending the week
before the Ceremony takes place. Don't bring anything, except small personal
stuff you want to take with you on your journey. Everything else will be
provided for you during your last days on the Archipelago. You'll be allowed
one visit, if you have any close relatives. That's pretty much it, Mr. Perry!”

“Thank you,” said
Alan Perry. “Can I have a minute to myself, please?” He couldn’t believe how
calm he was. How easily he had accepted his fate. Not only that, but he was
thanking them for delivering his death sentence! He was prepared, of course. He
knew he wasn't going to put up a fight, argue, or beg ... but Alan Perry was
still surprised at how peaceful his resignation had been.

Vince Jordan
seemed equally puzzled. “OK, Mr. Perry,” he shrugged, took a step back then
stopped, suddenly feeling suspicious. “Err...” he hesitated and threw a quick
glance around the room, as if expecting to find a back door or some kind of
secret exit out of the apartment. “Please, don't make it difficult for us! We
want you to go nice and easy, no drama!” Jordan had now adopted Van Zandt's
turn of phrase and was happy to be using it as his own.

“I won't give you
any trouble!” said Alan Perry, also glancing round the room.

“Your cooperation
is appreciated.” Vince Jordan motioned to his guards, and they all stepped
back.

Alan Perry slowly
closed the plastic door flap and returned to the table. He leaned on it and
stood like that for a long moment… Then, taking a piece of old algae-pressed
paper and a piece of charcoal out of his pocket, he scribbled something on it.
He slid the note under one of the plates on the table and took a deep breath.
There was a soft knock on the door.

“Mr. Perry?”
Jordan's voice sounded impatient.

“I'm ready.”

Alan Perry didn’t
bother taking anything with him. There was no point, he thought and stepped
through the door of his apartment for the very last time.

Flynn woke up with
a start, his body stiff and shivering. He wasn't sure if it was his father
talking to him in his dream, or the early morning chill that had interrupted
his sleep. It was still dark, but the edge of the eastern horizon was starting
to glow pink with the rising sun. His hand grabbed under the seat for something
to cover himself with. He picked up a tangled fishing net and spread it over
his body, then curled up for a few more hours of sleep. The sun would be soon
be overhead, and then the heat would wake him up. He was starting to drift off
back to sleep again, when...
splat!
The foul smelling blob of a seagull’s
droppings landed on his face.

"Damn
it!" Flynn cursed loudly and sat up. He used the fishing net to wipe himself
quickly and shoved it back under the seat. What were the odds of that happening
where he was? Far out to the west, with the Archipelago a good mile away in the
distance, and nothing but water around him… He rubbed his eyes and stood up.
Fully awake, all the dark thoughts from the night before came rushing back into
his head… His father’s disappointment, Madison’s betrayal and Leo’s quest for
revenge…They were all jostling for space… Flynn stretched and looked up at the sky.
Although it was brighter and growing more cheerful in color, Flynn was in no
mood to savor its beauty.

He threw his diving
harness on and buckled it, then picked up the jar with the seal blubber and
started to cover his skin with the thick layer of its heat preserving grease.
Flynn knew that nothing cleared his head better than an early morning dive…
Taking deep breaths of air to fill his lungs, Flynn walked to the edge of his
raft. He focused on the spot where he was going to enter the water, stood on
the tip of his toes and dived in.

The cable car
screeched to a halt next to the rooftop platform. It was the usual converted
school bus shell, except it had the word ‘Departure’ stenciled in black on its
faded yellow paint. Alan Perry took one last look at the tower he had lived in
for most of his life and stepped inside the cable car. He walked past the two
guards standing by the door and found an empty seat. He had seen the Departure
car in previous years, making its rounds and collecting its passengers on their
final journey through the Lower Side. But then, Alan Perry had been looking
from the outside, never paying much attention…it was just the way life went… Now
it was different! He was inside, riding the car together with his own Departure
group. He was a part of it and there was no going back!

Alan Perry glanced
over the rest of his fellow passengers, men and women, all roughly around his
age. Most sat on their own. Some were red eyed, some were sobbing quietly. Most
looked stunned and lost to the world. He knew some of them, like Mrs.
Voinovich, his neighbor…They were the only two chosen from their building… As
for the rest of the passengers in the car, he was going to get to know them
during their Departure week. No one spoke much. There was the occasional ‘You,
too?’ and ‘Sorry to see you here!’ whispered when they stopped to pick up more
people on their way to the Van Zandt Building.

Soon, all seats
were taken. The cable car crept slowly over Broadway Canal, until it exited the
Lower Side and began its slow journey above the vast expanse of water, heading straight
toward the Upper Side. Alan Perry looked out of the window and down at what
they called Midtown Bay. He tried to remember the last time he had taken that
ride… It had been before Flynn was born… He was going there to be paired, as
were a number of young bloods who had reached the age of maturity. Alan Perry
shook his head, chasing away the memories. He could see the Van Zandt Pipeline
below, snaking its way on the surface of the water and disappearing into the
distance. They stopped briefly at a midway station to change drivers. With so
many passengers on board, the cable car needed a fresh pair of legs to power it
across to its final destination. Soon, the Departure car joined a dozen other
cable cars. They had all arrived from different parts of the Lower Side and now
formed a long line heading for the Van Zandt building.

The Van Zandt
building stood alone, towering above the rest. As they got closer, Alan Perry
could see the many scaffolding platforms gripping its outer walls: docking bays
for the cable cars, outside elevators running up and down on cables, walkways
overhanging each other.

The traffic was
slowing down now. One by one, the cars were stopping at a large platform
suspended some thirty stories above the water, offloading the Departure
passengers and moving swiftly away. When Alan Perry’s car docked finally,
everybody was ushered onto the platform. It was covered with a thread-bare
carpet and cordoned off by fraying red ropes. Alan Perry and his group were
immediately surrounded by armed guards. What were they afraid of? As if anyone
would dare to escape… or storm the Van Zandt's headquarters… Or try to steal
the ropes, thought Alan Perry and couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the
insanity of it all… Luckily, no one heard him.

They were greeted
by a pompous looking Government official, standing at the entrance to the
building. The man was dressed in a faded suit, a size too small for his great
bulk. Everybody stared at him with a mixture of curiosity and dread. “Valued
citizens of the Archipelago,” began the man with a big smile, “allow me, on
behalf of the Government and Mr. Van Zandt, to welcome you to your Departure
Suites! Please follow me inside.”

The Government
official turned and walked briskly through the entrance. Alan Perry waited for
the rest of his group to make their way in, until it was his turn to step over
the threshold of the Van Zandt building… Alan Perry knew they had just entered
a very well-appointed prison, and this was his last glimpse of the Archipelago
as a free man.