Awakening, 2nd edition (37 page)

And it was at that moment he realized that Alex didn ’t have to let go. Alex would simply keep him underwater for another minute, two, three, for eternity . . . For as long as it would take Alan to stop struggling, and give up, and open his mouth . . . For as long as it would be necessary for hungry water to pour into his open lifeless mouth, find its way to his lungs, fill them to the top, and then settle there permanently, banishing the last spark s of life from his body.

Then Alex would hold him underwater a little more, just in case, and then he ’d pull him back up on board . He would look indifferently at the lifeless body with a bluish face and would perhaps even kick it. And then he would get back to the steering wheel and dart back to the lounge.

Upon arriving, he would put up a nice show of mourning, and weeping and mea culp a -ing. Sighing endlessly, he would tell the sad story of the impetuous youth whose young life he failed to save despite all the efforts. He would be cursing himself and the damn moment when he ’d agreed—agreed!—to take the poor guy with him. The guy who, as it turned out, had no idea how to swim, yet alone in icy water!

And they will believe him. They simply won’t have a single reason to doubt his honesty. The truth would be so ugly and monstrous that no one would even think of it. No one would suspect Alex for the sheer lack of any motive. And , sobbing and weep ing with him, they would call the police, trying not to look at the body, while he would be lying on the floor like a wet , motionless pile and would ultimately be dead. Dead . . . dead . . . dead . . .

A gentle stream of air poured into his tormented chest. With a deep sob Alan inhaled it, breathing it in as deep as possible. He breathed hungrily, breathed like never before, breathed—and still couldn ’t get enough of it.

But along with air, the voice returned. That voice.

“Get it now?”

And Alan nodded obediently. The horror he had just lived through was freezing his heart, making any resistance impossible . Resistance was for others—for those who had not been held underwater until the last moment. For those who still believed naively that courts and laws could somehow protect them. For those who weren ’t broken.

“Try talking about this, and it will get worse. You know what I mean. Is that clear?”

A nod.

“You’re going to keep silent. This week, next week, forever. You will never tell anyone about this. Right? Right?!”

A nod.

“Who are you going to vote for?”

Heavy breathing.

“Who are you going to vote for?”

“You . . .”

“I can’t hear you!”

“You!”

“I can’t hear you!!!”

“Yo-u-u-u-u!!!”

“Good.”

And the iron hands let go.

“Get up here. We ’re leaving. I ’ve already wasted enough time with you.”

“I’d say it ’s been going rather well, ” said Ross.

For the last fifteen minutes he’d jabbered livelily , sprawled out on the soft white seat at the stern and letting Michael take full control of the boat, direction and pace of their search.

“It’s a pity they got lost, but I ’m sure nothing really bad has happened. They must be simply stuck somewhere, waiting for us to find them. What do you think, Mike?”

“Uh-huh,” Michael nodded absent-mindedly, his eyes remaining fixed on the shore.

Ross seemed happy with this response.

“You know, I ’d even say this keeps us from getting bored. Spending five days locked up in the same room is no fun. Alex did a hell of a job organizing this rescue. Just think about it, there ’s something to do for everyone. Even Joan and Paul would be able to help, if our adrenaline junkies somehow get back on their own. Clark and his guys are so stubborn, they probably wouldn ’t even bother to let us know. But thanks to Alex ’s plan we won’t have to waste time in that case. Paul can get in touch with us easily.”

“No, he can’t ,” Michael said, still inattentively.

Ross frowned.

“Come again? This boat is way too loud.”

“He can’t, ” Michael repeated, louder.

“Why?” Ross wondered.

“We didn’t leave them a walkie-talkie.”

“Ah, of course, ” Ross didn ’t seem to be too upset. “Well, even the best leaders are still human . Whatever. In any case they won ’t get bored. The hotel staff ’s gone, so they can do some housekeeping.”

He giggled.

“Mop the floors.”

“Why are you so fond of Alex?” Michael enquir ed in the same nearly indifferent tone. “You keep praising him all the time.”

“Do I?” Ross suddenly had a fit of coughing. “No, I don ’t praise him—hmm -hmm . . . No, not at all—hmm . . .”

“You all right? If you ’re choking I can help, ” Michael offered.

“I’m fine, ” Ross protested. “I ’m okay, thank you.”

Immediately his coughing stopped.

“Really, I don ’t praise him. I mean I praise him, but just like anyone else. That ’s my approach, you know? People always appreciate a kind word. So as Alex took care of the rescue—he rocks. Chris made everyone think—he rocks too. You came up with the voting process—you—”

“Rock,” finished the sentence Michael. “Everyone rocks here.”

“Um . . . yes, ” Ross agreed, somewhat perplexedly . “Well, not everyone, only those who ’ve done something. People who made a difference, you know.”

“And what difference did you make?” Michael asked.

The innocent question took Ross by surprise.

“Me? I . . . I participate in the discussion. I express my opinion. I offer constructive feedback . . . Especially when I disagree with something.”

“You still hope to win?”

“Of course, I do. Why wouldn ’t I?”

Michael shrugged.

“We’re picking our leader, ” he reminded. “And you ‘Participate , e xpress your opinion and p rovide feedback.’ Do you really think anyone would bother to vote for you after that ?”

“Why not?” Ross seemed deeply hurt. “I don ’t need to have all eyes on me. Everyone leads in his own way. I mean, participates. For what I care, it doesn ’t have to be an election campaign, as long as it ’s honest, you know?”

“And yet you campaign hard.”

“No, I don’t. Come on, Mike, you know that I don ’t go around suggesting people vote for me.”

“I didn’t say you did , ” Michael said, his voice abruptly becoming cold. “Alex is the one you ’ve been campaigning for. And you ’ve been overdoing it.”

“Overdoing it? Mike, what the hell—”

“Give it a rest, ” Michael took his eyes off a boat that had almost disappeared in the sunshine, and throttled the engine down.

“It was really painful, wasn ’t it?” he asked, turning to Ross.

“What?” Ross ’s eyes seemed rounder than usual. “Painful? What— what are you talking about? And why are you stopping the boat? What ’s going on?”

“We need to talk and I don ’t want to compete with the engine, ” Michael glanced briskly again at the tiny white spot and moved his intent gaze back to Ross. “You know what I ’m talking about. What exactly did he do to you?”

“Listen, I have no clue what you ’re talking about. Really, ” Ross sat up on his snow-white seat and shook his head rapidly. “Who did? To whom?”

“Alex. To you.”

An uneasy smile appeared on Ross’s face.

“You’re kidding, right? I hope you ’re kidding.”

“‘I’m not. You know it.”

“Are you’re trying to tell me that Alex . . .” Ross made a vague gesture, in search for the most fitting word, “that Alex . . . punched me?”

“I’m telling you that he has bullied you and that now you are working under his orders. So what exactly did he do to you?”

“You know what?” Ross ’s face suddenly developed the stiffness of a mask. “You ’re really out of line here. This isn ’t funny anymore.”

“It’s not supposed to be funny.”

“Oh, really? Well, then listen to me, ” Ross leaned forward, his index finger up in the air in front of him, “That does it! Enough! Do I make myself clear? Enough! I don ’t know where this weird idea came from, but I really don ’t appreciate your tone and this entire conversation. First you ask these odd—I mean really odd—questions, then you insult me, and now—I don ’t even know what to call what you ’re doing. Wait until we get back, then go and find someone else to laugh at. Got it?”

The only reaction to this animated speech Michael had to offer was a brief smile.

“Don’t worry. I know th is is really tough for you. You ’ve been through hell and have every reason to be frightened. But trust me, it ’d be much better for you to use this chance and talk it through with me. You don ’t have to keep up with this humiliation anymore.”

“The only humiliation I have to keep up with is your ridiculous ins inuations. And I ’m not going to listen to this nonsense any longer.”

And Ross turned away, his head raised proudly.

“You should’ve tried talking like that to Alex, ” Michael said to Ross ’s back. “Might ’ve helped.”

Ross’s back twitched slightly.

“Okay, let’s try baby steps. I know for a fact that somehow Alex has scared you. I know that out of fear you ’ve agreed to h elp him to win. I know that you don ’t want to admit any of this. Correct so far?”

Ross’s back was motionlessly expressing deep contempt.

“Things turned bad for you, but that doesn ’t mean you can ’t change anything. You can. All you need is to talk to me and give me something to work with. And he won ’t lay a finger on you. I promise. That much I can guarantee.”

Ross’s back kept its proud majestic silence.

“Alex is a dangerous man, ” Michael said with emphasis. “A very dangerous man. Someone who didn ’t hesitate to do what he ’s done to you won ’t stop at that. Trust me. He needs th is victory and he won ’t settle for less.”

Ross’s back finally spoke: “Just like the rest of us.”

“Just like the rest of us, ” agreed Michael. “Although you know that you’ve already settled for less .”

He broke off, as if expecting to hear more, but Ross ’s back had again retreated into its haughty silence.

“You’re right, we ’re all after the same prize, ” said Michael, once it became apparent that he was the only one interested in continuing the conversation. “The goal is the same. But the means are different. You think that as long as you obey his orders, he won ’t touch you? Think again. He ’ll touch you and it won ’t be a gentle touch. If not for a good reason, then at least to remind you who ’s the boss . Or because he ’d want you to do something that even you won ’t like. And trust me, he ’ll be persuasive. I know you ’re scared, but—”

“The hell you know!” Ross yelled in a strange high-pitched voice, turning back to Michael.

His plump face was red like a ripe tomato.

“What are you, a shrink? Shrink, my ass! I told you, I don ’t want to hear these stupid, stupid lies you ’re coming up with! This is— this is stupid, this is crazy, this is— Just leave me alone ! All right? Just leave me alone ! You ’re full of it, you know that? You ’re sitting here, smiling in my face and you just keep mumbling the same crazy shit, like you ’re not listening to a single word I ’m saying! So just shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

He quieted, as if running out of words and breath, his face sweating with indignation.

“Are you done?” Michael enquir ed.

Ross inhaled, angrily and deeply.

“You’re done, ” Michael stated.

He studied Ross with unmasked pity in his eyes. Ross returned an indignant glare, but a second later his eyes darted to the side. Michael turned away, started the engine and said cryptically over the growing din , “A taken slave.”

“
What ?
” Ross flared up again.

But Michael gave no response.

“What do you think about this whole thing?” Chris asked, sourly studying the dark green shores .

Brandon shrugged.

“What’s there to think? I ’m not thrilled about spending time like this, but what else can we do? It wouldn ’t feel right to pretend that nothing has happened. Want to switch places?”

“I’m fine. It ’s not rowing , after all.”

“Whatever you say. You ’ve been standing like that for an hour now.”

“Well, the good thing is it ’s almost over. See that cape? We ’re turning back as soon as we pass it. We should see the rest of the lake from that point.”