Read City of Whispers (City of Whispers #1) Online
Authors: Katherine Sorin
I went up to my apartment and began getting my things
together while Scott and James contacted their families. The radio man didn’t
complain about procedure this time. I looked around my little one bedroom
apartment that I had paid an arm and a leg for up until my landlord disappeared.
It had kept me safe for three months now. So many people had failed and somehow
I had survived.
Yes, my parents were unfortunate in that both their
daughters were in two different vampire-ridden cities, but they were also
fortunate that out of millions, I had made it so far. I was confident that my
sister was still alive. She was tough like I was and I knew she could take care
of herself.
Scott and James joined me a while later and I got out
my map of London
from the one time I had visited Nina. James had been twice. Scott had never
been. I even allowed James to smoke in my apartment. What did it matter now?
Just after sunset, Beth came over and knocked on my
door. “Would you like to have one last dinner at my place?” she asked.
“Why not?” I responded.
We walked over to Beth’s apartment and when she opened
the door, her apartment was packed with people and her table looked as if it
was loaded with two week’s worth of food supplies. Everyone wished us well, and
shook our hands and patted us on our backs and jokingly—or not so
jokingly—asked when we were going to get them out of New York. I could tell many of them thought
we were crazy. We didn’t stay long, we needed our rest. I hate goodbyes anyway.
As I lay in my bed trying to sleep, I tried to mentally
reach out to Nina, to let her know I was coming and to sit tight. I didn’t
think it worked, but I wanted to try. That night it stormed. I hoped Mr.
Ashdown’s plane had made it to the States and wouldn’t be delayed by the
weather. I was ready to get to London,
the sooner the better. I finally fell asleep to the sound of the rain.
The next morning I woke with the sunrise. I ate a
little breakfast and got my things together. Then Scott knocked on my door. He
had his bags together. I took one last look at my little apartment and locked
the door. I planned on leaving the keys with Beth so she could send some of my
things to my parents. We went to James’s apartment, but he was already outside
smoking on the sidewalk.
“Looks like we’ll be arriving in London on the Fourth of July,” Scott said.
“Yeah, well this time we’re getting independence
from the bloody Americans,” James said with a grin. I was glad he was coming
with us, he would keep my spirits up.
Beth, Paulo, Dwayne, and Kim started to walk with us
toward
Suddenly, I heard Tony call out from behind us,
“Ailis, I want you to know I’m sorry, about Leila.”
I turned around. “I know you had to protect your kids
Tony. I would do anything to protect my family, that’s why I’m going to London.”
“I wish you the best, Ailis. Stay safe.”
“Thanks.” I walked over and gave him a hug.
“You guys too,” he said to Scott and James. “Don’t do
anything stupid.” He gave them both bear hugs and stood on the sidewalk as we
walked away.
I was surprised to see the Gulfstream was already on
“It’s not airborne,” I shouted.
She gestured more violently, so we all exchanged hugs
and Scott, James and I climbed onto the plane.
“Wait!” Beth shouted, and ran up to me. “I almost
forgot. I went through Leila’s things to see if there was anything we should
save for her family. I found a note with your name on it. Maybe she knew she
was going to die and wanted to tell you something.” Beth handed me an envelope
with my name written on it in beautiful cursive.
I was puzzled. What could Leila have wanted to tell
me? I wondered if she had just written down her experience in the tunnels, and
then later decided to tell me about it in person in Bryant Park before she went
on her suicide mission. I tucked the letter in my bag and forgot about it as I
boarded the plane. The flight attendant acted as if she couldn’t shut the door
fast enough.
“Are you going to wear that the whole time?” I asked
the attendant, pointing to her mask.
She nodded.
“I promise we’re fine,” I insisted.
She ignored me and tapped on the cockpit door. I
shrugged. I spread myself out in a seat and looked out the window. There wasn’t
room for us to turn around and we were pointed north. We wouldn’t have room to
take off before running into Central Park, so
we had to back down twenty or so blocks before we could leave.
James was across from me and Scott was beside me
trying to look over me and out the window. I wondered whether Desmond would
find out I’d escaped the city. That would probably make him even more furious.
I hoped he wouldn’t take it out on the people still in my building. I wished I
had been able to bargain for their freedom as well. I didn’t want to think
about that. I had to focus on London,
on Nina.
I told myself over and over that my sister was fine,
that she was locked away in a safe place somewhere, hopefully with a friend as
good as Beth, or Scott, or James, or any of the others I had come to know. I
tried to send my thoughts to her as I had the night before: “I’m coming Nina,
hold on. Everything is going to be okay.”
I shook my head. This wasn’t the time for emotion.
Ashdown or his people had filled the jet with a supply of London maps of varying detail as well as
pictures of Richard Junior, his flat and other buildings around it. It didn’t
look like his flat was anywhere near my sister’s. I began studying the pictures
and maps, trying to memorize every detail I could. I was so engrossed in the
material that I didn’t even take a last look at Manhattan as we took off over Sixth Avenue.