World After (20 page)

In front of them is the new row of empty water droplets.

One of the human minions stands in front of the group. We can hear him below us through the open door as he says, “It’ll be better for you to just do as you’re told.” He actually sounds like he believes it and is doing them a favor by letting them in on a secret. “Otherwise, this could be you.” He nods to two of the other minions.

They grab the nearest person and drag him down a few rows, where they shove him into a droplet.

Even from here, I can hear his gurgled scream of muffled terror. The half-formed scorpion jerks as if trying to sting its prey with the stinger it doesn’t yet have, then it latches on with its still human mouth.

I look away while I can.

The naked people in front of the door stand frozen, both mesmerized and horrified.

“Your choice,” says the guy who I assume is the foreman. “You can be like him.” He points to the scorpion victim. “Or you can choose to step into one of these water thingies without any trouble. The first fifteen people to volunteer to go into the water get it.”

Everyone steps forward.

The foreman starts picking people at random and they slip into their watery cages.

“How do I breathe?” asks a large man whose body is already in the droplet with his head sticking out.

One of the human minions shoves the man’s head the rest of the way in without answering.

The question seems to occur to all of them as soon as they’re in the water. I guess the whole situation was so weird and surreal that the victims must have figured these details would be taken care of for them. Or maybe they just assumed they could pop their heads out to breathe.

When they realize that they’re trapped and can’t push back out, their faces shift from anxiety to panic.

The front row of droplets swings and jerks erratically as the new inhabitants freak inside their watery cages. Bubbles fill the droplets as the last of the victims’ precious air seeps out of their mouths. A few scream underwater. Muffled echoes bounce off the walls of the lab.

The remaining people back away, now clearly regretting their decision. But the minions grab them and shove them into the droplets. It’s an easier job for them because I realize now that all the first people they picked were the biggest and strongest of the victims.

By the time it becomes obvious that this is no bargain, only the weakest of the group are left.

T
ATTOO
QUIETLY
closes the office door, shutting out the noise below.

Alpha yanks Doc’s head back, still holding the pen to his eye. “How can you live with this on your conscience?” growls Alpha.

“Asks the man who’s threatening to stab a fellow human being in the eye,” says Doc.

Tattoo leans over Doc. “Your human privileges are being revoked, asshole.”

The office has a desk, a chair, and old-fashioned bell jars of flesh-colored blobs that I don’t want to look at. I wouldn’t be surprised if this stuff was used back when Alcatraz was a real jail for real criminals.

“I’m a prisoner here, just like you,” says Doc through gritted teeth. “I do what they make me do, just like you. And just like you, I. Have. No. Choice.”

“Yeah,” says Alpha, “only unlike us, you’re neither monster Gerber food nor bio-mass for whatever these things are.”

Behind Doc, there are several rectangular boxes the size of books. Each one has a picture taped to it with a name written below. I’m about to scan past them when one of them catches my eye.

The felt-tip letters on one of the boxes read PAIGE. The grainy picture is as bad as it gets, but the dark eyes and pixie face are unmistakable.

“What are these?” My heart is thumping fast, telling me to forget about it.

“The human race is being wiped out and you think I’m happy about it?” asks Doc.

“What’s this?” I hold up the box that says PAIGE.

“Let me guess, you’re bravely fighting to free us,” says Alpha.

“I’m doing what I can.”

“Behind the scenes, no doubt,” says Alpha.

“Way behind the scenes, bro,” says Tattoo.

“Hey!” I say. “What is this?”

They finally look at me holding up the little box with Paige’s name and picture.

“It’s a video,” says Doc.

The alarm bells shriek again, echoing off the walls.

“The hell is that?” asks Tattoo. “And why does it keep going off?”

“There’s some crazy lady on the loose,” says Doc. “Keeps propping open emergency exits. Triggers the alarm. Are you going to let me go?”

Well, at least my mom must be doing okay.

“I want to see this video,” I say.

“Seriously?” asks Tattoo. “Want popcorn too?”

“I think that’s my sister.” I lift the video. “I need to see this.”

“Paige is your sister?” asks Doc. He seems to really notice me for the first time.

It sends a jolt through me to know that this man knows Paige.

Doc tries to come to me but Alpha yanks his hair back.

“Stab me in the eye or let me go.” Doc busts out of Alpha’s grip, looking ready to punch him.

“I need to see this video.”

“If that little girl was your sister,” says Doc, “I’m afraid she died in the aerie attack.”

“No, she didn’t,” I say.

He blinks at me in surprise. “How do you know?”

“I was just with her yesterday, or however long it’s been since I got here.”

Doc’s eyes focus so intensely on me that it’s as if I’m the only one in Doc’s world right now. “She didn’t attack you?”

“She’s my sister.” As if that answers the question.

“Where is she now?”

“I think she came here. We followed.”

The alarm turns off and we all relax our shoulders a little.

“Don’t got time to watch a video, sweetheart, are you crazy?” asks Tattoo. “Take it with you.”

“It’s Betamax,” says Doc. “This is probably the only Betamax player left in the Bay Area. It’s ancient, like everything else that was left around here.”

“What’s Betamax?” I ask.

“Obsolete video format,” says Alpha. “Older than you.”

“So you can’t see it anywhere but on this machine,” says Doc.

“What’s your plan?” I ask Alpha and Tattoo. “Is there any way I can watch this and meet you guys?”

They look at each other, and it’s clear neither of them has a plan.

“We take him captive and walk out of here,” says Alpha.

“Then we all die,” says Doc. “I mean no more to the locusts than you do.”

“Locusts?”

“Those things.” He nods toward the window. “That’s what the angels call them. Not sure why. These things will be the end of humanity.” He fades into his own world for a minute as he looks out over the scorpion factory, then seems to remember us. “Look, if you want to escape, tonight is the time to do it. There’s something scheduled that will have all the locusts flying off on a mission.”

“And we believe you why?” asks Tattoo. He’s found a letter opener from somewhere and is checking out the edge.

“Because I’m a human being and so are you. That puts us on the same team, like it or not.”

“How long will the creatures be gone?” asks Alpha.

“Don’t know.”

“What time will they leave?”

“I only know what I just told you. Tonight will be your best and only shot.”

“If they’re gone, we could free everybody,” I say, thinking of Clara and Mom and everyone who sang “Amazing Grace” when those people were marched to their deaths. Now I know where they went.

“Hard to sneak out with everybody in tow,” says Alpha.

“There’s no sneaking with that boat,” I say. “Unless you plan to swim with the sharks to get out of here. The more people, the better chance that some of us will make it.”

“If everyone’s running,” says Alpha, “it’s guaranteed a lot of us
won’t
make it.”

“If we leave people behind, it’s guaranteed that
none
of them will make it,” I say.

“Girl’s got a point,” says Tattoo.

Alpha takes a big breath and lets it out slowly.

“Cell keys are in the guard room,” says Doc. “Convince the human guards that you’ll free everyone, including them. They’ll get the keys, spread the word, and unlock the cells for you.”

“You’re lying,” says Tattoo.

“I’m not. You think there’s a single person here who wants to be here? You think we wouldn’t all bust out if we could? You just need to convince them their chances of survival are greater with you than against you. That’s the part that’s going to be tougher than you think.”

“Why aren’t you all leaving tonight if the guards are gone?” asks Alpha. “Why wait for us to break everyone out?”

“Because there’s only one boat. And when they leave, it’ll be docked in San Francisco, not here. This is Alcatraz, gentlemen. They don’t need guards. They have the water.”

“Can we swim it?” asks Tattoo.

“Maybe. For the right athlete who has trained for it and isn’t afraid of sharks. Someone in a wet suit and swimming during the day, with a backup team on a boat. Know anyone like that?”

“There’s a way out,” says Tattoo. “Think, little man. Or I’ll make sure you’re the first one to get thrown into the water tonight.”

Doc watches me. I can almost see the gears in his head cranking into overdrive. “I’ve heard the boat driver is locked up on the pier when the boat docks there. I might be able to get this girl onboard.” He nods toward me. “Maybe she can free the driver and talk him into bringing the boat back.”

“I’ll go,” says Tattoo. “I’ll take one for the team.”

“I’m sure you will but it needs to be her,” says Doc.

“Why?”

“There’s a team here recruiting females for the aerie. When they leave, I might be able to make sure she’s included. So unless you’re a young female, you can’t have a ride out.”

Tattoo assesses me. He’s trying to decide if I’ll bolt the second I get to the mainland.

“My mom is here and so is my friend,” I say. “I’ll do everything I can to help with the escape.”

The guys look at each other again as if having a silent conversation.

“How do we know the ferry driver is going to risk his life coming back for us?” asks Alpha. “Is his mom here too?”

“She’ll just have to be persuasive,” says Doc.

“And if she isn’t?” asks Tattoo.

“Then we’ll find someone else to drive the ferry,” says Doc confidently.

“If you’re so sure, why haven’t you done this already?” asks Alpha.

“This is the first time all the creatures and angels have been scheduled to leave. What makes you think we wouldn’t have done it without you?”

The guys nod. “You up for this?” Alpha asks me.

“Yeah. I’ll drive the boat back myself if I have to.”

“It’d be great if the boat doesn’t sink on its way here,” says Alpha.

“Right,” I say. “I’ll talk someone into it who knows what they’re doing.” I sound more confident than I feel.

The alarm shrieks again, echoing off the walls and assaulting our ears.

“Maybe you can get that woman to help you,” says Doc. “She can show you all the exits.”

“Go,” I say. “Get the cell doors open when the time comes. I’ll free the boat captain on the mainland.”

Tattoo and Alpha eye each other, both looking unconvinced. The alarm shuts off again.

“Unless you have a better plan?” says Doc.

The men nod to each other. “You better be telling the truth, Doc,” says Tattoo. “Or you’ll be shark bait by morning. You get me?”

Alpha looks like he’s about to ask if I’ll be all right, but then, maybe remembering where we are, he turns to leave.

“If you see that emergency-exit woman,” I call after him, “tell her Penryn sent you. Take care of her, okay? I think that’s my mom.”

Tattoo gives Doc one last glare and leaves.

“W
ERE
YOU
really telling them the truth?” I ask.

“Mostly,” says Doc as he inserts the video into the rectangular machine below the TV. They both look ancient. Even though the screen is small, the rest of the TV is fat and heavy looking, like something out of one of my dad’s old photos. “It was the fastest way to get them out of here so we can talk about what really matters.”

“And what’s that?”