Chapter 43
Esmie watched the river gush by uninhibited by the rising panic in her chest. Her eyes skittered across the water while she listened to police sirens overhead.
Going over the bridge wasn’t an option. Genetronetics had their eyes on the streets, and she didn’t know if her powers could control every surveillance camera in every building, car, or tablet and phone people used.
Swimming across would not work either. While she was a decent swimmer, this current would wash her away downstream, farther from her destination.
Like it did to Samson.
Again, Esmie’s heart constricted upon thinking of Samson.
Had he really been washed away like Chad said?
Esmie shut her eyes against the wave of grief that churned worse than the river in front of her.
Oh, Elohim. Please help me get past this.
I don’t know if my heart can take any more pain.
Please let Samson be alive and just stuck somewhere.
She placed a hand on her chest, exhaling deep calming breaths.
Samson had to be alive. Thinking otherwise would derail her from saving Leo.
Once her heart calmed, she opened her eyes to assess her situation. She scanned the area again and noticed a rope dangling along the other bank, its end floating in the water. The boat must have sunk.
Placing a hand in front of her, she searched the water, feeling for the boat.
Sure enough, she felt something heavy at the bottom.
Biting her lip, she contemplated what to do.
She needed to retie the rope to fix the pulley system, then she would bring up the boat.
Reaching forward again, she brought the rope toward her.
It whipped through the air, almost lashing her in the face, but she caught it before it could.
The thick, heavy thing was slick with water.
Searching again, she found the other rope and brought it toward her.
Spinning in a circle, she noticed a large, fixed metal anchor that looked like a rappel ring, stuck out of the concrete a few feet away from the door she exited.
Esmie jogged over, pulling the rope with her and tied it tight around the anchor.
Yanking on it a few times to ensure it would hold, she focused her attention on pulling the boat up with her powers to conserve her energy.
After several attempts, its metal frame pierced the surface.
Pulling it from the water was another feat.
When the boat finally arrived on the shore, she struggled to tip what should have been a light frame.
Shoving it over, she drained the water from inside and found rocks rolling around the bottom.
Someone must have sunk it on purpose. Taking longer than expected, because of the rocks, she finally emptied everything.
After checking for leaks, she sighed with relief at finding none and climbed inside, sitting precariously on the small bench.
The small metal boat was about the length of her brother’s height, and just wide enough for her to sit inside.
A cold wind whipped through, sending shivers through her body.
This was the chilliest fall she remembered encountering.
While she didn’t relish the thought of being back in the tunnels, it would be a lot warmer in there. She needed to cross quickly.
Pulling with all her might, she rocked slightly along the water as the boat creaked along.
The further toward the middle of the river she got, the more she rocked, splashes of water leaping inside her vessel.
At the center of the river, the boat swayed maniacally, threatening to dump her out.
Esmie spread her legs, using her core strength to balance herself as she passed the worst part of the river, but she stayed tense until she reached the calmer waters of the other side.
Grateful to be back on land again, Esmie stretched her muscles from the strain of holding herself steady.
Then she trudged up the bank and toward the next door leading her back inside the tunnels.
The door creaked upon opening, and she listened closely for anyone nearby.
Hearing nothing, she entered, using her flashlight to guide her way.
The warmth of the tunnel encased her, making her feel like she was wrapped up in a cocoon.
This time, it didn’t feel as suffocating, and with the exertion of pulling herself across the river combined with no sleep, her eyelids drooped while she stumbled through.
Several times she caught herself, using the walls of the tunnel for purchase to help her continue moving, until her last stumble.
Grasping for the wall, the only thing she grabbed was the floor as she fell onto her hands and knees.
Biting pain seared through her palms and legs.
Esmie rolled over, to sit, scooting against the wall.
Pulling out the map, she marked where she sat in the tunnel.
She still had a couple miles to go until she reached the dangerous part near the Law Enforcement Division building, and much further to get to Genetronetics.
Esmie’s head fell back, exhaustion overtaking her.
“I’m just going to close my eyes for a second, to catch my breath,” were the last words she said to herself before her eyelids fluttered close and sleep overtook her.
Clanging metal echoing in the distance woke her with a start.
Esmie jumped up from the ground attempting to ascertain where she was.
The dim lights from the lanterns above reminded her she was still in the tunnels, several miles from the Law Enforcement Division building.
So, what was that sound? She paused, straining her ears for the sound again, but nothing sounded, all eerily silent.
Maybe she dreamt it but couldn’t remember having a dream.
The map lay on the ground, and Esmie snatched it up to check her location again.
Then she checked her phone, groaning at seeing her quick shut eye cost her around three hours.
She would have to jog to make up the time.
Feeling much more refreshed, she set off again, making a right at the next fork in the tunnels.
Another clanging noise halted her progress.
It wasn’t a dream. She clearly heard it this time.
Her flashlight bounced in all directions, checking to see where the sound came from.
It resounded again, closer and in front of her direction.
Esmie shut off the flashlight, then crept along searching for the sound.
It would go off every few minutes and got louder the further she went.
After several more feet, it resounded all around her.
Esmie spun around in a circle, confused.
She stopped, focusing on where the noise came from.
This time it came from above her. Glancing up, she saw pinpricks of light in the ceiling.
The clang happened again. That’s when Esmie noticed the dusty metal ladder, molded into the concrete of the tunnel.
She popped on her flashlight, shining the beam up.
It was a manhole. The clangs were cars driving over it.
To think, the tunnels could be accessed by a manhole in the middle of the street in downtown Andloor.
From the look of the ladder, no one had used it in a long time.
Esmie sighed, checked her map, then continued forward, jogging again.
The sound startled her, yet she thanked Elohim it was nothing more than a manhole.
She still needed to keep her wits about her for people when she traversed closer to the Capitol building.
An hour later, more noises alerted her. She was close to the Capitol building.
Slowing down, she listened to the different sounds, noting where they were coming from.
Of course, from the direction she needed to go.
Esmie glanced at the map, hoping there was another way around.
A tunnel forked off to the left ahead of her, but it wrapped around all of Andloor before returning back.
It would take her a day to cover the expanse, even if she ran the whole way. Continuing forward was the only way.
Nerves on edge, Esmie moved along the tunnel pausing when in front of her voices chattered. She craned her ears listening to their conversation. A lady and a man’s voices reached her ears, along with banging noises.
“What’s the point of us stacking this stuff down here?” the man’s voice said.
“The purpose is to easily access it when we encounter the girl,” the woman’s voice answered.
“What’s so special about this girl?”
“She’s the one who has purple glass in her system and survived. The lab needs her,” the woman’s voice sounded strained, like she was lifting something heavy. A bang followed.
“Do we even know who she is?” The man’s irritation shone through his voice.
“No, but apparently, we’ll know her because she’ll be marked with purple on her body. She’s somewhere in downtown Andloor, so the commissioner wants us to put these weapons in select locations for quick access for when we find her. We need to get her before Genetronetics does.”
“How do they know she’s still in Andloor, anyway?”
“Rumor has it, Genetronetics has something she needs, and she should be heading in that direction.”
“What’s with the heavy artillery, if it’s just a girl?” the man sneered.
A loud crash followed the man’s question. “Because she has freaking powers that could wipe us all out! Did you fall asleep during the internal briefings? Or are you just stupid?” the woman’s exasperation rang through the tunnel.
“Sorry, didn’t think it was important,” the man mumbled.
“Well, if you value your life, you will make it important,” the woman spat back before the sound of crates dragging across the ground echoed.
Esmie bit her lip. So, they knew she was heading toward Genetronetics.
Both sides were searching for her, making this mission to save her brother a lot more difficult.
But they didn’t know she traveled in the tunnels, which was her advantage.
She just needed to get by the Capitol, and these people.
A loud ringing sounded all around her. Esmie dropped to the ground, covering her ears from the noise, her heart beating rapidly. She’d been caught.