Blood Red Road
Page 32

I hold one of my bot les out.
My pleasure, she says. She touches the torch to the rag an it catches light right away. Quickly she lights her bot le. We toss ’em down the stairs. Then we run like stink. Two seconds later, there’s a huge bang. The ground shakes unner our feet.
We stop, turn an look behind us. Flames come shootin up the stairs, out a the cel block.
Wait’l them flames hit the bot les in the tunnel, she says. Then we’l real y see some action.
The female ghters is jumpin up an down, shoutin an huggin each other an cheerin. They pound Ash an me on the back. We look around.
There’s Free Hawks everywhere an dead guards lyin on the ground. The male fighters is al streamin out a their cel block now.
There’s about six Hawks climbin al over the fence around the compound, snippin at it with wire cut ers an rol in it back so’s everyone can git out. Other Hawks stand near a weapons pile an throw bows an spears an slingshots to whoever’s runnin past.
I can see flames shootin up al over Hopetown. Maev warn’t foolin when she said she was gonna wipe it of a the face of the earth.
I’m lookin fer one person but I cain’t see him nowhere. Silver gray eyes an a crooked smile.
I grab one of the men runnin past. Where’s—? He pushes me of .
I grab another. I’m lookin fer Jack, I says. He’s a new fighter. They brought him in a few days ago. Gray eyes, came in with long hair, down to his shoulders.
to his shoulders.
I know, he says. He jerks his head back to the men’s cel block. Try the Cooler. They threw him in there yesterday.
My heart leaps into my throat. The Cooler. Jest like in the female cel block, the men’s block has a metal punishment box sunk into the floor. I grab the man by the shoulders. He ain’t stil in there? I says.
Wel I didn’t let him out, he says an runs of .
Ash! I yel , lookin al around me to see where she is. Ash! There’s somebody trapped in …
Then I see her.
She’s lightin another cocktail.
Aimin it at the door of the men’s cel block.
Ash! I scream. No! Don’t!
I start to run towards her. But I cain’t go fast enough. It’s like the whole world slows down to a crawl.
Ash pul s her arm back. She throws the lit bot le down the steps of the men’s cel block. She turns, runs towards me. She holds up her arms in victory, a big grin on her face.
Aaaaash! I yel . The ground shakes, the ames come shootin up the stairs. I grab her arm. There’s somebody in there, I says. He’s locked in the Cooler.
Her eyes go wide. It’s too late, she says.
No, I says. It cain’t be. I start to run, pul in her along behind me.
Jest then, there’s the most almighty blast. We’re sent yin into the air. I land hard on the ground. I lift my head. A great plume of black smoke bil ows into the sky. Ash scrambles to her feet, gives me a hand up.
That must of bin the bot les in the tunnel! she says. The whole town’s burnin! You cain’t go in there, Saba! It ain’t safe!
I cain’t leave him there, I says. Where’s the keys?
That was Ruby’s job. Ash looks around. She sticks her ngers in her mouth, gives a sharp whistle. A short girl by the weapons pile lifts her head.
Ruby, Ash yel s. I need the keys!
Ruby runs over an tosses ’em at us. I catch ’em one-handed an start to go. Ash grabs my arm. It’s too dangerous, she says.
Let go, I says.
She swears. Who is this guy? What’s he to you anyways?
Jack, I says. His name’s Jack.
She lets go an I’m runnin towards the burnin cel block.
Saba! Ash screams. Come back! You got no boots on!
I don’t stop.
Smoke pours out a the door of the men’s cel block. I wrap my cloak around my head to cover my mouth an nose. Then I plunge inside.
Darkness. Hard to see. Smoke fil s the air. Burns my throat, my nostrils, stings my eyes.
It’s ezzackly the way it was in my dream. The fire dream. I’m here. It’s happenin.
Jack! I shout. Jack! Where are you?
No answer. Hungry flames lick at the wood beams in the wal s an ceilin. Embers pop an hiss.
He’s in the Cooler. The guy said so. But where is it? I know it’s sunk into the oor, but how far along the cel block? Halfway? At the far end? It could be anywhere. He’l be cooked to death in that metal box if I don’t git him out.
I move ahead real careful, feelin my way with my hands an bare feet. I keep my eyes closed aginst the smoke. I ain’t never bin in here before, but I’m hopin the layout’s the same as in our cel block. A ember lands on my cloak, hisses greedily as it burns a hole. I rub it out.
Jack! I shout agin. Jack! Where are you?
No reply. I go forwards. Cal out agin. Take another couple of steps. Then another.
The sound of a heartbeat. My heartbeat. Over an over. So loud. It fil s my brain, my head.
He must be in here. But what if he ain’t? What if that guy was wrong? What if somebody else told the Hawks he was in the Cooler an they found him an let him out? If they did, he’l be long gone. I curse myself fer not askin Ruby.
I cough. The smoke’s burnin my throat. It’s git in hard to breathe. He ain’t here. If he was, he would of heard me an shouted out. I need to git out a here. I cough agin. My breath comes short an shal ow.
Panic grips me. I turn in circles, blind.
Jest like in the dream.
I’m bathed in sweat. It’s so hot in here. I’m startin to feel funny, kinda dizzy. I need air. Got a git out a here an nd the door. I should go back to the door.
Another voice. Whisperin. Mercy’s voice.
The heartstone lets you know … the heartstone … heartstone … hurry, Saba …
Heartstone. My hand fumbles unner my cloak. There it is. An it’s warm. Strange. It’s always cool. Even on the hot est day, next to my skin, it stays cool. It was only warm twice. An both times, I was standin in front of him. Warm heartstone means … it means somethin, Mercy said so but I cain’t … remember … cain’t … think …
The heartstone … lets you know …
My ngers clutch it tightly. One last time. I’l shout fer him one … last time. I take a couple of steps forwards. I feel the heartstone git warmer.
Jack! Jack! Where are you? I cal out.
I wait.
Nuthin.
I turn to go.
Then.
Then.
I hear it.
Poundin.
A faint voice.
He’s here.
Strength oods through me. I stumble ahead, my eyes streamin, squintin through the smoke. My toe hits the edge of somethin. The trapdoor to the Cooler? I fal to my knees. Feel around. I touch hot metal. Yes! The door. I wrap my hand in my cloak an pound on it to let him know I’m here. He pounds back.
Jack! I yel . Hang on! I’m gonna git you out a there!
Keys. Quick. I feel the keys on the ring in my hand. My heart stops. There’s got a be ten keys on here. Al the same size.
Jack! I yel . I got the keys! I jest got a find the right one!
He thumps to let me know he heard. I run my hand over the trapdoor. There it is. The keyhole. Try the rst key. Got a work fast. Faster.
Too fast. Fingers clumsy. The key slips an slides past the keyhole.
Fer each key I try, I hold the ngers of my other hand aginst the keyhole to guide it in. Then I snatch it away as soon as I know the key ain’t the right one. I grit my teeth.