About fifteen minutes later, we were standing on the subway platform. I had heard it described, but that hadn't prepared me for how spooky it would be. It was dark, except for the corners our flashlights illuminated as we swung them around, and the parts we could see were dirty, with trash and dust scattered everywhere.
The trip from Duffy's to the subway station had been circuitous, and I was glad I wouldn't have to try to retrace my steps. The corridors were narrow and crudely made, the walls seemed to be stone and brick, with boards here and there. Nothing was at right angles to anything else, at least as far as I could tell in the darkness. The flashlights were mostly directed ahead of us, and on the uneven floor. Neil, Tammy and I had to duck our heads a couple of times, because the ceilings were so low.
Then we'd reached a circular hole in the floor, with a metal ladder going down into it. We couldn't fit through the hole with our knapsacks on, so we removed them and carried them as we descended.
The platform was spooky, as I said, but at least there was room to breathe.
Vicki said, "That was the exciting part. The next part will be boring, we hope. Long and boring, because I'm sure none of us wants to sleep in these tunnels. I want to get out of the city, and out of the tunnels, then we'll make some kind of camp and get some sleep."
"In the tunnel," Neil said, "we should go single file. Vicki and Katherine will be in front, and I'll bring up the rear. In between, I don't think the order matters much. Probably Tammy should be near the front, though, in case we meet anybody we need to negotiate with. We'll have to use flashlights at all times, of course, so if anybody is ahead of us, we'll be easy to spot. Vicki's hearing may help us to tell whether we're alone or not, since the tunnels aren't all straight, and we won't be able to see farther than the next turn."
As we put the knapsacks back on, I noticed that Katherine had a strange expression on her face, as if she was trying to keep from smiling. I leaned toward her and caught her eye. "What is it?" I asked quietly.
I was nervous that she was imagining the ways in which this trip might offer opportunities for mayhem and carnage, but she leaned toward me and said, "You see that spot, over there?" She pointed at one area of the dirty platform, which looked pretty much like the rest of it. "That's where Pete proposed to me."
"Very romantic setting."
She smiled and deliberately ignored my sarcasm. "Yes, it was," she said. She wriggled her shoulders, getting the weight of the knapsack distributed properly. Then she looked at Neil. "Cigarettes?" she asked him.
He nodded. "Only when we stop for breaks." He looked around. "Any other smokers?"
Tammy smiled at Katherine. "If you get uncomfortable, please let me know."
"I beg your pardon?" Neil asked.
"I can alleviate cravings," she explained.
"If you could train people to do that–"
"Sorry," she said, smiling, "I'm sui generis. Shall we go?"
There was a narrow metal ladder from the platform down to the tracks, and as we waited for the others to climb down, Tammy said quietly, "Walk behind Perry, and keep an eye on him. I can help him if he falters, but I don't have eyes in the back of my head."
"Can you really give him energy he doesn't have?"
"Of course not, but I can make him believe he has it. We all have reserves of energy that we never use except in emergencies." She climbed down, I followed, and then she continued, "It's not magic, and it's not infinite. And when I release him, when we stop to make camp, he will collapse and sleep like the dead." She smiled. "I've helped Sam a couple of times in that way, when he was needed in a crisis."
We were ready to set out, and Neil said, "We have all the working flashlights in U-town, and all the batteries, and it's not that many, so we're only going to use two at a time. Katherine will have one in front, so we can see where we're going. I'll have one in back, so we can see where to put our feet. When we run out we'll have to use some sort of torches. I have a couple of ideas about that, but I want to put it off as long as we can."
It took a while to get the hang of walking. The tunnel was only as wide as a subway train, so the only way to do it was to walk between the tracks. There was plenty of room to walk there, but the ground was uneven. In some sections, there were ties going across between the rails, and these were easy to trip over if you tried to step between them. In other sections, there were no ties, just a series of little supporting blocks under each rail.
If you were fairly tall, as I am, it was easy to step from tie to tie. I could already tell that Perry, who was somewhat shorter, was going to have a rougher time. You still had to pay attention, though, since every tie you stepped on could be the last one for that stretch.
I couldn't see far enough ahead to tell how Katherine was doing, but of course Tammy was striding along perfectly. It occurred to me that at some point somebody should have thought that we were counting on her to do a lot of walking, and she did walk with a cane. Maybe she had prevented us from thinking of it, or at least from seeing it as a problem. But, in any case, she was striding easily, swinging her cane like a walking stick, apparently not using it to support her weight at all.
We passed two more deserted subway stations, then Neil said, "This is it, we're going under the river now." As we left the last station behind, the ground started to slope downward.
The good news was that the ground between the ties continued to be dry. Since the river was above us, any evidence of water would have made me start to wonder if the tunnel might be leaking, or even about to collapse.
"Please don't shoot!"
I had been watching my footing, so I hadn't noticed that there were people ahead of us. We stopped and I craned my neck to see around Tammy. It looked like ten or twelve people, dressed in tattered clothing and covered in dirt. The man in front was looking at Katherine, his eyes wide. She looked very relaxed, and she hadn't drawn her guns, so it must have been simply the fact of who she was.
"Who are you, and what are you doing down here?" Vicki asked.
"It's not our fault," the man said, and some of the others nodded. "We were trying to get out, but–"
"I'm afraid I don't understand," Vicki said. "What are you talking about?" Her voice was calm, and I could tell she was trying to soothe the man, but he got more upset.
"Calm down," Tammy said firmly. "Take a deep breath, and tell us the whole story."
The tension drained out of his expression and his posture, and he smiled.
"We tried to get to U-town a couple of days ago," he said affably, "but some people stopped us, here in the tunnel. They didn't even talk to us, they just pointed guns at us and told us to go away. We were hoping you would let us come there. We heard things were better in U-town, better than the city, but by the time we heard about it, the bridges were blocked."
Some of his companions were looking at him oddly, clearly wondering why he was so calm all of a sudden.
"Well, we were exhausted and discouraged," he continued, "so, we came back into the tunnel to sleep. Then we were going to go back to the city. But, after we started to walk back to the city, we heard voices. Ahead of us." He gestured toward the city, away from U-town. "And then we heard a gunshot, or it sounded like one.
"Then we didn't know what to do. So, we've been waiting, and trying to figure out which way would be better."
Vicki nodded. "I understand." she said. "You should go ahead. To U-town. The people who controlled these tunnels until tonight, they were not connected with us, and they had very different ideas, about a lot of things. But they are gone, and we welcome new people, if they are willing to work.
"But there's one thing we need from you. We need for you to keep quiet about how you got across the river, and about the fact that you saw us. When you get aboveground, find out where the hotel is. Everybody knows the hotel. Go there and ask for Pat. Tell her that you saw us, and where, but do not mention it to anybody else, or where anybody else could overhear. Pat will make sure you get food, and whatever else you need."
"Should you be tempted to betray our confidence," Tammy added with a smile, "you will find yourselves unable to say the words, or to communicate the information in any other way."
Vicki nodded. "That's our only requirement. Good luck."
"What about the voices, and the gunshot?"
She shrugged and smiled. "We'll find out, I suppose."
As Neil drew them a little map of how to get out of the tunnels and up to the street level, I spoke silently to my wife.
– Jan?
– Oh, hi, she said, sounding sleepy. I was wondering when I'd hear from you. How are you . . . Pete, stop that!
I laughed.
– I'll be sure to tell Katherine about you and Pete, I said. She'll be interested to hear–
– Did I say Pete? I meant Fifteen, of course.
– Well, that's different. I'll let you get back to your sweaty teenage paramour. I just wanted to let you know that company is coming.
I explained about the people we'd met, who were setting out in the direction of U-town, thanking us for our help.
– Is "paramour" correct for a man? Or is it just for women?
– I believe it's either, I said. Look it up and let me know.
She laughed.
– Hey, she demanded, who's working for who here?
– Sorry, boss. I'll look it up as soon as I get near a dictionary.
As the last person passed me, heading toward U-town, I happened to notice the flashlight in her hand.
– I just had a thought, I said.
– No, really?
– Very funny. No, I was just thinking about the fact that we have all the flashlights and batteries in U-town, and tomorrow you may be setting out with the entire population. You can't get through these tunnels without light, let alone all the other problems of–
– Oh, she said airily, don't worry about that.
There was a pause as I waited for further explanation, but none came.
– You're going to be infuriating about this, aren't you? I asked.
– No, she said with a chuckle, I'm going to be masterful and mysterious. If you find that infuriating, that's your decision.
I laughed.
– I'll talk to you later, I said. We're on the move again.
There was a bit more, of an intimate nature, which I won't repeat.
I have no clear idea how long we walked after that. The tunnel curved from time to time, and occasionally I had to slow down to keep from bumping into Perry.
We stopped at one point for a ten-minute break, in a long, straight section where we could see a distance ahead of us. We mostly sat on the little cover which was over the third rail, but then Tammy caught my eye and I went over to her. She wrinkled her nose at Katherine's cigarette smoke as I leaned over.
"How is Perry doing?" she asked.
I shrugged. "He lags a little behind sometimes, then he has to hurry to catch up. And he nearly tripped once."
She nodded. "Perry," she called, "come and sit with me. I want to talk to you about something."
"I'm surprised you're letting her smoke," I whispered.
Tammy smiled as Perry came over. "Some people find it relaxing," she whispered back. "I think we all want her to be as relaxed as possible."
I turned and Neil held up one of the mason jars of coffee. I went and sat next to him.
"Thanks," I said after I'd had a drink. It was tepid and bitter, but I was not about to complain.
"Is she pumping him up?" Neil asked, as Tammy spoke quietly to Perry.
I nodded. "Convincing him that he is awake and alert. It won't last forever."
"I just hope it lasts until we get out of these tunnels. I agree with Vicki, I wouldn't want to sleep here. And not just because it won't be comfortable."
I considered asking what he meant by that, but I decided not to. It didn't seem like information which would be helpful.
"I'm surprised that you're not walking in front," I said. "I would have thought that, depending on what we come across, that's where you'd want to be."
"I thought about that quite a bit," Neil replied, leaning back a little. "The main thing is that Vicki needs to be in the front. If we do come across something nasty, she has to be able to evaluate it, and, with her strength and speed, she may be the best person to deal with it, also.
"So, that means we need the two best-trained people at either end, one to assist her, and the other to make sure we don't lose anybody, and that we aren't attacked from the rear. That's me and Katherine. Between the two of us, she's better to be in the front, with Vicki, for a few reasons. One is that she can be, so to speak, somewhat unreliable at times. Also, there's the intimidation factor, if we do come across somebody." He smiled. "I know, you're used to her now, but remember who she is, and remember how you felt the first time you met her."
I nodded. "She scared the hell out of me. I was afraid Jan was going to try to interview her and we'd both end up dead."
"Exactly. Now, imagine coming upon her suddenly and without warning, in a dark tunnel." He grinned. "That's why she should be in the front." He sighed. "And, in general, I don't like to have her behind me. I've had some bad experiences in the past. And if she does . . . lose control, Vicki and Tammy together can handle her."
This was far more detail than I had expected, or wanted, but I had been thinking about starling already (and I confess that I still thought of her as "starling," though I was always careful to call her "Katherine").
Many people in U-town were afraid of her, and I didn't blame them. I know she was apparently "cured" or "reformed," but I still thought that any really rational society would have locked her up, or at least disarmed or restricted her in some way. My employer had exposed quite a few murderers in her career, both before and after our arrival in U-town, but Katherine had killed more people than all of them put together. When I had mentioned this to Jan, her main concern had been that it would really hurt Katherine's feelings if we acted like we thought she was still crazy.
Of course, if not for Katherine, we'd all have been locked up or killed, but the decision to let her roam around wherever she wanted, heavily armed, had been made long before that.
"You know what scares me?" Neil asked, and I suddenly realized we were walking again. My brain had obviously already learned that walking was the default state of being, and had got me back to it without bothering to tell me.
"Scares you?" I asked. "Down here?" I didn't want to think about anything that would scare Neil.
"Well, let's just say that I'm glad Pete isn't coming along."
"Now you've lost me," I said.
He grinned. "You were considering our companion, Ms. diGregorio."
"Are you psychic, too?"
"No, but I can read men's faces, and your train of thought was pretty obvious. Anyway, my point is, I would not want to be anywhere near Kat if anything should ever happen to Pete."
I nodded. I didn't want to imagine that either.
"Other than that," he continued, "which won't happen on this trip, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I knew her very well, back during her worst days, and she is very different now."
A few minutes later, the first of the flashlights, the one Neil was carrying, died. We stopped for a moment while he pulled a fresh one out of his knapsack. Then we started out again.
Suddenly, there was a noise ahead of us, and we saw Katherine's flashlight snap off. Neil turned his off as well, and I stopped walking. It was pitch black, and apparently stopping was the right thing to do, since Neil didn't walk into me from behind.
I did feel somebody slip past me in the dark, from ahead of us, and I was about to raise the alarm when I felt a hand squeeze my shoulder and Katherine's voice whispered, "It's me. Vicki told me to get back here. I think she doesn't want them to see me and freak out."
There was a voice from ahead of us. I couldn't make out the words, but it was clearly a question.
"My name is Vicki Everett," Vicki's voice boomed through the tunnel. "I am the director of U-town, and we need to pass. We mean no harm to you, and we have no interest in whatever you're doing."
There was another question.
"No, we are not from the Undertown. I have made it clear who I am. We are not connected–"
She was interrupted by another question, this one sounding more forceful.
"Turn on a light if you don't believe me," Vicki said, sounding more forceful and less patient herself. "There is, to the best of my knowledge, nobody else on the planet who looks like me."
There was a pause, then Tammy snapped, "Turn on a light, do not open fire, and keep a civil tongue in your head."
They apparently had a source of power other than flashlights and batteries, because suddenly the tunnel was illuminated. It was probably only one or two regular bulbs, but, after all those hours of near darkness, I had to squint.
"We can coerce, as you can see," Vicki said, "but we prefer not to. However, make no mistake, we are going to go past you, and, if any of you should manage to attack us, we will respond in kind."
By then, Katherine was standing next to her, her guns in her hands.
"Drop your guns," a voice snapped, and we saw two men with shotguns stepping out of a small alcove.
Katherine stood motionless, her guns held steady, pointing at the ground. She looked calm, her hip cocked, her weight on one leg, her shoulders relaxed. It was obvious that they wanted to talk, or they would have fired, and her posture indicated that she was willing to listen.
However, Tammy wasn't as willing to listen as Vicki and Katherine. She strode forward, gesturing with her hands, and the shotguns clattered to the tracks. Another gesture, and the men fell to the ground as well.
The gestures were pure showing off, of course, and I thought they were a bit theatrical, but the men looked impressed. Tammy strode forward to the nearer man and planted her foot in the center of his chest.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" she demanded, leaning forward to look him in the eye.
"We're coming to U-town," he said. He was shaking, and he closed his eyes as he talked. "We figure we can take over. They're all hippies and sissies, we shouldn't have much trouble. We've been planning this since we heard that the Jinx had split. They were the only ones we were worried about. If not for them, we would have done this a long time ago."
Tammy turned to the others, who were watching this with wide eyes. Her expression was furious, and her hair and clothes had started to glow. Her hair also blew around a little, which was a particularly unnecessary bit of razzle-dazzle, since we were in a tunnel and the air was completely still.
"U-town is protected by more than some motorcycle thugs," she said. Then she pointed back along the tunnel, toward the city. "Leave now," she said, her voice rising. "Spread the word! This is not where you want to go. Run for your lives!"
And they did, mostly leaving their weapons behind.
Tammy kept the one man pinned with her heel until the others were gone. Then she smiled as she leaned over to address him again. "I won't be so forbearing a second time. Go."
She took her foot from his chest, and he ran off after the others.
"That was fun," Tammy said as the last man disappeared ahead of us. "Shall we proceed?"
Vicki looked like she would have chided Tammy if she could have been sure she could keep a straight face while doing it.
Neil shook his head. "Give me a minute. I don't leave loaded guns lying around. Marshall, can you give me a hand?"
We quickly collected all the guns. Except for the two shotguns, they were all pistols. Neil kept the ones he liked, stuffing them into his knapsack, and I put one in my pocket, just in case. We unloaded the others into a drain.
Then he picked up the two shotguns and tossed one to Katherine. He nodded. "Let's go."
Vicki held up a finger, came over to me and said quickly, "Tell Jan about this. Have her fill Ray in. The fact that those people were only afraid to attack us all this time because of the coincidence of the Jinx being there is something we'll need to think about for the future." She smiled. "They can think about that while we're busy."
Looking back on this, it seems fairly surprising that it didn't occur to
me at any time that Tammy might have really flipped out. I suppose I knew her
well enough to know that showing off in that way would have amused her.
Or, of course, she could have been preventing us from thinking of the possibility.
As we started to walk again, after I had conveyed Vicki's message to Jan, I turned to Neil. "How far along are we?" I asked. "And please don't tell me we've barely started."
He chuckled. "I've been trying to figure that out," he said. "We're definitely more than halfway to the city, or at least to the first subway stop. We want the third stop, so that will be a little farther, but not too far. At least not according to the map."
Suddenly, Vicki called, "Hang on."
We stopped, and Katherine joined us. "Flashlight's dead," she reported.
Neil took it and flipped the switch a few times, with no result. He looked up to see Katherine's expression. He laughed. "It never hurts to double-check these things."
"And what did you find?" she asked, trying to suppress a smile.
"That you're right, of course," he said. "I promise, from now on, to accept all statements you make, about flashlights and whether or not they work."
She smiled. "Good."
He handed his flashlight to me and I held it while he put the dead flashlight in his bag and pulled out another one. He pressed the button, but nothing happened.
"That one's dead, too," Katherine said.
"Thanks."
He put it back and pulled out another one. This one worked, and he handed it to her. Perry was looking sort of dazed throughout this, and I had the idea that it was only Tammy's influence that was keeping him going.
Vicki was there by then, and she said, "I think I'm going to be sorry I asked, but how many more flashlights do we have?"
"One more, when these go," he replied.
She nodded. "Well, it could be worse."
"And it soon will be," he added.
"Hush," she said. "Let's get going, and not waste the light we do have."
So, we started off again.
The tunnel had been sloping up for a while, which I thought was a good sign.
The light in front of us flickered and went out. I stopped.
"Only one more," Neil said. "This may become a problem. We should be near the first subway station, though." He handed me his flashlight as he took off his knapsack and reached inside. He pulled out a long flashlight, the kind which usually holds four batteries, and he pressed the button. Nothing happened.
"This is going to require . . ." His voice trailed off as the flashlight I was holding became very dim. We all gathered around to watch as it slowly flickered and died.
"Aha," Vicki said. It was completely dark. I was suddenly glad that Katherine smoked, because it meant she would have matches, or a lighter.
Neil spoke after a moment's silence. "Well, we may have to–"
"There's a light up ahead," Katherine said. We turned, and I began to see it, and to see her as well. "And I think I smell smoke," she added more quietly.
"You know," Neil said, stuffing the broken flashlights back into his pack, "I had a mental list of things we might run into down here, and fire was the worst scenario I could imagine."
"Thanks," Vicki said. "I think I should run ahead and see–"
"It's a cooking fire," Katherine said. "Somebody is cooking."
Neil sniffed again and nodded. "I think you're right. So, that may be the light, too. I think we should all go together."
Vicki shook her head. "Tammy and I will go ahead and peek. We'll let you know."
Neil made a face as they walked ahead, and I had a pretty good idea that he didn't approve of a scouting party which didn't include either Katherine or himself. He didn't say anything about it, though. Years of working with Dr. Lee had probably trained him to reserve his qualms in these sorts of situations.
A few minutes later, we all suddenly started walking forward. I was
perplexed for a moment, then I figured it out.
Tammy smiled as we reached them. "It was easier than coming back to get you," she explained. Vicki motioned, and Neil and Katherine leaned over so she could speak quietly.
"There are people on the subway platform," she said. "They ignored us, but keep an eye on them. It's probably a good idea to make sure they can see the shotguns."
At first I thought they were dead bodies, propped up into sitting positions on the dirty subway platform. Then I saw one man's eyes move. They were watching us.
As we walked a little farther, I saw one of them cooking something over the small fire which was dimly illuminating the platform and the tunnel. I didn't want to look too closely at what was being cooked. We moved quickly along the tracks, not rushing, but not wasting any time.
There was another small fire a bit farther down the platform, and it seemed that this one was being used solely for illumination, at least at that moment.
Then, as we reached the end of the platform, Neil turned to Tammy. "We need to get a torch going. I have something in my bag that should work, but you'll have to–"
She made a face. "I really don't want to walk through these stuffy tunnels with a torch. The air down here is bad enough without it. Come, I think I can contrive something."
She started walking into the tunnel, but Neil said, "I don't–"
She turned and regarded him, hands on hips, one eyebrow raised.
He laughed. "Okay," he said. I'll go willingly. If I don't, you'll probably put a leash on me and walk me like a dog."
Katherine smiled. "And, if she did, I wouldn't let you anywhere near my dog. In case you were wondering."
So, we set off again, and I wondered what Tammy had in mind. Then, as we got farther into the tunnel, away from the meager light from the small fires on the platform, I realized that I could still see. After a couple of minutes, it became clear that the illumination was coming from Tammy herself. Her reddish-blonde hair and light-colored clothes seemed to be glowing as we moved along. The light was not very bright, but it was enough for us to move comfortably.
It was actually somewhat better than the flashlights had been, because it shed light in all directions. With the flashlights, whatever they were pointed at, something else was going to be in darkness. There had been times when I'd started to wonder what those shadows might hold.
Which probably meant I was getting tired. I'm usually not so easy to spook.
–We're getting there," I reported to Jan. We just passed the first subway station.
–Good. I think the timing should work out pretty well.
Of course, I was not going to ask what she meant by that. So I continued.
–Perry's hanging in so far, with Tammy's help, but he's exhausted. We're all tired, but I'm starting to worry about whether he'll be able to make it.
–You're going to sleep at some point, aren't you? You'll be too early otherwise.
I wasn't going to comment on that either.
–Yes, once we get out of the tunnels. I do wonder why he's finding this so much harder than the rest of us, though.
–I think he really doesn't want to be there, she said. I'm sure that's part of it. And I get the impression that his home life is a bit demanding.
–With his hellion of a girlfriend, as Tammy puts it.
–Exactly. And she's probably like a dream come true for him, so he's not about to tell her he'd rather sleep, if she has other ideas.
–A dream come true? It looks more like a nightmare.
She chuckled.
–That's because you're not a teenage boy.
–I was a teenage–
–That was a long time ago, dear.
I laughed.
–Anyway, she continued, you've read his books. This is not a man like you, with your experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents. And suddenly this girl, sexually confident and sexually aggressive, bursts in on him and announces that she's going to be his girlfriend. Think back, wasn't there a time in your life when you were dreaming of something like that? Or can't you remember back that far?
I laughed again.
–So, I said, I guess you're not placing any bets on how long they'll be together.
–I'm not placing any bets, but I'm rooting for them to grow old together.
–Are you turning into a romantic?
–Hardly. No, it's self-interest. If she wasn't with Perry, she'd make a beeline for Vicki. Then, no matter how that turned out, we'd be in the middle of a soap opera.
–I bet you're right, I said. And that is not where we need to be focusing our attention right now.
–Exactly.
The second subway station was deserted.
Vicki gathered us around and said, "I have a question. The third subway stop will take us to the train station, and we don't know what we will find there. So, we'll take a break here to eat and rest. My question is, how long a break do we need?" It was typical of her to say "we" when she herself certainly didn't need any rest.
"At least forty-five minutes to an hour," Neil said. "I'm sure we could all use a short nap."
"My wife is being mysterious," I said, "but she has indicated that we shouldn't rush, or we'll risk being 'too early.' Of course, I have no idea what we would be too early for."
So, we climbed up the ladder onto the platform (except for Vicki, who jumped up). It was dirty, of course, but so were we by that point, except Tammy. Perry sat down heavily on a bench, and Tammy leaned over to say something to him. His eyes closed and he collapsed as if he'd been shot. Katherine sat cross-legged, leaning against the tile wall, and lit a cigarette. Neil conferred quietly with Vicki.
Tammy knocked a few pieces of debris out of her way with her cane, then she sat next to me. I was eating a sandwich from my knapsack, and I offered her half. She made a face and reached into her own knapsack, bringing out a piece of what looked like quiche, in waxed paper. I laughed. It was an illusion, of course, but it was hard not to share her enjoyment of what she could do. We shared a drink from my jar of coffee, and then I yawned.
"Sleep would be good," I said, suppressing an urge to bum a cigarette from Katherine. "I may be too keyed up to do it, though. I'm really wondering what my lunatic wife–"
Tammy smiled and reached for me, apparently about to put me to sleep, but I gently caught her wrist. "You, too," I said quietly. "Vicki will stay awake, but the rest of us should sleep."
She was about to say something, but then she smiled. "You're right," she murmured. She moved so she was lying down (a clean sheet and pillow appearing under her) and I did the same.
As she reached for my face again, she said, "And you'd better behave yourself, young man. Don't you wake up and mistake me for my daughter in the dark." Then she giggled a very Jan-like giggle. "Or my mother."
I nodded. "That would be bad luck. Three on a match–"
"Hush," she said, still smiling, and that's all I remember.
I woke up in complete darkness. It took a minute, then I remembered that Tammy had been providing the illumination, and now she was asleep.
I felt strong fingers squeeze my shoulder, and I heard Vicki's whisper. "Marshall," she said, "I heard your breathing change. I think it's time we got going."
Tammy sighed, and suddenly we could see again. She was sitting up, and she smiled. "I'd like about eight hours more sleep, but under better circumstances. I could make you think this concrete is a feather bed, but I can't do that for myself." I got up and offered her my arm, but she didn't need much help from me or from her cane to get to her feet.
Neil was awake, and he came over, adjusting the straps on his knapsack. He said, "Time to move along, I'd say."
Tammy nodded and looked at Perry. His eyes opened, and he yawned.
Meanwhile, Vicki walked over to Katherine, who was sleeping a bit away from the rest of us. Vicki reached for her, but Perry said, "Be careful. SarahBeth woke her up once, and Katherine almost killed her before she realized who she was."
Neil chuckled. "I think Vicki can handle her."
Tammy said, "No, wait. I should do it." Vicki straightened up and Tammy squatted.
"One time," Tammy said quietly, "she nearly killed your father when she woke up suddenly." She smiled at Vicki's expression. "It's a long story. From before you or your sister were born. I'll tell you about it someday."
I was as puzzled as Vicki, but I didn't say anything as Tammy held her hand close to Katherine's forehead and quietly told her it was time to wake up.
Katherine's eyes opened and she stretched, looking quite peaceful. "Time to go?" she asked.
Vicki nodded. "We don't want to be early, I suppose, but we don't want to be late, either. For whatever it is."
Katherine got to her feet. "I wasn't sleeping well anyway," she said. She seemed to be about to say more, but then she stopped herself. Neil looked like he had something to say also, but he didn't.
So, there was an awkward moment of silence, then Vicki said, "Let's go."
The big waiting room of the train station had high ceilings, with high windows which let in a little light. It was empty, and it felt as if it had been designed for beings quite a bit larger than we were. The walk to the third subway station, and then into the train station, had been uneventful.
The marble floor was covered in debris and dust. Neil pointed at smudges and marks on the floor. "People were sleeping here," he whispered. "They probably got chased out at some point."
"Or rounded up and shipped off to the stadium," Vicki added.
We heard quick footsteps, and turned to see Perry hurrying toward us, several packs of batteries cradled against his chest.
"Where did you get those?" Neil demanded as Katherine holstered her guns again.
He smiled. "There's a newsstand over there. I figured they'd probably have batteries."
"Good thinking," Neil said, slapping him on the back (and nearly knocking him over).
We began to put the batteries into the flashlights, and were just starting to discover that they were dead when a man's voice said, "Put your hands–"
Katherine's guns seemed to jump into her hands, but then, as she raised them to fire, she froze like a statue.
Tammy was already turning to face the lone soldier who had spoken. He lay his rifle carefully on the dusty marble floor and knelt at her feet.
Tammy turned slowly to Katherine, who shuddered. Then she looked at Tammy for a moment. "I didn't like that," she said, frowning thoughtfully. "But it was good that you did it. A gunshot would make an unholy racket in this place."
I was standing behind Tammy, and I saw her shoulders relax slightly. I suddenly realized that even she was afraid of Katherine. After all, she couldn't control anybody forever, and, if Katherine really minded something Tammy did, she could wait for Tammy to go to sleep and then kill her.
Could and probably would.
Tammy turned back to the soldier. She interrogated him for several minutes, striding back and forth as she probably had when cross-examining witnesses in court. But all of that didn't produce much. He knew what his orders were, but he didn't know any more than that. Nothing about their overall plans, and nothing about what the explosion had been in the first place. He had heard a lot of rumors, but he had very few facts.
Tammy's final question was, "Is there anything else? Anything you're holding back, that you don't want us to know?"
"Yes," he said quietly.
"What?" she asked.
He turned to Vicki. Clearly miserable, he said, "Ever since I first saw you, I've been imagining what you would look like naked. Your breasts–"
"Stop that!" Tammy snapped as Vicki smiled and shrugged her shoulders, causing her leather jacket to close over her chest. It was hard to tell in the gloom, but it looked like she was blushing a bit.
"I guess we might as well go," she said after a moment.
Tammy, looking as close to contrite as I'd ever seen her, said, "Next time I'll phrase the question more carefully." She turned to the man, who was frozen in place. "Stop imagining that!" she said. "Don't imagine that anymore!"
"Yes, ma'am," he said.
As we left, I heard Vicki say to Tammy, "I'm surprised you didn't try to fix me up with him."
Tammy, for once, didn't have a rejoinder.
Next Chapter: A Different Choice