A while later, we sit in the old training room, in the middle of the floor, sharing water and snacks. Bruno stands over us, gulping down as much as he can handle. The lights are dim, only a few still work.
The feel of the hard mats under my hands reminds me of my training. All the times I wrestled with people in my group, ran sprints, and worked to build strength come back to me. But most of all, I feel Keegan’s presence.
“For the main operation, we divided everyone into teams. I’m assigning you to mine. One, because I love you, and two, because you’re that damn good,” Keegan had said.
I close my eyes and remember the way he looked at me when he said it. He cracked his neck like it was no big deal. But it meant everything to me, my older brother believing in me that much.
“Lexi, water?” Cole’s voice snaps me back to the present.
“What kind of question is that?” I have to shake away the memories, or I’ll drown in them. I tip the bottle to my lips and concentrate on just hydrating myself. Keegan would want me to be strong.
If there’s one positive thing about the Hole right now, it’s this—the first taste of water I’ve had in days. In order to keep from getting sick, I sip it. But part of me just wants to dump the whole thing all over me like a shampoo commercial and sing out loud.
“Why’re you keeping this all to yourself? Don’t you have any friends?” I ask Bill, who sits to my left. “I don’t get it.”
“Lusty, you silly girl. If I shared this with the outside, you wouldn’t have any right now. See what I mean?” He casually tips back a bottle of water and sips it. Then he pulls out another container, a round one with a cap on it. He bites off the cap, and I smell the stinging burn of alcohol. He takes a long swig before putting it away.
“There’s no one around up there to take the stuff, man,” Bruno says. He shakes his head and squints his eyes.
“Things have been happening since you all … ” He throws his hands in the air. “Left.” He leans back, putting his hands behind him, and glares at Bruno. “Oh they’re out there all right. Hiding. Oy vey, did you see that bug? That was a nasty one.” We all turn to see what he’s pointing at, but there’s nothing there.
“Bill, why are they hiding?” I ask.
“So they don’t get taken. Being taken never has a good outcome.”
“Taken?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. “By who? Why?”
“You’re so full of s—” Bruno starts.
“Help!” someone yells. It’s a man’s voice, but I don’t recognize it.
I stop mid-drink and look around as everyone goes silent. Zeus’s ears stand up, and he cocks his head sideways.
“Someone help me!” the voice yells.
“Who is that?” Bruno asks Bill.
Bill gives him a sheepish grin. “Oh, I totally forgot about that guy. I don’t know him, so that makes me not like him,” he says.
Bruno brings his gun up and shoves it against Bill’s temple. His lips turn down, and he narrows his eyes. “I don’t trust you, man,” Bruno says.
“Who is it?” Cole asks. He’s standing now, his shoulders tense and his eyes ablaze. Bill doesn’t answer. He just gulps more of his pungent drink. “Tell us now.”
“I think it’s a guard, if I remember correctly … He’s got a very nice uniform on.”
“Tell me you didn’t bring a guard down here,” Cole says.
“I’m not the enemy!” the voice says. It echoes off the walls and around the large room.
We all look at one another, unsure of what to do next.
“Bill,” I say. “Where is he?”
“I’ll show you, but don’t panic, because I don’t know who he is.”
“Let’s go,” Bruno says. “Now.”
Bill reluctantly stands up with Bruno’s gun centered on him. He pats his pants and shrugs his shoulders. When he begins walking, he stumbles and swerves.
“I’m about to confiscate your bottle, old man,” Cole threatens.
“No, no, anything but that,” Bill says. “I’ll do anything you say.”
He stands in front of the large metal door that leads into the hallway and past the women’s communal shower area. If it weren’t for the voice pleading to be free on the other side, the thought of a shower would thrill me.
“Please, let me out of here,” the voice says.
Bruno stares at Bill. Bill stares at Bruno. It’s a standoff.
Grace sighs, gun trained on the door, awaiting instructions from Bruno. Cole looks to Bruno, and the two exchange some kind of guy-guard-macho look. Bruno turns back to Bill and gives him the stare of death.
“We better not be walking into a trap, you drunk fool.” Bruno pushes his weapon against Bill’s head again.
Finally, Bill rolls his eyes and turns the knob. When Bruno pushes open the door, Zeus tears through it, disappearing into the hallway.