THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

CHAPTER 7

by Rosa Selvaggia

Catherine identified herself with her business title and card, hoping to sound as if her inquiry was official. It seemed to satisfy the administrator, who recounted her information with the ease of someone who had repeated it several times already.

“No, sorry, your descriptions don’t match recent intakes. No one has been brought into our ER except a couple of cabbies whose cars were impacted by debris from the explosion.” The woman shook her head. “Seems like a miracle we didn’t have more casualties, but every so often the heavens smile on us. The walk-ins from the explosion were mostly shopkeepers cut by flying glass, and one or two business-suit types with minor impact injuries from hitting the pavement or the sides of buildings. All in all, New York was pretty lucky today.” Her telephone rang and before she turned to answer it, Catherine nodded her thanks and left.

As she entered an access point to Below, she considered what both Elliot and the hospital administrator had told her. Her most immediate concern was unresolved. If those from Below were wounded and blocked from getting back into the community’s tunnels, they didn’t go Above for treatment. That could mean something good or something bad: good if their injuries were minor, or bad if they were too seriously hurt to make their way to the hospital.

Elliot’s information was going to have to be passed along right away. There was no telling where construction crews would go or how many would be assigned to emergency retrofitting until a more comprehensive corrective action plan could be developed. But that was a “tomorrow” problem, Today, what was most important was finding the shut-off valve. And since it was the priority of those Above and Below, the probability that the two groups might run into each other was high.

Vincent met her near the Hub.

“I have lots to tell you. Let’s get to Father and the others right away.”

* * *

By the time they reached the Library corridor, they could hear cheering. They descended the stairs to find a crowd surrounding two dusty, disheveled people – Jamie and Joey.

Relief was in Vincent’s eyes as he turned to Catherine. “Thank goodness!”

She nodded. “When the ER administrator said nobody with their description had come into the ER, I was unsure if that was the good news or the bad news.” She reached out and hugged him. “I’m glad that question’s been answered.”

After a too-short embrace, they entered the crowd and made their way slowly towards Jamie. Vincent bent to whisper in Jamie’s ear. She nodded and let the big man guide her to a quiet corner, Catherine trailing them.

“You know that big old outcropping we hadn’t been able to make much of a dent in? The one that half-blocks the sightline of that one sentry post?” Jamie coughed out a bit of dust and then laughed. “Well…we don’t have to worry about breaking it down anymore! We had a warning and got down behind it. The explosion busted it to smithereens but it shielded us.” She coughed again. “Except for raising a ton of dust!”

Catherine hugged Jamie, not worried about her own clothes getting dusty. “I’m so glad!”

“Not as glad as me!” She cocked her head towards Joey. “Or him!”

Vincent had a strange look on his face as he asked, “What kind of warning did you have?”

The young woman shrugged. “Some guy I don’t know. Maybe a new resident?”

Catherine picked up on Vincent’s thoughts. “Dark hair? Ball cap?”

Jamie smiled. “Yeah! You know him? He came outta nowhere, as far as I could tell. I was really alarmed that he’d snuck up on us, but he said our names, so I figured, you know…one of the good guys.”

Vincent and Catherine shared a look. He then asked, “What did he say?”

“It was so strange. He said Devin had sent him to warn us some pipes were about to blow and we should take cover behind that outcropping. We knew there were pipe problems already and…well…Devin sent him, so we did it. Just in time, too!” She coughed again. “Gotta go. Father wants to check us over, which isn’t necessary, but you know Father!’ She scooted away, joined almost immediately by Mouse, who grabbed her hand and dragged her up the stairs and out of the chamber.

Vincent looked at Catherine, knowing she was thinking what he was thinking. “Looks like he hasn’t adopted just us, but the whole community.”

She smiled. “Maybe now Devin won’t be so frightened of him.”

“I’d better tell him what Kristopher told Jamie and Joey so he isn’t surprised when they thank him.”

“Poor Devin. A hero unaware!”

* * *

Before they found him, Devin was going over some schematics in the Harry Granick book Catherine had brought down from Smythe’s bookstore. He was tracing one particular line with a finger, but it seemed like another false trail.

He heard a noise and looked up. He was expecting Cullen to return with a thermos of coffee from the kitchen. But it wasn’t Cullen who was standing in front of him now.

“You!”

The happy-go-lucky smile on Kristopher’s face made him want to smack it off. But if this really was a ghost, his hand would simply flow through him, right? And Devin wasn’t prepared for the physical shock of not encountering a cheek he was trying to punch.

“Sleeping OK?”

“Look,” Devin was so aggravated he wasn’t inclined to be either polite or frightened, “say what you want to say and get out. Things are too crazy right now to add one more slice of crazy pie.”

As if his feelings were hurt, Kristopher frowned. “Wrong page.”

“What?”

“Wrong book, too.”

“Huh?”

Kristopher picked up the Jones book. “Right now, you need to find the valve. This one will help. You are running out of time.”

He dropped the book atop the one Devin had been looking at, nearly smashing Devin’s finger in the process. Devin yelped and pulled his hand away. When he looked up angrily to complain…he found that he was alone again.

“Son of a…”

“What’s that now?” Cullen said as he entered the chamber. “Who’re you talking to?”