I spent the next three days reliving the four hours I had spent down in that medical corridor over and over. I’d slipped up somehow and made my true intentions known, there was no other explanation. But the more I relived it in my mind, the more I felt we had been convincing. So much so that I had even fooled myself into thinking something was going on between us and I knew that wasn’t true. It had to have been a mistake I’d made in the other room. Each day that passed with no word made me more fearful. What was there to stop them hooking anyone of us up to those machines? It had all appeared so relaxed when I had met with Lynda. Nothing at all like this. Who else knew about the women downstairs? Someone had to.
In going over the details of our meeting it was clear to me that Liam had been slipped something in his daily medication. A hormone to make him amorous. He was so docile and compliant and nothing like himself. I wondered if he had been able to stop taking the drugs without anyone noticing.
Shadow had been a great excuse to get away from the bunker dwellers. They were often so full of hysteria that it became grating to be around them. Shadow greeted me each time by standing on his back legs with his front paws hovering in the air. I hated leaving him there during the day, but there wasn’t much of an option. I wasn’t allowed to bring him down into the playroom with me. It had been enough of a struggle to get him accepted in our sleeping quarters.
With all of this business weighing heavily on my mind I looked forward to the peace and quiet of the tunnels where Shadow and I would spend our evening. I had found a tennis ball in the nursery which we would play with in the tunnels. It wasn’t the same as him being able to run around outside, but we were able to tire ourselves out. I had maintained my fitness levels since arriving here and had used the old gym facilities on a few occasions. My body was changing into a useful asset rather than the slow out of practice liability I had been before.
Shortly after our arrival here I had asked the bunker’s committee if it would be possible to gain access to the outside. Even once a week for Shadow, but so far I hadn’t had much luck in convincing them. Soon it wouldn’t be a problem. We were leaving as soon as I could figure out a way to get Liam out.
Shadow and I walked around the section which led up to the emergency exit, I could see the light shining in bright red letters at the end of the tunnel. As usual, I threw the ball up towards the light and Shadow bounded after it but today there was something different. Instead of picking up the ball when he reached the place that it had stopped Shadow raised his head and sniffed the air, looking back towards the exit he ran straight to the door.
“Shadow. Hey, come back. Shadow, don’t get too close to that door you don’t want to set off the alarm.” We had all been told that any breach of the outside doors would cause an alarm to sound within the Bunker and an internal door connecting the tunnels would then be sealed. I certainly didn’t want to be separated from Rosa, and the thought of having to explain myself to the committee for our breach was not something that I wanted to experience.
I ran and caught up with Shadow who was sniffing excitedly at the bottom of the exit door. I felt a chill and realised that it was a breeze hitting the side of my face. It came from the door. I could make out a chink of light. Evening light and a beautiful fresh breeze was coming in from outside. This was unbelievable, the door had been left unlocked and had moved into a position where the locks no longer lined up with one another. Meaning that when the locks were operated it didn’t hold the door in place any longer. Even more remarkably it hadn’t set off the alarm system.
This was it. Our way out. We could leave through this door, and no one would know. I removed my shoe and took off a sock. Carefully I slid the small piece of fabric between the door, and its locking mechanism just in case it was blown shut again. I didn’t want it securing itself before we had the chance to escape. Now I just had to work out how we were going to get Liam up to this level to make a break for it.
On the fourth day I had been heading back from Shadow’s morning walk carrying Rosa in her sling when I saw Debbie walking towards me. In accordance with the rules I stopped and bent down to leash Shadow.
“Stay.” I walked down to meet her at the end of the tunnel.
“What’s the matter with you?” She called out. I panicked.
“Me? Nothing. Why?”
“You look worried.” She laughed. I didn’t see how that was very funny. “I thought things went very well the other day. Lynda wants to see you. Can you go now and drop Rosa off with Emma in the playroom and then come up to the admin hall?” It wasn’t a question. I had no choice but to comply.
“Of course. See you there.”
In a few short minutes, I was able to drop off Rosa and hurried over to the admin hall. Lynda was sitting at an old wooden desk at the back of the space. She reminded me of an evil sort of unkempt headmistress, peering at me over the tops of her glasses. Her hands stretched out either side of her across the surface as she spoke.
“Good morning Elizabeth. Take a seat. I hear we have an acceptable match. From what Debbie tells me Liam is a very happy boy when in your company.” She made him sound like a puppy. “We were starting to worry the elixir wasn’t working. He’d already refused three of the girls before your visit.” She gave a look of approval to Debbie. “I’m glad to see we are finally getting it right.” So many things about what just came out of her mouth were wrong.
“Nice for you to able to spend time with a man like that. I’m sure.” Wait. Was she saying I wouldn’t be able to get a guy like Liam without him being heavily drugged? Cheeky bitch. I balled my hands into tight fists under the desk and pressed my fingernails into the palms of my hands. It was all I could do to stop myself reaching out to smash her ugly white face against the desk.
“Yes, he was very friendly.” I purred back at her, forcing a smile and ignored the comment. “Will we be having a second visit before I sign up to the Brave New World programme?” I smiled innocently.
“Oh yes, I think so. We could arrange it for tonight. Debbie would that work?”
“Yes, it would.” She replied. Shit, shit, shit! I wasn’t prepared to leave tonight.
“I just need to make sure that Emma can take care of Rosa for me but that would be wonderful. Thank you.” I hadn’t even worked out how to get Liam up to the tunnel unnoticed yet.
It was a good thing that I already had an excuse to go up into the tunnels, but how was I going to sneak Liam up here and at the same time collect Rosa? No one watched that tunnel entrance. Not many bunker dwellers knew about its existence as far as I had seen. But the real issue would be getting Liam past Debbie. Then I remembered what she had said about turning off the monitor.
“Sorry if you felt uncomfortable watching us the other day Debbie.”
“Yes, it got a little more heated than I had expected for a first date.” She admitted. I tried to appear abashed. It wasn’t hard to be convincing, inside I was mortified.
“It was a little. I’m so embarrassed.”
“Honestly it’s fine. After watching him trying to get your top off I decided that it was time to turn off. Things were obviously going in the right direction. No need for me to be a Peeping Tom. I went to join a friend of mine for dinner; you were alright I expect.” She grinned and then looked over at Lynda for approval. Lynda wasn’t paying much attention to our conversation. She was busy reading from a spreadsheet in front of her which had a list of names and dates on it. Using a green highlighter to mark out a section she put down the pen, took off her glasses and looked up.