“My dad told me his mom was dead,” she said in a whisper.
“I’m very much alive,” Darla answered. “Much to everyone’s chagrin, I’m sure.” She looked up as the elevator continued its climb. They could see the light now from the opened elevator doors on the surface; daylight crept downward, and the air was lighter, more breathable. “We need a plan. Stat.”
“They will realize that they can’t waste time waiting for this lift and they’ll go the emergency lifts at the other end of the System,” Blair said weakly. “That’s probably why they didn’t kill the elevators...they’re heading to the hidden ones…”
“Hidden ones…” Grant repeated. He realized how much he hadn’t understood about his short-lived home.
“We can’t shut those down?” Darla asked. “The power source outside…the solar panels.”
“Won’t make it in time.” Blair covered her face with her hands. “But…”
Darla put the gun to Blair’s head, but Grant stepped forward and put his hand on her forearm, pushing the gun to the floor. Darla took a deep breath and kept the gun pointed away from Blair. She shifted her weight nervously and watched the surface above them with rapt interest.
“I can shut it down,” Blair said. “I’m the only one with a direct line to Kymberlin. Mick gave me the phone. He thought it would be the easiest task...to keep me included...to let me be the one to call when the operation was over.” She closed her eyes. “I can call...I can take the whole System offline...”
“What does that mean?” Dean asked.
Grant looked at his dad. “It means that they shut the power off remotely. And it would trap everyone.”
“The Copia people are already...” Blair trailed off. “Shutting down the System would trap the guards. It would…it would…”
“Do it,” commanded Darla.
“Is that the only way?” Dean asked. He reached out to Grant’s neck and he gave it a comforting squeeze. It was instinct to pull away, but Grant didn’t. He let his dad’s hand linger there. Grant couldn’t remember the last time his dad had shown him affection. They had spent so much of their time together at odds, dancing around their own grief and never allowing the other person to create any sort of stronghold in their life. Here he was, eighteen years-old, and all he wanted was to feel his dad’s comforting hand; he wanted to hear that he had been missed and that everything was going to be okay.
After a pause, Grant nodded. “It is. It’s the only way.”
“Do what you need to do to get Darla back to her boy,” Dean said. “We’ve been through a lot to get here. And we don’t have much time.”
Blair looked up at Darla. She shook her head and cried. Frank licked her face and she pushed him away. “It had to happen to me,” she mumbled. “Of course. It had to. It was too much to ask for...”
Darla closed her eyes, the elevator climbed upward. She crouched down next to Blair and tenderly touched her on the hand. “You don’t know me. But you know my child. Please look at me...please look at me,” Darla said. She couldn’t help but cry. She looked up into the darkness above her to quell the tears. Blair turned and faced Darla. “I miss him,” Darla continued. “I need him. I’m not the enemy...I’m just a mom who needs her boy.”
“Dammit,” Blair cried and wiped her nose. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. You were supposed to be dead...”
“I’m alive,” Darla whispered.
“I know those men,” Blair said. She whimpered and buried her head in Frank’s fur.
Darla was undeterred and she tried to speak again, but it was Grant who dropped down to Blair. “You heard Mick on the radio. He didn’t hesitate to say that you would be collateral damage. Don’t pay them the respect they couldn’t pay you. This is my family...”
“And if I don’t?” she asked.
“We die,” Grant answered. “We all die. Together.”
Without saying another word, Blair reached into her front shirt pocket. She pulled out a small phone and hit a button to call a programmed number. The phone rang once and Blair put the call on speaker and put a finger to her lips.
“What the hell is going on down there?” Claude answered without formalities.
“Claude? It’s Blair. Take us offline!” she said. “Take us offline. It’s chaos down there, Claude. It’s a revolt. You’ve lost the EUS.”
Blair kept crying, but she swallowed her fear. Her voice sounded strong and sure. Darla looked up, the light was getting closer—the surface was in reach.
“Can anyone be saved?” Claude asked. “Where are you?”
“We…we...” Blair stammered. “We’re almost to the surface. We’re struggling here, Claude. Be quick.”
“We?” Claude repeated.
“Grant,” she said in a small voice. Then Blair grimaced. She realized she had made a mistake. She could have said Frank. Instead, she outed him.
Grant’s death had been orchestrated from the beginning. How easy would it have been for Blair to say that only she and Frank had made it into the elevator? If they knew Grant was alive, they would expect him back with Blair. And Grant knew that meant walking willingly back into the lion’s den. He thought of Lucy. Maybe he’d get to see Lucy. But he thought of leaving his father. He hung his head. Blair could read his troubled expression and she shook her head and mouthed an “I’m sorry.” His hand went around his neck, to string the crucifix along its chain, but he realized the necklace was gone.
“I had to save Grant. He saved me,” Blair said, louder and with conviction. She said the lie quickly and without pausing; he hoped those listening on the other end bought it. He watched as Blair struggled with every word coming out of her mouth.
“And it’s just the two of you?” Claude said. He didn’t wait for confirmation. “Blair, are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay.”
“I’m fine.” She kept her eyes focused on the floor of the elevator. She was covered in blood—Nate’s, Ryley’s.
“Okay Blair, I need the code.”
“I can’t give you the code, Claude. Mick is dead. He never gave it to me.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line, some shuffling of papers. Claude’s voice dropped, “Blair, you know I can’t take you offline without the code. It’s protocol.”
“Mick is dead!” Blair said. She sounded close to panic. “Please, Claude, please. Take us offline! I’m begging you. You don’t know what’s happening here. My life is in danger!”
They kept moving toward the light, toward escape.
“I understand, Blair. It’s my choice and I’ll make the call. I’m taking you offline in ten seconds. Will you be at the surface?”
Grant could now see the entry to the library. They were no more than twenty feet down. Blair looked at Darla and Darla nodded. “Yes,” Blair replied.
“Travel home safely, Blair. I’ll brief your father. Stay close to the phone.” Claude added and the call ended. Seconds later, the elevator rocked and grinded to a stop less than ten feet away from the exit. Grant jumped up and the elevator rocked; he hoisted himself up on to the lip and then lay on his belly and peered down into the pit at the others and extended his hand.
“That’s it?” Darla asked. “That’s all?”
“That’s it?” Blair repeated. “They just took the entire System offline. Lights out. Nothing left. No more elevators, no more communication. Just blackness until they suffocate down there.” She looked at Darla and shook her head. “It’s an awful way to go. It’s an awful thing to do to people...and I did it. I did it to them. So, yes, that’s it. That’s it. You’re safe…others are dead. And that’s it.”