Page 54 of Anarchy Chained: Alpha Thomas

It’s weird hearing Sullivan refer to Thomas and him as separate people.

“You were hurt pretty bad but they were already working by the time I got out from under all that goddamned steel and found you. We’ll be fine. Eventually.”

“Who? You and Thomas? Or me and you?”

“All of us,” he says, waving a hand in the air. “It just takes a little while.”

“Where are we? Can we get out of here?”

“Well.” He laughs. “As if things couldn’t get any worse, we’re on the other fucking side of the gate about a mile from the west tower.”

“How do we get through the gate?”

He shrugs. “We don’t.”

“Then how can we get out of this stupid tunnel?”

He sighs again. “We can’t.”

I just stare up at him. “Surely there is a door? There’s always a door. Some secret access point or something?”

“Yeah,” Sullivan says, absently stroking my head again. “If this were a normal tunnel there would be. But it’s not, so there isn’t. We could walk back, but we’re still on the other side of the south tower gate. And the walk back…” He shakes his head. “I’m not even sure that’s possible. My leg is fucked up just as bad as yours. It’s going to take the better part of a day for it to really heal. At least to make a walk like that. It’s sixty miles to the south tower. There’s a tunnel that connects to the other towers somewhere in that blackness. But the east tower is probably a hundred miles away. And the other tower even farther than that. Besides,” he says, exhaling loudly. “My phone battery will die and then we’d be in total darkness.”

I picture that whole scenario in my head as he’s talking. The distance, the state of my leg, the darkness. “So we’re fucked.”

“Good. And fucked.”

I let out a breath and close my eyes. “I’m going to die down here.”

“No,” he says. “We can’t die. We’ll starve. And we’ll go crazy from lack of water. But we’re not going to die. There was an emergency kit in the train car with water and rations. But—” This time his laugh is curt. “It’s gone now. The whole car is gone thanks to your little trick.”

“I didn’t stop the damn train car, Sullivan. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Then who did?”

“How should I know. Maybe something is happening up top? Maybe the power went out or something?”

“This tunnel is powered by the towers. And if they weren’t still standing there’d be green gas in here. We have it set up to self-destruct.”

“Wait,” I say, realization hitting me in the face. “If you guys set it up so the green gas releases when anyone breaches—we’re going to die anyway!”

“Was I speaking a foreign language just now? I told you, you can’t die.”

“So that green gas can’t hurt me?”

“No.” He laughs. “It can’t hurt me. Because Thomas had Lincoln code it for our DNA.”

“Well, aren’t the two of you just a couple of fucking Wondertwins. This is just great. I’m gonna not-die—whatever the hell that means—and you’re gonna be just fine. Just wonderful. Does this shit get any better?”

“Well, there was plenty of antidote in the fucking train car, just like there was plenty of water and rations. But not anymore. It’s not my fault we’re here,” he says.

“I didn’t do it,” I say, getting pissed off about his accusation. “Maybe it is your fault. Maybe you’re the one who wrecked the train? Ever think of that, Mental Man?”

“Wasn’t me, Trip Chick.”

“Why not you? You’re the one with all that weird mentalist shit inside your head. I’m the wind, Sadie. I’m a force. Well, OK. Fine. But it’s more likely that the stupid force of nature inside your head got out of hand and… and…”

“And what?” He laughs. “I don’t know how to stop electricity. The train car wrecked because the power went out and we slowed down as we approached the gates. And that was all you. I saw it. I might not be able to talk when Thomas is in control, but unlike him, I see everything.”