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“Whatever it takes,” the other guy says. “Now get before they figure out you’re gone.”
Bhoja clasps the other man's arm at the wrist then a door opens and we’re outside. Bhoja takes my hand and we race through an alley. We take twists and turns in silence. I don’t have the breath for questions and now is clearly not the time.
When he pulls up against a wall at last I’m breathless and hurting. No one warned me that this mission would require extreme cardio and I am regretting a lot of my life choices. I bend over and rest my hands on my thighs while trying to catch my breath.
“We lost them,” Bhoja says.
Annoyingly he’s not even the slightest bit out of breath. He could at least fake it. Seriously, why’s he got to be so freaking fit?
“Good,” I pant.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“Just… catching… breath,” I manage to get the words out and can only hope they make sense.
“Good,” he says. “Rest a moment then we must go. They’ll be looking for us soon. We need to help with the body then get home.”
“I’m good, let’s go.”
His smile is wide and genuine. He looks me over and I can see he’s wanting to say something but then he thinks better of it and doesn’t.
“Very well.”
We move at a pace that is far from leisurely but isn’t straining my ability to keep up to the limit either. I recognize the outer edges of the city by the decay and neglect. He keeps going until we pass beyond a final ring of the city and then enter a wide crack in the cave wall. The tunnel we enter is lit by soft blue luminescent moss.
The tunnel inside and the floor is worn smooth except for two ruts that look like thousands of wheels have passed. He keeps looking over his shoulder but no one is there. Soon enough we emerge into a larger room and I see the cart. I assume it’s the cart, it could be any cart I suppose, but when we move around it I see the driver and that I am sure of.
“You made it,” he says. “Good. Wasn’t sure could do alone. Heavy.”
“Tell me about it,” Bhoja mutters as he climbs up on the cart.
He gets one end of the carpet while the driver pulls on the opposite side. When it’s close enough to the end of the cart Bhoja jumps down and together they lift the rug. They carry it off to one side of the cavern.
There is a low wall of carved stone that forms a semi-circle. They carry the body over and rest it on top of that. Then with an unceremonious shove, they drop it over the side. I wait to hear a thud but there’s nothing. I walk over next to them and look down into the pit.
The moss goes down quite a ways before there is nothing but darkness. I still haven’t heard the body thud. It must be a really, really long way down.
“Good,” Bhoja says. “Thank you.”
“Heh,” the driver says. “Welcome to the resistance.”
That makes me take a mental step back. Resistance? What?
Bhoja growls and shakes his head.
“You owe us now,” the driver says. “We’ll be in touch. Now go home.”
Bhoja doesn’t say anything else as he takes my hand and leads us home.
37
NIYAH
The house feels different. Warmer and more comfortable. Of course the majorly stressing problem is gone, which is a relief, but this is something more. Bhoja locks the door behind us while I walk around the small space.
It’s cozy. Cozier, maybe? I no longer feel like I’m in what is only his space is the best way I can put this feeling into words. No longer an invader or unwelcome guest. As if, in some weird way, I belong here.
I do belong here. With him.
