The Pieces of My Self

66 - The Butterfly Room

ZEKE

The Dome, 22 June 2174, Wednesday

Zeke's leg throbbed with pain. The forced march out of the utility tunnel had torn something in his knee. The soldiers carried him into an elevator, herding the children after him. They descended to a landing that was cool and poorly lit. He could see dark stains on the floor.

Two soldiers transported him to a door decorated with a psychedelic butterfly, opened it, and flicked on the lights. A brilliant white ambience engulfed them. They put Zeke in a chair and strapped him down, with the children standing by his side.

The men departed and locked the room.

* * *

Enough time passed for Zeke's eyes to adapt to the intense light. There were cabinets filled with what looked like surgical tools. Brightly colored tiles covered the floor in a circular pattern centered on a drain. The place had a festive atmosphere.

As they waited, a rumbling noise shook the walls, rattling tools in the cabinets and vibrating through the floor. The sound didn't stop.

After a few minutes, the door opened and Tony stepped in, dripping wet from the storm. He paused, as if studying the situation.

"Let us out of here!" Grady yelled.

Amara buried her head in her brother's chest, hugging him. Grady gently wrapped his arms around her, but his chin jutted in defiance and his eyes flashed hate at Tony.

Tony merely shrugged after the outburst. "Please take the children to the Beach Room," he said to the guards. "And leave the doors open."

When they dragged the children away, the rumbling sound grew louder with the opened door. Zeke heard the squeal of metal hinges, followed by the screams of the children, and a heightened background roar.

"Do you know where you are?" Tony said, leaning toward his prisoner.

Zeke closed his eyes, trying to remember the layout of the Dome. "I assume we're below the waterline."

"You are nearly correct," Tony said. "You are at the waterline. The children can see it from the room next door. They can even take a swim if they fancy."

"What's the noise I hear?"

"It's a technical glitch. A problem with the Dome's roof. It's nothing that concerns you. I want you to focus your attention on one thing—the money."

"Knightly's money? I don't have it. I don't know where it is. Even if I did—"

"I watched Lillian die, so please don't feel obligated to protect her. I'm sure you think keeping the children safe is important. Their health depends on your answers."

He felt like he had been kicked in the groin. The only thing Zeke could think to say was, "Bastard!"

"Let me describe the Beach Room for you. It's where we feed the crocs. It's a big, sheltered concrete pad that opens onto the central pool. There's a metal fence with a gate separating the attendants from the animals. It keeps people safe, so when they throw meat to the other side, the reptiles don't bite the hands that feed them, so to speak. They're pretty nasty critters. That's where the children are now. Protected by the iron fence."

"What do you want?"

"I knew you'd understand the situation. What I want is simple. I want to know how to access Knightly's money. That's all. Once I have it, I'll make sure the children are released."

Give the moron something to buy time. Let him believe there's a way for him to harness Knightly's avatar. "You need the ring."

"I'll have it shortly."

"You say you'll let the children go if I help. What about me?"

"There has to be a sacrifice. Some atonement for this egregious assault on a government facility. I'm sure Mangalotte will give you a fair trial and respect due process."

Yeah, right. The man standing before Zeke was going to abscond with a national treasure, then hand him to Mangalotte for a lawful interrogation. He remembered something Henri once told him: People at death's door are the worst suckers. They'll believe anything.

"The children are not your enemies, or enemies of the state. Let them go now."

"Help me get the money," he said. "I promise, I'll let them go."

The lights in the room dimmed and flickered off. Redemergency lights switched on, painting the room in the colors of Hell.