Caught

17.

This is the end.

This thought was running through my mind as I was led blindly down another series of corridors to an unknown location. I tried to remember the way, but gave up after the fifth turn. We walked for a long time, maybe an hour or two, I had a hard time estimating the time. As we went on, I considered all my options and came to the conclusion that I had none.

Escape was out of the question, and even if I managed to break free somehow, I would never get out of this maze. I would soon step on a mine before I could reach a safe exit from the sewers.

I had no idea what Shira had in mind. Throw me overboard? Or would he honour our deal and rescue Maya? Or would he leave us both to our fate?

I consoled myself with the thought that he hadn't had me shot on the spot, so the promise he had made to me, perhaps still stood. Did he have any plans what to do next? It seemed to me that, for all his confidence, even he didn't know how to get out of the situation.

Or maybe I was just imagining things and Shira's only plan was to present my head to the Emperor as a welcome gift.

Thoughts like these preoccupied my mind as I walked blindfolded towards my uncertain future.

We stopped.

One of the soldiers removed the handcuffs that bound my wrists behind my back. Then he lifted my hand and placed it on a cold metal bar.

"Up," he barked from behind my back, poking me between my shoulder blades. "And don't try anything, one false move and I'll blow your head off."

So, a ladder, I understood, and tried to feel blindly for more bars. I climbed carefully, hoping I wouldn't bang my head on the way up.

It had to be quite a high climb. I didn't want to think about how deep I would fall if my hand slipped.

A gentle breeze tickled my cheek. The acid smell around me stirred a little and I realised we were climbing out of the tunnels. I couldn't see anything through the blindfold, but the pitch-black darkness lifted a little and the surroundings brightened.

Two pairs of hands grabbed my arms from above and pulled me out. The fresh air hit my nose, and my feet landed on the flat concrete surface.

A road?

I had no idea where we were, but the smell of western Kashima was much less noticeable here. Nothing happened for a while, just the sound of rustling, stomping, muffled voices and car engines in the distance.

I was handcuffed again, unseen hands pushed me forward, and we moved on. The sound of the engines grew louder, joined by more voices and the footsteps of many people.

I heard Shira's voice.

He was arguing with someone, but no matter how hard I strained my ears, I couldn't hear the words.

The noise in the area was getting louder, a truck drove past us. We walked down the road. It was flat, with no bumps or holes, which made me think we must be in a part of the city that hadn't suffered from our bombing. I pictured a map of Kashima in my head and wondered where they could have taken me.

I heard the sound of a door opening. Invisible hands grabbed me again and shoved me forward somewhere. We walked down a winding corridor and then down a flight of stairs.

The stale air suggested that we were somewhere underground again. Probably the basement. I heard the sound of a key in a lock, then someone removed my handcuffs and pushed me inside.

The door slammed shut behind me.

I tore off my blindfold, and what I saw brought tears to my eyes.

From the darkness of the small room, Maya stared at me in surprise.