Duncan reached into his satchel and took out a small wooden box. “The winning teams will now receive their badges,” said Duncan. He slowly produced the first golden badge. “Guard these with your lives and don’t abuse the privileges that come with wearing them.”
Flynn closed his eyes and took a deep breath… Duncan’s Gold… this was what he had fought for… He had never been so happy in his whole life!
“From now on…” Duncan Roth continued as he handed the badges to the three winning teams, “you’ll be wearing your badges at all time… They’ll give you unlimited access to the whole of the Archipelago, but don’t forget… it’s an honor you have to keep earning every day with your work… You can lose it as quickly as you’ve gained it.”
Here, Duncan Roth paused and glanced over the silent teams. They all looked battered, exhausted. Most held their targets up for him to see. Only a few stood empty handed. All eyes were on him, staring in anticipation. He took out his handheld and tapped on the screen. After reading out a long list of names, the Rottweiler said, “The teams that failed the Trials… step up here!”
A few boys walked onto the ramp and stopped in front of Duncan Roth. The Gallagher twins stood at the end of the line, their heads down.
“You won’t be joining the Scavenger Crews!” Duncan Roth spoke to the group. “Leave your vessels here and go home. In the next few days, your skills will be reassessed, and you’ll be given your new jobs. For the Greater Good, you’re dismissed!”
Without a word, the group turned to leave.
“Gallagher!” Duncan Roth called after the twins. “Stay back, the pair of you!”
The two boys froze. There was fear in their eyes now. Having glared at them for a long moment, the Rottweiler turned to face the crowd. “I wasn’t joking when said I’d know all your moves during the Trials!” He was pointing at the twins, his mouth barely moving as he spoke. “You not only failed to get your target, but you also tried to sabotage several other teams!”
The Gallaghers didn’t dare look up. Flynn watched them squirm and wished things had played out differently… If only they had stuck to the honor code and just done their job…
“For that reason,” Duncan Roth continued, “you’ll be assigned to the Waste Crews! That’s your punishment and it will last for as long as you live on the Archipelago!”
A murmur went through the crowd as five armed guards stepped over to the twins and led them away. A chill ran down Flynn’s spine at the thought of what awaited the Gallaghers… He didn’t like the twins, but couldn’t help feeling sorry for them… Their lives were over!
Duncan Roth waited a moment then faced the teams again. “As for those who found their targets… you’ll be notified about your Crew assignments… Now, go get some well deserved rest.” With those words, the man turned and walked toward his boat, followed by the rest of his guards.
The teams moved all at once, chatting excitedly, congratulating each other. Flynn and Tony were surrounded by well-wishers. The boys let everyone look at their shiny new badges. But as time passed, the rafts began to leave, drifting away from the dock, dispersing in all directions. The Trials were over, and Flynn was looking forward to what awaited him. No matter how much his body ached, he had achieved his goal and made his dream come true. Flynn dropped on his seat, flushed with happiness and relief. Of course, he wished his father had seen him win… and that Ann Baxter, his mentor, was still alive to witness this great day. She would have been so proud… He patted the spot next to him and said, “Come on, Tony. I’ll take you home!”
SIXTEEN
“Congratulations, son!” said Alan Perry. “So, you’re officially one of Duncan Roth’s boys now!” Flynn’s father leaned back on his chair, studying the golden badge in his hands.
Flynn sat across the table, watching his father closely. Alan Perry’s face was a mixture of resignation and worry. “You don’t seem too happy about it,” Flynn said after a long pause. “And you weren’t there to cheer for me, either!”
“I was at work, son.”
“Would you be happier if I’d failed the Trials, then?” asked Flynn, his voice heavy with sarcasm.
“You know how I feel about this scavenging business.”
“Yeah, Dad, I know…” said Flynn, now glaring at his father. “You would have preferred to see me fail, so I’d become a Watchman, like you.”
“It’s a good job, Flynn! It’s safer, for a start…”
“Oh, yeah? Look where it got you!” said Flynn, making a sweeping gesture at the shabby room they were sitting in. “Nowhere!”
Alan Perry said nothing, but his eyes were full of hurt and sadness.
“C’mon Dad,” Flynn broke the silence. “Like it or not, Duncan Roth’s my boss now!”
“And here you are, bound for glory, so sure of yourself…” Alan Perry shook his head, then leaned across the table. “Just remember, son… he’s one of them!”
“So what?” Flynn raised his eyebrows.
“For starters… there’re those rumors about Ann Baxter,” Alan Perry lowered his voice to almost a whisper.
“What rumors?” asked Flynn, surprised at hearing the woman’s name. He had no idea what his father was talking about.
“They say the Rottweiler was responsible for her death… They say he made her work on the really hard dives on purpose, because she’d become inconvenient for him… She was beginning to speak out against the Government, so he got rid of her… to save his own job and to sit on the board with Marcus Van Zandt.”
“Are you telling me that Duncan had Ann killed?” Flynn was shaking his head in total disbelief.
Alan Perry got up and started pacing around the table, waving his arms. “I just don’t trust him! This man’s evil, Flynn! He’s more protocol than the Van Zandts themselves! He’s sent more people away than…”
“Dad!” cried Flynn, shaking his head again. “You said it yourself… It’s all rumors… This man defended me from the Van Zandt boy today! I don’t know why, but he did! And he let me and Tony compete, despite everything Leo had told him… And I won! Are you forgetting that?” Flynn paused and stared at his father for a long moment. “Just when I’ve finally made it, when I’ve got a future… you go and ruin the moment.”
“Flynn, I’m happy about you winning… but going up the ranks in this place is dangerous! Getting too close to these people can be more trouble than you think… You’ll never be one of them!”
“Really?” Flynn sprang up and kicked his chair. “Just watch me!”
“Flynn, wait…” his father shouted after him, “I didn’t mean…”
The door flap slammed behind Flynn’s back. The walls vibrated; a tin fell from one of the shelves and rolled on the floor. Alan Perry closed his eyes and listened to the sound of his son’s angry footsteps die away on the walkway outside.
“So, shall I take the boy’s name off the List?” Vince Jordan, the burly Chief of Security, looked up from his hand-held device.
A long, tense silence fell over the boardroom table. Red-faced, Leo Van Zandt glared at Duncan Roth sitting across from him. Duncan was expressionless. The other board members shifted nervously in their seats. All eyes were on Marcus Van Zandt. He sat at the very end, his fingers drumming on the table’s surface. “No!” he finally said. “Winner or not, his name stays on the List! He’ll probably die in the next couple of months anyway!”
“Very well!” said Vince, getting up to leave. “The Departure List goes out tomorrow night… My people will start notifying the families shortly.” He was at the door, when Marcus stopped him.
“Remember to keep things nice and easy!” Van Zandt said with a smile. “I don’t want any drama! This should be a week of celebration!”