Flynn had known Dale for as long as he could remember… ever since he was a little boy, growing up in his father’s Watch Tower. Dale had been Alan Perry’s apprentice and then his Watch Tower buddy. “He’s the third member of our family,” Flynn’s father would say, and so the man was “Uncle” Dale to Flynn. Dale Baker was considered a kind of an oddity on the Lower Side. He was never “paired off,” and many suspected it was because he was born with a hare’s lip and lopsided eyes. Any deformity, especially such a visible one like Dale’s, meant never having a family of your own… Robbed of the chance to be a father, Dale had grown very fond of Flynn, playing with the little boy for hours at the “Top of the World”, a name they used for their Watch Tower… Their games had stopped when Flynn had discovered the Free Scavengers, and his visits to the Tower became less and less frequent. At some point, Flynn had stopped coming altogether.
But everything looked the same, Flynn thought as he stepped inside the circular observation deck. It was built at the highest point on the Lower Side, giving the Watchmen a 360-degree view over the entire Archipelago. The Watchmen had four big telescoping lenses trained on the horizon, far beyond the Junk Nets. It was their job to be constantly on the lookout for anything, dead or alive… anything that could possibly carry the Flood Virus into the city’s waters. Flynn saw the old rusty cage in the corner, covered in bird droppings. Inside were a couple of carrier pigeons, cooing softly, waiting to be dispatched with a warning message should the need arise. Yes, everything looked the same, except his father wasn’t there…
Dale noticed Flynn’s surprise and took a deep breath. There was now a concerned look on the man’s face. “Alan didn’t show up for work this morning, Flynn,” he spoke softly. “I thought, you might know where…”
Flynn shook his head… He didn’t know anything, because he had spent the last two nights on his raft, blinded by anger at his father… and then furious at Madison… jealous of Leo. He had gone for a quick dive that morning, cleared his head… and realized he had to find his father… Flynn had rushed to the Watch Tower to apologize… but where was Alan Perry?
“He might be sick, or something,” said Dale. “Decided to stay home… take a little break…”
“Uncle Dale!” Flynn raised his voice. “My dad’s never taken a sick day, ever! You know that!”
“I know, I know!” Dale raised his arms defensively. “But… he’s not that young anymore, is he?” Suddenly, a deep frown appeared across the man’s forehead. He stepped up to Flynn and said, “Maybe he was one of…” His voice trailed off. Dale was unable to finish what he was about to say.
“One of what?”
“I’m not suggesting anything… But I heard quite a few people got rounded up last night.” Dale looked away, avoiding Flynn’s eyes.
Flynn stared at him for a long moment, feeling sick to his stomach. He knew what it was that Dale couldn’t bring himself to say… The Departure List had come out! His father had mentioned the List and they had talked briefly about it… but Flynn had been so caught up in the Trials that he had forgotten all about it… He hadn’t been paying attention… In fact, Madison had spoken of the List too, but Flynn hadn’t listened… A chill ran down his spine.
“I… I just don’t know how to say it, Flynn,” said Dale, struggling to find the right words.
“Well, don’t say it!” Flynn shouted angrily, spun on his heels and shot out of the door.
“Flynn!” Dale ran after him, “I didn’t mean to…”
But Flynn was already climbing down the rope ladder and making his way to the base of the Watch Tower. Moments later, he disappeared into the maze of rooftop shacks below. Dale Baker banged his fist on the door frame, but there was nothing he could do to help his young friend. Such was life…
Flynn ran like the wind! The walkways shook and rattled under his pounding feet, he jumped from one platform to the next, pushing people out of his way, his mind focused on one thing only. To get home! To find his father! His heart was pumping like crazy in his chest. His strong legs were doing the work for him, taking him across the bridges and over the canals, his eyes fixed on his building in the distance, getting closer and closer. Almost there…
Flynn leaped from the bridge onto the roof and shot past Dino, dozing on a chair in front of his shack. There wasn’t any point asking the man for a ride in the elevator, so Flynn sprinted up the stairs, taking a few steps at the time. He was out of breath by the time he kicked back the door flap and entered his apartment.
“Dad!” he shouted as he skidded to a stop. Nothing but silence greeted Flynn! All he could hear was his own heavy breathing. His eyes darted across the room, searching, hoping against hope… “Dad!” Flynn’s voice pitched higher in desperation. “Answer me, damn it!”
There was no reply! He ran to the bathroom cubicle and threw back the curtain. Empty! There was no one there. Flynn stood still for a moment, then shot out of the apartment and tore down the stairs. Moments later, he was standing in front of Dino. The man was snoring softly under the shadow of the shack’s tattered awning. Flynn grabbed Dino’s massive shoulder and shook it hard. “Have you seen my dad?” he yelled.
Dino lifted his heavy eyelids, his bleary eyes trying to focus on Flynn. “I ain’t seen nothin’, Perry boy,” he mumbled.
“C’mon, man!” Flynn shook Dino’s shoulder again. “Where were you last night? Did they take him?”
“I was sleepin’, alright! Mindin’ my business.”
“The List came out… did they take my dad?” Flynn was shouting now.
Dino pushed Flynn and rose slowly from his chair. There was a smirk on his face now. “Let’s just say, your pa made me some dough last night,” said Dino, snickering. “’Coz I put a bet on ’im, see… I bet they’d take ’im… and they did… Now, get lost!” He stepped up to Flynn and shoved him roughly against the wall.
Flynn’s fingers curled into fists. “Don’t you dare touch me, you stupid idiot!”
Dino took a swing at Flynn, but Flynn was faster. He ducked quickly, letting Dino’s hand fly past his face and slam into the wall. The heavy body followed the swinging arm, and all Flynn had to do was kick Dino in the shin. The man hit the floor with a loud thud. Grunting, he rose to his knees and grabbed blindly for Flynn’s ankles. But Flynn wasn’t there anymore. He was already running up the stairs, ignoring Dino’s loud curses.
Back on his landing, Flynn stopped in front of their neighbor’s apartment and knocked on the door frame. “Mrs. Voinovich!” he shouted. “Have you seen my father?” He waited a beat then knocked again. “Mrs. Voinovich… Are you in there?” No answer. Flynn stepped over to the window and pressed his face against the dirty nylon sheet covering the hole in the wall. He could barely see the room through the stained plastic, but it seemed empty. No movement in there either. He pushed the door flap and walked inside.
The room was a mess. Personal belongings scattered on the floor, spilled food, an overturned chair… Flynn turned around and left. He walked back to his apartment and scanned the room again. Everything was in its place, neat and clean, the way Alan Perry liked it. Flynn’s eyes fell on the table and realized that his father had laid out two plates, one for him and one for Flynn. He had prepared their dinner as usual, and then left it untouched… He had been waiting for Flynn to come back… he had even cooked his favorite dish! Squid soup… Suddenly, Flynn spotted the note which Allan Perry had tucked under the soup bowl. Staring at the piece of paper, Flynn tried not to cry. His father had written “Goodbye, son! Please, forgive my harsh words.”