Maya and Reno fell to the ground as the men shoved them in the backs. One of them then bent down and took the sock out of Maya’s mouth.
“This is kidnapping,” Reno said, speaking for the first time. “You can’t hold us here.”
“Stop talking,” Maya said to Reno. “That sock tasted awful.”
Maya thought she saw a quick, flashing smile on the older woman’s face that then disappeared as she crouched down to look directly into their eyes.
“What are you doing down here?” she asked. Her voice sounded tired—not booming or forceful, as Maya had expected it to be.
“Trying to find a way out of the city,” Maya said.
“And how did you discover these tunnels?”
“A man we met. He gave us a map he’d made while exploring them.”
The woman raised her eyebrows. “Where is this map now?”
Maya swallowed. “In my right front pocket.”
The woman nodded at one of the men flanking Maya. He reached into her pocket and pulled out the folded sheet of paper, then handed it to the older woman. As she opened the sheet of paper, she walked to one of the candles and studied the map. When she was done, she snorted and held it up.
“This place you are now—it’s not on here. How did you find us?”
“The tunnels below flooded. We were lucky enough to find a ladder which led us up to where you found us.”
“We should be asking you the questions,” Reno said with a sharp tone in his voice. “Who are you people, and why are you living down here?”
“Reno, please,” Maya said, wishing he could read her mind. “This is a family, and we’ve invaded their home. They have a right to hold us captive until they determine we’re not a threat.”
The woman smiled. “It’s not like you’re our prisoners.”
Reno furrowed his brow. “We’re not?”
“Not at all,” the woman said, laughing suddenly.
Maya looked at the men standing guard over her and Reno. They weren’t moving, but they looked like they’d stop any attempt to leave.
“Funny how you can say that when our hands are zip-tied behind our backs,” Reno said.
“It’s just a precaution. You must understand.”
“Yeah, well, you ‘must understand’ that it doesn’t exactly make sense, from our point of view, that we aren’t being held against our will.”
“Again, it’s only for our safety. But I do understand.” The woman looked again to the men around Maya and Reno. She nodded.
The men drew knives and cut off the zip ties. Maya massaged her wrists.
“Thanks.”
The woman smiled. “My name is Janine.”
“I’m Maya, and this is Reno.”
“Nice to meet the two of you.”
Maya scanned the dimly lit room again. Several children clung to the legs of their parents, nothing but white eyes visible on their filthy faces.
“Why are you down here?” Maya asked, honest compassion coming out in her words.
“This is our home now. I had been exploring the tunnels for years. And when the dome finally came down, we knew we had been doing the right thing.”
“Finally came down?” Reno asked.
“I didn’t know how it would happen, but the end of the world was inevitable. People have predicted it many times, and all have been wrong. But whether it was the religious cults, the ancient alien believers, the EMP preppers, or climate change, one of them was going to be right—eventually.”
“Which one are you?” Maya asked.
Janine smiled. “I don’t believe in any particular theory, but I’ve always known that it would happen during my lifetime. And it appears as if I was right.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” Reno said. “What about terrorism or the government?”
“Yes, you’re correct. Two other theories as to how the world could end.”
Reno rolled his eyes and whispered into Maya’s ear. “We have to get out of here. These people are making Jack seem almost normal.”
“How about you two have a seat?” Janine asked. “We were about to have service.”
“Um, we appreciate the hospitality. But we have to get going. I have to find my children.” Maya looked at the kids clinging to their parents and then back to Janine.
Janine’s smile grew. She shook her head.
“Leave? Oh, no. Not possible. It’s all for your own good.”
Maya got a chill. She glanced at Reno. Sweat had collected on his brow.
“Look, you don’t understand,” Maya said. “I can’t stay here. I must—”
“No,” Janine said, her eyes narrowing. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
“Bullshit,” Reno said.
He knocked the man next to him out of the way, but another larger man grabbed him. He pushed Reno against the wall, pinning his shoulders to the cold stone.
“Stop!” Maya said.
“Yes, stop,” Janine said. “These two clearly don’t belong here.”
“Thank you,” Maya said with a sigh.
Janine’s smile disappeared. “Tie them up.”
27
Maya pulled on the thick zip ties, sending a sharp pain through her wrists. These were much stronger and thicker than the ones that had been used on them earlier.
“Let us go!” she said again. “You can’t keep us here against our will.”
“Calm. Calm,” Janine said.
“I swear, when I get out of these…” Reno said.
Janine chuckled. “And you will. Once you both calm down and realize what’s best for you.”
“Are you still trying to pretend we aren’t your prisoners?” Maya asked.
“You’re not.”
Reno spat, and then spoke. “Yeah, right.”
“I need you to understand that keeping you below ground is your best chance at surviving,” Janine said. “There’s nothing left for you up above.”
“That’s not for you to decide,” Maya said. “You don’t know a damn thing about us. I have family on the surface—my children.”
“They’re gone. Everyone you’ve ever known or cared about is gone. There is nothing you can do for them now.”
Maya saw the haze in the woman’s eyes, a distant stare at a stone wall. Reno glanced at Maya and gave her the look he’d use whenever they came upon a victim in a dark alley.
I know. Dangerous.
She couldn’t believe Janine, and she couldn’t use force to escape. Maya would have to rely on her intellect if she ever wanted to see her kids again.
Janine pulled the familiarly folded piece of paper out of her pocket. She paced back and forth reading it. Then she stopped in front of a candle.
“I don’t think you’ll be needing this.”
Janine held the map over the flame, then lowered it until the corner caught fire and quickly spread. She tossed the paper to the ground and stomped on the flames until nothing was left but thin smoke and a trail of ashes.
“It’s for the best.”
Maya held her anger inside, trying her best to keep a calm face. Without knowing exactly where they were, the map was useless anyway. Even so, it would be that much harder to retrace their steps and get back to the original tunnel without it.
After the map burned, the group seemed to ignore Maya and Reno. They sat in a circle on the other side of the space and had a service which appeared to be religious in nature, complete with song, though what they sang was unfamiliar to Maya. They snacked on cereal as they worshiped and prayed. The only interaction anyone in the group had with Maya and Reno during this time was to offer them each a few handfuls of cereal.
“How are we going to get out of here?” Reno asked quietly as they both ate the stale cereal.