Sunset Rising (25 page)

“Good morning
, Di.”

“News travels fast around here
.”

“So I see.
Are you going to turn me in?” I almost didn’t care at this point. At least they would put me in a cool apartment with running water so I wouldn’t die of heat exhaustion.

“Don’t you worry
.” Di patted my hand. “Anyone down here that turns you in is asking for a slow and painful death. We all agree about that!”

“Hey
, Di,” Madi yelled as she walked toward us. “No reason for you to help Jones any more. If she doesn’t know how to do her job yet, I’ll beat it into her by the end of the day.”

Di took off
. Our supervisor came to stand behind me. “You know how to be a good worker, right, Jones?” she said in a threatening voice.

“Yes, Supervisor Madi
.” How long could I put up with this woman?

She slapped the back of my head
then walked over to Crystal’s station and watched her in a menacing way. I saw the threatening look she gave Crystal before she went back to her desk. Supervisor Madi was a problem that just wouldn’t go away.

I finished
sorting my cart and took each load to a machine for washing. I had a small pile of hand washing that I was afraid to give Crystal. Any contact with her might provoke Madi in the mood she was in, but I didn’t want to give it to Di either, in case she was discovered doing my job. I swallowed my fear, picked up the few articles of clothing and started walking toward Crystal. I saw Madi look at me, her brows drawing together in anger. I held up the clothes for her to see.

“Supervisor Madi, may I take these to Crystal to be hand washed?” I asked as respectfully as I could.
Madi gave me a reluctant nod.

I put the clothes on the counter beside Crystal and retreated quickly back to my table.
My first wash was done, and I sorted it. I spent the rest of the morning painfully conscious of Madi’s stares but managed to finish two carts of laundry before lunch. I was already hot and knew I needed the water badly. I prayed Madi wasn’t going to prevent me from having it again.

I was grateful when I was given water and food.
I drained the glass right away, worried that Madi might change her mind and take it from me. I was halfway through my stew when I noticed Di staring at me.

“Have mine
, too,” she said, offering me her water.

“No.
You need it. It would only provoke Madi if she saw you give it to me anyway.”

Madi’s head c
ame up, and she looked at us when she heard Di and me chatting. I put my head down and finished my lunch.

“Back to work!” Madi yelled before the lunch break was over.

Di groan
ed as she got back on her feet. I hadn’t seen Kai off in the corner by himself. He walked over to us with a sweet smile on his face.

“Is that cart finished, Miss Autumn?” he asked

“Yes, it is, Kai. Thank you.” I returned his smile. He was the first person I talked with that day that didn’t make it clear he knew I was Sunny O’Donnell.

The afternoon got hotter and hotter
, and I tried to think of other things besides my need for cold water. Madi kept cruising between Crystal and me, trying to find fault with our work. Crystal had a lot of hand washing and ironing to do. She was having trouble keeping up, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Madi.

As the day wore on
, I could tell Crystal was getting anxious. She hurried through her work, which made her sloppy. Water splashed over the sink a few times, and Madi screamed at her to be more careful. The
bong bongs
sounded, and Crystal still had a lot of work to do. I saw her look of panic. Then I remembered she told me she had to be upstairs for the president’s birthday dinner.

“You
have to finish, Crystal. Those shirts and dresses still need to be pressed. They came down here with specific instructions to be done in time for this evening,” Madi said.

I wished I could go over and volunteer to finish Crystal’s work, but I knew that would send Madi over the edge.
Crystal was doing her best to finish, but Madi was standing over her watching her every move. Tears were starting to fall from Crystal’s eyes. She was in an impossible predicament. She had to finish pressing the clothes for the people who were attending the president’s party, even though she had to be at the party herself. She couldn’t leave this job, and she couldn’t be late for that one.

“Cry one more time on that shirt
, and I’ll make you wash it again!” Madi yelled.

Everyone
had left for the day, save for myself, Di, and Kai. I could tell Crystal was about to break. I felt my own anxiety rise as I watched her in distress. The more Madi screamed at her, the harder Crystal cried and the more I cringed.

Then Madi struck her. Hard.

Crystal fell to the floor, and I watched, as if in slow motion, as Madi pulled her leg back and kicked Crystal in the stomach.

Something inside me snapped.

“Go home, Kai,” I said in a low voice.

I strode toward Madi, picking up speed as I went. I had to stop her.

She saw me coming and turned her attention
to me. I thought I saw a smile on her face, and I was gladly going to wipe it off for her. As I closed the distance between us, she pulled her right arm back to throw a punch at me. I easily ducked it and brought my right fist into her stomach. As she doubled over, I snapped my knee into her face. I moved like Jack had taught me, allowing one move to create the next. I grabbed her by the hair, pulled her face up, and slammed her back against the table. I didn’t see her reach back and pick up an iron, but I saw it when she swung it at my head. I stepped back, and the iron missed me by less than an inch. The distance between us gave Madi an opportunity to punch me in the stomach. I felt the impact, but not as much as I could have. The vest I was wearing gave me an advantage. She pulled her hand back in pain, and I smiled. I brought my leg up and kicked her back against the table.

I came at her fast, but she recovered
quickly and was ready for me. She bent down and came at me full on, grabbing me around my waist and pushing me backwards. I hit the floor hard, and she came down on top of me. She was heavier than I’d expected, and I struggled against her weight. To win this fight I would have to get her off of me. I rolled on to my side to throw her off, but I couldn’t get enough force behind the movement to budge her. Madi held my arms down at my sides. I was pinned.

“Now I got you, bitch,” she said sitting up on top of me.

She let go of my arms to use her fists against me and as soon as she did
, I punched her, catching her at the base of her throat. Her eyes widened as both her hands went to her throat. She gasped for air. She rolled off of me onto the floor, and I got up as fast as I could, getting ready for her next attack. But none came. She flopped around on the floor looking for a breath that never came to her.

Madi
was dying.

I had killed her.

I watched in utter shock as Madi struggled to hold onto life.
She obviously couldn’t breathe, and I didn’t know how to help. A heated numbness flushed through my entire body as the shock of what I had done penetrated my brain. I became aware of Crystal and Di staring at me. Sweat was dripping from my face, and I felt a little dizzy.

I
stepped up to the sink and stuck my head under the faucet. I let the cold water run over the back of my neck before I turned my mouth to the stream and gulped. Finished, I leaned against the sink for a moment, trying to collect my scrambled thoughts.

I turned around to face them.
“I didn’t mean to hurt her that much!”

Di picked up a sheet and threw it over Madi’s spastic body.
Crystal and I both gave her a strange look.

“What?
I don’t want to watch that mean old thing die.” Di shuddered. “And she got what she deserved if you ask me. Well done, Sunny.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t put the sheet over her u
ntil she’s dead,” I said.

“You take the sheet off if you want to,” Di said, shaking with revulsion.

Within seconds, Madi’s body became still, although none of us moved for a long time.

“Do you think she’s dead now?” Crystal asked.

“Yes,” I said.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about killing someone.
A jolt of panic went through me, but then I remembered how hateful Madi was, and it went away. I knew I would be in a lot of trouble for killing a supervisor, but I was already wanted for execution. Life really wasn’t going to get any worse for me.

“What are we going to do now?” Crystal asked.

“You’re going to get upstairs before you’re late for the president’s party,” I said. I would deal with the body.

“But I can’t just leave you with this mess.
It’s because of me that you —” Crystal began, but I cut her off.

“This is not because of you
. This is because she was a mean and hateful woman who was spoiling for a fight. And I gave her one.” I wouldn’t let Madi’s death make us feel guilty. Di was right. She got what she deserved.

“Where did you learn to fight like that?” Crystal asked.

“Jack taught me
.” Fighting was the last thing I wanted to talk about right now.

“Is that what the two of you are teaching everyone in the common room?”

When Crystal mentioned it, I remembered I was supposed to be in the common room right then having dinner with Jack. After that we would train with whoever stayed behind to learn. Now I wasn’t sure I could make it there on time.

“It’s not just about self-defens
e. It’s about uniting everyone to work together for a better future. Unfortunately, fifty people in a common room learning a few good moves aren’t going to change anything. We need everyone to make it work.” I knew I sounded preachy, but I didn’t care.

“Well, you can sign me up
,” Di said brightly.

Crystal was looking at the lump under the sheet that used to be Madi.
“After tonight, I’m a believer. No matter what, you and Jack have to succeed. You’re our only hope.”

T
ears streamed down her face. Was she crying for Madi or for something else? Then I remembered she said she had heard things. Things she wasn’t supposed to hear. Did she know something the rest of us didn’t? I wanted to talk to her, but she was going to be late if she didn’t leave now, and I had a mess to clean up.

“You better get yourself upstairs
,” I said.

“You’re a good person
, Sunny O’Donnell. Don’t ever forget that.” Crystal hugged me and then left.

“You want to check her or should I?” Di asked. I raised my eyebrows.
“To see if she’s dead or not.”

“I will
.” Though I was pretty sure she was. I pulled back the sheet and nearly ran away screaming when I saw Madi’s eyes open wide and staring vacantly at me. I forced myself to check her pulse. There was none. “She’s dead.”

“Well, that’s it then.
What will we do with the body?”

“I’ll get rid of it.
I don’t want you to get involved any more than you are.”

“I hated that woman from the day I met her.
I don’t mind helping to get rid of her.”

“Look, I have nothing to lose here.
I’m already wanted for execution. But you’re free. Don’t get involved in this.”

“Free?” Di
sounded surprised. “There’s not one person living down here who is
free
. ‘Cull’ is just another word for execution, and I’m due in less than a year. So stop being self-righteous and learn to accept help when it’s offered.”

I hadn’t expected that response from Di.
She had always seemed so… tolerant of her situation. It surprised me that she might be fed up and angry, too.

“Okay
. Help me get her in one of the laundry carts. Are you able to finish Crystal’s work and get it upstairs? I really don’t need anyone nosing around here tonight.”

“I can do that.”

I retrieved a cart full of dirty laundry and wheeled it alongside Madi’s body.
I took out some of the clothes and motioned for Di to grab her arms while I picked up her legs. We hoisted her into the cart.

“Where are you going to dump her?” Di asked.

“Probably best I don’t say. That way when they find the body you can look genuinely surprised.” I put the pile of dirty clothes on top of her and made sure no parts were showing. “I’ll be back as soon as I can to help you finish the ironing.”

“Best hurry up before she gets stiff in there or you’ll have a time getting her out
.” I didn’t respond. The thought was gross enough.

I rolled the cart out of the laundry room and checked the halls to make sure they were clear.
There was one guard lounging against the wall, and I would have to walk past him to get to the mineshaft. I pulled my hat down over my eyes and strode purposefully past him.

“What do you have there?” he asked with mild interest.
Was he one of Liberty’s guards?

“Laundry
.” I looked back at the room I just came from with the big “Laundry Room” sign over the door.

“Oh
, yeah.” He waved me on.

I was grateful he didn’t ask me where I was going.
There was no reason to take a laundry cart down this hall.

I continued on, rounding a
corner, which took me out of view of the guard. Thankfully there were no more guards to be seen. Almost everyone in the Pit would be in the common rooms having dinner, so it was the time of evening the guards took a break, which was lucky for me.

I pulled open the door to the
mineshaft and held it with my hip as I pushed the cart through. I gently closed the door behind me, trying not to make any noise, and stood for a moment to let my eyes adjust to the darkness. Once I was able to see the edge clearly, I wheeled the cart closer. I thought about sending the whole thing over, but realized that would be a mistake. I might have a chance of getting away with this if I made it look like Madi had fallen down the shaft.

I
dug all the clothes out of the cart and piled them by the door. Then I turned the cart on its side and tipped it until I felt the body slide out. It was difficult work. Madi was a large person. The drop to the bottom was just slightly over two miles so it took nearly a minute before I heard a distant
thud
. I put the clothes back in the cart and left the shaft.

The same guard was standing there when I returned.
He gave me a questioning look when he saw I still had the cart full of clothes.

“I took the wrong cart,” I
said.

Di was almost finished
with the ironing when I got back. She was obviously experienced at it because she was a lot faster than either Crystal or me. I started loading a cart with the freshly laundered clothes.

“No problems?” Di asked.

“There’s a guard outside. You might want to mumble something about doing it yourself if you want it done right.”

Di finished the last shirt and put it on top of the pile.

“Don’t come back here when you’re finished.
If anyone asks why you’re bringing the laundry, you just say we’re short staffed after hours and you worked late to help out. I’m going to leave and not come back until tomorrow morning. In the morning, we’ll all just stand outside waiting for Madi like we always do. Okay?”

“Got it,” Di said.
She sucked in a deep breath, scanned out and wheeled the cart through the doors.

I tidied up the mess Madi and I had made when we were fighting and
scanned out, too. I made my way to the fourth-level common room, which was thankfully in the opposite direction of the guard I had passed earlier. There was another guard standing by the door outside of the common room.

“Good evening
, ma’am,” he said as he opened the door. I didn’t think I was ever going to get used to being treated that way. I thanked him awkwardly and walked through the door.

The training session was already in full swing.
Three guards stood with their rifles gripped in their hands while people lined up to take their turn disarming them. I noticed with disappointment that there weren’t as many people as the night before. Jack was correcting someone when he looked up and saw me come into the room. He shot me a questioning look, but I had no answer for him. He went back to his task, and I took the opportunity to sit down. I think it was the first time I rested all day.

The shock of what I had just done was starting to set in.
My hands were beginning to shake, so I tucked them under my legs to try and still them. Then my legs started shaking. Emotionally, I didn’t really feel anything at all, so I was angry that my body would betray me like that. Jack motioned for me to come over and help. Would my legs support me? I wasn’t sure. I shook my head. Jack would have to do this on his own.

The training session seemed to take forever, but finally Jack said it was time to wrap up.
Everyone thanked him and filed out of the room. I stood up to leave, although I still wasn’t sure my legs would work. I took a few steps, ignoring the weakness in my knees.

“Where were you?” Jack
asked in a low voice. “I’ve been going out of my mind! I sent a guard to look for you.”

“Was that an Alliance guard outside of the laundry room?”

“Is that where you’ve been? Working late? Was Madi on you again?”

“Can we talk about this at home?” My lack of sleep last night and current trauma of having just killed someone was s
tarting to crash in on me.

Jack put his hand at the small of my back and steered me toward the door.
“You’re shaking.” He gave me a sidelong glance, but didn’t ask any more questions until we were safely inside our apartment.

“What happened?” he
asked as soon as he shut the door.

I sat down heavily in the chair.
“I killed her.” There was no sense keeping it from Jack. He just stood staring at me, not saying a word. Maybe he didn’t hear me. “I killed Madi.”

“You mean you killed her for real?
She’s dead?” I could tell by his shocked expression that he didn’t believe me.

“I didn’t mean to kill her.
She was beating Crystal, and I knew she was going to kill her… and I just snapped. I went after her, and we got into a fight. She had me pinned on the floor at one point, but as soon as she let go of my arms, I punched her. I got her here.” I pointed to the base of my neck.

“You
throat punched
her? Didn’t you know you could kill someone that way?”

“Well
, I do now!”

He gave me an apologetic look and sat down in the chair across from me.
“What did you do with the body?” he asked. I could almost see his mind trying to work out a plan to cover it up.

“I put her in a laundry cart
, wheeled her to the mineshaft, and threw her body down the shaft. There was one guard who saw me with the cart. I’m hoping he was the one you sent to look for me.”

“
He didn’t see the body, though?”

“No.
She was covered up with dirty clothes.”

“What about any mess in the laundry
room? Any blood?”

“No blood
, and I picked up anything we knocked over during our fight.”

“I’m impressed
, Sunny. It sounds like you covered your tracks well.”

“I feel like I just made a mess of everything
. My life was already complicated enough without adding murder to the list.”

“Defending yourself against a crazy pe
rson isn’t murder. It’s self-defense.”

The lights went out and left
us in darkness. I was exhausted, but I didn’t want to go to sleep. My numbed brain was still processing the events of the evening. Jack stood up and held his hand out to me. I knew he couldn’t find his way to the bedroom in the dark, so I took his hand and led him there. He crawled onto the bed, and I took the heavy vest off before I laid down myself. He surprised me when he pulled me into the crook of his arm. I pulled back, but he firmly put my head on his shoulder.