Vladimir Todorov - Archipelago N.Y. - Flynn

“Tony, what the hell are you doing here?” Flynn whispered.

“I’ll explain later.”

All teams were waiting for Duncan Roth to speak. The man was now holding a bullhorn.

“Listen up, everyone!” began the Rottweiler, his amplified voice rising over the Scavenger’s Dock. “Today you’ll be scavenging within the waters of the Lower Side. You won’t be leaving its boundaries. In a minute, you’ll be given maps with the co-ordinates of your individual challenge tasks. There’s a map for each team, with a different target for each one of you. I’ve personally planted all targets and drafted all the maps. Each target is unique and different from the rest. The targets are placed approximately at the same depth and not far from each other, so it’s a fair game… But expect surprises! Don’t try to cheat, fight or steal another team’s target. I’ll know! Anyone caught breaking the rules, will be disqualified! Is that clear?”

“Yes!” cried all the teams.

“I didn’t hear you!”

“Yes, sir! For the Greater Good, sir!” This time they all yelled like one, the echo of their voices bouncing back from the walls behind the docking platform.

“That’s better!” said Duncan Roth and started pacing again. “When you find your target, you’ll bring it back to me. You’ve got five hours to complete the course. The teams that haven’t come back by then… will be disqualified.”

His voice was monotonous, without emotion. “Now,” the Rottweiler continued, “the first three teams to complete their challenges and bring me their targets, earn the privilege to be Free Scavengers and members of the Scavenger Crews. All the others, regardless of the order they come back in, will be assigned to the Industrial Scavenging Crews… I’m sure you all knew that already.” Duncan Roth stopped at the edge of the water and added, “Any questions?”

The teams were quiet, tense and eager to start. Of course, they all knew the rules! Duncan Roth opened the flap of his canvas bag and took out a bundle of square-cut plastic maps. He started handing them out one by one to the teams. When he reached Flynn and Tony, he seemed to hesitate for a split second. Shuffling the maps, he took one from the middle and tossed it to Flynn. When all maps were handed out, Duncan Roth waited a few minutes to allow the crews to study their directions, then stood at the center of the platform and raised his hand in the air. He was now holding a large revolver. “Let the Trials begin,” he cried and fired a single shot.

The crews sprang into action immediately. Having stood perfectly still and quiet just moments earlier, they were now all scrambling like mad, running and shouting, in a feverish rush to head out. Loud insults flew back and forth. Rafts bumped and crashed into each other in their frenzied attempt to be the first to push away from the dock. A few punches were thrown; ugly curses and deadly threats exchanged… With so much at stake, there was no holding back. The water around the rafts was churning from the crazy speed of the pedals, and the pull of the oars.

Flynn had freed the Seeker with one swift move, and was already pushing on the pedals, skillfully navigating through the narrow gaps between the other rafts. “Sit back and take it easy. I’ll get us out of here in no time!” he shouted above all the noise to Tony. “Save your strength for the pump and the diving bell!”

In a couple of minutes, all the rafts had disappeared from the Scavenger’s Dock, leaving a big wake behind them.

“Tell me what happened?” Flynn finally asked Tony, after he had managed to put a good distance between him and the competition. Only two vessels were ahead of the Seeker . One belonged to Pharrell and his buddy, and the other to a crew he didn’t recognize. But Flynn’s raft was light and fast. He had no doubt he would catch up with those rafts, even overtake them round the next bend. They had to all go south, past the Fishing Nets, before swinging into the Lower Side canals. Flynn kept his speed steady as he turned to look at his friend. Tony lay sprawled on the seat next to him. Some color had returned to his face, and his breathing was back to normal.

“Well…” Tony began slowly, “first, don’t be mad at Madison!”

“Why shouldn’t I? She screwed up!”

“No Flynn, she didn’t! She had no choice…”

“What do you mean?”

“She got cornered by Leo last night… He threatened to put her parents on the List… and then he took her home with him… back to the Upper Side!”

“How do you know all that?”

“‘Coz she managed to send me one of her pigeons with a message.”

“Bastard!” Flynn’s face darkened. “You were right about him…. Should’ve listened to you.”

“Yeah. I knew Leo would do something… to make you pay… So, here I am, amigo. ”

“Thanks for doing this, Tony!”

“It wasn’t easy sneaking out… Mom’s sure gonna be mad as hell…,”said Tony and chuckled to himself.

Flynn smiled and looked ahead. “Here… take the map,” he said, “have a look at it… See where we’re heading, what’s the target… I’ve got to get past these guys.”

Tony buried his nose in the map, while Flynn doubled his effort and increased his speed.

Madison stood on her toes against the big glass window and squinted at the rising sun. She strained her eyes at the faint outlines of the Lower Side buildings, far in the distance to her right. She took in the tiny silhouettes floating on the water. The Archipelago’s rafts and boats appeared to be hovering over the smooth surface of the ocean, like little dragonflies. Somewhere out there was Flynn’s raft… She was supposed to be on the Seeker right now, next to Flynn and competing in the Trials… There was no way of knowing if her message had reached Tony… if he had been able to make it to the race on time… if Flynn had been allowed to compete… All she knew was that the Trials had started, and she could do nothing, but wait and hope for the best.

Madison stepped back and studied the window pane one more time. All the handles had been removed. She had checked and re-checked every inch of it, looking in vain for an opening. Madison had poked in all the holes and cracks, her fingers sore and her nails broken from trying to pry the window open. She had also given up on trying to open the room’s heavy wooden door. There was no way out! Madison had come as Leo Van Zandt’s dinner guest, but the truth was that she was his prisoner. She was a captive, locked in one of the many rooms of the Van Zandt luxurious apartment, somewhere at the top of the Empire State Building.

Madison had never set foot on the Upper Side, until Leo had whisked her there in his motor boat the night before. Everybody on the Lower Side knew their neighbors were privileged, but she had never seen or imagined that this kind of opulent life existed… all this solid furniture, thick soft carpets, wonderful smells… The room she was locked in had its own bathroom! A real bathroom! With porcelain toilet seat, bathtub and sink. Madison had marveled at the clean soft towels, the fragrant soap and bottles full of lovely scented lotions. The biggest surprise was when she had turned on the tap and fresh water had poured out, splashing in the sink, flowing freely… No rations and no limits here on the Upper Side… Madison had fought the desire to jump in the shower, or to fill the bathtub and just lie in it for an hour or two… In the end, she had turned the water off and walked away, hating her moment of weakness.