Vladimir Todorov - Archipelago N.Y. - Flynn

And then there was the food… the dinner Leo Van Zandt had promised her. She glanced at the table and the dozen different dishes and platters on it. The lavish spread included many delicacies she had heard of, but had rarely or never tasted. Madison couldn’t believe that there were so many different kinds of vegetables and fruit! Grown from seeds that had survived the Flood and cultivated exclusively in the Upper Side greenhouses, these were the rarest of pickings only the Government got to enjoy… Tomatoes and cucumbers, onions, beans and lettuce, cabbage and peppers, apples and pears, melon, oranges… They even had grapes!

It was a feast that could feed twenty people, but it was all laid out on the table exclusively for her! She had not touched any of it, though… How could she, when her stomach was a tight knot of nerves? She couldn’t even look at the table any more. Every time she did, she felt sick… Closing her eyes, Madison reached out and snatched a few grapes from a plate. She then crossed the room and slumped down on the big leather couch. In her feet was the small wicker basket she had brought with her. Slowly, she lifted its cloth cover, and a grey pigeon stuck its head out. She lowered her hand and the bird started to peck hungrily at the grapes. Madison smiled at her little friend, then leaned back and sank into the soft cushions of the couch.

Madison rubbed her temples, trying to stay awake. She had not slept a wink in twenty-four hours, and it was becoming harder to remain alert. Again, she went over the events of what had happened… Leo had brought her to this room and left her alone, but only after they had exchanged words… words which were still ringing in her ears…

Leo had spoken first in his usual, unnerving drawl: “I’ll be completely honest with you, Madison,” he had begun, “there’re two reasons you’re here tonight… First, it’s because I want the Perry boy kicked out of the Trials…”

Shocked at hearing this, Madison had cried, “You can’t do that!” and then, “Duncan Roth’s the only one who can.”

“Ah, you’re absolutely correct!” Leo had chuckled softly. “When you don’t show up at the Trials, he’ll have no other choice, but to disqualify your friend.”

Hearing this, Madison had felt her eyes well up with hot tears, but she had dug her nails into her palms and stopped herself from crying. “So, what’s the second reason?” Madison had managed to ask through clenched teeth.

“The second reason you’re here,” Leo had continued, getting uncomfortably close to her, “is because I find you absolutely irresistible… I won’t touch you until we’re officially paired, but you’re my property now… the future Mrs. Leo Van Zandt!”

Stunned and lost for words, Madison had stood there, unable to respond. The urge to cry had been even stronger than before. This time she had bitten her lip, drawing blood, but she had not shed a single tear in front of Leo Van Zandt.

“Enjoy your dinner, beautiful,” Leo had said, walking out the door. “I’ll see you in the morning… And don’t forget the Departure List comes out in forty-eight hours.”

As if Madison could forget such a thing… Worried sick about Flynn and her parents, she had paced the room up and down, all night long. She had gone over how things might play out between her and Leo upon his return… Madison knew he was somewhere in his vast apartment… possibly lurking behind that very door… It was part of the sick mind games he was playing! Trying to wear her down… Leo’s intentions toward her were more than clear now, and if Madison had been any other girl on the Archipelago, she would have been extremely flattered… But she wasn’t! In fact, being paired with Leo and becoming his wife was the worst thing she could imagine. It made her skin crawl.

Of course, her first impulse had been to reject him right away… to tell him to get lost! And then what? A little voice had spoken in her head… Condemn her parents? Jeopardize Flynn’s situation even further? No! The price was too high… As much as the thought of being with Leo repulsed her, Madison knew she had no choice. She would have to give in to his demands… Or could she trick him somehow? Convince him that she would go along with everything he wanted… Make him believe she was willing to be his? But Madison was so tired now… tired to the point where she felt like she might agree to just about anything in exchange for a few hours of proper rest…

Madison sank deeper into the couch and prayed Tony had read her message… and that Flynn had been allowed to compete… Her eyelids started to close. A minute later, her body went limp and Madison was asleep, having finally surrendered to exhaustion.

“Here!” Tony said and lifted his eyes from the map. “This is our spot, amigo.”

Flynn slowed down and let the Seeker glide until it bumped gently into the concrete wall of the Trump Building. He secured the raft and looked around.

They were on Wall Street Canal, which had been cleared from traffic because of the Trials. There was just one more raft moored nearby. It belonged to Pharrell and Clay… But Pharrell wasn’t on it any more, just his Crew Mate furiously pumping air down to his diving bell. Suddenly, shouts and whistles could be heard above their heads as the other rafts began to arrive. Flynn looked up. Spectators had gathered along the rooftops and walkways, cheering and clapping their hands. Hoping to see his father, Flynn quickly scanned the crowd… but Alan Perry wasn’t there.

Flynn checked the weights under his diving bell, lowered the contraption in the water and let it sink. He had already greased his body with seal fat and was ready to dive. “All set!” Flynn called out to Tony as he fastened his harness and adjusted his pouch. “No time to waste. Let me look at the map again.” He studied the map for a moment, shoved it in his harness and said, “Remember to save your energy! Only pump when I pull the hose. I’ll be fine!” Flynn gave his friend the thumbs up sign, and Tony did the same. They had practiced this so many times, that it was like second nature to them both. Flynn snapped his goggles on, stood still at the edge of the raft for a moment, and dived in.

Luckily, their assigned target was in fairly shallow waters, and the bright sunlight penetrated deep enough for Flynn to see clearly the outlines of the buildings below. He went straight down past his diving bell. Pharrell’s bell was swaying not too far away and appeared to be empty. Flynn reached the pile of mangled vehicles that littered the submerged street and slowed down his dive. He took out the map and switched on his flashlight. Flynn glanced at the murky silhouette of a building, a few yards to the left. According to the map, his target was supposed to be in there, and Flynn could only hope he had read the co-ordinates right.

Kicking his feet, Flynn swam under the fallen traffic light that was in his way, and in a matter of seconds, found himself at the building’s entrance. Flynn shone his light at the sign above the door. Like everything else around him, it was covered in barnacles and weeds, but he could still make out what it said: New York Stock Exchange! Yes, he had definitely found his the location of his target!

Unfortunately, the entrance was blocked by a heap of twisted metal, so Flynn turned back, looking for another way in. Suddenly, a faint light appeared in one of the windows to his right. He saw a shadow emerge quickly out of it, and then the big white grin of Pharrell Lewis as he glided past him. The boy gave him the thumbs up and swam toward his bell. So, Pharrell had located his target and was now in the lead, thought Flynn, his heart sinking a little. He looked back at the black hole from where Pharrell had exited the building and decided not to go back for more air… Without wasting any more precious time, Flynn went straight in.