Kat and Sora stopped in Page, Arizona for lunch at a Burger King. They ordered double bacon cheeseburgers with fries and large Cokes. "Man, I am so hungry," said Sora, dig- ging into her burger. Kat looked around the restaurant. "Where'd CAC go off to, now? I'm going to eat his fries." "Don't bother; I will." A boy in his early teens sat next to them and started eating CAC's food. "Who the hell are you?" asked Kat. "First, tell me what you're doing here and who you are." "Why?" "Because you talk funny and we don't see many travellers here." Kat glanced at Sora. "Uh, we're from Maine. We left New York City with 7 other people. One, we lost in West Virginia. We left the others at Rapid City. There were two other girls, a Midget, a Celebrity, Taichi, and Izzy." She paused. "I shouldn't have told you that." He stopped eating and looked at her, long and hard. "Izzy, huh?" "That's what I said, fuckmook." "So were you a friend of his?" She shrugged and took a bite out of her burger. "Of a sort." "I'd think you'd be a little more sad, now that he's dead. You killed him, didn't you?" "What?! No! Wait. He's dead?" "You said he was your friend. And you didn't know?" "He was alive when I left him." "Barely alive. Probably straining for breath." "I didn't kill him!" Sora had been watching this debate with some amusement, but decided they were getting nowhere. "See here, little pimple," she said. "We really don't have time to waste looking at your sorry face. So get to the point: how did Izzy die?" "I don't know." "Then how do you know he's dead," asked Kat. "Because he's my brother." There was a silence. "Well," said Kat, "I suppose that makes sense. Sibling ESP, or something?" "No. I saw him in Rapid City. The police needed someone to identify that is was him, so they called me. Looking for his killer, they were. Good thing I found her." "I didn't kill him!" Sora was thinking, though. "So ... is everyone else in our Cult dead too?" "Couldn't tell ya." "Can't you just let us go in peace? We're busy." "I'm not keeping you." Izzy's Brother finished CAC's meal and stood up. "Except that I'm going to. Come with me." He grabbed their arms and dragged them out the door to a black Honda Civic. He threw them in the backseat, and got in the passenger seat. Another guy was driving. "All set?" the driver asked. "Yep." Izzy's Brother looked out the window at two other Civics. "Let's go." They got out onto the highway. "You can't just kidnap us like this!" shouted Kat, beating on the seats, windows, ceiling. Anything she could reach. Sora scooted to the far side of the car. "We're just bringing you to a safehouse," said Izzy's Brother. Sora looked out the back window. She blinked, not sure of what she was seeing. But how many orange cars can there be? They stopped about a half hour later, somewhere in the Vermillion Cliffs. Izzy's Brother let them out of the Civic. "Any of you two do any rock climbing?" "Oh, but of course," said Kat. "Maine is just loaded with rocks to climb." "Or get eaten by," muttered Sora. Izzy's Brother pulled them along. "Come on." Some of the other guys in the Civics were starting to climb the cliff. "We can just carry you." So he grabbed Kat and buckled himself into the harness that was hooked to a rope. He pulled her close. "Hang on tight." The guys at the top hoisted them up. On of the other guys took Sora and soon, all 10 of the guys, plus the two girls, were in a cave high up on the side of the cliff. "Wow," said Sora, looking around the cave. It had been cut into a round room, with 2 tunnels at the far end, leading into other rooms. A stone stairway was cut into the rock between the tunnels. "This is the foyer," said Izzy's Brother. "Feel free to hang your coats up." "We don't have coats," said Kat. Izzy's Brother ignored her. "We are meeting in the living room for movies," he said. "Wanna come?" Even if they had answered "no," it wouldn't have mattered, because two guys dragged them into the tunnel on the left. The living room was triangular, with a TV at the far corner. Air chairs and bean bags were set up around it. "How does the TV work?" asked Sora. "You push this button," said Izzy's Brother with just a large hint of sarcasm. He turned the TV on, "and electrons back here are sent up here and are transformed into pixels which make a picture." "How do you get reception?" asked Kat. "Wher does it plug in?" asked Sora. "What does it matter?" He popped in a videotape and fell into an air chair. Kat also grabbed an air chair, and Sora pulled up a large bean bag. "It's no use going anywhere," said Sora. "We don't have a car, even if we could get down that cliff." After the movie was done, they were led into the foyer and through the right tunnel. A card table was set up with folding chairs around it. A small kitchen set-up was in the corner of the square room. "Circle, triangular, square," mused Kat. "I wonder what shape the upstairs will be?" It was in a crescent moon, she found out. After dinner, Izzy's Brother took her and Sora up there. They went to one point of the crescent moon and sat on some cushions. "So," Izzy's Brother said. "Kat, why don't you tell me what happened when you left New York City? Was Joe with you? Tell me what my brother was like." "Uh ..." She thought hard. "That was a while ago. I'm not sure I remember." But he made her tell him anyway. She always avoided talking about the Tongue Ring, and Sora added pieces of the story that Kat missed. "Iowa is such a great place," she was saying. "Kate Hudson's really nice. I don't know why people are always talking smack about Iowa. They probably bring their bad attitudes with them into it. Now Iz--" Izzy's Brother looked at Sora with curiosity. "Yes?" She stumbled over her words. "Um ... ISn't it great in this cave? Fabulous, if I do say so myself." He stared at her. "I do believe you were going to say something about Izzy and his bad attitude in Iowa." "Fine!" yelled Kat. "He's always after the Tongue Ring, and he tried to steal it! Are you happy? You're brother was a lousy person! I'm sorry I ever knew him!" "Kat!" whispered Sora. Izzy's Brother leaned back on his cushion. "I see. So ... this is the answer to my unasked questions. You have a Tongue Ring." Kat looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "No I don't." "And I could take it, use it, and show those fuckers that I can do something right, and I'm not just a Lieutenant Governor's son." "If it exsisted, and if you knew where it was." He leaned forward again. "It would've been better for you if you'd shut up, because every time you talk, the Tongue Ring glints in your mouth." He smiled. "No. Even if I found it laying on the highway, I wouldn't take it. Especially if I found it laying on the highway. Disgusting. How can you keep that in your mouth, after all the places you know it's been?" She shrugged. "Well," he said at last,"I suppose I should help you. I really respect you. Somewhat. For carrying that and not using it. What are you going to do?" "I ... I was going to Nevada. To destroy it. But I don't think I should ever get there now." Kat's eyes fluttered. Izzy's Brother brought them around to the other point of the crescent moon where 2 air mattresses lay. "Good night." Joe led the company through Minnesota on the afternoon of the 5th. By 3 o' clock, they crossed into Wisconsin. They followed I-90 as it turned south with I-94, and stopped in Madison for an early supper. Two hours later, they were coming into Central Chicago. Strange, thought Tai. There sure are a lot of trees growing around here lately. And a lot more lakes. Plus, there wasn't any traffic. None at all. Joe stopped his Ferrari on the I-290 bridge over the North Branch Chicago River. "What the ... fuck?" The river had turned into an sea. Below them, water covered everything. The only thing they could see was the Interstate and the Sears Tower. Matt pulled up beside the Ferrari. "What the hell happened here?" He looked down the Interstate, where a Sebring Convertible was blocking the exit ramp. On the passenger's side they saw two feet; in the driver's side, a girl smoking a cigarette and rockin' to the radio. She looked at the Ferrari and its company of crotchrockets. They drove up to the Sebring and Joe and TK got out of the Ferrari. "Welcome to Chicago," the girl said, getting up and sitting on the door. "We are the guards of downtown. My name is Mimi, and my friend, who is overcome with alcohol--" she kicked the sleeping girl, "--is Kari. We come from the north and east. I'm sorry, but Ken has company. Namely, The Lizard Man, so he can't see you now." Joe crossed his arms. "I see. So, did Ken order you to guard his home?" "Oh no," said Mimi, tossing her cigarette on the ground. "He's been a little ... ocupado. Our orders came from Tree, who has taken over management of Chicago. He told me to welcome the Governor of Wyoming with fitting words. How have I done? Call the hotline at 555--" "What about us?!" cried TK, for he could hold it in no longer. "You led us on a wild goose chase, only to find you smoking! Where'd you get that?" "I want to know where the beer came from," said Matt. Kari snorted. Her eyes were still closed. "Well, you sure didn't find any brains on your journey down the yellow brick road. You find us on a field of victories, and you want some beer?" "I see you must be friends," said Davis. "These are the two you were looking for?" asked an astonished Cody. Joe interrupted them. "Where's Tree?" "Tree?" TK was confused. "There's trees all around." "Oh, he's somewhere," said Mimi. "Maple and Willow are guarding the Sears Tower." "Did Tree leave me a message?" asked Joe. "Or are you too stupid to remember?" "I'm getting to that," she said. "He said if you were to come by, to go find him. There. Are you happy?" Joe gave a little nod. "Davis, come with me to find Tree. When we find him, you will learn much." He got in the Ferrari, followed by Davis. Mimi jumped in the Sebring, started it up, and backed out of the way so Joe could go down the ramp. "The water's frozen, so go ahead and drive on it!" she yelled after him. "So that's the Governor of Wyoming," said Kari, sitting up. "Is he seeing anyone?" |
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| The Two Cities part five |