Chapter Seven: Flushed Away Again

Roddy's heart was in his mouth as he checked the controls again. Everything was still in order. Behind him, Rita helped Algernon check the cable ties.

"We're all set back here!" she called.

Roddy nodded. "Everyone tie themselves in, then." He picked up a length of rope and tied it around his waist before helping Denny do the same. Thus secured to the railings of the boat, they waited and watched as the water level rose. The rushing of a rapid current could be heard from the other side of the barrier.

"Got any last-minute prayers for us, Algy?" said Rita to Algernon.

The young priest shrugged. "I really, really hope that this works?"

"How about 'forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do?'" shouted Big Jack from his steering platform atop the barrel.

"Well, I feel a lot better for that," said Roddy. He looked back to where the great barrel floated. Big Jack waved and assorted faces could be seen at the windows cut into the side. The outriggers creaked as the surface of the water rippled. The lake in the weir was rising fast, and the water had already submerged most of the town's docks. As Roddy watched, the main street went under water and houses flooded. Well, they were committed now.

"You should probably start your engines now," said Rita. "Once the water overflows the barrier it'll be too late."

Roddy opened the throttle. The boat wasn't really going anywhere, not while trying to tow the church barrel behind it, but he turned it slightly downrange anyway. Rita joined him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, lowering her voice.

"Don't worry, Roddy. It's ninety percent instinct. Just relax and do what your reflexes tell you and it'll be all right."

"What about the other ten percent?"

"Oh, half of it's skill, the other half is luck." Rita smiled. "You'll see us right, Roddy. I trust you."

Roddy tried to smile back. "I'm glad one of us does. I've never done anything like this before."

"Neither have I." Rita stroked his shoulder. "Try not to think about it, Roddy."

"Easy for you say," said Roddy. "That comes naturally to you."

Rita chuckled. "You can't be that scared if you're still making jokes."

Roddy grinned and hoped that hid the deep pit of pure terror that had built up inside him. Rita smiled sadly at him and wished she could be of more help to her partner. She kissed him for luck and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

"It's at the top!" shouted Denny. "We're going over!"

Roddy fixed his attention ahead. The weir was overflowing the barrier, and the boat bucked beneath his feet as the torrent caught it and bore it towards the raging waters of the trunk tunnel. He gunned the engines and steered them into the middle of the current, the barrel swinging into position behind the Jammy Dodger II as Big Jack worked the rudder. The steel cables creaked and the stress on them bent the railings slightly. Rita watched them like a hawk. Algernon looked back to his church, kicking up a colossal bow wave with its blunt face as it travelled down the trunk tunnel.

Roddy watched the tunnel walls flash past and knew they had passed the litter trap. He thought about what they had found there and wondered what had happened to it all with the deluge. If the Mudlark had survived, it would be well ahead of them now. He straightened up the boat and concentrated on the floating debris. Most of it couldn't be avoided, but most of it wasn't a risk either. Scraps of wood bounced off the metal hull of the Jammy Dodger II, rebounded and clanged off the barrel behind them. Larger pieces of debris had to be dodged, but the cables screamed their protest with every turn. Sweat ran down Roddy's forehead and his eyes flickered from one possible obstacle to the next, assessing and acting as fast as he could. The tunnel walls moulded into a blur and he shook his head to refocus. The trunk turned to the south and Roddy heard the barrel slam into the wall. Big Jack's cursing could be heard even over the scraping of steel on brickwork and the crunching of the outriggers. Roddy didn't even want to think what was happening inside that improvised vessel, with scores of presumably-terrified people packed in with no way of even seeing if they were going to die. Roddy set his teeth as he brought them back into the current, coaxing the extra power out of the engines with a finesse that would have made Rita proud. A large piece of debris reared out of the water in front of them and he turned to avoid it. It wasn't fast enough and the Jammy Dodger II pinballed off it, lurching drunkenly before Roddy brought it back under control. But not fast enough.

There was a scream behind him as Denny lost his balance and went overboard. His rope went taut as it reached its extension, but the current was too strong for the young boy to pull himself back. He was left bobbing along, head just above the surface, between the Dodger and the barrel.

"Denny!" Rita ran to the rail and watched in horror.

"Help!" Denny disappeared for a moment, sucked under by a momentary whirlpool created by the wake. Rita reached a decision and tore the sling from her shoulder.

"Rita! What are you doing?"

"Hold her straight, Roddy!" shouted Rita. She clambered onto the rail and launched herself into the water. Roddy stared as she reached Denny and struggled to take hold of him with her one good arm. Roddy grabbed Algernon by the shoulder and thrust him towards the wheel.

"You heard her!" he ordered. "Stay the course!"

'What?" Algernon took hold of the wheel uncertainly.

"Just keep her pointed down the tunnel!" Roddy ran to the railing. "Rita!"

He took hold of her rope and began pulling. Desperation gave him strength and Rita and Denny drew nearer, swimming frantically.

"Roddy!" Rita reached out a hand to him. Roddy looked at it. It was her wounded arm, her good one was still wrapped tightly around Denny and trying to keep his head above water. There was nothing for it. Roddy reached down, hoping to take hold of her arm above the break.

It didn't work. The boat lurched as his hand closed around her injured forearm. Rita shrieked in agony, a sound that clawed its way into Roddy's heart like fingernails on a blackboard. It was a horrible sound that he was sure would be replayed by his memory on the darker nights of the year, but there was no time for a second attempt. Rita's fingers clamped around his wrist like a vice and he reached over with his other arm, taking Rita by the shoulder and hauling her aboard. Denny collapsed, panting, in the stern.

"Are you all right?"

Denny nodded sadly and brought up a lungful of stormwater. "Fine," he croaked.

Roddy looked back to Rita. She was curled up against the side, clutching her arm and shivering. Her teeth were bared in a rictus of pain and despite her soaked fur Roddy could see the tears running from her eyes.

"Rita?" He touched her shoulder. She was already shaking with shock and there was a bend in her arm where no bend should have been.

"I said…hold…her…straight…Roddy," she hissed. Roddy nodded desperately and ran back to the cockpit where he relieved Algernon.

"See what you can do for her!" he shouted to the priest. Algernon left, kneeling between Rita and Denny. Roddy tried to clear his head and looked up. The tunnel roof had lifted. That could mean only one thing. They had to be getting close to home.

Mr Malone stood on the edge of the Ratropolis fountain. The water had already overrun the docks and the whole city was knee-deep, disaster only averted by the sandbags packed tight across ground-floor doorways. The Flying Malone hung above the city.

"Where are they?" he muttered. "We can't take this flooding much longer."

As if to underline the point, one of his new mobile phones drifted past, rotating as it hit a small eddy. Mr Malone might have been bothered by that, but he had more important things to worry about now. He looked up at the Floodgate Control Tower. Sid was a distant figure at the windows, waiting for the signal to shut the gate. Colin waded up to Mr Malone, a bright pink rubber ring around his considerable midriff.

"The, uh, water's getting pretty high, sir."

"I can see that, Col," said Mr Malone.

"Much higher and it'll start overrunning the bags, sir."

"I can see that as well, Col," said Mr Malone. "I've got to give them as much time as possible. Do you see them, Jasper?" He looked up.

Jasper waved from the Flying Malone. "Not yet, your worshipfulness!"

Mr Malone returned his gaze to the great trunk tunnel. It was strange looking out that way, normally blocked by the great steel floodgates. Last time they had been opened, the city had nearly been destroyed. He hoped that history wasn't about to repeat itself.

"There they are!" Bruce Two was sitting up and pointing excitedly. "I see 'em!"

Mr Malone looked. Something had just come around the corner was and bearing down on the city at high speed.

"We've got the shut the gates now, sir," said Colin. "Any longer, and-"

"I know, Col." Mr Malone sighed. He raised his arm and brought it down. Up in the control tower, Sid saw the gesture and threw the switch to begin cycling the gates down.

Roddy was daring to hope again. He could see the city through the tunnel arch ahead- they had made it! But a second look put the fear back into his heart. The floodgate was closing. He stamped on the throttle, only to find it was already wide open.

"Come on! Move! Move!" He urged the Jammy Dodger II onwards. The gate kept descending as they neared it and raced underneath. There was a crash behind him as the barrel came through, losing one of its outriggers in the process. The city loomed up ahead, its buildings islands in the high water. Roddy slammed the engines into reverse and turned hard to avoid a disastrous collision and breathed a sigh of relief as the keel scraped across the main square and the Jammy Dodger II came to rest alongside the fountain. Mr Malone was standing there and watching with a look of amazement on his face. Roddy was about to say something when a crash of wood and metal brought his attention behind him. The barrel, with its deeper draught, had hit the edge of the city and gone hard aground, shattering masonry as it came to a halt, Big Jack whooping in triumph. The floodgate finally closed and sealed and the water level began falling away as the city began to drain.

Roddy saluted Mr Malone. The mayor shook his head in silent wonder. Algernon walked to the side of the boat and patted the railings as he stared about Ratropolis.

"Gratias tibi ago, domine," he murmured.

Denny joined him. "Are we there, father?"

"We're there, my son," said Algernon. "We're there at last."

Rita joined Roddy, walking weakly and still shivering from the pain. Roddy put his arm around her waist to steady her.

"See? Wasn't so bad after all," said Rita, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I never doubted myself for a moment," said Roddy.

"Liar," Rita grinned and leaned against him. She looked up and smiled in greeting to her father before finally allowing herself the luxury of passing out.

Mrs Malone put a pitcher of milk on the table. The living room of the Malone house was quieter than usual, as the mayor had requisitioned it for an impromptu meeting. Algernon and Big Jack were there as were various luminaries of Ratropolis. Denny had turned up, as was his wont, and he had promptly disappeared off again with a group of the Malone children. Their play could be heard through the walls and occasionally intruded into the meeting like a fast-moving tornado. Mr Malone picked up the milk and offered it around. Jasper, who was quietly cadging the spare biscuits, took it and topped up his tea.

"I'm glad to see you got everyone back all right," said Mr Malone. "I was a bit worried when Rita told me how many of you there were."

"So were we," said Big Jack. "But it looks like I underestimated your girl's talents."

Jasper coughed. "I'd prefer to think of it as a team effort," he said.

"Right," said Algernon. "I hear we've got to thank you for some heroics, your worship!"

Mr Malone waved a hand. "Just doing my best."

"Well, it wouldn't have worked without you," said Algernon. "Or without you, Roddy, we mustn't forget that! It's probably true to say- Denny, will you keep it outside!"
He glared at the door. Denny had just bowled into the room, followed closely by Shocky.

"Sorry, father!" Denny looked at Algernon pleadingly. "I just asked him about his name!"

"A mistake many have made." Roddy said ruefully.

"I just wanted to show him, dad!" said Shocky, waving the alligator clips. Mr Malone shook his head.

"I've said this before, son, it's not good for visitors."

"Now he says it," muttered Roddy.

"Sorry, dad." Shocky lowered the clips. Denny grinned.

"I don't know what you're happy about, young man," said Algernon, frowning severely. "I think you owe the mayor an apology for disrupting his important meeting."

"Sorry, sir," said Denny sheepishly. They shut the door quietly. Algernon and Mr Malone exchanged long-suffering looks.

"What are we going to do with that one?" said Mr Malone.

"He can look after himself," said Roddy.

"That's the problem," said Algernon. "He'll need watching. I'll do what I can, of course, but still…"

"Is there anyone he could stay with?" asked Mr Malone. "Any relatives here?"

The door opened again.

"Can Denny stay the night, dad? Dad, can he? Can he, dad?" Shocky beamed. Mr Malone looked up to his wife. Mrs Malone smiled and gave him a small nod.

"Sure he can, son," said Mr Malone. "Sure he can."

"That's very kind of you, your worship," said Algernon.

"It'll be good to get him off your hands for a bit," said Mr Malone. He watched Denny playing with his children and smiled at Mrs Malone knowingly. "Just for a bit."

"How's the girl doing?" asked Big Jack.

"She'll be all right," said Mrs Malone. "She's probably woken up by now. I'll just take her up some tea."

Roddy got to his feet with indecent haste. "No, no! Allow me."

Mrs Malone grinned. "I knew you'd look after her, Roddy. Off you go, then."

Rita was sitting up in bed when Roddy came in with the tea tray.

"You really don't have to do this," she said. "It's only my arm that's broken." She gestured to her shoulder, which was shrouded in a clinical white bandage and sling. The arm itself was set in fresh plaster and one of Rita's siblings had already starting scrawling graffiti on it.

"Yes, and that's partly my fault," said Roddy. "Sugar with your tea?"

"You know how I like my tea," smiled Rita. "And it's not your fault. You did what you had to do. You got us home. That was very good piloting, by the way, I don't think I congratulated you on that."

Roddy passed her a steaming mug.

"Which means," Rita went on, "You can stop playing Florence Nightingale now."

"What if I said I was enjoying it?" Roddy grinned and poured himself some tea. "You scared the daylights out of me back then."

"Someone had to go in," said Rita, shrugging. "And Algernon wasn't exactly dressed for it, and you're not the strongest swimmer I know."

Roddy blushed. "Still…it surprised me that you'd do something so risky to save Denny. He could probably have been let go. Big Jack would have picked him up easily enough."

"Yeah…but…" Rita sighed, remembering the feeling of rushing water about her body. Not unlike a situation she'd once been in. "There should always be someone ready to step in. For me, it's always been my parents. It was dad who saved me when I went in as a child. I didn't want to let Denny go without. His parents might not be here, but someone had to do something. That's what parents do."

Roddy raised an eyebrow. "Rita Malone, are you really talking about parenthood?"

Rita raised her own eyebrow. "So what if I am, Roddy St. James?"

"Well, I've just never thought of you as…well…the maternal type." He shrugged.

"I'm sure there's a lot you've never thought of," Rita grinned at him mischievously. "And what makes you think I wouldn't be the 'maternal type'?"

Roddy smiled nervously. "Er…well, you just…I mean, you and children…you don't really seem like you'd go together well…"

"I've looked after my brothers and sisters for years, Roddy. What makes you think I don't like kids?"

"It's not so much that I didn't think you liked children, Rita," Roddy's smile widened uneasily. "It's more that I didn't think you…well…"

"You don't think I want them?" Rita finished the sentence.

Roddy conceded. "Well, you've never really mentioned...anything...and I know your mother's always on at us about grandchildren but whenever she does you get that look on your face that you get whenever you don't want to talk about something."

She reached over and gently took his hand. "And why exactly has made you think that I don't want to have children, Roddy?"

Roddy froze and looked from their touching hands to her shining eyes, trying to think what to say. Then she burst out laughing.

"Oh, Roddy, if you could see your face right now!" She wiped her eyes and patted his hand. "I'm only joking, Roddy, don't be scared. I'm not saying now for goodness' sake! Besides, there are one or two things we'd need to do before you and I could start a family."

"I'd probably enjoy at least one of them," said Roddy, sighing. He shook his head and wondered whether to tell Rita what he had actually thought in that moment. That the emotion which had crowded his mind and frozen his face hadn't been fear but…he shivered and wondered at his own feelings.

"Denny'll fit right in," said Rita, apparently oblivious. "Did you see him playing with Shocky and my other siblings? He's right at home."

"If he's anything like you, he'll do fine," said Roddy.

"Yeah, he'll be right." Rita put her cup down. "Maybe one day we'll tell him what we found on the Mudlark…"

Roddy shook his head. "I think he already knows, Rita."

Rita nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

Roddy smiled and kissed her. "And it isn't often I hear you say that, so I'll quit while I'm ahead. I'll go and help your father shift those sandbags from the front door. Are you sure you'll be all right here?"

Rita rolled her eyes. "What did I say about Florence Nightingale? Of course I'll be all right, Roddy, when am I not?"

Roddy looked pointedly at her arm.

"Oh, shut up." Rita grinned. Roddy stood up.

"And I didn't even have time to say anything," he said, moving towards the door.

"Like you needed to," Rita laughed. "Go on, get lost if you're going."

Roddy gave a theatrical sigh.

"I try to be nice to you and this is what I get. You know, sometimes you really do make things hard on me, Rita."

"Really?" Rita raised a playful eyebrow and looked him up and down with her grin widening. "How many have you got?"

The End.