Above ground was in shambles. The buildings that were standing were war zones. Streets were broken and unable to be traveled on due to the bombs that had been dropped on them. Empty fields became death traps as local gangs buried land mines beneath the ground. In an old abandoned school Trina Vega sat behind the principal's desk and stared at herself in a handheld mirror.
"Boss?" A knock at the door alerted her to the woman's head poking through the crack.
"What is it?" Trina snapped.
"Justin and Rick are here." The woman replied. Trina smiled and deposited the mirror into the desk drawer and nodded her head.
"Send them in." She ordered. Two men walked through the door and flinched when it closed behind them. It clicked as the lock was flipped and the taller of the men, Justin, swallowed roughly.
"My baby sister has gone down into the tunnels." Trina stood up and moved around her desk.
"My sources have informed me that you two were the dumb-asses that forced her down there, and that makes me very unhappy." She tsked.
"Yeah, well, she stole from us. She can't do that! I don't care whose sister she is." Justin said puffing out his chest.
"Justin," Trina purred as she stepped closer to the men, "Baby, who is the reason you have anything at all?" She ran her index finger under his scruffy chin.
"You." He bit back.
"Exactly." She grabbed his neck and squeezed her hand around it. Justin's eyes widened and he clawed at her arm.
"You're going to get my sister back." She seethed and threw him onto the ground.
"But Jade's watching her." Rick scratched the back of his neck nervously.
"I know, I have some people on the inside. Not only is Jade watching her, she is keeping her under complete supervision." Trina folded her hands behind her back. "I want you to bring my sister to me. Or you better find your way out of Hollywood, because you won't live if you don't bring her back to me."
"We wouldn't live to get out of this town, the only way out is to go through the tunnels, unless we want to be blown up." Rick spoke up again.
"Then I guess you should go get my sister." Trina knocked twice on the door.
"Now get out." She said as the door unlocked and was opened. The two men left immediately. There was another knock on the door as Trina sat down. She groaned and propped her feet on the desk.
"Come in!" She barked. The door was opened and Sinjin walked into the room.
"What do you want Sinjit?" Trina demanded.
"The gang that tortured your sister is in the holding cell." He informed her. She smiled and nodded.
"Chain them up and let them get as thin as my sister, then you can let them back out onto the streets." She cracked her knuckles and positioned her hands behind her head.
"Shoo." She waved him away and the skittish boy darted from her office with a slam of the door.
Hours later when Jade awoke her face was buried in Tori's neck. The other woman was already awake and she had been playing with Jade's hair.
"I really do like your hair short like this; it makes you look older and more sophisticated." She spoke quietly. Jade considered moving but decided against it.
"I think the world falling apart did that." She replied. One of Tori's bones, Jade thought it might be a hip, was digging into her side and she had to move. She started to reposition herself but fell out of the cot and onto the cement floor. Tori erupted into a fit of laughter and rolled onto her side.
"You okay?" She asked still chortling softly. Jade grumbled as she pushed herself off the ground.
"Yeah. I have some things to take care of out there." She hitched her thumb in the direction of the door.
"Aw, can I come with you, I'm so bored." Tori pleaded as she sat up. Jade shook her head.
"Not yet, tomorrow." She paused and glanced over her shoulder.
"I'll be back with dinner in a little while." She told Tori before exiting the room. Tori sighed heavily and stretched out on the uncomfortable cot again.
Jade closed the door behind her and looked around the center of the camp. People who had already finished their jobs were milling about; talking, playing and relaxing. Children who were off from school were running around and jumping on the subway tracks while their mothers' feet dangled over the edge of the platform. Groups formed around fires and spoke about the passing day. It might be blazing hot above the ground, but encased in cement and darkness there was a palpable chill in the air.
Jade crossed the makeshift bridge to reach the other platform and headed towards a room with the windows plastered with newspapers to keep prying eyes out. She opened the door and chuckled as Cat and Robbie jumped apart.
"I though you didn't like how Robbie played Pirates." Her hands crossed over her chest. Cat hastily pulled her shirt over her head and back further away from Robbie.
"Sometimes it's fun." She murmured sheepishly. Jade smiled.
"That's fine Cat, but I need to talk to Robbie." She gestured to the door and Cat hurried passed her without another word.
"Is it working yet?" Jade implored while shutting the door. Robbie buttoned his shirt swiftly and ran a hand through his unruly curls.
"No, I'm having trouble figuring out the cross wires and the circuits keep frying." He answered. Jade nodded slowly.
"How much longer do you think it is going to take?" She ran her hand over the stainless steel table in the center of the small room.
"I don't know, it took me two months to get the ones that keep this place running to work." He said wearily. Jade sighed and looked over at the window where shadows danced on the faded and dirty newspaper.
"Okay, well, let me know if you get it working. I would like to get another generator in the hospital wing. I don't like how often power flickers around here." She reached for the doorknob.
"Are you okay Jade?" Robbie asked softly. Jade glanced over her shoulder at the boy.
"Yeah, I'm good. There is just a lot of work to be done around here." She replied.
"You know, we can't stay down here forever. Those kids need sunshine; we all do." He told her. Jade turned back to the door and stared at the dented metal.
"I know," she leaned her head against the door, "I'm trying." She finished and pulled open the door before leaving Robbie alone in the control room.
Trina stood outside underneath the cover of an old McDonalds. Fighter jets flew loudly above her. She heard the far away sound of a bomb dropping and the ground shook beneath her feet. Minutes later a woman walked up with her hands shoved into her jacket pockets. She kept her head down and her hood up on her shaved head to shield her from the dust. When she met Trina under the ripped awning she pulled her hands out of her pockets. She held a box of needles in one and a bottle of pills in the other.
"Tetanus shots and penicillin," she said quietly, "as per your request." Trina dropped the offered items into the messenger bag at her hip.
"How is she?" Trina questioned immediately.
"I haven't had the chance to see her yet. Jade has been with her for hours. I don't know what they're doing but that is how I got away." She sighed. "I did, however, tell her to bring Tori to me before letting her out among the community." Trina nodded curtly.
"Good." She squinted as she peered out into the distance. Dust that still hadn't settled hovered in the sky casting an eerie light to the air.
"Let me know how she's doing, and I want her out of there as soon as we can manage." The woman nodded.
"We'll get her out." She assured.
"Thanks Trace." Trina smiled. The earth shook again as another bomb was dropped.
"What are they even trying to hit?" Tracy asked while both women looked over the ash covered ground around them.
"Civilians. They don't want us reproducing because of the radiation poisoning a lot of us have." Trina sighed heavily. "Instead of testing; it's easier to bomb us." Tracy stared in silence. Another round of jets flew overhead and Trina cracked her knuckles. The sounds of engines were loud around them.
"You have to find us an opening." Trina said suddenly.
"I told you; I can't do that, she's got the tunnels patrolled twenty-four-seven." Tracy replied.
"They will be bringing tanks through here in the next week. I cannot hide seventy people from an army in a school." Trina said desperately.
"How are we supposed to get seventy people down there without Jade knowing?" Tracy pushed her hands back into her pockets.
"These people expect me to help them." Trina pleaded softly.
"I'm sorry. I've got to get back. Jade is going to notice that I'm gone." Tracy stepped out of the shade and Trina grabbed her arm.
"Take care of my sister. I don't know what Jade wants with her but I don't want her hurt." Tracy nodded and yanked her arm free. She hurried back to the closest subway entrance.
As soon as she reached the main camp Tracy knew something was wrong. The people were huddled together and children were screaming.
"What is going on here?" She asked. Jade rounded a corner and nearly ran into her.
"Tracy, where have you been?" Jade snapped. "The North Tunnel collapsed. They need your help!" Jade explained. Tracy jumped into action and ran to get her medical supplies. By the time she reached the tunnel men were being pulled out of the rubble. Several were dead and many were injured. Tracy dropped to her knees beside Beck. She examined him quickly.
"Beck, you've got a broken leg." She told him as she pulled out two sturdy strips of metal from her bag. "I have to set the bone or it will heal wrong. This will probably hurt a lot." She said placing one of the sheets of metal under his leg. She rubbed his calf slowly to feel the bone. Suddenly she pushed down and there was a loud crack. Beck screamed as Tracy pressed the second piece of metal to his skin and wrapped the medical tape tightly around it.
"Don't move." She directed and moved to the next person. While she was attending to a head wound her name was shouted.
"Get over here now!" Was screamed. She rushed to Jade's side where she kneeled over the limp body of Cat.
"Help her!" She wailed. Tracy stared down at the small women. Cat coughed and blood bubbled from her throat.
"Oh God!" Jade's hand flies to cover her mouth. "Cat hold on." She ordered. She glared at Tracy.
"Why aren't you helping her?" Her voice was raw with emotion.
"There is nothing I can do. We don't have the equipment to handle internal bleeding." Tracy answered sadly.
"Jade," Cat's voice was gargled as she struggled to speak, "will you tell Robbie I love him?" Jade nodded, tears dripping down her face.
"And," her breathing was ragged, "tell Tori," she breathed slowly, "you love her." Her breath exhaled too long and her eyes went black.
"Cat!" Jade screamed. Tracy placed a hand on Jade's shoulder. Jade shook her off.
"Come on Jade, don't stay here." She pulled her up. Jade started to cry harder and her body convulsed in Tracy's arms. She ordered her assistants to tend to the other wounded as she took Jade back to the main camp. She headed toward Jade's quarters but Jade shook her head frantically.
"Let go!" She stumbled to Tori's room and disappeared behind the metal.
Tori awoke as her door slammed shut.
"Jade?" Tori sounded alarmed as she took in the woman's disheveled appearance.
"What's wrong?" She asked. Jade lurched forward into Tori's arms.
"Cat," Jade sobbed, "is dead!"
"What!" Tori's jaw dropped open.
"She was in the North Tunnel when it collapsed." Jade buried her head in Tori's neck.
"Oh my God." Tori whispered and wrapped her arms around Jade's back.