Fragments - Book One of the Missing

Chapter 37 - Taniel

Taniel marveled at the fact Rowan and he were on the same team again. Coming clear, sharing his art - it was cathartic. He never wanted to take on the Underground, but for Rowan he would. He owed her that much at least.

He cleared the table in the loft and worked with Rowan to lay out a precise map of the Underground layout.

"Here, here and here, were the three sections that felt off to me." Rowan pointed with her finger.

"Anything else you think was noteworthy?"

"I know it was awhile ago, but back when you were in the Underground, do you recall there being tunnels out of Fenesmere? Maybe under the Emolo Rivers?"

"As far as I can remember, no. But Fenesmere hasn't actually been normal for a long time..."

"Right." Rowan's fingers clasped, then unclasped. He noticed that she always played with her hands when she was thinking. He didn't even think she was conscious of it.

"What's going on?" Scooter asked, leaning his forearms on the table to study the map. "Don't we already know the layout of the UG?"

"Why are you calling it that?" Taniel asked.

"Code names, duh."

"There might be tunnels coming in and out of Fenesmere through the Underground. But it's almost as if the tracks go dark at those points. I think for now, we avoid them."

Taniel could see what she meant - Rowan had drawn two tracks that headed right for the coast of Fenesmere and stopped suddenly at dead ends. There weren't stations there.

Taniel rubbed his chin with his forefinger and thumb. "Do you think that is how they are taking the Missing out of the city?"

"That would be my bet. But until we learn more about the Underground's involvement, the shipping cycles, where they are going, etc, it would be a fool's errand to head there first. We'd be going in blind."

"Okay, so what do you suggest?"

She pointed to one of the hotspots, the one closest to Pennsy Station. "We start small and head for this one. That way if anything goes wrong we can wrap up and move out pretty quickly. It's only a 15 minute walk from the Pennsy platform."

"And what do we do when we get there?"

"Since you boys are only good for fighting, you'll stand guard. I'll see if there is anything there I can use my hands to hack into."

"I can help with the hacking, you know," Scooter said, a little defensively.

"I know, but I think I can download the information faster." She tapped her fingers to her brain. "And I have a larger hard drive."

"Fine. It's a plan, Stan."

Taniel shook his head at them. "You two are beyond weird."

****

The day arrived at last for the motley trio to penetrate the Underground network. Taniel was as prepared as he could be, dreams and all. Scooter and he would certainly be facing something that night, but he hoped they could manage to keep Rowan out of trouble.

Rowan led the boys to Pennsy Station, and stopped in the main terminal. Taniel looked up as she did, and would have to be blind to miss how beautiful it was. His mind inexplicably wandered from the task at hand. He would love to pretend that he was one small person in the world, with no significance other than to his family. But the Stars had dealt everyone their own fate. His was to dream, and if he was to dream of better things, he better start now.