Chapter 175
- Josh -
The speakers crackled to life again.
"Hello, fellow Bushel Shell City residents," the governor's unalarming voice echoed throughout the district. The maintenance crews need more room to work at this time. Please proceed to the second city district, and we will work on temporary living arrangements. Again, nothing to fear; thank you for your cooperation at this time."
Click.
The intercom speakers went silent again.
I stared for a second at the speakers mounted on poles throughout the city.
"Nothing to fear," I muttered. "Just maintenance needing more space. HA! Who is he playing here? He killed some of his crew on the first floor."
"I swear, when this is over, they're going to answer for every single person lost here. He'd best pray I don't find him first."
I felt a heavy hand settle on my shoulder. It was Duke. "Josh, his day will come; for now, let us save as many people as we can."
The ground shook, and the sounds of metal doors sliding at the far end of the city, pistons screaming under the strain of hinges and gears moving.
"Those aren't closing," Micah gasped.
She was right; they were opening.
Cold air rushed in through the widening gap as the locks disengaged one after another.
That's when we heard it: water, not a splash but a roar.
The emergency exit doors opened to the ocean, as well as other water control systems throughout the city.
Like a river being forced through a tunnel that had been sealed for years.
My jaw tightened.
"The channels are redirecting someone, or something is flooding the system. One city after another," I said quietly.
This was not routine maintenance. Something is wrong with the system. I remember them saying the 5 adults were trying to hack their system, which looks like they accomplished their goal.
The sound grew louder as the doors slid farther apart, the system's pressure pushing through the underground channels beneath the district.
I could almost feel it climbing.
Rising, forcing its way through pipes and gates designed to control it.
Whoever was doing this knew the infrastructure. And they knew it well.
I couldn't help but think again as I rubbed my hand down the back of my neck, trying to bleed the heat building behind my eyes.
People lived here: families, workers, children, and the elderly.
They aren't soldiers or fighters, just ordinary people trying to survive this corrupt system. That treated them as disposable.
And now the systems that were so flawless feel held there, lives now turning against them.
A flash of anger surged up my spine.
For half a second, I pictured the governor standing in his office, sipping on some drink, watching as the whole world beneath him flooded with waters rising around his people.
Just once.
Just one good punch straight through that smug face of his might do it, and if that didn't do it, I would keep going until he understood all that he's going to do to the people under him.
My fingers curled into a fist. But I forced them open.
Anger wouldn't help right now.
focus would.
Beside me, Evan was already watching the channels like a hawk. His calm always hit different in moments like this — like the world could be collapsing and he'd still be the one thinking three steps ahead.
Becky brushed my hand for a second—just enough to make contact with me and help me feel grounded.
"Breathe, babe." She smiled.
"I glanced at her and forced somewhat of a smile."
"Hey, Evan," I asked. "Do you think this is the governor's idea?"
"I wouldn't think so; he didn't want to stop the festival when Kaysi and I told him of the flooding possibility. If anything, he seemed— "
James tilted his head. "He seemed what?"
"Well, he seemed in a rush," Evan said, crossing his arms and resting his hand on his chin. It was like he had to keep going, I thought it was for greed."
Duke nodded slightly.
"Pressure, put on by someone else forcing decisions, maybe."
"Blackmail, maybe," Micah added.
It would explain the outsiders. The five adults suddenly appeared and hacked the system. These were people who clearly knew this place.
I exhaled slowly.
"That is what I was thinking. Let's go ahead and get all the workers and families out, and we will figure it out later."
The pressures of the city rise, and so do the waters.
As we approached the warehouses, lights flickered down the walkways.
Beyond the bridge, the water swelled and turned, white-capped waves crashing over the containment rails and splashing onto the ground.
My stomach tightened.
"This isn't good. We have one way in, but at this rate, we might not have a way out."
We pick up speed running.
"I will go around as we are evacuating the people and figure out what our other options are," Duke directed.
The channels are filling up fast, much quicker than they did in City District 1.
"We have our work cut out for us." Children work together but stay close, at least in earshot of each other. "Baby," he added.
We all nodded as Duke and Baby separated from us to find another way out.
"We got to get across the bridge immediately before the water blocks access," Evan ordered. "They are opening the gates upstream.
Was someone trying to block our path or wash us out, or what? Are these ironic circumstances?
My eyes followed the rushing water.
"If these channels keep overflowing, they will overflow onto the streets. Duke and Baby are finding another way out, but the faster we can get people to cooperate, the better.
There is no stopping this nightmare. We just have to help as many as we can."
"Becky, can you use your time or ice powers to create a wall or stop the flow for a bit?"
She shook her head and looked down.
"Something happened; I lost my powers. I can help and fight, but there is nothing there, not even a spark."
Her voice cracked.
"Are you serious? How?"
"I can't explain yet, but just know it was pretty serious, and I think maybe I am paying the consequences of my actions."
I didn't try to pry anymore. Becky has always been an open book. If she feels she needs to keep this even from me, then so be it."
"Until then, I am sorry you all must pick up my slack," Becky bowed.
She was both worried and hurt that she was unable to help us.
Kaysi lifted her and gave her a quick hug. "Don't do that; you're more than enough. Thank you for your help."
Walked into the first building—people still working, completely unaware of the dangers roaring their way.
"How are we going to get everyone out at once?" Micah asked.
I found an office chair in front of the guard desk.
Perfect.
I rolled it over and climbed onto the security desk.
The guard blinked at me.
"Hey, kids— you can be in here— this is authorized personnel only."
"The machine here doesn't allow you to hear the outside world—"
I said, igniting a small fire under the smoke detector.
The alarm screamed.
Sprinklers exploded to life across the warehouse floor.
Workers paused in confusion as the water rained from the ceiling.
I cupped my hands and yelled over the chaos.
"CITY EVACUATION LEAVE NOW AND GRAB YOUR FAMILIES IF YOU WANT TO SURVIVE!"