On a sparrow's wings

Chapter 13 - Outside the safe zone

  They entered their room and Michael instructed Anastasia sit at the table. He pulled out colored markers from his backpack and got the map from Anastasia. He drawed over the map, circling districts of the city in different colors. When he was done he turned it to Anastasia and pointed at it, “A lot of the city is still left unexplored and unsecured, we are here in the Loop.”, his finger darted off to the Loop in the eastern end of the map, next to the lake, “This is Resurrection territory, so we are safe here. But there are a lot more gangs in the city who are not so welcoming and we are going against the worst one.”, his finger darted off once again to the bundle of districts circled in red in the western part of the map. “The Red Fist controls Jefferson Park, Portage park and Belmont Cragin. Their main base is in Jefferson Park”, Michael traced a path with his finger from the Loop to Jefferson Park, “The path to their is mostly uninhabited apart from a few small groups who will not give us trouble. As long as you do what I tell you and there aren’t any complications we should get there in a day or two.”

   “And then we find Ethan.”, Anastasia looked up at him.

He nodded. Anastasia took the map, they gathered their things and set off on the road again. The checkpoint that separated the Resurrection territory from the rest of the city. Anastasia was about to turn the corner when Michael pulled her back by the collar. Her feet dangled in the air for a few seconds before Michael let her go.

“What? That’s the checkpoint isn’t it?”, Anastasia asked.

“We are not taking the checkpoint.”

“Why?”

“They don’t let people outside the safe zone without an order.”

“Then why don’t we get one.”

“They don’t hand them out to anyone who asks.”

“Isn’t there another route? You know a legal one.”

“Yes but it will take at least ten days and it’s pricey.”

  Anastasia agreed with him and they went around the other corner and followed the building until they were next to the checkpoint.

“Now what?”

Michael climbed the building that was right next to the checkpoint. I wasn’t expecting to die this way. She reluctantly climbed to the first floor. She clutched as hard as she could to the ledge and she struggled to find something to step on and not to look down. She finally found where to step and pulled herself to the broken window. Her arms shook and she groaned as she slowly used her weak hands to get higher. She lost her footing. Michael quickly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up.

“You saved my life!”, said Anastasia as she sat on the floor huffing and puffing.

“It’s two feet.”

Anastasia looked over the edge.

“Oh.”, she wiped the sweat off her forehead

Michael headed to the stairs and Anastasia followed him.

  They went upwards, going through the long forgotten offices of the building. They had been left barren and unused for such a long time that they seemed lonely, purposeless and broken. Dad used to work in one like this. The image of her dad’s warm face, in the tie that her mom had tied around his neck and the coat that he had ironed the day before appeared. He was typing on the computer when he turned to Anastasia and smiled. He is gone now. “Look to the future Ani. You can’t fix your mistakes but you can learn from them.”, he had said when she messed up her recital and she had been crying in her room. I am trying dad, I am trying.

  “Do you think they will make something new of these?”, she said as Michael and Anastasia climbed the stairs, only throwing a few glances at the offices.

“It doesn’t matter.”, Michael didn’t even look.

“What do you mean?”

“Even if they rebuild this entire building it wouldn’t fix a thing.”

“It’s not about fixing things now. It’s about making new things.”

“If the foundations are broken can you build a new building on top?”

Anastasia didn’t know what to say to that.

Michael scoffed and continued going up the stairs.

  They went another floor and another and another and another. Anastasia’s feet ached and she could barely keep her pace to Michael’s. She looked up from the stairwell and saw the endlessness of the floors. She sighed and Michael urged her to keep up. He can’t be human! She pulled herself with the railing. When another five floors went by she could only pull because her legs had went numb from all the climbing. But eventually her agony was over after two more floors they came to the roof. She sat against the wall of the exit to the roof. She began to breathe heavy and wipe away the sweat from her forehead and eyes. She looked out at the rolls and rolls of buildings that littered the horizon. She would have stopped to enjoy the sight but she didn’t gain the opportunity.

  Michael lifted her to her feet and took a few steps back.

“What now?”, Anastasia asked.

Michael was already at the roof of the building across. She looked back confused. She couldn’t comprehend what had happened.

“Jump.”, Michael turned around to look at her.

“Oh no no no. I am not jumping!”, she turned around and crossed her arms. He must be insane if he thinks I am jumping from one building to another.

“I am sure Ethan will rescue himself.”

Anastasia sighed and turned around.

“If I die will you save Ethan?”, she got a few steps back.

Michael crossed his arms and looked at her sternly.

  She sprinted, the end of the roof getting closer and closer. But the moments went by slower and slower with each passing step. As if things weren’t bad enough her legs went numb. She found herself in the air above the gap between the buildings. Waving her arms around and staring at Michael, who was standing still and following her with his eyes. She stopped falling and found the strength to look down. She saw that she wasn’t dead and her feet were standing on the cement of the roof.

  She threw Michael a nervous smile. She heard a crack and felt that she was falling back. Her hair went in front of her eyes. She tried to move her legs but they were in the air already. She turned herself to look and saw the ground far below her. She stopped moving. She floated in there. She turned her head and saw Michael’s strong hand around her collar. He pulled her towards him. She found herself in a tight hug. She rolled her eyes around, confused. Michael let her go and move a few steps back.

“Uh thanks.”, Anastasia managed to mutter out as she brushed her hair away from herself and avoided eye contact.

“Yeah, no problem.”, Michael was standing with his back against Anastasia, his voice was not his usual rumble.

They silently made their way through the building and off outside of the safe zone.