Chapter 196: Chapter 196 - Surveillance
Iyisha kept her eyes on the door as she finished the last of her cold food, chewing slow, listening more than eating. The sounds outside hadn’t stopped. Something dragged across the floor in the hallway. A hand brushed the door, then slid away. A low groan followed, uneven, close, then farther again.
The door held.
For now.
She swallowed and wiped her fingers on her pants, setting the empty container beside her.
Across the room, Lance had already finished. Too fast. He leaned back onto the cot, one arm over his eyes for a second before letting it drop. His chest still rose a little too hard, but the rhythm was better.
Still pale, but breathing fine.
Iyisha watched him for a second longer than she meant to.
Marybeth sat near him, not speaking, her body angled toward him without making it obvious. Close enough.
Iyisha looked away.
Toward the doorway that led to the next room.
Malcolm and Aljun were in there.
She could hear them faintly. A shift of boots. The scrape of something being adjusted near the window. Low voices, too quiet to catch.
Watching.
Always watching.
Iyisha leaned her head back against the wall, but her eyes stayed open.
The light from the window had faded. The room was darker now, edges harder to see.
Outside the door, something bumped into it again.
Not hard.
Just enough.
She tensed.
Waited.
Nothing followed.
The sound dragged away.
Iyisha exhaled slowly, then glanced back at Lance.
Still breathing steady. Still out.
She reached for two opened cans near her, checked them, then picked them up. Her eyes moved to Marybeth. A small motion of her hand toward the hallway.
I’ll go.
Marybeth gave a short nod.
Iyisha pushed herself up from the carpeted floor. The living room was wide enough that the space didn’t feel cramped, even with all of them inside. A small candle burned near the door, just enough light to see without throwing too much out through the cracks.
She stepped into the hallway.
The light dropped immediately.
She slowed.
Listened.
Nothing new from the other side of the building. Just the same dragging and low sounds from below.
She drew in a quiet breath, then lowered herself down.
Hands first.
Then knees.
She moved on all fours the rest of the way, keeping low as she approached the open doorway.
She slipped inside.
Malcolm looked at her the moment she entered.
He was crouched near the window, a blanket draped over him, the telescope held steady in his hands. Aljun stayed off to the side, covered the same way, watching through a narrow angle.
The window itself was broken, but the way they positioned themselves kept them out of direct sight from Manhattan. No light hit them. No shape stood out.
Iyisha stayed low as she moved closer.
Held out the cans.
Malcolm took one without looking away from the scope.
Aljun took the other.
"How is it?" she asked.
Malcolm didn’t look at her right away. He kept the scope up, adjusting it slightly, then paused before lowering it just enough.
"Still there," he said.
Aljun shifted beside him, keeping low. "They’re not moving. Just watching."
Iyisha frowned a little. "Watching for what?"
"For anyone stupid enough to cross," Aljun said.
Malcolm finally glanced at her. "They already know someone’s here."
That sat heavy.
Iyisha leaned back against the wall. "So we can’t cross."
"Not like this," Malcolm said.
Aljun gave a short breath. "You step out there, you’re done."
Iyisha stayed quiet for a second, thinking, her eyes drifting toward the window but not getting close enough to be seen.
"So what do we do?" she asked.
Malcolm lifted the scope again. "We wait."
"For what?" she pressed.
"A mistake," he said.
Aljun nodded. "Or a gap. Something."
Iyisha exhaled slowly.
"Yeah," she muttered. "An opening."
"Then what if we can’t find any opening?" Iyisha asked, her voice lower now, tighter.
Aljun pulled back from the window and leaned against the wall, finally taking the can from her. He ate quickly, not really tasting it.
"We’ll die if we still try," he said.
The words sat heavy.
Iyisha drew in a breath, but it came out uneven.
Malcolm didn’t look away from the scope. "We’ll find it," he muttered.
She let out a quiet breath at that. Not full relief. Just enough to hold on.
"If we do," Aljun added, glancing at her, "we can’t cross the way we did into Brooklyn."
Iyisha pressed her lips together, thinking.
"How about the subway?" she asked.
Aljun shook his head immediately.
"Bombed," he said.
"Flooded," Iyisha added, already knowing.
Silence settled for a second.
Then—
"How?" she asked.
Aljun swallowed what was in his mouth and looked at her.
"The only way left is the water."
Iyisha frowned. "Underwater?"
He nodded once.
She exhaled slowly.
"Then we need to find snorkeling gear."
"We need to go for a run," Iyisha said.
Aljun nodded without looking away from the window. "Then you’ll have to find a place that still has it," he said, voice low. "A place still standing up."
She nodded once.
Her mind was already moving, pulling up what she remembered, trying to place it over what the city had become.
Aljun finished the can and wiped his hand against his pants before shifting back under the blanket, settling into position again, eyes back on the narrow angle of the window.
Malcolm stayed where he was, still on the scope.
Iyisha watched him for a second, then leaned forward and nudged his arm.
"Eat," she said.
He lowered the telescope and moved back from the window, settling beside her against the wall.
"You already ate?" he asked.
She nodded.
He reached for the can.
She brushed a hand over his forehead, pushing his hair back without thinking.
He looked... cleaner now.
Less worn.
She noticed it.
Missed the rough edge he used to have.
"Lance?" he asked.
She nodded, a small smile forming. "He’s done eating. Sleeping now."
Malcolm gave a short nod and started eating, quiet again, but closer this time.
"Who’s going with me tomorrow?" Iyisha asked.
Malcolm slowed as he ate, thinking.
"I’ll take Marybeth," she added.
He frowned slightly. "You can’t."
Iyisha smiled, but it didn’t fully reach her eyes. "I know I’ll be safer with you," she said. "But Marybeth and I can do it."
Malcolm didn’t answer right away. His jaw tightened just a little.
"I’ll go with them," Aljun said quietly.
Iyisha looked at him, then back at Malcolm.
"We’ll be fine," she said, softer. "You trained me well."
Malcolm stopped eating. Just for a second, but enough that she noticed. He looked at her like he didn’t know what to do with that, then slowly set the can down beside him.
Iyisha moved closer before she could overthink it and climbed into his lap.
He went still at first, like he hadn’t expected it, his hands hovering for a moment before settling around her.
She leaned into him, pressing her face into his shoulder, trying to steady the way her chest felt tight and light at the same time.
"Let’s go together," he said.
She shook her head, a small smile slipping through. "You can’t."
If he went, Lance would be left with people he didn’t trust. And she couldn’t ask him to choose. She already knew how that would end.
"I know where to get it," she said quietly, her voice closer to him now. "We’ll slip out and be back before you know it."
His hand tightened slightly at her side.
She felt it.
Before she could stop herself, she leaned in and kissed him.
It was meant to be quick, but he moved too, meeting her halfway instead of staying still, and it caught her off guard just enough that she pulled back with a small breath, her face warming.
"Come on, lovebirds," Aljun said from the window. "I’m seeing movement."
Iyisha turned immediately, heat still on her face, realizing too late he had been there the whole time. She glanced back at Malcolm for a second, then away again.
She can’t look at him.
She slid off his lap.
"Go," she muttered.
Then she turned and headed back to the other room.
