The Descent

In  her  entire  life,  Holly  Ann  had  never  made  a  fist  in  real  anger,  to  say  nothing  of swinging one. Her first  ever  connected  on  the  woman's  thin  mouth.  It  wasn't  much  of a punch, but it drew  blood.

Holly Ann stepped  back from her violence and wrapped both arms around the baby. The  Chinese  woman  wiped  the  bead  of  blood  from  her  mouth  and  thrust  the  rifle barrel out. Holly Ann was terrified. But for whatever  reason, the woman relented  with a whispered oath, and motioned with her rifle.

Holly  Ann  set  off  in  the  direction  indicated.  Surely  Wade  would  appear  at  any minute. Money would change hands. They  would leave  this terrible  place.

With the gun at her back, Holly Ann climbed over  a pile of bricks  and  torn  sandbags. They  reached a set  of stairs and started  up.  Something  crunched  underfoot  like  metal beetles.  Holly  Ann  saw  a  deep  layer  of  hundreds  of  bullet  casings  coated  with  wet verdigris.

They  went higher, three  stories,  then  five.  Holding  the  child,  Holly  Ann  managed  to keep  up  the  pace.  She  didn't  have  much  choice.  Suddenly  the  woman  caught  at  Holly Ann's arm. They  stopped. This time the rifle was aimed back down the stair shaft.

Far  below,  something  was  moving.  It  sounded  like  eels  coiling  in  mud.  The  two women  shared  a  look.  For  an  instant  they  actually  had  something  in  common,  their fear.  Holly  Ann  softly  armored  the  infant  with  her  hand.  After  another  minute  the Chinese woman got them on the move again, faster  this time.

They  reached  the  top  floor.  The  roof  gaped  open  in  violent  patches,  and  Holly  Ann caught snatches of stars.  She smelled fresh air. They  clambered  over  a  small  landslide of scorched wood and cinder blocks and approached a brightly lit doorway.

Bags  of  cement  had  been  piled  like  sandbags  as  a  barricade.  The  fronts  had  been slashed  open  and  rainwater  had  soaked  the  spillage,  turning  it  to  hard  knuckles  of concrete. It  was like climbing folds of lava.

Holly  Ann  struggled,  one  arm  clutching  the  infant.  Near  the  top,  her  head  knocked against  a  cold  cannon  barrel  pointing  where  they'd  come  from.  Hands  with  broken fingernails reached down for her from the electric brilliance.

All   the   dramatics   changed.   It   was   like   entering   a   besieged   camp:   soldiers everywhere,  guns,  blasted  architecture,  rain  cutting  naked  through  great  wounds  in the  roof.  To  Holly  Ann's  enormous  relief,  Wade  was  there,  sitting  in  a  corner,  holding his head.

Once  the  room  might  have  been  a  small  auditorium,  or  a  cafeteria.  Now  the  space was illuminated with Stalinist klieg lights and  looked  like  Custer's  Last  Stand.  Soldiers from   the    People's    Liberation    Army,    mostly    men    in   pea-green    uniforms    or black-striped  camouflage,  were  all  business  among  their  weapons.  They  gave  wide berth  to Holly Ann. Several  elites pointed at the baby  inside her sweater.

In the  distance,  Mr  Li  was  appealing  to  an  officer  who  carried  himself  with  the  iron spine of a hero of the people. His crewcut  was gray.  He looked weary.

She went over  to Wade. He was bleeding into both  eyes  from  a  laceration  across  the scalp line. 'Wade,' she said.

'Holly  Ann?'  he  said.  'Thank  God.  Mr  Li  told  them  you  were  still  below.  They  sent someone to find you.'

She avoided his bear  hug. 'I have  something to show you,' she announced quietly.

'It's   very   dangerous   here,'   Wade  said.   'Something's   going   on.   A   revolution   or something. I gave  Li all our cash. I told him to pay  anything, just get us out of here.'

'Wade,' she snapped. He wasn't listening to her.

A voice suddenly boomed in the back, where  Mr  Li  stood.  It  was  the  officer.  He  was shouting at Holly Ann's rescuer,  the  tall  woman.  All  around  her,  soldiers  looked  angry or ashamed for her. Obviously she had  allowed  some  terrible  breach.  Holly  Ann  knew it had to do with this baby.

The  officer unsnapped his leather holster and looked at her. He drew  his pistol out.

'Good Lord,' Holly Ann murmured.

'What?' said Wade. He stood there  like some bewildered monster. Useless.

It  was  her  call.  Holly  Ann  astonished  herself.  As  the  officer  approached  her,  she started  off to meet  him halfway. They  met in the center  of the rubble-strewn  room.

'Mr Li,' Holly Ann commanded.

Mr Li glared at her, but came forward.

'Tell this man I have  selected  my  child,'  she  said.  'I  have  medicine  in  the  car.  I  wish to go home now.'

Mr  Li  started  to  translate,  but  the  officer  abruptly  chambered  a  round.  Mr  Li blinked rapidly. He was very  pale. The  officer said something to him.

'Put on floor,' Mr Li said to her.