Chapter 14

???

GAVIN

The sun had set. We didn't talk any more on the subject. Just sat and watched—it's probably close to midnight now. I tap my fingers against the side of the pier. "This...has been nice. I haven't just...stopped like this in a really, really long time."

"Sometimes you need to know when to rest." Iris says. "I do think we should get moving. I don't want to lose all urgency."

"Of course." I say, standing to my feet. "The process is going to be much of the same on the way back—we think of the same place and we'll jump through the dimension between dimensions."

"Okay, we've seen Santa Monica, how about San Diego?" Iris asks.

"Good choice, President Avery's bound to be around there."

"We should try by the shore of the Salton Sea," Iris says.

"What?" I ask, turning towards her.

"The body of water. Although I actually think I read somewhere that it was changed," she says.

"I couldn't tell you," I say. "California's not been in my interests. So, what's this place called now?" I ask.

"The Acheron," Iris says.

"Acheron? Great, another reference to Greek myth," I say, folding my arms. "Well, I know for a fact Jack's around there somewhere."

"More references?" Iris asks, a few steps behind.

"Jack's got a thing for Greek myth. A lot of his stuff's named after heroes and tales of old. Like back when I was in 2060—the reactor that was powering the moon base was named ICARUS."

"Like the boy who flew too close to the sun," she says.

"Yeah, real wise of him. I'm sure his high school teachers loved him."

"Where does Acheron come from?"

"It's one of the rivers that supposedly leads to the underworld."

"Ah, so definitely Jack."

"Definitely Jack."

"Well, then I guess we're going straight into the lion's den," Iris says, extending her arm.

I nod, taking her arm in mine and I feel a chill around me as I feel the great force pulling me to the dimension between dimensions. We're swallowed whole and the colors around us swirl until they're a deep blue.

I open my eyes to the stinging salt water—the taste of the Acheron rushes down my throat. My body is floating, my lungs burn as they try to get air, but the water keeps rushing in. I look above me and see light shining down, it's the surface. I swim up as fast as I can—my vision filling with darkness once more, but I break the surface just in time and I'm coughing what seems to be a lung out. My breath comes in short interrupted spurts.

The sun shines down on me bright, it's kind of overbearing. I have to keep one eye shut just to keep from going blind. I look around me and see land off in the distance in front of me and to my right. My left and behind me only show more water extending for what seems like eternity. I keep kicking my feet to keep above the water's surface, it hits me that I'm all alone.

"Iris?" I look around me and see nobody else gasping for air around me. "Iris?!" I call out louder. Fuck.

I take a deep breath and dive down. It's mostly dark, so I swim deeper. Even if I don't need food I still need oxygen to breathe. I go deeper and then I see a shimmer of red hair. I look above me and thank any and every primordial deity above for letting it be a sunny day outside. My lungs are beginning to fail me once more. I reach my arm down and I manage to grasp onto her outstretched arm. The second I feel contact I turn my head upwards and begin kicking my feet harder than I've ever done so. I look back down at her, her eyes are closed, she isn't moving. Come on, just a little bit farther. Come on!

I keep swimming and the ten yards from us to the surface turns to five and then two and then we both break through the surface. My lungs gasp for air a second time, the air enters and gives its sweet relief. I pull Iris close to me, she's still not moving. Fuck, how am I supposed to do anything about this here? I'm in the middle of scenic nowhere and I have to work twice as hard to keep us both afloat.

I keep her head above water, making sure the slow waves don't take her down again. Looking around, the mainland is probably a four minute swim, maybe longer since I'm not a single swimmer. I reach for her wrist quickly, thinking to check her pulse. It's faint, but there's definitely something beating there. I have no choice, I have to try to keep her breathing while I get to land. I have to try to perform CPR here in the water. I lift her head up once more and try not to panic.

Okay, I can't really push down on her chest with how we're kind of floating in the water, so I'll just have to- No, quit thinking about it, just do it! I plug her nose, so the air doesn't escape through them as I try to bring air back into her lungs. I take a deep breath as I go in and give two deep breaths into her mouth.

Okay, I'm supposed to do it again every five seconds if I remember right. I also begin kicking with my legs to get some momentum towards the mainland. One, two, three, four, five. I repeat. One, two, three, four, five. The mainland is coming ever closer, slowly but surely. I repeat. One, two, three, I can see the mainland approaching, just a few more minutes, Iris. Please hang on. I repeat. I check her pulse, silently keeping count in my head. She's still beating, still fighting to live, even if unconsciously. I repeat. The shore comes closer and closer, a beach comes into view. I repeat.

By my guess and since I'm going off of five second tangents, I should make it to the island in another eighteen rotations, give or take. I keep switching between breathing and swimming on and off and then back on again and my muscles begin screaming. My lungs have little air left to give and my body can hardly keep up with its constant pace of carrying another person alongside. Just before I'm about to burn out my leg touches sand below and I perk up. I push down with my foot and propel myself further.

The water dips to my waist and then I turn to hold Iris in my arms. As we move on, the less of it is the water holding her up and instead my own arms. I stand up, ignoring the cries of my muscles as I run out onto the beach. The sand is like an inferno as it absorbs and reflects the sun's heat. I can't run any longer, so I lay Iris down on her back and fall to my knees over her. I don't waste any time and begin doing chest compressions. Counting it out as I'd seen many a time before back in the orphanage. There was this kid Vinnie who would go into cardiac arrests and some of the staff had to give him CPR from time to time. After a few rounds of the compressions I perform mouth to mouth once more and then it is back to the chest compressions.

"Come on Iris, you can't do this. Not now. God damn it I shouldn't have let you come along," I say. After a third compression her eyes open wide and she's coughing, gasping for breath. I can see the life returning to her brown eyes. She tries to sit up, but then turns to her side and coughs up a ton of water.

"Oh thank god…" I begin.

"What?" Iris manages out.

I throw my arms around her tight and she coughs one more time. "I'm so thankful that you're alive," I say, gritting my teeth.

"I…I almost drowned," she says, realizing, her eyes going wide.

"You're okay, I swear it. I'm sorry, I didn't know that it would drop us into the water."

"You…you saved me."

"I…I almost killed you."

She pulls me up and puts her hands on my shoulders. "You. Saved. Me." she says. Before I know it she closes her eyes and kisses me. My eyes go wide and I begin turning almost every shade of red. The world around me melts into the background and the only things that remain are Her and Me. Her hair is hanging over her shoulder, her blouse and skirt are completely soaked. My clothes are much of the same, my jacket feels like it adds ten pounds because it is so waterlogged. I stop for one second to take it off and I toss it aside, it lands with a slosh on the sand. Iris laughs and then looks away, shyly.

"This…is something else. The first time I've ever seen you quiet about something," I say, moving my hair out of my eyes with my hand.

"I…I just think you're really cute. More than that but you're just...you. I know and I'm outspoken and brash and whatever everybody else calls me. I'm everything they say and I can't change it. I-"

I lean in to kiss her and she stops talking. This one is just as perfect as the last. I let go and sit back.

"You're you."

Iris smiles and blushes, but then turns to look around her. Her jaw drops at the long stretch of beach. "This...this is where we should go once this is all over."

"We can figure that out once it is all over," I say, "We're not going to be much help if we're plotting vacation time now."

Iris nods, but then she looks down. "Yeah, I guess we should move on, shouldn't we?" I place my hand on her shoulder and she looks up.

"We'll have plenty of time to celebrate on the beach once we end this. We'll lead whole new lives," I say.

She smiles at this and then nods her head, "You're right. There will be a time and a place for this, but now, you're right."

"So, let's go see what we can find out in the city," I say.

She nods her head once more and then begins jogging.

"Race you there!"

"Oh, you're on," I say.

Before I take off, I turn around behind me and I see the giant Statue of Liberty towering in the distance. It is a couple hundred feet from the mainland on its own little island and instead of it holding a torch Lady Liberty now holds a large stone sword. I look at it and then turn back around to reclaim the lead from Iris. A feeling of hope and joy begins brewing in my heart.

"Sounds like a plan," I say. "We can also find something to eat."

"Good, I haven't eaten all day," she asks.

"Do you have any money with you?"

"I…I don't, no."

"Shit." I look towards her, and she's looking at me. "Come on, we'll figure something out," I say taking her hand in mine, instantly my worries melt away, and we begin walking down the street. The sky is a bright blue with nary a cloud in the sky, the sun continues to shine down, and I'm so entranced with it I don't hear Iris calling me until the last second.

"-for a moment, will you? Hey!"

I stop and look back at her, she's standing next to a gray minivan that pulled itself aside. I walk back and inside the car I see a young man in the car. He's wearing a skin-tight muscle shirt with what I can guess are swim shorts accompanied by thick sunglasses. One can only guess he's coming from the same beach we were. He's got a grin plastered on his face as he bobs his head up and down.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"This man is offering to give us a ride," Iris asks.

I look back into the car. "Hey, I just saw you were all soaked and walking, was wonderin' if you two needed a ride anywhere?" He asks. Iris looks up to me.

"We don't have any real place in mind. We're tourists," I say.

"Aw, that makes it even better! Listen, my wife's already going to be mad at me for skippin' out on dinner plans to go to the beach without her. If you're not too busy could you come help deflect some of the heat I'll be getting? I need a cover story—you all can act like I saved you from drowning."

"I..." I don't even get to finish—

"C'mon, I'll treat you to dinner. I'm not going to bite your arm off."

"It's very much appreciated." Iris says, and before I can flash her a questioning look I get an elbow to my side that says "he has food, we need food."

"Yeah, we'd be happy to help," I choke out.

"It isn't any problem, man. Just watch out for the air conditioner in the back, damn thing is a little big."

"Okay, thank you," Iris asks.

I open the back door and motion for Iris to get in first. She smiles and climbs into the car.

"If you all need to dry off, I have a spare towel in the back, I mean, it's used somewhat, but it's better than nothing," he says.

"What's your name?" I ask, sliding in beside Iris in the car, making sure to watch out for the air conditioner poking out from the backside of the minivan.

"Kevin, if you want to be all formal and whatnot, it's Kevin DeLerange. I know this seems odd as all hell, but I really appreciate the help."

"It's no problem. My idiot boyfriend here forgot to schedule us at the hotel I thought we we're going to be in anyway," Iris says. I see her looking my way and shifting her eyebrows up and down.

"Aw, that's a bummer. I've had my fair share of mishaps like that. Wife doesn't like it one bit—s'why I need a cover story. Was supposed to go get this air conditioner, but the beach looked so nice that I had to get some rays." He nods as he pulls out onto the road, "Well, if you two want to bum the night we have some room you could stay the night in until you get a room together," he says.

"That's really nice, you don't have to do that," Iris says, mainly out of habit. I can hear the uncertainty in her voice.

"Nah, it's the least I could do for you two offering to help me out when you don't even know me. By the way, who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

"Iris McCallum, sir."

"Aw, there isn't any sir business here. It's just Kevin, little missy," He says laughing.

"Well, if you aren't a sir, then I'm not a little missy," Iris replies.

"Fair enough." He laughs. "And what about you?" He asks, looking towards me.

"Gavin Daniels," I say.

"Gavin, is that medieval? Like Gawain?" He asks.

"I…I don't think so, it's just Gavin," I say.

"Okay then," Kevin laughs in response and turns back around. We're driving down Adaski Drive until we turn a sharp right, right into the heart of the city. "So, would it be too much of a burden to know where you two are from?"

"Huh?"

"You said you were tourists, where from?"

"New York," Iris blurts out, immediately realizing it.

"That far? What brings you to San Diego, then?"

"It's a really long story," I say.

"Fair enough, man. Fair enough," he replies, facing front once more.

"So, what about your wife? What's her name?" Iris asks.

"Tammy, she's really sweet when I don't mess up," he says, laughing.

"That seems to be how things go," Iris says.

"Yeah, half the time it's not me forgetting or making mistakes," he says.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Sometimes you gotta add a little spice in a relationship. If everything's happy all the time then you don't really feel that, it gets samey and people get bored. Sprinkle in some stupid husband antics once in a while and it makes the better times, well, better. You get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, I hear you. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I understand where you're coming from," Iris says.

"And Tammy, she'll be fine with us staying?" I ask.

"Well, I sure hope so," he laughs.

"That doesn't sound too certain," I say.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine," he says. "We're almost there anyhow, it's right down the street here," he says, slowing as he reaches the entrance to a parking garage.

"How far is the walk?" Iris asks.

"Oh, yeah, forgot you're from the east. Yeah, it's not too long, everyone's required to put their cars and whatnot here when they're done. What with it being a city and all we don't want any of them packing the streets down. There's also a curfew, but I have a secret way in so if I ever need to sneak a joy ride I can," Kevin says, chuckling.

"Secret way in?"

"Well, I guess you'll just have to tell us now, you can't tease something like that," I say with a smile.

Kevin smirks as he pulls into the parking garage. He drives up the inclines up to the third floor and parks between a white Prius and a blue Tahoe. He unbuckles himself and climbs out of the car, we do the same and follow him out. He walks over to the side of the railing and places his arms over the side, looking out and below. "Come on, if you want to know so bad," he says.

I look to Iris, and she looks as confused as I do. We both walk over to the side of the railing and peer over. I see a recoilable ladder hanging off of the side of the building, it's gripped tightly to the edge.

"Has anybody else ever noticed this?" I ask.

"Who would? Nobody hangs around here longer than they have to, it's just a parking garage. I set this up a few years back and it still holds strong to this day."

"That's impressive," Iris says.

"Ain't it? Now, come on. Let's start walking, my place is just down the street from here, it ain't too bad," he explains.

We begin walking down the way until we're exiting the parking garage. The sun seems to shine even brighter as we walk onto the street. Kevin walks in between us with his hand outstretched. "Right over there on the corner, that's where we're going, the red-brick apartment complex."

"Alright, that isn't far at all," I say. Kevin bobs his head once more and we continue on our way. Iris walks closer to me and links my hand in hers. I smile.