CRUISE SHIP. IS THERE ANYONE ABOARD? REPEAT: IS THERE ANYONE ABOARD?' We waited, straining for any sound, but there was no reply. Albemarle said, 'Try firing a couple of rounds in the air.'
DeLuca shrugged the shotgun off his shoulder, aimed it out at the void, and squeezed off a shot. The bang rippled away skittishly to the horizon. Pumping the smoking shell out, he said, 'Waste of good ammunition, you ask me.'
'We didn't,' said Monte.
DeLuca fired again.
'ATTENTION CRUISE SHIP-IS ANYONE THERE? WE COME IN PEACE.' The acres of frosted-over windows remained blank. I didn't like standing there with that dead colossus leaning over us.
'Take us to your leader,' Jake muttered.
'ALL RIGHT, THEN. WE'RE COMING ABOARD.' Ed Albemarle put away the bullhorn and took out his faithful hammer. 'Let's go,' he said.
Smashing ice off each step, Albemarle led the way up, followed by the other three men, me, and the boys. The stairs were not quite level; it was a little disturbing to climb that overhanging cliff with nothing more than a slippery handrail between you and a bone-shattering fall. The higher we went, the more steeply the ship seemed to lean out. About thirty feet up, I suddenly realized there was no one behind me. Hector had stopped, blocking the line.
'I have to go back,' he said firmly. 'I'm going back down.'
'What's wrong?' I asked.
'Nothing-I just can't…' He shook his head, paralyzed with fear. 'This isn't safe.'
From behind him, Julian said, 'C'mon, we're almost there!'
'Shut up!' Hector snapped, 'Go around if you want to!'
'There's no room to pass,' retorted Julian. 'Come on, dude. It's cold.'
'Don't push me!'
I went down to him. 'Hey, it's okay,' I said. 'Just don't look down.'
'Where the hell am I supposed to look? Everything looks like it's falling. I keep feeling like we're starting to tip over.' He had a point.
'What's wrong back there?' Albemarle said from above. 'Get a move on, son!'
'Ignore them,' I told Hector. 'Listen, you know what they do to keep horses from panicking on steep trails? They lead them along blindfolded.'
'Screw that!'
'Just take my hand, then. Here.' I took my giant glove off and stuffed it in my pocket. 'Take my hand before it freezes.'
'No way.' He was starting to tremble violently.
'Please-I'm going to get frostbite if you don't hold my hand.'
He stared at my dainty fingers for a second, then ripped off his left glove with his teeth and grabbed me. He was so scared he nearly dragged me down on top of him.
'Good!' I grunted. 'That's good! Awesome! Don't pull-you're okay! Now just look at me. Just focus on me, nothing else. Try taking a step.'
'I cah. I cah ooob.' I took the glove from his mouth, and he said, 'I can't move.'
'You can do it. Just take a deep breath and relax. This is just like the stairs on the boat, no different.'
He closed his eyes, clutching me hard, and took a wild step.
'That's the way! Now you're doing it,' I urged gently. 'Don't stop-keep it up. We're just walkin' upstairs, yessiree…'
'Is he coming or isn't he?' I heard DeLuca growl from above.
'Do you mind?' I shot back.
Hector was relaxing a little, creeping faster bit by bit. Then he let go of my hand. 'I got it,' he said, eyes still closed. 'You go on-I got it under control.'
'Seriously?'
'I just don't want to trip over you. Go! I'm right behind you.' Hunched and groping the rail like a blind man, he followed me the rest of the way up.
The doorway opened onto a broad enclosed deck with high windows. In ordinary daylight, it would have been a sunny place, but in this iced-over twilight it was a cave. A mini-glacier had formed inside the door, fanning across the teak promenade like an octopus, and the men had considerately chopped a path through it. They wielded flashlights and a device called a thermograph, probing for spots of warmth amid the pitch-black restaurants and shops opposite the windows. DeLuca had his shotgun at the ready, but the place looked more than deserted: It looked fossilized.
Once we were all gathered inside, Albemarle said, 'All right. Everybody listening? Here's the plan: We're gonna divide into five squads, seven to a squad. Four of the squads will be led by me and the other three men; the fifth will be led by Officer Lulu, unless she thinks one of you is better suited for the job. That's up to her.
'Each squad has a specific objective, which they are to fulfill as fast as possible before regrouping back here. Vic's squad is to go up top and flash Coombs that we're aboard and that the ship is clear. Then they are to proceed to the bridge and find out what's functional and what's not, check the PA system, and make an announcement to the rest of us about the status of this barge. Vic knows what to do.
'Gus DeLuca's group is to find the radio shack and see if we can call out. Since the sub can't reveal its position by sending radio signals, it may be possible for some of us to be rescued from here by sending a Mayday. At the very least we may be able to contact someone who can catch us up on current events.
'My squad is heading belowdecks to inspect the power plant and the pumps. See if it's possible to stabilize her some. Emilio will be taking his people on a tour of ship's stores. The rest will accompany Officer Lulu to the infirmary, where they will be expected to stock up on a few medical necessities.' He handed me a flashlight and a printed list. 'Any questions?'
There were too many to ask.
'Good. Here are your squads.'
He held up a roster and we gathered around his light. Under my name I read: Hector Albemarle, Jacob Bartholomew, Julian Noteiro, Shawn Dickey, Lemuel Sanchez, and Cole Hayes-all of them boys in my crib. Coombs had thought of everything. It hurt my feelings that they seemed disappointed to be going with me instead of with the men. I heard Julian muttering about how he didn't come here to 'raid a damn drugstore.' Hector was still sour-faced from before.
Albemarle said, 'I'll expect you all back here within ninety minutes. Ninety minutes! Anyone not back here in an hour and a half may find themselves left behind. Get moving.'
It was a pretty disorganized scavenger hunt. Since the first thing we all needed was a map, everyone ran up and down the promenade looking for an information booth or a large diagram saying YOU ARE HERE. As it happened, there were touch-screen computers for just this purpose, but they were all dead.
While we were rifling the check-in desk at the lobby, Julian called us back out to the promenade, and said, 'I don't think we need a map.' Handing out souvenir flashlights, he led us to a sign next door to the gift shop. Above a green cross were the words FIRST AID STATION.
'Oh man,' said Hector.
I was giddy with relief. What I had thought would be a trying ordeal was over before it had begun-no fumbling through dark mazes, no getting lost or left behind. No humiliation. I gave silent thanks for Coombs's mercy.
'You know what this means, don't you?' Julian said.
'Hell yeah,' Cole replied. 'Means we home free.'
'It means we got the pussy assignment. They don't trust us with a real job.'
'That sucks,' said Shawn. 'I wanted to scope out the Galleria.'
'Give me a break,' I said, though what Julian said was certainly true. I didn't care. Except for him and Shawn, the others were on my side, grateful for the reprieve.
We filed into a waiting room with magazine racks and a block of yellowish ice that had been a fish tank. Our first indication that things would not be so simple was the shattered glass in the reception window. The second
