by Ryan Mark
Something’s going on above. The guards are on edge. She looks into the cell in front of her. The boy is huddled in the corner.
‘Something’s happening isn’t it?’ he says. ‘The guards are gone.’
Her words cut the darkness, ‘Whatever it is, they’re not happy about it.’
‘Do you think people have come to rescue us?’
‘Maybe,’ she says, nudging closer to the bars.
The boy comes closer, too.
‘I think my arm’s broken,’ he says. ‘It’s been really sore, but now it’s numb.’
She hangs her head. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll get out of here soon. I’m not taking this any longer.’
‘What do you mean?’ whispers the boy.
‘I’m going to make a break for it,’ she says, her fingers curling around the bars. ‘Now’s the time.’
‘They’ll kill you!’ exclaims the boy. Someone close to him stirs and he falls silent.
‘We can fight them,’ she says. ‘Catch them off guard.’
‘But there are a lot of hurt people down here, they won’t be able to fight,’ says the boy.
She doesn’t reply straightaway, idly running a hand through her knotted hair. ‘You’re right,’ she sighs.
‘Then we will die down here?’
‘No, not that. I’ll just have to think of something else, something that requires cunning, not strength.’
She stares at a drop of water, ready to fall from the ceiling.
She positions herself under it, holds out her hand. The drop falls.
‘Right, let’s give it a go.’ She pulls out a hairpin from the tangled mass on her head and jams it in the lock. On the tenth attempt the door swings open. She couldn’t have tried it before as the guards usually check every five minutes, but that hasn’t happened for a long time. Something was definitely wrong. She knows this is her chance.
Her options are to die trying to escape, or die anyway. She opts to risk the former and steps out of her cell.
‘You won’t come back for us,’ the boy murmurs sadly.
‘I’d never just leave you,’ she says. ‘I’m a nurse, you see. It’s in my blood to help people.’
Giving him a final quick smile, she moves slowly up the narrow stairs at the head of the dungeon, picking up a loose brick from the crumbling wall and concealing it in her tattered clothes.
‘I hope you’re ready for this…’
Chapter 19
Terra
William felt a shiver spiral down his back as the needle-like shadows of Graven Monastery fell over the bus. On one side, the grassy fields spread out for miles; on the other, the flatland dropped away after a mile or so, disappearing off the edge of a cliff.
Everything William had done had led him to this moment. He bit his lip, hoping he was brave enough to do his part. The inner voice insisted he could. You’ve travelled so far, been hurt and nearly eaten, and still you carried on. You won’t give up now. The voice was right, he decided. All the doubts needed to be pushed aside. He could do this. He could.
William took a short breath and clenched Blake’s small, silver crossbow. If he had to face people head-on with a weapon, would he really be able to hurt them? He frowned. But if he couldn’t save himself, then how could he save his mother? No, after everything he’d been through, he was ready for this. He had to be.
The vehicles pulled into a ruined barn, shaded by the sunken roof. When he thought about taking a life, an unwanted, guilty feeling drove into him. He might’ve felt ready, but the fear was still there. No matter what you tell your brain, fear never really leaves you, he supposed, as he noticed his knees knocking in an almost comical way. He forced himself to stand, grabbing the seat in front to keep balance.
Althea grabbed his hand. ‘Branimir says to keep behind the others. They’ll keep us safe for as long as possible.’
‘How’re we going to find her though? That place looks huge,’ said William, indicating the group of buildings in front of them.
‘They’re probably in the catacombs,’ replied Althea, pointing to the base of the monastery. ‘I read ages ago that it’s where they buried the dead in the past, so it’d make a perfect prison, wouldn’t it. And it’s probably soundproof down there, too.’
‘I’d rather fight a skeleton than a Peace Enforcer,’ William said dryly.
‘You haven’t lost your sense of humour then.’ Althea was adjusting her plated gloves. She tapped the bow. ‘Have you ever shot one of those before?’
William shook his head.
Althea quickly showed him how to balance, where to place his finger, and what to aim for. ‘Go for the legs, you’ll disable them, but you won’t kill them. I’m guessing most of these people have been brainwashed by Erisia and Terrafall so it might not be fair to think they all deserve to die.’ She took his crossbow and tightened the string. ‘They’re pretty easy to use and almost silent, so if you’re careful they won’t hear you coming.’
‘I’ve never killed a person before,’ William’s eyes met hers, but she didn’t feel his terror.
‘Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Try to avoid it, as I’ve shown you, but if you can’t, think of what Terrafall has done, of the lives it’s taken. I think I must’ve killed a couple of Enforcers when I shot that car back in the Bad Lands… I just thought about what Terrafall had done to Mum and Dad and didn’t care when I pulled the trigger.’ Althea passed the bow back, her expression softening. ‘Think of your mum.’
‘Ladies and gentlemen, your tour of The Graven Burials, the Reaper’s dumping ground, awaits,’ said Ichabod, pushing open the doors. ‘After you.’ He held out a gloved hand.
William stepped down, feeling slightly stronger thanks to Althea’s forthright instructions. He joined the Havenites at the edge of the tumbled barn, gazing through the bristly trees towards the intimidating monastery, a building that had once been a place of peace. William laughed: peace, comfort, safety, hope, those words could only exist again if Terrafall didn’t.
‘Where are the Peace Enforcers?’ William said, shaking his head. It didn’t make sense. This place was meant to be the location of Terrafall’s main project, yet it seemed deserted. ‘Are you sure this is right? Maybe my guess at the location was wrong?’
‘I sent some men ahead to silence the Peace Enforcers guarding the perimeter,’ said Branimir, coming up behind William. ‘And don’t worry, it’s the right place alright. We used some old military connections from within the Peace Enforcers to confirm there are indeed prisoners in the catacombs.’
‘Let’s get moving,’ interrupted Ichabod. ‘If I leave you at any point, it’ll be for my wife. I must do everything I can to find her…’ He pulled out his silver-handled walking cane, rubbing his thumb over the cross engraved into it, and began moving forward.
They all nodded without comment and Branimir gave a sweeping wave of his arm, indicating they should follow Ichabod’s lead.
‘Yeah, what are we waiting for? Let’s wipe the floor with them!’ exclaimed Marcus, jumping off the bus with Ernest by his side.
‘Be cautious, Marcus. Precision and focus are vital if we are to gain the upper hand,’ said Ernest, waving a finger in the air. ‘Although Terrafall do deserve a good whooping…’
William asked, ‘Do we charge or do it stealthily?’
‘I’d say charge, but that’s just me,’ said Althea, hitting the air like a punch bag.
‘The men I sent ahead should’ve protected an entrance for us. We’ll be taking the rest by surprise,’ said Branimir. ‘At least I hope so. Now, stick to the fence that leads to the left wing. Do you hear me?’
The Havenites grunted in agreement.
‘The bombs didn’t reach this place then,’ said Althea as they walked quickly behind Ichabod, pointing to the deep green of the trees and the brighter hues of the grass.
William nodded. ‘We’re close to the sea, so maybe they overshot the mark?’ He smiled at her. ‘You might actually get to see it up close.�
�� After everything she’d done for him, she deserved one wish of her own to come true. She’d been his rock. And yes, thoughts of his mother had spurred him on, but in part she’d got him here too.
Althea squeezed his hand and said, ‘We’ll worry about dreams later,’ before moving up to discuss something with Ichabod.
They crept along in silence for a while, then a voice said, ‘Is nobody else afraid of what Terrafall will do if it captures us?’ It was one of the men – well, a teenager – from the Hollow. William realised he could only have been a few years older than Althea and he.
‘Sure, I am. My knees won’t stop knocking, but if we don’t do this now then Terrafall will probably get us all eventually,’ said William, throwing him a tight smile.
‘I know, I’m just scared. My parents disappeared about three months ago, and I always thought Terrafall might’ve had something to do with it, but I guess it’s too late for them,’ the boy said, gripping his club tightly. ‘I still came though, just in case.’
Althea called out from her position just behind Ichabod. ‘You might be scared of Terrafall, but you’ve got to realise everyone who works there is only doing this because they’re afraid too.’ She paused. ‘Stuff you can’t see hurts the most, like love,’ she looked at William for a second, ‘like the tremors. So don’t be scared of Terrafall. We can see what we’re dealing with – a bunch of men and women too scared to say no.’
A few grunts of agreement sounded from those walking closest to Althea.
‘Are we ready?’ said Ichabod, coming to a stop near one of the buildings.
‘Yes, we’re ready,’ replied Branimir. ‘Let’s g–’
‘Go!’ cut in William.
As they shuffled closer to what Ichabod believed was the entrance to Terrafall’s operations, William noticed a leaf playing in the wind. He caught it, and put it to his face. It smelt brilliant. ‘I’ll keep this for you, Mum,’ he whispered, placing it into his pocket.
Branimir nodded to two Havenites holding bows as he stepped towards the open door. ‘Thank you, the Hollow will prevail,’ he said.
‘The Hollow will prevail,’ they murmured in response.
The corridor they marched into was wide and led off in two directions, one heading downwards, the other upwards. It had that weird smell that old, churchy buildings always had. William sneezed. Everyone glared at him. ‘Sorry,’ he whispered, wincing.
Branimir waved his hand up and spoke softly, ‘Group one led by me and Igraine will secure the upper levels. Group two led by Ichabod will secure the hostages and the lower. This place has a basic layout, one corridor circles up and down an atrium that’s split into three levels: the catacombs, the great hall and the viewing balconies. The plan is simple: rescue the hostages and stop Erisia. When she’s gone Terrafall won’t have a leg to stand on.’
‘I’m with Bod and she is too,’ said William, grabbing Althea’s hand.
Branimir nodded. ‘Then let’s go!’
‘Good luck,’ mouthed Igraine as they separated.
‘You too,’ said William.
William’s legs moved faster as he strove to keep up with Ichabod’s huge strides. There was no sign of the older man’s injury now. The corridor was bare-bricked and full of cobwebs, with no guards in sight. The corners of William’s mouth twitched, but a smile didn’t form. This was almost going too well.
He aimed the crossbow in Ichabod’s direction when they turned the next corner. Five Peace Enforcers were standing guard in front of a heavy wooden door decorated with tarnished brass fittings. He looked at his group and did the maths. There were ten Havenites and only five Enforcers.
They stood a chance
An Enforcer stepped forward. ‘Do you really think you can get past us?’ he said, pulling out a black, metallic object. He pressed the trigger of the gun four times and four Havenites fell to the cold floor, lifeless.
He aimed the gun at William next. William froze, open-mouthed, unable to move, despite Althea screaming at him. She swung her crossbow into position and shot an arrow at the gunman. It hit him in the neck, a huge trail of blood washing the wall as he slumped down dead against it.
Marcus looked at Ernest and they both shot at the other Enforcers, two of whom where trying to retrieve the gun. Althea had reloaded and moments later, another Terrafall soldier joined the others on the ground, arrows sticking out of their chests. William gulped. He’d not even raised his bow. He watched as Marcus and Ernest reloaded, and dealt with the final Enforcer, who was trying to crawl away unnoticed.
Ichabod, who had somehow managed to remain still and calm, knelt by the bodies of the fallen Havenites. ‘Go in peace, my friends.’ He said a quick prayer and closed their eyes.
William stepped over the bodies, not looking down, and placed his hand on the door the Enforcers had been guarding. It wouldn’t budge. He forced his eyes down to the Enforcer who’d come at them with a gun. He knelt and reached into the Enforcer’s pocket, exhaling, as he pulled out a key.
He looked up at Ichabod and the others. ‘They’re down here, they have to be,’ Ichabod said. ‘Go on William, try the lock.’
‘What if…’ William placed the key in the lock, hand trembling.
Ichabod didn’t want to hear his concerns. ‘Just do it.’
Next to him, Althea had appeared and was rubbing his back, encouraging him to pull the rusted handle. The door seemed to take forever to open, but when it did it revealed another corridor, this one dark.
They crept forward, until they saw something move. There was the sound of water dropping at a slow pace on the flagstone floor; and an intense smell that caused William to put a hand to his nose. Something moved again, quivering in the dark.
‘A rat?’ Marcus said. ‘I bloody hate rats.’
‘Hush, Marcus,’ said Ichabod. ‘There could be people down there.’
William looked more closely into the blackness and almost stopped breathing at what he saw, feeling the tears before they’d even formed. It was as though the mixture of emotions he felt was strangling him, and he almost collapsed to the floor.
‘Mum?’ he whispered, sobs stifling his voice.
‘Th–this is a trick, a dream,’ cried Judy, holding a rock defensively above her head, arm shaking violently. She looked as though she’d been dragged through hell. Her clothing barely clung to her thin and bruised body and her fair hair was now one huge dirty knot.
Ichabod ran past them, through the prison door and into the gloom, followed by the other men, leaving William and Althea with Judy.
William grabbed his mother. ‘Mum, it’s me, William. You’re not dreaming. This is happening, this is really happening.’ He pulled her close and let his chin sink into her shoulder.
‘William, it’s really you?’ said Judy, green eyes damp. ‘You came for me, you didn’t give up, didn’t forget.’
‘Of course it’s me, and I’d never forget about you,’ he said, grabbing her hand. ‘Come on, we’re going to get you out of here!’
‘Not yet, we have to save the others!’ She pointed into the darkness behind her. ‘They take people away and they never return, and the guards talk about sacrifice. Do you know who these people are and why they’re abducting survivors?’
‘It’s Terrafall, it’s behind this, Mum. The very people Dad worked for, gave his life working for. And it killed Althea’s parents too,’ said William.
‘No… I–I can’t believe it… Why?’
‘Terrafall thinks the way to end the tremors is to sacrifice worthy people – to appease the Tremor God. But I found some friends who will stop them, the Haven Development. They’re the future.’
His mother stared at him, her mouth open in shock. ‘That’s crazy. Monsters, the lot of them. And I always thought Terrafall was doing such a good job. I worked at the hospital helping bloody Terrafall, and this is how they repay me?’ She paused. ‘I suppose I suspected it hadn’t been honest about your father, but, well, it was too horrible to believe it might ha
ve hurt him, so I ignored the signs. But they were there. Terrafall took him, like it took me and…’
‘Terrafall took Dad? What?’ William swayed slightly.
‘Yes love, I think they did…’ Judy pulled his head into her chest and looked at Althea, embracing one of her hands. ‘I’m so sorry, sweetheart. This should never have happened. Your poor, poor parents.’
Althea’s lips twitched and she blinked hard. ‘They’re going to pay for what they’ve done.’ She looked at William, who was staring at the golden ring Judy wore on her right hand.
‘Is that…’ he breathed, stroking the surface of the ring.
‘Your dad’s.’ Judy took it off and passed it to him. ‘It came from another prisoner. She said a guard had dropped it. That’s why I think they took him.’ She wiped a tear away. ‘It’s yours now. Keep him close.’
He held the ring in his open palm, unable to take his eyes off it. Terrafall had his father’s ring. Which meant…
William felt a huge thud hit his heart. The corners of his eyes began to tingle, but somehow he found the courage to hold back the tears. How? Why? Maybe Terrafall had realised how much his father had found out about the company, and had killed him for it. Terrafall might’ve used him in one of its sick sacrifices, and then made out that a tremor was responsible. William felt the anger building, but knew now wasn’t the time. They still had to stop Erisia. He would save his anger for her.
‘We’ll stop them. It ends today.’ Althea closed his hand around the ring. ‘Use it,’ she whispered. ‘Use the feelings to make you stronger.’
He nodded and slowly placed the ring into his pocket. ‘Let’s go and help Bod.’
William turned to head down into the dingy prison, but stopped when a pale face appeared from the shadows.
‘She wasn’t down there!’ shouted Ichabod, storming back towards them. ‘The others have been released. Marcus is going to take them to the vehicles.’ He grabbed Judy’s hand. ‘Did you see Marian? She’s a nurse like you, violet eyes, maybe six years older.’