“I surprised you, meaning… You. Lost. Focus.” Sylvia slapped his forehead several times.
“You are my guide. I thought it was okay to relax,” Jacob pleaded.
“Relax?” she asked quizzically. “Relax is not a word in our vocabulary, Jacob.” She continued shaking her head in disgust at his comment. “Jacob Niles, you sure do have a lot to learn. Lucky for you, I am the one who gets to teach you.”
“If it isn’t my lucky day,” he sarcastically replied as he started to dust himself off.
“Alright, up on your feet, so we can get some stuff straight. First thing, I’m the agent tasked with training you, so when you aren’t working, light or dark out, in or out of the ‘Haus, you are by my side. Second thing, all the touchy-feely crap is fine, it’s part of the job, but while all the flirting is going on, you need to FOCUS,” she said emphasizing the last word. “Not on all that, but on everything else that is going on around us. The storyline has us being together, so you gotta sell that bit, because they will be watching.”
“I’m still lost, focus on what?” the confused trainee asked.
“On everything. The comings and goings and the doings of anyone you see,” Sylvia answered. “Be also on the lookout for those you can’t see. They are there, and you will start to notice. If they are hiding, they are not friends of ours.”
“But why are they watching? What have we done?” Jacob wondered aloud.
“I’ll get to that in a minute. But first a few more things. Once we return to the ‘Haus, we only speak about small talk type stuff. For matters concerning our mission, we must whisper until you learn to sign,” she explained.
“Sign?” Jacob asked.
“Yes, the hand signals and body movements. We use nonverbal communication as often as possible, it’s much safer,” she explained before asking, “Did you even read the Charter? Signing was developed by your father to communicate certain things with Jasper because he was always paranoid about being watched. He had good reason to be worried, it turns out. He was being watched and followed. He knew something, Jacob, something he never got to tell anyone before it all happened, something the Whisperers have been trying to figure out ever since.”
“So you are sure he was killed and his death wasn’t an accident, because I always suspected that myself,” claimed Jacob.
“Well, it’s no big secret around here. People from other colonies stumble onto things they should not see from time to time and end up missing, so whatever they are hiding, it must be huge.”
“And just who are they?” he asked.
“That’s just the thing, nobody knows for sure. We have no names, no list, though we have some suspicions. However, no departments are beyond reproach. It’s been speculated some departments are divided, with representation in both underground sects, operating independently and without knowledge the ‘other side’ are mere inches from them. But that is why you must always focus. Our membership is small, so suspect everyone else. It’s just safer that way.”
“Well, to be honest, after that unexpected jolt earlier, I might keep my suspicions up about a certain someone,” he said in jest as he winked at Sylvia, trying to get them back on level terms.
“Yeah, sorry about that, part of the job. Gotta knock some sense into people once in a while, give them a wakeup call, ya know?”
“I certainly do,” he said slowly and convincingly.
“No hard feelings? I promise I will make it up to you later,” said Sylvia as she returned the wink and offered him a hug.
As he went in to reciprocate, he ducked under her reach and put her right arm into a lock, before carefully executing a leg sweep, slamming her to the ground, and whispering to her cheek. “Just call us even.”
Chapter 20 (Ella Storm)
Ella walked with Zac and joined the rest of the scout team and the hostages next to the hulking machines. Even in the dim light, she noticed a few things about these vehicles. Their collective rumble was loud, and these hunks of green metal looked similar to the Beast sitting under the tarp, but bigger.
“Hold on,” cried the muffled voice of an unnamed scout as he disappeared down the hatch. The amber lights tripled in number and set the immediate area awash in a pale haze. The scout returned and informed the audience, “It’s not much light, but it’s all these things have.”
Ella could only imagine the force these machines could provide. They were not only much louder, but also taller and wider than the Beast. She did not know anything about these vehicles or how they operated, but she felt sure bigger meant better.
Or for her purposes, worse. It would surely lift the spirits of those in her camp focused on the attack. Ella’s plan to delay the battle until the scouts returned empty-handed was shot. She hadn’t expected them back for several days and assumed they would be on foot. She thought she could buy more time when they returned by sending out lengthy scouting expeditions, which she could use to prolong the attacks indefinitely. Even as Elder, she insisted on scouting, not because she had the most experience and knew the routine, but because she could control the flow of information that way.
By fudging her reports, changing the ‘observed’ routine of those on the Inside, and lying about power down times, she could get herself all the time she needed. With one Beast, few would object to waiting until the proper time to strike. With four of these new monsters added to the fleet, none could be expected to be patient, or to follow her passive orders for long. They would want an attack and they would want it now. If her suspicions were correct regarding these new vehicles, the Storm camp had the firepower to attack without a power down. But she knew what no one else except Jeremiah and his old Blood camp knew. That even the most devastating attack would result in failure. No amount of damage could bring victory. The Insiders would successfully defend Glass City and the Masked would be swept away like dust in the wind.
Ella had gotten close to the glass and knew how complex the Inside was. Every time the thought of attacking popped in her head, her mind drifted back to Stranger Friend. We could attack the undefended area, and breach the glass, but then what? The reasons not to attack kept piling up. The letter…but can anyone Inside be trusted?
Some in the camp were getting antsy, and would push Ella to attack soon, so she started the first bit of damage control. “Everyone can return to their cots now, except those on guard. There will be much to prepare in the coming days and rest will be paramount for our success.” Then she turned her attention to the group that had just returned. “Zac, tell me all about this mission, the fuel, the camp that you raided. I want all the details.”
“After we left the fortress, we split up and checked the tanks along the river, but they were all bone dry,” he explained.
Just as I suspected they would be.
“I asked the Blood camp to show us where these vehicles were, and thought maybe together Swifty and me might be able to get ‘em going,” Zac continued.
I wish you had just returned empty-handed like I thought you would.
“It was a good hike. We walked for almost two days with no rest before we came upon this compound,” he said, removing his mask, rubbing the itchy spots on his head.
Oh damn, I should wallop you good. I didn’t think you’d be so thorough.
“It looked to be heavily guarded at one point. A high fence with barbed wire across the top,” he recalled. “Tall towers scattered around, perfect for snipers. The gates wouldn’t budge, so we continued to search for a way in until Swifty found an opening in the fence.”
Damn the luck.
Zac went on, “So we got to lookin’ around, but it got dark, so we found a place to hide. Took turns taking watch because we kept hearin’ noises, in the distance, like we wasn’t alone out there. When the disc of light returned, that’s when we made the discoveries,” Zac explained.
“Discoveries? As in, more than one?” Ella asked, trying to hide her displeasure with the news.
“It started as one when we found
these vehicles, rows and rows of ‘em, and other vehicles packed in the large building.”
At one time I would have loved this news, now I’m not so sure I do, Zac Cloud. If you weren’t already bald, I’d rip every strand of hair off your head.
“Even so, we couldn’t get ‘em started, since we had no fuel,” he explained.
Best news I’ve heard all day, though clearly enough was found to get them back here.
“After searching the compound for hours, just as we were about to call it quits, I came upon these strange boxes.” Zac’s eyes lit up as he told the story. “Eight of them under some collapsed structure, covered by a thin piece of sheet metal. The rectangular boxes were hidden and protected by the collapsed covering, but it was light sheet metal,” he continued, beaming with pride about his find.
I do not like where this is going. Ella was doing her best to keep cool, but she wanted to scream.
Zac kept telling his tale through his thin, white, chapped lips. The information kept getting worse and worse for Ella. “There were hoses attached to the boxes, and at the end of the hoses were hand pumps, which I could only guess were to prime the system, a backup in case the power went out. Naturally, I grabbed one and gave it a few squeezes. After a few hisses and dry pumps, the unmistakable smell came flowing from the open end.”
“Is there more of it?” she asked, already knowing the answer was one she didn’t want to hear.
“As far as I can tell, yeah. We filled buckets, then funneled it into the tank, enough to get them back to the pumps. We filled up as many containers as we could find with extra fuel,” Zac said. “Could have brought more home, but these things take two to operate. We could have the whole lot brought up here if we took another couple of trips.”
That is the last thing I need, she thought to herself. “I think this is plenty to accomplish our goal. Plus they are safer there, where they’ve been for decades on end. Here, they could fall into the wrong hands.” Ella knew the anxiety of waiting for the attack would grow once these monsters arrived.
“But Elder Storm,” Zac protested, wiping his grimy hands on the front of his pants. “If we brought all of these up here, we would not need to wait. We could just…”
Ella stopped him. “Zac, listen carefully, you mustn’t tell anyone of that place.” At some point the warmongers would turn hostile about her passivity. “I know this excites everyone, but we don’t fully know how these things work yet, and that may take some time. There is also much planning that needs to be done.” She saw a lot of her former self in Zac. The ‘impetuousness of the ignorant’ she now called the syndrome, a bit judgmental, she willingly admitted, especially given her mindset such a short time ago. When anger had control of the wheel of life, all one could think of was rage, revenge, and retribution. There was little thought put into a preferred plan of action. Just dump it all at the enemy and let the rest happen as it is ‘destined’.
Ella was far past that, no longer just letting destiny dictate her future, opting to take control of it herself. She needed a good reason not to attack, one that everyone would go along with. “What about ammunition?” she asked, hoping that would be an obstacle.
“We grabbed as many shells as we could,” Zac told Ella.
So much for that idea.
“But we still have not figured out how to shoot them. The firing mechanism is a lot different than the Beast,” explained Zac.
Ah-ha there it is, an opening. “We will have time enough for that,” Ella said, “But in the meantime, send your crew to get some rest. Then meet me back here to discuss your hostages.”
Ella walked around the machines, observing the similarities and the differences between these and the Beast. Slightly darker in color and bigger, much bigger. The barrel was wider, but shorter than the Beast.
Zac dismissed Swifty and his helpers, Trig and Buttons, along with the rest of the crew, then returned to Ella alone. She began the dialog with a fake atta-boy to pump him up a bit before the big letdown. “Good job on the recovery of these vehicles, but I have some news and I think that you might not like it. I wanted you to be one of the first to know.” Ella paused. “The attacks are on hold for the foreseeable future, but preparations will continue. We will make our next move when the time is right.”
Zac’s dismay was visible, and his body language displayed his displeasure. Ella made another attempt to lift his spirits, “Zac, I am forming an inner circle to help me run this camp, because I cannot do everything for so many others all by myself. I need good people, with expertise in many areas. I would be honored to have you be a part of it.” Hopefully throwing him a bone will calm his desire for revenge. Ella continued, “I need you to trust me on this though. When the time is right, we will make our move.”
He knew better that to argue against his Elder. Instead, he asked a simple, non-threatening question, “But why?”
“I have my reasons, some of which I cannot share yet.” Some of which I don’t know or haven’t made up yet. “But just know that when the time is right, we will take action against our enemies, but not a second sooner. I will not risk the lives of those in this camp recklessly, like some of our Elders wanted to do.”
Zac seemed to understand. His response told Ella as much. “Elder Storm, a lot of things have aligned to bring this camp together. I believe in destiny. And I believe that ours truly is a destiny greater than any camp that came before us. We have been given these gifts and I know you will not let them go to waste. When the time is right, you will know it. The Oppressors will finally taste the rage that has been brewing on the Outside for generations.”
Reminds me so much of myself, just a short time ago. So ready to attack, so ready to enact revenge. So ready to die… for nothing. Ready to use others as a pawn in a game, without realizing that he is a pawn in an even bigger game.
“Zac, we are safe here, because the Rangers never come this far. I will make you this promise. Since you and Swifty found the machines, and got them running, you will command them in the battle.” She remembers this mindset, and knew what carrot she needed to dangle in front of him to ease his mind. “But for now, what interests me the most are these hostages. How did they come into the scenario?”
“Oh damn,” started Zac. “I almost forgot about ‘em.” He shook his head, as if to rattle loose the memory. “Like I said, we heard noises in the distance. All night long, which made for a lot of restlessness. Couldn’t have been the wind. It sounded like distant yelling, so we knew we weren’t alone. We assumed it was another camp and since there were only eleven of us, we took great precautions,” he explained. “The noises stopped by daylight, so we started lookin’ for fuel. As we fueled up the last of these, I saw a single plume of smoke in the distance. So we investigated. Once we arrived at their camp at the base of a hill near a set of caves, we found them in defensive positions and ready to attack. Their weapons were futile against us, the rocks and sticks just bounced off. We had no way to return fire, so we just blocked ‘em in and started running ‘em over. Wasn’t long before the last two surrendered.”
“What exactly is so strange about them?” asked Ella.
“A better question Elder Storm, would be, what isn’t strange about them.” Zac responded. He brought her over to the surviving pair of hostages. They had been riding on the outside of the vehicles, strapped to the hull, hands bound with cloth.
It was still dark, but right away Ella saw several abnormalities, the first being they were without masks. As she examined the hostages more closely, she noticed something never seen among the camps of the Masked. They were elderly, much older than anyone in the Storm camp. Older than any she had ever seen in any camp, in fact. Gray hair and wrinkled skin were things normally reserved for those who lived extended lives on the Inside, not for those doomed to a brief existence on the Outside.
“Where are you from?” asked Ella. “Because you sure ain’t from around here,” she added, staring these men up and down to try to get a bead on them.<
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The question was answered with silence, so Ella repeated it, this time louder. “Are you deaf? I asked you a question. Where are you from?”
The hostages were still defiant, and offered no answer. The rage that had stayed dormant in Ella for so long started to surface when she repeated the question for a third time with an added threat. “Last chance or else we will force it out of you. Where are you from?” She yelled as she clutched the raggedy-looking jacket of the youngest of the pair, a man still double the age of any in the Storm camp. When she did, she felt something strange beneath them, another layer, padded and soft. It was pliable and stretchy, but it was hard to keep hold of, slipping through her clutches no matter how hard she tried to grab it.
The older-looking of the two men hung his head and uttered a sad reply. “Truth is ma’am, we don’t know where we are from.”
“Or where we are going,” added the other.
“Tis’ the truth,” added the first, as he pulled away from Ella’s clutches. “In all honesty ma’am, neither of us can remember much, but the cuckoo over here is always rambling about some imaginary Oasis near the angry sea. But we have traveled in circles and haven’t found a trace of it.”
Ella pondered the answers before making a single demand. “Alright then, names. Let’s start with some names. I’m Ella Storm, camp Elder. I run things around here,” she said, making her rank clear, hoping to jolt the men into cooperation. “And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll start talkin’.”
The older man was the first to speak, “We mean no trouble, Elder Storm. My name is Niles and I call him Jordan,” he said.
“Niles and Jordan, huh?” Ella asked.
“Yep, that’s what it says on our underclothes,” said Niles, as he pulled Jordan’s protective suit down in the back, just enough to reveal the rubbery suit underneath, the letters J-O-R-D-A-N in a small rectangle just above the shoulder blades in the center of his back. “We figured those are as good of names as any to go by.”
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