by Liv Curtis
“Okay, so let’s say we do manage to get them out. Then what? We’re not going to be able to go back to our normal lives here. We will be fugitives. We’re going to have to run and there is nowhere inside the Frame that we can hide,” Sage said letting the reality of what they were about to do sink in.
“Your dad, Harlow, and I were talking, and we decided that the night after we get Eliza and Andrea we will escape through the mines, into the Wilderness,” her mom said apprehensively as if she herself wasn’t sure how this was going to work, if at all.
“What? How are we going to get out there? How are we going to get past the mine guards? What about our home? Mom, that’s crazy there has to be a better option…” Sage felt all the fear ignite in her chest turning to pure hatred for the chancellor. Before her mom could answer Sage’s Dad came downstairs looking concerned and drained.
“I’m glad you are up. We need to talk. All of us,” he said as he sat down a duffel bag.
“Why do you have a duffel bag?” Sage said, confused. Just then Harlow and Audrey came down the stairs.
“Come you two let’s go get our stuff packed,” Harlow yelled up to River and Emery.
“We will be right there, we just have to grab a few things,” River yelled back from Sage’s room.
“So, we are going through with this? Are you sure?” Sage said, looking back and forth between her parents.
“This is the best option we have. We can hide and make a better plan without being watched by the council. Go get your stuff, we are leaving in twenty minutes,” Sage’s dad said as he kissed the top of her head. On her way up, she looked around the house as she realized this was going to be the last time she would see it.
Memories of her childhood flashed in her mind. She looked in Eliza’s room at the freshly made bed, and her eyes filled with tears. Sage made her way to her room where River and Emery were waiting for her.
“Hey, do you think we need to pack… What’s wrong?” Emery said as she noticed the tears that had escaped Sage’s eyes. She quickly moved to hug Sage and in that moment all the fear, anger, and sadness that Sage had suppressed over the past two days came forward. River had joined the two of them, engulfing them in his calming presence. Sage wiped away the tears from her face and forced her emotions back down.
“I hate this, all of this. We don’t have any other choice. If we go through with this we will be hunted. I know that this is the best option for everyone but that doesn’t make it any easier.” Sage was talking out loud be she was mostly talking to herself as she sighed and started packing her stuff.
“I’m going to get some stuff from my house. Meet you guys in the driveway in fifteen minutes,” River said as he quickly left the room and made his way next door.
“Don’t worry, Sage. This is the right thing to do.” Emery squeezed Sage’s arm, reassuring her that this was going to be okay and turned to follow River.
Sage gathered her things and met her parents downstairs. She made sure to grab the house key she kept on a chain necklace, which her dad had given her when she started school.
“Are you ready to go?” Her dad asked as he opened the front door to leave. With one last look around her home Sage stepped out the front door and met Emery, River, Audrey, and Harlow at the end of the driveway. They all got into her dad’s car and drove towards the house of Jefferson Green.
Sage was numb as they pulled into the drive way and drove the car around back, parking it inside the garage right next to Eliza’s. Jefferson was waiting to greet them in the kitchen.
“Welcome to my… I mean our, home,” Jefferson said with a smile.
“Thank you, it means a lot to all of us that you are willing to take us in and help our families,” Sage’s dad said as he moved closer to Jefferson to shake his hand.
“Finn Blackwell. Last time I saw you, you were training to be the security analyst for the Frame walls. Only eighteen but so promising,” Jefferson said as he smiled and shook his hand with vigor.
“I’m sorry, have we met?” Sage’s dad said with confusion.
“I was the prior SA for the wall, you took over for me when I retired. It is actually because of you that I was able to begin making my plans to start a revolution. So, I suppose I have to thank you.” Jefferson chuckled at the serendipity of it all.
“Well, shall I show you all to where you will be staying?” he said, motioning the group to follow him.
They followed him upstairs where there were three bedrooms. The hallway was long with two rooms on the left, each had a large bed, big enough for two adults. To the right was a larger room with the same sized bed and one that pulled out from underneath.
At the end of the hall was clearly Jefferson’s room, the door was ajar and inside it was a mess, clothes thrown around and the bed looked as though it had never been made. Sage cringed a bit as she noticed a small bathroom adjacent from Jefferson’s room.
“Feel free to decide amongst yourselves who sleeps where. When you are finished please meet me down in the training room.” With that Jefferson turned and left leaving the seven of them alone.
“Mom, I want to sleep with you. This place freaks me out.” Audrey said as she inched closer towards her mom.
“Of course. We can take this room.” Harlow and Audrey walked towards one of the rooms to the left of the staircase.
“Well, I guess we will take this room. Are you three okay with sharing that one?” Sage’s mom said, gesturing towards the room that was clearly set up for three.
“That’s fine,” Sage said as she turned to set her bag down on the bed. River dropped down on the pullout mattress,
“This is insane. We have officially lost our minds,” he said propping himself up onto his hands.
“That’s what I have been saying since day one of this madness!” Emery said with a nervous laugh as she sunk down next to River. Sage knew it was crazy, but she couldn’t help but feel, in the pit of her stomach, that this was the right thing to do. Before she could say anything, Audrey opened the door and popped her head in.
“We were going to go down to the…what did he call it, the training room? Are you guys coming?” Sage smiled at the Audrey’s casualness about the whole situation and stood up to follow her.
“Come on. Let’s go show everyone our fancy weapons,” Sage said with a laugh as she reached a hand down to River and Emery. They met their families in the hallway and together they made their way down to the closet where the entrance to the training room was.
Jefferson was already down there so the door was left open.
“You have got to be kidding. There is no way I am going into some creepy basement that is hidden in the coat closet of some stranger!” Audrey said realizing that the training room was essentially a basement on lockdown.
“Audrey. It’s fine, I promise,” River said as he stepped into the door and disappeared into the closet. Sage followed River, giving her parents a reassuring smile. Moments later the rest of them made their way downstairs.
“Well, this is officially the craziest thing I have ever seen,” Sage’s mom said as she spun around, taking in all there was to see. The room was more brightly lit than the last time Sage had been there. She looked up and noticed that Jefferson had installed more lights making it easier to see the vast training equipment and the copious amounts of weapons on the wall.
Sage recognized her pistols on the table sitting next to her gear and throwing knives. Rivers dual crossbows were next to her pistols and Emery’s bo-staff was with them as well. The three of them went to collect their gear and weapons as Jefferson came out from another closet under the stairs.
“Okay! Glad you all have found your way down. This is all the gear I have so have a look and take what you wish. Over here is the weapons, I can help train you but you must first choose which one,” Jefferson said as he walked over towards the weapons table. Sage had slipped into her gear and had just fastened the snap on the knife holster around her thigh when her dad walked over to her
looking concerned.
“Do you know how to use those?” he said eyeing the pistols on her hips and the knives in her hand.
“These are called twin falcon pistols. They are really easy to use, not to mention they come with this cool harness,” Sage said as she slid the two guns out of their harness and handed them to her dad.
“And these are throwing knives. Watch!” Sage said as she grabbed the blade and walked towards the target board. She set up her shot and with a swift movement, sunk the knife deeply into the bull’s-eye of the target board.
“Show off!” River called from across the room. Sage laughed and gave her dad a knife
“You want to try?” she said, stepping aside for him to line up his shot. He followed Sage’s movements and threw the blade. It hit the board and bounced to the ground.
“Yeah, I don’t think these are for me,” her dad said with a laugh as he handed the knives back to Sage.
“Actually, Mr. Blackwell, I think this might be more your style,” Jefferson said as he took down a larger gun from the top rack.
“This is called a Black Mamba rifle, I believe it is named after some type of animal. It is extremely accurate and easy to use. Give it a try,” Jefferson said as he handed the two-foot gun to Sage’s dad.
“Just look down the sight and fire once you have your shot lined up,” Jefferson explained as Sage’s dad took the gun and aimed it towards the target. He lined up his shot and with the pull of the trigger three bullets left the gun with a quiet whistle, each imbedding themselves in the target.
“Now, that’s how you shoot a gun!” Jefferson said as he handed Sage’s dad the holster that went with the gun.
“Now you, Mrs. Blackwell. Pick you weapon,” Jefferson said gesturing to the wall of weapons. Sage new her mom wouldn’t dare choose something that could kill someone so it was no surprise when she chose the small pistol shaped Taser.
“Well, that will stop someone but they won’t be down for long,” Jefferson said as he scratched his gray-brown beard.
“Well, what else do you have that won’t kill?” Sage’s mom said motioning towards all the lethal weapons.
“How about this?” Jefferson said as he reached for a gun that had a peculiar magazine.
“This is a non-lethal mini stun-grenade rifle. Essentially, it shoots miniature stun grenades that temporarily blind your enemies, long enough for you to disappear,” he added, handing Sage’s mom the gun.
“Give it a try, but you all might want to wear these.” Jefferson handed everyone clear, reflective glasses.
“These will also aid you in seeing in the dark if need be.” They all put on their glasses and Sage’s mom lifted the gun, pointing it towards the target.
“Now this gun is a bit different, you might try aiming for the ground just in front of your target,” Jefferson said pointing towards the ground. Sage’s mom adjusted her aim and pulled the trigger. Within a second the area was engulfed in a blinding white light. Despite the glasses Sage’s eyes ached from the light, and she had to turn her head.
“That’s perfect for you, Adalynn!“ Sage’s dad laughed at the look of surprise on his wife’s face.
“Now you, Mrs. Mason, what do you prefer?” Harlow went towards the weapons wall and picked up a small pistol that looked similar to Sage’s but was a bit simpler.
“This should do, my husband taught me how to use this when we were first married,” Harlow replied as she walked towards the target wall.
She lifted the gun and tilted her head to aim. Her long chocolate brown hair moved like a silk waterfall over her shoulder. She was small in size but very strong and as she steadied herself for the shot it was clear that she knew what she was doing. She pulled the trigger, and the bullet whizzed through the room imbedding itself into the target.
“Excellent! Your husband always said you had great aim. I see now that he was correct. Now, does his daughter have the same ability?” Jefferson said, focusing his attention on Audrey, who looked nervous.
She walked towards the wall and picked up a medium sized blade, about twenty-four inches long.
“This looks cool. How does it work?” Audrey said as she twirled the blade in her hands.
“That is a Black Widow Katana. It takes a bit of practice, but it can be very useful. May I?” Jefferson reached his hand out and took the blade to demonstrate.
He walked towards a hay stuffed dummy and took up his position. In a flash he whirled left and right each time slicing and stabbing at the dummy until it lost its stuffing. Everyone in the room was surprised by the swiftness and agility that Jefferson executed.
“Can you show me how to do that?” Audrey said excitably looking at the dummy in shock and exhilaration.
“Of course! It’s actually quite simple once you learn how to center your weight,” Jefferson said handing the Katana back to Audrey.
“Now, I am sure you are all starving. How about we eat, then we can begin the training and create a plan to get your girls back?” he added as he turned to go back upstairs towards the kitchen.
River was looking at the crossbows on the table when his mom walked over. Sage wasn’t trying to eavesdrop as she placed her gear back on the table.
“You know you remind me of you father so much sometimes, River. He would be proud of the man you have become, and I am sure he wishes he could be here,” Harlow said as she cupped her sons face in her hands.
“Thanks mom. I won’t let him or you down, I want to finish what he started.” He was several inches taller than his mom but he was similarly built like her, thin but muscular. He hugged her, and she turned to head upstairs with the others.
“You do know you’re not doing this alone, right?” Sage said as River turned back towards the table.
“No matter how crazy it gets, we will finish this. It’s time for the world to wake up and your dad knew that. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for what he did, so let’s make it worth it.” Sage placed a hand on River’s shoulder and reassured him that she was and always would be on his side.
“When did you become so wise?” River said with a smile. They both laughed and made their way upstairs to join the rest of the family.
Chapter 5
Breakfast was a spread of delicious fruits, pastries, jams, and an assortment of breakfast meats. It was 6:00AM when they finished eating, and everyone was exhausted from the lack of sleep and the early morning events.
“Maybe we should come up with a plan?” Sage’s dad suggested as he took his last bite of bacon.
“Yes. I might have an idea of how to determine where they are keeping your girls,” Jefferson said as he walked his plate to the sink.
“There are a few small holding cells underneath the court room. They use these to hold prisoners prior to their court hearing. Getting to them is risky though, and it will take a lot of precision.”
Sage shuddered at the idea of the holding cells. She imagined a dark, cold room and her sister tossed inside like a prisoner. She glanced at her friends and noticed that River had gone white, Sage knew he was thinking about his dad and how he, too, must have sat in those same cells. Jefferson’s voice rang loudly in Sage’s ears and snapped her back to attention.
“The only way to access the holding cell is to take an elevator located inside the chancellor’s office.” Jefferson sat back down at his chair and continued to explain. He winced as he spoke, clearly aware that what he had just said had sucked all the air out of the room.
“Inside her office?” Sage’s mom repeated the words, trying to come to grips with the reality of it. She stared blankly at the table while Sage’s dad reached for her hand.
“Then how are we going to get to them?” Harlow said with the same blank expression.
“Well, I do believe there is a fire escape inside the chancellor’s secret elevator, we may be able to access it from the roof. Finn, is there any way you could get a copy of the emergency escape routes of the building?” Jefferson said as he rubbed his long scragg
ily gray beard.
He was an older man, made clear by his wispy salt and pepper hair that had obviously not been cut in many years. He was tall and thin but it was evident that he was very healthy, and Sage had no doubt that he was much stronger than his physical appearance. He dressed odd for someone in the Frame, wearing a brown leather jacket and light wash denim jeans. There was a gentle kindness in his dark brown eyes that reminded Sage of the photographs of deer she had seen in her science class.
Sage noticed a single, silver band on his left ring finger; she looked around the room and saw that there were photos of Jefferson and a kind looking brown haired woman with a thoughtful smile and vibrant blue eyes. There was also a photo of the two of them with a younger boy who looked just like the woman, same blue eyes, and warm chocolate hair, clearly their son.
Sage shuddered at the thought of Dawson Green. Seeing him as a young boy, innocent and kind, knowing he would grow up to destroy the lives of the Mason family.
“Those elevator fire hatches are extremely dangerous and small,” Sage’s dad said, going over all aspects of the plan in his mind, looking for potential errors.
“True, but we have three perfectly sized and able people sitting at this table with us,” Jefferson said nodding towards Sage, River, and Emery.
“Are you absolutely insane? There is no way…” Sage’s mom protested.
“I’ll do it,” Sage said a bit surprised at the lack of fear she was feeling.
“Me too,” Emery said, looking at Sage with a similar determination.
“Clearly, I’m letting you two go alone. I’m in,” River said as he stood and walked to stand behind Sage and Emery.
“Wonderful! Now there are some other factors we have to take into consideration but it shouldn’t be too complicated,” Jefferson said as he poured himself a cup of coffee, its warm aroma filling the room.
“This is absolutely crazy! There is no way I’m letting you three do this!” Sage’s mom stood up and began pacing in the kitchen.