"As all of my kind are?" I stare at him, dumbfounded. "What kinda bullshite have you people been told? In case you ain't noticed, you big galoot, the Prezedant is a damned New Blood. I could feel his power just as plain as I can feel this bench I'm sittin' on, and trust me, there ain't nuthin' goodhearted or kind-natured as far as he's concerned."
This seems to shock 'em all. Ain't they ever wondered why the Prezedant was so damned strong and said to be immortal? He was every much a New Blood as I am and a hell of a lot stronger. Why the hell did somebody not already know this?
My admission seems to be too much for Ben to handle. He sits upright and glares at me like everything is all my fault.
"What is happenin', Tara? Who are all these people? And what happened back there? What you did … your hair..."
He trails off, and my gut wrenches. How do I explain it to him? How do I even begin?
"Ben," I plead, reaching for any way to explain, but Beanie interrupts.
"Ben?" he says in delight, making the connection. He laughs maniacally as he grabs Ben's hand and pumps it up and down.
"You did it then. You found him, Mistress! What about Lily? Did you not find her?"
At the mention of her name, the tamped down grief overwhelms me, and I hold my stomach as a sharp pain slices through it only able to answer with a shake of my head.
Beanie don't bother asking for any more info; he can tell from the look on my face. His own face falls, and he looks like he is about to cry. Please don't, I think frantically, 'cause if you cry, then I won't be able to hold it together. Talbert's unexpected bellow from outside saves me from a complete and utter meltdown.
"Brace yerselves," he warns moments before we hit a bump, and the carriage seems to sail through the air. We come down hard, and I fly outta my seat, striking my head on the top of the carriage so hard black spots swim before my eyes. The carriage starts bucking and twisting wildly, jarring us so much it feels like my bones are all gonna shatter, but still we don't stop. What the hell is going on?
When we finally do stop, it's so abrupt I don't think it's by choice. The carriage now leans badly to one side, and I would say our stopping has got more to do with one of the wheels breaking off. The ceasing of movement is followed by sheer silence. I ain't sure if everybody is still in shock at my admission or have all been knocked senseless like I was. Where are we? Are we safe? Or will we open that door to find ourselves surrounded by the familiar brown robes of the Army? I reckon everybody is thinking the same as me 'cause not one of us makes a move to open the now barely attached carriage door.
"Everybody all right?" I whisper into the silence, but I don't get no answer before the door is suddenly yanked open. It screeches in protest as it comes completely loose and falls offa the carriage to hit the ground with a dull thud. I suck in my breath, expecting the worst. The sore-covered, grinning skull of Talbert fills the gap.
"An' that, mates, is 'ow you pull off a great escape." Then, without missing a beat, he eyes Busher up and down. "Oi, yer a big 'un then, ain't ya."
I cain't help it; it does me in. I ain't sure if I'm laughing, crying, or dying, all of my emotions bleed together, and I start shaking uncontrollably. My teeth chatter, and I cover my head with my arms and rest my elbows on my knees, trying to gain control of myself.
"Tara," Jax says, his face a mask of worry, but I answer him right away.
"I'm fine," I say. "Ben?"
"I'm alive," Ben answers quietly, and I close my eyes in relief.
Did we really and truly just pull this off? I take a couple of calming breaths and pull myself together.
"Well, come on then. Move it already. We ain't safe yet. We still got a ways to go," Talbert says.
Talbert is right for a change, and we start piling outta the now defunct carriage. I don't know where we are. The moon overhead provides enough light so that I can see we are in a little clearing alongside a fair-sized river. Talbert has somehow managed to get us offa the road and on the other side of a grove of trees all in one piece, albeit the carriage is worse for wear. I was right; one of the wheels has come clean off. We ain't going any further in that. Why did Talbert purposefully take us offa the road? Why ain't we still moving and trying to put as much distance between the Prezedant and ourselves as we can? Sure, I had slowed him down for a bit by jabbing him fulla serum, but they'll be in pursuit soon enough.
"Come along," Talbert says. "No time for introductions. Take a bit to make sure all yer parts are still attached eh, and then move along. We 'ave people to meet. Beanie, you take up the rear."
"Stop," I yell at Talbert, and he looks at me in surprise. Then, lowering my voice, I continue, "Why did you bring us here? Why ain't we sticking to the plan? How did you two manage to create that explosion back there? That wasn't part of the plan."
Talbert and Beanie glance back and forth between each other.
"Ya didn't tell 'em, Beanie? Ya was supposed to tell 'em," Talbert accuses, but Beanie just shrugs his shoulders in defense.
"There weren't no time, Talbert."
"Yer only job wuz to tell 'em the plan while I got us outta there, an' ya didn't even do that right."
"I tried, but I wuz so excited to see young Ben here, and then Mistress told me 'bout Lily, and—"
"One job, Bean, an' I still 'ave to do it myself. Ya always get sidetracked; ya need to learn to focus."
"But Talbert—"
"Shut up!" Jax, Busher and me yell the word in unison, and the two arguing idiots look at us in surprise, like they ain't got no idea why we would be so worked up. I rub my temples. Not only is their bickering making my head ache even more, but it's also making me revise my earlier opinion on these two.
I speak directly to Talbert. "Just tell us what's goin' on."
He sends another disparaging look Beanie's way before answering me.
"Good enuff. Ya know 'ow we wuz supposed to explore the estate and find other ways out if need be? Well, there weren't none. That 'ole monstrous place is surrounded by that rock wall, guards posted every ten armspans. Ain't no way out lest they want ya to leave. So Riven an Beanie an me, we wuz wrackin' our brains tryin' to figure out a plan jest in case the first backfired, which it did," he pauses, and I urge him on with an impatient wave of my hand. Tell me something I don't know. "Well, we almost shat our britches when a couple of guards start comin' our way an' cornered us in the barn. I thought fer sure we wuz goners eh, Beanie?"
Beanie nods and echoes, "Goners," followed by that mad, disturbing laugh, which I have come to realize is just a nervous tic. Don't mean he ain't any less crazy though.
"But ya coulda knocked us over with a feather when we see who it is. That one from the sanctuary … the guard at the gate..." he trails off, searching his brain for the name.
"Flip?" I say, and he points a bony finger at me.
"Right ya are. Apparently, Mack 'ad called in backup jest in case the first plan didn't go all quiet like. 'E said knowin' you, Mistress, well, the Captain's a smart feller, 'e is. Flip an' Lily's second in command … Zoe. They wuz the ones who blew the gate. It wuz them. All we 'ad to do wuz get you out, Mistress, and then meet 'ere at the spot on the road they marked. "
It was starting to make sense. Woulda been nice of Mack to tell us about this plan B, but I ain't gonna judge him too much since it had just saved our arses.
"Where do we go from here? It's not like we can go back to Mack's now. I'm sure they had to have recognized Mack's house emblem on the carriage and known where to start looking for us," Jax says, but his words make me panic.
Finn and Cat were back at the house. If they go looking for us, they are sure to find 'em.
"Wot 'mblem?" Talbert says, laughing, and I glare at him.
Why is he finding this so funny? But then I take a closer look at the carriage. That ain't the same carriage we arrived in. As a matter of fact, it has the Army crest on it. It's one of the Prezedant's carriages.
"I borrowed one of theirs fer us, leavin' Mack's fer 'i
m an' Riven. The captain is just gonna git in 'is carriage and drive outta there, no worry no fuss. Durin' the kerfuffle that Zoe and 'er friends are sure to 'ave caused by now, they ain't gonna realize that Mack's kin are missin'. Ain't no way fer 'em to tie the captain to any of this. An' if any of 'em did manage to follow us, then they will be searchin' fer one of their own wagons, and that's the reason why we's ditchin' it 'ere in the woods."
Could it have really worked out so perfectly?
"But the Prezedant, he knew my name," I almost whisper it 'cause I don't wanna admit it out loud. "He called me by name; you all heard it. He knew who I was."
"He knew you were the New Blood he's been searching for years for," Jax says softly. "He doesn't know to connect that with Mack's niece, Sara. While you were Sara at the ball, you wore a mask. Right up to the end, you wore your mask. Barely any of them saw your face. There were hundreds of people at that ball. If we’re lucky, it will take them a while before they connect the pieces at least and give us time to collect Finn and get out of here."
I wanna believe Jax's words. I really do. But I cain't help the nagging feeling that something ain't right. That this was just a bit too easy, and we are missing an important piece of the puzzle.
"Can someone please explain to me what the hell is goin' on?" In spite of the filthy clothes and the matted hair and the blood-stained tunic, Ben is staring at us all with that stubborn, mule-headed look I remember so well.
Not now, Ben, I think. This ain't a good time for your stubbornness to rear its head. His confused eyes seek me out.
"I ain't takin' another step 'til you explain some things to me, Tara. How do you know these people? Why is the giant there callin' you a New Blood? What the hell is that? And why is that madman after you? How does he know you? And how did you do that … thing to help us escape? I don't-I cain't," he stammers, his voice rising with each word, echoing with anger and frustration.
"Ben, please quiet down—"
"No! I ain't movin' 'til I get answers. What is happenin'? What is happenin’?"
The blow Jax gives him ain't all that hard, but in his weakened state, it is enough to send Ben stumbling back on his arse.
"Shizen, Jax," I hiss as I rush to Ben's side. "Have you lost your damn mind?"
"Somebody had to shut him up," Jax retorts as he flexes his hand. "If there is Army on our trail, this fool is gonna lead them straight to us with all that yelling."
He's right, I know, but that don't make what he did okay. I try to help Ben to his feet, but he pushes my hand away and stands on his own, rubbing his jaw and glaring daggers at Jax. He seems to be all right, and he’s at least quiet now.
"Ah, hate to break up this little bit of entertainment, people, but someone's coming this way." Busher motions with his chin towards the river behind our crashed carriage.
He's right, sure enough. There is a light slowly making its way down the river. Shizen. Should we run? The light starts doing this weird thing where it blinks quickly, then pauses, then blinks again, like someone was turning it off and on on purpose. Talbert lets out a sigh of relief.
"It's okay; it's who we's waitin' for," he says and then answers back with a low whistle that carries on the night wind.
Talbert says it's okay, but I cain't help the way my heart is beating outta my chest as the hazy, black blob in the water gets closer, and I make out the shape of people. There's two of 'em at least, and they glide silently up to us on a flat-bottom barge. Someone throws a rope, and it smacks Busher plum in the chest. He grabs it and ties it to the broken-down carriage, securing the barge so it don't float away. The person holding the light steps offa the barge and holds it up, searching our faces. I squint into the light at first before my eyes adjust, and I see her face. Zoe.
She steps up to me and grasps my fingers tightly, giving my hand a little shake.
"Tara, good to see you."
"You as well, Zoe, and thank you," I say with all the heartfelt gratitude inside of me. She nods and then looks around expectantly at the rest of 'em. I know whose face she searches for.
"Lily?" All of her hope is conveyed in that one word, but I shake my head in sorrow. Her eyes close for a moment as grief crosses her face. But just as quickly as it came, it is gone, and when she speaks, her voice is brisk.
"Let's move. I have another carriage waiting upstream to take you back to Mack's where you must get the boy and get ready to move out quickly."
"But won't we be stopped? Won't the Army be searching the carriages on the road? They ain't gonna let us get away so easily."
She shrugs. "They won't be searching for a while. We left them pretty disorganized. A search party will take a bit to get together, more than enough time for us to get back. Besides that, we are on an island with only one way on or off. He knows you will eventually have to come to him if you wish to leave the island."
She has a point.
"How are we gettin' off the island?" I say.
She hesitates.
"Zoe?" I insist.
"We … are not sure yet," she says. "We arrived the same way you did—in Riven's wagons—but with the knowledge that you are now on the island, any travel on or off will undoubtedly be brought to a standstill. There’s no way they will allow the bridge to remain open and take the chance of you escaping."
"Then we are still trapped," Busher says hopelessly.
The old man, who had remained totally silent up 'til now, approaches me and gives me another little bow.
"Seems like, Mistress, destiny has thrown us together, it has. I may be of assistance. Before becoming prisoner 3026, I was what you would call a mover of unattainable items from this side of the island to those much less fortunate people on the other side."
I ain't quite following, but Jax is quick on the uptake.
"You were a smuggler," he says. "So you know of another way off the island?"
He nods his gray head. "I do."
Me and Jax kinda grin at each other over the oldie's head, but Busher ain't as convinced.
"Hold on, you two; don't get too excited. I've seen what happens to a lot of these prisoners while in the Prezedant's care. They get real mixed up sometimes … know what I mean?" He points at Kell and then swirls his finger in a circle at his own temple.
"You know of another way for us to get off this island then?" I say quietly, and Busher stops his swirling to study me.
"Then again, I didn't turn into a raving lunatic while imprisoned, now did I?" he says and clamps the smaller man's shoulder with his beefy paw. "Lead the way, little man."
Hmmm. That’s a matter of opinion, I think.
Mack's house is ablaze with lights upon our approach, but nuthin' seems outta the ordinary. It appears Jax was right and the Army didn't connect me with Mack, not yet anyways. As soon as Zoe brings the carriage to a stop in fronta the doors, Finn comes barreling out, almost tripping over his own two feet in his mad rush. He musta been waiting right at the door for any sign of us. He aims straight for me as soon as I get outta the carriage but skids to a stop as soon as Busher gets out behind me.
"Whoa … what the shizen is he doin' here?" he stammers. His surprise turns to all-out confusion as Kell quickly follows and then to concern as Jax lands with his bloody, bandaged arm.
"Jax," he cries.
"I'm okay, Finn," Jax says, his voice reassuring as he ruffles the boy's hair. "Is anyone else here? Mack or Tater?"
Finn shakes his red head. "No, you're the first ones back." His face lights up in delight as Ben is the last outta the carriage. "You did it then. You got Ben."
Ben, much to his credit, don't show any surprise at the boy's reaction to his presence. Then again, he don't show much of anything anymore since Jax had punched him at the river. It's like he’s just accepted what's happening, or he's to the point where he just doesn't care anymore. I ain't sure. All I know is at least he's stopped yelling and demanding answers. Not for the first time since we found him do I have a sneaking suspicion that Busher was righ
t. The Prezedant's prisoners do get mixed up in a way 'cause this ain't the Ben I remember. But I'm gonna have to deal with that suspicion much later when there ain't any fear of being caught and killed by the Army.
We trickle into the house to find Coral and Duchess hovering anxiously. Duchess squeals in dismay as soon as her eyes fall on my frazzled appearance.
"My dress," she cries, and her hands fly up to cradle both sides of her face in complete dismay.
I look down at myself. I guess in all the excitement, I ain't realized the damage, but from what I can tell, the dress is past salvageable. Most of it is missing from the knees down, torn away from fighting in it, stepping on it, and using it for bandages. The part that is left is mud-splattered and stained a rust brown in spots; Jax's blood, I'm guessing. I look at Duchess with a sheepish smile and shrug my shoulders.
"Sorry?"
"What on earth happened to you all? Who are these people with you? And where is Tater?" Her eyes travel over us, searching in vain for the half man.
"Tater is fine. He'll be along shortly with the others." I hope, but I keep that last part to myself. "We have to move though. Coral, go to the kitchens, and pack as much food as you can in as many sling bags as you can find. Finn, get Cat. We have to go."
"Ahhhhh, man, again? But I like it here."
I ignore his whining and turn to the others.
"Jax, take Ben and get him into some fresh clothes. He cain't travel in that prisoner garb; it will be a dead giveaway if we are seen. Finn, see if you can find anything that can fit Kell here. Busher—" I look the big man up and down. "Hell, we ain't got anything that'll fit you. Duchess, get Busher a blanket and cut a hole in it. At least it'll be something to cover his wounds. Zoe, Mack has a collection of weapons in his study, that door on the left." I point with my chin. "Now, everybody move and meet in the study as soon as we can."
I don't know if it’s authority or desperation they hear in my voice, but to my surprise they all obey me and scurry off. I’m about to do the same. I cain't wait to get this stupid corset and what's left of this dress offa me. I don't even make it outta the hallway, though, before rocks crunching under approaching hooves reach my ears through the still-open doorway. I go to the door expecting to see Beanie and Talbert. There hadn't been any room for 'em to travel in the carriage with the rest of us, so they had unhooked the horses, planning to ride 'em here before setting 'em loose to find their own way back. I turn to meet 'em and fill 'em in on the plan only it ain't Beanie and Talbert I find, and my stomach lurches in fear. The horses that pull up carry the brown-robed soldiers that I didn't for the life of me want to see right now. The Army had found us.
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