The Keep (A Renegades story Book 1)

by Marilize Loxton

  ‘Tamara has been our greatest resource,’ Mike said. ‘Without her, none of the rebellion would’ve ever been possible.’

  Aaron pressed his hands against the window. ‘What is this place, and how did you find it?’

  ‘Our hidden village was built up from rubble just after the war had ended. It might not seem that way, but the rebellion had always been there.’ Tamara said.

  ‘No, that’s not possible. The only remaining survivors had all followed my great, great grandfather Benjamin Emitton, hadn’t they?’ Sam asked.

  Tamara laid her hands on the table, and studied the map. ‘Just look at the size of the earth, Sam. You can’t expect no one else out to be out there.’ She crumbled her fingers across the paper, and stood upright.

  ‘Now then, you don’t have to worry. The Stone Hedge is the safest place you could be. Come on, I’ll show you where you can wash up.’

  She led the guests through a different door, and into an outside hall.

  ‘Mike,’ Sam said, and stopped. She let Viper scoot past her, and walked back to where her brother stood by the window. She waited until Tamara had closed the door, before speaking.

  ‘What is going on here?’ She asked. ‘The rebellion, who are you rebelling against?’

  Mike’s smile dropped. He sighed.

  ‘I wished to never have to tell you this, but we’re fighting a very long and ongoing war against the board of leaders–against Richard Grey. He’s doing something, but we don’t what yet.’ He held Sam’s arm. ‘When I was still a prisoner at the Keep, Aunt Cara came to visit me and– ’

  ‘–aunt Cara came to visit you?’

  Mike swallowed deeply. ‘Sam, mom and dad never died in an explosion! Richard Grey took them.’

  ‘What?’ Sam’s tongue nearly popped out of her mouth. She couldn’t believe it. ‘Why?’ She asked.

  ‘I don’t know yet, but that’s what I’m here to find out. They knew things, Sam, things that could save human kind–all of it. And for some apparent reason, Richard Grey didn’t want them to.’ Mike clutched his fists. ‘He’s up to something evil, I can feel it. Tamara says she sees it, and that’s what we’re rebelling against.’

  Sam’s ears were struck deaf to anything Mike had said. All she could think about was how miserable her parents must’ve felt, being taken from their family and shut away somewhere.

  ‘Mike, they might still be alive!’ The words left Sam’s mouth tasting sweet like honey. She nearly jumped on top of Mike when uttering the words. ‘Couldn’t they?’

  ‘I’m sure they are. They were working on something, and Richard wouldn’t just kill them off like that.’

  ‘Not with Aunt Cara head of the board!’ Sam was shocked at her own words.

  ‘Tamara says she hasn’t much say over Richard these days. He knows about her visiting me, and if that got out–she could get executed.’

  ‘But our parents…’

  ‘We’ll find them, Sam, I promise.’ Mike said. ‘And we’ll stop Richard from doing whatever it is he’s planning.’

  Mike tenderly wrenched himself from his sister’s grip, and walked to the marble table with the map on it. He looked at the big red crosses drawn on the mountains, and the bright blue circle surrounding the Keep.

  ‘What’s that?’ Sam asked.

  ‘It’s the first phase of our plan.’ Mike said, looking up, his eyes flaming with ambition.

  ‘Plan for what?’

  ‘Our plan to attack the Keep…’

  END OF BOOK ONE