“Relax Marcus,” Nicron grunts. “You’re the one who wanted to stop.”
“Yeah, sorry,” I say, sliding myself back to lean against a wide tree trunk. The ridges dig painfully into my back after a minute. This should keep me alert for most of the night.
“Who’s that?” Jansen asks. Under the haze of the diminishing sun I can see Sage focusing on an object in his hand. He draws it close to his lips and kisses it gently before he answers.
“My wife and daughter.”
“The virus got them?” Jansen asks, though it sounds more like a statement than a question.
“No,” Sage replies slipping the hinged frame into his left chest pocket. “Car accident. Two years ago. I was in Deimos, organizing a rescue mission for the Calvan diplomats, when I got the news. Diana had picked up Maggie from the movie theater where she was hanging out with her friends. Drunk driver smashed into them on the way home. They died instantly.”
“Man,” Nicron mumbles in one extended syllable. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. At least they went quick. It’s better than having to suffer through the virus, or the aftermath.”
A rattling in the nearby trees ignites the soldiers’ response and we all rise instantly with guns drawn, the clicking of ammo being loaded a stark contrast to the natural sounds of rustling leaves. My only thought is of Pollen.
“Wait!” I cry out. “Hold your fire. Let me check it out.” Sage looks at me questioningly as I pass through, gun in readiness.
A few steps in, the creaking squeals in the tree limbs above, followed by a loud crack. An enormous tree limb plummets. I barely jump back quick enough before the huge serpentine limb crashes at my feet. The men behind me all slump with relief and holster their weapons.
While they sit back down I weigh the idea of telling them the plan. If Pollen were to arrive in the middle of the night while I’m asleep, I don’t want to imagine the consequences. And if I tell them, it’s not like they could just send her back. I have to confess.
“Hey guys, I have something I need to tell you.” I remain on me feet, as I know I’ll have to be on defense. The guys are still chuckling about their reaction to the tree limb.
“Let me guess,” Nicron laughs. “You’re secretly afraid of the dark. That’s why you wanted to stop.” The guys burst into giggles.
“No, I got it,” Sage cuts in. “You’re madly in love with Jansen and you’re planning to knock off Nicron while he’s sleeping so you can take his place.” The hysterics continue, even louder this time.
“No, guys—”
“Oh, I got it! You told Pollen about the mission and she’ll be here any minute.” The guys erupt in laughter, the sound carrying off into the woods.
“Actually, yes.”
The laughter roars even louder until Jansen notices the gravity remaining on my face. He nudges Nicron and the amusement fades quickly
“What? Please tell me this is some sick joke,” Nicron says. I shake my head. “Dude, you heard Granby. What the hell were you thinking?”
“I couldn’t keep this from her.”
Suddenly the calm that blanketed the night dissolves. All the men react and Sage is up on his feet. His demeanor is stiff, cocked. He is ready to pounce on me.
“Damn! Do you know what you’ve done? You really screwed up this time Marcus!” Sage pulls something out of his belt and begins tapping it—a communicator.
“Sage, put it away,” I say. But he refuses. I lunge at him knocking the device out of his hands and into the darkness behind him.
“What the hell, Marcus?! Granby needs to know,” Sage demands.
“Yes, and he probably does by now. Look, no one is more concerned about her safety than me. But you know what? She deserves this. She’s lost too much at the hands of the Trinity. They’ve destroyed her family and now they are out for her and our child. I, for one, think she should be the one to end them once and for all.”
“What if she doesn’t make it Marcus?” Jansen murmurs. He’s always cared for Pollen, but he has no idea how deeply I’ve weighed my decision.
“She’ll make it.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No, but she shouldn’t be too far behind us. And she’s armed.”
“But the mission,” Nicron adds. “You know how dangerous this is for all of us. We all know that any or all of us may not make it out alive. You’re willing to put that risk on her?”
“That won’t happen unless I’m dead first.”
Nicron and Jansen share a glance. “But what about your kid, man?” Nicron asks incredulously.
“We’ve made arrangements with Timber. If Pollen and I don’t make it back, Timber will raise him. Trust me, if she dies, she’ll die happy knowing that it the Trinity have been eliminated.”
“You really have no clue, do you?” Sage shakes his head. He paces back and forth in a feeble attempt to release some of his pent up tension.
“What are you talking about?”
“Pollen didn’t tell you? About A1D3?”
“What about it?”
“She’s been guaranteed a spot on the first flight. In fact they need her to be on that flight. What’s going to happen if she doesn’t come back?”
Chapter 31
(Pollen)
“Timber, promise me something.”
We stroll side by side through a dense part of the forest, following Marcus’s trail of lacerations in the trees. I allow the tips of my fingers to graze the cuts, feeling Marcus’s presence through the sharp, moist edges of the bark.
“I hate it when you start sentences like that. Haven’t I done enough Pollen?”
“Just one more thing.” I stop and turn to Timber, taking her hands firmly in mine. “If I don’t come back, I want you to take care of my son. I want you to be his mother.”
“Don’t say that. You will come back.”
“Will you do it?”
“Will you still go if I say no?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, of course I will, Pollen.” Timber stretches up and clamps her arms around my shoulders. I can feel her tears soak into the collar of my shirt. “Besides,” she sniffles and wipes her nose as she pulls away, “I already told Marcus I’d do it.”
“I will come back. I promise. And when I do, the Trinity will be nothing more than a distant nightmare.”
We stand for a few seconds, watching each other as if it’s the last time we’ll ever meet. It’s like we are speaking through our eyes, saying goodbye without actually saying it. I hate that word: goodbye. I hate the finality of it. Like we’ll never see each other again. I refuse to say it this time. I won’t jinx myself by saying such things. I will be back. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, Timber hugs me again. I gently peel her away from me.
“I have to go.”
Timber kisses me on the cheek and backs away, the trademark bounce lost from her step. “Good luck.”
I smile and let my legs take off beneath me. It feels good to run again after the lethargy I suffered last week. For the first mile or two I run like I’m chasing the sun. I revel in the exhilaration of speed, the wind gushing past my cheeks, the energy that fills me. Finally, I steady my breathing and set a steady pace that I can handle for the rest of the day. I’ll need to catch up to them before sunset, which only gives me about five hours. I can do it. Just have to keep running.
The trees whoosh by me as I snake my way through the forest. I’m traveling light, just my clothing, holster, and pistol with a few rounds of paint bullets given to me at the armory. Soon, the stretches between the marked trees begin to lengthen and for a moment I wonder if I’ve lost the trail. I catch a glimmer of light down by a gnarly tree root and bend to pick up the bullet without stopping, satisfied that I’m still on the right path. It nestles safely in my pocket.
Two hours later I have five bullets clanging around in my pants and my tongue feels like sandpaper. I stop at a quiet brook to quench my thirst. It was a little over a year ago when I d
iscovered my haggard reflection in a tiny brook just like this one. I repeat the motions, tracing the taut scar across my face with the pad of my finger, and then examining the tattoo on my temple. I sigh when I think of how much my life has changed in the past year. I used to wish for a life of adventure and excitement. How I wish I could have a dull, mundane life again.
I keep my wistful recollections short and after a quick stretch of my tight muscles I pick up running again.
Another hour passes and my energy wanes. My legs seem to have gained ten pounds apiece and require much more force to keep up the pace. The rumbling in my stomach could wake a giant. I don’t want to slow down to search for food, but I keep an eye peeled for any edible plants I recognize. Berries are out of the question—the bee population was decimated along with every other animal species a year ago, so there’s no chance of pollination this year. I can only hope for some greens, roots, or maybe some nuts.
As it happens, after about twenty more minutes of running, I come upon an open meadow. Without the trees to cover me, I approach cautiously. There are still bounty hunters roaming the area and catching me would be like winning the billion-dollar jackpot.
Toward the center of the meadow is a patch of lush green and red lettuces and dandelion greens that were probably once a hearty banquet for the roving deer populations. Without the deer to eat them, the field is crammed full of food for the taking.
I hate wasting the time, but I’m hungry and I have to remain vigilant. I scan the area from left to right, and back again. The breeze rustles the lacy tree limbs above and sends rippling waves through the grass and greens in the meadow. I empty the paint bullets from the magazine and load Marcus’s real bullets, reinserting it into my pistol, just in case.
With careful steps I creep out into the meadow, stopping to listen when I’m just a few feet in. It sounds clear, so I proceed. I make an instant decision not to pursue the goldmine at the center of the meadow. I just take two handfuls of greens from nearby and hop swiftly back to the safe barrier of trees.
I cram the food into my mouth while waiting for my heart rate to slow down, spilling bits of green confetti to the ground with each bite. Swallowing the last few greens whole, I holster my gun, find my way back to the nearest slashed tree, and take off on my toes again.
As the heavy blanket of sunset approaches I wonder if I’m going to make it in time to catch up with the others tonight. I won’t be able to follow their trail when darkness falls. I could stop for the night and pick up the trail in the morning, but I know it’s not in my best interest to travel alone. I quicken my pace, forcing my legs into a near sprint, hoping to make it before the last slivers of light disappear over the horizon.
I come upon a wide stream crossing my path. To my right, a fallen tree bears the evidence that Marcus was here. It also provides an easy bridge to the other side of the stream. I climb onto the narrow trunk and nearly topple over when I catch movement from the outskirts of my vision. Somebody appears out of the shadows on the other bank.
“Marcus!”
I skip over the tree effortlessly to meet him, but the look he gives me could bring a mountain down. He backs away sharply when I reach out to hug him.
“What’s wrong?”
Marcus glares at me with an anger too deep for me to understand. What have I done this time?
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he barks at me.
“About?”
“About your seat on the Earth shuttle.” The tone of his words bites into me with razor sharp incisors.
“I didn’t think it mattered.”
“You didn’t think it mattered! That you have a future? Pollen, you can take our son off of this forsaken planet. Start a new life for both of you. There’s nothing for us here now. Our planet is dying and you are our only hope of survival. How can you say it doesn’t matter?”
“Because I won’t go without you,” I whisper. “My life, my survival, means nothing without you.”
Marcus combs his fingers through his hair in frustration, looking back through the trees behind him.
“I love you, Pollen. I don’t want to hold you back from your destiny.”
“You are my destiny. It’s always been you. The virus brought us together. It was destined to happen. We belong together Marcus. I know you see that. If we can’t be together, then life just isn’t worth living anymore.” I reach out to him again. This time, he accepts my embrace and we stand, holding each other as the shadows grow and thicken around us.
“Besides,” I add, pulling away gently from him, “Evie has a seat on the shuttle too. I won’t leave without her either.”
“But if something should happen to you—”
“It won’t.” I’ve never been more confident with myself than I am right now. Determination floods my veins and courage radiates out my pores. Marcus can see it. But he’s still holding back.
“Sage has commanded I take you back to Ceborec.”
“I won’t go.”
“I know.”
“So what do we do?”
“Try to reason with him I guess. Sage is a tough guy to convince. It won’t be easy.”
The spaces between the trees are now dark with the black of night. I can just barely see the surface of Marcus’s face in the murky moonlight, framed with the webbed shadows of the tree branches overhead.
“Where is he?” I break away from Marcus and bounce on my toes, psyching myself up for the upcoming discussion. “I’ll convince him to keep me here.”
Even in the dark, I can sense Marcus rolling his eyes at me.
Marcus grasps my hand firmly while he leads me through the dense underbrush of the forest ahead. I wince as a thorn bush grazes my calf. I can feel a bead of blood trickle down to my ankle. But the unnatural sound of clicking draws my attention away from the burning slice in my skin.
“It’s us,” Marcus announces. I hear the weapons being holstered and hushed sighs, but the tension surrounding us remains.
We enter a clearing. Well, not really a clearing but a large space with not so many thorn bushes between the surrounding trees and I faintly see the outlines of three figures: Nicron, Jansen, and Sage. I can feel a standoff getting ready to launch.
“Do you have any idea what you have done, Pollen?” Even though I’m prepared for it, the weight of Sage’s thundering voice causes me to flinch. “You put us in danger. You put Ceborec in danger. You may cause the fall of our entire species!”
“Hey, take it easy,” Marcus interjects, stepping somewhere between me and the sound of Sage’s irate voice.
“Please, Sage,” I say, pushing Marcus out of the way. I can see Sage’s burning eyes reflecting a glint of moonlight. They should frighten me, but they don’t. “Just hear me out.”
***
The bones in my feet feel like ragged stones digging into the soles with each forceful step I take. My shoes were already worn thin before I left—I should have borrowed Timber’s fresh new shoes for the trek. My legs still ache from all the running yesterday, but I push myself through the pain like I always do.
Two days we’ve been traveling by foot now. We’ve passed through forests and abandoned towns, interstates and railways. All the while keeping watchful of our surroundings. We’ve been fortunate not to run into any bounty hunters. Most bounty hunters work alone, so I’m sure any that may have seen us were deterred by my band of bodyguards. We should arrive at our target sometime early tomorrow. Then things will start rolling.
Sage doesn’t let up the pace as he leads our group. It’s probably my fault, of course. “If any of us falls, it’s all on you Pollen.” The last words he spoke to me before we left camp this morning. Not the wisest thing to say to a girl who already has a history of blaming herself for the everything bad that happens under the sky.
Even after the sun has long since disappeared under the horizon and the sky is an evil shade of purple, we keep walking. I trip twice on bulging tree roots or rocks. It’s hard to tell which now, since
we have reached the foothills of Mount Baerstynn. Our destination is just on the other side of the mountain, which we will traverse early tomorrow. And the final leg of our journey will be the most exhausting by far.
Finally, Sage has mercy on us and we stop for the night in a dense thicket that will no doubt cover us if Enforcers happen to be roaming nearby. Marcus wraps me in his protective cocoon, filling me with the warmth and love I’d once taken for granted. The moment my eyes shut the world disappears and my worries fade away.
***
It’s still dark as an abyss when his rough hands jostle me awake.
“Pollen.” His whisper tickles my earlobe. “Wake up.”
I look up and find Marcus above me, an arm on each side holding him up. I rub the sleep from my eyes and stretch.
“Why? Is something wrong?” I glance around, trying to locate the others. The two distinctive snores of Sage and Nicron disrupt the serenity of the mountainside. Jansen’s silky snore adds a nice harmony to the tune.
“No. Come with me.”
I accept Marcus’s outstretched hand. He plucks me up from my rocky bed and leads me on a twisting trail away from our camp. We pause when the sound of snoring is a distant hum, like an airplane receding into the horizon.
Marcus turns abruptly and kisses me like he’s never kissed me before. The passion that fuels his body is a raging tempest, wild and turbulent. He crushes my waist to his. My back arches in reaction, but he pushes forward, not willing to let go for even a second. My heart hammers against my ribcage and it feels full and whole again.
Marcus drives me down to the ground, blanketing me with his hard body. Our souls have become an intricate knot work, impossible to untangle. Impossible to see two separate beings. We are one again.
“I’m sorry,” Marcus gasps between breathes. “I wanted us to have some privacy tonight. In case one of us . . . we don’t—”
“Don’t say it. We’ll both make it out. We’ll both go home.” If I’d said this a month ago, I’d have been saying it simply to convince myself. But now I truly believe it. Maybe it’s overconfidence, but I just can’t see any other outcome.
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