“How about you tell us what’s back here?” Traven asked, motioning toward the double doors. They were within reach of the doctor now.
“All right, guys. I don’t want any trouble, but you know I can’t tell you that. Why don’t you just come with me, and we’ll all head back to the main floor. Then we can sit down and talk about this.”
Kalma grabbed him and shoved him through the double doors into another hallway beyond. “It wasn’t really a request.”
The doctor stumbled backward and Kalma rushed to his side. Wrapping his arms around the doctor’s head, he quickly snapped the man’s neck. Dr. Talbot’s body went limp in Kalma’s arms. He dragged the body into a broom closet and shut the door.
Traven continued down the hall, checking each room. At the end, a second set of double doors opened into a small cafeteria. Lying on cots, surrounded by medical equipment, were three Alliance soldiers. The two closest to the entrance were unconscious.
“Where’d they come from?” Kalma asked. “The Alliance front’s at least a hundred miles from here.”
“They could be reconnaissance,” Traven offered.
“I don’t think so,” Kalma said, rummaging through their pockets. “They’re wearing uniforms. They wouldn’t wear uniforms for a reconnaissance mission, not while behind enemy lines.”
The woman on the third cot coughed. “Doc, is that you?”
Traven moved to her. “I’m Dr. Macintyre,” he said. “Are you doing all right?”
She coughed again. “I feel woozy.”
Traven placed his hand gently on her shoulder, “That’s understandable.” She had puncture wounds from large teeth on both legs, and large gashes across her abdomen. “It looks like you were attacked by an animal of some kind. Could you remind me of what happened? Dr. Talbot had to step out for a bit.”
The woman groaned. “We were guarding the weapons depot in the mountains on the northern side of the forest. We were on a pretty routine patrol, until we accidently stumbled into a bear’s den. There were two cubs, so the mamma attacked us out of instinct. While we were dealing with her, a second bear came up from behind. That’s the one that got us. The cubs helped out a little too.”
“How’d you get here?”
“We radioed back for help. There’s no clinic at the depot, so the colonel had us brought here. He knew it was risky, asking the resistance for help, but he puts his men first. He’s a good man.”
“He is indeed,” Traven said. “What exactly is an Alliance weapons depot doing behind enemy lines?”
“I’m sorry, Doc, but I can’t tell you that. World security and whatnot. I’m sure you understand.”
Traven grabbed a rag lying on the tray next to him, wadded it up, and shoved it in her mouth. “Actually, I don’t understand. Let’s try again. What’s at the depot?” He pressed hard into the largest gash in her abdomen.
She screamed, but the sound was muffled by the rag.
He pulled his hand away from the wound, then slowly removed the rag. “Do you need more incentive?”
She whimpered. “No, No, please stop. It’s a weapon.”
“What weapon?” Traven pressed.
She hesitated, and Traven pushed hard on the wound again while covering her mouth. She writhed in pain. He let up fifteen seconds later. “What weapon?” he growled.
“We don’t know,” she cried. “The Alliance found it a few years ago. The place has been swarming with scientists since. They think it’ll change the war. Somehow we managed to keep it hidden even as the rest of the area got overrun.”
Traven moved his hand toward the wound.
“No, please, no!” the soldier begged. “That’s all I know.”
“I believe you,” Traven told her, and he did. “Sleep now. It’ll be over soon.”
Kalma loaded a nearby syringe with an overdose of anesthesia and injected it into the IV drip. Within a few seconds the soldier’s breathing slowed, then stopped.
“I think we have what we need,” Kalma said. “This is more important than tracking down the resistance headquarters.”
“I agree. Did you place the explosives?”
“All of them. There’s just one more thing to do.”
Back in the break room, Kalma and Traven found Eric still fast asleep on the couch. Kalma picked him up and tossed him over his shoulder.
“Eric really grew on you, huh?” Traven asked.
“Something like that.”
They headed toward an exit not far from the break room. When they were almost to the door, a man called out to them. “Doctors, wait a minute.” The man was wearing hunting camouflage pants and a tan shirt. “Is that Eric? What happened?”
“He just passed out,” Traven said, walking nonchalantly toward him. “We were just taking him outside to get some fresh air. It’ll help wake him up.”
“Don’t you have drugs that can do that?”
“We’re new here,” Traven said, ignoring his question. “I don’t think I got your name.”
“I’m Jackson,” the man responded, holding out his hand to Traven. “I mean no disrespect. I appreciate your help. I know how much of a risk it is for you to help us.”
“Oh, it’s no problem, really.” Taking Jackson’s hand, he pulled him forward. Jackson stumbled, falling onto the knife that Traven pulled from his pocket. It slid between his ribs into his heart. Leaving Jackson’s body behind, they hurried out of the factory.
“Well, that was convenient,” Kalma said as they crossed the far side of the parking lot and took cover behind a stone parking barricade. He put Eric down on the pavement, a little harder than necessary, then sat with his back against the stone, pulled a small device out of his pocket, and placed his thumb in the center. The display surface turned green, and the building behind them erupted in flame before crumbling to the ground.
When the dust had cleared, Kalma got up and dragged Eric over to the rubble. He grabbed a large rock off the ground and slammed it into both Eric’s legs. A broad smile spread across Kalma’s face on hearing the immensely satisfying crunch. Kalma punched him a few times in the face, leaving bruises, then used a sharp stone to place a few random gashes across his body. He looked down at his handiwork. He’ll live.
Kalma and Traven made their way back to the house on the corner to grab their gear. They had a check-in to make.
Chapter 9
Allison, Ethan, and John were two blocks from the factory when they heard the blast. It was so intense, they felt the shock wave reverberate through their chests.
“No!” John cried, tearing into a hard sprint.
“John, wait,” Ethan called out. “The Urlowens might still be there, and Allison can’t run.”
John slowed to a stop, realizing Ethan was probably right. He wanted to help his friends, but if the Urlowens were still there, rushing headfirst into the fray would only end in his own death. They needed to be more cautious.
They moved off the road toward a row of abandoned houses on their right. The neighborhood was once bustling with factory workers and children, but now was empty and desolate. Most of the homes were missing walls, and random furniture was strewn about the lawns, which they used for cover as they made their way to the factory. When the rubble came into view, they stared blankly from shock.
“How’d this happen?” John whispered. “I don’t see any sign of troops.”
“I think their strategy’s changed,” Ethan whispered. “There were only four men who took out our base. They didn’t fight like typical soldiers. They seemed different, better trained. Maybe this was a similar operation.”
John shook his head. Soldiers or super soldiers, it didn’t really matter. The resistance was dying, and they’d just lost their biggest asset.
They approached the hospital slowly, trying to stay out of sight.
“No one could’ve survived this,” Allison whispered.
“We’ve got to check,” John said, crawling out from behind an overturned love seat. He crossed the
road and walked through the factory’s front parking lot. “Whoever did this, they’re gone now.”
Ethan and Allison caught up and followed a little way behind. Each picked a different section of the rubble and started looking for survivors. They searched for hours but found no one. After giving up on his own section, Ethan went to help John.
“Over here!” Allison called out excitedly. She was near the edge of the building’s remains. “I found someone, and he’s alive.”
Ethan and John rushed to her. Lying on the ground was a young man with light brown hair, matted and stuck to his skin by dried blood. He had severe gashes all over his body, and at least one of his legs was broken.
“It’s Eric,” John said. “He must’ve been on his way out of the building when the place came down. It doesn’t get luckier than that.”
Ethan’s insides were writhing. There was something odd about the guy. “What if it wasn’t luck? What if he knew the building was about to blow but didn’t make it out in time.”
John shot Ethan a scathing glance. “Eric’s a little eccentric, I’ll give you that, but he’s no traitor. He lost his brother—an Alliance soldier—at the beginning of the war and joined us to honor his sacrifice.”
“Sorry. Let’s try to make a stretcher and get him out of here.” Ethan sorted through the rubble until he found two light-metal conduits. “This should work.” Taking off his shirt, he tied it between the poles, making a sling. John did the same. It wasn’t fabulous, but it would work.
Allison and John carefully moved Eric onto the stretcher. They didn’t want the shirts to give way, so they let one end of the poles drag on the ground and held the other end. Once sure Eric wouldn’t fall and the shirts were holding, they started back toward West River Academy.
It was dark before they reached the school. A curfew patrol nearly spotted them along the way, but Ethan managed to pull the stretcher into an abandoned apartment complex just in time for them to go unnoticed. As they approached the school, Leon emerged from behind an overturned car where he’d been keeping watch and ran toward them.
“What happened? Are you all right?”
“The hospital was attacked,” Allison said.
“More like bombed,” John countered. “We searched the rubble for hours but only found Eric.”
“We think his legs are broken,” Ethan continued, dragging the stretcher behind him. Eric was still unconscious.
“Let’s get him to his room,” Leon said.
Nearing the school’s entrance, Leon took out a small handheld radio. “Eagle three,” he said into the device, “move to the southern post, and stay on your toes. There’s been an attack at the hospital. I’m taking a casualty inside.”
Micah insisted they use code names in case their signals were intercepted, to keep their identities hidden from the Urlowens.
“What happened?” Grant responded through the radio.
“Not now, Eagle three. Get to your post and we’ll discuss it when your shift’s up.”
“I’m on my way now, Eagle one.” Grant was clearly annoyed; Leon could hear it in his tone.
Leon closed and locked the doors of the academy behind them. “Here, let me help. You look like you need a break.” He took the stretcher poles from Ethan.
When they got to the southern stairwell, John grabbed the end of the poles near Eric’s feet. Ethan and Allison supported Eric’s middle to ensure the shirts would hold, and they carried him on the stretcher up the stairs.
As they walked through the south wing, people watched from their doorways, whispers running through the gathering crowd as the stretcher moved through the corridor. Allison saw Sarah, the girl who’d brought her clothes earlier, get moved aside as her mother ran toward them.
“Abby,” Leon said urgently as Sarah’s mother reached the stretcher. “We’re lucky you weren’t at the hospital tonight. Can you help us?” Abby was a nurse before the war and now worked at the hospital frequently.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. He looks to be in pretty rough shape,” she said, gently taking Allison’s place supporting Eric’s body.
Eric’s room was a little different than Allison’s, the tables rectangular and just large enough for a person to lie on. They gently placed Eric on one of the tables. Ethan and John untied their shirts from the metal poles and slid them out from underneath him, Ethan setting the poles on the floor at the side of the room. He shook his shirt out to remove the dirt from it. He thought about putting it on but changed his mind when he noticed Eric’s blood splotched all over it.
“What do you need, Abby?” Leon asked.
She didn’t look up from inspecting Eric’s injuries. “I need some clean towels and several pails of water. Also, grab the first aid kit and see if Evelyn and Brady can give me a hand. The rest of you should go find Micah.” Evelyn and Brady were two of her friends. She knew they wouldn’t turn down a request for help.
“Right away,” Leon said, heading for the door. “John, Allison, Ethan, come with me.”
“John,” Abby said quickly, “how did this happen?”
“The hospital was destroyed,” John replied. “We think his injuries are from the building collapsing.”
Abby took in a sharp breath. Most of her friends had been working in the hospital that day. In a matter of seconds, multiple emotions flashed across her face: shock, worry, loss, and lastly, resolve. “Thank you,” she said. “That’ll help me treat him.” She could cry later.
“I’ll get your supplies,” Leon said, exiting the room.
Ethan followed Leon, with John and Allison trailing behind. The group split shortly after, with John, Ethan, and Allison going to find Micah while Leon went for the supplies.
Rumors of the attack had spread quickly through the school, and the trio found Micah sprinting toward them. John was about to launch into what had happened when Micah stopped him. “Not here,” he said. “Let’s go to the headmaster’s office. You can tell me everything there.”
As they walked through the hallways, Allison watched Ethan. He was clearly tired from dragging the stretcher for miles. His skin glinted with sweat, and his muscles were rippling. He was certainly not the dorky kid she remembered growing up with. After the events of the past few days, she was even starting to think of him as a little heroic.
Ethan eventually noticed Allison’s stares. “What?” he said, turning from her.
“Nothing.” She quickly looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment.
The headmaster’s office was just off the grand lobby. Micah held the frosted glass door open for them, and they entered a large reception area filled with plush armchairs and couches. Near the back wall, an oak secretary’s desk sat beside a fake tree and a large cherrywood door that led to the inner office.
Inside, a large leather sofa sat by the door. Another desk, much larger than the secretary’s, was across the room with two chairs facing it. The headmaster’s seat, a large deep red leather chair, sat directly behind the desk.
Micah pulled up one of the chairs in front of the desk and turned it to face the sofa. “Here you go,” he told John. Grabbing the second chair, Micah turned it and sat.
Ethan sat by Allison on the couch, letting out a sigh. He was exhausted.
“So, tell me everything,” Micah said, watching them expectantly.
John went through the whole story. When he’d finished, Micah got up, walked behind his chair, and leaned against it, processing what he’d just heard.
“What about Jackson?”
“I don’t think he made it,” John said. “He left for the hospital at least a half hour before us. He must’ve been inside when it happened.”
Micah lowered his head and closed his eyes. The room was silent. After a minute, he looked back up at them. “This’s going to change everything. Everyone’s already on edge. It’ll be too much.” He paused a moment. “Worse, there’s a good chance our location here’s been compromised. Since the Urlowens found the hospital, we have t
o assume they know about West River. We can’t risk the children.”
John looked mortified. “What are we gonna do?”
“Like Jackson said this afternoon,” Micah began, “we’ll have to move, go underground, let things pass over for a while. Once we get back on our feet, we can start to think about fighting again.”
Ethan felt a twinge inside. “Let’s go to the mountains,” he said. “There isn’t anywhere safe in the city.”
“I agree,” Micah replied. “There’s a lot of land out there. The trees are dense, and if we’re careful, we might be able to go unnoticed.”
The tugging inside Ethan was growing stronger. A cave. There’s a cave. He didn’t know why he was sure of it, but he was. “What if we found a cave?” he asked Micah.
“A cave would be good,” Micah said. “But even if there’s one big enough to hold everyone, we’ll be hard-pressed to find it.”
“It’s out there. And I can find it.”
“We can certainly try. In the meantime, we’ll have to take our chances in the forest. We’ll keep moving until we find a safe place to camp. We can’t stay here past tonight and risk a repeat of the slaughter that happened at the hospital.
“And the northern resistance,” Allison added.
“Exactly.”
“Do you think everyone’ll agree?” she asked.
“You saw the fear in their faces this morning. After we tell them what happened tonight, I think everyone’ll jump at the chance to get out of the city.” Micah’s tone was flat and unemotional. “There’re too many of us to go all at once, so we’ll have to do it slowly, in small groups. We’ll have a meeting with everyone in the morning to plan this little exodus of ours.” He turned to John. “It’s my understanding that Jackson was teaching you the ins and outs of leadership?”
“Yeah, I guess,” John said.
“Good, then I’ll continue that. You’ll run the meetings for me from now on.” He looked around the room at each of them. “It’s been a rough day. I’ll set up the meeting for the morning. Until then, go get some rest.”
They left Micah in the office with his thoughts and headed to their rooms. John said his good-nights and peeled off as they walked. The earlier commotion in the south wing had died down, and most people were in their rooms for the night.
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