by A. M. White
Cara stalked over to us. “I hate to break up this tender moment, puke, puke, gag, gag, however we need to take our positions. Who knows when they will come?”
Somewhere between puke and gag, I snapped out of it. A cold shiver ran through me. I tore myself from the comfort of Timothy.
“I love you.” He grabbed me and kissed me. It was brief. One of his desperate acts of affection.
When he let go, I managed to speak. “I love you too.”
“I need a hug.” Jason spread his arms to Cara.
She punched him in the arm.
Jason knelt behind the brush barricade with his knife.
I covered Timothy with some leafy branches. From the ground level, he was invisible. I squeezed his hand before I sank back to the narrow path.
The incline was steep between the boulders and increased in angle. That ensured the direction the soldiers would travel. Given the soldier’s previous patterns, they tended to scout flatter land for us. It was unlikely that we would travel over the difficult rock faces that jutted further up the mountains.
Darkness blanketed the woods. I sat cross-legged at the end of the narrow path. Cara propped herself against the stone to my left.
“Sit like you are hurt. It will be more convincing.” Cara stooped and showed me how to position myself.
I scooted, so that one leg protruded awkwardly.
“Good. Now, I want you to scream. We will wait a while and have you scream again; to attract them. The rest of us will take care of them before they have a chance to radio it in.” Cara’s hair was wild. Her face was cold with determination.
I screamed. The sound was foreign in a world where silence was required. The loud, shrill cry surprised me. I had forgotten that I was capable of such volume.
Cara nodded, pleased with the act. “If you hear footsteps, whimper.”
Nothing happened. The expanse of the forest swallowed my scream. I waited for Cara’s cue to repeat it.
An owl hooted in the distance.
Instead of a cue, Cara shuffled the leaves at her feet to stir some noise. More silence followed.
I knew it could be a while. I listened for a change in the natural chorus of cicadas and crickets. They whizzed and chirped like an orchestra that mocked our efforts.
Cara pointed to me. I screamed again. The audience of bugs paused, then resumed. My head turned to grasp the sound of a twig break, or a rustle of dry leaves. Nothing resonated as unnatural.
Time passed slowly. The wait created more anxiety. I tried to push away the images that terrorized me. Pictures of what we would do to the soldiers pushed their way into my head. My gut twisted in knots.
Cara waved at me from her spot. I hadn’t been paying attention. She was annoyed.
I blurted another scream. It wasn’t as loud as the other ones. It was half-hearted.
A twig snapped nearby. My eyes jerked to Cara. She motioned for me to whimper.
I groaned and brushed the leaves at my side. A bird flitted from its roost, down the trail. My heart skipped a beat. I managed a cough to keep up the noise.
I watched the end of the narrow path. My hands shook with fear and adrenaline. A pine cone crumbled. I drew them closer with a low whine.
A soldier materialized below. His helmet gleamed in the moonlight. We both expected to see each other, but he looked as startled as I felt. He put a hand on his rifle and lifted it to ready position. I sucked in my breath.
“I have one!” The soldier called over his shoulder. He didn’t speak to me.
The forest became silent, as the unseen soldiers made their way to him. They were loud. There was no need to be stealthy anymore. Altogether, there were four that lined up behind the soldier that found me.
One of them shoved his way forward. He put his hand on the soldier’s shoulder closest to me. “Fall back, private.” He stepped in front with his gun aimed at me.
“State your name.” He ordered.
“Alex.” I croaked.
He sighed in relief. “Where are the others?”
“I told them to run when I fell. I was going to hold them back.” I rubbed my ankle to sell the fake injury.
“Which way did they travel?” He demanded.
“Up the mountain.” I said between my teeth.
“Get down here.” He waved the gun.
“I can’t walk.” I cried painfully.
He drew in a deep breath. “Move up.” He gave the orders. “The rest of you, track the others up the mountain. I’ll restrain her. Call back if you find them.”
“Yes Sir.” The four soldiers chanted.
The leader allowed his rifle to hang, as he used his hands upon the rocks for support. I scooted backward. Soon, they were all inside the trap.
Cara sprang upon the leader. She plunged her knife into his throat. I squeezed my eyes shut and scurried behind the boulder. I heard Timothy land on another soldier. A yelp rang out. Bodies hit the ground quickly. The heavy breaths of my friends remained.
I peeked around the corner. There was a pile of bodies. Timothy, Cara, and Jason stood among them.
“Everyone alright?” I asked, afraid.
“Yeah.” Timothy panted.
I scrambled to my feet. “Let’s get ourselves dressed.”
We dragged the soldiers up the path. It was safer, in case anyone else came. We would still have an advantage.
There was a lot of blood. “It’s a good thing they wear black.” Jason peeled the clothes off a soldier.
I pulled some pants over my own. The waist was wet with blood. “The story will be that the fifth soldier was shot. That should explain the blood that can be seen.”
“I’m also glad these guys wore an extra layer. I’d feel really weird about leaving them naked.” Jason grimaced.
“Shut up and get dressed.” Cara growled. She stuffed the metal vials that contained the maps in the front pocket of her uniform.
“It’s his way of dealing, Cara.” I criticized.
One of the walkie-talkies beeped. We all froze.
“It’s mine.” Timothy had chosen the leader’s outfit. That way he could do all the talking. He snatched it from the man’s belt and covered his mouth with his sleeve to disguise his voice. Timothy pulled a badge from the body. “Seeker 1, actual.”
“Anything? Haven’t heard from you in a while. Seeker 4 is no longer on the radar.” The voice questioned.
“Inspected quadrant; thought we heard something. Seeker 4 was shot in non-related enemy fire. Target terminated.” His voice was firm.
“Ten-four, Seeker 1. Continue.” The walkie chirped off.
Timothy exhaled loudly. “Get dressed quickly. We have to get these bodies out of the open.”
Cara and Timothy removed their contacts. They told us they wouldn’t need them with the masks on. The masks had a feature that could be activated to assist with sight.
With the uniforms on, we all looked the same. My breath was odd behind the face mask on the helmet. The new boots were awkward. I was sure Cara’s flopped on her feet, so I didn’t dare complain. She was smaller than the rest of us, so I hoped we wouldn’t be examined too closely.
The bodies were disposed down the back of the hill. I forced myself to not think of them as actual people. The barricade we built below, the added leaves, and branches that were thrown over the top concealed them from sight.
“Cara, maps?” Timothy held out his hand and took them from her. He inspected them and gave them back.
“Should we ditch them?” Jason wondered.
“Not yet. If the bodies are reclaimed, I don’t want them to find these too.” Timothy answered.
We all slung a pack and a rifle across our chests. Timothy and Cara slid their pistols into the back of their pants. The old knives were stuffed into our socks, just in case.
“We will begin a patrol pattern and get closer to the entrance point during the night. Follow my lead.” Timothy turned on his heel.
Chapter Twenty-Two
&n
bsp; The night air was cold. I was glad to have all the gear on to stay warm. I still shivered from time to time, but it was mostly from the adrenaline as it wore off.
We stayed in patches of pine straw to muffle the noise of our leaden boots. Timothy knew the search patterns that the soldiers used. I was grateful for that. The moles probably had us on radar. The soldier’s boots were thought to send a signal back to them.
The darkness stifled my senses. I couldn’t see well through the helmet. Cara was my point of reference. I tried to follow where she walked and mimic her moves.
The walkie chirped to life twice during our pretend search. Timothy responded in short sentences. He avoided any chatter.
Eventually, my feet began to ache from the boots and the distance we covered. I was sure there were blisters to deal with later. The pain was welcomed; it kept my mind off the fear that lurked in my periphery.
Timothy stopped at a crevice on the side of the mountain. “Put your packs in here. We can’t take them any further.”
“Hope to see you soon.” Jason mumbled. He stuffed his and Finn’s backpacks into the hole.
Timothy requested the maps. He studied them relentlessly. His hands and eyes moved with the lines scribbled on the papers over and over. I knew that he did not intend to take them below ground. If they were found, that would mean trouble. Once he was pleased with his mental map, he folded the papers and shoved them into the small pocket on the front of his own bag.
I put an arm over Jason’s shoulder to give him a hug. As scary as this was for me, he had to be terrified. He hadn’t had the training or experience any of us had and was about to walk into “The Lion’s Den”, so to speak.
The walkie-talkie beeped. “Seeker 1.” Timothy answered. There was no need to muffle his voice with the helmet.
“Base requested.” The other end commanded.
“Ten-four.” Timothy acknowledged. He checked to make sure line was disconnected. “Try not to speak. Follow my instructions. Keep a cool head. Do not shoot or attack unless I say. Everyone understand?” He looked at each of us. We all responded with a nod.
We repeated the formation Timothy taught us. Our feet marched to the beat Timothy set.
Another squad met us at a fork in the trail. The main officer tried to engage Timothy. “Another rough night?” Timothy tilted his head. “Heard you guys lost a private.”
“Unrelated shots fired.” Timothy spoke deeply. It almost didn’t sound like him behind the mask.
The officer shook his head. “Now we have strays that don’t mind taking a whack at us? Hope we find those guys before they pick all of us off.” Timothy avoided another voice response and shook his head.
It seemed that the other soldiers weren’t allowed to talk. I was relieved that no one tried to speak to me.
The groups came to the base of the mountain. The other officer waited as Timothy pulled back some kudzu vines.
The entrance was much more elaborate than I imagined. It protruded outwardly. There was an iron manhole with a lion’s head poised in a growl. There were words on the door, but I couldn’t seem them from where I was in the formation.
The leader of the other platoon twisted the circular release. The door hissed when the outside air flooded into the opening. Red lights dimly illuminated the small area. Timothy motioned for the other squad to enter first.
Timothy inspected the other soldiers closely, as they took their turns at the threshold. Each stood and held up their badge to a sensor on the left. Once it was scanned, an automated voice announced their name and position. I had no idea what might happen if an intruder tried to pass, but my guess was that it wouldn’t be pleasant. After the last soldier in the squad disappeared down a flight of stairs, it was our turn.
It was go time. Do or die, there would be no way to turn back once we were inside.
Timothy started our line. The rest of us filed in by our rank. I was third. Timothy held his badge to the scanner. “Seeker 1, Briggs.” He took a step in and waited to close the hatch.
Cara was next. I saw that there was a platform under her. There were circular holes under her boots. Shiny spikes glistened in the red lights. She put her badge to the small black box. “Seeker 2, Max.” Cara stiffened. Out of all the names, it had to be Max. I poked her to move. She was frozen.
“Soldier!” Timothy ordered in his gruffest voice.
Cara snapped out of it and forced herself to move forward. She began the descent.
I breathed a sigh of relief. I robotically scanned my badge. The musty smell of earth choked me. “Seeker 3, Logan.” I followed Cara down the steps. The stairwell spiraled to depths I couldn’t see.
I heard the automated voice as it responded to Jason. “Seeker 4, Mark.”
Jason’s footsteps joined mine on the staircase. Timothy cranked the hatch shut. As I walked, I listened for his to start. When they added to ours, I was more at ease. I decided that he was my lifeline. With Timothy near, I was going to be all right; I could hold it together.
I kept my eyes on the stairs as I went further down. Luckily, the red lights were positioned so that I could see my feet. The awkward boots and helmet made navigating the stairs difficult.
At the bottom, the other platoon was visible. They marched through the tunnel ahead. Cara and I lingered for Jason and Timothy to catch up.
Once Timothy reached us, he took the lead again. He walked with the confidence of an officer. I admired him for the fearless posture he expressed.
In line, we plodded through the long, dirt corridor. Wooden beams supported the ceiling, just as Timothy had described. The hall broke off into veins that extended in different directions. Several of the other soldiers broke off into one.
I tried to keep my eyes forward, but made sure that Jason remained behind me. My rifle bounced against my chest. The gear weighed me down. The air was heavy and I fought claustrophobia. Sweat ran from my temples and back.
A guard stood at his post down the hall. Timothy marched toward him. We resumed the professional formation.
“Guard, we have been ordered to transport a prisoner. My second in command left the paperwork behind.” He swung around and kicked the feet out from under Cara. She hit the ground with a thud. Her helmet jostled to the side, it barely concealed her face. Timothy raised a fist to her. I took a step back into Jason. She slinked away from him.
The guard chuckled. “Won’t do that again, huh?”
“We are losing people left and right. The newbies are promoted before they have any idea what they are doing.” Timothy sneered.
Cara got to her feet and fixed her helmet. She stood at attention.
“Tell me about it.” The guard grinned. “Who are you looking for?”
“Dr. Jameson.” Timothy said.
“Now that’s a clearance level above me. Honestly, I’m surprised they haven’t executed him yet.” The guard mentioned.
Timothy cocked his head. “From what I hear, the man is a genius. He must have more information the higher-ups want.”
“So it seems. I believe they are holding him in cell 12. It’s down this tunnel quite a way.” The guard nodded to the path beside him.
“Thank you. Name? I’ll put in a word for you. We need astute guys like you.” Timothy laid it on thick.
He snapped to attention. “Guard 46, Jonathan.”
Timothy bowed his head and repeated. “Guard 46, Jonathan.”
On our heels, we turned down the tunnel and continued. I was amazed by Timothy’s ability to manipulate and gain information. I didn’t think he would be so smooth.
The tunnel extended the length of several city blocks. We passed some workers. They carried pails of water. They eyed us with respect, not suspicion as I had feared.
At an intersection, we halted for other people to pass. They were smaller and meek in size. Their clothing consisted of a simple gray tunic and boots. Their black eyes fixed on Timothy. They appeared to be afraid of him and walked as far away from him as possible.
On the other side of the intersection, two guards blocked the path. Their guns were held across their chests.
Timothy approached them. “We have clearance to transport Dr. James to medical.”
“We haven’t received those orders.” One of the guards responded.
“You wouldn’t have. This is top secret and information is given on a need to know basis.” Timothy said firmly.
“I can’t let you through without orders.” The guard explained.
“Sir, what is your rank?” Timothy asked.
“Guard 18.” He stated.
Timothy lifted his badge to the guard. “Seeker 1. I assume that qualifies me to outrank you. I am missing dinner to follow the orders I was given by my supervisor. I would assume he outranks you, as well?” Timothy grumbled.
The guards looked at each other.
Timothy pulled the walkie-talkie from his belt. “Would you like me to call in that two guards, one of them, Guard 18 is unwilling to let us pass on his directive?”
“No sir.” The guard moved aside.
Timothy bowed his head. “Thank you, for making this a pleasant experience.” We entered the cell block.
Timothy picked up pace. There was a heightened sense of urgency, because the guards were reluctant to let us through their barricade.
Timothy looked above the doorways; cell numbers were carved into plaques. The closest was number one. My eyes jumped across the hall to number two. One side of the hall was lined with even numbers and the other odd.
The cells were fronted by cinderblock and a small iron door. I noticed that they had a sensor for admittance, like the entrance into the tunnels.
The rooms that held the prisoners were completely dark. I was secretly happy that I couldn’t see the inhabitants lurking in the shadows. The smell of bodily fluids was pungent. I instinctively held my gloved hand to my mask to block the odor.
Timothy stopped outside of cell twelve. The rest of us formed a semicircle around him. “Dr. Jameson?” There was no answer. “Doctor, we are here to transport you. Move to the front of the cell.”