“Grab the rope, Avie, we’re going to need some gas…and hopefully find a smaller car,” Garrett smiled.
A smile that brightened his entire face; a smile that Avril hadn’t seen her brother smile in what seemed like a lifetime.
CHAPTER 6
HOUSTON - 35 MILES
We weren’t far now, I thought. I couldn’t believe we made it this far with just the run-in with the two gifted back at the fuel station.
I was grateful that’s the only trouble we’d seen so far, and I felt guilty for even thinking of how lucky we’d been. That’s usually when luck ran out, right?
“Bathroom breaks?” I asked Mom and Blaine.
“Yes. Please,” Mom said. Blaine just looked at me with disgust, which pissed me off beyond compare.
“Alright man, what’s with you? I’m not going to finish out this ride with you giving me looks of loathing and then go hide in some caves with you acting like a jerk.” I sat back crossing my arms over my chest.
I wasn’t backing down. I did nothing for him to treat me like he has been ever since we left that fuel station.
“Whatever, Reigh. Where do you want to stop?”
“Just pull over on the highway it’s not like there’s people galore out here.” He knew I was angry and I knew he was angry. Neither of us were giving an inch but we were both more than ready to steal that mile.
One side of my mouth twitched up just a little. He had no idea how stubborn I could be. My mom sighed in the front seat. I laughed out loud as I received stares from both my mom and Blaine.
My mom knew how stubborn I was, that’s why she had sighed. She knew I wouldn’t give up my reasoning until I was proven wrong beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Blaine pulled over. Mom hopped out and pulled up the seat so I could get out with her. I stretched reaching my arms to the sky. I stood on the tips of my toes, as if trying to grab the clouds and bring them down from heaven.
It felt so good to stretch. Mom went behind the Jeep and squatted. I waited on the side of the Jeep for my turn and watching for any vehicles or people.
Mom came around and I went back behind the truck. When I finished, I walked up to the driver side and tapped on the window. Blaine must have been thinking about something really hard because he jumped at my tapping.
“Time to switch, cowboy, you’ve been behind the wheel too long and I want my seat back.” Blaine didn’t say anything, not even a complaint.
He slid out from behind the wheel and went to the back of the car as Mom climbed in.
“Reighlyn, I will not be stuck with you two spoiled brats arguing in a cave for God knows how long.”
“Mom I’m sorry. I don’t want that either, but I didn’t do anything wrong. Garrett kissed me, Mom.”
“Yet you returned his kiss. I can see with my eyes just as well as he does.”
“I didn’t mean to…” I said quickly seeing Blaine coming around to get in the Jeep.
“There was something about him, like my body knew what I didn’t. I can’t explain it,” I said leaving it at that.
Mom sat back at that. She looked at me as if she had some secret information that elated her and made her sad.
She gave me the biggest smile she could manage and patted my shoulder, giving me a little squeeze of reassurance. I turned my head to trap her hand between my shoulder and face when she tried to remove it.
“Love you, Mom.”
“Love you too, angel,” she said.
We rode the rest of the way to Sonora quietly. Speaking only when spoken to or suggesting a stop or a bottle of water or a snack.
We reached Sonora late or early depending on your view point. We traveled through the woods on a service road for some time and stopped to rest.
We would have to hike from there to find the markers to get in the cave, and for that we would need daylight.
We all sank down in the Jeep and tried to get as comfortable as we could to rest for what was left of the night.
I was exhausted but I knew that tomorrow and every day after that would be more exhausting than anything I’ve ever had to face.
I closed my eyes and thanked God for allowing us to get where we were unscathed.
CHAPTER 7
I woke up as the sun peeked through the trees and in the windows of my Jeep. I looked at Mom stretched out in the back seat of my Jeep.
She looked older now, how could a few days age you a few years?
I pulled down my visor and looked at my reflection. I still looked like me. I didn’t seem to look any different, minus the worry lines that seemed to be etched on my face permanently.
I closed the visor and got out the Jeep shutting the door as quietly as possible. I walked into the woods to void my bladder. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get used to this—man, I was going to miss toilets.
I slowly walked back to the Jeep trying to enjoy the moment for what it was, until I heard voices.
At first I thought it was Mom and Blaine figuring they had woke up while I was gone.
Picking up my pace as I got closer to the Jeep, realizing that there were more than two voices; I slowed my pace and began picking my way quietly.
I could see Mom and Blaine, but there were others. I crept closer trying to assess the situation. Were these friendly rebels hiding in the caves, also, or were they Militia waiting for people like us to try and go underground.
There was shouting. Someone was arguing with my mom. I steeled myself and stepped out behind the strangers.
Blaine glanced at me and nodded his head acknowledging me. I moved almost directly behind them placing myself within view of my mom. She smiled when she seen me, and the visitors turned.
“What’s going on here?” I asked.
The woman smiled at me, but the two guys she was with—not so much.
“Sweetie, we’re not here to cause no one any harm,” the older man said.
“Are you Militia?” I asked the man, showing I wasn’t beyond a fight if it came to it.
I hoped my bluff was a good one. I could call upon my gifts but I had no idea if I could control them without Mom or Blaine getting hurt.
“No. We ain’t no darned Militia. You?” the older man asked.
“No,” I said, watching them carefully.
“Whatcha doing out this way? You got Tennessee tags on your Jeep. You’re a long way away from home,” the old man spoke up again speaking directly to me.
“Who isn’t a long way away from the chaos other than those attempting to cause it and those attempting to stop those who’ve caused the chaos in the first place? Or those just trying to get out of the way… Just trying to remain alive,” I said.
Then old man laughed a loud boisterous laugh that quaked through his entire body.
“Got a bright girl, there… Don’t ya, Ma’am?” the older man said to my Mom.
“Quick as a whip. Well come on, now, I’m guessing you’re here to find yer’ selves a good place to hide or make home,,, Ain’t ya?” the old man was still looking to my Mom.
“Yes. We’ve come a long way in hopes we’d be able to hide away in the cave, make a home maybe, but we see they are already being used. We will move on,” Mom said.
I could see the devastated look on her face and the sag in her shoulders seemed to soften the strangers.
“Come on now, let’s hide this here Jeep and get you in. There’s plenty of room down there in those caves. Mmm hmm… Sure is. Lots of room. We’ll introduce you to everyone and help you get settled in. I’m Willy… This here strappin’ young man is my grandson Jasper, and this is his mother, Lily,” Willy said slapping Jasper on the back and motioning to Lilly.
“I do apologize for the commotion, but you cannot be too sure about people in these times of peril,” Lily said in an unmistakable English accent.
I looked at Mom raising my eyebrows. I felt like I had jumped into a Mary Poppins movie and she is his daughter–in-law—Oh my…—This was going to be hilarious.
“Co
me on, boys. Don’t make the women work. Makes ya look bad,” Willy harrumphed.
“I’m telling ya ladies, chivalry isn’t dead, just forgotten by the dolts we raised and the ones they raised.” Willy walked toward to forest to find fallen branches to cover the Jeep with, dragging Jasper and Blaine to help.
“Don’t worry about yer bags. We’ll get em,” Willy called back at us.
I looked at Mom slightly confused at what just happened. She shrugged her shoulders and turned to follow Lilly.
“You’ll fit in just fine here dear,” Lilly said eyeing me.
“How do you know?” I asked her, sending my Mom a curious glance.
“Dear. We’re all here for a reason. We each have a story that lead us to come to these caves, whether it’s by divine intervention that’s gathered us or chance. We all have become a family here. We help out where we can; we teach the young and care for the old. Come now, dears, I’ll introduce you to the authority. He and his wife will speak with you and when the boy gets back with your things we’ll find you, feed you and show you around. You can pick your spot after that,” Lily said as she shuffled along, glancing back to make sure we were keeping up.
“So, that’s it? We don’t have to do some initiation thing?” I laughed. Lilly raised her eyebrow at me and smirked.
“Now dearie, I didn’t say that wouldn’t be happening, now did I?” We all shared a laugh as we entered into the tunnels and the sunshine receded into pseudo-night.
We walked down a tunnel using a small flashlight, a tiny little one, like ones you put on your keychain.
It was unnerving trying to navigate by this little orb of light hoping that you wouldn’t step on a slick rock and break your neck.
Mom grabbed my hand for support, both emotional and physical.
“So Lilly, may I ask a question?” I asked trying to be polite.
We really hadn’t expected to share the caves, but the cave system was big enough we could find our own spot and still be near the other people if we wanted to.
“I don’t see why not.”
“I was wondering what this authority you spoke of is and why is there need of an authority? I’m not saying I rebel against authority. I have always followed rules,” I sighed.
“What I meant is who are they?”
“They are just leaders we all look to. They helped to organize us. Once we realized we wouldn’t be alone and many others began to come here we decided to “elect” this couple as an authority. Someone to help organize us all, to help new comers feel more welcome at having a focal point of their welcoming, and as always, to keep order. They are the strongest among us gifted here, talented those two are, and they have strong ethics and morals...”
“How many people are here?” I asked.
“There are forty-seven of us here at the moment,” Lily smiled.
“Forty-seven. Wow.”
Not picking the conversation up again, we just walked through dark corridors following the tiny light through the caverns for what seemed like an hour before we noticed what looked like small dots of sunlight shining down from up high or bright stars shinning just to light our way.
“What’s that up ahead?” I asked Lilly.
“That, my dear, is solar power. We’ve run them through some of the corridors, the latrine area, the wash area, and the bath area. We’ve dotted one here and there as well just so you you can get around some slippery areas and what not, but for the most part you will have to learn your way and carry a solar lamp.”
We reached a huge open area that was teeming with people going about their business as if the Militia hadn’t ruined their lives.
They truly were making the best of a bad situation. I liked that.
I thought about the situation we were all in. Those of us that are gifted and those who weren’t gifted who loved us.
I looked at my mom. Who would protect her if something happened to me, I wondered. Then and there in the pseudo-darkness of the caves I vowed to do whatever I could to help the rebellion, to rid the world of Militia and anyone who stood to enslave us to their sick ideas of what and who they thought we should be, of what they thought this world should be. I would do anything, or I would die trying.
I squeezed my Mom’s hand which was still firmly clasped around mine. I would do my best to break the Militia. I would need help, that much was obvious, but who other than those who were actively involved in the Rebellion?
I would have to get into those ranks, and to ensure that I did, I would have to learn to fight and use my gifts correctly and without flaw.
To flaw at any point now would be killing as quickly as a knife to the heart.
A cavern opened before us that was well lit and teaming with people. Everyone was going about their business and for the most part seemed not to notice us.
A few did though. They looked at us with a mask of caution and danger. A shiver passed down my spine.
“Lily?” I whispered, she looked at me waiting. “What’s going to happen to us if your authority doesn’t like us and they don’t want us here?”
Mom squeezed my hand hard. I knew she had been thinking the same thing. She’d been too quiet throughout this, but then again ever since we left our home having our lives interrupted by the mysterious letter from my Dad and the overtaking of the Militia, my Mom had been super quiet.
She was living inside her thoughts as if trying to deduce the answer to everything, as if the answer to everyone’s problems would just drop into her lap.
Lilly didn’t respond to my question though she just patted my shoulder and lead on.
Within a few minutes of what I assumed to be the main room or common area we reached a door, outside this door there were two chairs.
“Take a seat dears, I’ll go in and tell the authority that you’re here. They will call you in shortly,” Lilly said, giving us a small smile.
I’d assumed she smiled trying to give us comfort, but my comfort rested under a pile of limbs outside of this place.
At least there was a solar light a few hundred feet away, even so this was beyond creepy and that light was not shinning as brightly as I would have liked it.
Dark dank and scary defiantly were not my thing. I sighed, holding onto my mom’s hand even tighter.
CHAPTER 8
There was a knock at the door. Bethany looked up from her knitting glancing at her husband who was sitting behind the desk he had recently acquired on a raid for provisions.
Bethany sighed, I’m too old for this she thought, remembering days that were easier. Days when her family was whole, and happier, she looked at her husband who would turn 50 in a few days.
Ben was five years her senior. He was tall, taller than most. He stood 6 ft. 3in. tall and had not bowed to time. A smile creased the edges of Bethany’s lips thinking of Ben.
As quickly as her smile came it left reminding her of her lost son. Her body ached thinking of him, and her beautiful daughter, who Bethany still thought of as a baby even though she would be eighteen in a few weeks.
The knock came again. Ben looked up from his desk and the maps and Intel he had been pouring over trying to figure out the areas the Militia would most likely make camps.
“I’ll get it, stay where you are honey,” Ben said to Bethany.
Bethany smiled but moved to place her knitting in the basket next to her chair. They had word a few hours earlier of a vehicle discovered with some people; Bethany hoped it was news of her children-or her children in person.
She sat up straight aliening herself with the door as Ben opened it to allow their visitor entry.
Of course it was Lilly. Lilly always brought the new comers to meet the ‘Authority’. Bethany sighed, standing to greet their guest.
“So, just the two like Willy said?” Ben asked after he shut and bolted the door behind him.
“Ben Brewster is that how your great guests?” Bethany asked in mock anger.
“Lilly, I swear his mother raised him right. I don�
�t know what’s happened to him since he married me.” Bethany and Lilly laughed at her jest, even causing Ben to crack a smile. Those smiles had become less and less lately.
“Lilly, please allow me to apologize, my wife is as always quite right.” Ben smiled taking Lilly’s hand bending low to kiss it.
Bethany and Lilly laughed, Bethany blew out a deep breath. It had been too long, too strained; she looked at the grey coming in at the sides of Ben's hair.
She thought it made him look distinguished and set off his Black hair, but it still reminded her that they weren’t getting younger and those younger weren’t getting any better.
The training hadn’t been what they were initially hoping it would be.
“Well actually, there were three. The initial report we received stated two - a male and a female when there were actually two females, mother and daughter, and a male. They were fleeing the Militia and came here of their own accord and would very much like to reside here.”
“Is this information you gleaned? Or what you’ve been told?” Ben asked.
They moved over to a small table where they could all sit comfortably.
“Oh, a little of both, there is so much going on in their minds I would have a hard time staying in for any period of time. I can say that they are defiantly not Militia. The woman has no gifts of any kind to speak of. Her husband was the gifted and passed that gene on to the daughter. She…is very interesting. I’ll get to her in a moment though,” Lilly giggled a little, hardly containing her excitement.
“The father had brought them here and told the mother that this was the safest place on this earth if something ever happened that forced them out of their home” Lilly continued.
“The girl was but a child then. Rowan D’Crey, the mother, was privy to his gifts and those of the D’Crey family, while she didn’t quite get what he was saying to her at the time she just passed it off as him being paranoid due to his shipping out on a mission for the U.S. military. He was a part of some covert military for the U.S. They carried out dangerous missions utilizing their gifts and never receiving the credit. All very interesting as I said, any who the father passed away when the girl was five, one year after he deployed exactly.” Lilly paused making sure we were keeping up.
The Genesis Project Prophecy of the Seven Page 4