by Saxon Andrew
Tyler and Olivia continued moving north and after thirty minutes Tyler didn’t hear anything on the wall above them. He grabbed Olivia’s arm and stepped out from the wall. He looked to the south and saw all the Destroyer Warriors had gathered at the site of the Spinosaurus. The beast’s roars were no longer as loud and Tyler knew it was going to die soon. He tied a rope to the backpack and climbed up the wall. He managed to crawl over the edge and motioned Olivia to join him. He dug his feet into the top of the wall and pulled the backpack up. He pulled it up on his shoulders, with Olivia’s assistance. He took a deep breath and began walking toward the end of the wall. It was now in sight and he struggled to keep moving. Olivia looked to the south and saw the giant carnivore had finally fallen. It was struggling to rise but it was a losing effort as another spitter-gun arrived from the south and opened fire on it. They could hear the cheers of the Destroyers as the dinosaur died under their guns.
They arrived at the end of the wall and looked down on the ocean and jagged rocks at the bottom of the cliffs. Tyler looked at Olivia and said, “Come stand in front of me.”
“What?”
“No questions! Do it!” Olivia moved around Tyler and stood in front of him. “Face the ocean.” Olivia turned around and saw they were on the edge of the wall. One more step and they would fall on the rocks far below. Tyler pulled a strap out of the bottom of the backpack and wrapped it around his and Olivia’s legs. He buckled it tight and then pulled another strap out of the top of the backpack, pulled it around his chest, and wrapped it around Olivia’s chest under her arms.
He pulled it snug and she said, “What are you doing?”
Tyler leaned forward and whispered, “Going home.” He put his hand over Olivia’s mouth and fell forward. They fell away from the wall and Olivia tried to scream but Tyler’s hand muffled the effort. Tyler reached up with his free hand and pulled the glider’s release cord. The wings snapped out and the control bar dropped. Tyler released Olivia’s mouth and pushed the nose of the glider up.
The wind roaring up the cliff wall caught the glider’s wings and jerked them upward. The glider shot upward and back toward the cliff wall. Tyler turned it into the wind and started a spiral that moved them quickly higher. Olivia had her eyes closed expecting to hit the rocks under the cliff but was shocked by the sudden jerk upward. Tyler whispered in her ear, “Are your eyes closed?” Olivia jerked her head up and down. “Keep them closed until I tell you to open them.” Tyler continued to spiral upward and looked back at the wall to orient on the main thoroughfare to align his move out to sea. “You can open your eyes.”
Olivia opened her eyes and saw the ocean far below. She looked up and saw the glider. She took a deep breath and said, “Why didn’t you tell me we were going to fly out of here?”
“Would you have come if I did?”
Olivia hesitated and after a moment said, “Probably not. I wouldn’t have believed you could do it.”
“That’s why I didn’t tell you.”
“It’s also why you wouldn’t leave the backpack.”
“Yep.”
“Where are we going?”
“I have a ship waiting on us to arrive.”
Tyler moved his head left and right. He turned the glider slightly and looked back over his shoulder. Olivia said, “What’s wrong?” Tyler remained silent and after a minute Olivia said, “What’s wrong!”
“The ship is not where it’s supposed to be. I’m certain that I’m on the right path but it’s not where I left it.”
Olivia felt a chill run down her spine, “Where do you think it went?”
Tyler shook his head. After a moment Tyler sighed, “They may have been discovered by the Destroyer Fleet and were forced to flee.”
“What does that mean for us?”
Tyler looked back at the city and saw red lights appearing. “What do those red lights mean?”
Olivia looked back and said, “Escaped slaves.” She stared at the lights for a moment and looked up at Tyler, “How did you manage to keep Gren quiet?” Tyler didn’t respond and Olivia saw his expression. She turned back and looked down at the ocean. She didn’t ask him again and he didn’t tell her. Tyler turned the glider out to sea and gained altitude. They flew for an hour and Olivia quietly said, “We’re going to die, aren’t we?”
“I considered turning back to the city but I can’t risk them getting their hands on this glider. If they caught us, we’d be thrown over the wall without weapons. If I’m going to die, I’d prefer it be out here.”
“You could have lied about it.”
“I’m sorry, Olivia. That’s not something I do. If I can’t tell the truth, I just remain silent.”
“And silence to my question would have been an answer.”
Tyler nodded, “Yes, it would.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to continue flying as far as I can.” Tyler pulled a cord on the gliders control bar and a propeller popped up on top of the glider. Tyler pushed a button on a black box attached to the control arm and the propeller started spinning at fifteen thousand rpms. The glider leapt forward and Tyler said, “Maybe I can catch them if the battery holds out.”
Olivia saw the ocean moving quickly below them and hoped he was right.
• • •
Twelve hours passed and the propeller began slowing. Tyler sighed and pulled the cord flipping it back flat against the top of the glider. He reached forward and twisted a handle on the battery. He pulled it out and the battery fell off the control arm toward the ocean. Olivia felt their speed slow and looked up at him, “I guess we’re not going to make it.”
Tyler looked into her eyes and nodded. He looked out ahead of them and saw a large Pterodactyl in the distance. He loved watching them fly. He stared at it and after a moment said, “It’s not flapping its wings.”
“What?”
Tyler ripped his head cover off and the Pterodactyl disappeared. That wasn’t a Pterodactyl. He dropped the nose of the glider and it picked up speed as it moved toward the distant object.
• • •
Rory felt his glider starting to slow down. The last battery was losing power and he was going to have to turn around and head for the ship. He shook his head and started banking to head back. He looked to the east and saw something in the distance. He whipped the glider back and took off his head cover. The object disappeared. “THANK GOD!” He started circling and saw the object growing larger. He turned and began flying toward the Storm Chaser. He waved and saw Tyler wave back. He felt a huge weight fall off his spirit. Johnathan had suggested that they take shifts flying back behind the ship to see if Tyler showed up. They had to use the batteries to fly against the wind and this was the last flight they would have been able to make. He flew for ninety minutes and saw the ship moving through the waves at half sail. He brought the glider in and landed on the stern of the large ship. Johnathan helped him land and Rory yelled, “Tyler is right behind me and he’s not alone!”
Johnathan yelled and Rory shouted, “Get some more men up here. We’re going to need to help him land on the ship!”
Tyler followed Rory and saw the Storm Chaser in the distance. Olivia saw it as well and looked up at him, “I pray that is the ship you’re looking to find.”
“It is.”
“It looks very much like a Destroyer Warship.”
“We took it from them.” Olivia smiled and Tyler said, “We’ve actually taken more than a hundred and forty ships from them.”
Olivia looked up at him and smiled, “I think I understand why the Commandant is so frightened.”
Tyler laughed, “You think!” Tyler moved the glider lower and said, “Olivia, I need you to try and remain as still as possible. Landing on a moving ship is not an easy thing to do and doing it with two people on a glider is…”
“Impossible?”
Tyler smiled, “No, just harder.”
Olivia looked down at the ship and saw a group of men
were gathered at the stern. She saw Tyler take the glider past the stern to the right side of the ship and suddenly turn toward it. Olivia almost screamed but managed to close her mouth and shut her eyes. The glider looked like it was going to crash in the rear mast but the ship moved under it and Tyler pulled the retraction cord just as he arrived over the rear deck. They fell six feet and the men gathered under them caught them as they fell.
Tyler lay on the rear deck and couldn’t move his legs. He saw the crew unbuckling Olivia and he closed his eyes. The long run with the eighty-five pound glider pack and the stress of expecting to die had finally taken their toll. He closed his eyes and felt the wooden deck under him. He forgot everything else as fatigue took him.
Chapter Five
Olivia felt the straps being removed and she struggled to stand. The man they had followed to the ship helped her to her feet. She opened her mouth to thank him but saw Zeck standing beside the steering wheel. Her eyes went wide and she shouted, “WHAT IS THAT MONSTER DOING HERE!?”
Zeck saw her hatred and closed his eyes. Rory looked at the young girl and shook his head, “He’s the one that insisted we try to save you. He’s the reason we came here.”
“He’s the monster that has been terrorizing my sister for years!”
Rory shook his head and Zeck said, “Don’t blame her, she’s right.”
Olivia heard him and spit in his direction. It hit him in the face and he wiped it off. He turned his back on Olivia and tried to focus on steering the ship. Rory’s expression turned to anger, “You obviously don’t know anything.”
“I KNOW WHO HE IS!”
Rory grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, “No you don’t! You only know who he was, not who he is now. He saved your sister’s life and he insisted we come here to save you. From where I stand, you aren’t worth the effort.” He turned to Johnathan, “Take her below decks. I’m sick of seeing her.”
Olivia was shocked and could only walk away with her mouth open. She was taken to a room below and Johnathan said, “You will stay here until we get you to your sister.”
Olivia looked at John and shook her head, “I saw him purchase Ophelia and drag her to his ship.”
Johnathan turned around before he went out of the door and said, “Where were the slaves going that he bought her from?” Olivia stared at him in silence. “They were going to the pens and you know that. He bought her to stop her from being sent there. When we captured them, he was made a slave and your sister was given custody of watching over him. She nearly beat him to death.”
“He deserved it!”
John stared at Olivia and shook his head, “I heard your sister say that he never beat her. Our leader was going to execute him because we do not keep slaves but your sister begged him not to do it. She wailed that he didn’t deserve it.”
“That’s a lie!”
John’s expression turned hard, “One thing you are going to need to learn; lying is not something we do. You should have been left behind, you ungrateful brat!”
John slammed the door and Olivia stared at the closed door. She threw herself on the bed and knew she had made a mistake in coming with Tyler. These people were no better than the Destroyers. An hour later, a young woman knocked on the door and entered with a tray of food, “You should eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“The trip home is going to take several weeks and not eating will only make things worse. I’m sure your sister is going to be excited to see you.”
“Do you know her?” The young woman nodded. “What can you tell me about her?”
The young woman tilted her head and then sighed, “Our community has accepted her but many have issues with the way she treated Zeck.”
“He abused her!”
“And he admitted that he did.” Olivia looked at her shaking her head and she said, “He told her in front of all of us that he thought she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen and he couldn’t allow her to be sent to the pens. He told us about how he was raised to treat people and he was beaten whenever he showed any softness toward anyone. He didn’t know any other way to live. He told your sister when our leader pulled his gun to kill him that he deserved it. Ophelia stood between Zeck and our leader screaming that he didn’t deserve it.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“We found your sister’s cruelty toward him hard to believe as well.”
Olivia stared at the woman for a moment and said, “What changed her mind?”
“She almost killed him by beating him half to death with a wooden pole. She beat him because he told her he was sorry for what he had done.”
“That sounds like my sister.”
“He told her as he lay in the dirt in the field that he had never beat her. He had treated her as well as he knew how.” The young woman stared at Olivia for a moment and said, “Ophelia realized he was right. She had done things to him that he had never done to her and she felt ashamed by her actions.”
She turned to go and stopped before she opened the door, “I think you should know that he didn’t tell your sister that he was making this voyage in an effort to save you.”
“Tyler told me he came here for other reasons.”
“He’s right…and wrong. Zeck sold the mission on the idea that the Destroyers needed to be scouted to see what defenses we would have to face. He volunteered to sail the ship if he would be allowed to try and save you. Our council agreed. Ophelia found out about it at the last minute and screamed at him that he was throwing the lives away of those on the ship, as well as his own to make the effort. She told him it was a suicide mission.” Olivia lowered her head and the woman softly said, “He told her that he was going to do it, not just for her, but to try and bring balance for all he has done in the past. She pleaded with him not to go but he had her taken to shore and he set sail. One last thing.” Olivia looked at her. “All of us know that he loves your sister deeply. Even after all she’s done to him…” The woman shook her head. She looked at Olivia and said, “The disrespect you’ve shown him today is unforgivable. However, I know Zeck doesn’t blame you for it. He’s a better person than you…or your sister.”
The woman walked out the door and closed it quietly behind her. Olivia stared at the door and looked at the floor. She shook her head and wondered what kind of world it was when a Destroyer was more respected that those he enslaved. She ate the meal and fell back on the bed. Sleep didn’t come quickly but it did eventually come. She decided that she had to talk to Tyler. He could help her understand this new world she had entered.
• • •
She stayed in her room the next day until the midday heat became too much. She saw a blue uniform on the foot of her bed and she took off the camouflage suit and put it on. She stepped out of her room and went to the steps leading to the main deck. She encountered several members of the crew and they stepped out of her way. She could tell by their expressions that they didn’t like her. She stepped out on deck and felt the cool sea breeze blowing over her. She sighed and looked around. Most of the crew was on the main deck escaping the heat of the day. She walked over to a man tugging on a rope to tighten a sail and said, “Do you know where I can find Tyler?”
The man smiled and pointed toward the front of the ship, “He’s at the bow.”
“Thank you.” The man nodded and she started walking toward the front of the ship. She noticed that everyone was staring at her and their expressions weren’t friendly. She arrived at the bow and saw Tyler lying against the bow with his eyes closed. There were several people around him who stood up and walked away as she approached. “Do you have a minute?”
Tyler opened his eyes and smiled, “Sure, sit down.”
“You’re the only one that seems to want to have anything to do with me.”
Tyler shook his head, “From what I hear you did to Zeck yesterday, I can understand their feelings.”
“Don’t tell me you like him!”
“I
won’t.”
“Good.”
“Actually, I love him and he’s the reason I volunteered to go in for you.”
Olivia shook her head, “Tyler, this doesn’t make sense. He’s a Destroyer.”
“No, he was a Destroyer.” Olivia stared at him and Tyler blew out a breath, “Olivia, there are several members of my community whom we captured and have become important members. Zeck is probably the most important, next to the Admiral who was named Slayer.”
“HE’S HERE?”
“He managed to take a ship and escape. He brought his family and warriors who wanted to join us in our fight against the Commandant.”
“Why do you say you love Zeck?”
“My father was killed in an early fight against the Destroyers. I was overcome by my grief; no one could console me. I l would leave the community and go out and hide in the fields just to be left alone. I encountered Zeck while he was picking corn. Your sister was close by but she left him alone as long as he worked.” Tyler paused for a moment and shook his head, “I must say that initially I wanted to kill him and I pretty much told him so as he worked.”
“And?”
“He begged me to do it. He said he deserved to die for all the evil things he had done in his life. I told him that my father had been killed by a Destroyer. He could see my grief, there was no way I could hide it. He looked at me and said, ‘what do you think you father is thinking at this moment?’”
“What did you say?”
“I was speechless. Zeck told me that my father’s sacrifice was wasted unless I became a better man for it. He said that my father would have no patience for being lost in my pain but would love me to make something of my life and maybe one day make his death count for something.” Tyler slowly shook his head. “I hated him for saying that but from that moment on, my weeping ended. Several weeks later, I brought him some water and talked with him some more.” Tyler looked at Olivia, “He helped me grow up and become someone my father would be proud of. He’s much more than you think he is. After he was freed, I spend a lot of my free time with him.”