Darius’s eyes grew wide as he made the same realization.
“The leaders were too quick to dismiss my story—probably because they already knew about the monster.”
Darius’s fear was written on his face, as a theory became a certainty. “Maybe that is why they never spoke with those people again. Perhaps they hoped to get rid of the problem, by telling those people to leave and never come back.”
Neena shuddered. “If the Abomination comes here, none of their lies will matter. They will have to face the truth.”
Darius shuddered. “So will we all.”
Chapter 31: Neena
Neena and Darius sat in silence for a while. The leaders no longer felt like men, but giant, faceless enemies, plotting and conspiring. And Red Rock was their crop bed, which they tended with lies and deceit.
“What are we going to do?” Darius asked, breaking the quiet.
Neena watched him. “I wish I knew.”
“My only thought was to get your story,” Darius said. “Hearing the things you say confirms my worst fears. The leaders can’t be trusted. Our lives are in jeopardy.”
“And yet, our knowledge does nothing for us,” Neena said, wringing her hands in frustration.
“Even if we wanted to leave Red Rock, there would be nowhere to go. Of course, we can’t tell anyone what we’ve figured out, without jeopardizing them, too.”
Neena swallowed, regretting what she’d told Helgid. “So, what are we going to do?”
“Are you certain the man named Kai knows nothing else about the creature?”
“He told me everything of which he was aware.”
“They said he was a criminal, an outcast,” Darius said, repeating what the leaders told everyone. “You’re sure you can trust his story?”
Neena thought on it. “He lied to me, at first,” she admitted. “But when we were in the cells, he told the truth.”
Neena recalled their time together. She’d never forget the deep conversations she’d had with Kai in the alcove, under the stars, or the way he’d looked at her when she fashioned the spear. He certainly had more respect for her than any of the other hunters her age. Even though he had deceived her—at first—she believed him now.
“I believe he is a criminal only in that he tried to provide for his family,” Neena said. “He wears the stigma of his people. No one can dispute that. But he saved me in the desert. We helped each other. If it weren’t for Kai, I might never have made it here alive, or reunited with my family.”
Darius didn’t disagree.
“It was his idea to admit to the delusions,” Neena continued. “Without his plan, I might still be in the annex.”
“It is too bad we won’t get to speak with him again,” Darius said gravely. “The leaders will never let him out of the cell.”
“And I left him to his fate.” Neena’s guilt felt like it might swallow her.
“In all likelihood, they will kill him,” Darius lamented, speaking her worst fears. “Keeping him alive serves no purpose. He is not a colonist whom they can teach a lesson, and let go. He is a source of paranoia. And they can’t afford to feed him when we are starving.” Darius stared at his boots. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up in one of the caves, the way Akron did.”
Neena envisioned The Watchers dragging Kai’s carcass to a dark, deep cave. Her breath caught in her throat.
“This is my fault.”
“Why?” Darius was confused.
“I brought him here to die.”
“He wanted to come here,” Darius clarified. “In fact, he lied to accompany you.”
Neena swallowed. “He did it for a better life. I cannot blame him for it.”
“His fate would’ve been worse, if you hadn’t found him,” Darius said. “He would have died days ago, without you to help him.”
“Still, I feel responsible.”
“So, what will you do? Go to the leaders and beg for his release?” Darius looked at Neena as if she were a fool. “They’ll kill you, or lock you up again.”
Neena had no answer. She tightened her grip on the spear. It would be so easy to forget about Kai, like Darius said. The heavens knew she had enough worries. But she couldn’t stop thinking of the sincerity on Kai’s face when he spoke of his mother, or the way he had watched her as they stared up at the stars. She’d never forget the way he had pushed her aside before the creature could devour her. She couldn’t do anything about the creature now, but she might be able to do something about him.
Neena couldn’t let go of her nagging feelings. “A moment ago, you sounded certain they would kill him. If that is the case, I can’t see them taking too long to enact that plan.”
“They will probably do it soon, if they haven’t already,” Darius agreed. “But we won’t know when, or how. We won’t be able to stop it.”
A tear rolled down Neena’s cheek as she looked down at the spear in her grasp, thinking of the one she’d carved for Kai in the desert. “So, you’re saying we should give up on him.”
“I wish I had a better answer, but I don’t.”
“If I let him die, his memory will haunt me.”
“That feeling will mean nothing, if you die foolishly,” Darius protested.
“But I will regret his death for the rest of my days, no matter how long they will be,” Neena said resolutely. “I need to figure out a way to help him.”
“We are just two people, with no power,” Darius protested. “Will you go up against dozens of Watchers and The Heads of Colony?”
Neena couldn’t dispute the facts.
She watched Darius intently. “A little while ago, you told me about the guilt you felt for Akron after he died. You weren’t able to do anything for him, but what if we can do something for Kai?”
Darius dabbed at his eyes, looking down at his workbench. With a long, tired sigh, he said, “Give me the afternoon to think about it. We’ll talk after supper.”
Neena nodded. “Okay.”
Chapter 32: Neena
Tears sprung to Neena’s eyes as she walked back into Helgid’s hovel, finding her brother awake. “Raj!”
Raj lowered the flask he’d been drinking and awkwardly embraced her. Helgid, Samel, and Amos sat on the other sides of him, looking as if they’d already given him too much attention.
“How long has he been up?” Neena asked, turning to Helgid, thinking she missed something.
“Just a little while,” Helgid promised.
Turning back to Raj, she asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” he said with a smile, in a stronger voice than she recalled from before. He watched her with warm, brown eyes. For a moment, Neena forgot about the slew of problems lingering in her subconscious, and allowed herself to feel hope.
“Your hair is getting long,” she said, reaching up to touch one of his curls.
“It hasn’t been that long since you’ve seen me,” Raj said, keeping his smile. “Has it?”
“Long enough,” she said.
“I remember seeing you when I came back here,” Raj said, frowning. “Was it you, or was I dreaming?”
“It was me,” Neena said. “We spoke, but you were delirious.”
“I had the sun sickness,” Raj remembered.
Neena wondered if that was all he recalled. She looked over at Helgid, but her face gave no clues.
“Would you like to talk alone for a few moments? I know it’s been a while since you’ve seen each other,” Helgid offered.
“Sure,” Neena agreed.
Helgid looked around at the others. Amos gently touched Samel’s shoulder, implying he should follow him. Together, they walked out of the door and closed it behind them.
Alone with Raj, Neena felt another surge of emotion.
“I’m sorry I was away for so long,” she said, squeezing his shoulder.
“It’s okay,” Raj said, looking down. “I know you have to hunt.”
“Someday you will hunt, too,” Neena
promised. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
She bit her lip, wondering whether to ask him more questions. Raj was still gaining his strength. And yet she felt a compelling need to know, to protect him. She couldn’t resist her sisterly nature.
“What happened in the graveyard, Raj?” she asked.
Raj flicked his eyes away. “I don’t remember.” He creased his brow, either trying to recall, or determining how much he should say.
“You know you can tell me anything, Raj.”
“I went to visit Mom and Dad,” he said, referring to the empty marker for her father, and the one containing her mother’s remains. “I remember feeling really hot, and then falling.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.” Raj still wouldn’t look at her.
“Did someone attack you?” Neena asked, repeating Samel’s suspicion.
Raj’s eyes roamed back to her for a long second, before he answered, “No.”
She couldn’t tell if he was lying, or embarrassed. Or maybe he was afraid to tell the truth, like too many in the colony. “I won’t tell anyone, Raj. You can trust me.”
She touched his shoulder gently.
A decision crossed his eyes, before he stated resolutely, “Nothing happened.”
“The healer said you have some bruises on your stomach,” Neena said, trying to keep the accusation from her voice as she looked down at his shirt.
“Probably from when I fell,” Raj explained, telling a bad lie.
“Samel told me about those boys who picked on you,” Neena said. “I know they were calling you names and threatening you.”
Raj stayed quiet.
“Whatever you’re facing, we’ll do it together. I won’t leave you again when you need me.”
“I know.” Raj forced a smile.
“I’m sorry I was gone so long. I meant to stay out for only a few days.”
With a long sigh, she leaned down and hugged him, fighting her guilty tears. Raj embraced her weakly. She was relieved he was feeling better, but she could still tell he was hiding something.
Before she could probe further, Raj said, “How did the hunt go?”
She leaned back and watched him, wondering if he had heard any of the rumors plaguing the colony. She couldn’t control the colonists’ gossip, but at least she could control the information that Raj heard first. Thinking about her words carefully, she spoke.
“Something happened on the hunt.” She paused.
“What do you mean?”
“I met a stranger in the desert, during the storm,” she said. Raj’s eyes widened as she told the story.
She spoke of Kai and the journey they’d taken back, leaving out the parts about the Abomination, keeping to the story The Heads of Colony told everyone. Raj listened carefully, asking questions. When she finished, he watched her in disbelief.
“You were in the annex?”
“Yes,” Neena said, feeling guilty again.
“I can’t believe that.” Raj looked around the room, and then down at his bedroll, as if he might’ve missed something else.
“That’s why I wasn’t around before, when you first got sick,” Neena explained. “But I want you to know that I’ll be around for a long time. You don’t have to worry about anyone else bothering you. I’ll keep you safe.”
A weak smile crossed Raj’s face. “Thank you, Neena.”
Thinking of Helgid’s consoling words, and how they’d helped her, Neena put her hand on his. “Whenever you are ready to talk, I’ll be here for you.”
Chapter 33: Darius
Darius hobbled away from his hovel under the afternoon sun. The conversations with Neena weighed on his mind. Too many of her points had hit home. He would never outlive his guilt for Akron, but what if they could do something about Kai?
It was easy talking about helping Kai when they were safe in a hovel, without Watchers lurking over their shoulders. But reality was much different than talk. Getting Kai out of a guarded prison seemed like an insurmountable task.
Every thought was a dead end Darius couldn’t see his way past.
Two Watchers made purposeful strides, coming in his direction. Darius panicked, thinking that they were coming for him, until he saw two female Crop Tenders next to them, wheeling a pushcart. He blew a breath of relief. It seemed as if too many Watchers patrolled the colony now. Or maybe it was his keen awareness of them, which had heightened after his and Neena’s conversations.
They’re passing out rations, he thought. That’s all.
Reaching the end of the alley, he travelled west. The Comm Building was a towering, frightening monolith, rising in the distance. Instead of following his gut and heading in the opposite direction, Darius trekked toward it. His heart pounded more fiercely as he avoided more Watchers and Crop Tenders, passing out damaged goods.
He curved northeast for a few alleys before reaching the building, intent on coming at it from the annex side. Reaching the main path, he headed south. In front of him, the annex jutted out from the building’s back—a long, rectangular structure with no doors, thick walls, and a single window at the end. The building sat at a fifteen-foot buffer from the path, which took a circular turn, continuing around the Comm Building. Getting close, he glanced at the small, rectangular window.
Of course, it was too small to fit a man.
Darius swallowed. For all he knew, Kai’s body was already dumped in some shallow grave, food for scavenging animals. He and Neena might be discussing someone who was no longer alive.
He kept his gaze on the shadowy window.
A small, tuneful noise reached his ears.
Whistling.
Darius listened more closely, until he was certain that the melody emanated from inside. A small hope reached his heart. Kai was alive.
But for how long? And more frustratingly, what could they do?
It wasn’t as if they could waltz into the building and free him. The door to the main building was locked, and the annex walls were thick enough that they’d never find a way through them undetected. Watchers and leaders lived in the building. The building’s security reinforced his frustrations.
Continuing around the Comm Building, he saw Watchers filling the empty space between the path and the enormous dome, lingering and talking. He studied their faces, but he couldn’t see an obvious reason for their presence. Rather than turning around and drawing attention, he quietly kept walking.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched them waving their hands and speaking in low tones.
No one had time for an old, crippled man.
Perhaps their disinterest was something he could use.
At first, he heard only casual conversations about their posts, or about the rations they passed out. And then his ears perked up, as one man walked over to another.
Darius’s blood froze. His leg might be lame, but his hearing was not.
“How long has he been whistling?” asked the first man.
“Most of the afternoon,” said the other Watcher in irritation, nodding back at the annex. “It makes me nervous.”
“It makes me uneasy, too,” agreed the first. “But he’ll stop soon enough.”
“When?”
“Tonight.” The Watchers fell silent as they saw Darius walking past, waiting for him to get a few more steps before one of them dragged a thumb across his throat. “Randy and Marc are taking him out to the cliffs. They’re doing it there.”
The other Watcher grunted. “I think the whole colony will rest easier, without him around.”
Darius made no reaction to what he heard, even though his heart thudded wildly.
Kai would die tonight.
Chapter 34: Darius
“Take a seat,” Darius said, motioning to the chair, as Neena returned to his house.
Neena stood, seemingly too nervous to sit down.
Unable to hold back his new information for longer than a moment, he spoke. “I heard something.”
“Wha
t?” Her eyes burned with intensity as she listened.
“Kai is alive. I took a walk to the Comm Building after you left. I heard him in the annex. And I heard some Watchers talking.”
Darius recounted the details of his trip, the whistling he’d heard, and the conversation on which he’d eavesdropped. Neena’s face turned pale as she grasped the implications of what he said.
“So they’ll kill him tonight. They’ll pull him out near the cliffs, and slit his throat.”
Darius nodded gravely. “It sounds that way.”
“We need to stop it. We need to do something.”
A new fear crossed Darius’s face as he saw the determination in hers.
“I don’t see what we can do.” He shook his head.
“You said there are two guards taking him to the cliffs,” Neena said. “What if we can stop them before they drag him there and kill him?”
“So we will fight The Watchers?” Darius asked.
“I cannot sit idly by while a man is killed.”
“They will kill us, if we try anything,” Darius warned. Seeing that he was making no headway, he continued, “Even if we aren’t watched by the Comm Building, I don’t see how to avoid a commotion. We don’t know where they are going, or where they will do the deed. What if they discover us sneaking around?”
“We can stick to the shadows and watch,” Neena said. “We can see if we can be of any help. It is better than going to sleep and pretending a man isn’t about to die.”
Darius looked down at his frail, wrinkled hands. “I am an old man, barely able to walk.”
“And I am a woman, whom the hunters do not respect.” Neena’s eyes burned with an anger that extended far beyond the current situation. “The people in this colony view me worse than the sand underneath their boots. Yet, I am willing to make an attempt.”
Darius met her gaze, robbed of a counterargument.
“Remember what I told you about Akron?” Neena asked.
Darius opened and closed his mouth, stopping before he spoke. Of course, Neena’s reminders about Akron still weighed on him. He stayed quiet a long moment. The past few days felt like a spiraling wind, pulling away his choices. Each revelation added to his life’s uncertainty.
Sandstorm Box Set Page 28