Bryan’s face lit with pride.
“How much more drilling do you need?” Gideon asked.
“No drill will account for experience, but given the time we have put in, our fighters are capable.”
“You say we have about two hundred people ready to go?”
Bryan nodded.
“In that case, it sounds like you are almost ready,” Gideon said. “Wait for the report from your scouts. If or when they confirm the monster is near, we will enact your plan.”
Chapter 54: The Watcher
The last rays of daylight faded from the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the desert sand and the enormous rock spires in the distance, as The Watcher waded through the desert. For the past few days, he and his companion had scouted for the monster in the desert, but they’d seen no evidence of it. Eventually, they’d volunteered to return to the cliffs, while some others stayed out, searching.
It was time to give Bryan an update.
He wished he had more definitive news.
Perhaps the monster was gone, like some of the more optimistic Watchers had speculated.
Getting closer to the colony, they passed between the first towering, massive spires, clutching their spears. The Watcher stroked his beard. Despite his lack of news, a part of him had enjoyed the feeling of trekking through the desert, with only the wind at his back and his spear at his side. It reminded him of his younger years as a hunter, long before he was a Watcher.
Plodding heel to toe, the two men scanned the desert, keeping to the beaten path, staying on course for the colony. The Watcher saw no prints in the sand. Of course, he didn’t. Over the past few weeks, the drifting winds had taken away the last remnants of the Red Rock hunters, just as it had taken away the prints of the scouts from their trip out. The desert felt abandoned.
Empty.
A gentle wind rustled The Watcher’s clothes, causing him a hint of nervousness.
A strange anxiousness hit him, as he looked into the horizon, spotting the cliffs far past the rock spires.
Deep shadows crept from the bottom of the rising, natural rock structures on either side of them, creating alternating bands of light and dark in their path. Despite the late hour, the temperature was still hot, warming their skin. Feeling a thirst, The Watcher reached down and grabbed his flask, tilting it toward his mouth.
And stopped.
“What’s that?” he asked, pointing to the next swath of shadow.
The second Watcher froze.
About fifty feet away, something lay in the sand. The Watcher held a hand above his eyes, trying to make it out.
Hearts pounding, they headed for the dark shadow, their spears aimed. They got close enough to hear the buzzing flies and smell the stink of blood before they realized that it was something dead.
“By the heavens,” exclaimed the first Watcher.
“Is that the wolf we saw on the cliffs, before we left?” the second Watcher asked.
“I think.”
The wolf’s eyes stared vacantly into the heavens. Its tongue dangled through its yellowed teeth.
Only its head remained.
Lacerated, pink skin and tendons hung from its neck, which was jaggedly cut, and sitting at the cusp of an enormous, deep hole.
Looking farther, they spotted another hole, fifty feet away—a darkness deeper than anything they’d seen from the cliffs.
A primitive fear crawled through their hearts.
Turning to his companion, The Watcher swallowed. “The Abomination is back.”
Chapter 55: Darius
Four flickering torches cast wavering shadows over the small, dead-end cove as Darius worked at night. Taking a momentary reprieve, he cracked his weary neck and looked around at the craggy walls and the high ceiling. The small, humid cove wasn’t quite his hovel—and he was missing some of his tools—but at the moment, it was the best workshop he had. And he was far enough away from the other colonists to have his privacy, but close enough that he could reach them with a short walk.
Darius stared back at the object, which he’d propped up on a jutted, round rock.
He didn’t realize how much he’d missed his work until he was away from it. Working on a new project always gave him joy.
The object was fascinating.
A part of him was jealous. In all his years of exploring the caves, he had never found its equal. He felt like a young man, hearing stories of how his father pulled scraps of metal from the desert, back when there were such things to find.
And now he had a bigger story than his father ever did.
Thanks to Raj.
Dabbing a small amount of water on his rag, he worked the cloth over the object’s surface, carefully removing some old dust and dirt from the crevices. Not for the first time, he felt like a tradesman from the First Generation, working on some device that no one else could imagine. But he also felt a small fear. What if he triggered some strange, dangerous power?
Darius worked carefully on the object for most of the night, cleaning it until he found no more dirt or dust on its surface, or in its edges. He was almost starting to think it was just a spectacle to be looked at when he noticed a discoloration at the end of a tube-like piece of metal. The tube sat on the top of the main shaft. Darius frowned. With his thumb, he scraped away at the brown substance, removing it easily.
Not a discoloration. Dirt.
Darius kept cleaning the wedged debris, picking most of it out, revealing a thumb-sized hole that went far back into the metal shaft.
His heart pounded.
He felt as if he uncovered something special.
Darius held the object away, peering at the hole. Deep inside, at what looked like the tube’s end, a few other metal pieces seemed as if they were fashioned in a strange pattern. In fact, it looked like those pieces were newer than the rest of the object.
What if some ancient repair person, like him, had worked on it?
Or modified it?
Reaching out to the jutting rock, he found a thin, long knife that just might fit into the hole, sticking it inside as far as it could go.
At first, nothing happened.
And then Darius felt resistance.
He pushed a little farther, gently nudging something inside.
A click emanated from somewhere deep inside the object.
Darius’s old heart leapt in his chest.
What was that?
Chapter 56: Neena
“Neena!”
Neena looked up from the bedroll she was dusting off to find Darius striding toward her. Her brow furrowed. Rarely had she seen him move so fast. She looked around for Kai, who was across the cave, speaking with another group of colonists. Nearby, Raj and Samel smeared sleep from their eyes, waking up.
“What’s going on, Darius?” she asked, when he was closer.
Darius ambled with his cane in front of him, weaving around the last few bedrolls between him and her. “I think I made a discovery with the object,” he said quietly.
Neena immediately leaned close. “What is it?”
Sensing something important being discussed, Raj crept away from Samel and listened.
Darius looked around, ensuring that no one else eavesdropped. “For most of the night, I cleaned dirt and grime from the object, certain that it was too old to function. And then I uncovered a tube on top that contains some other, working pieces.” Darius regained more wind. “It seemed as if something fit inside the tube—almost as if someone had modified it. And so I took a knife and started poking around in the hole.”
“What happened?” Raj asked, spellbound.
“When I put the knife in a certain way, I heard a sound,” Darius continued. “And then the knife got stuck.” He paused, watching Neena and Raj carefully. “At first, I was positive I wasn’t getting it out, until I turned the whole device around and touched a smaller piece of metal on the handle. Something clicked, and the knife fell out.”
Taking an intuitive leap, Raj said,
“You think something goes in the tube?”
Darius nodded. “Yes. But that’s not it.”
Neena and Raj waited.
“There is a small piece of metal on the side of the device, a bit lower than the tube,” Darius said. “After some cleaning and finagling, I was able to turn it.”
Neena and Raj hung on his words.
“It only turned an imperceptible amount, but I heard a winding noise. And then it got stuck. I think if I can fashion a tool for it, I might be able to wind it further.”
“What do you think the tube and the winding metal mean?”
“I’m not sure, but I have a guess.” Darius paused.
“What is your guess?” Neena asked, unable to stifle her curiosity.
“I’m starting to think the object propels something.”
“Propels?” Neena asked.
“Hurl something through the air, the way you might throw a spear,” he explained. “I’m not sure how it works, yet, but when I looked inside the tube, I saw patterns in the metal that seem as if they might fit something snugly. Obviously, the knife was not the right fit for the hole. But if I could fit something in there tightly, and wind that other piece, something might happen.”
“So what are you going to do?” Raj asked, waiting for another revelation.
“I have a few extra, damaged spears from Red Rock,” Darius said. “If I slim them down to about half the size, and put a metal piece on the handle end, I might be able to match the pattern in the tube. Once I fit one in, I’ll wind the metal piece, hit the part on the handle, and see what happens.”
Neena and Raj stared, unable to believe it.
“I think your initial thought might be right, Raj,” Darius continued. “This object could be more important than anything we’ve ever discovered.”
Raj glowed.
Neena couldn’t help her smile. “Whether this object works or not, it is certainly the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”
“This might be the hope we’ve been waiting for,” Raj piped up.
“We’ll see,” Darius said. A genuine smile crossed his face—the widest Neena had seen in a while. “You certainly came across something incredible, Raj.”
Neena regarded Raj. “I still don’t agree with you crawling under that dangerous passage, but I agree with Darius. And for that, I am proud of you.”
“Thanks,” Raj said.
Neena turned back to Darius. “Keep us updated. Let us know what you find out. Maybe this will be the thing that turns things around for the Right Cave. The heavens know we need it.”
Chapter 57: Bryan
Under the light of the rising sun, Bryan marched out onto the ledge, looking out into the desert where the two nervous, excited guards pointed.
“The holes were two klicks away,” the first Watcher reiterated, pointing past some spires in the distance.
“You’re sure the kill was recent?”
“Yes,” promised the second Watcher. “The blood wasn’t more than a day old. We think it might be the wolf we saw a few nights ago, but we can’t be certain.”
“Did anyone from the Right Cave see you returning?”
“We came back near the tunnels at the back side of the cliffs,” said the first Watcher. “That’s why it took a while to return. They didn’t see us.”
Bryan nodded. Even if the people of the Right Cave saw them, it didn’t matter. They wouldn’t do anything.
“We found some wolf tracks on the other side of its remains,” explained the second Watcher. “It looked like it weaved in a few directions before the beast caught it, but in the end, it didn’t matter. It died, just like too many others.”
Bryan scanned the empty desert, then the ruins of Red Rock.
He saw no sign of the vicious monster.
Still, he could sense it our there, lurking, waiting.
Fear wormed through his bravery. It was easy to talk about the creature when it was an idea, bandied about it in the cave, but it was a different thing to speak of it when the creature was close. Scanning the magnitude of Red Rock’s destruction reminded him of the creature’s power.
But he had faith in his Watchers and their training, just like he had faith in his Center Cavers.
And he had faith in his newfound plan.
So did Gideon.
Confidence built in his heart. His hard work was coming to fruition. Together, they’d take back their colony and kill the monster.
His most trusted men—Louie, Rodney, Clark, Nicholas, Boyle, and Isaiah—emerged from the Left Cave, taking up next to him.
“Gather our fighters,” he ordered. “It is time we informed them of our plan. Afterward, we’ll meet with everyone and prepare to act.”
Chapter 58: Raj
Raj glanced across the cave, watching Adriana. The way that things were going—if the object worked—Neena might unveil his secret to the rest of the cave soon. Neena was already speaking quietly in a corner with Kai. Who knew who else she would tell? He certainly didn’t trust her.
He needed to talk with Adriana before she heard the news secondhand.
He needed to take credit for his role.
Sweat moistened Raj’s palms as he walked in Adriana’s direction. His stomach turned in knots. He felt as if he were approaching Gideon, or Bryan, instead of a girl he wanted to impress. The nervous part of him wanted to turn away, head back to his bedroll, and give up on a foolish plan. But his heart could no longer stand their separation.
He finally had a good reason to talk with her.
Raj stuck his hands nervously in his pockets, trying to act casual, even though his heart hammered. He cleared his throat.
Noticing him coming, Adriana turned and greeted him.
“Hi.”
Raj’s eyes immediately flew downward. “Hi,” he answered.
Adriana moved from foot to foot. This time, she seemed awkward. She had obviously seen him avoiding her.
A long silence followed. Regret flooded Raj’s stomach. He considered walking away before he made a bigger fool of himself. But he’d crossed half the cave to reach her.
And besides, the same feeling from before had gotten stronger, standing so close to her. He could already smell the scent of her skin, which took him back to those exciting times in the cave. The thought of her soft lips kept him rooted.
“How have you been doing?” he asked.
“Okay,” Adriana said.
Another pause.
“What have you been up to?”
“I’ve just been spending some time with some new friends.” She looked over her shoulder, motioning toward where a few girls talked in a circle—and, to Raj’s dismay, a few boys.
“Oh,” Raj said. The awful silence settled over them again.
What if Adriana had forgotten the times they shared? The idea was silly—it hadn’t been that long, after all—and yet he couldn’t help his crushing doubts.
“I saw you’ve been hanging out with the guards a lot,” Adriana said, pointing toward the entrance.
“You noticed?” Raj’s face brightened.
Slowly, some of his fears melted.
“Of course,” Adriana said, a smile creeping onto her face. “I thought they might’ve given you an official post.”
Raj opened his mouth to clarify, before thinking better of it. “I help them, sometimes.”
“Have you seen anything important out there?” Adriana asked.
“Birds, mostly,” he said, adding, “But I saw a wolf, once.”
Adriana’s eyes widened. “Really? Is it still around?”
“We chased it away.” He looked over his shoulder, making sure no one listened.
“Have you seen the monster?”
“Not yet,” Raj admitted, adding, “Though I might, soon.” Suddenly emboldened, Raj said, “If it is out there, we might have a way to kill it.”
“Kill it? What do you mean?”
Leaning close enough to see the sparkles in her eyes, Raj said, “I t
old Neena, Darius, and Kai about the object. We think it might be a weapon.”
Disbelief crossed Adriana’s face. “Really?”
Raj waved a hand to where Darius stood, helping Samel with his breakfast. Telling a small lie, he said, “Darius and I spent most of last night working on it, trying to fix it.”
“A weapon!” Adriana was amazed. “What does it do?”
“Our guess is that it throws something, the way a man hurls a spear. But a smaller one. We hope to find out soon.” Raj looked deep into Adriana’s blue eyes. “You can’t tell anyone about it. Do you promise?”
Adriana’s expression was filled with awe. “I promise.”
“You are the only one who knows, outside of our small group.”
The results of Raj’s flattery were written on Adriana’s face. Once again, Raj felt how deeply he had missed her. His boldness grew, and he reached over and took her hand. She squeezed his fingers back. His heart leapt.
“I’m glad you came to talk to me, Raj.”
“Me, too,” Raj said.
They traded a smile.
Looking into her eyes made all those days of silence worthwhile. He was in another moment that he didn’t want to end.
For a second, he considered telling her the rest of his truth, but he’d wait.
Soon, she’d know who his true allies were, and she’d really respect him.
Soon, she’d really think he was a man.
Chapter 59: Bryan
Under the cover of the next evening, Bryan gazed upon the two hundred and fifty men, women, and children gathered before him in the Left Cave. The crowd was thick enough to fill almost every corner of the cave, from wall to wall. The audience stared at him unwaveringly, waiting for his speech. He’d already prepared his fighters.
Now it was time to inspire them.
The same power that coursed through him on the day of Gary’s ceremony reemerged. Only this time, it was stronger, thanks to the time that he and his people had spent working together, their drills, and their common goals.
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