The Complete Makanza Series: Books 0-4

by Krista Street

  I didn’t know what to think about that.

  With slumping shoulders, I summed up as best I could my time in Seattle. “I was helping Cate . . . um, I mean Dr. Hutchinson, but I’m back in South Dakota now. My time out there is done.”

  “Oh, well perhaps we could meet this week for dinner?”

  Dinner? My mother and I never went out for dinner.

  Ian appeared at the end of the hall. He raised his eyebrows when he saw me on the phone.

  “Um, I can’t this week, Mom. I’m quite busy. Sorry.”

  “Of course. Well, I suppose I should go. I hope work goes well.”

  “Yeah, thanks. Bye.”

  I closed my eyes after we hung up and pinched the bridge of my nose. I had no idea what had gotten into my mother. Our roles had been so clearly defined for years, and now it was as if those roles had wavered. It strangely seemed like she wanted to spend time with me.

  Growing up, she’d never wanted to.

  I took a deep breath. I don’t have time to think about this right now.

  When I opened my eyes, Ian stood closer and was looking down at me with his hands stuffed in his pockets. “Everything okay?”

  I forced a nod. A part of me felt so alone in this world without Jeremy as a buffer between me and my parents. Even though they were the only blood relations I had left, never had two people felt more like strangers.

  Pushing to a stand, I brushed my pants off. A thick layer of dust coated the hallway carpet. “It was just my mom.”

  He didn’t say anything. I got the distinct impression he was waiting for me to continue, but I didn’t feel like divulging any information on that subject. Stuffing my phone in my back jean pocket, I curled my toes in my shoes. “Do we have everything we need for tonight?”

  “I think so.”

  “Good, then let’s figure out how we’re getting to the reservation.”

  SHARON TEXT CASH and asked where the best area was to approach the fence. She didn’t mention that we planned to break in.

  Cash sent several text messages with maps and directions for how to reach an area by the northeast portion of Reservation 1. He said the watch towers there were spaced farthest apart. Several blind spots in that area also made it hard for the guards to see.

  Outside, the storm grew. We all jumped into the SUV. Already, the streets were slippery even though only an inch of snow lay on the ground. If Mitch hadn’t driven his SUV, I was pretty sure we wouldn’t have made it over the bridge.

  “This is a really bad idea, Meg.” Amy peered into the darkness out her window. “Like a super bad idea and quite possibly the worst idea anyone’s come up with this year.”

  I sat beside her, bundled in snow pants, a thick winter jacket, a scarf, hat, mittens, and ski goggles. Apparently, the former residents in one home had been avid skiers. We’d had a dozen goggles to choose from.

  “I’ll be fine. Trust me, with how warm I’m feeling, I’ll most definitely not freeze to death.”

  Ian wore similar gear. He sat in the front beside Mitch. Charlie and Sharon occupied the seats in the very back. The tension that oozed from everybody made my head spin.

  Ahead of us, a dark mound rose in the night. Mitch slowed the vehicle and assessed the road. “We need to crest that hill. It’ll be hard with how slippery it is.”

  Various dirt roads crisscrossed around the reservation. So far, we’d driven about a mile down one. Cash told us these roads had been made during the fences’ resurrection. They’d also been used by the heavy machinery that installed the wind turbines. In other words, they were no longer used so weren’t maintained.

  “Here goes nothing.” Mitch gunned the accelerator, and the tires spun.

  The road was muddy under the snow. The tires spun wildly as Mitch tried to force the vehicle up the steep hill. We were about halfway up when we began sliding backward.

  “Oh shit!” Charlie grabbed the handle above him attached to the ceiling.

  Sharon squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

  We slid all the way to the bottom of the hill, the brakes pumping rhythmically as Mitch applied them. When we rolled to a stop, I was relieved that we were still on the road and not in the ditch.

  Amy’s face paled, and her green eyes grew wide. “What was I saying about stupidest idea this year? Make that the stupidest idea this decade.”

  “Do you think we can make it up this hill, or should we walk from here?” I leaned forward.

  Snow danced in front of the windshield. A blizzard was definitely forming.

  “I’ll give it another try.” Mitch reversed and backed the SUV up.

  Ian turned in the front seat to see me better. “Meghan, if we can’t climb this hill and get closer to the fence, we’ll have to abandon this plan. I know you want to find your friends, but we’re still twelve miles from the perimeter and then another three miles to town. That’s too far. We can’t walk that kind of distance in this weather.”

  A sharp reply almost rolled off my tongue. I didn’t want to wait for another opportunity. It was possible another one would never come, but I kept my mouth shut as my brain kicked in.

  Ian was right. We couldn’t walk that far. Even if the blizzard didn’t kill us, the amount of time it would take to walk that distance in, find the Kazzies, and then walk that distance out . . . It would take too long. It simply wasn’t feasible.

  “Then let’s hope we get up this hill.” My shoulders tensed as Mitch gunned the vehicle again.

  The tires spun wildly, but we didn’t move.

  Charlie groaned. “We’re stuck!”

  Amy unclicked her seatbelt. “Okay. This is where we all get out and push.”

  Before any of us could respond, she opened her door and was out of the vehicle. Fierce wind blew into the cab. Ian cocked his head. “She’s right. Let’s go.”

  The four of us clambered out of the SUV and joined Amy in the biting cold. Snow flew everywhere.

  Lining up behind the tailgate, the five of us placed our hands against it.

  “On the count of three!” Amy yelled.

  We stood shoulder to shoulder. Sharon’s auburn hair whipped in the wind from under her cap.

  “One! Two! Three!” Amy yelled.

  Mitch gunned the engine as we all dug our feet into the ground and pushed. With a spin of tires, the SUV slowly moved forward.

  After pushing, cursing, grunting, and some more cursing, we managed to push the SUV up the hill inch by inch. When we finally crested it, Sharon slumped against the back and eyed the dark sky. I could tell she was concerned about the growing storm.

  I squeezed her hand.

  With worried-looking eyes, she just nodded.

  Splattered with snow and mud, all of us piled back inside. Leaning forward, I nudged Mitch. “How does the road look ahead?”

  “Not much better than the road behind us,” he said grimly.

  “Can we keep moving?” I lifted my goggles higher on my forehead. “The road will only become more slippery. I’m worried about you all getting back.”

  “You have a point. If we all freeze to death in a ditch out here, Meghan, I’m never going to forgive you.” Charlie rubbed his hands together and blew his breath onto them. The temperature had dropped even more.

  I grimaced. “You know what? You’re right. It’s not fair to keep moving forward unless everyone is okay with it. I don’t want any of you getting hurt.”

  “It’s okay, really. I was mostly kidding.” Charlie patted my shoulder from behind. “But seriously, I’m never talking to you again if I die.”

  I swung around to see Sharon better. “Are you okay with this? And Amy?” I met my co-worker’s gaze.

  “Keep driving, Mitchy.” Amy tightened her seatbelt. “We didn’t just push our way up this hill for nothing.”

  “I agree,” Sharon added. “I’d like to know about Davin. Besides, if we get stuck out here, we can all walk to Cash’s farm. With any luck, we could sneak into the barn and spend the night without
his parents being any the wiser.”

  Sharon’s words took me completely by surprise. Cash was a teenager. We were six adults. It didn’t seem entirely ethical to be asking him for that kind of help. But then I saw the burning desperation in her eyes. She needed to know what was happening to Davin as much as I did.

  I leaned back in my seat. “Okay. Keep driving, Mitch.”

  IT TOOK ANOTHER thirty minutes of navigating carefully on the slippery, muddy road to reach the area that Cash described. The land here was filled with dips and valleys.

  The distant perimeter fence wasn’t visible through the falling snow, which meant we couldn’t see the watch towers when Mitch stopped. We hoped that meant the guards couldn’t see us either.

  “Remind me again that we won’t regret this.” Amy squeezed my hand.

  Her hand felt tiny in my bulky mittens. I squeezed her as reassuringly as I could. “We’ll be fine.”

  We made plans to reconvene in four hours. It was agreed with the snow coming down like it was that Mitch, Charlie, Amy, and Sharon wouldn’t wait for us here. In the open prairie, it would only increase the chances of them becoming stranded.

  “Does anyone know how much snow is forecasted?” Charlie checked his cell phone again. A few radar apps had recently become available. With the country’s economy slowly churning, more and more things like that were emerging, but those apps weren’t reliable. Sometimes they didn’t work at all.

  “Any news?” Amy peered over his shoulder.

  Charlie muttered a sound of disgust as wind rocked the vehicle. “Nope. Still not working.”

  “Text us when you’re in. We’ll keep an eye on your location.” Amy also pulled out her phone.

  We’d all shared our info so we could track each other. It was the best we could do with the limited technology we had.

  “I’ll let you know right away if a pickup isn’t possible.” Mitch leaned forward to peer out the windshield. “With how it’s looking, I’m guessing we won’t make it back, but we’ll try.”

  Sharon grabbed my hand. “Do you have Cash’s house programmed into your GPS in case we can’t return?”

  “Yes.”

  Ian also held up his phone. “I’ve got it too. If you can’t drive back, we’ll go there.”

  I bit my lip. All of my friends seemed tensed and worried about scheduling our pickup.

  I sighed. “Let’s just change our plans right now. I don’t want any of you getting stuck out here.” I glanced at Ian to see if he was going to object, but he just watched me so I continued. “Ian and I are as prepared as we can be regarding the incoming weather. It’s only half a mile to the fence and then another three miles to town. We’ll hike to town, try to find Davin and everyone else, and regardless of whether or not we succeed, we’ll plan on retreating to Cash’s house for the night. We can meet up tomorrow or the next day. Whatever the weather allows.”

  Amy bit her fingernails. “Are you sure you can make it that far?”

  I checked Ian’s and my backpacks to ensure we had everything we needed to survive the next few days. “Yes. It’s only another mile north of here to Cash’s farm. It’s a lot of walking, but Ian and I are both in good shape. We’ll make it.”

  There was a lot of truth to that. I ran regularly. Running five to ten miles at a time was my usual routine. Ian also worked out, and both of us were young and healthy. We’d make it regardless of the snow.

  “Are you sure Cash is okay with us coming to his house if need be?” I unzipped the top of my jacket. It was getting so warm.

  Sharon nodded. “I just text him, and he replied immediately. He said he’ll open the back barn door a crack and will leave a light on. He said to sneak in on the south side. Blankets and pillows will be waiting.”

  “Sleeping in a barn during a blizzard.” Mitch shook his head. “Meghan, you’re nuts.”

  “Back to the camping aversion?” Amy tried to joke, but it fell flat.

  Mitch frowned heavily. I could tell he was worried.

  I zipped my jacket back up and reached for the door handle. “Okay, Ian. Are you ready?”

  Ian put his goggles on. Between that and his scarf, all of the skin on his face was entirely covered. “Let’s go.”

  “Bye, guys. Drive safely back to Mobridge.” I hugged Sharon awkwardly over the seat, simply because I knew she’d want me too.

  When we stepped out of the vehicle, cold winter wind swept across the prairie. It was beautiful in a deathly, alienating sort of way.

  Amy’s teeth chattered as the wind whipped into the cab. “I have a feeling we won’t see you until the day after tomorrow, so whatever you do, stay safe, and stay alive.

  “We will.”

  Ian and I said our goodbyes and slammed the car doors. The sound was muffled in the blowing wind. I pulled out my GPS as Mitch did a U-turn.

  The two of us hefted our packs onto our backs. Inside of them were bolt cutters, snacks, water, a few old sleeping bags, an emergency blanket, headlamps, fire starters, and other supplies. Barely enough to keep us alive if we fell into an emergency situation, but it was the best we could scrounge up in the time we’d had.

  The SUV’s taillights soon disappeared into the darkness. All that was left was nightime and falling snow.

  I took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

  Ian and I set out across the dark prairie as snow fell all around. My heart rate increased as our friends began the slow and treacherous drive back to Mobridge. I hope they make it.

  “Stay close.” Ian walked right at my side.

  “Same to you.” I was glad to have him along. Even though I would have done this alone, I hadn’t wanted to. A part of me was frightened, but the other part knew I couldn’t wait any longer.

  I needed to know what was happening to my friends. To Davin. And I needed to find Sara. It was the only way to truly know what was occurring on the reservation.

  Our footsteps crunched into the snowy, frozen grass, as the wind whipped through the hills. We hiked in a steady fast pace toward the fence. There were only two inches of snow on the ground, so it was still easy walking.

  “Do you really think we’ll get in?” Ian’s voice was muffled behind his scarf.

  I shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”

  12 – BREAK-IN

  Steady exhales puffed through our scarfs as we hiked across the prairie. I felt thankful that Ian was in good shape. I’d set a fast, vigorous pace, and he easily kept up.

  The wind howled around us. Snow flew everywhere. Our visibility was next to none. We hadn’t pulled the headlights out since we didn’t want any light indicating our presence. Not that the guards could see it through the storm, but still, we weren’t taking any chances.

  “Do you know what kind of technology they have? Any ideas of how they keep the perimeter secured?” Ian’s voice rang through the wind.

  “No. I have no idea.”

  I’d been wondering that myself. We were only a half mile away from the fence and had no idea what to expect. For all we knew, the bolt cutters wouldn’t cut through the fence. Or they’d have dogs patrolling certain areas. Or worse, they’d have thermal-imaging technology, so it didn’t matter what we did—we wouldn’t be able to hide.

  Since the Makanza Research and Response Agency was military, it was possible they’d have the latest high-tech equipment securing the perimeter. I only hoped they didn’t. The reservation wasn’t an actual prison. It was more to keep the public separated from the Kazzies, but if Kazzies had tried to escape or thrill seekers from the public had tried to break-in . . . Well, that could be bad news for us.

  The only silver lining was that nothing had been reported on America News Network regarding break-ins at Reservation 1. Most people avoided the reservation, not the other way around. Fear still covered our country like an oil spill coating a beach. No matter how many times we’d tried to clean up that fear, traces of it still lingered.

  “So if we get in—”

  “You mea
n after we get in,” I corrected.

  “Okay, after we get in, we’ll need to move quickly. I’m still concerned about reaching their houses. If they’re still locked inside at night, like they were when you first visited, it may be hard to speak to them.”

  If I find Sara, doors and windows won’t matter.

  But I couldn’t tell Ian that.

  “We’ll find a way to break-in to their houses if need be.” I did my best to reassure him as I pictured Sara. Her blue skin, shiny straight blond hair, sparkling topaz eyes, and a lithe dancer-like build. She’d been like a sister to me. I’d loved her like one too. I still did. And while more than anything, I wanted to see Davin, the Kazzie I most needed to find was Sara.

  If we established the mental link again, I’d have access to what was transpiring inside the reservation through her. I still kicked myself daily that I’d broken that connection on that horrible day.

  Pain shot through me at the memory of the deal I’d made with Dr. Roberts. I’d promised to stay away if he promised to not drug the Kazzies.

  It was such a stupid deal. I should have known that he’d find a way around it. I’d been so naïve. So foolish. I’d actually thought, while I’d been in Sioux Falls going about my daily work for the past few months, that Dr. Roberts had not been harming my friends. Instead, he’d cultivated his own agenda.

  The only comfort I took was knowing the Kazzies hadn’t been abused the entire time. Sharon had seen and spoken to Davin up until a few weeks ago. It sounded as if everything had been going all right initially or so Davin claimed.

  My footstep faltered as a new thought struck me. I quickly righted myself and trudged up a hill, not slowing despite the steep incline.

  Davin was an expert at keeping upsetting details from his mother. When they’d written letters to one another, before Dr. Roberts was appointed head of all research in Compound 26, Davin had made his life seem peaceful and fine. It was anything but. Even then, the Kazzies had been subjected to tests and experiments against their consent.

  But Davin hadn’t wanted his mother knowing that.