by T. R. Graves
Jayden smiled. "It took me a little time this morning, but I was able to find a few newly created bird and duck nests. These are the duck eggs."
Jayden was proud of himself, and there was no reason for me to keep tearing him down. The hike had cooled my temper.
"They're great. You did good."
"Listen…" Jayden looked over his shoulder and checked on Tawney and Gran the way I had seconds before. "Today's trip is going to go pretty slow. The earlier rain made the forest's floor slippery. There's no sense pushing them any harder than necessary. We'll only wear them down and make the trip harder than it has to be."
Instantly, I regretted leading at such a fast pace. "Oh. You're right. I'll slow down. Neither one of them should be out here doing what we're doing," I complained.
"It is what it is, but I'd appreciate it if you'd take it just a little slower. I planned on walking for about another two hours, take a break, and walk until it's nearly dark. Are you good with that?" Jayden asked.
This was the first time he'd ever asked my opinion, the first time he acted as though my thoughts mattered at all to him. He was treating me like a peer and not one of his charges. It made me feel good.
"Yeah. I think that's a great idea, Jayden. I'll do my part. I promise," I said.
Jayden smiled, "I know."
Then he slowed down until he was the one walking behind our caravan, keeping an eye on us, and protecting us from anyone who might come up from behind.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. We walked. It rained. We stopped. It rained. We stopped and ate the boar jerky Jayden made from last night's leftover meat. Finally and to everyone's relief, we stopped for the night.
By that time, Tawney and Gran were so exhausted they could barely put one foot in front of the other. Like the night before, my energy was unlimited. I was sure I had the MicroPharm to thank. I was equally sure that Tawney's illness was preventing her from experiencing the same benefits.
After helping her remove her backpack, I pulled Tawney to the side and said, "I'm going to help Jayden get the camp set up. You keep Gran company. The last thing I need right now is for him to feel like he needs to help. It'll go faster with just Jayden and me."
As testament to how tired she was, she nodded, turned, and dropped down next to our great-grandfather without any sort of argument at all. I was sure she'd be asleep before her tent was up and ready, which was why I decided to work on hers first.
Jayden must have known the same thing. Rather than wait for camp to be set up, he pulled from his pack bottles of water and more of the jerky. Then he gave healthy portions of the meat to both Tawney and Gran before offering me my own ration.
Waving the food away, I shook my head. "Not now. I have things to do first. You eat with them. I'll eat while I'm on guard duty later."
Jayden ignored my orders that he eat. He put up the meat and followed me over to where the tents were going to be set up. Ten minutes later, sleeping quarters were erected, and I was leading Gran to his tent and Jayden was carrying Tawney to hers. She didn't awaken, but she did nestle into his chest and hum contentedly.
Even in her sleep, her love for Jayden was obvious. Jayden cleared his throat uncomfortably before glancing my way to see if I'd noticed. I talked to Gran and pretended to have been oblivious.
Gran, a man of few words and one who'd barely said anything all day, looked at me and asked, "Are we making good time, Carlie? She won't be able to last any more than five days. We can't be delayed at all. Not if we want to get there with enough time to make her comfortable and let her pass peacefully."
Gran wasn't an emotional man. He was a man of science, a man who understood the physiology behind life and death. His love for us was the kind that didn't need to be talked to death. He'd been with us my whole life, and there wasn't a day when I didn't remember him being there for me.
It was almost as if he'd been appointed as the guardian angel no one would ever expect because he was so quiet, approachable, and unassuming. No one would ever imagine him risking his life for Tawney or me, but I knew he would without giving it the first thought.
I kissed him on his soft cheek and said, "We'll make it, Gran."
Putting way more faith in me than I was putting in myself, he patted my arm and said, "I know, little one. I know."
While Jayden got Tawney tucked in, I found the tree closest to his tent, leaned against it, and sank down to the ground. I may have ignored Jayden's orders last night, but I was prepared to do what was asked of me tonight.
Minutes later, Jayden was sitting next to me and offering me the jerky I'd refused earlier.
"Eat," he demanded.
My instincts were to do anything but what he ordered me to do. The problem was I just didn't have the wherewithal to do anything but take the meat from him and chew.
"We're making good time," he explained after we'd eaten and drunk our fill.
"Yeah. According to Gran, we don't have a day to spare. Let's keep up the same pace tomorrow. Okay?" I asked.
Jayden nodded. "We'll keep going like this as long as we can."
Before the words left his mouth, the sky opened up. The rain that had been drizzling all day was coming down in sheets and drenching us.
Jayden grabbed my hand and pulled me into his tent with him. His was a little larger than mine. In fact, it was big enough for two people, and I was instantly jealous.
"Good lord, Jayden. Your tent is way roomier than mine," I said, studying it and making a mental note of all the things Jayden prized enough to keep with him even while surviving.
I couldn't have been more surprised when I saw he had a Bible next to his sleeping bag. My stare bounced his way the instant I saw it.
"You read the Bible?"
He shrugged. Without asking for his permission, I dove toward the extremely worn and dog-eared book. Jayden was quicker than me, but I was closer, meaning his attempts at grabbing the book before I had a chance fell flat.
Giggling, I had it in hand and tucked underneath my T-shirt before he could stop me.
"You think I wouldn't go in after that if I truly wanted it?" he asked, bobbing his head toward the Bible's hiding place.
My shoulders bounced. "Maybe, but I don't understand why you care. Lots of people read the Bible. They're not ashamed of it."
"I'm not ashamed. I just don't trust that you won't make fun of me about it," he said, and something about that hurt me.
Feeling guilty that I'd behaved in such a way in my life that Jayden questioned my integrity, I gulped, pulled the Bible from under my shirt, and handed it to him.
"I'll take first shift," I mumbled as I moved toward the door of the tent, deciding soaking in the rain would be better than sitting in a dry tent with someone who didn't even trust me.
Jayden grabbed my arm. "There's no reason for you to be out there in the rain."
"I'll be fine. Get some rest," I said, trying to pull my arm away from his grip.
"No. No, you won't, and you'll probably end up with pneumonia so bad the MicroPharm won't be able to cure you. You getting sick could cost us a day," he said.
Like Jayden, I knew none of us could do anything that might put this trip at risk.
"I'll go to my tent, then."
Again, I tried to scoot away from him and toward the door, but he didn't let go.
"You need to stay right here. I'll sleep for an hour or so. Then you can sleep the rest of the night. If you go to your tent, I'll have to go out in the rain to switch out with you. This way… no one gets any wetter than necessary."
"Whatever," I said, turning my back on Jayden and sitting as close to the door as possible. The thunder, lightning, and pouring rain kept me from seeing anything more than six inches out, but I sat studying the area like I could see for miles.
"Genesis 1:1, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," Jayden began, and his words were those of a man praying rather than a man reading, a man reminding himself that there is something mor
e to the universe than that we've seen.
Shocked that he was sharing something that was obviously so personal to him—his spiritual journey—I turned my head and looked over my shoulder at the only man in the world with the power to really hurt me, a power no one else possessed.
Timid as he allowed me a glimpse into his deepest secret, Jayden's brows were furrowed and he was biting his lip.
"The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters…" He continued.
I'd never read the Bible so I wasn't sure how far along he was when he stopped. I do know he read until a giant yawn interrupted him. His words and the melody of his voice were so soothing and comforting that I missed them the moment he closed the book for the night.
"That was nice. Thanks," I said.
"I was enjoying it myself. I'd keep going if I weren't so tired," he said, turning off his solar light.
"Good night, Jayden," I mumbled, listening as he situated himself on top of his sleeping bag.
After he finished squirming, he was a lot closer to me than was necessary, and his face was at the end of the tent where I sat. It may have been my imagination, but it seemed like I could feel his breath on my back where my shirt had ridden up above my jeans. It made chills shoot from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
A few minutes later, his breathing was the long, deep kind that signified sleep. At least, I assumed he was asleep until he murmured, "Carlie…."
I twisted around and was about to ask Jayden what he needed when he said, "Don't leave. Don't leave me again."
There was a sob with his words and a desperation that scared me. I wanted to know what he'd been going through. For the millionth time, I wondered why he hadn't come with us.
His breathing was ragged. Between it and his periodic moans, I decided to wake him. Not so he could take over for me, but so he could be freed from the nightmare that was affecting him so terribly.
I stretched out next to him and was about to whisper his name—wake him—when he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest. It was only then that Jayden's breathing smoothed out and his moans turned into a quiet contented hum. Since my only goal had been that of pulling him out of his dream so he could rest, I decided not to say anything.
It won't hurt me one bit to let him use me as his pillow until it's time for him to take over guard duty.
That was what I planned to do. That was what I'd assumed I'd do. That was not what I did. At some point, my eyes started bobbing. I knew I was tired, but I thought I could hold out a few more minutes. I wanted Jayden to get as much sleep as possible.
The next thing I knew, I was tucked deep into his chest, listening to the thunder and catching the periodic flashes of lightning and… eventually sleeping.
* * *
I didn't awaken until the arms holding me close and keeping me safe were snatched out from around me.
"What the hell, Carlie?" Jayden asked.
The door to his tent was open and there was no mistaking the sun rising up over the horizon.
I jerked up with as much surprise as Jayden so clearly had.
"I-I must have fallen asleep. Oh my God! I can't believe I did that," I groaned.
"Me either," Jayden barked, crawling out of the tent.
He was disappointed and angry that I'd let him down.
I followed him. I could tell by the stiffness of his back and the grip of his fists that he'd been met by something unexpected. As quick as a flash, I was standing next to him and preparing to fight anyone who'd invaded our camp while we slept.
There was no amount of preparation that could have readied me for what we found, who we found sitting next to the very tree we'd huddled up next to before the rain.
Gran.
He was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and looking like he'd been waiting for hours for us to get up.
In unison, Jayden and I both asked, "Where's Tawney?"
Chapter 12
From Dreams to Reality
Carlie
Gran put his fingers to his lips. "She was still asleep," he said, insinuating that our big mouths might have awakened her.
Jayden's face and neck were as red as my cheeks as Gran leveled a knowing stare on the two of us.
"I'm sorry, sir. I fell asleep," he confessed.
I stepped around him and toward Gran. "That's not true. Jayden would never do anything like that. This is all my fault. Last night when it began raining the worst, we took refuge in his tent because it was the biggest one. He only agreed to go to sleep if I stood watch… which is exactly what I was supposed to be doing.
"At some point, I-I fell asleep. I'm the one who fell down on the job. Not Jayden," I confessed.
Gran's head bobbed. "Not to worry, little one. I've been watching over the camp. The two of you have been doing too much, carrying too much of the weight, expecting too much of yourselves. The best advice I can give is to set realistic expectations of yourselves and each other. While the safe house is the end of the journey for Tawney and me… for now, it is just the beginning for the two of you. I'll tell you more about what I know once we arrive. Right now, you need to know that we'll soon be separated."
One glance Jayden's way told me this was as much news to him as it was to me.
"Gran, we're not leaving either of you. We've already had to separate from Mom and Dad. We aren't going to separate our family any more than that," I said, only barely keeping my voice down.
Patient as ever, Gran smiled. "I understand, little one, but this is something you must do. Tawney and I have our own journey, one that must be taken. After we're at the safe house, the two of you will continue on. There'll be people who'll pick you up and take you down the path you're destined to follow. It's not one Selma or Sam knows about. At least, they don't know yet. In fact, I'm only just learning of these plans myself."
This time Jayden intervened. "Sir, I'm taking all of you to the safe house just like I was ordered to do. From there, I'm going to wait for additional orders. No one'll leave that safe house until Sam approves it."
"Surrogate, I know Barone. I've seen his work in action. He's notorious for preying on my kindhearted granddaughter's emotions and my grandson-in-law's soldier loyalty. Barone tells your mother what she wants to hear, gets her to do things she'd never do otherwise, and then uses her hard work to send our nation deeper into the bowels of hell than we've already traveled."
Bobbing his forehead my way, he continued. "Selma thinks Barone will leave Carlie alone if she resumes her work in his labs. Sam thinks he'll honor his word. The fact is… Barone'll never leave Carlie alone. He has plans for her. Experiments he can't perform with anyone else or on anyone else."
Jayden shook his head and closed his eyes as if it were up to him to enlighten my grandfather. "Sir, neither Sam nor Selma would let him do that. If they aren't around, I'll prevent it."
"You'll prevent it." Gran laughed. "You… a Surrogate. The only person a Surrogate has power over is a Genetic Anomaly. If Barone doesn't kill you first, he'll have you chained, shackled, and prisoned. You won't be able to stop him or his plans for my great granddaughter. No one will if you don't do what I tell you to do."
Neither Jayden nor I had ever seen this side of my great-grandfather. He was unusually cruel in the way he spoke to Jayden and completely determined that we hear his message.
"She's the original MicroPharm first generation and the only person alive whose life expectancy will top two hundred years. Carlie, in Barone's eyes, is the modern day Eve, the woman from which all future generations will be bred.
"You have to understand that he's been quoted as a man searching for someone with the genes that will allow him to make this a nation of eternal youth, absolute strength, superior intelligence, and unfathomable riches.
"The genes that will give Carlie a long life are those that will help him create the eternal youth component of his ideal race. If he ha
s his way, he'll combine her single egg with the sperm of at least one man (possibly two or three) in order to create the first of what will become his new army of Dominant Soldiers."
Jayden had had enough and rolled his eyes. "Sir, Dominant Soldiers are a myth told to Surrogates so they will strive to be the best they can be, with rules so difficult that no Surrogate Soldier has ever been anointed one."
There was a longing in Jayden's eyes that made me think he'd been chasing his dream of becoming a Dominant the way others chase the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Something about the station would do more than give him a leg up on other Surrogates.
Gran chuckled. "Oh there used to be a cult of Dominant Soldiers. Make no mistake about that. Their station was so secretive that only a handful of people in the world knew they existed and even fewer actually know who the Dominant Soldiers' members were. Several years ago, every last one of them was hunted down and killed for no reason other than Barone decided they weren't perfect enough to be called Dominants."
"All of this sounds so crazy. I've never heard of a Dominant, and even if I had, why would the president murder them in cold blood?" I asked quietly.
Jayden was having as much trouble as me believing Gran, and like me, it wasn't because he thought Gran was lying. He'd spent enough of his life with Gran to know better than that. Gran didn't lie. Jayden shook his head.
"They symbolize the unattainable state of perfection that Surrogates have been ordered to achieve. In our trainings, we've been told if we want to be Dominant Soldiers, we can never have relations. The teachings state that the sacrifice of celibacy is a sign to the world that the position within our nation's leadership means more to us than our wants, needs, and desires.
"We have to surrender ourselves to a state of being dominated. Our president our ultimate master. The name is not about what we will be, but rather what our president will be to us. When orders are given, we must act without hesitation, without moral dilemma, without concern for the ramifications, and without fear over our health and safety."