The City Center (The New Agenda Series Book 1)

by Simone Pond

  “You must think I’m stupid.” He shoved the gun deeper into her back. No, she thought, you’re a smart and calculating man, but also dangerous.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Just keep your mouth shut and keep walking.”

  Ava took careful steps—any quick movements could set him off. Her thoughts raced with scenarios. She could drop to the ground and kick him in the knees. Or maybe elbow him in the jaw. She just needed a few seconds to run into the forest and hide. But what if she wasn’t fast enough? Or what if the alcohol had numbed his senses—it wouldn’t matter how hard she hit him. It was too risky. She took deep breaths and refocused her attention on each step. The damp grass crunched under her bare feet as they walked along the edge of the forest. She reasoned if he wanted her dead, he would have already killed her. He needed her alive for the handoff to Morray in the morning. David stopped to sip from the flask—she hoped whatever was in it would slow him down enough so she could escape.

  “I know what you’re thinking and remember, it’s not just your life, it’s Joseph’s. And the people in the village.”

  Ava turned around and faced him. “I don’t care if you kill me, but stay away from Joseph, and the others.”

  “Ha! You don’t tell me what to do. You’re my prisoner. That’s all you were ever meant to be. A prisoner.”

  “At least I’m not a traitor to my people.”

  David grabbed her throat and pressed her against a tree. “You’re calling me a traitor? You’re the one out here with us—the enemy. Is that because you care so much about your people?” His face contorted, trying to fight back an urge, but he caved in and began kissing and groping Ava. The moment of weakness she needed. She shoved him to the ground and ran toward the woods. David scrambled behind her and somehow caught up. He tackled her to the ground and straddled her. She tried to wriggle free, but he had her pinned tight. There was no way out.

  “I could have you right here. Turn you into damaged goods.”

  “Get off!” Ava kicked and squirmed under his weight.

  He held her wrists down and kissed her again. “What would Joseph say now?”

  “Leave him out of this.”

  “That’s right, you don’t belong to Joseph. You belong to Morray.”

  “I don’t belong to anyone! Get off of me. You’re hurting me.” She rammed her knees into his back. He winced and rolled off to the side. She kicked him in the groin and he fell backwards. She ran down the dirt path, but in the darkness she tripped over a tree root and tumbled to the ground. David caught up and pressed the gun into her face.

  “Get up,” he ordered.

  “I’m sorry. I won’t do that again. I promise. Just don’t hurt anyone.”

  David smirked. He took the butt of the gun and cracked it against her forehead. Blackness seeped over and she slumped to the ground.

  *

  Ava awoke to a throbbing in her forehead. She tried to sit up, but her wrists and ankles were chained to the metal frame of a cot. She was in a small room that looked like the bunker back at checkpoint one, only empty. David sat passed out on the floor in the corner. The front of her dress was stained with blood from the gash on her forehead. She must have been there a while because it was almost dry. She rattled her wrists against the metal frame, testing the strength of the cuffs, while looking around for something to unlock them. There seemed little possibility of breaking free.

  “It’s no use. You’re never getting out of that.” David used the wall to stand up.

  “I need to relieve myself.”

  “So do it.”

  “I can’t do it here.” Ava yanked her arms. The cuffs cut into her wrists.

  “What would the mighty Morray think about his precious Queen now?”

  “I’m not Queen.”

  “Whatever.” David tipped back his flask—nothing came out. He frowned and threw it to the floor.

  “Please let me out of these chains. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I’m gonna get more booze. But yeah, you’re right, you’re not going anywhere.” He stumbled toward the door and looked back one more time. “It’s over, Ava.”

  She studied the metal frame considering the possible escape strategies. Maybe she could maneuver the cuff down the side and somehow lift the cot, but with her legs also bound that would be impossible. The cuffs around her wrists were so tight the skin was raw and bleeding. She’d never be able to get her hands free. The ankle cuffs were looser, giving her more room to work with. If she could free her feet, she’d have more leverage. She tried pointing her right foot with precision, but after the trek through the tunnel her muscles were still tight and knotted. She needed to warm them up. She rolled her feet in tiny circles the way she’d do for ballet warm-ups. She pointed again, but she still couldn’t reach a full point. She remembered the night at the cantina, when the old man spoke words to someone who was watching over them. Ava figured if his words gave hope to a group of people about to go into battle, maybe similar words could help her now.

  “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what to say… I need help.”

  She waited, but nothing happened. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on relaxing her muscles. She pointed her right foot again and tried pulling it through the cuff, but the metal scraped against her ankle ripping off a chunk of skin. Pain scorched every nerve in her leg. After a few deep breaths she tried again. She pointed and flexed until her foot was narrow enough and pulled it through the cuff. She collapsed, out of breath, and waited for the stabbing pain to ease. A mixture of blood and sweat dripped into her eyes. She blinked until her vision was clear and began to work on her left ankle—glancing at the door in case David returned. A sharp pain shot through her calf muscle. She waited a few seconds until the cramping stopped before trying again.

  “Just breathe through it.” Using every bit of strength she pointed her left foot until there was enough space to pull it through the cuff. “Thank you,” she sighed in relief.

  She waited for her muscles to recover before making her next move. She searched the floor again—David’s empty flask was the only thing on the ground. She’d have to use her body strength to finish the job. She lifted her legs up and folded in half catching the balls of her feet under the cross beam of the metal frame above her head. She pressed her feet upwards against the bar. It didn’t budge. She pressed again also using her hands. She felt a slight movement. She continued thrusting upward. The corner of the frame above her right hand started to split apart. She pushed harder. With one final blow she knocked the right side of the frame loose and dragged her wrists along the bar until they reached the small opening where she was able to slide them through. She rolled off the bed and landed on the dirt floor. She went to the door and pressed her ear against it. Dead silence. She cracked it open and peeked outside. The black forest spread out before her and millions of twinkling stars filled the sky. She edged out of the bunker and scanned the area. David was nowhere in sight. She ran toward the shadowy forest—barefoot, caked in blood, dirt and sweat, and the cuffs dangling from her wrists. But she was free.

  The Slip

  “Wake up!” A voice came from the tattered 2D monitor next to David’s head. He had passed out on the desk with a half-empty bottle of Scotch still clasped in his hand.

  He sat up, rubbing his eyes, trying to focus. “I’m up. I’m up.”

  “You’re drunk. I give you the most important assignment of your entire career and look at you.” Morray’s face filled the screen, his slate gray eyes glaring.

  “Everything is fine. Nobody’s getting to your precious Ava Rhodes. Don’t you worry.” David lit up a cigarette and rubbed his temples.

  “I hope you didn’t injure Miss Rhodes.”

  “She might have a bump on her forehead.” David poured himself a drink.

  “Why can’t you follow simple instructions? I told you I wanted her in perfect condition.”

  “She’s a pain in the ass, that one.” David took
a drag off the cigarette. “But a fine specimen, indeed. I can see why you want her back so badly.”

  “I want her back because she belongs to me.”

  “Don’t you mean one of your elites?”

  “They belong to me, too. It’s all the same. You should know that by now, David.”

  “All too well,” David blew smoke toward the monitor and sipped his drink.

  “I need you to focus. I’m sending some men to pick her up in the morning. She’s had her fun for a few days, now it’s time to get her back to the Center and cleaned up in time for Graduation Day.”

  David zoned out and stared off into the distance. “Yeah, yeah. Graduation Day.”

  “I need confirmation that you have your men in position.”

  “Yeah, they’re in position.”

  “What about the troublemaker, the one she escaped with? What’s his name?”

  “Joseph. The beloved Joseph. He’s out on the front line where I told you he’d be. So what happens if everything goes as planned and you kill the men and destroy the villages?”

  “You will be greatly rewarded,” Morray said.

  “Oh, you mean like getting me out of this filth?”

  “Not yet. I need you out there, David.”

  “It’s been years, Morray. I don’t have much left to motivate me.” He swirled his drink.

  “You know I’ll supply you with whatever you want. All you have to do is request.”

  “How about a good-looking woman who doesn’t have dirt under her nails?”

  “Too risky to send one of my women to you. She’d stand out. I can do a search in the other villages. There’s bound to be someone out there to meet your tastes.”

  “Well, I do have Miss Rhodes here one more night. I could always test out the merchandise.”

  “If you touch Miss Rhodes, in that way, I can guarantee you’ll be shipped to Ret-Hav and used as a lab rat for the rest of your life. A fate much worse than death.”

  “I’m tired, Morray. Tired of all of it. I want my life back.”

  “And you will. One of these days.”

  “So what’s the plan? I give you the location and your Officers pick her up and bring her back to the City Center?”

  “Correct.”

  “What time is this supposed to happen?”

  “0700.”

  “So am I supposed to keep driving out to the bunker the rest of the night?”

  “She’s not with you?” Morray sat up and leaned closer to the monitor.

  “No, I have her tucked away in a secret bunker.”

  “She’s alone? You left her alone?”

  “Trust me, she’s not going anywhere. All four of her limbs are cuffed.”

  “Unbelievable.” Morray shook his head.

  “What? You think she can escape? Impossible.”

  “She’s probably already a mile into the forest by now.”

  “Not possible.”

  “Go see for yourself. And if she’s gone, you’re spending the rest of the night tracking her down. If anything happens to her, it’s on you.”

  “I think you’re overestimating Miss Rhodes.”

  “Am I? She broke out of my City Center. You better get to her before she gets to any of your men, or before some animal mauls her to death.”

  “There’s no way she escaped.”

  “Just shut up and find her.” Morray ended the video conference.

  David stared at the screen and laughed. “All right, boss.” He shot back the rest of his drink. “There’s no way she got out. No way.”

  He got into his Jeep and swerved down the path toward the bunker. From the distance it looked like the door was ajar. He probably left it open when he went to get more booze. He parked and walked toward the bunker. He looked forward to messing around with Ava while she was chained down. He stepped inside and saw the empty cot—only the ankle cuffs remained. His stomach dropped and bile rushed up his throat.

  “Damn her!” He kicked the cot until the metal frame cracked and collapsed to the dirt floor. He paced around, trying to gather his thoughts. He couldn’t announce this on the wire. The men would question why he had Ava in the first place. Especially Joseph. He could lie, say that she had infiltrated the system and was feeding information to Morray. But Joseph would know that was a lie, wouldn’t he? His best option was getting to her first before she got to any of his men, or killed by an animal.

  “Guess I’m going in.”

  The forest was too dense for his Jeep—he’d have to go on foot. He hated the forest at night. He lit up a torch to help navigate and ward off any animals hunting for prey. How was Ava getting along without any light? She probably wouldn’t make it through the night. If that happened, Morray would track him down and torture him the rest of his life. He needed to hurry up before something happened to her. He searched the ground for her tracks and listened for any signs of her, but only heard the skittering of animals and snapping of branches.

  “Ava!” he shouted through the woods. “You’ll never survive out here. You’re better off surrendering.”

  A rustling came from behind. He guessed she had come to her senses and returned. He turned around; a large coyote honed in on him. He reached for his weapon, but it wasn’t there, it was in the Jeep. He pressed against a tree and held out the torch to scare off the creature.

  “Back off. I’ll burn you, you bastard. I’ll cook you for dinner!” he yelled, waving the torch back and forth.

  The coyote crouched low and snarled, preparing to lunge. David reached up and grabbed a branch with his free hand and pulled himself up. The animal charged forward, biting at his boots. He kicked it off, but it came back stronger. He managed to pull himself up onto a sturdy branch. He held the torch low, keeping the coyote at bay. The animal paced at the bottom of the tree. David hoped it would either get tired or bored. He wouldn’t be able to go back down until it was gone. If he had his gun he would have shot the thing. Now he was stuck in a tree for who knows how long, while Ava was out in the forest alone. He looked at his watch. Six more hours until dawn.

  The Chase

  Ava navigated through the forest, shielding her face from tree branches, hoping her vision would adjust to the darkness. She needed to pick up the pace—David would be trailing her soon enough. She felt like she was in the tunnel again, but now she had metal cuffs cutting into her wrists and weighing down her arms, and the ground was covered with sharp rocks and sticks that mangled her bare feet.

  “Why am I always running off without shoes?”

  She stopped and rested against a tree to catch her breath. Taking off into a dark forest without a plan wasn’t smart—but what was she supposed to do? David was going to turn her over to Morray. She needed to get to Joseph. He’d know what to do. But first she’d have to survive the woods. The forest was alive with strange noises and wild animals—her heart jumped at every movement or sound coming from the trees. She picked up a branch for protection, laughing at the gesture.

  As she moved deeper into the forest, the temperature dropped. The thin cotton dress was useless at keeping her warm. She’d have to find shelter soon, but had no idea which way to go. In the village, the wind came in from the west, but out here it blew from every direction. The mountain range was north, and since she had just run from the mountains, she figured she was probably heading south. If she went to her right, that should be west—toward the ocean and opposite of the City Center. She moved with caution, trying to stay on a direct course. The fallen branches and rocks slowed her down, and the air grew colder and colder. Freezing, exhausted and in pain, she stopped and sank to the ground. She wouldn’t make it through the night. Either an animal would get her, or she’d freeze to death.

  “I don’t know what to do. I’m lost.”

  The wind stopped and the trees became still. Through the thicket the moonlight poured down onto a hilltop ahead. If she could get to the hill, she’d be able to see her surroundings—maybe she wasn’t that far from the vi
llage. This gave her just enough hope to trudge forward. She reached the top of the hill, but saw only trees surrounding her—no sign of the village. Rather than go deeper into the woods, she decided to stop and rest until morning. She found an enclosed cove on the other side of the hill, which would be her shelter. She could make a small fire—the men in the village had used a spinning device to create friction to start their fire. She’d do the same.

  She gathered up a pile of branches and dry leaves. Using the sharp edge of a cuff, she carved a groove into a chunk of bark. She placed some dry grass and twigs onto the bark and twisted a stick into the groove, but it cut into her palms and she lost her grip. She tore off a piece of her dress and wrapped the fabric around her hands, then twisted the stick back and forth. The only heat being generated was in her palms. If she didn’t start a fire, she wouldn’t make it through the night. She picked up the stick and twisted faster and faster. Finally a tiny puff of smoke rose up from the bark. She blew in the direction of the smoke just like the men did to get their fire going. The grass curled into orange strings. It was working. She kept blowing until a tiny flame ignited, then she added a few twigs. The fire crackled to life. She fell back against the rock and watched the flames grow, adding bigger branches until the heat warmed her entire body, then she curled up next to the fire and fell asleep.

  *

  Ava woke up shivering. The fire had smoldered out and the morning dew dampened her skin and dress. She sat up to inspect her wounds. Her wrists were torn and raw from the metal rubbing against her skin. The cuts around her ankles were caked with dry blood and dirt, and the previous injuries to her feet seemed like a joke compared to this new batch. Her muscles felt too short for her limbs and standing up took a few minutes. She did some stretches to warm up her body. She still had to figure out how to get back to the village. The safest bet would be backtracking through the forest toward the bunker—David wouldn’t expect her to return to the scene. From there she’d be able to get back to the village, or maybe another bunker in the foothills where Rebecca would be hiding the women and children. If she could reach one of them, she could get to Joseph.