The Extinction Series | Book 4 | Primordial Earth 4

by Higgins, Baileigh

  Chapter 4

  “Hey, you there. Wake up,” a rough voice sounded. An even harsher hand shook her shoulder until her teeth rattled.

  Rogue’s eyelids fluttered open, but her thoughts were confused. Where was she? And who the hell was shaking her like that?

  She batted at the dim figure that loomed above her with weak hands. Blows the stranger dodged with ease. For some reason, she had little strength in her arms, and her head ached something fierce. She also had trouble seeing. Either her eyes had gone all wonky, or it was dark outside.

  Outside?

  What was she doing outside?

  She should be inside with Seth, Olivia, Moran, and all their friends. Not outside in the dark with a stranger. The whole situation was a mystery, and trying to remember only made her head hurt even more.

  “Come on now. Wake up. We don’t have all night,” the rough voice repeated.

  With a groan, Rogue struggled upright, rubbing her swollen eyes. She blinked at her surroundings as her vision cleared and found herself lying at the foot of a rocky outcrop. Dusk had fallen, and the last light of day was rapidly fading.

  With a rush, her memories returned.

  Rogue gasped, one hand flying to the back of her head. Dried blood matted her hair, and a knot the size of an egg rose from her skull. She must have passed out, and it was a miracle no predators had found her while she was unconscious. It’s probably because of the fire. Everything in the vicinity has fled.

  “Who are you? Where do you come from?” the strange voice from earlier demanded.

  “What?” Rogue stared at the man, becoming acutely aware of her predicament.

  “Who are you?” The stranger studied her with a hostile expression, and he was not alone. Four more figures stood around the small clearing, and none of them looked friendly. Even worse, she recognized their uniforms.

  They belonged to the Watch.

  They’re Prime soldiers, she realized with growing dismay. A group of scouts, most likely, looking for the Exiles, and she was the enemy. Oh crap.

  “Answer me!” the stranger said, standing up. He nudged her with his boot and placed one hand on his knife. “I won’t ask again.”

  “I… I don’t know,” Rogue said, playing dumb. “I think I hit my head.”

  “You hit your head?” he repeated with raised eyebrows.

  “I think so,” Rogue replied, her eyes wide and innocent. “I don’t remember much.”

  “I don’t believe you,” the man said, his voice grim.

  He leaned forward and grabbed a handful of her hair. With no regard for her injuries, he hauled her to her feet. Callused fingers probed the knot on her skull, and Rogue cried out with pain.

  “It hurts. Please, don’t!” she pleaded.

  The stranger let her go, and she stumbled backward on legs turned to jelly. Hot pokers stabbed into her brain, and a surge of nausea caught her off guard. Her stomach spasmed, and she vomited up a puddle of bile. Acid stung her lips, and her eyes watered.

  One of the other men took a few steps forward, his eyes narrowed. “She sure looks hurt, Captain. Maybe she’s telling the truth.”

  “Maybe she is, and maybe she isn’t,” the captain replied. “Either way, she’s coming with us. We need to set up camp before it gets completely dark.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  The captain turned away and walked down a faint trail. He waved over his shoulder. “Bring the girl, Joe, and make sure she doesn’t escape. We need her.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Joe said, taking her by the arm.

  Rogue attempted to pull free, but it was no use. With a secretive look in the tunnels’ direction, she followed the men deeper into the forest. Whatever happened, she couldn’t let the soldiers find the entrance to the Exile’s shelter.

  After ten minutes of steady walking, the captain pointing to a cliff overhang carved into the side of the rocky hill Rogue had climbed that morning. “In there. That should do us for the night.”

  Joe steered her into the small hollow and pushed her to the ground. “Wait there, and don’t try anything.”

  “Fine,” Rogue mumbled, folding her arms around her knees.

  She watched as the soldiers set up camp and built a fire. Though she was a prisoner, she was grateful for the heat and security. She probably wouldn’t have lasted the night on her own, injured as she was. When Joe offered her a canteen of water, she wasted no time slaking her thirst. The liquid was warm and tasteless, but it revived her senses.

  “Thank you,” she said, handing back the canteen.

  “Don’t mention it,” he said, tucking it away.

  Silence fell, and Rogue thought about everything that had happened since that morning. She’d acted like an idiot, going off on her own like that. Seth and the others would be worried sick, and it was all her fault.

  The captain strode over, interrupting her morbid thoughts. He sat down on a fallen log and reached for his backpack. “Eat everyone. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

  Without bothering to reply, the men removed travel rations from their packs. Rogue tried not to look, but her empty stomach cramped at the sight of the food. Folding her legs, she wrapped her arms around her middle and stared into the fire.

  “Here, have this,” the soldier called Joe said, offering her a piece of salted meat.

  Rogue’s head jerked upright, and she stared at his hand with uncertainty. Her mouth watered, and she was about to accept when the captain shook his head. “Nothing for her. No food, nothing. Got that?”

  Joe’s expression tightened, but he pulled his hand back. “Yes, Sir.”

  Swallowing her disappointment, Rogue tried not to let her hatred for the leader show. It was an impossible task, and he soon noticed her baleful glare.

  “Hungry, are you? Scared. Alone. Hurting,” he mused with a sneer. “Well, you’d better toughen up because if you don’t come up with some answers soon, things will go a whole lot worse for you.”

  “I don’t remember anything,” Rogue said.

  “You’re lying,” the captain said, pointing one thick finger at her face. “I can tell.”

  Rogue shook her head. “I’m not.”

  “Don’t take me for a fool, girl. You act all innocent, but I know your type. You’re wilier than a fox.”

  Rogue didn’t reply, and his face grew red.

  The captain shot to his feet and pointed at one of the others. “Peter, you take the first watch. Make sure nothing comes at us.”

  “Yes, Sir,” the soldier reply, disappearing into the darkness like a flash.

  The captain grinned at Rogue, flexing his hands. “It’s time to make you talk.”

  The saliva in Rogue’s mouth dried up as he towered above her, and her muscles tensed in readiness. Joe and the others looked on, their expressions blank. They wouldn’t help her. That much she knew. No one could help her now. She was on her own.

  “For the last time, who are you?” the captain asked.

  “My name is Rogue,” she replied, her voice sticking in her throat.

  “Ah, so you remember,” the captain said.

  “A little,” she admitted with reluctance.

  “Are you an Exile?” he said.

  “I am.”

  “Good. Keep going, and I might spare your life,” he said. “Where are the rest of you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  The captain frowned. “That’s not what I want to hear.”

  “It’s the truth. I got separated from my group when a herd of dinosaurs stampeded,” Rogue explained. “I must have hit my head and passed out. That’s all I remember, I swear.”

  “There, see? You’re lying again,” the captain said. “I can always tell when people lie to me.”

  “I’m not —” Rogue broke off mid-sentence with a garbled scream as the Captain’s boot connected with her ribs.

  She toppled sideways, attempting to curl into a ball. A second kick landed on her hip, and a third hit her in the pit of her stomach. She
tried to ward off the fourth blow with her hands, and one of her fingers snapped with a sickening crunch.

  With a grin of satisfaction, the captain backed away. “Not so tough now, are we?”

  Rogue choked on the saliva that filled her mouth, and a string of drool slipped from her lips. Her nerve-endings felt like they’d been doused with battery acid, and waves of agony washed across her senses. Unable to move or think, she shuddered beneath the onslaught.

  “Are you ready to tell me where your friends are hiding, or shall I continue?” the captain asked.

  Rogue attempted to reply, but her throat wouldn’t work. Her breath hissed in and out of her lungs, and her eyes stung with bitter tears. Her gaze locked onto Joe’s, and she detected a glimmer of sympathy.

  “Please,” she whispered, reaching out with her broken hand. “Help me.”

  Joe’s mouth opened, and it looked as if he might talk. But then, he shook his head and looked away, his lips compressed into a thin line.

  The captain laughed. “Don’t look at him to rescue you, sweetheart. I’m in charge here.”

  Rogue sagged to the ground, her strength leaching into the earth. She stared at her tormentor, noting the barely-concealed excitement in his face. He didn’t want her to answer his questions. Not really. Not when he was having so much fun. He’s a sadist, and he’ll kill me if given half a chance. I can’t give him that chance.

  “I… I’ll show you where the Exiles are,” Rogue managed to say.

  The captain stopped mid-laugh, and his eyes narrowed. “What?”

  “I said, I’ll show you,” she repeated.

  “Show us? Why not tell us?” the captain said.

  “Because if I tell you, you’ll kill me.”

  “I could force it out of you and then kill you,” the captain taunted, stepping closer.

  “Sir,” Joe protested. “If she’s willing to talk—”

  “Stay out of this,” the captain barked. “She’s nothing. A nobody. Who cares about one more dead Exile?”

  His leg swung back, and Rogue winced, expecting another kick. Before it could come, she cried out, “If you torture me, you’ll have no way of knowing if I told you the truth or not.”

  The captain paused. “You’re right, of course, but don’t think that’ll save you.” He nudged her with his boot. “I’ll have my fun once you’ve shown us where your friends are hiding.”

  The captain turned and walked back to his seat. With callous indifference, he finished his meal and took a swig from his canteen. Afterward, he crawled into his bedroll, and within minutes he was snoring like a chainsaw.

  Rogue watched him the entire time, unable to relax. When the man finally fell asleep, she choked back a sob of relief. One by one, the other soldiers followed his example, except Joe. He remained awake until Peter returned from his watch. “Get some sleep, Peter. I’ll take the next turn.”

  “Thanks,” Peter answered with a grunt.

  Joe waited until he was asleep as well before rummaging through his backpack. He removed several items and turned to Rogue. “Here, let me help you.”

  Rogue narrowed her eyes. “Why would you help me?”

  “Because I want to,” Joe replied in a low whisper.

  “What about earlier? You didn’t help me then,” she said, her lips trembling.

  “I’m sorry, but he’s my captain.”

  “If you really want to help me, you’ll let me go.”

  “I can’t do that. He’ll kill me,” Joe said, nodding at the captain. “What I can do is help you to recover. That way, you can escape once we set out in the morning.”

  “How?” Rogue asked, her voice thick with suspicion.

  Joe shrugged. “I’m sure something will come up. You’ll get your chance.”

  “Yeah, right,” Rogue said with a dubious frown.

  “Look, do you want my help or not?” Joe asked.

  “Fine,” Rogue said.

  “Give me your hand.”

  Rogue obeyed, extending her arm toward him. The broken finger looked as bad as it felt. The upper digits were twisted to the side, and the flesh was hot and swollen to the touch.

  “Can you fix it?” Rogue asked, averting her eyes.

  “I can, but it’ll hurt, and you can’t make a sound. Got it?”

  “Alright.”

  He handed her a stick. “Bite down on this.”

  Rogue placed the stick between her jaws and closed her eyes.

  “Okay, on three,” Joe said. “One, two…”

  He set her broken finger into a straight line with one swift move and realigned the shattered bone. Rogue stiffened, and her eyes went wide with shock. Her teeth dug into the wood until she thought the molars would crack. A distorted grunt escaped her lips, and she glanced at the captain. Thankfully, the man was a heavy sleeper, and the loud snores continued unabated. If one of the others heard, they gave no indication.

  Working fast, Joe splinted the broken finger using two twigs from the firewood pile. He then cut one of his shirts into strips and bandaged her fingers together for support. Satisfied, he said, “There, that should do it.”

  Rogue examined her wrapped fingers and nodded. “It doesn’t hurt so much anymore.”

  “Try not to use it,” Joe advised. “How are your ribs? Let me see.”

  Rogue lifted her shirt and allowed him to look. After some poking and prodding, he sat back on his haunches. “Nothing’s broken.”

  “It sure doesn’t feel that way,” Rogue said.

  “I’m sorry. The man’s a monster.”

  “Why do you follow him?”

  “Where else would I go?” Joe said. “Prime and the Watch is all I know.”

  “It’s not all there is. You could join the Exiles.”

  Joe snorted. “After what we did? Invading your land and burning down your home.”

  “The Zoo’s gone?” Rogue said though she’d suspected as much.

  “It is,” Joe confirmed.

  Rogue sighed. “Guess we’ll just have to find a new home.”

  “You don’t seem too broken up about it,” Joe said, wadding up a ball of cloth. He dipped it into the pot of warm water. “Here. Put this on your ribs. It will help with the swelling.”

  Rogue did as he asked, and the relief was instantaneous. Her tense muscles eased as some of the pain drained away, and she could breathe again. “It was never my home. Not really. Home is with my family.”

  “You’re not from there?”

  “Not originally. I used to be a Prime.”

  Joe’s mouth dropped open. “You’re that girl. The one that was sent over the wall.”

  “That’s right.”

  “I thought you looked familiar. How did you survive?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  One of the soldiers shifted in his bed, and they both fell silent. Once he’d settled down, Joe resumed his examination of Rogue.

  “How’s your head?” Joe asked, and she allowed him to take a look.

  “It needs stitches, but I don’t have anything with me,” he said.

  “That’s okay. You tried.”

  “Let me clean it up, at least,” he added and spent the next ten minutes washing away the dirt and dried blood. With another hot compress pressed to the wound, he sat back with a nod. “You’ll live.”

  “Thank God for that,” Rogue said, shifting into a more comfortable position.

  He handed her his canteen and a strip of salted meat. “Eat, drink, and get some sleep. You’ll need it tomorrow.”

  Rogue ate the food and washed it down with a few sips of water. Afterward, she lay back with a satisfied smile. Despite the pain and discomfort, her eyelids drooped. Just before she nodded off, she reached out and squeezed Joe’s hand. “Thank you.”

  He shook his head. “It’s not enough.”

  “It is for me.”

  With a sad smile, he said, “Sleep. I’ll stand guard over you.”

  “Okay,” Rogue said, curling up on her sid
e. “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight.”

  Chapter 5 - Bones

  After resting for a short while, Bones watered his horse and headed upstream. He plodded along the sandy beach leading Violet by the reins. He’d walked for only a few minutes, however, before he was forced to admit his limitations. As eager as he was to keep moving, his body was not cooperating, and neither was Violet. She kept tugging at the reins and made her displeasure known with angry snorts.

  After their narrow brush with death, they both needed time to rest and recuperate. They were cold, wet, and exhausted after crossing the river. Even so, he was slow to admit it and tried to push forward. But, after a particularly sharp nip from Violet’s teeth, he admitted defeat.

  “Alright, fine. I give up,” Bones said, throwing his hands in the air. “We can call it a day as soon as I find shelter.”

  Violet tossed her head with approval, and Bones felt a reluctant smile tug at his lips. The horse was growing on him, much to his surprise. He’d never felt close to anything or anyone in his life except his mother, and she was long gone. The only other living being he’d ever cared about was Rogue. The search for her and the Exiles would have to wait, however.

  “There. That looks like a likely spot,” Bones said, angling up the beach toward a sheer, rocky cliff.

  He spotted several caves at its base, cut into the rock by the floods that broke the Willamette’s banks each year. Most were shallow and too open to provide a measure of safety, but he spotted one that looked much deeper.

  On closer examination, he found it to be perfect for their needs. The roof was low and the mouth narrow, too small for most dinosaurs. Those that could fit were the type he could fight off himself. It was big enough to admit the horse, though. That was a blessing, for he dared not leave her outside, a tasty snack for passing predators. “This will work just fine.”

  He led the way toward the water’s edge and filled his canteen while the horse had her fill. Once their thirst was sated, he headed back to the cave. Violet balked when faced with the dark, damp hollow, but he managed to coax her inside after a while.

  At the back, he found a wooden log and tied her reins to it. Once she was secured, he removed her saddle and rubbed her down with a handful of leaves. Afterward, he collected an armful of dried grass and edible plants and dumped it on the floor. “There, that should do.”