by KM Fortune
Before she could consider the puzzle any longer, Blaze came running into the main room with Mouse in his arms. For a moment Raven’s heart leaped in fear something had happened to the child. Even though she hardly had much of a chance to get to know her, Raven took a strong liking to the little girl. She was smart and a bright spot in what Raven was quickly realizing was a dismal life for the group. She started across the room to help but before she made it even a few steps, Blaze swung the girl to the floor and was charging across the room.
“Where’s Blue?” he demanded. “Has anyone seen him?” Raven looked around and saw people shaking their heads. Raven realized she had not seen him either after all the arguing about if she should stay or go. Her thinking was he had gone off to sulk but it was hours ago now.
“His stuff is gone,” the woman, Dawn, said from the corner. “Everything.” A look of fear crossed her face and Raven started to realize what exactly might be going on. The man they called Stump stepped forward.
“You don’t think he would have gone to the Patrols, do you?” he asked Blaze. Raven only had to take one look at Blaze’s face to know it was exactly what he was thinking.
“Someone go get Willow and the others from the storage pantry. We need to get out of here. Right now,” he said.
THE PATROLS WERE MOBILIZING. Men were checking their weapons and getting in line to make a march across the frozen ground in the direction of her clan’s shelter. Kit watched all of it from a prone position on the snow and dirt covered ground, hidden in the shadow of a short, twisted juniper tree. Why does it look like they know exactly where to go? she thought. Luckily the terrain was uneven and crisscrossed with washouts made ages ago. Driving the Patrol’s big trucks across it would be impossible. She knew it would slow down the soldier's progress on foot too, but she had witnessed them on a quick march once before years ago. The distance they could travel in a hurry did not reassure her. If they truly did know where her clan’s camp was, they would be on it within the hour.
Kit was torn. She could not decide if she should race back to her people and warn them now or wait another few minutes to see if the Patrols truly were headed in the direction she feared. Just then she saw another man in uniform come from around the front of one of the big trucks and walk among the other soldiers. He wore the large gold cross of an officer around his neck. Even the sight of him made Kit’s skin prickle with goosebumps. Nothing on the plains was more evil. Another person walked beside him and the sight made her heart stop. His clothes were brown against the black and gray of the others. His hair was long and he looked ragged compared to the crisp uniforms around him. Although it was not clearly visible from the distance to where Kit was hiding, she knew the face would be marked with a large scarlet stain. We have been betrayed, she thought. He told them about Raven and now the Patrols know exactly where we are. Fury and fear rose up in her simultaneously and at first all she could think about was finding a way to kill him, but then the reality of the danger passed over her. Without another thought, she jumped up from her hiding spot and turned to run.
A shout went up from the road. Kit knew they saw her movement yet she did not care. Only speed was of essence now. Zigzagging across the ground, she waited for the sound of gunfire behind her. By the time it did, she was jumping into an old washed out stream bed, which had been dry for decades. The shots plucked the ground harmlessly as she dipped out of sight.
Thankfully, the washout followed the route she wanted to travel and she ran along at full speed hidden from the Patrols. She had no doubt the traitor, Blue, would recognize her and tell the officer in charge. They will mobilize faster now knowing I am going back to warn the others. But how long will it take them? she wondered. Kit knew she could cover the five miles quickly though and hoped against hope it would give them enough time to flee and hide. I have to believe it will be okay, she thought as she leaped over a large dried up log and something grabbed her ankle.
“WELL LOOK WHAT WE HAVE here,” Hector said with a purr as he smiled down at the woman sprawled in the dirt. “The girl who stole my stuff and gave me a nasty cut.” He was impressed by how nimbly she leaped to her feet and pulled a small but wicked looking knife. This little thing has it going on, he thought. It did not mean he was not going to rip her guts open in about thirty seconds, but still he was impressed. He watched her flick her eyes from side to side assessing her chances of escape. “Forget about it, kid. I’ll be on you before you make it three steps. I’ll admit, you’re quick, but I promise you I am quicker,” he said. Accepting what he said to be true, Hector watched her get into a fighter’s crouch. He laughed. “I outweigh you by nearly two hundred pounds. You really want to make a fight of this?” The girl nodded and Hector grinned with amusement. He set his feet and lifted his paws while dramatically flicking his claws out. “Well bring it on.”
In a flash, the girl spun the knife around in her hand so she was holding the blade and with a practiced flick of her wrist sent it spiraling straight at his chest. At the last moment, he was able to fling himself to the side and out of the way. He was no longer smiling. “Why you little brat,” he roared. “I’m going to make you pay for that.” Leaping forward to tackle her, the girl slipped left, but not before he snagged her cloak. He yanked her back into him and held her fast, pinning her arms. She struggled hard against him, but her strength was nothing compared to his. All through it, she never made a sound, which surprised him. He expected screams of fear or at least some begging for mercy. It was a little disappointing. Where does this girl come from? he wondered. She certainly was not like anyone else he had encountered on the plains. For a second he considered the idea she was the witch the Patrols were hunting, but then discarded it. She was definitely a human nomad and a child of the plains, not someone who came from the mountain. Then he cocked his head thinking again of the chain of events. But what if she is somehow related? he considered.
“Settle down for a minute,” Hector said. “I have a question for you. Give me an honest answer and I’ll let you go.” The girl stopped fighting and waited perfectly still. “Excellent. Now I’m going to let go of you, but if you do anything stupid, I’ll rip out your throat in a second. Got it?” The girl nodded. Hector let go and she whirled around on him and pulled another knife. The cat mutant rolled his eyes. “Oh for crying out loud. Would you give it a rest?” he asked. She did not answer. He waved a hand. “Fine. So remember our deal. You answer and I don’t kill you. Do you know anything about the witch these Patrol boys are all hot and bothered about?” The girl stiffened. Bingo, he thought. She does know.
CHAPTER 7
“SO, YOU DO KNOW,” THE cat mutant said with a grin. Kit did not reply, but the fact he knew anything about Raven alarmed her. How does he know? And why would he care? she wondered. “Well little one, you’re going to take me to her if you want to keep your insides where they belong,” he said. Kit’s heart beat fast with adrenaline. She would never agree to what he asked, not only to protect the stranger but to also keep him away from her clan. If he wanted to see Raven, his agenda could not be good. This mutant was distinctly different than the others she had encountered on her travels. He was smarter. Much smarter. So what do I do now? She knew her chances of escape were zero to none. Kit was fast and clever, but he was better. When she missed with her surprise knife attack, her only realistic chance to get away failed. “I can see those wheels turning,” the cat mutant said. “You better reconsider your options here. I will gut you without a second thought.”
Kit crouched lower and shook her head. If my time is now, I will take him with me, she thought. The cat mutant frowned and took a step toward her. Just then a soldier from the Patrols blundered into the washout. With a yelp of surprise, the man raised his combat rifle. Kit threw herself out of the line of fire, expecting a burst at any second but then saw the cat mutant had moved in a flash and grabbed the barrel of the weapon, thrusting it skyward. The burst of gunfire came, but it missed them entirely. The cat mutant growled and
ripped the gun from the man’s hands. There was a yell from the field beyond the washout. The other soldiers were undoubtedly responding to the sound of the shots. They would be there within seconds. Kit did not wait. With the sound of the cat mutant swearing behind her, she ran like the wind. Racing around a bend in the dry riverbed to get out of sight, she hurried toward the shelter as quickly as her legs would carry her. She knew the delay with the cat mutant would be costly. Her only hope was they would focus on the mutant for a while longer and give her extra time to warn her loved ones of the danger.
RAVEN WORKED HARD TO keep her guilt and fear in check. She knew there was no time for either at the moment. It was time to focus on being as helpful as possible without getting in the way. Willow, as she gave directions to mobilize the clan quickly, assigned Raven to watch over the little girl Mouse. It was not an easy task as the girl wanted to help and had a million questions about what was happening. “Where are we going? Is Kit coming?” she asked. Raven had no answers, so she tried to engage the girl. First, she drew shapes in the dirt with a stick. It was an exercise she remembered playing with the school children she taught in her old life. It quickly fizzled when it was evident Mouse had no idea what a boat or a kite looked like. Next Raven tried a story about a sleeping princess. At first, Mouse was curious, but when Raven tried to describe a castle, the girl lost interest. For a moment Raven’s heart was sad for the girl. Will she ever know these things? she thought and then resolved to explain it all to her someday soon. Once they were safe again.
Finally, the group was ready to move. As they assembled at the loading dock, Kit burst in. She was out of breath and looked frantic with her hood back and her eyes wild. Willow went to her and grabbed her hands. “Are they here?” Willow asked. The girl nodded and a ripple of panic went through the group. “Which way?” Kit pointed to the east. Willow turned to her people. “We will scatter and hide. Leave your belongings. They are too heavy. Once it is dark, make your way back here. Watch and wait. If you see no soldiers, sneak back, and we will all meet here. Hopefully, the Patrols will have moved on.” Everyone nodded. “Now go,” she said. The others did not hesitate. Only Blaze, Willow, Raven and Kit remained. Willow turned to Kit. “Take Raven,” she said. “Blaze and I will try to distract them.” Kit shook her head vehemently in disagreement. Willow ignored it and grabbed up her rifle. Raven, knowing what Willow and Blaze were proposing would put them at an unimaginable risk, wanted to say something, to apologize, but when she started to speak a look from Willow stopped her. Blaze as well, with a grim face, did not appear to want to hear her words. Raven sent up a prayer to the universe. Please let them be safe, she thought. Let me somehow, someday make it up to them. Willow and Blaze jumped off of the loading dock and were gone in a second. Kit took Raven’s hand and led her away at a jog.
MATTHEW SAW THEM. HE had purposefully run out ahead of the other soldiers, taking point, and prayed he encountered Raven in time. It made him nervous, knowing at any moment one of the other soldiers who despised him could shoot him down and claim they mistook him for a nomad. The squad leader would never bother to investigate. So far, no shot had come his way, although there was gunfire. It came from south of his position, and when he heard it, he ran in that direction. It was then that he saw them. A man and a woman, dressed in animal skins and ragged clothes, both armed and heading east as if to flank the line of soldiers marching toward where the man with the birthmark had directed. Matthew immediately dropped to one knee and hid in the tall grass. Neither of the nomads he saw was Raven, and he was conflicted. How do I approach them? I need to warn them of the betrayal but what would stop them from shooting me on sight? he thought. His hesitation cost him. A shout went up, and it was clear other soldiers had seen the two nomads. As Matthew watched, three men broke off from the formation and started running toward the man and woman. Seeing the danger, the two nomads raised their rifles and fired on the soldiers. One of the men went down and the other two dove for cover. Now is their chance, Matthew thought, wanting the nomads to run. They did not. Instead they ran toward the enemy. Matthew was filled with alarm. What are they doing? That is suicide.
Suddenly more shouts from the Patrols went up. Others in the platoon saw what was happening and turned to take on the two nomads attacking their flank. Soon two more men were charging toward the man and the woman. One stopped and opened fire, and the nomad with red hair that Matthew could see from the distance dropped. The woman kept coming, firing the rifle from her hip as she did. It was clear she had no intention other than to attack the soldiers. Matthew suddenly understood. The woman is a decoy. Others are fleeing a different direction, and she is giving up her life for theirs. For Raven’s, Matthew thought. Wanting to stop it but knowing there was little he could do, he broke into a run toward the fighting. As he got closer, he saw four soldiers surround the woman. She was now brandishing the rifle like a club. The others held her at bay with their guns but knew shooting her was out of the question. She was a female specimen to be returned to the laboratories. As Matthew approached so did the squad leader. “Stop screwing around,” he told the men. “Tackle her and drag her to the truck.”
BLAZE WOKE UP IN PAIN. The bullet had grazed his temple and knocked him to the ground unconscious. He wanted to get up and follow Willow yet when he tried, his head swam from the pain, and he slipped back to the ground. I have to help her, he thought. I can’t let her be captured. He tried to get up again, grabbing at the tall grass around him to pull his weight into a sitting position. Just as he managed it, a shadow fell over him. He looked up to see a man in black and gray. His rifle was pointed straight at Blaze’s head. “They have sent me to make sure you are dead. I see they were right to do so,” the soldier shouted. “You are unworthy of His grace, and you are a parasite who taints the very earth you lie on.” Blaze accepted that his life was over and he looked away, knowing the bullet would soon come. He hoped the others made their escape and felt bad there had not been time to say a real goodbye to Kit. Or to the woman named Raven. He wished there had been a chance to know her more. He had so many questions. It seemed to be taking forever for the soldier to shoot him, so he looked up again into the face of the man. “Do you know Raven?” the soldier whispered. “Don’t speak. Just move your head.”
Blaze blinked with surprise but nodded. The soldier nodded back. “Tell her Matthew is thinking of her,” he said. “Now lie back and no matter what, do not move. Wait until dark. Do you understand?” Blaze nodded again and dropped back to the ground. The man stepped closer and fired two rounds into the dirt near Blaze’s head. Blaze flinched only a little and then was perfectly still. Through slitted eyes, he watched the man turn and go.
CHAPTER 8
RAVEN WORKED HARD TO follow Kit as silently as she could while the girl moved through the darkness. She stepped one foot after the other as close to the same spots as the small woman did. The results were not satisfactory enough for Kit if Raven could gauge the girl’s irritation from the looks over her shoulder. When a twig had snapped under Raven’s foot, they stopped, dropping to the ground. Raven mouthed the word sorry. The girl ignored it. Raven let it go, knowing Kit was strung tight with worry. She was anxious as well. Throughout the afternoon, Raven had prayed repeatedly to let everyone be safe from harm. She blamed herself for the trouble raining down on them. Ever since she escaped from the crazy mountain colony, the Patrols hunted the humans in search of her. What if I gave myself up? she thought. Would it end this madness? Reason told her it would make no difference.
Now they were on the move again. Raven focused on the moment and on being a shadow, nothing more. Suddenly Kit raised her hand in a fist. It was the universal symbol to halt, and Raven stopped where she was and waited. Following the girl’s line of sight, Raven could see they were near the clan’s shelter again. It surprised her. They had taken such a winding way through the prairie to avoid capture, she had no idea where they were after a few minutes. Now, hours later, they were back where they started. As
she watched, she saw why Kit was alarmed. A figure was moving in the shadows near the warehouse’s main loading dock. Raven had good eyesight, but it was not enough to clearly see if the figure was friend or foe. Kit slipped back beside Raven and motioned for her to get down on the ground. She complied. After a few rudimentary hand signals, Raven figured out the girl wanted her to wait. Not thrilled with the idea, she shook her head. It made no difference. Kit turned and slipped into the night with incredible swiftness. Within a second she was gone. Raven huffed out a frustrated breath. Guess I’ll wait here then, she thought. Turning over, she looked up at the night sky and was shocked by the vast number of stars above her. Normally the sky was overcast, but not tonight. Only a few wisps of clouds were scattered across the dark sky. With the moon hidden behind one at the moment, the millions of stars were especially visible. Under better circumstances, Raven would have called it breathtaking. Right now she was too worried for the others to appreciate it except to acknowledge the light display symbolized there were higher powers at work all around her. “Please let them be okay,” she whispered.