Escape

by L. S. O'Dea

  He looked around. “The island. That’s where you need to go. They’ll never think to search there.”

  The island sat about one hundred yards away from the shore. The water was a good way to hide her scent but she had to run in it and keep moving. “They’ll smell me in the wind.”

  “No. Look.” He waved at the trees. “There’s no wind today. Do you know what kind of Guards they are? Some hunt by sight, some by ground scent and others by the odor in the air.”

  “I didn’t know there were that many different kinds.”

  He nodded. “With the air still, they must be following your trail through the woods. This will work. Trust me.”

  She wanted to run, but she wouldn’t get far. Maybe, the water was the key.

  “Can you swim?” He stared at the island. “It’s quite a distance.”

  “Yes, but I’d rather not go into the water. Not with Christian in there.”

  “There is nothing in that lake but fish, small fish. The whole story is just that, a story, a legend,” he said.

  “Legends are based on truth.”

  “Some. Yeah. But not the magic stuff,” he argued.

  “Well, I’m telling you that there is something large in that water and I’m not going in it.”

  “Okay.” He shot her a disgusted look. “What we need is a boat or a raft of some sort.” He pointed to the woods. “Let’s go find a chunk of wood that floats.”

  After searching for a bit, they hadn’t found anything that was big enough for her to sit on and still small enough for them to carry. The Guards were getting closer.

  “I’m going to have to either swim or run,” she said.

  He scratched his head. “We need rope. Then we could tie a few of the smaller logs together and make a raft. How soon before they get here? I can race home and bring back...”

  “Will this work?” She pulled the rope out of her backpack and handed it to him.

  “Give me your knife.”

  “You can’t cut it.” She needed it to sleep. Without it she would fall from the tree. Of course, if she didn’t get to the island she’d be captured and sleeping would be the least of her worries. “Isn’t there some other way?”

  He tapped his finger on the arm of his chair. “I could try wrapping it around the logs, but it won’t be as secure.”

  As long as she still had her rope at night, it was fine with her. “Let’s try it.”

  They went back into the forest and selected four large branches each about five inches thick. They worked together to drag them back to the lake and then broke off the smaller attached twigs. When they were done, he moved his chair as close to the front of the makeshift raft as he could and then climbed out, dragging himself the remaining few feet. By the set of his jaw, this was embarrassing for him, so she looked the other way.

  When he was situated, he picked up the rope. “Can I at least cut it in half?”

  “No.” There was a sharp whistle. The Guards were getting closer. “Not unless you absolutely have to.”

  “If I secure the logs together a bit down from the front, and then run the rope to the back and tie it together there.” He spoke more to himself than to her as he moved to the middle of the raft and began to twine the rope over and around the branches.

  While he worked, she broke off a few limbs from a pine tree and tried to cover her scent around the lake. It wasn’t perfect, but it was the best that she could do.

  When he was done, he shook the raft. It wobbled but the ropes held. “Not as secure as I’d like, but it should get you there.”

  It was a long way to the island. She didn’t want to think about the craft not making the trip. “What about back?”

  “That too. I hope.” He grimaced.

  She swallowed, her mouth dry. “I guess, we’ll see.”

  She tossed the piece of wood that she was going to use as an oar onto the raft. He crawled back to his chair and stared straight ahead as if he were somewhere else. She quickly helped him up and then set part of the raft on his lap. She picked up the other end. It was difficult, but they managed to half-carry, half-drag it to the lake. She dropped the front into the water and they shoved the rest of it in with Jethro keeping ahold of a small part of the rope. The raft sank and then bobbed to the surface.

  “It floats,” they both said at the same time.

  This was going to work. She leaned in and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her. They were warm and strong. What was she doing? She jerked away. He blushed and looked back at the lake.

  “Are you sure you want to do this? You can still come to my house. You never said why the Guards are after you. I may be able to help you. My dad knows people.”

  The water glistened in the waning sunlight. Staying with him was tempting but it wouldn’t be safe. She needed to do this now before the Guards got any closer and before the sun set. She didn’t want to be on the lake at night. She tipped her head. She could make out voices. The Guards were definitely coming their way. There were three of them, scattered out but still close to one another. The water was her best bet. “I have to go.”

  He stared in the direction of the noise. “Hurry. Even I can hear them now. I’ll cover your trail.” He leaned down and pulled up some weeds and rubbed them on the handles of his wheelchair.

  She’d completely forgotten about touching his chair. “Thanks. You should go too.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll be fine. I’ll wait here and see if I can send them in the wrong direction.”

  “But, they might attack you.”

  He grinned, but his eyes were worried. “I’m an Almighty. I’ll be fine.” He gave her a shove. “You need to go.”

  “But...”

  “Go. Trust me. The Guards won’t hurt me. I’ve never had a problem with any of them.” He shrugged. “I think they feel sorry for me.”

  She moved toward the raft and stopped. “No. I can’t leave you alone here.”

  “Fine. Once you make it to the island, I’ll go.”

  “Promise.”

  He nodded. “Now, hurry before you get caught.”

  She gingerly climbed onto the raft. It sunk a bit with her weight but still floated. She paddled toward the island, scanning the water for Christian. She didn’t want to be captured by the Guards, but she didn’t want to be the River-Man’s dinner either. Luckily, there was no sign of him and then something bumped the bottom of the raft. Was it Christian? If he hit hard enough he could capsize the craft. She paddled faster. There was another thud from below. Christian was under there, slamming against the raft. She had to get to the island.

  “Go faster, it’s breaking,” yelled Jethro.

  She glanced back at him. He waved frantically in her direction.

  The rope was unraveling and the logs were shifting. That was the cause of the movement of the raft, not Christian. The two middle logs were already loose. The outer ones were the most secure but since the rope was one long strand and not separate pieces they too were beginning to loosen.

  One of the center branches slipped out from under her. If she didn’t hurry, she would be swimming. She increased her pace, panting with fear and exertion. Christian’s head emerged from the water several yards to her right. The raft wouldn’t stand a direct hit. His head disappeared under the surface. Was he coming closer? The thought gave her a sudden burst of energy and she paddled faster. The remaining middle log slipped out from under her. She balanced with one knee on each log as the rope finished unraveling and floated away.

  The island beckoned. A few more yards and she’d be on dry land. She jumped into the water; it was up to her knees. She trudged to the shore as fast as she could, not wanting to bump into Christian. Once she was a safe distance out of the water she stopped, breathing heavily. The logs bobbed in the lake, already several feet farther away. She would have to find another way off the island, but she’d worry about that later.

  She staggered inland. She had to find a place to hide. There wasn’t much beside
s the statue. There were no trees, only a few bushes and a rusty metal bench that had seen better days. She stopped by the statue. The bushes were her best option.

  A female voice called for Jethro from the forest. The Guards were here already? She’d thought she had more time. Wait a minute. The female had called Jethro by name. Had this been a trick to get her to the island? Jethro was still on shore. He’d promised to leave. What was going on?

  The female called again, closer this time. If this wasn’t a trap, she couldn’t let anyone see her. The bushes weren’t very far. If she moved now, she could make it to their cover. As she darted away from the statue, a female Almighty stepped out of the forest directly across from her. Their eyes locked and Trinity dove into the bushes. It was an Almighty, not a Guard. Jethro hadn’t betrayed her.

  The Almighty continued to stare at the island, searching. Then she turned her head and jogged toward Jethro. “You are in so much trouble,” she yelled.

  “Kim, what are you doing here?” he asked as the female stopped in front of him. He glanced back at the island.

  Jethro clearly knew this girl. He called her by her first name. He hadn’t said anything about having a girlfriend. Kim was pretty with long, curly, brown hair. She touched her own straight hair. She’d always wanted curls. She would’ve settled for even a bit of a wave, but her hair was sleek and straight.

  Kim wiped her forehead with the bottom of her T-shirt, exposing her stomach.

  Why was this female lifting her shirt in front of Jethro? She shifted her position in the bushes for a better view.

  “Looking for you. Idiot. You’re going to get it when we get home. Mom is pissed.”

  Mom? This was his sister. Relief washed through her, followed quickly by concern. Would he tell Kim about her?

  “What do you mean? Why is she mad?” asked Jethro.

  Kim tucked a long curl that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear. “Do you have anything to drink?” She began to pull at his backpack. “I’ve been searching for you for hours. Mom ran into Mrs. Smedley at the grocery store.”

  “Crap.” He shoved her hands away from his backpack. He pulled out a water bottle and gave it to her.

  “Yeah, you’re busted. She knows that you weren’t with Jimmy today.” She took a long swallow of the water. “Who’s your friend on the island?”

  Her heart skipped a beat as she scrunched farther down in the bushes.

  “What are you talking about?” He turned his chair away from the lake.

  “I saw her, so there’s no reason to lie.” Kim stared toward the island. “Is she lost? How do you know her?” She stuffed the water bottle back into his backpack.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. There is no one out there. You must have seen a shadow or something.”

  Jethro was trying to protect her. She couldn’t hold back a tiny smile.

  Kim snorted. “A shadow from what? There is nothing on that island but the statue.”

  The sound of branches breaking nearby caused them to turn toward the woods. A tall, muscular Guard burst out of the forest. It was the hairless Guard. Her heart raced as another Guard, this one a female with really long legs trotted out of the brush on the right.

  “What are you two doing here?” asked the hairless Guard, surprise written all over his face.

  It was obvious that the hairless Guard knew Jethro and Kim, but how?

  Kim glanced at the island and then at her brother.

  “Kim, don’t” said Jethro.

  “Don’t what?” The hairless Guard walked over to the two Almightys.

  Kim stared at her brother, a slight smirk on her lips.

  “Ah..., don’t give Jackson a hard time like you usually do,” said Jethro.

  Kim’s eyes narrowed.

  “Yeah, Kim, you should listen to your little brother,” said Jackson, amusement in his tone.

  Kim walked up to the Guard until they were almost toe-to-toe. “Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be supervising the produce loading? Does Dad know that you’re ditching your duties?”

  Why would Kim’s dad care about Jackson not being at his job unless the hairless Guard worked for her dad? She stopped breathing. Jackson was Benedictine’s Lead Guard. That would make Kim Benedictine’s daughter and Jethro Benedictine’s son. She’d spent two days with the son of the Almighty who ran their encampment, the one who created the Harvest List. If Jethro told anyone about her, especially about her fangs and claws, her and her mom and Remy would be severely punished. Why hadn’t she listened to Gaar and stayed in the tree? Forget that, why hadn’t she just stayed in camp?

  “You need to go home. It’s not safe out here,” growled Jackson.

  Kim crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t have to listen to you any longer.”

  “You should. Araldo knows, you don’t have the sense to take care of yourself,” he said.

  Kim glared at him. “I’m twenty-four years old. I can go where I want and spend time with who I want and there is nothing you can do about it.”

  Jackson’s face had a thunderous look to it. “Go home.”

  Kim tipped her head back and leaned closer to him. “Make me.”

  She cringed in the bushes. She blinked twice. She couldn’t be seeing this right, but she was. That Guard was furious and Jethro’s sister was antagonizing him. Would he turn violent? Would he hurt Jethro? If he did, she’d be safe. She shook her head at the traitorous thought. She didn’t want Jethro harmed.

  “If you don’t leave right now, I’ll wring your neck,” said Jackson, enunciating each word.

  Kim smiled and patted him on the chest. “No, you won’t. You only wish you could.”

  “Guards have turned against their people,” he threatened.

  “Don’t you mean owners?” she asked.

  A third Guard jogged, panting, out of the forest. He was much older than the other two. He stopped by the female Guard, watching the exchange between Jackson and Kim.

  Jackson grabbed Kim’s arm. “I’m not kidding. It’s not safe. There’s another group of Guards in the forest. By their scent, they’ve been out there awhile.”

  Kim’s eyes widened a bit. “Wild?” She touched his bicep with her free hand.

  Jackson dropped his hold on her and stepped back, breaking her contact. “Probably.”

  Kim nodded at Jethro. “We should go then.”

  Jackson lifted his head and inhaled. He walked over by the place where she’d climbed onto the raft. “Jethro, did you pee here?”

  Trinity bit her lip. Jethro had covered her scent.

  Jethro shrugged. “I had to go.”

  Jackson walked a couple of paces. “All over. You couldn’t just go in one spot.”

  Jethro’s jaw clenched. “What do you care?”

  Kim looked from one to the other. “Jackson, please escort us to my dad’s. Jethro, we need to go. Mom is worried sick.”

  Jackson shook his head. “I can’t. I need to find...something.”

  Kim glanced at her brother again. “No, Jackson. I need you and Casper and Carla to come with us now.”

  The other two Guards shot Jackson a helpless look.

  Jackson grabbed Kim’s wrist and pulled her a few feet away from the others. He let go of her arm and tucked another loose curl behind her ear. He seemed to like to touch her. Was there something more between the two of them than Almighty and Guard?

  He glanced around. “I’m hunting. Someone knows about the necklace,” he whispered.

  Kim touched the chain around her neck.

  “I have to finish this job. Casper and Carla will see you home.”

  Kim’s face softened for a moment and then she looked back at Jethro who nodded toward the trail.

  She sighed. “I’m sorry. You can come back tomorrow. I need you to take us to my parent’s house now.”

  Jackson’s jaw hardened. “Is that an order?”

  “Yes.” Kim looked like she was going to cry.

  He step
ped back and bowed. “Very well.”

  The group headed down the path that Jethro used. Just before they disappeared in the woods, Jackson glanced back and scanned the area. His gaze stopped on the island for a long moment before he followed the others.

  She waited as twilight gave way to night. The lake was mostly black in the darkness. The only light came from the moon, casting reflections on the water. It had been long enough. They were gone. She moved over by the statue and sat. She was still hidden but the ground was less rocky.

  Jethro would keep quiet about her but would his sister? Kim said that Jackson could come back tomorrow, which should mean that she was safe for the night. Maybe, the island was the best place for her right now. If Jackson and his Guards showed up before Gaar and Mirra, then she was better off here than in the forest. She stretched. The bright side was that at least she was safe on the ground. Without her rope, this might be the last good night sleep that she got.

  CHAPTER 11

  TRINITY SAT UP. IT WAS NO USE. She was not getting any sleep tonight. If only she could find a softer place; there always seemed to be a rock under her back. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t sleep because she wasn’t safe on the ground. Not alone. Not at night. Gaar would be back tomorrow, hopefully, before Jackson returned. A soft breeze blew across the water. If it kept up, the Guard would have no trouble finding her.

  A sound traveled across the lake. Something was moving in the forest. She scurried back into the bushes. The noise came steady and slow. Whatever it was, it wasn’t trying to be quiet. A large shadow emerged from the woods. It was a Grunt. She relaxed. Grunts were big, bigger than Producers but they harmed no one.

  The Grunt carried something on its back and another being walked alongside, commanding it. She moved the leaves a bit for a better view. The other creature was short but that was all that she could make out because it was covered from head to toe in a cloak. It unhooked the object from the Grunt’s back and spoke quietly. She tilted her ears forward but she was upwind and caught only the whisper of sound.

  The Grunt walked to the water’s edge, pulled the item off its back and dropped it into the lake. It was a canoe. The Grunt held a rope which was attached to the craft. The cloaked figure climbed aboard. Another whisper and the Grunt handed over the rope. The figure began to row toward the island.