He smiled, if only a little. “Maya's been good to me. Do you think it's because she feels sorry for me?”
“Maya? No, I think I recall her telling me it's because you're a hunk of a man.” I gave him a nudge.
The corner of his mouth pulled up a little but he didn't respond before turning and following the others to the bathroom.
Chapter Nineteen
My right leg bounced under the table and I couldn't help but keep glancing up at the tents doorway for what was quite possibly the hundredth time. We'd managed to eat porridge, a serving of fruit salad and drink two cups of tea, and Dad and Lark were still nowhere in sight.
“They'll be here soon.” Fletcher attempted to reassure me, but his words only made my leg bounce harder.
He pressed his hand on my thigh and I folded my feet beneath my chair. “They'll be here soon.”
I worried we'd trusted the army too readily. We'd followed a man we barely knew across the desert and believed these people were here to help. Brent had thought he was helping people too and look what had happened at the Freedom Camp.
“Take a breath Aurora, you're going pale,” said Braven.
“Don't you think they've been gone for a bit too long?” I asked.
“They had a lot to discuss. Lark seemed to trust the Lieutenant and he hasn't led us astray before,” said Braven.
“Except for the time he lost it in the rainforest,” said Fletcher.
“And the time he said we should stay in the cottage and we got ambushed,” added Maya.
“What about the time…” started Vega.
Domino groaned beside Maya drawing all our attention. Her face had grown pale and she struggled to keep her eyes open.
“Domino, are you okay? Is it your tummy?” asked Maya as Domino's eyes rolled back into her head and she face planted onto the table.
“Help!” called Vega, “someone help her!”
Braven shot up from his chair and lifted Domino, easing her onto the floor before checking her airways and pressing his fingers against her wrist to check her heart rate. Soon a medic arrived and took over from Braven using equipment to monitor her heart and breath. Two more men arrived and Braven helped them lift her onto a stretcher and carry her towards the doorway.
“Domino?” Lark's voice shook as he and my father entered the tent.
“I don't know what happened. She went all pale then passed out on us,” said Maya.
“You can't all come to the medical wing,” the medic advised.
“I'll come. I'm her partner.” Lark's face grew pale as Domino's as he followed her out of the tent and out of sight.
Maya burst into tears as what had happened hit her and although Fletcher stepped forward Tyler pulled her into his arms and held her tight.
“She'd been unwell but I didn't expect her to pass out. She's Domino, she's so strong.” Vega leaned into Braven who wrapped an arm around her.
Dad stared at the corner Lark and Domino had disappeared around for a moment longer before turning back to us. “Are you all okay? That must've been a big shock, but I'm sure she'll be okay. These people might not have the equipment like the floating cities but they have what they need to look after her.”
“It came out of nowhere,” I said. “And what took you two so long?”
“Aurora was going to send out a search party. She's getting paranoid in her old age.” Braven did his best to lighten the mood.
“We had a lot to discuss and they assured us you were being taken care of…” started Dad as Richy approached us.
“I just saw your friend. I wanted you all to know she's conscious and they're checking her over. We'll let you know as soon as we know more.”
“Thank you,” said Maya.
“In the meantime, let's get you set up with a room. Because there's such a large group of you, we've put you in a tent with bunks, hope you don't mind,” said Richy.
“We'll be happy to be in a bed off the ground,” replied Braven.
* * *
Richy led us across the compound where the families of the military and the refugees lived in a sea of tents. At a guess, they had half the population of Utopia living there. It was amazing people were living on Earth after being told for years no one had survived. He showed us to our tent and we stepped inside after stomping the sand from our boots on the mat outside the front door.
The room was basic. Four rows of bunks lined the canvas walls on either side and they were all that filled the room.
“It's not much but it's a roof over your head and a bed to sleep in. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in the mess hall straight down the right as you leave the tent and showers and toilets are directly behind you. I'll go check on your friend and let you know how she's going while you settle in,” advised Richy.
“Can I come with you?” asked Maya. “I want to make sure she's okay.”
“I'm afraid I have to say no at this stage. Lark requested no one visit until he says so, he knew you'd all want to make sure she's okay.”
Maya gave a sigh. “Okay, if that's what he wants.”
“Thanks Richy,” said Dad, and Richy turned and left the tent.
“So, I want top bunk,” said Fletcher.
“I'll take the bottom,” I replied.
The allocation of beds managed to distract us while we unloaded our backpacks and settled in.
“So, how did your talk go with the Lieutenant?” I asked Dad who sat on the bed across from me.
“Good, he thinks he can help us. It's not easy to sneak onto Eden but he does have a team who can do it using the helicopter Mick spoke of. Catch is, it's been modified to be able to go as high as the floating cities and he can only take two of us.”
“I'm your man,” Braven stood tall.
“Thanks Braven, but I was hoping Aurora would join me.” Dad's eyes met mine.
“Aurora? But wouldn't Braven be a better choice?” asked Fletcher jumping down from his bunk.
I kicked him in the calf and his legs buckled before he stepped forward regaining balance.
“Sorry Rora, but should you put yourself in that kind of danger?” he asked taking my hand.
Heat rose in my cheeks and I took my hand back.
“This mission doesn't need muscles or brawn. I need someone who's quick and can help me sneak into the labs to find Kylie Rodgers. She's their head scientist and was one of my team members,” revealed Dad.
“Why not me or Vega? She's quick and well trained,” offered Maya.
“I don't want you to go,” cried Alice as she latched onto Maya's torso.
Dad patted Alice on the head. “Tyler and Alice need you here, and I think this is something Aurora and I need to do together. I started this mess, it's only fitting she be the one to help me fix it.”
“I'll do it.” I said, enjoying the fact he wanted me to join him rather than the more practiced rebels. “I've begged you to take me to the other floating cities for years.”
“Pretty sure you didn't mean sneaking in and hoping not to get noticed and killed,” added Braven.
“Thanks for your confidence,” I replied. “What did you tell the lieutenant exactly?”
“Lark wanted him to know everything. He knows the part I played in all of this. And he knows you hold something that can help reveal the floating cities and the Elite for what they are,” said Dad. “They've been trying to come up with a way to free the people of the floating cities for years and he's hoping this is the answer they've been looking for. No pressure.”
“No pressure.” I wrapped my hand around the pendant.
“He'll call us in for a meeting tomorrow morning, we'll come up with a plan and hopefully we'll know more about how Domino is by then. Once I've convinced Kylie to give us what we need we won't be able to hang around here for long. We still need to get to Arcadia and Elysium,” he said.
“Elysium, I thought it was destroyed?” asked Vega.
“Yes, but they've created their own compound near the crash site and Lieutenant
Mark's says it's heavily guarded. It won't be easy to get into, but we need to or we can't use the pendant,” said Dad.
This entire time I'd thought Eden was the answer. We'd get there and everything would be over somehow. I couldn't have imagined we'd have to travel so much farther to get our answers.
“What about Domino and Lark?” asked Maya.
“I'll talk to Lark later and see what he wants to do. Hopefully Domino is well enough to travel, if not, I'm not sure what we'll do.”
“We won't be coming with you.” Lark appeared in the doorway, his coppery hair all over the place and his shirt drenched in sweat.
“Is she okay?” Maya stood and stepped towards him.
“She's fine. But she's in no shape to travel. She shouldn't have come this far in her condition. She's exhausted.” He looked at the ground.
“Her condition? What's wrong with her?” asked Vega.
Lark cast an eye over the group. “She's pregnant.”
Maya and Vega squealed in excitement at the news.
“Congratulations Lark.” Dad shook Larks hand and pulled him in for a hug.
“What's happening?” I heard Alice ask Tyler.
A smile spread across his face. “Domino is going to have a baby.”
“Everything is okay, isn't it?” I asked, afraid to celebrate prematurely.
We'd been through so much, and she'd had to push herself despite being unwell. She'd told us it was from bad water, from the way Lark spoke he'd known all along.
“Yes, both Domino and the baby are fine,” he said.
“How long have you known?” Vega slapped him on the arm.
“We had our suspicions when she wasn't well at the cottage, but we found out for certain at the Freedom Camp.”
“But how?” I asked. “We all get injections when we turn sixteen so we can't get pregnant.”
“Domino may have convinced Alber to give her a fake injection a few months ago when she was due. When she didn't fall straight away we assumed whatever they'd given her in the past had stopped her from being able to fall pregnant. But as we started travelling, she grew sicker and she has a little bump she's been trying to hide,” he revealed.
“How far along is she?” Maya held her hands together under her chin.
“She's only twelve weeks along, give or take a little bit. Their equipment isn't exactly for pregnancy, but they are confident it's around that mark. But the journey has completely drained her and there's no way I can drag her any further,” he said.
“We wouldn't expect you to. Domino needs you,” said Dad.
“Braven,” Lark turned to look Braven in the eye. “I've been training you to step up and lead since I first met you five years ago and although we've been sharing the load as of late, I'm hoping you can lead this lot where they need to go. I wouldn't trust anyone else.”
Braven swallowed hard. “I'd be honoured.”
Lark gave him a quick hug and a slap on the back. Both of them cleared their throats and looked to their feet.
“I can't believe we're having a baby,” cried Maya jumping up and down.
“Pretty sure Domino will be the one pushing it out,” said Fletcher.
“Gross,” said Braven screwing up his nose.
“I'm going to go check on Domino. They've got her on fluids to try to get her strength back up. You guys can take turns coming to visit when you're ready.” With one more hug from Dad, Lark disappeared through the door.
A baby. Domino was having a baby. And with that our rebel group was about to grow smaller. Domino had been a rock for me and someone to rely on when all of this began. Domino and Lark's presence made me feel safe, like nothing could harm us. I trusted Braven. Lark wouldn't have left him in charge if he wasn't capable of leading us. But I was going to miss them both after everything they'd done for me.
Chapter Twenty
Dad and I stood side by side staring down at the large dark wooden desk in front of us. We were back in Lieutenant Mark's office, and although there were fewer bodies than the last time I'd been in there, the walls pressed in on me as we waited in silence for the Lieutenant.
Behind the desk the dark green wall was quite bare. A ratty looking map of the world hung directly behind it, and it left me wondering what else had survived the fires and floods. Had people managed to save books, maps, history records and photos? Or had they all perished along with the thousands, millions of people who'd died. A shiver ran over my spine catching Dad's attention.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Of course.” I tried giving him a confident smile, but it fell short and he noticed.
“The lieutenant isn't too scary. He's a good man, trying to do good things.”
“I know you and Lark trust him. I've learnt regardless of whether a man thinks he's doing the right thing it doesn't mean he is.” The moment the words escaped my lips I regretted them as Dad's eyes glistened in disappointment. But I didn't have time to tell him I didn't mean to hurt him, two guards strode into the room followed by the stout, broad frame of Lieutenant Marks.
Lieutenant Marks saluted, and both men and my father saluted in response. Awkward and unsure what to do, I nodded my head slightly.
“Take a seat. I'm sorry I kept you. We've been having some issues with a neighbouring community but they've calmed down for now.” He sat down and slid his chair to be closer to his desk.
Dad beckoned for me to sit in one of the chairs in front of us, and I did as he asked, placing my hands in my bouncing lap.
“Are you sure you made the right choice Benjamin? I know she's your daughter but she's awfully nervous.” Lieutenant Marks eyed me over.
“No, I'm not.” My eyebrows pinched in the middle until I realised who I was speaking to and allowed them to relax. “Sorry Lieutenant. I haven't had many people I can trust in my life.”
“Benjamin explained your situation. It must be horrible to find out so much of your life was a lie. But, from what he tells me there are much bigger lies to be dealt with, and you hold the key to uncovering them. I hope it means we can rebuild a functioning civilization once again,” he said.
“What do you plan on doing when we get what we need?” I quizzed him.
“We plan on helping those who no longer want to live on the floating cities rebuild and have freedom of choice once again,” he replied.
“What about my friends, Lark and Domino? What will happen to them while they wait for the baby to arrive?” I asked.
“They'll be given the best medical care we have and be well fed and housed. Lark served me well for years, I'll repay him by looking after his wife and his baby.”
“Excuse my daughter Sir. As she said, she doesn't easily trust…” Dad began.
“Don't worry Benjamin. It's good to see some people are still questioning the world around them. So many have followed and accepted what they were told for so long, it's refreshing to see someone willing to ask the hard questions and fight for the truth.” The lieutenant gave me a reassuring smile and his genuine words eased any worry I'd had.
His heart was in the right place as Dad had said. And although if your heart was in the right place you could still make decisions that could hurt others, I trusted he meant what he said.
“Now, young Aurora. If you've decided you can trust me I'd like to go over our plan for getting your father and yourself onto Eden. Your tenacity has given me much more confidence in your ability to pull this off.”
“Yes. I'm happy to continue.” I settled back into my chair and crossed my legs.
“As I told you yesterday Benjamin, the helicopter can only fit two passengers along with a pilot and Richy to help you get off and on safely. We'll be able to drop you off at one of the flight docks. But there's a catch…”
“Which is?” asked Dad.
“It can't land. It's too unsafe and the docks aren't made for helicopters to land on. You'll be lowered down by harness and rope to one of our insiders who'll be waiting at the dock door for you. His name
is Vault, and he'll ensure you get into the flight dock safely and unseen. We won't know until the last minute when the flight dock will be safe to land both of you, so as of seven am tomorrow morning be ready to leave.”
I gulped and wrung my hands in my lap as my leg began to bounce again. The thought of hanging from a rope underneath a helicopter sent my stomach into a frenzy. Maybe I could convince Dad to take Braven instead. With his training he'd be better suited for the job.
“Once inside Vault will guide you to a safe passage and give you instructions on how to make your way up onto the city and to the science labs. Although, you already have extensive knowledge of the inner workings of Eden.”
“Yes, I know my way through the vents of Eden having had to use them once or twice before,” answered Dad.
Vent's, of course we had to go back into one of those dark, tiny spaces. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my pants.
“Stick close together and find your scientist friend. We'll give you twenty-four hours to get what you need as we discussed yesterday, then you'll need to make your way back to the flight deck ready for Vault to give us the word to come and retrieve you both. If you're successful, you should have the second piece to your puzzle and we'll be able to give you what you need for the next leg of your journey.”
My head grew light as Dad and the Lieutenant continued to talk over the mission. I hadn't told my father the way the sound of the choppers made me want to tear my ears off and hide in a corner, or how small dark spaces made me want to squeeze into a ball and scream. Inhaling a deep breath I squared my shoulders, pushing away the fear. Dad wanted me to go on this mission. He wouldn't have chosen me if he didn't think I was capable. I'd faced so much in such a short amount of time and was stronger and smarter than I'd ever been. I was ready to do whatever was necessary.
* * *
As we walked along the pathway back to our tent after listening to Dad and Lieutenant Marks a new found confidence made me hold my chin a little higher. It wasn't going to be easy, but together I knew Dad and me could complete our mission on Eden.
“Sweetheart are you okay?” he asked.
Eden (Secrets of Aurora Book 2) Page 15