“They couldn’t get out. I checked that shed. It was strong. And the girl you were chasing was the runaway.”
“Maybe it was a trick, then,” the guard suggested with sudden hope. “The door was tied shut, but...”
The men didn’t waste any time. They ran to the shed – to find the door wide open. The agent screamed in rage and kicked at the tin wall. The sound vibrated through the forest. He turned to the guard with a roar and waved the machete in his face. “You’re such an idiot! She tricked you! That brat tricked you! They didn’t escape out the back. She led you away and they cut the rope from inside!” The agent suddenly fell into a speechless rage and began to pace wildly back and forth, his movements frenzied.
“Uh, sorry, Boss.” Claude stood with his head lowered and waited patiently. He’d seen the rages before and knew they passed quickly. And afterward, there would be lots of things to do, lots of orders to follow.
The agent stopped abruptly, and his voice was deadly calm as he spoke. “There were two of them on the road. We can bet more ran that way. We’re going to catch them – all of them. You understand? No matter how long it takes, we’re going to catch them.”
The guard nodded meekly.
“But first we’ll take care of that cop.” The agent turned to look in the policeman’s direction. “We can’t have him complicating things. We’ve got to bribe him, pay him to not say anything. Hey, maybe he’ll even help us catch them.”
He smiled at the irony of the situation. They could use the cop to lure the kids in. They’d come running because they’d think they were being saved.
And if the cop refused to cooperate? Well, they’d make him. It might take a little time to convince him, but he had no choice – if he wanted to stay healthy.
But then, why waste the time? They could just take his uniform and pretend to be him. That would be even simpler.
The police officer is unconscious. Quickly, we must move him. We must hide him before they come back. Help me, Domi. Let me lay him across your back. He cannot be left here. He would be at their mercy. And I do not believe they have any mercy to give.
We will go to your girl soon, I promise. As soon as we can.
Giselle raced through the bushes. She had a good head start, but she knew it wouldn’t take the men long to regroup. They’d soon be after her. And when she had her brother with her, safe and sound, they’d need as much of a head start as possible. Robert couldn’t run very fast. Five-year-olds weren’t known for their speed, especially compared to grown men.
After the longest time, the bridge took shape against the moonlit sky. Giselle came to a quick stop. What if the men were waiting for her beneath the gray stone arch? The thought was unreasonable – there was no way they could know the bridge was the prearranged meeting place – but her breath quickened as her eyes searched the shadows beneath.
If only I had a light, she thought. As if the night could read her thoughts and was conspiring against her, a passing cloud suddenly concealed the moon. Intense darkness swamped the terrain. Giselle could hardly see her hand in front of her face.
What do I do now? But she knew what she had to do. There was no point in even wasting time thinking about it. She had to go forward. She took a single step into the blackness. Nothing grabbed her. She took another step. And another. A twig snapped beneath her foot. She stopped, her heart in her throat.
She thought she was near enough to touch the bridge and reached out. The stone was cold beneath her fingers. “Robert?” It was the softest whisper. She stood silent for a long moment. “Robert? Are you there? It’s Giselle.”
There was a sudden explosion of movement and a small form launched from beneath the bridge. The creature hit her mid-thigh and wrapped thin arms around her legs. A sob burst around her.
Giselle choked back her cry of surprise. She recognized the sob and the strength in the skinny body. “Shhh,” she murmured, and put her hand on Robert’s back. “Hush now. It’s okay. I’m here.”
Another sob. Giselle’s eyes shot up to the edge of the bridge. “You have to be quiet, Robert.” She loosened her little brother’s arms from around her legs, knelt before him, and lifted him up into her arms. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” she said in her softest voice.
“They scared me, Zellie.”
“Where’s the girl who brought you here?”
“She had to go with the others. She said you’d come get me.”
The hoarseness in his voice told Giselle he’d been crying a long time. Instant fury flared up inside her. This was her aunt’s fault. She’d done this horrible thing to them both.
“What’re we going to do, Zellie?” whispered Robert. He sounded slightly calmer.
Giselle took a deep breath. Her presence was making him feel safe. He didn’t need to see any expression of her anger. Robert needed one person in his life he could count on to be strong and dependable. She would be that person. “We’re going to find a new home, Robert,” she whispered. “Just you and me, where no one can hurt us again.”
“Promise, Zellie?”
She paused for just a moment and put a gentle hand on his cheek. It was too dark to see his eyes, but she knew she’d be looking into their chocolate-coloured depths if she could see him. “I promise,” she said, fervently. And she’d never meant anything more in her life.
Rage encompassed the man once again when they discovered the policeman was gone. It was all he could do to not strike at Claude. His partner had lost the cop and let the children escape. He was worse than an idiot! Letting a little girl get the best of him!
With a supreme effort, the man controlled his fury. Claude was the only one who would help him. Now if he could find a way to make the man useful. He needed a new plan: first, a way to recapture the children, and then a way to pay Claude back for his incompetence.
But more than anything, he wanted to catch that cursed girl. She was the one who’d caused all this trouble. Everything, all that had happened, was her fault. And she would pay the most of all.
The policeman should be safe here, in this tranquil grove. The surrounding brush is thick. The trees are tall and sheltering. I do not think the wicked man will look for him in this thicket.
I will ask the wild ones to stay away from him as well, to let him rest peacefully. He is still unconscious, but I believe he will wake in a few hours. And when he does, I am sure he will have a terrible headache. Thankfully, it will be no worse than that.
Now Domi, let us go find your girl. We must hurry. I feel a terrible tension in my heart and I believe she is in grave danger – or will be soon – more danger than she has yet seen this night.
Come, we must hurry.
Giselle crawled under the stone arch. She knew they should move on, but she was so tired. Beneath the bridge seemed a safe place to hide, just for a minute or two. She leaned back against the cool stone and pulled Robert onto her lap. The little boy snuggled against her, and she wrapped her arms around his shivering body.
Now that she had her little brother with her, she needed to start on the next phase of her plan. They would go back for Domi – and then what? Telling Robert she would create a safe home for him was a lot different from actually doing it. Where could they go? What would they do?
We could go to the Mont des Enfants Perdus, she thought. She liked the name of that mountain. The Mountain of Lost Children. She laid her cheek against the top of Robert’s head. If any children were lost, she and Robert were.
But it’s different now than when I was thinking of going to the mountains alone, she realized. What if I can’t find enough food for Robert in the wilderness? And can I find or build a home that’ll keep us safe from humans and wild animals? She shuddered. Or from worse? There were recent rumours of zombies living on the Mont des Enfants Perdus. Could they be true?
Maybe we should go to the city instead, she considered. There, they could at least hide among all the other homeless people, all the other orphans. But finding enough food for
Robert in a place where she would have to compete for every scrap would be almost impossible. She’d heard that destitute children were forced to steal there, just to eat. What if Robert grew up to be a thief?
If only she had another option – almost any option would do. Her mind turned reluctantly back to the whistling man. What if they went back and begged him and his wife to take them in?
Stop it! she commanded herself. That won’t work. Aunty will just come to get us, or the child labour agent will come. If the man even says yes, which he won’t! Tears brimmed in her eyes. There was no use thinking of ever having a happy, normal family again. It would never happen.
Robert’s breath had become slow and deep. Giselle shifted him a little on her lap, relieved he was able to sleep. She would have no such luxury this night. Long before dawn touched the sky, she would have to make her decision. But how could she? How could she choose when the results of her decision would alter their lives forever? Her choice would actually dictate the kind of man Robert would grow to be.
Giselle stared into the darkness, her eyes haunted. In her mind, the future spread before her like a blank canvas, and the only things she could think to paint on it were horrifying.
The men are right behind us, following her trail as well. The lead man is a very good tracker, even though the batteries in his flashlight are low. We are fortunate, Domi. If the beam were brighter, he might see us. We must go faster, and do it soundlessly, without leaving sign of our passing.
You say she is there, beneath the bridge? You can smell her scent. And someone is with her, someone you do not know.
We must get her away from this trap, as quickly as we can. We have no time to lose. They are almost upon us.
The girl was close. He could feel it, though he wasn’t sure how. It was as if he had a connection to her, ever since holding her there on the road.
He scowled and reached down to rub his sore knee. That’s probably the connection, he thought wryly. Either that, or I’m so close I can smell her fear.
He smiled. He liked the thought of her being afraid. Of them all being afraid. When the brats were back under his control, he would be a happy man. And they would be under his control again. Of that, he had no doubt.
Giselle leaned her head back against the cold stone. Maybe if she rested a little longer, the decision would become clear. She could spare a few more minutes. The men didn’t know she was there – if they were looking for her at all. She shut her eyes.
“Hello? Domi’s girl?”
The voice was gentle but Giselle almost leapt out of her skin. Robert woke with a start. “Zellie?” he murmured, his mind still clouded with sleep.
“Who’s there?” Giselle’s voice trembled. Robert whimpered on her lap.
“Come with me. Hurry. There is no time to explain.”
“Who are…?”
A soft nicker interrupted her.
“Domi?” Giselle’s mouth dropped open. “Madame Celeste? But how…”
“Hurry,” the voice said again, more insistently. “They are coming.”
Giselle needed no more encouragement. She crawled from under the bridge with Robert right behind her. When she straightened, her eyes fastened on the pony’s pale silhouette. It was Domi! But the form standing at his side was much smaller than Madame Celeste. “Come,” the girl whispered. “Climb onto his back.”
She’s the girl on the road, Giselle realized, suddenly recognizing the voice. The one who called for help! She lifted Robert onto the pony’s thin back and sprang up behind him. The girl melted into the night before them, and the pony stepped eagerly after her. Swiftly, they moved away from the bridge.
Suddenly, the night seemed unnaturally quiet. Giselle could hear the soft sound Domi made moving through the undergrowth, and the crackling of something heavy stumbling through the bushes behind them, but still the night seemed too silent. It took her a moment to realize that the drums had finally ceased.
Abruptly the noises behind them stopped as well, and men’s voices took their place. Were they at the bridge? Fear constricted Giselle’s chest, and she tightened her arms around her brother. They’d almost been caught! She bent to whisper in the little boy’s ear, “Don’t say anything, Robert. Nothing at all.” His body moved in her arms as he nodded his head.
The voices faded quickly in the distance. They were leaving the men behind. Soon Giselle could hear nothing but Domi walking through the bushes. Even the girl in front was as silent as a shadow. Giselle drew a deep, relaxing breath. Once again, the mysterious girl had saved her, and this time Robert too. She owed her everything – her and Robert’s lives, even.
“Try to sleep,” she whispered to her little brother. “I’ll hold you onto Domi’s back.”
The little boy laid his head against her arm. “Night, Zellie,” he murmured.
Giselle felt his body relax against hers, and within minutes, his soft rhythmic breath eased around her. With her brother safe in her arms, Giselle’s thoughts turned back to the shadowy person that walked in front of them. Who was she? Where did she come from? How did she know Domi? And how did she know they needed help?
There were no answers, yet a warm feeling spread through Giselle’s body. Someone had cared enough to help her and Robert. They were not alone after all.
The night had long been silent and Robert long asleep when Giselle heard movement coming from behind them. She held her breath. A twig snapped. Something brushed against some leaves.
“Someone’s following us,” she whispered to the girl. It was the darkest time of night now, just before dawn, and Giselle wasn’t even sure the girl was still there. She couldn’t hear her, and all she could see was the faint glimmer of Domi’s light gray withers, neck, and ears as he walked steadily onward.
“Yes, I know.” The girl’s voice floated back to her. “There is no need to worry.”
Giselle tried to relax but it was impossible. Trying not to disturb Robert, she craned her neck around. Everything behind Domi was saturated by night. She couldn’t see a thing. But she could hear, and the sounds were becoming more definite. Some thing – no – some things were following them.
She swallowed nervously and looked up at the star-studded sky. If only the moon hadn’t set. Or dawn would hurry and come. Despite her best efforts, a vision of the restavec agent and the guard, reaching to grab her, leapt into her mind. But that’s stupid, she chided herself. These sounds are different. Maybe its wild animals! Or zombies! This thought sent a jolt of terror down Giselle’s spine, and her arms tightened around Robert.
“Mama,” he muttered in his sleep.
Giselle forced herself to loosen her hold and take a deep, calming breath. If whatever’s following us wanted to attack, it would’ve done it by now, she rationalized. There’s no reason to panic. I hope.
She’d foiled them at the bridge, having taken off just moments before they got there. He knew they’d almost caught her because the ground was still slightly warm where she’d been resting.
Then, after the bridge, she’d become more difficult to track – at least until he saw the pony’s hoof prints and realized she was riding. This girl was clever. Somehow finding a pony to ride. Could it be the one from the canvas shack? But when he’d seen her in town, she didn’t have a pony with her. It didn’t make sense.
The irritation of failing flashlight batteries interrupted his thoughts. Finally, when the light became too weak to see by, they were forced to stop and wait for daylight. The agent ripped some branches from the nearby bushes, shook them to rid them of any unwanted creatures, and made himself a bed. He lay down and wrapped his arms around himself for warmth, thankful the guard was still too ashamed to say much.
The agent listened as Claude tossed and turned, then he rolled over and tried to shut out the noise. He was tired, more so than he’d been for a long while, and he needed the rest. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
But even after Claude started snoring, he couldn’t sleep. It was the girl’s fa
ult. He had too many questions about her, questions with no answers.
When he finally drifted off it was to dream of the girl – running, looking back, and beckoning him on. When he finally caught her, she was whispering to the black dog. He went up to grab her, but she slipped out of his grasp. The dog started barking.
And suddenly the man realized it wasn’t barking, it was laughing at him. And then the girl was laughing too. And the pony stood behind them, laughing as well. Even Claude was there, pointing at him and calling him a coward. Mocking him. It was not a restful sleep.
The night was quickly fading away. When Giselle could make out the shadowy form of the girl walking in front of Domi, she turned to look behind again.
They were being followed – but not by men, wild animals, or zombies. The shadowy forms behind them were small and thin. A whisper reached her ear. A child’s voice. They were being followed by children. It took only moments for Giselle to realize who the children were – the escaped restavecs. Somehow, though it seemed impossible, they’d found her, Domi, Robert, and the strange girl in the dark of night and followed them to safety.
When the new sun peeked over the horizon, the fiery light caught their leader and her hair lit up like a flare in the sudden brightness. Giselle’s eyes opened wide in surprise. She’d never seen hair so beautiful! And she could tell she wasn’t alone in her amazement. From behind her came soft exclamations of awe.
“Hey, who are you?” she called out. “What’s your name?”
The girl glanced back – and Giselle’s arms tightened around Robert again. The strange girl’s eyes were the colour of molten gold, a vibrant rich colour that glowed from deep within. “My name is Angelica,” she said and turned again to stride through the brush. Domi stepped after her without hesitation.
Slave Child (Horse Guardian) Page 5