Without anyone else to distract me, I notice this tunnel is warmer than the rest of The Caves. I turn to the side and increase the intensity of my illuminator. The tracks continue on further than my light reaches, all the way back to Securus. As they did the first time I caught a glimpse of this area, the walls stick out to me. The artificially smooth surface is very different than the natural tunnels we use to navigate The Caves. There are hallmarks of human engineering everywhere. Above me there is a darker tone to a section of concrete. The ceiling has been repaired from the staged collapse meant to conceal the true fate of the Soldier Guards.
I turn to look the other way, toward Munitus. The urge to run down the tracks to go to tell them of the lie they are living under nearly propels me forward. Only, I would never make it to them. They are hundreds of miles away. On top of that, Caelum made sure we knew they have increased the number of Soldier Guards along with the frequency of their patrols. Any attempt to use the tracks to reach Munitus would be suicide.
Standing here, staring into the unknown, something catches my eye that we had not noticed before. In the distance, something breaks up the smooth straight lines of the tunnel wall. I take a few steps forward, trying to see what it is. Only after walking a fair distance does the object take shape. A metal ladder is set into the concrete wall. It goes all the way to the top of the tunnel, ending at an exit hatch on the ceiling. Now that I see it, the hatch looks exactly like the one in our exit chamber leading to the Solar Panel fields. The team that staged the Soldier Guards’ bodies did not mention this. My only guess is focusing on their task led them to miss it. I would have not seen the ladder myself if I were not staring so long into the darkness, wondering about Munitus.
Continuing toward the ladder, a muffled thud sends a shiver down my spine and stops me in mid-step. My hand instantly reaches for my illuminator, turning it off. The sound could have been a falling rock, but it also could have been a footstep. I take a deep breath and slowly turn in the direction of the noise. Nothing is there. There are no Soldiers bearing down on me, and no light in the tunnel. I stand motionless for as long as I can bear, listening for any sign of the Soldiers. The only sound that comes is the pounding of my pulse in my ears.
I exhale and cautiously back away from the tracks. The darkness has thrown off my sense of direction, making me question the direction of the end chamber. I do not want to turn my illuminator back on because the light could serve as a beacon to draw the Soldier Guards near. Only, there is no choice. Without it I would be too clumsy and the noise could be as bad as the light. After tuning my illuminator back on to the lowest setting, I turn back toward the end chamber.
Again, a soft thump echoes from within the tunnel. My eyes dart all around. No movement is visible in either direction. The noises are making me paranoid. I go back inside the end chamber and immediately close the tunnel entrance. As soon as the mechanical hum stops, another sound causes me to spin so fast I tangle my feet, almost falling over. This time, the sound is unmistakable. Pounding footsteps are headed for me. It is too late to return to the tunnel or to hide in the supply room. All I can do is wait for the Soldier Guards to show themselves. I stand with my arms crossed in front of me, trying to look like I expected them. Suddenly, this entire trip feels like it was a really bad idea.
Chapter 8
The footsteps are rapidly getting closer. Each step sends another wave of tension through me. Soon, a light approaches. I strain to keep from running away. That would only make things worse. The form behind the light takes the shape of a single man. Instead of the Soldier Guards bearing down on me, Radek has sprinted ahead of the others, making it back much faster than I thought possible. He is persistent, I think to myself. I am starting to like him.
Radek slows down when he sees me standing alone, waiting for him. Little does he know how close I was to running away. Now that I think of it, it should have been obvious who was coming given the direction of the sound. I rub my forehead, irritated by my reaction, while Radek leans over to catch his breath. When the others arrive, the hesitation on both Hadwin and Sayda’s faces is apparent. I understand how they feel. This place has not been kind to us.
“I checked the tunnel. It’s all cleaned up. There’s no sign anything happened at all,” I tell the others.
Before I continue, Hadwin reaches up, activating the rocky lever to open the supply room. The wall grumbles as the door is pulled open. Even though Hadwin looks to be breathing comfortably, he is in a hurry. We know the dangers of this place all too well.
The room inside looks nothing like it did before. Once, it housed piles of electrical equipment and supplies, now everything is gone. The empty shelves and cabinets are a bad sign. They tell me Caelum does not trust this place to be secure. Hadwin and Sayda look through the drawers, confirming they are indeed empty. While they check inside, I wander back into the end chamber, still thinking about the ladder in the tunnel. My thoughts are interrupted by a scraping sound coming from the within walls. There is no way that was made by any of us.
“Hide!” I tell the others while activating the door to the supply room, trapping Hadwin, Sayda, and Nyree inside. Knowing how they will react to my decision, it is probably a good thing a solid wall separates us right now.
“Did you hear that?” I ask Radek.
“I think I heard a voice in the distance,” he says, focused on the retractable wall hiding the tracks. Radek already has his pistol in hand, ready to fight.
I strain to hear anything else, hoping we are wrong about the sounds we heard. Doing my best to keep the both of us calm, I turn to Radek. “Remember what I told you.”
“What did you tell him?” a mechanical voice asks from behind me.
The voice startles me. I spin to face the source with my heart pounding in my throat. There is just enough time to catch a glimpse of the three Soldier Guards standing behind us with their weapons drawn before a massive gun snaps across my face. A bright light overwhelms my vision as my knees buckle, sending me to the ground.
I hear Radek shout, followed by a deep grunt and then a hallow thud. My vision clears in time to see him pinned against the wall by two of the Soldier Guards. The sight quickly becomes obscured by the same massive gun that hit me, now being held nearly against my forehead.
The men wear the same frightening, black body armor as before with the image of an eight pointed Sun burning on their left chest plate. Their faces are again shielded by helmets and a mechanical breathing apparatus. The two Soldiers holding Radek have assault rifles that look identical to the ones the other Soldier Guards carried, but the man in front of me has a different weapon. He carries a hand gun so large it is difficult to see anything else. Even with it so close, I see a row of lights embedded into the side of the gun as well as a red beam pointing at me.
“I was telling him to be calm and not provoke anyone if we were to run into any Soldier Guards,” I tell him, regaining my voice. I tear my eyes away from the enormous gun barrel and look at the man holding it. There is another difference between him and the others. On his left shoulder crouches a black wolf with red and gold highlights, making the image jump out from his dark body armor.
“So, you know who we are,” he snorts. “Tell me, who are you and why should I let you live?”
“My name is Kagen Meldon. I’m the personal advisor to Talia Vaden, head of Leadership. This is Radek, one of our Guards. We’re here to survey the area at Ms. Vaden’s request.” The pace and tone of my words are designed to keep my voice from breaking because of the pain in my jaw.
“I don’t care who authorized it! You’re no longer allowed anywhere near the tracks. We already lost two good men, and I don’t intend to lose another.” The Soldiers moves in, pushing me against the opposite wall from Radek, keeping us completely separated.
“Check the supply room,” the lead Soldier commands one of the others.
They are going to find the others and judging by his behavior so far, that would not end well. The th
ird and shortest of the men breaks off to open the supply room. I have to force my eyes to stay open as he activates the lever. The center of my chest feels like it hallows out as the door retracts, revealing the supply room. To my surprise, it appears empty. They must be hiding behind some of the cabinets. Even so, my friends cannot stay concealed for long. The Soldier walks into the room and slowly looks around. He is going to find them. I have to do something.
“Better make sure he doesn’t get spooked and cause another collapse by shooting around aimlessly like the others did,” I tell the leader with as much arrogance in my voice as I can muster. As soon as the words come out, all three of the Soldier Guards spin back toward me.
“My men do not get spooked!” the leader shouts, grinding his gun into my forehead with enough force to push me back against the wall. My head nearly explodes when hitting the rocky wall. Almost immediately, the warmth of my own blood trickles down the back of my neck. I bite my lip to hold in a pained groan as the leader continues. “You sound like those sniveling little investigators.”
“What’s your real purpose here?” the other Soldier asks Radek. Out of the corner of my eye, the third Soldier stands at attention, watching us. So far, he has not moved any further into the supply room.
“I’m just following orders and babysitting Ms. Vaden’s advisor,” Radek says with disdain.
“Cover this one,” the lead man tells the Soldier in the supply room, pointing at me. He goes to look at Radek more closely. Radek shows no emotion other than irritation for having to watch me. The leader studies him for a couple of seconds before speaking.
“What do you know of this man?” he asks, motioning toward me.
“Only that he was nobody until Ms. Vaden suddenly appointed him as her advisor. Everyone knows he’s just her toy.”
“You would be surprised how much power and influence those with the ear of Leadership can gain. As a Guard, you should remember that,” the leader says, sounding like he is instructing one of his own men.
“Yeah,” the second Soldier snickers. “Look at Braeden Karun. He might as well be the Patron of Leadership.”
“Belvun! Hold your tongue!” the leader snaps. “Radek, I’ll remember you. If Karun sees reason and lets us make Securus pay for what they’ve done to my men, you’ll need a new home. You look like the kind of man we could use. Either way, I’ll see to it that Kagen here doesn’t cause any problems for you.”
“Thank you, sir,” Radek replies, standing at attention.
The Soldiers had been careful not to mention names until the leader slipped. His admonishment is telling. Braeden must have even more power within Caelum than his title suggests. The leader briefly scans the supply room before closing the door. He then turns his attention back to me, standing uncomfortably close.
“And you, I’m going to check on Radek. I expect him to be free of any reprisal for his candor. Be warned, if I see anyone out here again, they’ll be shot on sight. Understood?”
“Understood,” I reply, unable to hide the wince of pain as the back of my head again hits the wall.
He puts his finger in the air, moving it in a circular motion. The Soldiers lower their weapons and return to the tunnels through the main door. They did not come through that entrance to get in here, so there has to be another hidden entrance. That makes this place way too dangerous to ever return to. Since we have gained all the information we could have hoped for, I will not mind staying away from this dreadful chamber.
Once the door is closed, I turn toward Radek. He looks at me with an over-satisfied sense of accomplishment. I ignore it and since the Soldiers are safely gone, open the supply room to get the others. Hadwin and Nyree are in the very back of the room, huddled together behind a tall cabinet. Being the smallest of the group, Sayda was the only one able to fit inside of it. I rush them out of the room, leading them into the tunnel before they ask any questions. We need to move quickly before the Soldiers decide to return and catch us while we are exposed. The others understand the urgency. Each of us silently descends the rock wall. Only when we are safely on the ground level in Merrick’s chamber with the cover of the rumbling falls do I dare break the silence.
“Could you guys hear everything in there?” By the way they are looking at Radek, it is obvious they did.
“Talia’s toy?” Sayda demands of Radek.
“Do you have any idea of what he’s been through?” Nyree adds.
Radek backs away from the angry women, surprised by their reaction.
“Calm down,” I tell them. “It’s not what you think. I told him to act like that.” They all turn to me with their mouths half open, not sure what to say. I turn toward Radek, giving him a suspicious stare. “But I didn’t expect the boy toy part.”
“I was just going with it,” Radek says with a beaming smile.
“I figured since he’s a Guard, the others would be inclined to trust him more if he showed some distance from me. Plus, they would be more likely to underestimate me if I didn’t even have the respect of my own Guard. I think it worked well.” I explain to the others, while checking my throbbing jaw. It hurts to move, but does not feel broken.
“Tricky!” Hadwin says. “But it didn’t sound like they believe the cave-in was an accident at all.”
“They didn’t, but the investigators might. He didn’t seem very fond of their opinions,” I say.
“I don’t like the part about Braeden. Men who go out of the way to seek power are usually the ones who abuse it,” Nyree says.
“Let’s get out of here before they come back,” Sayda says, with her eyes fixed on the platform above.
She is right, even though they have never been seen this far from the tracks, we need to get moving. There is no reason to risk another encounter. It has been an eventful trip and more importantly, no one else was injured. Though it was evident we need to be concerned with the review, there is at least some reason to feel encouraged after what we have learned. The bigger problem is any optimism we might have gained from the Soldier encounter is more than cancelled out by the concern with the metallic box we found.
Before leaving, we use the tools in Radek’s pack to temporarily seal the entrance to Merrick’s chamber. Knowing the Soldier Guards have more than one entrance to this area makes it imperative we do not let any of our people stumble upon it.
On the way back we carefully check for any more cross tunnels to seal off. When satisfied there are none, we stop by the pools again to pick up the box and samples we left earlier. While there, I take the time to wash out my scalp wound and have Nyree staple it closed. Now that we temporarily feel safe again, the mood of the group is noticeably different than it was on the way out here. Nyree walks at a much more relaxed pace and Hadwin jokes the whole way, having recovered from the effects of his spider attack. Radek no longer sticks to my side and somehow keeps ending up next to Sayda. If Hadwin notices this, he does a good job of hiding it. When we get back to the main chamber outside Securus, I pull Radek off to the side.
“What was that about with Cale this morning before we left?” After the trip, I feel comfortable enough with him to question the encounter.
“He was concerned you would cause some trouble with the Soldier Guards. It sounded like his main priority was maintaining our secret.”
Radek’s answer perplexes me. Cale has been the most vocal person calling for us to tell Caelum the truth and plead for leniency. It could be he simply does not want the truth revealed in this manner, but I doubt that was his real concern. He has to have another motive. Whatever his agenda is, I will figure it out and make sure Talia keeps an eye on him.
When we do get back inside Securus, I turn over the box to a research worker and sit in the lounge to rest. After a short debrief, Radek goes to meet with his superiors. Before he does, he makes sure to say goodbye to Sayda. There is a slight blush in her cheeks when he does. She looks down before stealing a glance at Hadwin, who remains oblivious.
Despite his dist
raction, Radek performed well, and I get the sense he is trustworthy. The rest of us stay in the lounge, absorbing the information we obtained and wondering about the purpose of the box we found.
After a while of drifting in my own thoughts, I turn back to the others. In the brighter light, Hadwin’s neck looks much worse. The swelling is spreading and his voice is once again cracking. Our time for reflection is over. We need to get him to the infirmary.
“Sayda, make sure the research workers are careful with that box. I’m gonna get Hadwin up to the infirmary,” I tell her, motioning for Hadwin to get up.
Sayda does not budge. “I’m going with you.”
“I’m fine, you guys need to stop worrying,” Hadwin says, straining to keep control of his voice.
“I’ll check with Research before I go back to the Deep Vents,” Nyree offers, knowing Sayda will not change her mind.
I should have known better. Sometimes when looking at Sayda, I still see the same protective little girl that saved us from Hadwin’s childhood bully. She has always been that way with us. I never knew what made her so protective until recently. After she was shot, I had a chance to share a few private conversations with her father. He reminded me a lot of my mother, carrying his own burden while trying to conceal it from his daughter. There seems to be a lot of that in Securus.
It turns out, not long before the day we met, Sayda’s family was forever changed. She had a sister, Sihu, who was barely a year younger than her. Sihu was a constantly curious child, but had to be careful because she had a medical condition affecting her immune system. Sayda and her sister were close companions until their schooling began to keep them separated more often than not. One day, Sihu was playing with some of the other children when there was an accident. It would have been minor except the resulting wound became infected by a particularly aggressive bacterium. The infection quickly overwhelmed her weak immune system, ultimately leading to her death. Her father told me Sayda never left Sihu’s bedside while she was ill, not even when she passed.
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