“You bastards, you killed him!” Sayda shouts to the men on the other side of the stream.
“What do you think you’re trying to do to us?” A voice yells back.
I know that voice. “We’re stopping you from killing us all, Aamon,” I respond with a condescending tone, making sure he knows who hunts him. My hands clench down on the loose dirt, wishing it was his neck they were strangling. Aamon’s treachery knows no bounds. There is only one way it will ever end. It may not be what Talia would do, but watching another man die at Aamon’s hands is more than I can take. I will end this, I promise myself.
“You’re so misguided, Kagen. Soon I’ll make you see the truth. You’ll all realize I was right all along,” Aamon shouts through the trees.
“I can circle around and ambush them if you keep him talking,” I tell Nyree while removing Edric’s holstered gun and attaching it to my waist. By the startled look on her face, she must know what I intend to do.
“You know you’re the best one to do that,” Radek tells me. He may be right, but I cannot. I have to stop Aamon now. When seeing the look in my eye, he stops trying to convince me. “If you’re set on this, then I’m going with you.”
“Alright, let’s go.” I am already on my feet, my eyes searching for the best path to take. Before we go, I turn back to the others. “Just insult and talk down to him. He thinks he’s better than us so any disrespect infuriates him. Maybe you should tell him what you really think of him, Sayda.”
With that, Radek and I set off to flank their position and do what should have been done long ago.
Chapter 24
Radek and I move back down the trail before heading downstream as soon as the terrain opens up. The ground is thick with smaller plants here, making it more tedious to travel. We are careful to be quiet and listen for the constant yells from the others, continuously taunting Aamon. For a while he shouts back, but eventually he stops. Either Aamon is getting too upset with them or realizes they are stalling him.
“We need to cross now. If he isn’t responding anymore they might be getting ready to move,” I tell Radek.
We cut through the plants toward the water. Before reaching the stream, our path is blocked by an eight foot drop-off. That’s why the other trail to the water is so well worn. It’s the best way to get to the water, I think to myself. I go to the edge, looking for a way down. An old, thick tree is perched on the edge of the cliff. Its roots cascade over the side, down into the ground below.
“We can use the roots to get down,” I tell Radek while positioning myself to climb down.
The tangled roots and vines are good handles, making the climb down easier than anticipated. Once on the ground below, we are faced with a much larger stream than before. The water is now thirty feet across and looks much deeper. With the change in size and speed, it does not even look like the same stream. Right now, that does not matter. We need to get across it and head back upstream.
“Any ideas on how to get across?” Radek asks purposely standing far away from the water. He has a hint of apprehension I have not seen on him before.
“Not any good ones. Hope you can swim,” I tell him with a pat on the shoulder.
The pained look on his face as he stares at the stream makes me think he is afraid of the water. His trepidation is understandable, the force of the moving water could easily carry us away if we are not careful. Not to mention the added difficulty of having to keep the guns dry.
As I take my first step into the stream, a confusing mixture of voices, footsteps, and splashes of water comes from upstream. We both stop to look as the sounds get closer and louder. If we are lucky, maybe Aamon and Ardal are running this way to escape from the others. It could be the other way around but that would also work, since they would be leading the traitors into an ambush.
As they continue to get closer, another sound adds to the garbled mix. The sound gets louder, becoming distinctive from the others. To my horror, a ferocious inhuman growl bounces across the wide banks of the stream.
“What the hell is that?” Radek asks as we both get our guns ready.
“Don’t know,” I say tersely, watching for whatever made the terrifying sound.
Soon, we see movement on the bank of the stream. They are coming toward us. My hand fights to keep the aim of my gun steady against the adrenaline pulsing through me in anticipation of the danger. At first it looks like an amorphous blob lumbering toward us, but as they get closer the figures become distinct. Hadwin, Sayda and Nyree are sprinting out front, fleeing from something. Not long after I see them, the traitors round the bend in pursuit.
When they get a little closer I make out Aamon, Ardal and Danyor as the pursuers. I should have known he would be involved, I think to myself while aiming my gun. They are too close together to give me a clear shot now. I follow them with my gun, waiting for my chance.
Aamon is the target I want, but he runs directly behind Nyree, making the shot impossible. Ardal runs beside him with awkwardly uncoordinated strides. Danyor follows them on the far edge. He already appears out of breath, though his strides remain steady. His determination surprises me. Danyor is the oldest of the group with thinning blonde hair in a comb-over, flapping with every plodding step.
Something feels off about the sight in front of me. Not only does none of them seem capable of making the feral sound I heard, something else just feels wrong about them. I shake off the thought when Danyor veers further off to the side to clear a large rock in his path. The movement gives me an open shot. I take a deep breath and squeeze the trigger. My bullet hits Danyor in the leg, sending him tumbling to the ground. His momentum causes him to roll multiple times before coming to a stop in the dirt. The wound will not be fatal, but it will keep him incapacitated long enough for us to deal with the others.
I prepare to aim for one of the other two men, but as I do, another blur of movement comes into view behind them. Now it finally hits me why this spectacle seemed so wrong. The look on their faces is not the anger you would expect from a vicious foe, it is outright terror. They are not running after us, they are running away from something else. My animosity for them clouded my judgment, making me ignore the animal sounds.
Now that I listening again, the growling gets louder. Soon after, a pack of wolves becomes distinct. Five of them run in pursuit of the others. The wolf in front has fur as black as the depths in The Caves. Even on all four feet, the ferocious animal stands almost as tall as Sayda. The wolves next to it are nearly as big. They have grey fur with white faces teeming with sharp teeth.
“We need to get back up that bank!” I tell Radek, finally realizing what is happening.
The wolves rapidly gain on my friends. We have no chance of outrunning them. Our only chance is to get too high for them to reach. I climb back up the roots of the old tree. My hand slips as I near the top causing me to drop slightly. Radek is right behind me and pushes me back up with astonishing strength. When we are back on the high perch, I yell out to our friends.
“Get over here, we’ll pull you up!” I mentally will them to move faster.
“Why did the wolves run past Danyor?” Radek asks, confused by their relentless pursuit.
“I don’t care, we just need to get the others up here,” I tell him, keeping focused on my friends.
If the wolves get too close, we can shoot them. Though I do not think my aim is good enough to hit something moving as fast as they are. It does not take long for the pack of wolves to catch up to Ardal and Aamon. I was hoping the traitors would keep them occupied enough for the rest of us to get away, but to my utter bewilderment, the wolves keep running past them.
When I realize why they did, a sickening sense of doom overwhelms me. The wolves are not hunting. Like my friends, they are also trying to escape something. A flash of tawny brown fur and rippling muscles leaps through the air, landing on Danyor. He briefly screams as the beast sinks its massive teeth into him, silencing his cry. The beast looks like a mountain li
on but is far bigger than the descriptions of them I have read. It easily dwarfs the wolves in sheer size. But why would they be so afraid of one beast when there are five of them?
Then, answering my question, two more of the terrifying beasts explode from the cover of the forest, converging on the group. The wolves are now passing Nyree, desperately fleeing from the pack of larger predators. Hadwin and Sayda are getting close to us, but do not look like they can keep up their pace much longer. The fear and helplessness I feel watching them run makes my heart race as fast as it would if I was the one running. Behind them, Aamon makes use of his newly toned muscles and is nearly next to Nyree. He sees us up here and heads straight for our platform.
The second mountain lion springs up into the air, aiming for Ardal with its razor sharp claws extended. The beast is as agile and graceful as it is vicious. Its intense eyes never waver from its prey as it sinks its claws and teeth into his flesh before he can even scream. There is a muffled snap as Ardal’s neck breaks under the force of the animal’s bite. The third mountain lion has not yet found its meal and closes in on the rest of our group with remarkable speed.
The wolves are far past Hadwin and Sayda now, who are barely reaching the base of our tree. Radek and I reach down to pull Sayda up while Hadwin lifts her from below. This spot feels a lot less safe now. We were counting on the wolves not being able to jump this high, but those beasts are more than capable of it. Hadwin grabs the roots and tries to climb. His frantic movements are ineffective, causing him to fall back to the dirt.
“Common, Hadwin,” I plead with him. “Grab my hand, I’ll help you up.”
He ignores me, climbing again on his own. This time he forces his movements to slow down and makes it to the top. Nyree is almost to us. She does not seem to notice Aamon closing in behind her. All she sees is her target ahead. The beast rapidly closes in on them both.
“They’re not gonna make it!” Sayda shouts.
Radek aims his gun and fires. His shot hits the mountain lion but does not slow it. The animal surges forward and crouches to leap at its prey. Aamon now runs shoulder to shoulder with Nyree. With a deep grunt, the mountain lion launches itself through the air at them, its teeth and claws ready to tear into their flesh. I shoot at it, emptying my gun of the remaining bullets. The force of the bullets piercing the animal’s hide does not alter its leap. Only ten yards from the base of the tree, the mountain lion lands on Nyree, crumbling her to the dirt.
“No!” I shout and jump toward the roots, intending to climb down to get to her.
Radek grabs my arm to stop me. In desperation to help Nyree, I shove him away. Before I get loose, Hadwin comes to help Radek. Their combined strength anchors me in place. I cannot move and my eyes cannot look away from the horror in front of me. Nyree’s lifeless body is being dragged off by the now limping beast. The mountain lions have finished their hunt and are retreating into the woods with their prize.
Radek and Hadwin let me go, but my body refuses to move. I cannot believe they have taken Nyree. The strong woman who saved my life multiple times is gone, and I could not help her. Oppressive thoughts explode into my mind. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have involved her in this. I know how much she hates the surface. She would’ve been okay if she didn’t have that damn limp, and even that’s my fault. She got it saving me! The thoughts pummel me with guilt. My head drops to the ground. Tears blur my vision. The wretched trees above seem to be mocking me with the slow, swaying dance of their leaves. The surface has brought me nothing but pain and misery.
“She should’ve been faster,” Aamon says snidely as he joins the rest of us on the plateau, ignoring the gun Radek has aimed at him.
My strength instantly returns as I leap from the ground. I aim my gun and pull the trigger, forgetting all the bullets have been spent. The sight of my gun keeps Sayda from attacking Aamon long enough for me to charge first. My vision goes dark. All I feel is the force of my fists pounding away at him. My mind rejects all thought or reason. The pain of my blinding rage consumes me. I continue to fight even when four strong hands pull me off of him. Unable to reach Aamon, I lash out at them as they pin me against the tree.
“Kagen, you have to stop!” Radek orders me.
“Get off me!” I shout, fighting against their grips to go back to finish Aamon.
“Not like this, Kagen, not like this,” Hadwin repeats into my ear.
Ignoring their words, I continue to fight my way back to Aamon.
“Kagen, Aamon will pay, but let Talia make sure he suffers,” Sayda pleads. Her surprising words halt my resistance. She is always the one reacting to emotion and anger, but now she is trying to calm me down.
I stop fighting. Aamon lies on the ground, the left side of his face deformed by the swelling already forcing his eye closed. Blood streams down his cheek from the gash over his swollen eye. Despite him barely clinging to consciousness, he does not look angry or afraid. He was hoping for a fast way out of this and I almost gave it to him. All of his co-conspirators have been caught or killed leaving him alone and unable to reach his goal. He is broken and, in a last act of defiance, was attempting to take me down with him.
“Okay, you can let me go now,” I tell Hadwin and Radek. “You’re right, Sayda. I don’t want to make it easy on him. He deserves much worse, and we’ll make sure he gets it.”
Now that I am able to think clearly again, my thoughts return to the loss of Nyree. I almost fall back to the ground from the guilt. The only thing keeping me on my feet is knowing we need to get back to Securus before any other animals show up and make our situation even worse.
As we prepare to leave, I am stricken with a nauseating foreboding. With everything that has happened, I am not even sure which way Securus is. We ran out here so fast, relentlessly chasing Aamon and his conspirators, that we were not careful enough to mark our path. We weaved through so many trees and areas without a formed trail that finding our way will not be easy. To make matters worse, it is getting into the late afternoon, and none of us have eaten. I am not hungry but after what we have been through, both physically and emotionally, our energy is waning. We need to make it back before dark and while we still have enough strength to continue.
“We should retrace our steps. Plus, we need to bring back Edric for a proper funeral,” I say, hiding my apprehension. The direction Radek and I used to come here is rough and would be cumbersome. “We need to move fast, so I think we should walk along the stream.”
Hadwin looks to the stream and back again, hesitant to go. But Radek and Sayda both agree. They realize the urgency for us to return quickly. Even if we will be in the open, the wolves and mountain lions are long gone for now. The sounds of the forest have returned to normal, as if nothing ever happened. The only reminders left of the attack are our beaten spirits and the blood stains mixed into the mud.
“Good luck with that,” Aamon says, refusing to move.
“You’re coming, even if I have to encourage you every step of the way,” Sayda says with a low voice while pulling out Radek’s knife to emphasize her grave intent.
Aamon does not move, so Sayda shoves the knife into his stomach hard enough to pierce the skin, but not deep enough to cause significant damage. He jumps back from the knife’s point, immediately turning to follow me. Even if he momentarily had a death wish, I think he has already changing his mind, knowing the pain Sayda would inflict with the knife.
We all climb back down to the stream. I lead the group while Radek keeps guard in back. Normally I would not turn my back to Aamon, especially out here, but with the others all watching him there is no danger. Besides, I can barely look at him without succumbing to the overwhelming urge to finish what I started.
The relatively flat and bare ground here makes travel much easier than in the forest itself. It feels like a blade plunges into my chest as we walk past the spot where the beast attacked Nyree. I will miss you, Nyree, I think to myself as we continue on. Physical and emotional fatigue sets in. The
effects of dehydration are showing with my muscle’s weakness and lips that crack from the dryness. We all need water. I want to stop to drink from the stream, only we have no time to spare, and no way to purify the water. There will be all the water we need waiting for us when we get back to Securus.
The group stays quiet. No one wants to talk about what happened. All we want is to keep moving and get back inside Securus. Soon, we reach the trail leading back to our path through the forest. This is where we first encountered Aamon’s group. It is where he shot Edric. I try to suppress my anger and continue on. We walk up the path to the large rocks, only to find Edric’s body is gone. A faint blood trail mixed with gouges in the ground lead to the trees. His body must have been dragged into the forest by another predator.
I think of Taig’s expedition. They did not run into these beasts, but then again, they left from the opposite side of the Solar Panel fields. Their territory might not extend to that location. More than likely, he was simply lucky. After all, he did see the wolves running from something. After what just happened, I am sure the same creatures were doing the chasing. It is hard to think returning in his severely dehydrated and delirious state was fortuitous, but it is a lot better than what happened today.
“This forest is more dangerous than I ever imagined,” Hadwin mumbles when seeing that Edric is gone.
“That’s not by accident,” Aamon says before letting out a pained yelp as Sayda silences him with the tip of her knife.
“Wait.” I motion for Sayda to let him speak, “What do you mean?”
“Securus tried to colonize the surface before, but Caelum has multiple layers of control. The food dependency is only one layer. Another method they developed is the animals. They genetically altered them to be bigger and more aggressive. Their presence made it too risky to venture out into the forest. The numbers of the animals have decreased, but as we found out, some of them remain,” he answers in a matter-of-fact tone.
The Controller (The Securus Trilogy Book 2) Page 24