I straighten. "Let's go."
His eyes lock with mine. He nods once then turns and runs. My father and I stay close behind him, sprinting for the hangar my mother had escaped through earlier. The trail is muddy, and I have to be mindful of my steps.
"Could you get there faster if you fly?" I call up to him.
"If I could, I would already be in the air." His voice is strained.
"I need to say something," I say, the words barely slipping past a lump in my throat.
"It can wait," Colt calls back.
I open my mouth to argue, but father shakes his head and says quietly, "Later."
My chest tightens at holding in my betrayal. HOPE's most guarded secret, and I spilled it to the enemy. My steps slow, and I inhale a shaky breath.
Behind me, a loud siren goes off. Anthony must be trying to organize everyone. I wish there was time to find Link and tell him in person what's going on. He's going to be worried about his family. I pick up my pace.
By the time I reach the hangar and scramble up the ramp of the hovercraft, Colt already has it running. Tank is there too with several Primes. I'm surprised they beat us here, although I shouldn't be. My father is pacing in the center console.
"We will be there in thirty minutes," Tank says. "We need to call Rafe. It's time."
My father stops moving, and his face pales. "Rafe? Already?"
"Who's Rafe?" I ask, wringing my wet hair.
Tank flares his nostrils. "We should've talked to him weeks ago and maybe this could've been prevented. Clearly someone's betrayed us within our close circle, and when I find out who, there's going to be hell to pay."
My father's gaze meets mine. Of all the mistakes I've made, this is the worst.
"I'll go call Rafe now," my father says and walks out the opening. I wish he would stay. It would be nice to have his support when I confess.
"Get Anthony in on that call!" Tank calls after him.
I'm about to turn around to spill everything to Tank when a hatch opens in the floor beneath me. Several Primes climb out from the belly of the ship where the weapons are kept. I recognize them as being some of our best fighters. There are several Dresden's with their black and blue hair and even a Peccarian, the first of his kind that I've seen fighting with us.
The room grows increasingly crowded, so much so that I feel the familiar pressure on my chest, making it difficult to breathe. I gaze toward the ceiling and focus on my breathing. When that doesn't work, I make a break for the cockpit. There will at least be windows there.
I fling the door open wide and slam it behind me, gasping for breath.
Colt jumps in his chair behind the yoke of the hovercraft and glances back at me. "What's wrong?"
I take two steps to the window, wishing desperately it would open despite the storm outside. "Crowded out there," I manage to say.
He presses a button on the panel in front of him. "This might help."
A blast of cold air from above ruffles my hair. I suck in deeply. It may not be fresh air, but it helps.
"We will deal with whatever is out there," Colt says, his gaze focused on the endless darkness outside the window. "I promise."
I nod, but as soon as my breathing regulates, I ask, "Who's Rafe?"
His mouth tightens. "They’re calling him, aren't they?"
"Who is he?"
"He runs the resistance in the West."
"They have one?" I ask incredulously. We rarely hear what is happening to the west side of the country as the Institute controls the media. Even travel to the other side is restricted to a single train that requires special permission from the government, or really the Institute, to board. As far as everyone on the East is concerned, the West is just another country, one you never hear about anymore.
"Their resistance is much bigger than ours," Colt answers. "They've taken over entire cities from the Institute's control."
I stare at him, wide-eyed. "How many are there?"
"In the northwest, they have dozens of free cities. They lie just outside Aurora, one of the country’s biggest cities."
"I've never heard of it," I say.
"You wouldn't have, but to those in the West, Aurora is the new capitol. They don't recognize Washington D.C. anymore."
I drop into a nearby chair, stunned. "How long have you known about this?"
"About a year ago Rafe made contact with your father. He heard of HOPE and wanted to join forces, but our side was nowhere near ready. Too many Primes believed in what the Institute was trying to do, but then you came along and everything changed. You made me believe there was hope for our future. That we could change, or more specifically, that I could change."
"It wasn't me," I whisper.
He finally glances away from the darkness. "It was you."
It's my turn to look away. "I have changed things, but not for the better."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's my mother…" I begin, but then the door opens.
"How much longer?" Tank asks.
Colt glances down at the control panel. "We're about thirty miles out. Maybe ten minutes."
"Can you go any faster?" Tank leans over his shoulder as if to check for himself.
"I'm going as fast as I can."
"Stop!" I say, my voice louder than I intend, but I can't lose my nerve. They need to know what I did.
Both men turn to me.
"I have to tell you what I did." My head aches something fierce, but I continue, "Eden's in trouble because of me. I'm the one who gave away the location."
Tank tenses, and Colt's brow furrows.
"I don't believe it," Colt says.
"You betrayed us?" Tank growls and steps toward me.
"I— I didn't mean to," I stutter and slide the chair backward. Tank has never looked scary to me before, but he's so tall and wide, with muscles flexed tight like he wants to smash through the window that I can't help but cower.
Colt slams his open palm onto a button, then jumps to his feet to stand between me and Tank. "I'm sure there's a really good reason. Sage would never betray Originals, especially Max, so back off and let her explain!"
They turn to me and wait for an explanation.
Pain racks my chest so hard I think my heart might break. My mother beat and killed Originals. She betrayed me and sent the Institute after Eden. She let me cry on her shoulder while I spilled everything.
"What happened, Sage?" Tank asks, his tone threatening.
I blink back tears and tell them everything. They will be angry, but I deserve whatever wrath they choose to give me. "My mother. I saw her. She was one of the people in charge of Enfield, and she rounded up all the Originals to look for me. When they didn't know anything, she whipped one of them. I thought they were making her do it, and if she didn't, they would punish her. I couldn't stand to watch what she was doing, so I called out to her. She took me to this amazing house people only dream about, and then… and then… she was hugging me, and I had thought she was dead all this time, but suddenly I was back in her arms, safe and loved. Before I knew it, I was telling her everything and how we would save her and take her away from that place forever." I rub the heal of my palm against my chest. "Then she let me go, packed her things, gave an order to terminate the program with the Originals. She had a guard grab me and follow her to the hangar. She wanted me to go with her, but I got away."
I look up at each of them, hoping to see some kind of understanding in their eyes. "I didn't mean to… I would never deliberately hurt anyone."
Tank's breathes hard through his nose. "I suffered through unimaginable torture to protect Eden's location!"
Colt turns to him, surprised.
I jump to my feet. "So did I, remember?"
Tank steps toward me. "Then why did you give it up so easily?"
I don't know how to answer him.
"None of this matters now," Colt says. He presses the same button he pressed earlier and lowers into the seat, his hands resting on the yoke. "It hap
pened. All we can do now is save whoever's left. Go check on the men, Tank. We're almost there."
Tank gives me one last look before he leaves. The pressure in the room is almost suffocating. I tilt my face up so it lies directly beneath the stream of cool air.
"I'm so sorry, Colt," I whisper.
"Oh no," he says, his tone changing. "No, no, no."
I lower my gaze. "What is it?" I step to him and peer out the wide window. A wide plume of smoke billows up in the distance. My legs grow weak. "Tell me that isn't Purgatory Island."
He presses and holds a button and says, "Tank, send Jess up here now. I'm bailing early."
He slams the hovercraft into autopilot again and rushes from the cockpit. I hurry after him, my heart pounding.
"What's going on?" Tank asks him when we reach the center of the ship.
A tall Prime walks quickly by Colt toward the cockpit. Colt calls after him. "Hey Jess! Lower the ramp as soon as you get in there."
Jess nods and disappears.
"Purgatory Island is on fire," Colt says to Tank and several other Primes who have all gathered together. "I'm going to go investigate. When this thing lands, prepare to fight."
"Take me with you," I say to him, but he's already opened the hatch leading to the lower bay and moving down the ladder.
I scramble after him. When I reach the bottom, I say, "I'm going with you."
He stands shirtless with his back to me, staring into a raging storm as the ramp lowers. Cold wind and rain rushes in and twists all around us.
"Colt!" I yell. "Take me with you!"
He glances back at me. "I can't risk you getting hurt too."
He sprints down the ramp and jumps from the plane in a dive position. His black wings explode outward and lift him out of my view. I'm half tempted to jump from the plane too. I know Colt would catch me, but he's right. I’d slow him down or somehow prevent him from saving Max and the others. I cry out in frustration.
A warm hand presses down on my shoulder. I turn around. My father stands in front of me, brows drawn together and eyes brimming with tears. It's an emotion I haven't seen in him in a long time. By his expression, I know he's feeling the same hopeless feeling as I am.
I throw my arms around him. He holds me back just as fiercely. Wind roars through the bay, twisting my hair up and around.
"He's going to be okay!" he says loudly.
He continues to hold me as the ramp rises back into position. In that small moment, I feel the love from him that I thought was gone. And in return, the love I have for him blooms once again.
A few seconds later Tank and the others descend the ladder. My father lets me go and reaches behind his back for something.
"Just in case," he says and hands me an older-looking handgun.
It feels heavy in my palm.
"You remember how to use it?"
It's been a long time since I've shot one, but I haven't forgotten. I nod my head, the weight of the gun heavy in my grip.
"How did they get to Eden so fast?" I ask.
"I'm not sure, but it's worrisome. It's like they had an army waiting."
This thought scares me. What else don't we know about the Institute?
No one says anything as the craft lowers. The tension in the room is palpable. Several of the Primes are shifting their weight back and forth and opening and closing their hands. There are no windows down here to give us an idea of what we're about to face. My heart races. I roll my shoulders back and try to relax. I need to stay focused. Fortunately, I'm too worried about Max to have any sort of a panic attack right now.
The craft jerks a little when we land, and the ramp begins to lower. An orange haze glows. Fires are burning, lots of them despite the rain, which means the Institute is using some kind of fire exhilarant. That's not even the most alarming part. The sounds filling the bay are worse. Screams, gunshots, flames burning. I stumble backwards. What have I done?
"Go!" Tank yells before the ramp is fully on the ground.
Primes explode from the ship at full speed.
"Come on!" my father says to me. "We have to find Max!"
He pulls me forward until I find my legs. Both of us stop just outside, shocked by what we see. Eden is entirely engulfed in flames, including many of the wooden buildings. Their metal roofs have collapsed inward. Rain only makes the smoke worse.
People are fighting everywhere and not just against each other. Several Institute guards have surrounded a giant Tortiz and are attempting to kill it. Other creatures have also breached Eden's wall and run freely, either attacking people or running from others. In the distance, there are three Institute hovercrafts much larger than ours. In one of them, giant Titans are herding Originals onto a ramp while other guards have guns pointed outward protectively. Tank and the others attempt to work their way over, but half of them are busy warding off the island's creatures, while the others are in a firefight with Institute guards.
Wiping water from my eyes, I search the skies for Colt, but the clouds are too dark and the smoke too thick.
"This way," my father says and pulls me behind the craft and toward the tree line where we can move undetected. It seems like the obvious thing to do, but it may be more dangerous out there then near all this fighting. I'm thinking specifically of my encounter with the shadow creatures that killed Layla the last time I was on this island. It was night then, but all of this noise and easy prey could draw them in, exactly as Jerry said it would do. I search the grounds for an alternate route, but find nothing promising.
As soon as we reach the edge of the forest, I stop my father.
"What are you doing?" he whispers. "We have to keep going!"
"Quiet!" I order.
He frowns, probably because he's not used to me ordering him around, but remains silent.
I listen closely, trying to hear over the sounds of yelling, gunfire and the storm. Twigs are snapping nearby, and I think I see a shadow dart behind a tree. We're definitely not alone. My father hears the sounds too and straightens.
"What's out there?" he asks.
"They don't have a name," I say. "But they are smart and deadly. Just keep your eyes on the trees and stay quiet. Move quickly." I take his hand and step side-to-side, my back toward the fighting, and my eyes on the forest.
I take a quick second to glance behind me toward where Institute guards are rounding up Originals. We’re getting closer. Just before I look back, I spot Colt and it makes me stop. He is in a downward spiral, cutting through thick smoke. He snatches one of the guards by the shoulders and lifts him into the air until they disappear. A moment later the guard falls from the sky. I don't see him land, because I'm awestruck by Colt. He's already diving through the air again to capture the next guard who is attempting to shoot up at Colt, but Colt is too fast. The image is terrifying! If I didn't already know him, I would think he was the angel of death coming to destroy us all.
"Watch out!" my father's voice yells.
I duck, but not quick enough. Razor sharp claws cut through my left shoulder, and I cry out. My father fires a gun, but by then there is nothing to fire at. The shadow creatures are too fast.
"Hurry!" I say and run forward, trying hard to keep my footing on the muddy ground. I near the tree line, but a sudden, stray bullet whizzing by me has me moving deeper into the forest. I turn around. Two shadows are right behind us. If we slow down at all, we're dead.
34
"We have to get out of here!" my father yells.
Through a gap between several trees, I spot one of the Institute's smaller hovercrafts just up ahead. Maybe we can hide behind it from the guards while also be more in the light where I don't think the creatures will go.
"Follow me," I say over my shoulder and veer right down a small ravine. I nearly trip, but my father catches me and pulls me along.
Blood runs down the top of my arm and to my fingertips. I will have more scars. Constant reminders of the mistakes I've made.
The edge of the for
est is close. We’re almost free when one of the shadows hisses. It's followed by the sound of flesh tearing. My father grunts and falls forward, knocking me to the ground. I quickly roll onto my back and point and fire the gun blindly. The shadow jumps to the side, just missing a fatal wound.
Still sitting on my bum, I tug on the top of my father's jacket. "Get up. We have to keep moving!"
"My leg," he moans. "It's damaged."
He attempts to get onto all fours, but falls back down. That's when I see it. The back of his leg, from his thigh to his calf, is ripped open. Blood pours from the wound.
I quickly fire one more shot, then roll my father over while also keeping a tight grip on the gun. I loop my arms under his armpits and pull him to my chest, barely feeling the wound on my shoulder. After digging my heels into the wet earth, I scoot backward, grunting loudly. My father attempts to help me with his good leg, but it's a slow process. He keeps his gun pointed forward.
I glance behind me. We’re almost there. In the distance, a Titan has Tank in a headlock. The sight has me pushing and pulling faster.
My father fires a shot catching one of the creatures in the leg, but it doesn't slow down. He pulls the trigger again.
"Sage!" he yells.
I glance to my left. Another shadow is attempting to cut us off before we leave the forest. I let go of my father and swing the gun to my left. Three shots join the many others. The shadow falls face forward in the mud, its head nearly reaching me.
"Hurry," my father says.
Clutching him again, I drag him the rest of the way out until our backs are pressed against the metal of the hovercraft. We both fix our guns toward the forest, but nothing comes after us. Enough light must be on us.
After a few breaths, I lower my gun and quickly remove my jacket. I wrap it around my father's leg as tight as I can.
"You're going to have to leave me, and go find Max," he says. "Do you understand?"
I nod a little. "Whatever you do, don't lower that weapon. I'll be right back."
Leaving him is excruciating, but I have to know if Max is okay. I scurry around the side of the craft, trying to block out the pain in my arm, and peer around the corner. There are about a dozen Originals left, all being shoved into an already crowded bay. Many of them are on the floor, some being stepped on, but still they don't move.
Escape from Eden (Original Series book 2) Page 25