‘Drew!’ Laura hissed.
His head shot up in time to see someone come through the building doors. The man was staring down at a note pad, so Drew sprinted back to the car and ducked down beside Laura. He crawled across the ground and reached out for the second bike, working quickly to pry the lock free.
‘He’s going back inside.’ Laura told him a moment later.
‘Okay, get your bike, let’s go!’ Drew said, finally pulling the lock off.
He straightened, jumped straight onto the bike and pressed the automatic start button just as Laura swung her own leg over the seat of her bike and kick started it into life. The motors hummed and Drew pulled in the clutch, clicking the bike into gear. The two of them took off, stirring up dust behind them.
Drew thought he heard someone shouting but they were down three streets and almost out of town before it appeared anyone else actually noticed what was happening. There was more yelling, and the sound of people starting their cars and bikes in the distance behind them. Drew’s heart was pounding, but the grin remained on his face. They’d mapped out their escape, and knew every route they could take.
Drew took the lead as they sped out of town and took off into the bush. Drew knew anyone watching would think them to be idiots for speeding through the bush like he currently was, however Drew reasoned that he was a trained rider. He was, after all, the best rider at the Manor, and there was a reason for that.
He clicked the bike into fifth gear and felt the engine rev beneath him. The wind was ripping at his hair, his clothes, and he loved it. He turned quickly in his seat to find Laura was following along a fair distance behind. He turned back around and slowed enough for her to catch up.
‘It won’t go!’ She shouted over the engines, ‘they’ll catch us!’
He groaned inwardly as he slammed on the breaks, pulling the bike up short. Laura shot past him, then slammed on her own breaks, dragging the bike around to face him.
‘Get on behind me!’ He yelled, and she was off and running in an instant.
He could hear the roar of approaching motorbikes, but it only spurred him on. The second Laura was on behind him, their packs secure, he took off, riding like the wind.
~
‘They’re not answering.’ Grace said and her brow furrowed with concern.
Logan’s own stomach was in knots at the knowledge that they couldn’t get through to Drew and Laura.
‘They’ll be fine. They’ve probably switched their radios off.’ Mitch assured them.
Logan considered first Mitch then Grace, and could instantly see Mitch’s words were no comfort to her.
‘Give Stella and Leo a try. See if they’ve heard anything.’ Logan suggested.
‘No, we don’t want to worry them yet,’ Gemma interjected.
Grace stared down at the walkie-talkie and Logan could see the desperation in her eyes. Drew was her brother. Her twin. And sometimes, he realised, they all forgot that. He met Gemma’s gaze. She appeared to be remembering that important fact at the same moment he was.
‘Okay maybe try them but don’t give them cause to worry. Just ask if they’ve heard anything.’
Grace forced a nod then began speaking into the device, ‘Incoming, can you hear me?’
She paused for a moment, but they didn’t have to wait long, for Stella was on the other end in a minute.
‘We’re here, how’s things?’
‘Good. We’re in position. Have you heard anything from the other party?’ Grace asked, and Logan could see how difficult it was for her to keep her voice even.
‘No nothing yet, but we don’t expect to. They’re still a fair way from their destination.’
Grace appeared to visibly stiffen then relax at Stella’s words. If Stella wasn’t worried then Logan felt they didn’t need to be either. Yet, anyway.
‘Okay, we’ll report back tomorrow.’ Grace said, her voice calmer than before.
Logan watched as she switched the radio off and put it away. Once her attention had returned to the task at hand, they all turned back to the entrance of the Enclosure. Robin was in position, awaiting their signals. Mitch edged around the three, moving into place, while Logan, Grace and Gemma crept further back into the bush, allowing the two trained boys to do their thing.
Out of all of them, Robin and Mitch could still be seen, for no one could know they were helping the group, especially because their escape from the Manor had not yet been discovered.
Robin and Mitch rounded the corner, their stride casual as they approached the open gates of the Enclosure - which also doubled as a Zoo with regular animals Humans could visit.
‘We close in an hour boys. If you’re here for a visit you won’t get to see much.’ One of the Enchanted Guards told them politely.
Mitch pulled something from his breast pocket and showed the two men on guard, drawing a look of surprise from both of them.
‘We’re here on official business. We’ve had troubling reports of the state the Animal Enclosures are in and have come to check on it.’ Mitch paused for effect, then nodded towards the office. ‘Shall we go inside?’
Both Guards stiffened.
‘Of course, come in, though I can’t imagine…’ the second Guard said as he and his companion led the boys inside the office.
That was Logan’s cue. He rushed towards the gates, ducked down below the office window and crawled along in the dirt until he reached the other side. Then he dove into the toilets for cover and waited. He turned to check on the girls, but Grace and Gemma were already gone, and Robin and Mitch were still distracting the Guards.
Logan peered out from the doorway at the inside of the Zoo. A few people, Humans and Enchanted alike, still mingled around, and many workers wandered about, clearing the rubbish and preparing food and activities for the animals. Logan pulled the hood of his jumper up then placed a pair of sunglasses over his eyes and emerged from the bathroom. He scanned the grounds once before moving casually towards the road marked Birds, Monkeys and Reptiles.
He glanced around, taking care to appear observant of the animals, pausing occasionally to read a plaque or peer into an enclosure. The Enchanted animals’ Enclosures were towards the back of the Zoo, kept hidden from the Human World but open for Enchanted to explore. There were many Zoo’s over the world like the one they were about to steal from, all of them run by Enchanted. Wicked animals, however, were a whole other story.
Logan soon found himself in the monkey section, and knew, thanks to Mitch’s elaborate explanation of the layout, the door to his left would not lead to the enclosure as the Enchanted would have the Humans believe, but into the back of the building where the Enchanted Zoo began.
Logan sauntered casually towards the door, and the moment the coast was clear, he slipped through it and hurried down the dark hall, through the second door, and emerged into the Enchanted Enclosures.
He remembers Mitch informing him that the next section was a maze of tunnels and roads, some that would lead him underground, others that would guide him to stairs that would then escorted him high into the sky.
A working fountain sat in the centre of the entrance where little animals scurried about, some regular, some Enchanted. No one appeared to be around, so he took off for the third path on the right which landed him in a rainforest.
The atmosphere changed instantly, the air growing humid and the odour from the plants increasing drastically. Logan tread lightly down the path, keeping watch for the trail that was meant to take him to the Enchanted Birds Enclosure.
His heart was racing in his chest as he approached the next trail, when suddenly he heard the scuffling of feet coming from somewhere behind him. He dove off the path, ducking down behind a tree, but as he peeked around the corner of the trunk, he realised it was only an Enchanted mouse scurrying across the path. Not all Enchanted creatures’ suffered alterations of enlargement. Some could disappear, some had extra limbs, some eyes in the back of their head. The mouse before him, it appeared,
had two heads, eight feet and an extra tail. Logan dropped his head in relief and quickly scrambled to his feet.
‘Sir, I maintain that we keep the enclosures in the best conditions.’ Insisted a woman, and Logan was back in his hiding spot in an instant.
‘I’m sure that is the case, however when we receive a complaint, we must follow through with it. You understand we can’t be seen ignoring issues, especially ones that effect living creatures.’ Came Mitch’s voice.
‘Of course, that’s understandable. It’s your job.’ The woman agreed.
They passed by, Robin walking somewhat strangely to keep Logan from view.
Logan waited a number of minutes before emerging from the brush and continuing on his way. He picked up his pace, jogging until he emerged from the rainforest. He pulled up short, immediately catching sight of Mitch, who was inspecting the enclosure farthest from the path. A second woman had joined the group, but besides the four of them, no one else was around.
Logan edged towards the enclosure closest to him, thankful to find it already unlocked by Mitch, and slipped inside. He was hit with the pungent smell of hay and bird seed, and the room was considerably warm. He turned and found himself face to face with four enormous hawks.
‘Hey guys,’ he whispered. ‘Ready to go on an adventure?’
~
Laura’s hair whipped around her face and her clothes billowed in the wind but she couldn’t conceal the grin that was plastered across her face. They were out in the open finally, having lost their pursuers in the bush, though it had been a close call. The moment Laura had climbed onto the back of Drew’s bike, they’d taken off, and she’d thought she was going to die. Despite being used to riding on the farm with her Father, she’d never pushed her bike to such speeds. Drew was a speed demon. Drew was ridiculous, actually, and she refused to deny that she truly was scared for a time there.
Night was falling and they’d been riding for hours, stopping twice already to fill the fuel tank. The only thing that kept Laura awake was the thrumming of adrenalin that still pulsed through her veins and the wind in her face. They’d have to stop soon, she knew that, but there was a small part of her that simply wanted to keep riding.
She still couldn’t quite comprehend all that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. She couldn’t even begin to fathom what they were doing or where she was; riding on the back of a bike towards the desert. With a boy, no less. How her life had drastically changed.
There was a small part of her that still couldn’t believe everything she’d been through in the past month. She sometimes wondered if she’d wake up to find it was all a very long dream. But she knew, deep down, that it was real. All of it. And that was what scared her most. That was why she was afraid of stopping. She feared the instant she allowed herself a moment’s breath, she’d remember. And once she began remembering, there would be no stopping the emotions that would escape thereafter. She felt so much. Her entire body was riddled with feelings, both good and bad, and she simply couldn’t make ends meet. She couldn’t straighten them out enough to know where she was at. To know if she was even okay.
She shook her head, realising what she was doing. Remembering. And that was exactly what she couldn’t allow herself to do.
‘We should stop soon. We need rest.’ She shouted to Drew over the wind and engine.
He didn’t reply, though she knew he was calculating how far they’d come and where the best place to pull over would be. Finally he slowed, turning off down a side road and following it a short distance to a small, empty campsite by a creek.
‘This will do for the night,’ he said as he pulled up and switched the engine off.
Laura climbed off the bike, the struggle of remaining on her feet growing evident. Her legs felt like jelly and her ears still rung with the sound of the motorbikes engine. She dumped her pack on the ground, pulled her sword free, then slumped down in the soft grass, using her bag as a pillow.
She heard Drew laugh as he began collecting firewood.
‘Are you sure we should light a fire?’ She asked, her voice muffled by the bag.
‘It won’t be unusual since this is a campsite.’ He replied.
Laura knew she should probably get up and help but every muscled in her body ached, her head throbbed, and she could barely keep her eyes open.
‘Sleep Laura. It’s fine. I’ll set up, get a fire going and wake you when food’s ready.’ Drew said kindly.
She closed her eyes, too exhausted to muster up a reply, though she was certainly grateful, and allowed herself to let go, falling instantly into a deep slumber.
~
Gemma peered down into the bird enclosure, feet firmly planted atop the brick wall, assessing the situation. Chicken wire covered the top of the enclosure, caging the birds in, and the walls were made of both brick and wood. She cast her eyes across the compound, seeking out Logan, and finally spotted him three enclosures down.
‘Wire cutters.’ She whispered down to Grace, who was waiting patiently at the foot of the wall.
Grace passed them up, then followed as Gemma made her way along the wall to Logan. Gemma was quick to begin cutting away the netting, hoping to be able to roll it back so the enormous birds could pass through.
‘Gem, toss em’ down, I’ll get the rest of the sides,’ Logan whispered up at her and she dropped the wire cutters into the soft hay below.
Logan grasped hold of them then climbed the wooden rails along the side of the enclosure, working away at the wire. Gemma glanced up in time to see Mitch and Robin leading the two workers back down the rainforest path.
She continued to keep watch as Logan worked. He was already half way through the opposite side of the enclosure by the time Gemma peered back down at him. The four birds below watched intently, either confused or curious, and Gemma spared a moment of thanks that they weren’t aggressive birds.
‘Should we take all four?’ She whispered down to him.
‘We’ll have to,’ he replied, passing her the wire cutters.
Gemma returned them to Grace then climbed down into the enclosure. Together, Logan and Gemma began rolling back the wire roof enough for the birds to escape through.
Once they’d completed the task, they each mounted a bird, though Gemma spared a moment to pat her birds feathers, which he appeared to enjoy. Grace appeared over the side of the wall and slid down behind Logan, settling comfortably into the bird’s back. Soon after, Mitch and Robin arrived, rushing through the enclosure and climbing onto the backs of the two remaining birds. Each of them then nudged their birds into action, and the enormous taloned creatures spread their wings and took flight.
Gemma laughed out loud as her bird lifted higher into the sky, and then out of nowhere, took off at full speed. Wind tangled her hair and the clouds passed by in white, puffy blurs. She felt free, and she loved it.
Chapter Twelve
First Destination
Something was tugging at Laura. Tugging and tugging and tugging. It took her a moment to realise that it was not tugging, but, in fact, shaking. She was being shaken awake, pulled from her slumber. Her eyes flickered open and she rolled over, squinting against the firelight.
‘Dinner’s ready.’ Drew said, passing her a can of cooked spaghetti.
She sat up groggily, taking the food from him.
‘Thanks.’ She croaked. ‘How long was I asleep?’
‘Only an hour and a half.’ He replied, digging into his meal.
She took up her fork and began to eat, relieved to be feeling somewhat rested, despite the aches that still remained in her body.
‘Feel better?’ Drew asked after they’d finished their food and settled down by the warmth of the fire.
Winter was still upon them - though Spring was right around the corner - and the nights were close to freezing. They were lucky not to have Snow in their part of the world, but even Lastrala was still susceptible to temperatures cold enough to trigger frostbite.
Laura hugg
ed her coat tighter around her body and nodded at Drew. Though their packs were crammed with items they assumed they’d need, luxuries such as sleeping bags and pillows hadn’t been included. One blanket each was all they could afford to carry, which Laura pulled from her bag to wrap around herself.
For a moment, she wondered why they’d been stupid enough not to at least bring a sleeping bag, especially during the coldest months of the year, but she soon shrugged the thought off. She knew that while she’d love to have the comfort and warmth of one, it simply wouldn’t have fit. Their bags were bursting already, and the weight was enough to slow their run’s to a jog, which was half the reason why she was so exhausted.
Laura noticed that Drew had followed her lead and was huddled by the fire, blanket wrapped tight around his shoulders, eyes staring off into the flames. Laura found herself watching him, curious as to what went on in his mind.
He’d changed a lot in the short time she’d know him. Despite still resorting to humour and grins rather than talking about his problems, he had opened himself up more, allowing his emotions to show. Laura understood that it was the shock of almost losing his twin which had awoken him from whatever distant dream he’d fallen into that night many years ago. The dream that led him to believe distancing himself from everyone was his only way of coping. He hadn’t miraculously changed overnight, of course. He was still very private when it came to his thoughts, however Laura could see that slowly but surely, he was emerging from the shell he’d been hiding within for so long.
She didn’t know if she would ever know about his past, or whether she would hear all his secrets, but Laura recognised that, much like herself, Drew felt sometimes words were better left unsaid. At least, until one was ready to speak them. And Drew wasn’t ready yet, just as she wasn’t.
Laura was jarred from her thoughts by the sound of crackling coming from Drew’s bag.
The Sacrifice (Wicked Book 2) Page 14