Shortly after waking, they were fed breakfast, a grain similar to oatmeal with goat’s milk, pita and hummus, hard-boiled eggs, and sliced cucumbers. Jadyn watched carefully how the supplies were brought in, and who served them. He made sure he had the best vantage point to see outside as the food was carried into the makeshift cafeteria, simply a line of tables for laying out the spread, buffet style. There were no chairs. The only seating was on the ground. Most returned to the sleeping mat they’d claimed as their own the night before, to eat their basic meal. Utensils and napkins completely absent. Everyone used their fingers, which, at this point, were far from clean. They licked off what they could and wiped the rest on their already tattered clothes. Not a lifestyle any of them were accustomed to.
The rest of the day was mostly spent sitting around. Both Jadyn and Jaya kept observing every move the guards made, and every nook and cranny in the room for possible escape options. Late in the afternoon, several girls and women were rounded up and taken out, even some who looked too young to have entered puberty. They returned late that night, all visibly upset, many in tears, and several bruised and battered. They shared tragic tales of being forced to have sex with men who were part of the ISEX military forces.
Jadyn slid over by Shanta and whispered quietly, “Okay, here’s the plan. Jaya and I are going to slip out tonight. We should have a couple of days to get back and get you out before they take you to have sex, assuming they will wait until you are ready in your cycle. I didn’t tell you this before, but you actually have a Locator in the back of your hair. Pele planted them on all of us. Hopefully they won’t discover that before we get you out. Now, the one thing we’re going to try to do is find some way to communicate with you before we leave. Stay close by that window, the lower one near the bathroom. Hopefully we can get something in unnoticed. Okay? Are you sure you’re okay on your own?”
Shanta nodded slowly, “Yes, I can do it. It helps to have Amethyst here.”
Jadyn slid his arm around her shoulders and gave her a warm encouraging squeeze, “We won’t be long. We’ll try to get Amethyst out too. You’re a trooper, Shanta. I wish there was a better way. In the meantime, observe everything you can.”
Shanta nodded, trying bravely to hold back the tears, “Will do.” She gave him a hug back.
Within minutes they were on their way. Jadyn quietly hoisted Jaya onto his shoulders, no one noticing them in the dark. Jaya jumped lightly from his shoulders and grabbed a pipe overhead. Then Jadyn took a quiet two-step running start and leaped up, grabbing onto her legs, using the momentum to swing himself to a high window ledge. He landed gracefully, mercifully making almost no sound. Bracing himself in the window jamb, he dropped his arms down for Jaya. She swung twice to get enough momentum to get her feet over to him. He grabbed them and then she quickly flipped up and grabbed his waist, gingerly avoiding slapping into the wall. The window was already propped open to provide ventilation for the women. With a slight subtle wave to Shanta they slipped out, first Jaya and then Jadyn. Shanta laid back down next to Amethyst, suddenly feeling very alone.
Jaya and Jadyn gently dropped to the ground, unnoticed by the handful of guards playing cards a few yards away. They soundlessly slid behind a few barrels nearby.
Jadyn whispered to Jaya, “Any ideas on how to get a phone or transmitter of some sort to Shanta before we leave.”
Jaya responded softly, “What about the stuff they stripped off us on the way in? There were some valuable goods so they might have saved them somewhere to deal with later.”
Jadyn, who often felt his sister was the real brains of their dynamic duo, replied, “Excellent idea. Let’s see if we can’t find the stash.”
They crept quietly over to the entrance area and took turns peering in windows and searching for clues. One room was well locked and guarded. Jaya peeked in the dusty window while Jadyn watched the guard.
She slid back to him and whispered, “Jackpot,” with a thumbs-up sign.
They did not dare go near the front locked door, but there was a vent high up on the side. Fortunately, it was out of the direct view of the guards. Jaya, on Jadyn’s shoulders, quickly unscrewed the vent. It rattled slightly as she handed it to him. A couple of guards came rushing over but couldn’t find anything when they got there. Jaya had slipped inside out of sight. Jadyn, with the vent cover in hand, had deftly slipped under a nearby truck.
The guards did a thorough search but found nothing. They eventually went back to their game, assuming the noise had been a stray cat or rat. Jadyn watched them on his belly from under the truck, as they eagerly returned to their game. He guessed they had never noticed the vent was covered before, so were not suspicious now when they saw it was uncovered.
Once all was quiet again, Jaya appeared in the open square above, a wrist phone dangling from her teeth. She turned and dropped down onto Jaya’s shoulders. He quickly handed up the vent grate. She screwed it back into place and then dropped to the ground. She pulled a second wrist phone out of her pocket and handed it to Jadyn.
“It’s a little big for my wrist,” she said with a smile. She could clearly wrap it around her tiny wrist a couple of times.
Jadyn complimented her warmly. “Nice work, Peanut.”
Jaya grinned, “Thanks, now we just have to get this one to Shanta.”
Jadyn furrowed his brow. “Yah,” he said slowly.
“I think this might help,” Jaya said with a smile, holding up a small box of dental floss.
Jadyn, grinning now, laughed quietly. “Brilliant!”
They input the number of the one phone into the other and made sure its solar battery was charged. Then Jadyn turned its volume switch to silent. No need to risk it ringing in the middle of the night. Stealthily they slipped back to the window. Jaya, with Jadyn’s help, scaled back up to it, and gently lowered the small wrist phone down next to Shanta, hoping she saw it before anyone else noticed. They felt a gentle tug as she picked it up. Within seconds they received a text, “Got it.”
With communication established, they focused next on leaving the warehouse area. Using the GPS on the second phone that was now dangling from Jadyn’s wrist, they started to navigate their way toward the main city, hoping for some mode of transportation away from the warehouse, someplace they could safely get in touch with the others.
Jadyn asked Jaya sheepishly, “Do you remember Zander’s phone number? I know I’m supposed to remember the family numbers in case of an emergency, but I don’t right now.”
Jaya rolled her eyes, shaking her head, she recited the digits for him. Both, without saying anything, knew the number Jadyn did know by heart was his father’s. But they avoided any mention of him, holding their grief at bay, fearful it would be paralyzing at a time when they needed to focus on getting themselves, and Shanta, to safety.
Jadyn, with an appreciative grin, “Thanks. What would I do without you?”
Jaya, still shaking her head, smiled knowingly, “You’d probably figure out another way!”
They both laughed, confident in their own resourcefulness.
Jadyn placed the call. No answer. He hung up and sent a text, “Zander, its Jadyn and Jaya. They took our phones, but we found this one. Please call right away.”
Jaya, thinking practically, “It is the middle of the night.”
Jadyn was still hopeful. “Yah, but I suspect they are concerned about finding us. Hopefully, we’ll hear from him soon. In the meantime, let’s see if we can’t find a way out of this urban jungle.”
They saw a nearby port on the map and decided to head in that direction. As they approached, everything seemed quiet for the night.
Jaya, thinking out loud, “Let’s see. They have probably closed all ferry service, but they will still need supplies brought in. They might not have stopped goods leaving yet if they are for trade…
“Wait, do you see that?” she said eagerly.
Jadyn followed her pointing finger to the ferry terminal. The ferry was unloading a
large group of people with many possessions in bags and bundles, and also carrying weapons.
Jaya, still trying to sort out the situation, “Could they be bringing in more people?” She paused, then surmised, “Maybe ones that are loyal to their cause?”
Jadyn, started to move quickly in the direction of the ferry, “I don’t know, but maybe we can catch a ride out if they are going to pick up more?”
Jaya, hustling to keep up, “Sanji’s language skills would really come in handy about now.”
Jadyn gave her a nod in agreement, “That’s for sure! But I don’t think we have a better option so let’s get onboard and hope it heads somewhere off the Arabian Peninsula!”
Jadyn checked the phone one more time and then put it on silent mode to be safe.
Like a well-oiled machine, they slipped through the dark. Functioning as a team, they worked their way onto the ship, stealthily hiding, hoisting each other up, ducking and diving in their acrobatic style until they were safely and secretly aboard. Jaya crept into the captain’s quarters to see if she could find any evidence of their destination. She saw a chart outlining a voyage to Port Sudan.
As they settled into their hiding place, a crewmember noticed the tip of Jaya’s toe just as she was pulling it out of sight behind some cargo near a supply alcove. The guard walked slowly over to investigate. As he peered around the edge of the door jam, Jaya stared up at him, frightened, her gaze fixated on him. As he reached for her arm and was about to yell to another crewmember, Jadyn, from behind quickly landed a silencing blow to his temple. The two of them swiftly hid the man in a nearby lifeboat, hoping he would not soon be missed. Then they crept back into their hiding place, just as the ferry’s motors started up and readied for departure.
Chapter 24
The light streamed through the curtains as the sun crept into view, the morning dawning bright and clear in the desert climate. The hotel suite was disheveled, cushions and décor strewn aside to create temporary workspaces and napping corners. An early morning call rang in, waking anyone catching a quick catnap. The General appeared on the screen, his voice booming over the computer, jarring after most of them had been up all night working. His call to Pele was to review recent findings and strategize their next moves.
Despite their harrowing day, none had been able to sleep. The loss of Cole and concern for their missing members the driving force for their efforts. They all wanted to get Shanta, Jaya and, Jayden back, and find a way to defeat ISEX. Devon, Pace and Kala spent the night on computers, gathering as much intel as possible, Sanji helping translate. Rane overseeing, deciphering trends, and sharing findings with Pele and Keece, who were adding information to maps, and working on various theories. Maps and key information were projected on any blank wall, the standard hotel decorative paintings removed and slid into closets or carefully stored under beds.
Drew was busy pouring over military intel. Calice, the youngest, helped where she could, delivering drinks, fetching items, whatever anyone needed. Zander, making only a superficial pretense at staying awake, spent most of the night snoring on the couch, occasionally jolted awake by Rane or Devon, when they needed his typically offbeat point of view, or weapons expertise.
“Zander!” Rane interrupted his loud, rhythmic dream state. The group had been tracing ISEX military purchases to see if they could garner any clues about their next moves.
“Why would they place a large order for AR-22 rifles, but ask for them to be delivered without the scopes?” Rane continued, unconcerned about waking him, knowing he could fall back asleep in a blink of an eye, no matter how stressful the situation.
“Because they don’t need to see where they’re shooting,” he answered with a straight face.
Rane scowled at him with a puzzled look, knowing he was jesting.
“Allah will guide their bullets,” he claimed, with a sarcastic grin.
Pace and Devon could not help but snicker in the background. Rane shook her head, but she too was grinning. How could he wake from a dead sleep and still deliver a wisecrack? You could always count on him to lighten the mood, or piss someone off, preferably the former.
Zander, still grinning at his own humor, “Okay, seriously, the guns can get manufactured faster without the scopes. The scopes are precision parts that take time to calibrate properly. If they get them without the scopes, they can add a part to them later that allows them to shoot multiple smaller bullets at once, creating impact on a larger target. It requires less training for the soldiers as well. The impact isn’t as great as a single bullet, but it can be just as effective because the shot covers a larger radius.”
“I knew you were good for something. Thanks, weapons genius,” she said appreciatively. “Now go back to sleep. We’ll call when we need you.”
Zander dropped back against his pillow, smiling happily. He was snoring again in minutes.
They had a map of the Arab Peninsula projected on a wall, with the stadiums and the seats of government marked off. They also had a marker placed near Jeddah, where Jaya, Jadyn and Shanta appeared to be located, their Locator transmissions projected on the map.
Satellite images showed the stadiums were slowly being emptied. From what their sources were reporting, ISEX was letting people leave the stadiums if they swore their allegiance to Allah and the extreme ISEX principles. If people left and did not follow these principles, they were executed. No one dared disobey, ISEX spies and informers were well infiltrated into the communities on the Peninsula, they had eyes and ears everywhere. A few public executions for supposed traitors was enough to keep everyone silent in fear.
Ali Rehan proclaimed everywhere again and again, “The rightful way of Allah has come, follow his true principles or perish. You will see Allah’s time is now. There is no escaping. We have taken back our homeland, but you will see, no place is safe from the rightful hand of Allah.”
General Adams, “All the ISEX fighters seem to be congregating on the Peninsula. Any cells in other locations where we’ve had encounters in the past, appear to be empty. We can’t quite figure out their plans. The other governments on the Arab Peninsula were effectively defeated before they had a chance. ISEX had commanding officers planted in every one of their militaries. The leaders were effectively forced to surrender.”
“Do you think Jadyn, Jaya, and Shanta pledged allegiance to ISEX?” asked Calice quietly, obviously concerned about her brother and sister.
Keece wrapped her arm around her and said reassuringly, “I would hope they would do so if they had to in order to stay alive long enough for us to rescue them. But, don’t worry, I’m sure they are not loyal to ISEX’s principles.”
Calice looked up at Keece, gratefully, and sighed heavily. Keece’s heart went out to her. She was being very brave for an eleven-year-old who recently lost her father.
Pace brought everyone’s attention back to the map, “So they congregate on the Peninsula. What’s stopping them from expanding from there?”
General Adams answered forcefully, “We have Russian, European, American, Chinese, even Turkish, Indian and some African forces ready to stop them. The question is, do we invade the Arab Peninsula to try to stop them and risk nuclear attack? The United Nations is meeting on this now, as we speak.”
Devon looked unsatisfied, “I think they’re up to something more. I keep seeing references to the next phase. They keep referring to it ‘in waves.’”
Rane’s brow was furrowed as she tried to decipher the clues. “Could they be talking about military attacks in waves?”
“Maybe,” Pele said, looking equally contemplative. “But that seems like a risky strategy for them. Even though they have a lot of intel on our weapons and equipment, we still have military forces that could fairly easily defeat them, even if they staged their attacks in waves.
“What are we missing?” he said, shaking his head, “We need to keep digging.”
General Adams briskly responded. “I’ll leave you to it. Keep me posted. I’ll let
you know if anything happens at the UN.”
Pele stopped him before he could sign off. “One more thing, General.”
“Yes?”
“What about the three children we still have inside? Can we put together a rescue mission?”
General Adams, clearly concerned with what he considered bigger issues, answered. “Yes, let’s discuss that tomorrow. In the meantime, get some rest. We need you all at your best.” He hung up.
Pele pulled Drew aside, Keece was within earshot.
“I’m not sure I’m convinced the US forces are going to come up with the best solution to this problem,” Pele said to Drew.
Drew gave a look of concurrence, “I know what you mean.”
“Let’s see if we can’t come up with a solution, before we end up in WWIII,” Pele replied.
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