Two small attack heli-crafts came skimming over the trees, opening fire on the beach. Ana started screaming as the bullets flew. Several men from each heli-craft jumped out, running to Ana’s, and flinging open the crates. Pulling out the guns, they returned fire.
Ana started to run towards Jan and Ansil grabbed her, throwing her in the back of her heli-craft. One of the other men grabbed her around the waist, holding her as she struggled to escape. Jan was practically dragging the boy, who appeared terrified and tried to pull away. Jerking his hand up, he motioned for the other heli-crafts to lift off. Ansil climbed into the front seat, donning the helmet and starting the pre-flight program. Ana was still screaming, and it now took two men to hold her. One of the men from Jan’s craft dropped his gun and climbed into the front seat, closing the doors and rising above the sand. Jan continued to pull the boy forward, now less than ten feet from Ana’s craft.
The other three heli-crafts took off, men hanging out the sides as they fired bullets at the two attack vehicles. One of the attacking heli-crafts left the beach, pursuing the three that were now heading back towards the mainland. The other settled in the sand directly behind Jan, causing Ana to scream even louder. Jan turned and saw the craft, his eyes widening. Giving a mighty heave, he jerked the boy forward, sending him sprawling just below the open door. One of the men jumped out and grabbed the boy, tossing him inside and scrambling after him. Ana redoubled her efforts, scratching and kicking the two men holding her.
“Jan,” Ana screamed, “Run!”
The side door of the attack heli-craft opened and a large man dressed in a military uniform stepped out. Sprinting after Jan, the man tackled him from behind, the pair landing in the sand. Jax had been watching the proceedings and urgently tugged Ansil’s ear. Ansil lifted the heads-up visor, looking first at the creature, then in the direction Jax was pointing. Seeing Jan lying in the sand, he quickly flipped the visor down and lifted off, drawing a long, mournful wail from Ana.
“Ansil, no,” she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. “We can’t leave him.”
Ansil couldn’t hear her, his ears full of chatter from the other three heli-crafts. Continuing to ascend, he spoke rapidly with the other pilots, satisfied to hear the attack heli-craft that had been pursuing them had been shot down. Ana became hysterical, flailing as she attempted to jump out of the rising vehicle.
“Miss, you need to stop,” one of the men holding her said. “We can’t save him. If we tried, the other heli-craft’s occupants would have enough time to disable us. All of us, the children and animals, would die. We can’t afford to take the risk. As soon as we arrive, we’ll mount a rescue operation. But you need to stop so we can close the doors.
Ana took one last look. Jan’s head was up, and he was watching her, a slight smile on his face.
“Ana,” she heard him call. “I will find you. Get the children safe.”
“Jan,” she called back, “I won’t rest until we’re together again. I will do whatever it takes to save you. After all, I saved the children, didn’t I?”
Jan laughed, no longer struggling. Nodding, he winked as the heli-craft rose higher and higher in the sky.
Ana stopped struggling. Stretching her hands out, she signed a message at the same time she called to him one last time.
“I love you,” she cried.
Jan called something back, but the heli-craft was now out of range. Ana wanted to believe he said the same in return. No longer fighting, she allowed the man to pull her in, slumping against the door after it closed. Jax joined her, cuddling close as Ana cried.
The second attack heli-craft rose and pursued them for a short distance, but Ansil was a skilled pilot and between his evasive maneuvers and the men shooting out the back, it soon gave up, falling back as the heli-craft sped away. Ana raised her knees and cradled her head on them, wondering if it was worth going on. In all the scenarios she had envisioned, even the ones that ended with her dying, she never anticipated Jan’s capture. And despite what he said, she knew Jan was as good as dead. His crime was unforgivable, and he would certainly be publicly executed. Ana never looked up, even when Ansil flew the craft over the detention center, allowing the men to destroy the yacht and severely damage the building before correcting his course and heading to wherever the final destination lay.
Jan stood in the office, legs spread slightly and hands clasped behind his back. His face was set in a neutral expression and he stared over the head of the person seated behind the desk. That person gazed at Jan thoughtfully, not speaking just yet. Jan continued to stare straight ahead as he waited to hear what his punishment would be.
Sighing, the person behind the desk closed the file in front of them and stood up. Coming around the desk, they propped themselves against the edge, one leg dangling slightly. Leaning forward, the person placed their face within inches of Jan’s, looking for some flicker of emotion. Seeing none, the person sat back and sighed again.
“Why do you have to make things so difficult?” the person asked quietly.
“I try not to,” Jan responded, refusing to be baited. “I was sent to do a job and I failed. I apologize and await my punishment.”
The person pushed themselves away from the desk and started pacing, passing back and forth in front of Jan as they tapped their chin. Jan’s eyes never wavered, and he continued to stand at attention.
“Tell me what happened, Jan. Tell me why you were unable to fulfill the one task we set for you.”
“An unforeseen occurrence, sir. Something I had not anticipated.”
“For Atlantica’s sake!” the person blurted out, startling Jan. “Why do you insist on calling me sir? I am your mother, not your commander or superior. Just once, don’t you think you could call me Mom?”
Jan finally stopped staring at the wall, transferring his gaze to the woman in front of him. Premier Vanessa Raven stared back, one tear slowly trickling down her cheek. Jan felt no pity for her, only disgust. His expression finally slipped, anger and criticism mixed as he responded to her outburst.
“Look to yourself, Mother,” he said, enunciating the last word heavily. “You were the one who insisted I go live with Father and his wife. Maybe if you had kept me instead of foisting me off on a set of parents that were more concerned with decorum and protocol than with actually raising a child, things would have been different.”
“Jan, we’ve been through this. I had no choice. There was no way I could have raised you at the time. Your father offered to take you and I believed it was for the best.”
“But it wasn’t, was it?” Jan retorted. “Father and his wife kept me a virtual prisoner. I had no freedom, no ability to make my own decisions, nothing. It wasn’t until I was in my teens that I even knew you were my real mother.”
“You should have told me,” Premier Raven replied, a look of shame quickly crossing her face. “I would have helped you.”
“How?” Jan snapped. “You never came to see me, never sent me a message, never even acknowledged my existence. It wasn’t until that day on the yacht that you suddenly became interested in me. And you and I both know it was only because you were scared. Scared of what I knew and terrified I would tell. So please explain how I was supposed to seek help from you when I didn’t even know your fucking name!”
“Jan, I swear. As soon as I found out what your father and his wife were doing, I removed you. I gave you what you asked for. All of it.”
“Oh, please,” Jan said, his voice heavy with bitterness. “Spare me the false sincerity. Had you given me everything I asked for, we wouldn’t have spent hours arguing over it. You would have agreed with my demands, apologized, and offered to take me back. Instead, you treated it as a business arrangement, negotiating with me like you were discussing a treaty with the leader of Pacifica. And even when we finally came to an agreement, I still had to pay a price for what you gave. No, Mother, you used me then. And you still do now.”
“Jan, what can I do? I’m the leader of
Atlantica. This country succeeds or fails by my hand. But even with all my power, there are still things I cannot do. How would it appear if I suddenly announced I had an eighteen-year-old son? Don’t you think the questions would begin, the backlash start? Especially now, after what happened at the Academy?”
“And here we are, you protecting yourself even though you claim to care for me. Nothing ever changes. Not that I expect it to. So just dole out my sentence and I will remove myself from your sight forever. One less thing you have to worry about.”
“Please, Jan,” Premier Raven pleaded. “Can’t you at least to try and see it from my perspective? If I could go back and change it, I would. In a heartbeat. I gave you up, but not because I wanted to. Because I had no choice. But I loved you, have never stopped loving you. And I regret every minute of the last seventeen and a half years.”
“If you actually loved me more than you love yourself or power, you would come out now. You would admit to it all. And you would take the criticism and the harsh words no matter what it cost. Because, Mother, that’s what love is.”
“Jan, I would if I could. But if I chose to do that, the country would fall into chaos. The power struggle would become all consuming, the players too concerned with vying for my position than taking with care of the country. It would lead to war.”
“War is coming anyway, Mother, whether you like it or not.”
“Yes, it is,” Premier Raven sighed. “But I am still the leader of our country, which allows me to prepare for it. If I suddenly announced your existence, I would not be able to deal with the coming crisis effectively, having to fight just to retain my title. Because if I lost it, my fate, as well as yours, would be execution.”
“Isn’t that what’s going to happen to me, anyway? After all, the mission failed. A mission that involved treason, I might add.”
“Be serious,” Premier Raven snapped. “You know I would never let them execute you. It can be beneficial to be the son of the Premier, even if it’s unacknowledged.”
“So what are you going to do with me? Ana is gone, beyond your reach, at least for now, and the island is out of commission for a while. I obviously can’t go back to the Academy, not that there is any reason to, and my mission cannot be completed because of what happened. I have now become a liability.”
“You were never that, despite what you may think. Give me a little time. Maybe talk to me. I’m sure there’s something we can come up with. In the meantime, please tell me what happened. Without sounding like you’re giving a report. I want to hear it, in your own words. Can you do that?”
“If that is what you wish, then I will do my best.”
“Then tell me,” Premier Drake said sadly. It wasn’t the response she was looking for, but it was better than nothing. “What happened? How did she manage to get away? And Jan, please sit down. Your stance is unnerving.”
Jan moved to the chair and sank into it. He was exhausted and just wanted to go to sleep. He was also heartsick at what had happened. It had been so carefully planned out and the failure still troubled him. He took several minutes to get his thoughts in order, watching Premier Raven pull up a chair alongside.
“Everything had been going as planned, although what happened inside the dome was not something I knew was going to occur. I’m surprised I was not informed of it, but it’s too late now to find out why.” Jan hoped his mother believed him. He didn’t want to admit to knowing what was going to happen to the dome, afraid of the consequences for not saying anything. “Once we arrived at the island, I did exactly as I was told, expecting Ana to refuse to leave until I was safely in my heli-craft. I had not expected someone else to take over piloting for her. And I certainly had not expected that she would have been restrained so quickly. I expected her to come help with the boy once she saw how reluctant he was to come with us. That she was suddenly grabbed and held came as a complete surprise, one I was unable to do anything about.”
“Do you have any idea where they took her?”
“No. The initial destination was supposed to be southwest of Virmar. But once I was captured, I can guarantee they took her and the children somewhere else, some place I’m not aware of.”
“Any idea why they kept that information from you?”
“They want Ana as much as you do. They are not going to reveal her whereabouts, especially not to me.”
“And why is that?”
“They’re most likely concerned I would tell you where she was. Or lead you to them if I was captured. They simply can’t take the chance.”
“Would you have gone after her? Are your feelings for her so strong they would override your loyalties?”
“Mother, even though you haven’t acknowledged me, I am your heir. I know you’ve been grooming me to take over your duties at some point. I am not about to give that up for a girl.”
“I do hope you are telling me the truth, Jan. I know how much love can blind a person. It certainly did me.”
“I am well aware of where my duty lies. Ana was a means to an end. And there may be a way to get her back.”
“How?”
“Ana believes I’m a dead man. The crimes we committed are not ones that can be forgiven. But Ana also knows about exile. I propose you leak word to certain officials that one of the instigators was captured. In exchange for information they supplied, they were granted exile instead of execution.”
“And why would I do this?”
“Ana will come after me. When word makes its way back to her, which it most assuredly will, she will enter Centra to search for me. And I can then lead her where you planned on sending her eventually anyway.”
“How will you survive? And can you be sure she will be able to track you?”
“Leave that to me. You’ll just need to get word to me once she enters Centra. I’ll need to know where she went through the fence.”
“This may work. Let me think it over.”
“Don’t think too long, Mother. If we do not get Ana where you wanted her, your chances of winning the coming war will plunge.
“And mother, one more thing. We need to keep this between us. If anyone, anyone else at all knows, then the chance of word getting back to the other side increases dramatically. Neither you nor I can take that chance.”
“You are right, as usual, my son. Now go get some rest. You’re going to need it. Centra is a harsh place, and your journey will be long and difficult.”
“Thank you, Mother. You can trust me.”
Jan rose and went to place his fist on his chest. Premier Raven stopped him, pulling his arm down as she drew him into an embrace. Jan initially resisted, but then hugged her back. Separating, she kissed Jan on both cheeks, then walked him to the door. Jan stepped out of the office and headed down the hall, his mother’s eyes following until he was out of sight.
Epilogue
Spring was coming, the air feeling softer as the days slowly warmed. Much of the snow had melted, retreating to the darkest corners and leaving mud and boggy ground in its wake. The higher elevations still dazzled a bright white, but the valley was greening and the tips of the first flowers were starting to break through the soil.
Ana started her daily walk, carefully stepping around the patches of mud. Even though she knew there were no leeches here, the memory still haunted her. The walks became longer as the days warmed, taking her further away from the compound each time. General Spurge preferred Ana didn’t roam unattended, but when he tried to keep her from leaving, she simply waited until it was quiet before slipping out. He no longer tried to stop her, just told her to be careful when she left.
Ana had been sunk in grief for months. Her entire world had come crashing down in the space of less than a week. Shattering like the ice that fell from the eaves of the compound, the pieces of her life lay scattered in a million tiny shards. Initially, she wasn’t sure she could ever put them back together again. Or wanted to.
On the flight away from the island, Ana had wept first, th
en slept. The spiders had come to sit beside her, both comforting and protecting her. When they arrived at the final destination, Ana took no notice of anything other than the deep snow. Ansil accompanied her into the compound, Jax perched on her shoulder and the spiders trailing behind. He led her to a small room and helped her into bed. Jax cuddled under the thick quilt with her, and the spiders stayed at the foot, keeping watch. Ana slept for almost a full day, only waking once to use the bathroom. When she finally rose, she was greeted with sunshine so bright it dazzled her eyes, and a full breakfast had been set on the table beside her bed.
The days and weeks that followed were a blur. Ana once again lost interest in anything. She wept every night, grieving for Jan, her father, and all the others lost because of her foolish actions. Even her rescue of the children had turned into a disaster.
The children had been blindfolded before they arrived. The General didn’t want anyone to be able to identify their location. The problems arose when they people assigned to handle the children attempted to reunite them with their parents. Some of the parents joined their children, eager to join forces with the opposition. But most were too afraid of the government and refused to abandon their lives. An offer was made to return the children and a few accepted, being told where they could find them once they were returned to their respective sectors. But the majority refused, either in fear of what the government would do or because they felt the child was safer where they were. The compound now had over seventy-five children they had no idea what to do with. Ana’s guilt had multiplied when the caretakers sought her out, looking for guidance. The only thing she could think of had caused another piece of her heart to break.
Ana had recommended they contact both her father and Rosita to see if either had any resources or recommendations. They caretakers had come back with an urgent message she meet with the General that afternoon. The meeting had not been at all what she had expected.
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