by Marina Epley
As we continue moving toward the mansion, Wreck whispers, “Something isn’t right. There used to be more guards around here.”
“Maybe Samuel doesn’t feel the need for so much security,” Maxine offers.
“Nah,” Wreck looks around, squinting. “It’s too quiet. I don’t like it.”
We stop for a few moments, listening to the silence. My teeth chatter. Tanya holds my hand. Wreck stands beside me and I can almost hear his quiet breath.
“What’s wrong?” Maxine whispers. “Let’s move.”
Wreck hesitates for a moment, then motions for us to follow. We walk around the mansion to check the back of the house. The door is unlocked. We slowly creep along a corridor, stopping before each corner to check our surroundings. It’s silent inside, like a graveyard. I hold my knife ready, feeling edgy yet determined to fight well when the time comes.
“The master’s bedroom is on the second floor,” Wreck mutters so quietly I can barely hear. “Follow me.”
We enter the hall. It’s so dark that I can’t even see the floor beneath my feet. A foreboding feeling of unease almost overwhelms me. Why is everything going so smoothly? Why was the door unlocked? I try to remember whether Tanya and I could open the door without keys during our escape… no, the girl with the scars led us out of the house. We crawled out of a window in her room. So it feels like something is really wrong. It feels like we’re heading into a trap, as if…
A sudden blinding light causes me to squint. I freeze in shock, looking around, not seeing anything. My heart sinks and the next moment I hear gunfire, shouts and heavy footsteps. Strong arms grab hold of me. I let out a startled yell and kick somebody in the stomach. Something hits the back of my head. I drop to my knees, dizzy and disoriented. Somebody twists my arms behind my back and pain shoots through my shoulders. I scream again, snarling and squirming, and a moment later find myself facedown on the floor. Somebody places a knee on my back, still twisting my arms behind me. My eyes finally adjust to the bright light. The hall is filled with guards. They’ve been waiting for us. I don’t have time to ponder the thought, because I see Wreck struggling with four guards. I watch them fight for a few moments before the guards force him to the floor too. Where’s Tanya and Maxine? I can’t turn to look around as somebody is holding my head firmly, forcing my face down on the floor. All I can see are three motionless guards lying between Wreck and I. He must have shot them before the other guards ripped the gun out of his hands.
Somebody places a thick canvas bag over my head and everything becomes dark again.
***
I’m lying on a cold flat surface. I can’t see anything and my hands are cuffed behind my back. Panic mixed with rage envelop me. Growling and twisting, I roll across the floor in a desperate attempt to remove the bag from my head.
“Relax,” I hear Wreck’s voice. “I’ll take care of you in a sec.”
“Where are we?”
“No idea. Just lie still for a minute.”
His presence has a calming effect on me. I lie on my side, listening, willing my body to relax. My shoulders are sore and my head is still aching. I hear Wreck cursing quietly.
“What are you doing?” I ask, trying to turn my face into his direction.
“Practicing acrobatics.”
“What?”
I hear footsteps approaching, then he removes the bag from my head.
“You all right?” he kneels beside me, his hands now cuffed in front.
“I’m fine,” I look him over. “How did you slip your hands from behind your back?”
“Well, I’m flexible.”
I take a look around. We’re back in the basement where Gabriel killed Amy and was strangling me. A handcuffed Maxine sits in the opposite side of the cage, leaning against a wall, a bag still over her head.
“Are you planning to remove this stinking thing off me or not?” she asks angrily.
“I haven’t decided yet,” Wreck smiles. “The hood really suits you. Makes you more attractive.”
Maxine groans. “One more word and I’ll shove this hood down your throat.”
“With your hands behind your back?” he chuckles. “Well, good luck with that.”
“Why do I have to have such an idiot for a brother?” Maxine sighs.
Laughing, Wreck finally approaches her and removes the hood. I don’t get how they can joke around in this situation. It feels suffocating, as if somebody is squeezing my throat.
“Right here,” Maxine motions her head toward her left leg.
Wreck pulls a small piece of metal wire from her pocket. He inserts one end of the wire into a lock of his handcuffs, turning it a few times and a moment later his hands are free.
“Where did you learn that?” I ask, watching.
“In jail,” he answers curtly, removing my handcuffs.
Once my hands are free, I rise to my feet, stretching. My head is spinning. I approach the metal bars, grab them tightly and pull. They’re too strong to break. I feel claustrophobic. I check my pockets, realizing that my trophy knife is gone.
“Hey, what about my handcuffs?” Maxine glares at her brother.
“Well, I like how you look in the cuffs,” Wreck says. “I think you should keep them.”
“Oh please. Don’t start again. You’re not the slightest bit funny.”
Wreck unlocks her cuffs and plops down beside her on the floor. I continue shaking the bars, feeling more panicked with each passing moment.
“You won’t break them,” Wreck says. “Come sit with us.”
“Maybe you could try to help?” I give him a hard look.
“Nah, we can’t break these bars. I know. I used to live here. Remember?”
“What about the lock? Can you do something with that?”
“Nope. I need a key to unlock it. A piece of wire won’t work.”
I groan, kicking the bars in frustration. “But we have to do something!”
“We should get some rest,” Wreck offers, glancing at Maxine. “What do you think?”
“Sounds good to me,” she yawns. “We should recover a little and try to break free when guards arrive and unlock the door.”
“Sounds like a plan,” says Wreck.
I stare at them in astonishment. How can they remain so calm? At the moment they look more like twins, even sitting in the same position against a wall, with their eyes half-closed and faces painted. Maxine wraps an arm around Wreck, pulling him closer, and there’s something genuinely sweet and protective in her gesture. I begin pacing the cage.
“Somebody ratted us out,” I say. “Samuel knew we were coming. His guards were ready and waiting for us.”
“Well,” Wreck cracks one eye open, watching me. “I trust you, Maxie and Jin with my life. And I don’t think Tanya would rat us out either. So, somebody must have overheard us talking and learned of our plan.”
“Who could that be?”
Wreck laughs. “Probably any one of the two hundred well-trained stalkers we have in our village.”
I groan and sit down on the floor beside Maxine, holding my head. I have no idea what we should do. How can we escape?
The sound of approaching footsteps makes me rise back to my feet. Samuel and two guards walk toward our cage. Wreck slowly stands, maintaining the same calm expression and folding his arms across his chest. He takes a few slow steps toward the bars, facing his uncle. They both remain silent. My blood boils. I envision Samuel holding the lit match with my mother tied to a tree, her clothes soaked in gasoline.
“I didn’t want everything to end like this,” Samuel finally sighs.
“Oh really?” Wreck smirks. “How did you think it might end? You butchered my entire family. Did you expect me to just forgive and forget? Did you really think I wouldn’t come back for you?”
“You have nothing to do with any of that, boy. I ordered my soldiers to stop looking for you. I let you live. Why couldn’t you just have stayed away? Why did you have to return?”
> “To kill you of course. I came to repay you for what you did to my family.” Wreck stares right into his uncle’s eyes. “Tell me, Samuel, how did it feel to murder your own sister? Do you sleep well at night? Do you not remember having your soldiers take the heads of your little nieces? I know you remember how they were screaming and crying out for help. You enjoyed watching, didn’t you?”
“Shut your mouth,” Samuel orders.
“Is my lovely aunt and cousin doing okay?” Wreck asks, smiling. “Do they even remember me? I’ve been thinking about them, you know.” He pauses, licking his lips. “I’m planning to pay them a little visit right after I take your damn head. I reckon they’ll be both really happy to meet their long lost relative. Like me to tell you what I’m going to do?”
“I said shut up!” his uncle repeats. “As the high master of Central Settlement, I sentence you and your friends to death. We’ll have a public execution in the morning. You’re to be burned at the stake for attempting to harm me and my family.” He pauses. “I’m sorry it has to end this way. You never should have returned. Everything that happened back then had nothing to do with you.”
He turns and begins walking toward the door.
“You can’t kill me, Samuel!” Wreck yells, laughing like a lunatic. “I’m already dead! You hear me?! I came back from hell and I’m taking you and your entire family with me when I return!”
His psychotic laughter causes me to shudder. Once Samuel is gone, Wreck plops back down beside Maxine, his expression stone cold.
“You don’t really plan to hurt your aunt and cousin, do you?” she asks.
“It ain’t your concern.”
“Kris,” she frowns. “I’m here to look after you.”
“We won’t discuss this, all right?”
They exchange angry glances. I don’t know what to think.
Half an hour later I hear quiet footsteps echoing in the basement.
“Kora! Maxie!” Tanya calls.
“We’re in here!” I hurl myself toward the metal bars, my heart racing.
She approaches, smiling and carrying a hunting knife along with a set of keys.
CHAPTER 39
“Well, I swear!” Wreck laughs, approaching the little girl and taking the keys. “I told you she would be really helpful during this venture,” he adds, glancing at me.
He starts trying different keys, searching for the one that fits the lock. I kneel in front of the metal bars and take Tanya’s hand. Blood stains her fingers.
“Are you injured?” I ask.
“No,” she answers calmly.
“How did you steal the keys?”
Tanya shrugs. “The guards didn’t notice me. I remembered how brave you were when you tried to save your friend. And it helped me to be strong.”
She must be talking about my failed attempt to rescue Amy. The mere thought of her causes my throat to close.
Wreck unlocks the door and we exit the cage, walking toward the stairs. Terrible memories flood my mind. I recall Gabriel shooting Amy in the face. I envision myself standing beside his motionless body, laughing hysterically while kicking him in the head.
There’s a dead guard sprawled across the floor just outside the basement door. I stare at the puddle of blood, his wounds, then shift my eyes to Tanya.
“I took him by surprise,” she shrugs.
I guess I’m losing the ability to become shocked. It all feels surreal, as if I’m still high on Deathfall. Everything seems like a bad hallucination.
“Let’s go find Samuel,” Wreck whispers.
He heads toward the staircase, but I grab hold of his sleeve, stopping him. “No. We should free the racers first, then return for him.”
I don’t really expect him to listen, but Wreck thinks for a moment and nods.
Outside, I take the lead, walking across the garden. There are no guards around this time. My thoughts race. I realize that we will have to lead a group of two or three dozen racers outside the residence. How can we remain unseen? I don’t believe we can, so we’ll need some sort of distraction.
I stop, turning to face Wreck right behind me. “You have any matches?”
“Sure,” he nods. “I always carry matches.”
We head toward the garage. Using bushes and trees as cover, we approach a large building where I see three guards watching the entrance. We stop for a few moments, observing them. They carry whips, but no rifles. Wreck touches my shoulder and I glance at him. He points at one of the guards and I immediately feel adrenaline filling my veins. I understand what he wants me to do. Tanya passes me her hunting knife. I wrap my fingers around the handle tightly. Wreck moves in closer toward the guards, remaining hidden in the shadows. Maxine gently nudges me in the back and I follow. Our black clothing makes us practically invisible in the night.
Wreck and Maxine simultaneously leap from cover, attacking two of the guards. The third is mine. Feeling detached, I rush toward him. He turns to face me, his expression confused, and I stab him in the stomach. He gasps, opening his mouth wide, and I watch in horror as blood trickles from his mouth down his chin. I pull out the blade and continue stabbing him. There are sounds of struggling nearby, but I don’t bother to look, my eyes glued to my victim’s face. The guard finally collapses to the ground, and I watch just a moment longer. I don’t know how I can kill so easily. Maybe I just don’t fully comprehend what’s happening yet. Once again, I did what I had to. The other two guards are already lying motionless on the ground, either unconscious or dead. I look away, my hands shaking. I’m afraid I may get sick.
Wreck and Maxie remove the bulletproof vests from the bodies. Maxie hands one to me. I pull it on, still feeling dizzy. Wreck opens the garage door, using another of the keys Tanya provided. We walk in, passing by cars and trucks, and find several large containers filled with gasoline. Tanya stands by the entrance, watching the yard, prepared to warn us in case more guards come into view. We open a few containers, pouring the gasoline onto the floor, then head back toward the door. Wreck and Maxine each carry a canister, leaving a gasoline trail as they walk. Once we’re far enough away from the building, Wreck lights a match and drops it into the spilled fuel. A moment later the entire garage explodes. I shudder, watching the flames rising into the sky, as a wave of heat hits my face.
I shake off my stupor and motion for everybody to follow, leading them toward the racers’ facilities. As we quietly cross the yard, guards run past toward the burning garage. They don’t notice us. Hopefully, the explosion and fire will cause enough confusion so we don’t get recaptured.
Inside the racers’ quarters, Wreck and I walk through a long corridor, heading toward my former room. I can’t help thinking about Amethyst and the few happy days we shared in this place. Maxine and Tanya remain near the entrance, watching for any sign of guards.
Feeling dazed and shaky, I open the door of the room I once occupied. Martha stands by the window, her back turned to me. The explosion and chaos unraveling outside must have awoken her. She lets out a stifled scream upon seeing us.
“It’s me, Kora,” I exclaim, approaching. “Don’t be scared.”
“Kora,” she mutters, staring at my painted face. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to free you and the others. You’ll be safe, I promise. Where’s Trent? Where are Dennis and Sandro?”
“Dennis is dead. Samuel shot him.”
I shut my eyes for a moment, feeling bitterness churn inside. But there’s no time for mourning, I push the grief aside.
“Come with me,” I grab Martha’s hand.
“No, no!” she starts crying. “I can’t leave. I don’t want to escape!”
I become desperate. I think of my mother and Tanya’s relatives who refused to escape, who chose death instead of freedom. I don’t want to go through that again.
“Who’s that?” Martha asks, looking at Wreck, her eyes startled.
“He is…” I pause. How can I explain everything? How can I make Mar
tha less frightened of him?
“Prince Christopher at your service.” He performs an exaggerated bow. “I’m here to rescue you.”
Martha’s mouth falls open. She looks him over in awe. “I thought you were dead.”
“Well, I thought so too,” he says, leading her by the hand out into the corridor. She follows willingly. I realize that Martha’s silly dream about a prince rescuing her has finally come true.
The next twenty minutes or so pass in a blur. I run from room to room, banging on doors, trying to persuade them to leave with us. Most are terrified by the idea of freedom. They know of nothing better than being slaves. At first I plead and coax, then start barking orders.
“Come outside!” I shout, running along a corridor. “You’re all free! You’re no longer servants to anyone!”
The racers come out of their rooms, confused and panicked. The corridor soon becomes overcrowded. A few people head toward the door. I catch a glance of Wreck dragging two girls by their arms, ordering them to get out of the building. The girls cry, refusing to escape. What’s wrong with them? I ask myself. Why can’t they embrace freedom? But I guess I’m not one to judge. I’d been a servant for sixteen long years, being too frightened to escape.
“Kora! Is that you?”
I turn to see Samantha dressed in a t-shirt and shorts. Her hands are trembling.
“What’s happening?” she mutters, tears streaming down her face.
I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close and patting her back. I didn’t realize how much I’d been missing her. How can you miss somebody who was once bullying you?
“It’s all right,” I whisper. “Don’t be scared. I’ve come back to free you. Go on outside.”
Sobbing, Samantha nods and heads toward the door. I proceed down the corridor and almost bump into Trent. I feel my heart leap inside my chest and my legs become weak. He stares at me in disbelief, as if seeing a ghost. I hug him, kissing his lips, my hands clutching his shirt tightly.