by Kim McMahill
As Nyla, Claire and Jared cut brush, Ethan drove the car into a shallow gully, hoping they really didn’t need it anymore since he doubted they could get it back out. He swept away the tire tracks with a branch and placed brush on the car as fast as his friends could bring it to him. Within thirty minutes, the car had disappeared into the landscape. Its drab color served the mission well. The vehicle now resembled a large established gray sand dune covered with scrub.
Nyla thought the loss of her car would generate some sad emotion, but it didn’t. She actually felt a twinge of relief as one more shackle to her past was removed and gone forever. Pulling her handmade map out, she crouched down and flattened it out on her pant leg. Her friends gathered around in a tight circle so as to keep the rain from destroying the paper.
“I figure we’re about here,” she said, pointing to a spot on the map. “According to Carlos we need to find Tornillo Creek before it gets too hot. Once we get there we can follow the creek south until we find a place to get out of the sun and out of sight of aircraft until dark.”
“Looks like we got a long ways to go if we’re going to be anywhere near the paved road we need to cross in time,” Ethan added.
They began walking south, just west of the faint dirt road they had been driving on. The rain had let up some, but continued to drizzle, making the going rough and uncomfortable. The lightweight synthetic fabric of their shirts absorbed the water, making the fabric stick to their bodies and their pants grew heavy with moisture. The clothes were not designed to withstand nature, only to be functional in the confines of a manmade, climate-controlled environment. No one complained about the discomfort, nor did they speak as they trudged on, keeping an eye and an ear out for the night desert dwellers whom they couldn’t afford to encounter if they hoped to survive.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The sun rose, renewing the groups fading energy. Travel on foot through the dark storm, across rough terrain had been slow and difficult. The rain had finally stopped just before daybreak, leaving them soaked and chilled, but relieved and determined to press on until the heat forced them to stop.
They still hadn’t located Tornillo Creek which made Nyla nervous. Carlos had wrote they couldn’t get lost as long as they followed the creek, but what if they never found it? She was uncomfortable not following Carlos’ instructions and taking refuge during the day, but suspected they were far behind schedule and possibly lost, so was hesitant to stop.
Ethan came to an abrupt halt. “Listen. I think I hear a helicopter.”
It took only a second for them to confirm Ethan’s suspicion as the noise quickly grew louder. They frantically searched for a place to hide, but saw few options. There were no trees and the brush was short and scattered.
“Spread out and huddle under the biggest piece of brush you can find that doesn’t already house a snake,” Ethan ordered.
Nyla scrambled away from her friends, found a decent bush to crouch behind and curled into a tight ball. She couldn’t see her friends, which gave her a little relief mixed with a lot of panic. If she couldn’t see them, maybe the helicopter couldn’t spot them either, but not being able to see Ethan made her feel alone and vulnerable.
Just as the helicopter neared their position, it veered south and hovered. Despite the lucky break, the deafening noise rattled Nyla’s nerves. She stayed huddled, face down, afraid to move, not knowing if it would circle back or if it hovered because it had already spotted someone.
Nyla was afraid to look up since her pale complexion would most likely blow her cover. They had all purposely worn earth-tones in hopes of blending into the environment and she had tied her blond hair up and under a beige bandana. She hoped it was enough to avoid detection.
After what felt like an eternity, the low-flying helicopter moved on. The sound faded away as quickly as it had arrived, leaving the desert eerily quiet. As Nyla remained crouched low, she realized how much the day had warmed up and it reminded her they needed to get out of sight and out of the heat, which could prove as deadly as the many other obstacles they faced.
“Come on. Let’s find Jared and Claire,” Ethan whispered as he crept up next to her.
Startled, Nyla swung her arms out wildly and jumped to her feet. She hadn’t heard Ethan approach and her thoughts had been elsewhere. Her nerves were so close to the edge she just reacted, her fist narrowly missing his chin.
“Sorry, didn’t hear you sneak up on me.”
“Good reflexes,” he said with an approving smile.
“We have to find cover and wait for night like Carlos suggested,” she replied, her voice quivering.
“It’d be safer.” Ethan looked into her eyes and smiled as he brushed a loose strand of hair away from her dirt-stained cheek and tucked it back underneath her bandana.
The touch of his rough calloused fingers on her face made Nyla shiver. She didn’t know why. He had touched her many times over the years, but this was different, and her fear was quickly replaced by confusion.
“Wow, that was close,” came Claire’s perky voice. “I didn’t realize those things were so loud. I can still hear it pounding in my ears.”
“That’s an old helicopter. The new ones are much quieter and faster,” Jared offered. “We saw a new one when we delivered some produce to the military base north of home.”
Nyla was always amazed at Claire’s ability to seem so chipper under any circumstances. Nyla was terrified by the near miss, concerned they were lost, and confused by Ethan’s actions, yet Claire was practically skipping as she bounded up to them with Jared in tow.
“Way too close for comfort,” Nyla mumbled. “Let’s get out of here in case they decide to come back. As soon as we find a decent place to get out of the heat let’s hide out until nightfall.”
“I agree, but I think we need to find Tornillo Creek in the daylight so we at least know we’re on the right track,” Ethan said as he shouldered his pack and started down a game trail with his friends following silently behind.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Leah walked toward Jared’s room carrying a tray with poached eggs, boiled potatoes and a tomato sauce she occasionally made since he enjoyed the way it spiced up the bland food. She had gotten up early to make him breakfast, which she had never done before, and wasn’t sure why she was doing it this morning. Maybe she was feeling guilty about turning her back on his fate, but whatever the reason, she just wanted to spend some time with her son before the others woke. Leah vowed to never take another day for granted.
With Ethan’s recent summons and pending graduation, Leah couldn’t quit thinking about losing Ethan and about Jared’s bleak future. She had known from the beginning that males had a less than prestigious place in society, but she still cared deeply for her son and wished things could be different. She wasn’t sure what she hoped for, because this was the only life she had ever known.
She tapped on Jared’s door. He was an early riser, so she felt certain he would already be awake. When he didn’t respond, she quietly called out his name as she eased the door open and entered the room. Leah looked around and realized she had seldom been in her son’s room and she didn’t remember it looking so mature. He had grown up and she hadn’t noticed. Or maybe she had seen the changes, but had refused to acknowledge the time was fast approaching when she would have to send him away.
The room was dark and it looked like Jared was sleeping. Leah flipped on his desk lamp, set the tray down and moved closer to his bed. Normally she wouldn’t wake him, but something didn’t feel right. She reached down to nudge him, but could tell instantly that what her hand grabbed was too soft to be her son’s strong shoulder.
She pulled back the covers and gasped. Leah reached down and picked up his pillow and the light revealed what she feared the most. She held the pillow close to her cheek and could smell her son’s scent. She buried her face in it and cried.
“Leah,” came Vera’s booming voice.
She wiped the tears from her cheeks, snatched up what ha
d been hidden under the pillow and rushed out into the hallway before Vera could enter the room.
“Have you seen Ethan or Jared? There’s a clog in the pipe in sector four. I’ve shut down the system, but if we don’t get the component up and running soon, we’ll have to irrigate into midday which just wastes water and is hard on the plants.”
Leah’s mind reeled, searching for what to say. She was certain that if Jared was gone, Ethan was too, and by what she found in Jared’s bed she was sure they were never coming back.
“Well?” demanded Vera. “Have you seen the boys? Was Jared in his room?”
“They must already be out in the field. They like to get their work done early so they can hang out with friends the rest of the day. I’ll go find them and have them take care of the problem. I’m in the mood for some fresh air anyway.”
“Remind Ethan he has an appointment today at the clinic and he had better not miss it.”
Leah nodded and watched Vera storm off. She wasn’t sure what to do. Anyone who aided a runaway would be punished, but Leah wasn’t sure she really cared anymore. She had brought a child into the world knowing he would have no future and had done nothing to try to change the outcome—nearly twenty-four years living in a constant state of denial.
The morning sky was a pale blue and the farm was peaceful. Leah could see why the boys spent so much time exploring the hills around the farm. When she reached sector four, she was relieved to find the clog was caused by a wad of soggy tumbleweeds. As she pulled the weeds out of the pipe, she thought about all the times Jared had done this chore and regretted not being more sympathetic. She thought back to the first time he had come running to her crying. He was only eight and terrified. She had wanted to console him, but Vera hovered nearby. Ethan had pulled the snake out of the pipe, showing no fear. Leah thought Vera might have even been proud of Ethan, but the moment faded and she never saw a hint of caring from Vera again.
Leah took her time getting back to the control room, enjoying the solitude and beauty of the landscape for the first time. She inhaled the fresh scent of sage and listened to the hum of insects busy pollinating the plants. They were all missing so much by exchanging nature for a manmade existence and the thought brought a small tear to her eye.
When she entered the control room, she spotted Vera at a computer terminal. Vera wouldn’t be sad when she found out Ethan was gone, only angry with him for making her look bad in the eyes of the authorities. Leah silently grieved for the loss of her son and for Ethan, since she knew no one else would.
“The pipes are cleared and the pumps are back on,” Leah said as she flipped the switch.
“Did you give Ethan my message?”
Leah ignored the question, not wanting to tell another blatant lie, and walked out of the building. She hoped she had been able to buy them some time and suspected the boys weren’t alone. She doubted Nyla’s grandmother would report her missing, but worried Claire’s mother would give them away in some melodramatic manner. The woman would probably claim Claire had been kidnapped, which would only bring more danger for the boys if they were caught.
Claire was nice enough, but Leah had always feared the pretty, young daughter of a SLIC employee would be trouble for her boy. She had seen the way Jared looked at Claire and knew there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. Leah didn’t really understand that kind of sacrifice or devotion since she had never experienced it herself, but then again, she had just risked incarceration in the Facility for her own son and his friends.
The more Leah thought about it, the more she understood. It made her feel good to put someone else’s well-being before her own and she wished she had done it sooner. Until now, she had just been going through the motions of life the way she had been instructed to do.
Expressions of emotion were so rare she had felt dead inside, but hadn’t realized it until now as a small surge of adrenaline coursed through her system. She couldn’t change the past or stop Claire’s mother, but she had no intention of letting Vera be the one to notify the authorities. She would stay close to Vera and cover for the boys for as long as she could. The thought of her boys safe in another place with the ones who meant the most to them, and her doing whatever she could to help, made her heart beat a little faster than usual and the sensation made her feel alive for the first time in her life.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
They found what they assumed was Tornillo Creek without any other sign of the helicopter and were now making good progress. Fatigue was starting to set in, the day was getting hotter and Carlos’s warnings about heat exhaustion and the danger of being spotted in the daylight kept running through Nyla’s mind. She was out of her element, so she had to trust Carlos’ judgment.
“This looks like a good place to rest and keep out of sight until dark,” Nyla offered.
Underneath a shady overhang of rangy brush, they pulled out their small cache of food and diminishing water. The day had been hotter than they had anticipated and they had spent hours walking in the blazing sun when they should have been in the shade conserving water. Little moisture lingered on the landscape from the previous night’s rain, so what they brought would have to last for the duration of their journey.
“Hey, take it easy on the water.” Ethan snatched the bottle from Jared. “We better start rationing now until we figure out how far away we are from the border.”
“I don’t recall voting you the leader of the expedition,” Jared replied as he reached for the bottle Ethan had taken from him.
“Someone has to take charge and we all know you won’t.”
Jared lunged at Ethan and the two men rolled back down into the creek bed. Claire stood to intervene, but Nyla motioned her back. She picked up the bottle and replaced the cap so as not to lose any more of the precious fluid.
“We’re all under a lot of pressure. Give them a moment to release some of it. No one will get hurt. They care too much for each other to do any real damage,” Nyla said as she gathered up everyone’s flashlights and placed them on an exposed rock to recharge the solar cells.
Claire sat back down next to Nyla and unwrapped one of their prepackaged meals, hoping this would be her last. “Do you think we’re a little more rebellious than most people our age because we’ve avoided eating the rations as much as possible?”
“Could be. Ethan and Jared only consume the rations provided at the academy during school and look at them rolling around like a couple wild animals.”
Clair laughed. “I guess there’s our proof.”
After several minutes of jostling, with neither gaining a clear edge, Ethan and Jared stopped fighting. They stood and backed up several paces, eyeing each other suspiciously.
“Feel better?” Nyla finally asked.
“I do,” Jared replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “It’s about time I showed him he can’t push me around anymore. He’s not my boss and I don’t take orders from him or anyone else. Isn’t that what this whole thing is all about?”
Nyla stared at Jared in stunned silence. Ethan did push him around, but she assumed it was just a big brother kind of thing. Jared had always been the kinder and gentler of the two, but he wasn’t a wimp either. His words were out of character, but by the feral look in Jared’s eyes, Nyla had no doubt he would back up those statements if he had to.
She looked over at Ethan and watched as his chest heaved in and out as he eyed Jared. She was afraid Jared’s words would restart the fight—Ethan never backed down from anything. The silence sizzled with tension. Nyla was about ready to break the uncomfortable quiet when Ethan wiped the blood off his lip and burst out laughing.
“Good to have you back, buddy.” Ethan put his arm around Jared’s shoulders and shook him. “I was afraid we had lost you to the masses.”
Jared shoved Ethan away as a smug grin eased across his lips. He strode confidently toward Claire and sat down next to her. She wiped a smudge of dirt from his cheek and picked several w
eeds from his hair. Claire ripped the foil off an energy bar and handed it to him along with the bottle of water that had started the fight.
Nyla envied how natural Claire and Jared were with each other. They belonged together. It had never been a question of if they would be together, but more of when and how. Nyla had been carrying a huge burden about their decision to make a run for the border, but as she watched Claire and Jared, she realized they all had to leave home for varying reasons, and the guilt over the potential danger faded.
Ethan nudged Nyla’s foot with the toe of his shoe and motioned for her to get up and follow. When they were far enough away to not be heard, he stopped, sat down in the shade of a tall shrub and patted the ground next to him.
Nyla took the cue and sat down. She pulled the bandana off her head. The cover had successfully camouflaged her blond hair, but it had kept the heat close to her head and made her sweat. As she ran her fingers through her damp locks, trying to encourage it to dry, she noticed Ethan watching her. Nyla wished she had some idea what was going through his mind, but knew it would be pointless to ask.
“I just wanted to give them some space and privacy,” Ethan said, his eyes still fixed on her. “This is the first time in our lives we’ve had that luxury.”
“You’re a good friend. I hope Jared appreciates you.”
“Well, I’d do anything for him—and you too, of course,” he said as he slapped her knee.
Nyla didn’t know how to respond, so said nothing.
“We should get some rest. We have a lot of miles to cover once it gets dark,” Ethan stated as he reclined back on the ground with his hands clasped behind his neck. He pulled the brim of his hat low and shut his eyes.
Nyla was wound up too tight to be tired. She watched Ethan sleep, fighting the urge to curl up against his side and enjoy being close to him. She found all these new feelings confusing and frustrating. She didn’t understand all the changes going on between her and Ethan. All she knew for sure was that whenever she dreamed about her future, Ethan was in it.