Stolen

by Cheree Alsop

  “You’ll see,” Marek replied evasively. He motioned for me to enter, then followed. Whisper clutched his hand on the side farthest from me.

  Marek walked through, in his element and in charge. I was in his territory now. He went directly to a table in the middle of the room. Two computers showed maps of an area of the city I wasn’t familiar with. The first computer’s map had a path outlined that came from outside the city. The second showed a close-up of a certain row of streets not far from the Downs. Marek studied the streets. “This is the best spot?”

  Flint nodded without speaking. Shadow shrugged at me with the bluntness of youth. “Don’t mind him. He doesn’t say much, or anything, for that matter.”

  Marek winked at Flint. “We like the strong, silent types. Flint’s the brains of our group.” He glanced back at Raven, who was perusing a list printed on a sheet of paper. “What time are we talking about?”

  Raven looked at the map, then back at his list. “They should be there by one a.m., if all goes as planned. I have a feeling the Lost’ll be heavily guarded thanks to last time.”

  “Good,” Phoenix said from behind us. I turned to see him cleaning a handgun with a gray cloth. “We’ll be ready.”

  Surprised at how casually he held the weapon, I looked back at Marek and found him watching me, gauging my reaction to the gun. “You can go back now and pretend like you never came here. There’s still time for that.” His tone was soft but firm. This would be my last chance.

  “What are the Lost?” I asked in reply. I avoided looking at the gun.

  I could hear the approval in Marek’s voice. “Let me take you on a tour while I explain.”

  I followed him through a door at the end of the room to a hall that led past the rooms of beds. A saying had been painted in caligraphied letters along the wall. ‘Like the creeper that girdeth the tree trunk, the Law floweth forward and back. For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.’

  I smiled. “Rudyard Kipling, isn’t it?”

  Marek nodded, giving me an appraising glance. “You know your literature.”

  I shrugged. “I’ve always liked the Jungle Book. I grew up wanting to run away and live with wild animals.” I stopped short, realizing what I had just said.

  Marek didn’t seem to notice. “Raven put it up there when we first found this place. Sort of prophetic, I guess you could say. He’s always liked the idea of us being a pack, led by a wolf and all.” He looked self-conscious now that we were alone. Turning away, he opened the gate to an old lift and motioned for me to enter.

  “You’re in charge of them and take care of them?” I asked, amazed and a bit daunted by the responsibilities he carried. No wonder he had to get back.

  Marek stepped up beside me and closed the gate. “There was no one else to do it,” he explained simply. He pushed the button to raise the lift.

  It started with a jerk that caught me off guard. I grabbed Marek’s arm to steady myself, then let go, feeling foolish. I avoided his eyes and turned my attention to the warehouse as the lift carried us up. Raven and Flint worked on the computers. I could see Shadow in the small kitchen off the main room. Phoenix was grouping objects that looked like more guns on a table in the big room.

  I searched for Whisper and found her in one of the sleeping areas. The room had been painted a soft purple and was full of toys and anything a little girl could want. She sat on her fluffy bed and watched us on the lift, her arms around a big stuffed dog that occupied half the bed. I waved. Whisper hesitated, then waved back. They disappeared from view as the lift carried us through the main floor and towards the roof. We rose slowly through a hatch that opened at our approach.

  “Flint and Shadow got bored one day and thought this would be a helpful lookout,” Marek said. Surprised, I examined the gears; it looked complicated. I wondered how two boys my brother’s age could design something so complex, but Marek didn’t seem to think it was unusual. The lift stopped at roof level. A morning breeze brushed around us, sending a pile of debris swirling in a small eddy.

  Marek helped me off the lift and walked to the edge of the roof. I looked around quickly to verify that the bird I had seen earlier hadn’t splattered itself nearby, then joined him by the edge. A million questions chased themselves through my mind. “What do you want to know?” Marek asked quietly as if he could read my thoughts.

  I fought back a smile and tried to focus. I asked what I felt to be the stupidest question first. “Are they all Shifters?”

  Marek nodded. He answered a few more of my questions with his reply. “Galbran was going to kill us, so I escaped and brought Raven with me. When we found this place, we went back and freed everyone who would come with us.”

  “Who would come?” I repeated, confused. I wondered why anyone would stay behind at the threat of death.

  Marek was silent for a moment. He studied the bandage on his hand. When he continued, his voice was soft as if it pained him to think back. “Galbran was like a father to us, or at least, convinced us he cared about us. I was at the labs for four years, and he was the one who helped us through the experiments and testing. He designed our combat training, and convinced us we would be great leaders.”

  Marek clenched his good hand over his injured one until the knuckles turned white. “Raven’s the one who overheard that we were considered a failed project and were to be destroyed to make way for the next one. When we told the others, most were ready to leave, but some still trusted Galbran and wouldn’t believe us. And there were others we couldn’t find.” He said the last sentence in a different tone, as if it affected him deeply but he was trying not to let it show.

  I changed the subject. “Why do they have names like Raven or Phoenix, when your name, Marek, is, well, normal?”

  Marek’s brow creased, but he gave me a small smile. “Most of those we freed from the labs didn’t remember their past. Everyone who wanted to could choose their own names.” Marek hesitated as if unsure he should continue. He looked out over the Downs, his blue eyes distant. He let out a breath. “I was different. I still remembered my past. When the scientists started out, they didn’t have many volunteers. They preferred kids for the experiments, and stole children from orphanages and hospitals. Others, though, they kidnapped.” He glanced over at my quick intake of air. I was horrified and he knew it.

  He continued, “My brother and I had been dropped off at a movie theater by our parents, and we were supposed to meet them at the restaurant across the street when the movie was over. I was eight, and Shane, six. Mom and Dad put me in charge and told us not to loiter. When the movie was over, we were crossing the street when a black SUV cut us off. Four men jumped out, put bags over our head and pulled us into the vehicle. That was the last time I saw Shane. I’ve been looking for him ever since.”

  I was quiet for so long he glanced at me, his expression guarded. I tried to process the information, but my mind refused to work past the horrible story. “Your poor family. Those awful things you had to go through. Did you find your parents when you got out to let them know you were okay?”

  Marek’s expression darkened. He nodded. “Yeah, I found them. I was twelve and Raven fourteen when we escaped. After freeing as many of the others as we could, we helped them find places to go, people who would care for them no matter what they were. I finally had the chance to go home when we were done. I promised Raven I would return to the warehouse after getting settled in.”

  He sighed. “My parents were so happy when I came home. There was a new baby, my little brother named Matthew. They asked about Shane, but I told them the truth, that I hadn’t been able to find him and feared he was dead. They welcomed me with open arms, until they saw the warnings on the news about escaped, dangerous Shifters.” He rubbed his eyes. “When they asked me, I told them the truth. I trusted them and their love for me.”

  Marek fell silent. He glared at the building across from us, his face an expressionless wall. I set a hand o
n his arm. “What happened?” I whispered.

  Marek spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes narrowed and unseeing. “My dad grabbed me and tried to hold me while Mom called the cops. I shifted, dove through the nearest window, and ran as far and as fast as I could. I never looked back.”

  He straightened up and glanced at me sideways. “I know they were protecting Matthew, but it didn’t make it any easier. I came back here and we fought the Falconans while looking for Shane. With the Lost in the picture, we haven’t had much time to think about what we’re missing.” He studied the ground at his feet. “Or, at least, that’s what we keep telling ourselves.”

  “What are the Lost?” I asked. I had a knot in my stomach. It obviously hadn’t been easy for him to tell me so much about himself and I had a million questions I wanted to ask, but I could tell he wanted to forget again. I didn’t know how I would have coped in the same situation. How did he keep fighting?

  “Do you ever go to a post office, department store, or grocery store and see the pictures on the walls of the missing children?” I nodded, feeling the knot in my stomach tighten. “Since the war, the numbers have continued to rise. They blame it on terrorists, but the border is nearly impenetrable thanks to the Falconans. The government uses the lies as a way to keep up the support of their manufactured army. Only, it’s the government that kidnaps the kids. They need to keep up the testing. They’re trying to perfect the Falconans to create an invincible militia.”

  I felt sick. “You mean they’re kidnapping children and turning them into Falconans?” Horror tightened my throat when Marek nodded.

  “They use genetic mutation and age acceleration. By the time they’re done and brainwashed, they’re unrecognizable and don’t remember their past. Our goal is to free the kids and get them back to their homes before they reach the labs.”

  My thoughts raced. The world I thought I lived in was crashing around my shoulders. I saw the false security of Falconan guarded streets and malls in the new light Marek had given me. They were not there so much for protection, but to pick off easy targets for experimentation and improvement to their kind.

  I felt sick to my stomach. When I glanced at Marek, he looked tired as if telling me made the burdens he carried more real and terrible. “But you rescue them,” I reminded myself, not meaning to say it out loud.

  Marek nodded. “We rescue who we can, but there are still those who slip through the cracks, and those we can’t find.”

  “Like Shane?” I asked softly.

  He nodded again without speaking. He leaned with his back against the wall, his eyes on the roof at our feet. He shook his head suddenly and raked his hair out of his eyes with one hand. “We’ll be leaving soon to scope out the area. Are you hungry?”

  I realized I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast early that morning. The sun was hidden behind a building to the left, and my watch said four o’clock p.m. I couldn’t believe how fast time had gone. I stifled a sigh at the sudden growl from my stomach and nodded. Somehow, it seemed like something as normal as eating was too simple after what Marek had told me.

  “Go back down the lift. The kitchen is on the left. I’m sure Shadow’s in there already. He’ll get you something.” Marek shook his head with a slight smile. “He’s always hungry. Growing boys, you know?”

  I thought of Kip’s bottomless stomach and laughed. “Yeah, I know.” I made my way to the lift, then paused and turned back to Marek. “Aren’t you hungry?”

  He shook his head, but gave me a smile that touched his eyes. “I’m okay. You go. I’ll be down in a while.”

  I nodded. I wanted to stay, but did as he asked. I pushed the button on the lift and watched the roof rise past me.

  Chapter 16- Marek

  I waited until Kyla was out of sight, then allowed my knees to give way. I slid slowly to a half-crouched position with the wall at my back. I held my side and gritted my teeth.

  I had hidden the pain from Kyla without thinking of it. I was back at home in the Den, and in charge. The others looked to me, and I had to be strong. I had never been able to show weakness because they looked to me for strength. I had always managed to protect them, to come out on top despite the odds.

  But this time it was different. Ras had almost killed me, probably would have if I hadn’t hidden at the vet’s. It was too close. I thought of the kids below, of the pack that had become my family. A sudden desperation welled up and I buried my head in my free hand. My black hair hid my face from the sun, from the world.

  It was too much. I had been doing this for too long. I worried about Shadow and Flint, even though they were older than I had been when I first escaped and found the warehouse with Raven. Raven was so trusting and looked up to me even though he was older. He trusted the wolf to protect them. Phoenix followed without question, older than us all, but more scarred as well.

  Most of all, I worried about Whisper. I had been able to find most of the Shifters safe homes, those who weren’t able to return to, or didn’t remember, where they were from. A few had stayed behind, the boys, Phoenix, and Raven because of personal reasons that made them unable to go elsewhere. But Whisper was different. Whisper was unique.

  I had found her two years ago on a break into the labs to search for Shane. We had freed most of the Shifters. I feared Galbran had kept his promise and killed the rest; deep down, I dreaded that was what happened to Shane, but I never stopped searching.

  Instead of finding Shane, I noticed a small, overlooked cage in a back corner. If I hadn’t had the night vision of a wolf, I wouldn’t have seen her. As it was, I almost looked past the bundle curdled in a fetal position under a small, dirty blanket. I broke the lock with my crowbar and pulled the blanket aside. A toddler, petite and frail with wispy white-blond hair, hid her face and shrunk away from my touch. She had no clothes on and was the skinniest thing I had ever seen.

  “Poor babe,” I remembered whispering. “How can they hurt the little ones?”

  She must have heard something in my voice because she reached up and wrapped her arms tightly around my neck with more strength than I would have guessed she had with the state she was in. When I wrapped the blanket around her and picked her up, I was surprised at how light she was, lighter than any child her age should be. A medical binder sat on top of the bars with a number imprinted on the cover that matched the one on the cage. I took it and left as fast as I could.

  Whisper seldom left my side for the first year, and hated being left alone when we went searching for the Lost. Eventually, Shadow and Flint came to the Den and never left, and she started to play with them and talk. Her voice was always so quiet, and when she shifted, which was very seldom, it was to the form of a beautiful, white, tiny bird I hadn’t been able to find in any bird book. The name Whisper had come naturally.

  I had never been able to find her a home. From the notes in the medical binder, I learned that the bird Shifters had hollow bones, and that their fragility was one of the reasons the experiment was considered to have failed. When Raven learned that he was of the same build, he took to flying more and left the ground work to the others.

  I couldn’t leave them. They all needed me and I couldn’t let them down. I almost had four days ago. I could take the pain, but I need to protect my pack. The Falconans were getting stronger, and though caution had saved us thus far, I knew eventually our luck would run out.

  The image of Whisper curled up in the cage, shrinking from my touch, stayed in my mind. I had vowed to protect the Lost; that was my one duty and calling. I bowed my head and pushed myself slowly to a standing position. I held a hand against the throbbing pain brought by the movement and made my way carefully to the lift. As I waited for it to rise, a raven flew out of a large pipe that ran from the Den to the roof. I dropped my hand from my side and lifted my chin in a silent greeting.

  Raven circled my head, then flew high into the sky until I lost him among the gathering clouds. I had often wondered what brought Raven back when he was so
obviously free and alive in the air. A quick flash of lightning darted through the overcast sky followed by a loud crack of thunder. The raven flew down past me and into the pipe so fast that I would have missed it if I blinked.

  Laughing, I stepped onto the lift and started downward. When I cleared the ceiling of the Den, I stopped my descent and surveyed my family. Phoenix and Flint were still organizing supplies for the evening run. I knew every vest would be checked, each gun triple-cleaned, the headsets tested, and the maps measured.

  Lucky for us, Phoenix came to the pack knowing his stuff. He taught us his military expertise in exchange for a place to call home. Phoenix had been one of the few to actually enlist after the borders were closed. Unfortunately, they placed him in as a willing test subject. When Raven and I freed him on our first return to the labs, he was the only cougar Shifter experiment that had worked.

  Ashamed of what he was and what his country had done to him, the Shifter couldn’t bring himself to return to his wife and two-year-old daughter. I found their address later on in files Flint hacked into and dropped off money to Phoenix’s wife as often as we could spare it. The first and last time I mentioned Phoenix ever going back, I had been lucky to escape with a black eye. His wife hadn’t remarried, and I wondered if she still waited for her AWOL husband. It broke my heart, but I couldn’t fight the defeat in Phoenix’s eyes, nor the man’s inability to come to terms with what his government had done to him.

  Kyla was in the kitchen with Shadow, while Whisper peeked at her from the door frame and hid whenever Kyla smiled her way. I studied Kyla. She joked with Shadow as she helped spread tuna fish on slices of bread. She had braided her dark blonde hair, and tucked loose strands behind an ear in annoyance.