In The Shadows of the Cavern of Death (Shadows of Death Book 1) (16 page)

A dark look passed over Johnathon’s face before he answered me. “He was taken to the City to the West. Our government turned him over immediately to their representatives. They stated that you and Tristian were criminals, leaders of a terrorist organization whose lies were looking to undermine their government in a bid for power. They’ve denied everything, saying that it was propaganda by your organization in an attempt to gather an armed force of our people and seize control.”

“They handed him over without proof?” I asked, knowing what he was going to say and hoping that I could still do what I came here to do after he answered.

“Their lies were corroborated by the escaped Prey from the city,” he replied, confirming my fears. “You’re wanted for treason and anyone caught harboring you will be put to death.” Nodding my head, I was afraid that if I tried to speak my voice would betray the pain that I tried to hide. I guess a small part of me hoped that Tristian would be here and we could rescue him. That small piece of me that held hope was gone now, as dead as he surely was.

Michael’s hand reached under the table, taking my cold one. “Will we be able to get to the Prey?”

Slowly shaking his head, Johnathon said, “It will be difficult, but not impossible. They are being watched more closely, but aren’t under constant guard. You’ve actually arrived on the best day possible to grab a few of them. A large fair will start tomorrow and the servants will be there buying for the households they serve. Your problem, though, won’t be grabbing them; it will be getting them out of the town. Once night falls, it will be noticed that they didn’t return and a search will begin. Every house, every vehicle on the roads stopped and torn apart.”

“I agree, which is why I think our best bet is the forests.”

“The forests will be the last thing searched,” Johnathon remarked, not agreeing or disagreeing.

“I know that it’s not the best option and it will take the longest, but I think it is the only option that might work. There are not many, especially in this area, who are comfortable in the forest. Most of the people are out just far enough to spot anyone making their way toward the town, no one is posted past the bridge,” Michael reasoned.

“Agreed,” Johnathon said, turning his gaze back to me, where he looked for a long moment before speaking again. “Will you be able to deal with these people knowing what they did?”

With dead eyes, I met Johnathon’s gaze. “I know what I have to do, don’t question me again,” I told him harshly, angered at him for voicing my own thoughts aloud. Only the knowledge of what I could do with them after we got the information that was needed and they held no further use calmed me enough to remain at the table to hear the rest of the plan. Letting none of my thoughts show, I listened carefully, now more determined than ever to save as many of these people as I could so I could kill them later. Traitors against your own people were dealt with harshly among my people. Now I’m glad I never told the others or they would know that I would wait as long as necessary to enact my revenge. I would have to make sure that the Prey didn’t realize that I knew what they did until it was too late or they would never come with us. Unlike these surface people, they would know that the death that I had planned for them would be more horrid than any death that the city would give them. I could forgive them for wanting a life, but not for taking Tristian’s.

Moving away to gather my stuff to give to Johnathon, who would be hiding it all within the woods for us to collect later, I was so caught up in what I was doing I didn’t hear Johnathon approach. “He was alive when he left,” he said.

What did he think that would make me feel, better? “He’s dead now, so it makes no difference,” I replied, turning and handing him my bag before going back to the table to eat. Ignoring everyone, I sat there and slowly ate, nursing my hate deep where no one could see while bringing to the surface the face I would need to make the traitors trust me. Slowly the mask of the old Misty began to rise, the one that had cared for her sisters, no matter what they did. Once I was sure that it was firmly in place, I talked to the others around the table to judge its effect. Their smiles and laughter told me that it worked, only Johnathon and Michael looked at me strangely, not trusting it. Thankfully they weren’t the ones I was looking to convince.

It was now light and Johnathon was long gone to take care of his mission. Changing into clothing to blend in, we went out and made our way to the fair. The images that Johnathon showed us of the Prey and our escape routes were burned into my mind. With a carefree, excited air we made our way through the streets, blending seamlessly with the others around us. The fair was amazing––sights, smells, colors surrounded us and the old Misty loved it. With smiles and giggles, she touched and tasted all that the vendors showed her, while the new Misty kept a sharp lookout for what she had come for.

We found the first one quickly after arriving, a timid, mousy woman moving through the crowd, her dark hair hanging over her face. Making my way toward her, I joined her, looking at fabrics––the conversation was one-sided until I finally lured her into feeling comfortable. Keeping up a steady chatter, I moved with her booth by booth as the men followed discreetly behind. After buying her a sweet treat, we laughed together. I got her to follow me down a side alley, saying that I knew of a vendor at the end. It wasn’t until we reached the end and she saw there was no exit that she began to get nervous. Turning back, her fears were confirmed as the men blocked the only exit.

Defeat was heavy in her eyes when she looked at me. “Please make it quick,” she said.

As if I would give her a quick death after what she did, but I knew that
that
Misty couldn’t come out. Keeping my mask in place, I said, moving closer, “We’re not here to hurt you, we’re here to save you.” Disbelief flashed in her eyes as she looked at me, glancing fearfully back at the others keeping their distance, trying not to frighten her more than she already was. Knowing that I had to hurry, I kept going, taking her hand to bring her attention back to me. “You know that if the Loyalist city had sent us for you, we wouldn’t be speaking. These people are part of a resistance and they need your help. We need you to come with us so that we can save our people in the caverns and make sure that they can never again do what they have done to our people to the people on the surface.” Thinking of my sisters to put feeling in my voice, I said, “We need to help them. When you escaped our government, you thought you would be free, but you’re not. You’re still their slave. Come with us, help us, and be truly free.”

“You’re from the caverns?” she whispered.

Smiling with tears in my eyes, I said, “Yes, will you come with us and take a chance to truly be free and help free those still trapped below?”

Hope shone in her eyes as if I was her salvation. “What do I have to do?”

Got her. Waving the men toward us, they quickly told her what to do. To remain as she was, shopping until it was time to leave, while we searched for others. She quickly told us that she could help us. She knew where the others would be and she would help us gather them. It was better than we could hope for. With her help, what would have taken most of the day only took a few hours. Knowing which to approach and which were too broken to help, we gathered a total of twelve, more than we dared believe that we could. It wasn’t even noon yet when we made our way into the forest. No one spoke as we avoided the sentries and raced for the bridge. I couldn’t believe how close we were to it––what had taken Tristian and I days took only hours with the path Michael lead us on. That is where our problem would come from––there was no way of crossing the river without being seen.

Finding our supplies, we were told to stay as Michael broke away from us. Changing into the clothing left for us, we waited for Michael. Returning fifteen minutes later and motioning for us to cross, the blood on his knife told the story. Quickly we moved, terror giving us speed as the sun sank lower into the sky. Tired and winded, no one complained or asked for a break, and when the weaker ones fell, others gathered them up, pulling them along. The sun had long ago set and night was deep upon us when Michael found a spot where he said we could rest. Falling to the ground, the Prey laid there as we handed out food and water, forcing them to partake before an exhausted sleep took them. No fire was lit that night; it was warm enough that it wasn’t worth the risk for a hot meal. Going to the men, I told them that I would take the first watch, the look on my face stopping them from arguing. For hours I looked out into the night, ignoring my thoughts until it was time to wake the next watch. After I was sure that he would stay awake, I went to where Michael lay and quietly put my back to his, careful not to touch, letting my exhausted body claim the sleep it needed.

The sun was just touching the sky when I was shaken awake. Feeling as if I hadn’t slept a wink, I rose without complaint, knowing sleep was a luxury that we couldn’t afford. Coming to sit next to me, Michael brought me food and water, and silently we sat eating our meager meal. A shadow fell upon me, causing me to look up at the first woman we found. Hesitantly she sat in front of me. Others, seeing her approach me, became bolder and moved to sit behind her. “My name is Tara,” she said, holding her hand out to me.

Staring at it a moment, I swallowed my bile before reaching out and taking it. “I’m Misty.”

“We”––she started, waving to the group behind her––“wanted to thank you for taking us from there. I don’t know how much longer they were going to let us live.”

Pretending that I had no idea, I asked, “What changed?”

Sadness and shame washed through her face before she lowered it to look at the ground. “It was just becoming too dangerous to allow us to live.”

LIAR! I wanted to scream as she sat there, but I held it back, instead saying, “This may not be much of a better chance, but at least it will be a chance.” Standing up, I made a show of gathering my stuff, trying to ignore them as they smiled at me in gratitude. Finally unable to take it anymore, I said, “We’ll be leaving soon, why don’t you all go and help the others pack.” Nodding their heads like children, they stood and scurried away.

Mumbling to Michael that I’d be right back, I rushed into the woods, needing a moment to collect myself. Going as far as I dared, I slammed my hands into a tree, leaning in. I let my head hang down as I tried to reign in the darkness coursing through me. I knew that no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t act on those feelings yet, I had a debt to pay to the lifeless bodies in the field. What was owed to me would have to wait.

I was so wrapped up in the noises buzzing through my head that I didn’t hear Michael’s approach. “The life that you and those people have been forced to live is one that I can never imagine,” he said as he moved behind me. “Each one of you have a common core of pain before it branches out and your individual pain starts.” Reaching out and gathering me into his arms, he pulled me back until our bodies were flush and his lips were to my ears. “At that point, you don’t know their suffering any more than they know yours.” Touching his lips to the shell of my ear, he said, “You would have died for your loved ones. You would kill for your loved ones. These people lived in spite of their loved ones. Blocking the truth out so they could find the courage to face the next day. There are many forms of courage, but sometimes surviving when there is nothing left to live for is its own form of courage.” Releasing me, he stepped back and turned, walking away. “It’s time to leave.”

Turning, I followed him, staring unseeing at his back as the true meaning of his words swished around in my head. He knew. He knew that I but bided my time waiting. Pushing the thoughts away as we made it back to camp, I collected my bag and silently followed for another grueling trek through the woods. For three days we kept up the pace until what we feared would happen did. It was midafternoon when we heard the air vehicle moving our way. Scattering, we hid as it passed over us, searching. We stayed hidden like that for well over an hour before we dared to move. After that, it was decided that moving during the day had become too much of a risk. We found a place to make camp that hid us from view both around and above. Doubling the watch, we gathered to pore over the map, trying to find the safest way to approach the village. It would take us another four days moving in the dark rather than the two that it would have been if we could still move during the light. Silence was the key if we wanted to make it there alive. We were sure that they were moving in from the other direction, trying to find us and those that fled, leaving the village empty. It would be a close call to make the place that we marked to make camp before the sun rose, but it was a risk that we would have to take. Joining the others who were already asleep I laid down until the darkness came.

The soldiers were everywhere during the day; we listened as they thrashed through the woods, moving too close for comfort at times to our hiding spot. We were on the last night of our journey and discovery was more of a reality than ever. Guns and knives clutched in our hands at all times, sleep was impossible a small doze all that most of us were able to get. The bunker was a day’s journey from the village and with how close we were, we figured that the soldiers must have set their base of operations within the village itself. Our only saving grace was that they didn’t search in the night. We were right not to move during the day; if we had, we would have been caught long ago. Darkness was approaching; the day’s light moved down the small cave’s wall that we were crammed into, basically sitting on top of one another. We could hear the soldiers coming back in our direction to make their way back to camp. As they moved past, we all gave a sigh of relief thinking ourselves safe from discovery.