Project Terra

by S. J Woods

“I’ll lead them this way.” Dane said when he reached the others, poised and ready for battle. “They’re already tracking us. They’ll branch off.”

  Dane crouched low, moving quickly and silently to the edge of the wood, straining his eyes to catch a glimpse of the oncoming soldiers without being seen. His heart drummed steadily in his chest and he counted the beats as he waited, willing his body to relax. There was no room for errors. He couldn’t afford for panic and fear to take over. He needed a clear mind to guide him.

  From behind him, he sensed Teonie guiding Rico and Alyssa away from the hiding place. The rustle of bushes could easily be mistaken for wildlife or the gentle breeze, but Dane, accustomed to the sounds of the wild now, could tell from the rhythmic swooshes that Teonie was working hard to disguise the land of any human presence.

  He felt a stab of pride at her wisdom and her kindness. As much as he wanted to be confident in their ability to win, he knew that the chances were stacked against them. What Teonie was doing would give the children a fighting chance if none of them returned. He glanced over at his friend and she met his eyes. She pointed to him and then, with two fingers, gestured East. He nodded his understanding. She gestured to herself and the others, drawing a circle in the air. He gave her a thumbs-up. Even across the woodland, he could feel the nerves sizzling from her like static energy.

  “Keep calm.” He mouthed at her, trying to smile reassuringly. “We can do this.”

  Her tense expression melted into a smile and she winked before turning away into the forest. He knew it was bravado, but he was grateful for the gesture.

  Dane watched her move out of sight, dark hair swishing across her back, before turning back to the task at hand. He followed the treeline east but moved downhill closer to where he guessed the pack of soldiers would be navigating the mountainside. In his mind’s eye, he had the rough plan, thrown together in minutes by Teonie, and he knew that he had one shot at making this work. Critically, he needed to draw them away from the hidden children and coax the band of trained killers to follow him. The next part of the plan was to keep himself alive, by disappearing from sight and looping behind them. This would be the difficult part. There were tons of flaws, if’s-and-but’s. All going well, he hoped the band would have paired off for the hunt. Picking off one and two alone would be hard enough, but he was counting on the element of surprise to work to his advantage. If the squad were banded tightly together, Dane knew he had no chance of surviving a confrontation with more than two.

  Fear spurring him on, he raced through the woods, using gnarled trunks to steady himself on the sharp decline until he had put enough distance between himself and his siblings’ hiding place. He took a deep breath, readying himself to step out of the forest. He turned and walked back up the mountain in the opposite direction he’d just travelled, counting down in his mind.

  Three. Two. One.

  He stepped out of hiding and made a show of scanning the horizon. The military aircraft was still turning slow, lazy circles in the distant sky. Dane guessed that they had figured out what had happened to the other craft and were being cautious to avoid a repeat incident. He felt his stomach sink in disappointment when he was unable to make out any of the military personnel through the trees below. He needed to keep them in sight, and crucially he needed them to see him. He stayed on the edge of the forest for a few moments, trying to appear calm. He moved his head up and down, in the pretence of searching the land, keeping his eyes fixed upon the area he guessed they would be.

  How long did he wait? He wondered, praying that he had been seen and the group would head directly for him, steering them away from his family. He swooped back into the forest and headed up the mountain, emerging a little further up to repeat his scan of the mountain beneath.

  No tell-tale movements appeared on the tree-line below him and Dane knew that he couldn’t afford to wait any longer. He would have to hope they had seen him and changed their course. He stepped back into the wood and took off at great speed to the west. He counted his steps as he ran, knowing he needed to give the approaching militia a wide berth to get behind them. He slowed when he calculated he was growing close and crept, cautiously, head down, tree-to-tree. He checked and re-checked his weapon at his hip, and remembering his struggle with Sadie, he took a heavy fallen branch from the ground and carried it against his chest as he skulked through a patchy part of the thicket.

  He caught a flash of movement through the branches and he dropped lower, peering through the trees to make out a figure hurry by, about two hundred metres to his left. He flattened himself against the trunk. Another shape whizzed by, and he took a deep breath. They were moving quickly. He counted four of them. He waited. A minute passed. Nothing.

  Tentatively, he moved from his hiding place and started to follow. He knew he’d have to abandon his caution if he were to keep up with them, but at the back of his mind, he was worried. He had been certain that there were six in the group. He kept parallel, throwing glances over his shoulder as he rushed up the mountain once more. Used to the terrain now, he found he was able to navigate quickly and it wasn’t long before he sensed them near. He looked for cover, but the patch of trees here were young and their thin, juvenile trunks offered no thickness to disguise his muscular frame. He moved forward, slowly now; senses alert for any signs of them. He caught another glimpse of the party and he ducked backwards, crouching low.

  “What was that?”

  A low voice carried through the trees towards Dane and he felt his heart speed up. Had he been spotted?

  He longed to crane his head and look again, but caution stopped him. He remained frozen to the spot, focussing his sharp hearing. He imagined the crunching before he actually heard it, like his own mind was predicting how the scene would play out.

  He tensed, preparing to move. He wasn’t hidden well, he knew that. He guessed that they would spot him from metres away, no matter how they approached. His hands flexed involuntarily, and he adjusted his grip on the knife handle. In his non-dominant hand, he gripped the heavy branch.

  The crunching was closer. Then it came. The pause that told him he’d been spotted.

  His heart pounded, and he fought the urge to use the flood of adrenaline and run.

  He was outnumbered, an inner voice reminded him. The voice that desperately wanted to live.

  The image of his siblings, huddled and scared, flashed through his mind and he gritted his teeth, determined.

  “Teonie, if you’re out there.” He called to her in his mind, praying his thoughts would travel through the woods to her. “I could do with your help about now.”

  There was a rustle to his left and then nothing for a deafening moment.

  It’s now or never. He realised, with sickening clarity. If he waited until they were upon him, it would be too late. He wasn’t going to make it out of here. He would go out fighting. Take their numbers down for Teonie and for his family.

  He accepted his mortality then and there, and as he did, the fear left him. He threw himself from his hiding place, no longer afraid to meet his death. Only scared of leaving without doing his best. He was aware of an ear-piercing roar as he launched himself forward and, as his eyes found his targets, he realised it was him making this sound. As he rushed forward, he registered the surprise and something like fear flicker across their faces. Four of them in a wide semi-circle. Spaced out.

  His trained military mind acknowledged the wisdom of their position. He darted forward, holding the long branch aloft like a weapon. He purposely kept the knife low and hidden at his side. Let them not see the threat until it was too late. He was almost upon them before their training kicked in and they reacted.

  “Stop! Stop!” The furthest soldier called out.

  A young woman. Dark eyes and hair. He didn’t know her, but her words had the desired effect and he paused, not expecting them to try to reason with him.

  The pause was all they needed. He’d lost momentum and the advantage of the surprise
attack, he realised with horror as he jolted to a halt and was immediately rushed by the two nearest soldiers; two men, about his age and build.

  His eyes turned to the knife drawn at their hips and he struck out with the branch. The heavy, cumbersome weapon didn’t allow for enough force and the branch caught them both across the thighs, slowing but not tripping them, as they darted around it. From his peripheral vision, he could see the third soldier and the woman who had spoken rushing forward. He feigned a dart to his left and doubled back as the first man reached him and Dane struck out hard and fast with his knife. He felt the grisly resistance as the blade pierced flesh and he plunged forward, before drawing back. He threw the useless branch to the ground as he danced backwards to avoid the man’s own knife. The soldier sank to the ground, but there wasn’t time to react as the other soldier was at Dane’s side. Dane jumped backwards as he felt the man’s knife whizz past his chest. He felt himself pulled forward as the soldier caught him with his free hand and dragged him back. Dane plunged forward his weapon again, slicing wildly through the air and he caught his attacker in the shoulder. He felt him release his tight grip and Dane pulled backwards, for just a step, finding his footing before launching himself forward again at the other pair of soldiers.

  He came close enough to see a glint in the woman’s eye and she rushed at him; her fearlessness breaking through his wild blind mission. He darted to the side, feeling her brush past him and immediately he knew he had made a wrong move. In a flash, the other soldier was on him. He felt a kick and his feet flew from the ground. Suddenly, he was on the floor. The forest above him. Sunshine peeking through the canopy. Oddly peaceful and beautiful, he thought, as he felt a knee pinning him to the ground and saw the metal held above him.

  He met the cold, hard eyes of the soldier staring down at him and Dane waited for the sharp blow that would end his life.

  “Hold it.” The woman spoke again, cool and collected.

  He heard the crackle of the undergrowth and felt her shadow fall over him.

  “Soldier Fifty-Ninety-Eight?” She bent over him, her neat ponytail falling over her shoulder with the motion.

  Dane nodded his head, but his mind was already racing trying to work out how to use this interruption to his advantage.

  “We don’t want to hurt you.” She said. “We have reason to believe you are acting under duress. We want Perez.”

  Dane blinked once, deliberately breaking her steely eye contact.

  “She’s not here.” He said. “She’s already gone.”

  The woman barked a sharp laugh of disbelief.

  “Take him to the capsule.” She instructed the man pinning Dane to the ground.

  Dane felt the air return to his lungs as the soldier retreated, but before he could even think about reacting, his hands had been tightly bound behind his back. On his feet, he could see the two soldiers that he had injured in combat. One man was bleeding profusely, but he struggled to his feet as his colleague administered an injection to the site.

  “That should do it.” The man said, withdrawing the needle and tossing it to the ground. “Hold you together until we’re back at base.”

  They both turned to throw contemptuous looks in Dane’s direction and he looked instead at the discarded syringe.

  “Aren’t you going to pick that up?” He heard his own voice ask, heavy with contempt.

  “The only people who cross these mountains are traitors and Latheians.” The man scowled back. “And they’ll all be gone soon, and we can go back to our day jobs.”

  “Last chance, Alexander,” The woman seemed to be in charge. “Give us Perez and we can gather up your family and help you get home.”

  “They’re not here.” Dane spat out from between gritted teeth.

  “I hope you’re telling the truth for their sake.” She shrugged. “In less than an hour, we’ll be high in the sky watching this mountain burn.”

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Liquid fear bubbled deep inside Dane as he processed her chilling words. He felt the terror fill his chest cavity, slowly drowning him and turning his blood to ice. He struggled against his binds involuntarily; horror wiping out any capability for rational thought. An unexpected kick to the back of the knees sent him crashing to the forest floor. The thick vegetation carpeted his face from any injury, but the soldier caught him swiftly by the arms yanking him upwards, jarring his neck and back. The shooting pain brought him sharply back to his senses and he pushed through the discomfort and turned to the woman.

  “You can’t do that.”

  “Really?” Her mouth stretched into a cruel smile. “On what grounds? This land is just an ornamental border. It doesn’t matter if it’s torched to the ground. In fact, it’ll make our jobs a lot easier. We’ll be able to spot enemies like Perez from miles away instead of scrambling around out here like we’re kids playing at camp.”

  Dane’s mind flashed back to the horror of the fire that had taken Gia. The speed. The intensity. The devastation it had caused. Norah and Rose were sick. What if they didn’t get out of here in time? His pulse quickened. He needed to think, but the panic was still choking him. Hurried half-ideas sprouted in his mind, but just as quickly they disappeared in a tangled web of if’s and but’s. He looked around at his captors. Even without his arms bound tightly behind his back, he was no match for four of them. One more attempt could get him killed and then he would be no use to his family. The woman stepped behind him, moving out of eyesight, and he felt himself jostled forward.

  “Let’s go.” She instructed the others without waiting for a response.

  “What about the others?” The man, who had taken Dane down, sounded concerned.

  “They might have had more luck.” The woman replied breezily.

  With no better ideas, Dane had no choice but to let himself be propelled forward through the wood. Every few steps, he felt the warning touch of a knife at his back reminding him of the danger he was in. He kept his eyes fixed ahead, not daring to scan the shadows lest he give away his friends. His senses, honed to his surroundings, felt eyes on him from somewhere in the distance.

  A crunch of steps had the soldiers around him leaping into position. Dane felt his tensed body come alive with a shot of adrenaline and hope, which were quickly dashed when he took in the scene.

  One-by-one, Teonie, Alyssa and Rico were marching slowly into sight. Their speed and demeanour told Dane that something was wrong before he could make out their faces. Alyssa walked in between the two, and Dane recognised the AMS uniform of an Officer walking a step behind Teonie and a soldier next to Rico. As they trailed into view, he saw the stiff, unnatural gait was the result of the personnel holding identical knives to the throats of the Perez siblings.

  All hope died away as Dane saw the defeated faces of his friends and he recoiled as he recognised Seraphine and Neha as their imprisoners. Dane scanned the eyes of his friends, settling on Teonie’s.

  Her eyes were clouded with regret and worry, but her chin was tilted to the sky as she clung on to the defiance and the courage that he’d grown to love about her. She met his eyes and her head bowed slightly, an unspoken apology. He recognised the emotion because he felt it too; they felt they had failed them all. She looked away from him and his eyes moved to the sharp features of their former Officer.

  “Fancy seeing you here.” She raised a perfectly-arched eyebrow at Dane, the full mouth curling up before she addressed her prisoner. “You know what I want.”

  Dane watched as Teonie’s nostrils flared with indignation.

  “I told you,” She snapped, unflinching at the metal tip of the blade digging into her flesh. “I destroyed it.”

  Seraphine rolled her eyes. “I’m slowly losing my patience with this one.”

  She took a step away from Teonie, although Dane noticed she didn’t take her eyes off her for a moment. With a flick of her wrist, she beckoned one of the other soldiers.

  “Bind all their hands.”

  The man set
about snapping the cuffs into place and Dane watched, desperate now for any sign to make a move, but the soldiers were strong, quick and they were armed. There was no chance to fight back without getting someone killed.

  “So, Perez,” Seraphine’s silky tone was at odds with the cold look in her eyes. “Neha is going to kill your brother now. You can stop this happening.”

  He saw real, pure fear fill Teonie from the head down. She stepped forward, hands bound. Seraphine moved quickly, knocking her to the ground with a strong backhand. Unphased, Teonie struggled to her knees; her wild, terrified eyes seeking out her beloved brother. Dane saw Rico swallow, but he kept the same defiant posture as his sister: his inner strength evident until the very end.

  “It doesn’t matter what you do.” Rico’s voice was calm and strong. “She told you the truth. It’s destroyed. Nothing can bring it back.”

  He addressed Seraphine, but Dane could tell he was saying this for his sister’s benefit. He looked between the two in disbelief. What the hell were they doing? This was suicide. Rico held his gaze, giving nothing away, but Teonie shook her head. Just a tiny gesture and he knew that the brother and sister had planned for this. They wouldn’t hand over the means to destroy a whole civilisation. Not even for their own lives or for each other.

  Dane looked back at Teonie, imploring her with his eyes not to do this. She was crazy to risk everything. Who knew what would happen to them? Teonie had admitted herself that sooner or later they’d figure out the technology behind her breakthrough. She met his gaze and he could see the determination behind the icy blue eyes shining through, even in the face of defeat.

  Seraphine, sharp as ever, caught the silent exchange and Dane hurriedly looked to the ground.

  “You two got something you want to discuss?” She asked, her tone cruel and mocking.

  Teonie rewarded her words with a disdainful look and a curl of her lip.

  Dane watched the exchange, feeling sick with dread at the Officer’s next move, but when she slid a gentle hand onto his shoulder, he jumped in surprise.