Project Terra

by S. J Woods

  “I need a private word with this soldier.” She told her team. “Keep a very close eye on these.”

  Dane let her lead him away from his friends. A million thoughts were running through his mind and, at the very least, he figured this might buy them some time. He desperately needed to figure out what to do. He walked slowly, the Officer at his side, following her instructions until they were out of sight. Seraphine gestured for him to stop and he turned to face her, trying not to focus on the blade at her hip.

  “Dane,” She started, before pausing and regarding him thoughtfully.

  The cold, sharp exterior seemed to melt away as she stood looking at him, her eyes gentle and curious, and he felt his stomach flip.

  “What is going on?” She shook her head slowly as if in disbelief. “Please let me help you. I don’t know what she’s said to you, but she’s going to get you all killed!”

  Dane could hear sincerity in her tone, but his instincts told him she was lying. He looked away from her to the mountains behind. A gentle breeze flittered between them, catching a few strands of honey-blonde hair and causing them to stream in front of her eyes. She brushed the hair away impatiently.

  “Dane.” She repeated when he didn’t answer. “I don’t know how you ended up caught up in all this, but there’s a lot of stuff I think you don’t know about Perez and Vercelli.”

  He turned his eyes back to her, questioningly.

  “I shouldn’t be telling you this,” She took a deep breath and continued. “Intelligence has had suspicions that Latheia have had contacts here for years. Even closing the borders wasn’t stopping them infiltrating our networks. We narrowly missed several disasters year after year. Vercelli’s parents were high-ranking Intelligence Officers in the AMS. Perez’s mother was a leading scientist. We have reason to believe that she was responsible for a major tragedy that impacted the repopulation campaign. At the time, another scientist took the blame for it, but new evidence shows that those responsible for harming those babies did so deliberately to weaken the country further.”

  She stepped closer to him and he looked away, frightened of believing her.

  “I’ve heard the conversations Vercelli had with you,” She said seriously. “And I know Pervez has you totally under her control. Dane, please believe me. Whatever she has told you is a lie. Her family are currently fugitives. She’s dragging you into danger for her own gains…”

  “That’s not true.” Dane shook his head violently. “She had no reason to bring me. If anything, I’ve slowed her down.”

  A glint of satisfaction flickered across her solemn mask.

  “She really hasn’t told you, has she?”

  Dane deliberated for a moment, torn between losing his temper with her and wanting to hear what she was talking about.

  “She hasn’t told me anything.”

  “You have the Coles children with you.” Seraphine continued. “We have reason to believe their mother was working in collaboration with Perez’s. She disappeared as we were closing in on her, no doubt tipped off by their insider information. Perez is using you to get the Coles children back to their mother. Now the Latheians have so many agents in Apatia, it’s clear they’re planning an attack and Perez has been tasked with getting the children out. Dane, you’re putting your family at a huge risk because of her lies.”

  She stepped forward, covering the space between them. Her face was close to his, and he could feel her warm breath on his cheek.

  “That’s not true.” He said quietly. “What do you want from Teonie?”

  “She has something of ours.” She said. “She’s taking it to the Latheians and they will use it against this country.”

  “You were going to kill us.” Dane said. “You were watching us through our wrist-devices. The tech-out and the explosion? That was planned.”

  “That wasn’t us!” Seraphine cried, throwing her hands up in frustration. “That was all them! It’s all part of their plan to destabilise the government.”

  Dane looked at her silently, fighting the conflict within him. Her reactions seemed so genuine.

  “You’re telling me Teonie’s mother was responsible for what happened to my sister?” He finally responded quietly.

  Seraphine looked down at the ground before nodding gently.

  “Dane, I’m so sorry.”

  Dane felt an acidic burn as bile rose from his empty stomach.

  “You’re lying.” Dane took a step backwards away from her.

  “I wish it wasn’t true.” She shook her head sadly. “Look, I can help you. You’re in a lot of trouble. If you can tell us what she’s done with the device she stole, I can speak to the General to drop any charges against you and your mother. I can make sure the Coles children and your sister are looked after.”

  Dread propelled the bile upwards, hurtling into his throat at the loaded way she spoke of his siblings.

  “They’re not here.”

  She tried to hide the contempt from her face at his words, but it was too late, he had seen it.

  “Your lies are starting to infuriate me.” She said, her tone icy-cool. “I don’t know why I’m even giving you a chance. I’m putting my career on the line for you.”

  “They’re not here.” He repeated, and he met her eyes this time, ferocious in his need to be believed.

  “You’re crazy.” She laughed coldly. “In less than an hour, you will all be back at the Command Centre and will be tried for treason. The forest will be torched like it should have been years ago, and any Latheians and traitors with it. I want that device.”

  The thought of Rose and the children alone on the burning mountain was torture. Dane felt sick at betraying Teonie, but it was over for them all and what if she was telling the truth? He hadn’t wanted to admit it, but some of the things Seraphine had said made sense.

  “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

  “Look,” She reached out and tilted his face up to look at her. “You’re not really in a position to negotiate, are you? You’re going to have to trust me.”

  The truth of her words echoed through Dane. Her eyes glinted with victory and it was more than he could bear. He stepped backwards, twisting his body from her reach. Hopelessness spiralled in agonised coils from every nerve in Dane’s body and he screwed his eyes tight, unable to stand the emotional torment any more. It came to him in a lightning moment of realisation. He had no choice but to relent now. Even as the thoughts sprang to life, he could almost taste the bitter regret at betraying his friend, after all she had done for him, but he had to act to secure the safety of his siblings. He could not, and he would not leave them out here to burn to death.

  “I need to think.” His words came out as a tight sob, but Seraphine showed no signs of enjoying his tormented conflict.

  She simply nodded and took his arm, leading him deeper into the woods.

  “Tell me again.” He urged her. “Tell me everything.”

  She spoke slowly and Dane only half-listened to her words, feeling the pull of his conscience as she led him like an Executioner towards his fate. Except it wasn’t his execution, it would be Teonie’s. His thoughts and regrets washed over him as they walked.

  Teonie and Gia seemed so adamant in their torment, his heart screamed at him. Why would Gia have put herself in danger. It made no sense. Seraphine was lying to him.

  It doesn’t matter. His head reminded him. He had one duty and that was to keep his family safe. It was the reason he had wanted to join the military and it was the reason he had felt honoured to serve his country.

  “So why?” He asked, a little dazed when she had finished spinning her story. “Why did Gia run away?”

  He stopped dead, noticing for the first time that they had wandered close to his siblings’ hiding place.

  “I don’t know.” Seraphine responded a little too quickly, but Dane had already seen doubt flash across her blue eyes. “I wasn’t there. I don’t know what happened.”

  His words
had brought back the memory of that night and the emotions he had felt as he watched the blaze rip through the forest and the surrounding land. Suddenly, anger replaced the helpless feeling coursing through his veins and he found himself speaking without thinking.

  “You seem to know a lot about everything else.”

  He turned to face her and this time, it was Seraphine that looked away.

  “I’ve told you more than I should,” She said finally. “I was trying to help you.”

  “Why?” Dane asked, and as he spoke he tensed his wrists within the restraints, feeling like his fury could burst through the shackles.

  He felt the bindings stretch a little, but they were hard and held fast.

  “Why was I trying to help you?” She repeated, before shrugging, suddenly looking younger and less confident than her age and her rank. “I don’t know. You helped me out on the selection exercise. I know you’ve been dragged into this. You’re only trying to protect your family. Pick a reason.”

  “And you believe all this?” He pressed on. “That if I hand over my family, that they’ll be safe? If I hand over the Tech-shield, Apatia will use it to protect their citizens and not to attack innocent people in other countries?”

  This time it was anger that flashed across her face.

  “And what about Teonie?” He continued, adrenaline fuelling him on. “What will happen to her?”

  “She’s a criminal and a traitor.” Seraphine spat out angrily. “And if you don’t hand over the shield and those kids then you’ll be sentenced to death just the same as her. And your family will die in flames on this mountain. Wherever they’re hiding, we’ll find them.”

  Dane’s shoulders almost burst from the strain as he pulled desperately at his restraints.

  “And I’m supposed to still believe that Apatia is the good guy?” His voice came out a roar, and beneath the anger he hoped that Rose could hear him, and she would know that they needed to escape, now more than ever.

  Seraphine’s words had shown him that he couldn’t trust her any more than he could trust the country that he had willingly risked his life for.

  “Because it sounds to me.” He finished quietly, looking Seraphine dead in the eyes. “Like we were the bad guys all along.”

  Her eyes blazed with anger and Dane felt his heart turn to stone when she lifted her knife high into the air. He eyed the silver blade before he turned his gaze to the sky in silent prayer. He had wanted Rose to hear his words, but he wished more than anything for them to be spared hearing his murder.

  “Hey!” A shout pierced the ominous silence and they both turned, shocked, towards the noise.

  The unmistakable tousled blonde curls of Tommy looked surreal and out-of-place from fifty yards away. He looked so small against the giant trees and Dane yanked hard against his restraints, desperately trying to free his hands to protect the child.

  He saw the glint in Seraphine’s eyes and she turned towards the boy, deliberately stepping out of Dane’s immediate reach. He stepped after her, willing to do whatever to give Tommy the chance to run.

  “The saddest thing is,” She turned and smirked in Dane’s direction. “You could have prevented this.”

  Her words were all the motivation he needed, and he leapt forward, not caring about the blade, planning on using his weight to knock her to the ground, but she was too fast for him. Like a cat, she sprang away, kicking out at his legs and sending him sprawling to the ground. His face hit the dirt floor for the second time that day, and he rolled, spitting out the mouthful of mud and leaves, frantic to hold her back and give the child a chance to run to safety.

  He was back on his knees, and then on his feet, in seconds, but seconds were all she needed to cross the distance between them to Tommy. Dane’s heart was in his mouth as he scrambled towards them, shouting out hoarsely with all the air in his lungs.

  She was so close, and Tommy made no attempt to run from her path.

  What was he thinking? Dane’s mind screamed as his mouth cried raggedly for the boy to run.

  A crack rang out in the space around them and his words were lost under the echo.

  And then she fell.

  Seraphine crumpled and folded to the ground. Her body jerked violently, and Dane threw himself towards her, reaching her at the moment the knife fell from her hand. Tommy was quicker than him, scooping up the knife, his eyes wide with fascination, and it was only then that Dane saw his little sister, stood to the side of their hiding place, brandishing the gun, coolly looking on as she watched the life drain away from her brother’s captor.

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  Against the shadow of the forest, Rose stood unmoving. Even in his state of disbelief, he was struck by the poise of his younger sister. Her clothes were crumpled and streaked with dirt from their days in the wilderness, her hair tangled and her face tired and drained, but she held herself upright with a beauty and a maturity that he had never noticed before; only ever seeing her, through the eyes of an older sibling, as a child.

  Her hand, out-stretched, held the machine that was created to kill, and she showed no sign of horror or shock as she watched Seraphine’s body fall still as life ebbed from her.

  “Rose!” Dane heard the words, raspy and raw, come from his dry lips.

  She turned slowly towards him and, as if coming out of a trance, she gradually lowered the device.

  “Is she…?” Tommy trailed off, looking more fascinated than disturbed.

  “I think so.” Dane gestured towards the knife. “Can you cut me free? I’ll check.”

  Tommy moved towards him, but Rose remained hovering over Seraphine’s body as if scared the Officer would spring back to life.

  “Rose.” Dane spoke again, more controlled this time.

  She recovered quickly and took the weapon gently from the boy, and Dane breathed a sigh of relief as she cut through the plastic cuffs.

  He flexed his hands in front of him once, barely taking in the deep marks the bonds had left on his skin, before he wrapped his arms around Rose and Tommy.

  “Are you ok?” He asked. “You saved us.”

  She nodded, but she was already looking around them, her eyes ablaze with concern.

  “Norah.” She croaked, and Dane felt the barely-subdued panic return.

  “It’s ok! It’s ok!” Tommy cried quickly, and he ran back to the hiding place, re-emerging with the little girl.

  Dane gathered them all into his arms; his heart swelling with a love so fierce he thought he would never be able to let them go.

  “You were amazing, Rose!” Tommy praised her, unphased by the body lying just metres away.

  Rose and Dane exchanged a glance, and Rose, sensing Dane’s concern, forcefully turned the children away to allow him to check the still body.

  “We heard everything.” Rose said when Dane returned to them.

  “I’m glad you did.” Dane replied. “Teonie, Rico and Ma have been captured too. There are five soldiers with them. We’re not out of the woods just yet.”

  Rose was quiet for a moment, deliberating over this blow.

  “Five of them?” She repeated, chewing her lip nervously.

  Dane nodded wordlessly.

  He could almost hear her mind whirring until her face set in firm acceptance. She crossed the wood to the Officer’s body, and Dane watched in horror as she tugged at the jacket of the fallen Officer. Within minutes, she was dressed in the jacket and the beret of an Apatian Military Officer, and she slipped the band of Seraphine’s device from the woman’s wrist with casual indifference.

  “She talked a lot of trash.” Rose said grimly. “If we’re putting our lives at risk, maybe this’ll help us know what we’re really running from.”

  Dane held his hand out for the device, widening the band and sliding it onto his own forearm. He twisted his arm, feeling the subtle weight of the appliance which was as familiar to him as his own limbs.

  “What’s with the jacket?”

  “You said there’s
five of them?” Rose tilted her head to the side. “I’m guessing they’re armed. We’re going to need to play this carefully.”

  With that, she held out the Tech-shield. He took it, turning it over in his hand as she buttoned up the jacket, tucking her hair under the beret. He noticed that her knuckles were white where her hand closed around their father’s gun, but he said nothing and waited for her to finish.

  “Where are they?”

  The beret didn’t quite disguise the fact that Rose had dark brown hair, compared to Seraphine’s golden locks, but they were about the same height, and from a distance, Dane thought that maybe this could work.

  Tommy took Norah’s hand firmly and Dane reluctantly tucked a small palm-sized device into his hand.

  “You do not use this unless you need to.” He told him firmly, trying to conceal the fear in his voice. “You hear us shout and you head straight through the forest to the Port. No looking back, ok?”

  Tommy’s lip wobbled a little, but he nodded solemnly, understanding the responsibility.

  “Dane,” Norah looked up at him, her wide, blue eyes shining with fear. “You’re not leaving us?”

  “No!” The emotion in her voice pierced his heart and he gathered them both into his arms. “I promise we’ll be back.”

  Rose sank to her knees and embraced the children.

  “We love you.” She said emphatically. “We’ll be back, but just in case, ok?”

  “Ok.” Norah nodded gravely.

  With a backward glance and an ache in their hearts, Rose and Dane made their way tentatively away from the children. Dane stopped a little distance away from the clearing where he knew the others were being held captive and he dug a hole with the heel of his boot, turning the device off and dropping the Tech-Shield under a pile of fallen leaves and dirt.

  In hushed voices, they recapped their plan and, with the last of their hope hanging in the air between them, they walked silently towards their fate.

  Rose stopped short of their destination and turned to Dane anxiously.

  “Did Mama look ok?” She asked. “She’s seemed better lately, hasn’t she?”