Hunted

by Abi Ketner

  “Sure,” Bruno says. “Why else would they want her alive?”

  I’m silent. I can’t really think of any other reason. Nor do I want to think about it; my head’s so full of what-ifs that I’m unable to form a cohesive opinion on the matter.

  “Oh, and get this: I’ve heard they want Sutton alive too, but the rest of us? We’re wanted dead or alive, preferably dead,” Bruno says as he squints and glances at Cole quickly.

  “We have to protect Sutton,” I say.

  “Of course we will,” Cole says before he turns to Bruno. “Man, what the hell’s going on?”

  “We both know Wilson’s a sociopath. He thrives on having control over who dies and lives. And whatever he’s up to, it’s bad, really freaking bad.”

  “The wanted posters are all over the place, even in the bay,” Grace says. “How long can we hide?”

  “Till this ends, till Wilson’s dead and the Hole’s destroyed,” Cole says.

  I watch as Grace lowers her eyes and gazes out the window. She lets go of me, and from the way she twiddles her hands, I’m guessing Bruno didn’t tell her he was wanted dead until now.

  “This is my fault,” I say. “The situation we’re in, all of your lives on the line.”

  “It’s not your fault, Lexi,” Cole says. “Everyone here made their decision without your influence. We’ve made our peace with it.”

  Bruno turns off the paved road and onto sand. We all grab our door handles to keep from bouncing around. A slight breeze shifts the sand, blowing it over the hood. After a few minutes, Bruno turns onto another road, one blanketed in darkness, as he turns off the headlights.

  “Where’re you taking us?” I ask.

  “To a safe house,” Grace says in a quiet voice. “Sutton’s waiting for us. He’s pretty panicked right now.”

  “How soon till we get there?” Cole asks.

  “We’re already here,” Bruno says in a clipped voice.

  Next thing I know, Bruno slams on the breaks, and the Jeep skids to a stop. When I look up, Sutton’s standing in front of a dimly lit cottage, staring at us all.

  After we jump out of the Jeep, I make a beeline for his open arms.

  “Oh thank God you’re alive,” he says as he wraps me into a strong embrace. Then he lets go and pulls Cole into a hug as well. “Come in, please. I want to know everything.” He steps back and motions us inside.

  Once inside, I notice his red-rimmed eyes and the hollows beneath them. His hair’s flying in several directions. He takes a deep breath and places a hand on the wall, surveying everyone’s expressions.

  Except Zeus, because he’s disappeared.

  “Tell me exactly what happened,” he says.

  “We were ambushed,” Cole says, “by three guards.” His hand wraps around my shoulder. “We took care of them, but there will be more, make no mistake about that.”

  Sutton wipes sweat from his forehead and exhales. “What matters is you’re alive. I admit, I feared the worst.” He pauses as his words sink in. “The owner of this house was gracious enough to let us borrow it, but his family returns tomorrow. We don’t have much time … but there’s something else I need to share with all of you … something important that I’ve been working on.” My head snaps up. “It’s time to show you.” He digs into the side pocket of his coat, pulling out an envelope. His hands shake as he produces a piece of paper from inside. “Read this.” He hands it to me, and I read it out loud.

  UNITED STATES COMMANDER INVESTIGATED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES

  In a surprise move today, the United Powers announced an investigation into the allegations of mass genocide in the United States, stemming from the rise of the Commander fifty years ago. Recently obtained footage shows the Hole, an expansive prison for those known as Sinners. The Hole’s purpose is being questioned by the United Powers, investigating claims that innocent people are being branded, imprisoned, abused, and even murdered without a fair trial.

  The United Powers announced its decision to send in a team of international monitors to look into and validate these claims. A findings report, followed by a committee inquest, is expected within the coming months.

  My hands shake as I let Cole take the paper from me. “What exactly does this all mean?”

  “It means what I’ve been working so hard for is finally happening, and hopefully, they’ll follow through,” Sutton says.

  I watch as Cole’s eyes widen with each sentence, and I hold my breath, waiting for him to speak. Is it possible? Could all of this be over soon? Will the regime finally be questioned, exposed, brought to justice?

  “How’d you manage to do it?” I ask.

  “My connections in the Hole helped me assemble footage from the cameras and smuggle it out during the revolt. Now we have irrefutable proof. It’s not just speculation anymore. Not just conjecture. Now, we have living, breathing, undeniable proof.”

  Sutton sounds so convincing that I hate to doubt him. I want to believe whole-heartedly. I want to grab on to the idea of freedom and never let it go. But something isn’t right.

  “And you didn’t inform us of this because … ?” Cole asks with his hands in the air.

  “Because information makes you even more vulnerable. And I wasn’t about to risk that in light of everything else,” Sutton says, eyeing Cole suspiciously.

  “So why risk telling us now?” Bruno asks what we are all thinking.

  Sutton straightens. “Because now the timing is right. Each of you will be called on to tell your side of the story. You have already escaped. You have no fear of retribution from Wilson or the guards.”

  More silence.

  “What is the United Powers?” Grace asks in a soft voice.

  “More importantly, what can they do?” I ask.

  Sutton’s head turns toward me, a sigh escaping his lips. “They’re a coalition of international leaders formed after the fifth World War. Their main purpose is to prevent another outbreak of wars. Everyone’s still reeling from the damage of the last one.” He makes a circle motion with his hands. “The entire east coast is pretty much destroyed. They have laws written in their mandate that are supposed to protect people from genocide. And crime? There’s still such a thing as due process. Or at least there’s supposed to be.” When his eyes meet mine, I have to pull up my lower jaw to keep from standing with my mouth wide open. “You probably weren’t taught much, if anything, about them in school. But there are other powerful countries in the world that still exist, and their interests would be best served by intervening here.”

  “What sort of time line are we looking at here?” Bruno asks, lowering the paper. He passes it to an eager Grace.

  “Wait just a second.” Cole motions with a hand out in front of him. “So all of this has been going on for over fifty years, and no one in the rest of the world knew about it? How could that be?” Cole pauses, glances at Bruno, Grace, and me, and then focuses on Sutton. He seems to be challenging him.

  “There was a time when that would not have been possible. At one time, our technology was so advanced that we could see what was happening in other parts of the world on a daily basis. But after World War Five, everything changed. Most of the technology that connected nations was destroyed, partially as a way of isolating themselves from the conflict.” Sutton looks tired as he tries to explain the history of the world to us.

  He turns to Bruno and offers a slight smile. “The monitors should be arriving in High Society within the week. I’ve contacted some underground members to arrange a meeting before they enter the Hole. I want to make sure they get the full picture before going in.”

  “Are you sure you can trust these people?” I ask. “I mean, how can they even question what they’ve seen in the footage already? Why would they need to come and see for themselves?”

  “Nothing beats the conviction of eye-witness accounts,” Sutton says. “Besides, some of the people in the Hole deserve to be there. They did exactly what they were accused of to earn a place t
here. Some became criminals doing what they had to do to survive once there. But criminal or not, this is not how we’re supposed to treat people. We’re capable of much more, and the rest of the world will hold us to a moral standard we seem to have forgotten long ago.”

  “Good thing, because Wilson would probably wine and dine them to death,” Cole says. “He’d make a big show of it, making himself out to be a hero rather than the monster that he really is.”

  “Without a doubt,” Sutton says. “I’m just hoping they stick to their agreement. That they truly and thoroughly investigate, question, and hold Wilson and his regime accountable for their crimes against humanity.”

  “Why wouldn’t they? What motivation would they have to turn their back on us?” I ask.

  “Because a weak United States makes everyone else’s position stronger,” Sutton says, twisting his hands together.

  We are all silent as that sinks in.

  “So you trust them or you don’t?” Bruno asks, pacing.

  “I trust they’ll do their job once they’re here,” he says. “They know they have some atoning to do since the last World War.”

  “Then that’s all that matters. I’ll do whatever you ask of me,” I say.

  Sutton’s sympathetic eyes rest on my face.

  “Lexi, it’s our only chance.” Sutton takes the paper back from Grace and tucks it away in the pocket of his coat. “It must be done. We need their support. We can’t do this alone. But if we hesitate even for a moment, we may never get another opportunity.”

  “How long do you think the investigation will take?” I ask.

  “There’s no way of telling. All we can do is pray the monitors get their jobs done and the United Powers will care enough to step in afterward.” Sutton sighs while looking at me. “So please do your best to hold it together for just a little while longer. In the meantime, I need to get back, get all of my documents in order.”

  “When will you go?”

  “I’ll be leaving in an hour.”

  “Why so soon?” I ask, but he doesn’t answer me. He motions in Cole’s direction.

  “Cole. Bruno. I’d like to have a word with you,” he says. Bruno and Cole follow him into the kitchen and remain there for a few minutes while I agonize over his impending departure. When he returns, he smoothes over his eyebrows with his fingers and glances at me.

  “Come with me,” he says. I raise my head. “We need to talk in private.”

  He guides me into the hallway and through the small kitchen at the end. Then he opens the deadbolts and leads me to the back porch. He sits on a peeling, white bench and pats the spot next to him. “Sit.”

  I sit beside him, lean back, and fold my hands in my lap. My nerves are already on edge from the excitement and promise of his news. My heart races as adrenaline moves through me.

  “There’s something you should know.” He sighs, and I feel my shoulders slump. “There are things I should’ve told you a long time ago, but the right opportunity never presented itself. So please listen carefully to what I have to say.”

  “I’m listening,” I whisper.

  “Your father and I met when we were young boys. We lived just down the road from one another. And even though my brother was five years older, he still played street hockey with us all the time.” Sutton forms a thin smile. “But the first Commander began drafting more guards each year, and my older brother was chosen. It wasn’t long before he started to change. At first, it was little things like no longer having the time or interest in playing with us. Soon, he became impatient, almost angry, stomping and slamming doors when he was home. Every night at dinner, all he’d talk about was the guards and the latest Sinner in the neighborhood—how all Sinners deserved death. If anyone tried to change the subject, he’d become agitated and claim we didn’t care enough about our country.” I put my hand on his, suppressing my own strange mix of emotions. “My parents tried to talk sense into him, but my brother was immune to any punishment or any wisdom they offered. He eventually began yelling orders at my father, taking over his role in the home, and that was the moment we knew.”

  “Knew what?” My brain is foggy from the overload of emotion and exhaustion.

  “We found proof that my brother wasn’t just recruited to join the guards. He was being groomed for more than that. My brother was chosen to be the next Commander. But we also found something more disturbing.” Sutton gulps loudly.

  “Do I really want to know?” The revelation that Wilson was chosen to lead this regime and that my father knew was already a lot to absorb.

  Sutton squeezes my hand before continuing. “My brother was collaborating with Wilson to develop experiments on Sinners. In the Hole.” I nearly jump out of my skin, vaguely flashing back to the conversation I overheard my father having in the kitchen a few years ago.

  “Experiments?”

  “Yes, but that’s all we knew. We had no idea what the nature of the experiments were. We just knew we had to stop them. So, I made the choice to go to medical school, and your father took a very different path. He founded the resistance movement.” Sutton crosses his right leg over his left. “When my brother became Commander, I knew he’d continue the experiments. Any semblance of the boy he used to be, the one who played with us, was gone.” Sutton’s troubled eyes stare into the distance.

  My head is reeling. I realize I’ve been gripping the bench with my free hand. “Why are you telling me this now?” I stand and face him.

  “Because you need to know what we’re up against. And I want you to have all the facts this time.” Sutton stands and grabs my arms, stopping just short of answering the question I am about to ask. “You deserve it.”

  I’m trembling, but I need to know. “Did they experiment on everyone in the Hole?” My voice is timid.

  Sutton drops his hands and starts pacing. “We aren’t sure.”

  “How would I know? I mean, what should I be looking for?” Panic coats my voice as the tears start to fall.

  Sutton turns to me, and the look on his face contradicts his words. “You’re going to be okay, Lexi. I’ll make sure of it.” He stops and holds my arms again. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  I collapse in his arms, allowing him to comfort me. He’s the closest thing I have to a dad right now. Why do I feel like he’s saying good-bye to me?

  “One last thing … I’m so sorry about Keegan.” Sutton pats my shoulder then pulls away so I can see his face. “Hurt reminds us we’re human, and we all bleed when we’re wounded. But wounds heal, slowly, not all at once. We must mend our wounds well … to make sure they don’t tear back open because infections can be deadly. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Are you going to be okay?”

  “I have to be.” I don’t want to tell him that his leaving leaves me with another wound, so I dry my tears on my shirt and smile. He seems satisfied.

  “Now go. Get showered and changed. And remember, Lexi: you can overcome anything. And I mean anything … short of death.”

  I’d never really given thought to Sutton’s past or the sacrifices he must have made. I don’t know if he ever married, and he’s never mentioned children. Looking at him now with his bloodshot green eyes and forced smile, I see a man who has dedicated his adult life to helping others with hardly a thought for himself. I wonder what his life could’ve been like if we’d lived in a different place, if the Commander had never come to rule. The thought makes my heart ache.

  “It’s time.” Sutton emerges from the kitchen, shuffling his things, and pulls me into a strong hug. “Remember what I said: focus on the tasks at hand, and take care of yourself.” He holds his breath for a brief second and then exhales. “Blood or not, you’re my daughter, and I love you.”

  I press my cheek against his chest, and his heart races in my ear. I grip his shirt in my fists and choke out, “I love you, too.”

  He quickly moves to Grace and offers her a hug.
I am too wrapped up in my own thoughts to hear their exchange, but I know he must be offering her words of encouragement. That’s just the way he is.

  Sutton swallows hard before walking over to hug Cole. He pats Zeus on the head. My throat tightens as the tears are closer to surging.

  Bruno and Sutton wave one last time before they exit the cottage, get into the vehicle, and speed away.

  I am overcome with emotion. It feels like something is sucking the life out of me, and all I can do to stop the pain of it is to run. I don’t think. I bolt out the door and down the driveway. My feet pound the gravel harder than I expected and I feel my leg muscles starting to cramp. When I reach the road, I hear Cole and Grace behind me, yelling at me to stop. I keep going.

  He needs to know!

  Panic rises into my chest, threatening to suffocate me as I crash onto the pavement, exhausted. As a charley horse grips the back of my right thigh, I scream out in agony.

  Sutton’s gone, and I don’t know when I’ll see him again. I’m heaving, crying out in pain, and dizzy. When Cole catches up to me, his eyes search mine for a sign, a reason, logic.

  I should have hugged Sutton one more time. I shouldn’t have let him go without telling him how much he means to me. I had only just realized it, and now it’s too late. This selfless man has been a father to me when my father couldn’t.

  I curl my arms around myself as I wrestle with my emotions, pain, and embarrassment. Without Sutton, once again, I’m an orphan.

  Grace arrives and puts her arm around me. I turn into her, wrapping my arms around her waist. As Cole leans in and wraps an arm around us both, I realize there’s nothing we can do but hope and pray for Sutton and Bruno’s safe return.

  They help me stand and walk. My leg is still sore from the cramp, and my back feels like fire is shooting up the middle. We head up the driveway in silence.

  Midway to the cottage, Grace almost chokes on her words. “We’ll see them soon, I pray.”

  Cole clears his throat and tightens his grip around my waist.

  Grace and I release each other.