April sniffed back her tears and shook her head before just saying, “Jessica.”
A soft gasp behind her made her turn. She could only nod at Liam’s horrified expression before turning back to her teacher.
“She says she’s okay but I don’t know how she could be! Mrs. Moore, it’s only a matter of time before I’m next! We have to leave! Now!” she gushed out, on the verge of hysteria.
“Yes, that’s exactly what we’ll do. I have spent most of the day preparing to do just that. I only wish we had left earlier to spare poor Jessica. Can you pack quickly? You must only bring the most basic things. You’ll have to be able to carry your bag for long distances,” Mrs. Moore cautioned.
April nodded and pulled the two bags she’d packed for her and her mother onto the bed.
“I had these already packed but they’re heavy. Most of it is water but I thought we’d need it.”
Mrs. Moore pointed at the bags and asked,
“May I?”
At April’s nod, she quickly went through the bags and pulled out half the water bottles. She handed half of the amount to Liam who quickly stuffed them into his own bag before adding the rest to the bag the teacher had carried in.
“This is very good, April! You must have been stocking up for a while now.”
April nodded. “Since the last group left. I saw how fast we were going through the supply and I knew we’d need water when we left but it won’t be enough, will it? With all of us leaving and the men guarding the storeroom doors we can’t get any more!”
Mrs. Moore gently patted April’s hand before explaining, “There will only be fourteen of us and we won’t need anything from the storerooms.”
April shook her head in confusion.
“Why only fourteen? Mrs. Moore, we can’t leave everyone else to those horrible men and even if it was just us, our original group has sixteen!”
Mrs. Moore sent a look at Liam before taking a deep breath and answering.
“I’ve spoken with the other people who have joined us here and Walter has decided to lead them away to a safe place we have been preparing. It was meant as a fallback for all of us but I believe that the time has come for our group to make our way out of this city and begin our journey home.” The teacher paused for a moment and seemed to gather herself. Her eyes were so sad and tired when she looked into April’s.
“I have some unfortunate news to tell you. Last night Ms. Scott took her own life. It looked like one of the men had…harmed her. As well, Ben hasn’t been seen for a few days and we think he either left or more likely was…killed.”
April looked in shock at Liam but he was staring at his feet. She could just make out a lone tear as it made its way down his cheek. Turning back to Mrs. Moore she whispered, “I want to go home. I just want to go home,” before her throat closed with her own tears.
Mrs. Moore dabbed at her nose with a tissue she pulled from her sweater pocket and then squared her shoulders.
“Yes. Come, students. Let’s go home.”
When Mrs. Moore stood up from the bed, she looked over at Mrs. Davis on the opposite side of the room and frowned in thought.
“April, do you think you’ll be able to get your mother to follow us? Quietly? We may need to sneak out of here.”
April looked over at her mom and took a deep breath to speak but then paused. Something was different. Normally, her mom would be muttering gibberish and rocking slightly with the extra people invading her space but for once, she was just sitting still and staring at her hands. April walked across to her and kneeled down in front of her. She didn’t expect her mom to make eye contact but she hoped that she’d hear her words and retain them.
“Mom? I don’t know if you can understand me or if you heard what we were talking about but I really need your help. There are some bad men here that are doing bad things to all of us and we need to leave. We’re going to gather our group and leave the park. It’s time to go home, Mom. Please, if you can understand me, come with us and try to be as quiet as you can. Mom? Do you understand what I said?”
Mrs. Davis’ only response to her daughter’s words was to start rocking back and forth. April closed her eyes in defeat and then stood up and faced Mrs. Moore and Liam. All she could do is shrug her shoulders.
“I’ll try and keep her quiet but at this point there’s no telling what she might do if she gets spooked. I’m sorry.”
Mrs. Moore sent her a reassuring smile.
“It’s not your fault, April. We’ll just be cautious and keep an eye on her. Walter is planning a distraction soon so that both of our groups can slip away while the men are busy elsewhere. We should join the others so we’re ready when it happens.”
Casting one last worried look at her mother, April helped her stand up and impulsively gave her mom a hug. Usually she wouldn’t allow anyone to touch her and though she didn’t hug her daughter back, she didn’t fight to be free either. April released her and searched her face for any sign of recognition but once again her mother wouldn’t look at her. With a sad sigh, April turned away and gathered up the two packs that now weighed less and helped to secure one on her mom. She turned away and scanned the room for anything else she might want to take but found nothing.
Mrs. Moore and Liam were at the door watching the hallway and at her nod, they stepped out of the room. April moved to follow and glanced back to make sure her mom was behind her. She had to blow out an exasperated breath. Instead of following her to the door, Laura Davis was hunched over on the floor between the two makeshift beds. April quickly pulled her back up to a standing position.
“Mom! You have to follow me, please!”
With a grunt, her mom pulled her arm from her daughter’s grip and shuffled towards the door and out into the hall. April stayed behind her to make sure they didn’t lose her. They saw no one as they quickly made their way to Jessica’s room, and April let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding when they opened the door to see the others crammed into the small room, waiting for them. April scanned the faces of her group and with a jolt realized that there’d only be two functioning adults with a group of eleven teenagers and one slightly crazy person to face the dangers of getting out of the park and then the city. Her stomach cramped painfully at the poor odds of them being successful.
Mrs. Hardsky gave Mrs. Moore a nod and waved for the group of girls in the room to rise and put on the packs they were all holding. There was shuffling and bumping as they tried to get ready in the small space. Once everyone was ready and they all looked to Mrs. Moore, the teacher gave instructions.
“My dear students, we have survived for months in this safe haven but the time has come for us to leave. The men that have infiltrated our home are evil and have shown that they will harm us. It’s imperative that we escape from these tunnels and the park. The time has come for us to begin our journey home. I know we’re all scared of what may happen today and in the weeks ahead, but I believe in you all. If we stay together and use our heads, we’ll make it. The most important thing is to not panic! No matter what happens or what you see, you must keep a level head and look to me and Mrs. Hardsky to guide you.” The older teacher scanned the faces of her charges before continuing, “Walter, the security guard that has helped us in the past five months, is working right now on a distraction that will hopefully pull all of the men away from the exits. He will then lead the other survivors out on a different route than the one we’ll be taking. When it begins, you must stay with the group and follow the person ahead of you. We’ll be as quiet as possible as we make our way to the closest exit stairway but we may also have to run if we’re discovered. Once again, I must stress that panic is the worst danger we’ll face. If you panic and run away blindly, no one will be able to help you! Now, when we leave this room, we’ll be turning right and following this hallway to the second junction. When we reach it, we’ll turn left and follow that hallway to the exit door. If there’s still a man stationed there we WILL deal with him. Nothing and no one
will stop us from leaving here!”
April was impressed by her fellow students when she saw them straighten their shoulders and their expressions hardened at their teacher’s words. They may have escaped the beginning chaos of the city at the start of this new age but they had all found the strength to survive so far from their homes and loved ones. The cramp in her stomach eased at the determination she saw all around her. She felt both of her hands being gripped at almost the same time and was surprised to see Liam on one side of her and Jessica on the other. She squeezed their hands in support and was about to say words of encouragement when the lights went out. This time they didn’t come back on.
Chapter Ten
It was a testament to the students’ faith in their teacher that they didn’t panic. There were gasps and mumbling but no one screamed or tried to bolt. April pulled her hands from her friends and fumbled at the chain of small flashlights hanging around her neck. She pressed the tiny buttons on each one until she was surrounded by a small halo of light. When she looked up all eyes were on her. Mrs. Moore carefully made her way through the press of bodies to her side.
“Well, I guess this is the distraction! April, can you separate that chain in to two sections? We need to have some light at the front of the line as well as the back so no one gets left behind.”
April nodded and quickly pulled her light necklace over her head and unhooked half of the chain. She held them out to Mrs. Moore.
“Who’ll be at the front and back?” April asked.
Mrs. Moore was clipping one-half of the light strand around her neck when she began to answer.
“I will…” Her words trailed off as the sound of pounding boots echoed in the hallway on the other side of the door. Everyone in the room froze and seemed to hold their breath as one until the sound receded. Mrs. Moore waved her hand at the group and then handed the second half of the chain of lights to Liam.
“Quickly now, everyone, they will be heading to the generator room! We must take our chance. I’ll lead and Liam will bring up the rear. It’ll be dark out there so hold on to the person in front of you and stay together and be quiet. Remember, right out the door, past the first junction and left at the second then straight to the stairs at the exit. Let’s go!”
Mrs. Moore pulled open the door and darkness greeted them. The dim glow of the flashlights around her neck barely penetrated more than a few feet. They could all hear faint shouting in the distance but no one seemed to be near their room so the teacher slid out into the hall with a wave for the others to follow.
April’s heart was pounding so loud it was all she could hear. The thought of being lost down in these tunnels with no light to see by made her want to throw up. She was jolted forward when Jessica pulled on her shirt as she stepped into the hall. She quickly patted at the darkness until she made contact with her mother’s sleeve and dragged her forward. With Jessica holding onto her shirt from the front, April had a free hand that she used to trail along the wall beside her. She felt more anchored and secure feeling the cool concrete pass against her fingertips. No one made a sound except for the soft scuff of their feet as they shambled forward. A soft gasp escaped her mouth when her fingers fell into open air. She had to remind herself that they were passing a junction but it wasn’t until she whacked the side of her hand painfully against the next corner that her heart slowed somewhat. The pain helped her focus and the terror of being essentially blind eased somewhat. They were making progress and with the turn coming up they would be in the final stretch. April imagined the sun on her face and an ocean breeze tinted with salt to get her through that dark walk. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she marvelled at how her mother was following along quietly.
Jessica came to a stop ahead of her and April bumped into her. The hand clutching her shirt steadied her and pulled her closer.
“Turn to your left and keep walking. Tell the ones behind you to pass it along,” Jessica whispered in a rasping voice.
April leaned to the side and tried to look back down the hall around her mother. She could just make out Liam at the end of the line of people with his necklace of lights. She told the girl behind her mom that the turn was coming up and to walk forward two steps and then turn left and tell the next person in line. With it being so dark, she just had to hope the girl had understood her so she moved ahead and let Jessica lead once again.
They must have been in the center of the hallway because April couldn’t feel the walls this time. She took deep breaths and kept putting one foot in front of the other. They had gone about forty feet and just when April’s breathing picked up in the beginnings of panic, Jessica tugged on her shirt.
“Look ahead!” her friend said in a raspy voice.
April strained to see what was ahead of them but all she could see was the back of Mrs. Moore. She looked at Jessica and was going to ask what it was when she realized that she could make out her friend’s features. It was still dark in the tunnel but it wasn’t completely black anymore.
“There’s a light ahead!” She cheered quietly before speeding her pace up to match the people in front of them. The closer they got to the exit the brighter it became in the hallway until they could see that the exit door to the stairwell had been propped open and daylight streamed down the stairs from above. April was ready to run up those stairs to freedom and light when she remembered that the dark wasn’t the only danger. She scanned the hallway in front and behind her but there was no sign of the men that had taken over.
Mrs. Moore had almost made it to the top of the stairs when the light was blocked by a silhouette of a man. His voice barked out at them.
“Go back down. No one leaves!”
April knew it was Marco and her temporary joy fled. All she could see was the back of her teacher but her voice was clear as it echoed in the stairwell.
“Marco, the children are scared. It’s pitch dark down there! Let us wait up here until they get the generator fixed and the lights back on. Someone will get hurt down there!”
Marco said something to Mrs. Moore that didn’t make it down to the others but at Mrs. Moore’s nod he stepped aside and let her pass.
The people ahead of April climbed the stairs and filed out of sight. When she reached the top, she lifted her face to the bright sun and marvelled at the warmth that seemed to infuse her whole body before moving out of the way to let the others below out. They gathered to the side of the exit and sent nervous looks at Marco who was scowling at them. It was the only expression April had ever seen him wearing and for a brief moment, she felt pity for someone who was filled with so much anger and bitterness. The feeling only lasted for a heartbeat before she remembered that this man’s actions had harmed so many.
He kept telling the group to sit down on the concrete but at Mrs. Moore’s quick head shake they all stayed standing. When Liam exited from the stairwell and joined them, Mrs. Moore squared her shoulders and faced the menacing man.
“Marco, we’re leaving the park. The tunnels and everything in them are yours and your men’s.”
Marco’s black eyes stared hate at the teacher before he let out a bitter laugh.
“You think it’s that easy? You’re just going to walk out into that hell and be on your merry way? None of you would survive for more than a day! You think you know anything??? While you sat on your lazy asses with power and water and food all comfy and safe, the rest of us had to turn into animals just to make it through the day!” He was so furious that he was spitting out the words. With an angry jerk he pulled a gun from behind his back and waved the cold black barrel at them.
“You fucking tourists! You should be dead with all the rest! But you’re right about one thing, the tunnels are mine and the supplies are, too! You want to go see the sights in the city? Be my guest! You and the other old lady and the crazy hag are free to go. Take the boy with you, too, but the girls stay! My men will need…companionship,” he said the last word on a sneer and scanned the ten teenage girls with a disgusting leer.
At the word companionship, April’s hand went to the front pocket of her sweatshirt to grasp the butcher knife. She froze in disbelief when she found her pocket empty and her mind flashed back to when she’d thrown it down on the bed and never picked it back up. Marco was still ranting about his plans for the girls when April looked up with wide horrified eyes and made contact with his. His eyes narrowed at her expression.
“Don’t worry, chica, you’re cute. They’ll take good care of you.” He dismissed her with a nod and swung his gun back towards Mrs. Moore. He opened his mouth to spew more hatred when a bundled blur lunged towards him and his eyes widened with shock as he swung the gun back to meet the threat.
Time slowed down for April and she saw what happened next in a series of freeze frames. Her mother pushed her aside and flew towards Marco with a crazed expression. In her hands pointed straight at his chest was the butcher knife April had dropped. They collided together and Marco’s pain-filled grunt was almost masked by the muffled sound of the gun going off between their bodies. The two collapsed together in a heap on the hot concrete. For a split second, no one moved or made a sound.
Time snapped back and Mrs. Moore and Liam both dove towards the two struggling bodies on the ground. April stared in stunned disbelief as a bloom of red started to spread across her mother’s back. Her view of that ugly colour was blocked when Liam leaned over and pulled her mom off of Marco. When he pulled her to the side and laid her on her back Marco was exposed. His mouth gaped open and closed as his hands flexed open and closed around the knife handle that was buried deep in his chest. April watched those hands flex three times before they dropped lifelessly to his sides.
A searing pain sharpened reality around her as Jessica clutched her arm and dragged her towards her fallen mother. She hissed in pain and glanced down at her arm but didn’t really see the blood soaking into her sleeve. Her eyes tracked back to the woman that had been such a huge controlling force in her life before the ill-fated school trip. She fell to her knees beside her and for the first time in months met her mom’s strong penetrating eyes. Those eyes looked at her with love and determination. There were signs of pain but they were sharp with clarity.
STRANDED: Box Set: Books 1-6 Page 66
