“You’ll tell us what you’re playing at now. Or I’ll tie you up and call the Priestess to come get you myself,” Gideon threatened.
Lucius pawed at Gideon’s fists. “You ruined my life, servant,” he growled to Lena.
“You ruined your own life, Lucius,” Gideon responded. “And unless you want to ruin it more, you’ll tell us who you’re waiting for.”
The opening of the door had them all spinning towards the sound. Gideon released Lucius, who fell to the floor. Lena positioned herself for a fight. It was only Tern.
They all relaxed as he looked at Lucius on the floor with raised eyebrows. “You’ve been following us,” Tern said.
“Yeah, I have. And it’s a good thing too. As I was just explaining to your friends, the Priestess knows you’re here,” Lucius said.
“If you’re not going to turn us into the Priestess, why are you here?” Lena asked, spinning towards him. “Who are you working for?”
“I’m working for the people who are saving you from the Priestess,” Lucius said. “Instead of questioning me you should be thanking me.”
“He’s working for the Cimmerians,” Gideon guessed. Lena spun towards Lucius.
“So what if I am,” he sneered.
Gideon took that as the only confirmation he needed. He shook his head. “Tie him up,” Gideon ordered.
“Wait,” Lucius scowled. “I just saved your life.”
“Only so you can give it to another,” Lena retorted, unable to hide the disgust in her voice. She started walking towards the exit. She heard Gideon following. Tern still stood by the door.
“I can get you into the Crags,” Lucius said. His voice panicked, as if scrambling for words. “That’s where they took Birdee. I can get you in there. But you have to take me with you when you leave Ebon.”
“What’re the Crags?” Tern asked.
“What are you playing at Lucius? We can find the Crags without you,” Gideon said.
“You don’t’ even know what the Crags are. Let alone how to find Birdee inside of them,” Lucius snapped. “How long does Birdee have until the Priestess dismisses her usefulness?” When none of them answered, Lucius continued. “I need you alive to get what I want,” Lucius sneered, now more confident with himself. “And you need to rescue Birdee, quickly from what I saw of her today. My father thought it was fun to take his boy into the Crags to see all those who went against the Priestess. I know them. The Crags are inside the gorge. What you see from the sky doesn’t begin to do justice to the caves that are below. The tunnels and cells sink so deep into the ground, you'll never find your way to Birdee. But I know them.” Lucius let his words sink in before adding, “We both need something from each other. I suggest you take my offer.”
“We can do it without you,” Lena snapped.
At the same time, Gideon said, “Fine.”
“What?” Lena said, turning her anger to Gideon. “Gideon, you can’t be serious.”
“You heard what he said, Lena, He needs us alive,” Gideon said. “He’s out of favor with the Priestess. It benefits him nothing to get caught in Ebon with or without us.”
“He’s going to turn us over to the Cimmerians,” Lena said. “Do I need to remind you of the last time they caught us?”
Gideon shrugged his shoulders. “The Cimmerians won’t be coming to Ebon. And Lucius knows we aren’t leaving without Birdee. If he wants us, he has every reason to help us. The Cimmerians also need us alive,” he said. “It’s the fastest way, Lena. We’ll deal with the Cimmerians as the problem arises. It’s what we’re doing.”
Lena crossed her arms and glared. “Oh is it, Captain?” she snarled.
“Evangeline, stop it,” Gideon said. “Lucius, give me your hand. We have to take your tracking device out of the Priestess’ insignia.”
Lucius stepped forward with a smile of triumph, “Gladly,” he said. Holding Lena’s stare, he lifted his hand towards Gideon.
“This is going to hurt,” Gideon said.
“Don’t patronize me,” Lucius replied.
Gideon pulled a knife from his pocket. Pushing Lucius to a seat, he sliced into his hand.
Lucius clenched his teeth and snarled,“You’re purposely doing it slow. Hurry up and get on with it.”
Gideon’s nostrils flared. “You asked for it.” He yanked the wires from Lucius’ nerves. Lucius didn’t have time to scream before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Lucius grabbed Lena’s cuffed hands. He wore a uniform he’d found in his father’s closet. The medals hanging from his chest only added to the intimidation. Lucius pushed Lena towards the entrance of the Crags. Tern followed behind pushing a cuffed Gideon in front of him. Tern didn’t fit into any of the clothes that Lucius had, so he remained in his black outfit hoping the guards wouldn’t question it.
“Open up soldiers,” Lucius yelled to the soldiers standing in the entrance. The guard looked at Gideon, then at an access screen.
“I don’t have any communication about receiving prisoners,” the guard replied.
“Look who I have, soldier,” Lucius commanded, while motioning to a hologram flashing Lena’s photo.
The guard looked at the screen, then at Lena. His eyes went wide as his fingers stumbled across the keyboard. “Sorry, there must have been a lapse in communication somewhere,” the guard said, typing in the command codes.
“There was no lapse in communication, soldier,” Lucius explained. “The Priestess wants this kept as quiet as possible. She also demands your silence.”
The soldier’s eyes went wide once more. Pressing his lips together he nodded as he opened the security gate and motioned them through.
Lucius turned back to the guard. “If you tell anyone we’re here, you will suffer. Do you understand?” Lucius said.
The soldier nodded again and resumed his post as if he never saw them.
The entrance into the crags wasn’t as hard to find as Lucius made it sound. It was at the end of the city where the flatness of the City of Ebon, met with the end of the gorge that bordered it. The path to the crag gates was worn and well traveled slanting down into the depths of the gorge until the canyon walls towered above them. The entrance was at the bottom where the ground became flat.
“It worked,” Lena exclaimed, as Lucius unlocked her cuffed hands.
“Didn’t you trust me?” Lucius replied as he uncuffed Gideon as well.
Lena ignored him as Tern moved forward. His face was full of concentration as he looked into the giant black chasm ahead of them. The cells were irregularly spaced in the caverns leading away from the main gorge. Caves split in several directions from the open crevice Tern came to a group of six recruits sitting on the floor. They looked dirty and tired and undernourished.They were still dressed in the black uniforms of the Defense facility.
“Hey, I’m lookin’ fer Birdee,” Tern said to the group.
They all shook their heads.
Tern backed away and moved further into the prison. The open light above barely showed the way. Tern whistled a tune and listened. Lena heard no reply. He repeated it, again and again, moving further down the open ravine, his ears alert for a response.
“Stop your whistling,” Lucius demanded. “She’s, this way.” He lead them into a cave off the open ravine. “They take traitor’s into the caves below.”
They followed each other in a single row through the damp tunnels. Though lights flickered intermittently from various places on the caves walls, the darkness of the tunnels made it hard to see. Lucius wasn’t lying when he said he knew his way around. The path was smooth but filled with rises and falls from the natural stone paths.
No one spoke as they walked. There were barred spaces in the walls of the cave filled with prisoners. Their haunted eyes watched the group as they passed. No one spoke. Lucius made a hard left and they started descending deeper into the crag, Where the pathway grew steep, there were makeshift steps
cut in places to help with footing. Lena’s toes curled inside her boots as if clenching at the surface of the cave floor.
Lucius stopped at a place that flattened out at the bottom. They were no longer in the open light of the crag above, but somewhere under its surface. Lena heard the pounding of water and as she stepped next to Lucius, mist hit her face. The rock was slick. They stood next to an underground ravine. A river roared only feet below them. Lena leaned over the edge to look down. The slick rock caused her foot to slip. She felt herself falling when a hand clamped down on her arm.
Lucius yanked her backward. “Think before doing anything else stupid,” he said, as he started forward again. He lead them against the flat wall on a small footpath that had been cut into the cliffside
Lena kept one hand on the wall to her right. If she slipped again, there'd be nothing to grasp onto. She’d fall into the river. They walked along the path for about fifty feet before Lucius turned and they were back in the tunnels.
Tern kept whistling, Lena lost count of how many times his calls went unanswered. Lena strained to hear anything, but only heard the river they’d just left. Tern pushed past Lucius and started running. Lena took off after him. She heard Lucius then Gideon right behind her. Tern whistled a different tune now. Another whistle answered. It’s sound echoing off the walls.
Lena skidded to a stop beside Tern and looked up. Birdee stood on a ledge just above the top of Tern’s head. Her arms and legs were cuffed to the cave wall. She hung limp between the cuffs. It looked as if she was using all the energy she had to whistle. Tern lifted his hands to the cuffs on her legs. He pulled against them, but they held.
Birdee opened her mouth to say something, but the words didn’t come out. Her eyes landed on Tern and her body relaxed.
Tern grabbed the glider he’d carried and unfolded it. Flying to Birdee’s place on the wall, he stepped off and started pulling on her cuffs.
“Lena, ya need ta help,” Tern said, handing the glider down to her. She rose to Birdee’s ledge. Scanning her insignia to Birdee’s cuffs, they immediately released.
Birdee fell into Tern’s arms, too weak to hold herself up. Her eyes locked on Tern’s and one side of her mouth raised into a smile. Tern leaned into her and gave her such a passionate kiss Lena had to look away.
Lena jumped to the path below, leaving the glider with Tern.
Tern lifted Birdee and stepped onto the glider. His large feet barely fit on the surface.
“Ya found me.” Birdee’s voice cracked. The force of the words made her start coughing. A deep cough that ripped through her, making her shake everywhere.
Tern cradled Birdee into him. “Figured it was my turn ta rescue ya,” He moved the glider down to the ground.
Birdee saw Lucius for the first time. Her eyes filled with anger. He met her stare with a stony look of his own.
“Save your breath, Birdee,” Tern whispered. “He’s not worth it.”
Gideon grabbed Birdee’s hand. “I’m sorry, Birdee,” he said slicing into her skin.
Birdee flinched as Gideon pulled the wires that were attached to the nerves in her hand. She leaned her head into Tern, her eyes closing and opening again as if she were fighting consciousness. Gideon threw the wires aside.
“Let’s get out of this stink hole,” Lucius said, and started leading them back the way they’d come.
The sound of footsteps echoing through the crag stopped them.
“Rounds," Birdee whispered.
Tern glided into a shadow with Birdee. Gideon and Lena followed suit. Lucius was ahead of them, but she saw him duck into a recess in the wall. A soldier came into view. He looked to where Birdee should have been cuffed to the wall and froze. His hand reached for his insignia. Gideon slipped out of the shadow and hit the soldier on the side of the head, knocking him unconscious.
“Come on, let’s get ya outta here,” Tern said.
They all started running. Lucius led them with confidence. He held up his hand and motioned to a side tunnel. This side tunnel also had cells in the walls above them, irregularly spaced on the rock walls. They stepped further into the cave as a group of three soldiers passed through the main hallway.
“Lena?” A voice echoed from a recessed cell. “Lena, is that you?”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Lena felt her heart skip a beat. She knew that voice. She turned her head upward towards the sound of the call. A dirty faced Corgy looked through the bars of his cell. He had been assigned as her tutor at the Defense Training Facility. He had helped her with her assignment researching the children of former resistance leaders. When she looked at him, his smile widened.
“Corgy?” Lena said, looking up. She reached for the bottom of his cell where he knelt down. Her hands could barely touch his cell floor. As soon as she answered, faces filled all the cells that scattered the cave. Lena’s stomach dropped. She recognized those faces from the Defense Training Facility. She turned slowly, her eyes landing on each of the prisoners.
“How many of you are there?” Lena whispered.
“In this part, only about twenty,” Corgy answered. “I figured out that most of us here had parents in the resistance. The Priestess must have thought we were a threat to put us so far down here.”
Lena studied all the faces. Corgy was right. Out of the all children she had researched, a handful of them had joined the Priestess’ Defenses. Corgy was one of them. The Priestess must have linked them with their parents and now they were locked away.
“Hand me the glider, Tern.” Lena said, as she looked for a control panel to open their cells.
Lucius stepped in front of Tern and crossed his arms. “You’re not risking my life for them,” he sneered. “Are you stupid, servant? We’re not prepared for this. There are too many of them. We’ll be butchered and thrown into the river before we even see daylight.”
Another person stepped to the bars. Jenna. She’d been friends with Lucius at the Facility—if you could call anyone who hung around Lucius his friend. Her already skinny frame was sharpened by the lack of food. She had sores on her elbows and wrists.
“Snake,” she hissed, seeing Lucius.
Lucius looked up and raised his eyebrows. “And yet, look who’s in a cage.”
“Get us out of here,” Jenna demanded banging on the bars.
Lena looked to Corgy, then shined her light on the other dirty faces behind the bars. Their cheeks looked hollow and darkness tinted the skin below their eyes.
Gideon put a hand on her back. “We can’t save them right now, Eves. Lucius is right. If we try it without a better plan, we’ll all be butchered.”
Corgy’s face fell, the disappointment etching in every inch of his body. Several of the recruits started to cry as they realized Lena wasn’t there to help them.
Lucius was right. She wasn’t prepared to rescue them. If she tried, they’d surely be caught.
Corgy reached for Lena’s hand. “It’s okay, Lena,” Corgy said. “You know where we are now.” He squeezed it firmly to show her that he would be fine.
It only made the tears run faster down her cheeks. Wiping the wetness away, she turned to Lucius. “Get them a com device,” Lena demanded. “The soldier you knocked out—he must have one. Get it for them.” When neither Lucius nor Gideon moved, Lena took a step towards the main hall. Tern glided in front of her.
“Stay with Birdee, I’ll go get them a device,” he started to hand Birdee to Lena when Gideon came forward.
“I’ll get the device,” he said, running into the main cave.
Lena turned back to Corgy. “I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry.” Tears ran freely down Lena’s cheeks. She didn’t wipe them this time or try to hide the sorrow she felt.
Gideon came back with a com device and handed it to Corgy.
“Do you know how it works?” Lena asked, sniffing.
“I’ll be able to figure it out,” Corgy responded. “Remember, I tutored you,” he said with a sad smirk.
Len
a only felt sadness but smiled back at him with as much reassurance as she could muster. “I’ll be in touch, I promise,” Lena said. “I’ll figure out a way to free you.”
Corgy nodded and grasped Lena’s hand once more. “I know you will.”
Lucius looked out into the main tunnel. “Let’s go.”
“If you can, you should deactivate the alarms,” Corgy said, pointing to a control box at the end of the cave.
Gideon examined the box and called Lena over to him. The box opened when she scanned her insignia and a holographic screen appeared. Gideon moved through each screen until he found the alarm and surveillance. He disabled both.
Gideon moved towards the exit, but Lena kept looking through the control screens until she came to the one that supplied the prisoners with food. She reprogrammed it to make sure service bots brought them three meals a day and more blankets. She knew it was less than they deserved. They needed to be rescued. But she hoped it would help until she could come back for them. She closed the screen and shut the control box then turned to leave.
“No,” Jenna screeched, “You can’t leave us here.”
“We’ll come back, Jenna,” Lena said.
“No,” Jenna yelled. “If I’m not getting out, you’re not getting out, either.”
“Shut up,” Lucius demanded, looking at Jenna.
“Guards,” Jenna shrieked.
At her cry, the tunnel was hit with mass hysteria. Some recruits cried out to Lena not to leave them. Their voices sounding full of desperation and panic. Lena heard Corgy shushing the crowd, telling them that it would be better to wait.
Jenna shrieked again. “Guards!” Her high pitched voice ringing over the crowd’s cries.
Lucius cursed. “Let’s go,” he yelled. Lucius didn’t look to see if the others were following as he took off running.
Gideon grabbed Lena’s hand and started pulling her away from the cells. She struggled to get her feet moving. All she could focus on were the people she was leaving behind. Gideon yanked on her arm. It took everything she had to pull away from the prisoners and follow after Lucius.
The Children of The Resistance (The Mir Chronicles Book 2) Page 18
