by Sage Sask
“How are you holding up?” Derrick asks. Ryan looks away.
“Good.” I hear his sincerity and can’t help but respond in kind. “You?”
“It will be a breeze,” he teases. He sees my worry. “You’ll be fine. You got this.”
Unable to tell him about my feeling with Shane, I agree half-heartedly. “Yeah.” Both of us turn when we hear Melanie scream, “No!” in between her laughter. Shane unceremoniously drops Melanie onto the plane’s ramp. She giggles as she tries to find her footing. “Melanie and Shane?”
“Yes except Shane is the only one who doesn’t realize it.” He smiles at their antics. “Keep an eye on Shane. For Melanie and Sawyer.” He pauses then admits, “Shane’s not as strong a reader as Sawyer. Sawyer has always looked out for him. Without him here…” He trails off.
He trusts me, I realize. I want to tell him that I am not someone he should count on. I am not someone who will do right by him or his friends. The only person I can care about is me.
“I will,” I say, an empty promise.
“And you…stay safe.”
He heads for his plane where he gently breaks up another round between Melanie and Shane. He wraps an arm around Melanie and leads her backward into the plane while she waves to Shane, who continues to make her laugh. Only when fully inside does Shane stop. Protected from her view, his face transitions from carefree and happy to worried and scared. He had been putting on a show for her to help keep her calm. I smile, realizing he knows precisely how Melanie feels and most likely returns the sentiment.
“You’re a strong fighter,” Jackie says, surprising me with her company. Wary, I step back, but she holds up a conciliatory hand. “Gavin mentioned you weren’t sure if you were ready. I just wanted to tell you that you are.” She shuffles back and forth, more nervous than I have seen her. “Before everything happened, I would watch you train. You’re a natural, even if you can’t see it.”
She abruptly leaves before I can respond or thank her.
“Everyone needs to get inside,” Ryan says to those of us remaining. “The pilot wants to take off in the next few minutes.”
Inside the cramped capsule, I make my way toward the back. There, I drop my bag on the ground and rest my head against the seatback. Gavin follows close behind and takes the seat next to me.
“This is getting to be a habit,” I mutter.
“I’ll reserve this seat on the way home if you reserve that one,” Gavin offers, his eyebrow raised in question.
“We can’t be sure,” I say.
“No, but we can try.” He holds out his hand. He waits for me to slip mine in his. “Deal?”
“What are we betting on?” Cassia asks, joining us. Taller than most of us, she bends to maneuver through the capsule.
“We’re reserving seats for the trip back,” Gavin explains.
Cassia glances down the aisle as the others climb on. “Didn’t know you were a gambler, Gavin.”
“I’m betting on a sure thing,” Gavin answers.
Cassia smiles. “Now I know why Jackie is in love with you.”
Gavin blushes a deep red. “No. She’s not.” Embarrassed, he turns to stare out the window. “No.”
Cassia laughs out loud, and I can’t help but join in. “Forget what I said. You would be a terrible gambler.”
“She doesn’t,” Gavin insists. He pauses. “She couldn’t.”
“Why?” I ask before I can stop myself.
“Because she’s Jackie,” Gavin says after a few seconds of thought. Admiration shines from every word.
“That’s exactly why she is in love with you,” Cassia says gently. “Because Jackie’s a smart girl. She knows a good thing when she sees it.” She playfully punches Gavin’s shoulder before heading toward the front of the plane to confer with Ryan. As she leaves, a thought flitters through my mind – Cassia never reserved her seat for the flight back.
FORTY-THREE
The flight takes us over the island and above the water before ascending into the clouds. I wonder if it’s to keep us out of sight. We are all silent during the thirty-minute flight. Everyone except Ryan stares out the window. He leans his head against the seatback and closes his eyes. As I begin to wonder where his thoughts are I force myself to look away and refocus.
“We are starting our descent,” the pilot announces. “We will be on the ground in less than ten minutes.”
I imagine what lies beneath the clouds we hover over. As we break through them, the zone comes into view. Similar to the island that we just left, there are trees and swaths of empty land. In the near distance, mountains rise up to greet us. The pilot flies over them then drops the landing gear.
“Prepare for arrival,” he says.
I hold on to my seat as I relive my last plane landing. The plane starts to rumble. I shut my eyes to stay calm. The plane nears the ground then lands with a bump. We are thrown back into our seats as the pilot pumps the brakes. Finally, it slows before coming to a full stop. Ryan and Cassia immediately stand and open the door. I grab my pack and follow the others down the stairs.
“We landed on a dirt strip.” Cassia points to a swath of trees. “And nearly hit those.” She rolls her eyes. “Nice.”
“Been there,” I respond to Cassia. “Not as bad as you would think.” Ryan stares forward, but I see him grin.
The plane departs as soon as we all exit. Alone, we take out our maps and wait on Ryan for guidance. With all eyes on him, he is neither nervous nor afraid. Instead, he is a natural at taking the lead. Even though he said David is the stronger fighter, I wonder whether he knows that he is the better leader.
“Our location shows us a mile or two from the first crystal’s location.” He squints at the sky. “We can head toward it now or make camp. A vote?” Though everyone offers their vote, I am sure they would have followed his decision regardless. “Excellent. The best route seems through the brush.” He sets the map on the ground and marks the path with his finger. “Thoughts?”
“Let’s get as far as we can with daylight,” Cassia says.
I study my map as the others discuss the route. A number on the map indicates our first location but offers no clue about what we will encounter on our arrival. Currently, this zone looks nothing like the one I came from. Whereas Zone One had neighborhoods and signs of life, this one is empty and desolate.
Ryan leads the way. I trail closely behind the others. Our path is clear of foliage, and the ground is even and paved. Nonetheless, it takes us nearly an hour to reach the location though the map showed it is only a few miles. A large steel enclosure welcomes us. Ryan and Cassia peruse the area surrounding it while Samira runs her hand over the wall.
“We need to get inside,” Hudson says. Alongside Samira, he runs his hand over the wall until he feels a break. “Here.”
Cassia lays her hand near his and feels along the crease. “It’s an opening.” She keeps her voice low. “Are we ready?”
“Readers?” Ryan asks before giving Cassia the go-ahead. “Anything?”
Gavin and the other readers lay their hands on the wall and close their eyes. Gavin shakes his head. “Nothing.”
Ryan glances at me. Embarrassed for not doing my part, I follow their lead and lay my hand on the wall. There’s a faint stirring but nothing substantial. Echoing Gavin’s sentiment, I say, “Clear.”
Ryan nods. “Let’s go in.”
Cassia pulls on the door when there’s a loud whirring noise. She jumps back as the door automatically opens. Tentative, she steps inside. “Through here.”
Ryan follows first and then the rest of us. Inside, the steel wall wraps around yards of grass and scattered trees. As soon as the last person enters the door automatically starts to close.
“Hold it!” Ryan yells, but his directive is too late. The door slams shut with no visible opening. He pushes on
it, but it refuses to budge. “We’re locked inside.”
“We could climb it,” Henry says.
Levi links his hands together and kneels. Henry steps into them, then reaches up and grabs the top of the fence. A buzzing sound begins. Before he can retract, a surge of electricity zaps him. His body shakes then falls limp as he collapses onto the ground. Foam drips from his mouth.
Ryan reaches him first. He cradles Henry’s head in his lap. “Come on!” Ryan yells. “Don’t do this.” With his free arm, Ryan grabs for his phone, only to realize he doesn’t have it.
“No one should touch the fence,” Henry mutters. He slowly opens his eyes. “It’s alive.”
“You’re an idiot.” Cassia and Ryan help him to stand. She hands Henry her water bottle. He drinks from it greedily. “You scared us.”
“About time something scared you,” Henry murmurs. “You’re kind of scary that way.”
“Cute,” Cassia replies, clearly relieved. She wraps an arm around his shoulder and pulls him in. “Don’t be stupid again. Understand?”
Anxious to get out, Hudson takes the lead. “Let’s divide up and search the perimeter for another exit.” He studies the expanse of green grass and trees. “Stay in sight of one another.”
“Something else is in here,” Levi says just as everyone starts to scatter. He points toward the foot of a large tree where a gutted dead squirrel lies. “That squirrel didn’t die naturally.”
“Change of plan. Divide into groups of three.” Ryan keeps his voice low. “Stay together.”
“Look to the right of us. Slowly.” Samira keeps her voice measured. She takes a few steps forward. Phoenix stays by her side.
A man, barely hidden by low-hanging branches, watches us. He grips a sword in his hand.
“There’s another man behind the tree on Cassia’s left,” Samira speaks barely above a whisper. “And there’s another one on Alexia’s left.”
“Standard military positioning.” Ryan sounds impressed. “It’s a flanking maneuver.”
“Not a man, a boy,” I correct, getting a good look at him. “Younger than us.” The boy’s eyes skitter between the individuals in our group. His hands shake as he grips his knife. Like the other two men, his clothes are torn and ragged, similar to how mine used to be.
“We aren’t looking for a fight,” Ryan tells them. The two men and boy glance at one another in confusion, then clutch their knives tighter.
“They don’t speak English,” I yell. In the orphanage, we had a child stay with us who didn’t speak a word of English. His extended family came for him a few weeks later.
“Do you understand me?” Ryan speaks slower, enunciating every word. The man looks to the other one, but both of their faces show their confusion. “What language do you speak?” Ryan doesn’t seem surprised when they don’t answer.
The sun’s rays bounce off something near the tree. Squinting, I shield my eyes. “There’s something at the base of the tree.” I take a step closer, searching. “Some type of metal.”
“Are you sure?” Ryan briefly glances toward it then back at the men.
“The sun is reflecting off of it.” When I chance another step forward, the man moves closer to me, his knife ready. Without a weapon in hand, I am vulnerable and at the mercy of their wrath. My spine goes rigid as adrenaline pumps through my body.
“They’re surrounding the tree.” Phoenix jerks her chin toward it. “Every one of them is positioned an equal distance from it.”
“If we ignore them, do you think they’ll ignore us?” Shane chances a step forward. The boy growls and throws his knife. Shane ducks, barely missing the strike. The boy immediately pulls another knife from his pants. “I’m assuming that’s a no.”
“Whatever they’re hiding is what we need,” Henry guesses. “We don’t get out of here without it.”
“Our options?” Ryan asks.
Even now, I realize, he values everyone’s opinion.
“We fight them.” Careful to move slowly, I lower my pack and take out my knife.
“Any other ideas, Edmonds?” Ryan lowers his pack and slowly removes his ax. On his cue, everyone takes out their weapons.
“We hope they get bored and move on?” Shane interjects.
“I get the feeling that’s not going to happen,” Cassia says.
Crouched and ready, the men take a few steps closer. I bend my knees, prepared to fight. The men keep their gazes locked on us while saying something to one another.
“Debemos luchar.”
I strain to hear what he says. When he speaks again, I repeat his words in my head. The language sounds familiar. I’ve heard it before but can’t remember where. Debemos luchar.
“No deben llegar al árbol.”
“They must not get to the tree,” I translate his words quietly.
Ryan whips toward me. “What?”
“I said we have to fight them.” My file would have made no mention of me knowing another language. I would have no explanation for understanding the meaning. Sweat drips down my forehead at yet another secret that could reveal my past. “We don’t have a choice.”
The man in the middle charges first. He pivots to the side and attacks Samira. Ready, she holds him off with her knife. The other man throws a boomerang toward Phoenix. Knocked to the ground, she barely avoids the knife that follows.
Held off by Samira, the oldest of the three men regroups and surveys the scene. Clearly in charge, he instructs the other man to charge at Hudson. Then he turns to the boy.
“Mata al hombre en el medio. Sneak detrás de él.”
Kill the man in the middle. Sneak behind him. The words translate automatically in my head. They are going for Ryan. The boy moves surreptitiously to the other side in an attempt to fool Ryan.
“Ryan,” I yell without considering the consequences. “The boy!”
Ryan spins just as the boy throws the knife. He grabs the boy around the neck and holds the blade against his throat. Both of the men stop, their faces filled with fear.
“No!” they cry in unison. They wave their hands frantically, begging with the only word they can for the boy’s life. “No!”
“Get to the tree!” Ryan yells.
Cassia and Levi run toward it. The oldest man shifts his gaze from them to Ryan, desperate about what to do. Cassia and Levi drop to their knees at the base of the tree, and frantically begin to dig around the metal covering. Levi strikes the area with his ax until the top loosens. Together they lift it.
“The door is opening!” Phoenix screams.
“Move!” Ryan yells.
“The crystal has to be here,” Cassia insists, refusing to leave.
The man’s eyes widen as he sees Cassia digging. “Yo lo llevaré. Evitas que consten el cristal.” I will take him, he said, pointing his knife at Levi, who starts to help Cassia. He orders the other man to stop Cassia from getting the crystal.
I do the calculation in my head. If I tell Ryan the truth, he learns my secret. But if I don’t…Before I can make a decision, the man, with a flick of his wrist, throws his knife into Levi’s back. Levi’s scream of pain freezes everyone.
“No!” Ryan takes his knife and slices the boy’s arm. He drops him as the boy writhes in agony. The men, shocked, run to help him.
“We have it!” Cassia yells. “Get out!”
One by one, everyone runs for the door as the men frantically help the boy. Ryan and Cassia desperately try to lift Levi. He’s bleeding out from his wound. I hesitate and then glance at the door as it slowly closes. Helping Levi means chancing my life. I will never get home. I rethink my decision for only a second before rushing through the opening.
Samira and Gavin run past me and back into the fray to help Levi. Together, they get Levi up. The gate starts to close, but they are oblivious. I watch, as they, without a second t
hought, risk their lives to save another. Shame courses through me.
“You’re not going to make it,” Levi mutters, barely coherent. Blood soaks his shirt and drips on the ground. The door starts to close. “Leave me here.”
They ignore him as they pick up speed. The opening is narrow, barely enough to get two through. We reach for Levi and pull him out, then gently lay him on the ground.
“Go!” Ryan orders the others. He waits until all of them are through before being the last one out. Seconds later, the fence slams shut. Our final visual is of the men rushing their boy to help.
“He’s dying.” Phoenix kneels on the ground next to Levi. “He’s lost too much blood.” Levi’s eyes slowly shut, and his breaths are spurts of labor.
“We need to use a phone call.” Cassia doesn’t wait for our approval before quickly placing the call.
We wait in silence. Like Sawyer, there’s a bright light and then the sound of the capsule as it flies toward us. Damian pilots the capsule to land a few feet from Levi. We help him to lay Levi inside carefully. His face set, Damian takes off quickly, leaving only puddles of Levi’s blood in his wake.
Ryan takes in me, Gavin, Shane, and the other readers in one disgusted glance. “Your job was to get a reading on the situation, to understand the dangers before we faced them. You don’t get a second chance to do it right the first time.” He pauses, and I see him fighting his emotions. “The kid in there, Levi out here.” He stops and swallows deeply. “It shouldn’t have happened. Step up and do it right.”
FORTY-FOUR
Tired and hungry, we make camp near the first water source we find. Lost in our thoughts, everyone settles in quietly. Hudson and Samira start to gather wood, while others forage for berries. Afterward, we all head toward the water.
