There I stood, locked in fear, straining to see through the wetness rolling from my forehead. If not for my father, who at the inception of this island had been charged with engineering every facet of agriculture, I would not even know it existed. I wouldn’t know of the lush green forests, the black sand beaches, the well-hidden pastures, or the secret underground maze of utility tunnels. Nor would I know of those babies who were born after the cleansing. The now young adults who, because of the sins of their exiled parents, had never known peaceful community life. Like the rest of the population, I would be oblivious to the fact that there was even an island off the southern coast of Old Mexico. I definitely wouldn’t know about the holding chamber I was trying to break into. And I most certainly wouldn’t know about her.
Rapidly working to disable the power to the security gate, my fingers raced, and my mind flashed back to the first time I ever saw her, the spicy, brown-haired, brown-eyed girl. It was my maiden trip to the island, the summer before my freshman year. Father had decided it was time to begin my Ag apprenticeship; though many years had passed, it seemed like yesterday.
I could still picture a dainty girl bobbing in the water trying to catch a wave on an old piece of driftwood. Curious to see another person my age on the island, I parted the tall grass behind which I was hiding and strained to get a closer look. Even amidst my current struggle to get to her, I worked to stifle my laughter, remembering how the old log popped through the back of her legs and thumped her upside the head. The stubborn look on her face as she picked it up and slammed it back into the water still ignited a thrill inside of me that I’d never known before her. Never known since. Yet at the same time the charge surged through me, I was haunted by the fact that if I didn’t work fast enough, I would never feel that sensation again. Nor would I ever feel the warmth of her living body next to mine.
Shaking the memory, I refocused my sights on the grid before me. One wrong move and the laser would take my entire hand. I held my breath and steadied my hold as I clipped the final wire. Retreating from the tiny explosion, I dropped to the ground as sparks flew and the lights dimmed. The mud squishing between my fingers was a thankful reminder that I still had a hand at the end of my arm. The darkness of the chamber was intimidating, but there was no way I could’ve saved the lights and gotten through to her without being detected by the roboguards. It helped that I’d been there a hundred times. I knew the counts. I knew the turns. The dips. The rises. All that was left was to get through that gate. I could get to her. I could save her. I knew I could.
As I trudged through the sludge, my mind raced. With all the hype about shared global resources, lack of funding, and the New World Order, I knew this day would come. It was a secret pact of the top officials that those castoffs sentenced to Tabu and other such islands would be the first to go. Their escape from the islands and possible integration back into society was a moral burden and threat to the new peace. The security of these facilities was also a huge cost to bear and the secret was nearly impossible to keep. The guards. The droids. Military. All of those resources could be put to better use in the Co-op. The top officials involved in The Obliteration couldn’t have cared less about a generation of innocents born on the island, young adults who had never done anything to harm anyone. Guiltless offspring whose only sins were to be born of sinners. Girls like Ava Grace.
She was the reason I was here now risking my life. The reason I came back every summer, pretending I had an interest in learning my father’s work. The reason I had studied every integral detail of the island’s prison system, the secret entrances, exits, and holding chambers. She was the reason I had befriended the staff, doctors, agriculturalists, maintenance crew, or anyone who played a key role in the survival of the island’s inhabitants. Anyone who could get me closer to her. The guards became part of my inner circle. Their schedules, hangouts, and personal lives were all at my disposal. I learned their strengths and especially their weaknesses.
The day I was working in the culvert and overheard their decision was the day I realized time was up. I’d always thought when Ava and I were old enough, I’d strike some kind of deal with the committee to get her off the island and bring her home with me, but now it was too late for that. I had to focus on the Order’s plans of destruction and come up with a way to sneak her out before it was too late. There was no other way to save her.
My path had been chosen for me. Rather than working in agriculture like my father, I had negotiated a role in documentation and security at Tabu. Little did the officials know I was working with them so when the time came, I would stand a small chance against them. Lucky for me, my years of patience and plotting afforded me the knowledge and ability to create for her an identity outside of Tabu. One that she could take with her, if I was lucky enough to break her out in time. I just hoped my years of infiltrating the system would be enough to save her.
“Go,” I grunted to myself after struggling to raise the gate high enough to squeeze through. My breathing was heavy and my legs were shaking and fatigued from battling the heavy barrier. As I struggled, I second-guessed cutting the electricity before trying to raise it, but that would have certainly set off more alarms. I couldn’t afford the time it would’ve taken for an interrogation. The odds of me making it through were already slim to none. Exhausted wasn’t a strong enough word for the weight of what I was feeling. The only thing that kept me putting one foot in front of the other was the image of her sitting in the chamber, not knowing these were her final hours of life. The voices in my head were telling me to move quickly. Time was working against me. I had to get to my Ava Grace.
Panting my way through the dark corridor, my thoughts drifted back to the ocean. Even back then I came up with a plan after watching her with the driftwood that day. In my fifteen-year-old mind, it was brilliant. I would grab some baling twine from my father’s Ag shop and bring it to her. We would use it to tie a bunch of logs together and make a small raft. Maybe, if I played my cards right, I could make a cute friend to spend those long, summer days with. Father was so busy every day that I often found myself sneaking out on solo adventures while he studied blueprints and did work that I didn’t care to understand. It was boring and I wanted to have some fun. I knew I was there to learn, but that would come in time. If I gave him a couple of hours every morning, I could run off after lunch and explore.
When I first popped out from behind the tall grass, I hadn’t thought much about the fact that to her I was a stranger. It wasn’t until all five feet and 105 pounds of her took a leaping dive right into my chest that I understood the element of surprise and the power of adrenaline. Thinking back on it, maybe she had never seen a civilized boy her age.
“So, you think you can sneak up on an unsuspecting girl, do you?” a raspy voice pierced the side of my neck. Struggling to catch my breath, I tried to maneuver out from under her. The little ball of fire had a tight grip on my hair with one hand while pinning my neck beneath her strong forearm with the other. Stunned motionless by the feisty girl, she grabbed my wrists and easily forced them to the ground. Leaning in, she huffed quietly into my ear, “Who the hell are you, and why are you spying on me?”
Though the weight of her tiny frame barely registered, the pain of her fingernails digging into my skin left me wanting to toss her to the ground. It wouldn’t have taken much to send her soaring, but for some reason, my instinct was to take it. Not to harm her, but to protect her. Protect both of us. For as brave as she tried to appear, the tremble of her body was a silent signal that the adrenaline was waning, and her toughness was only an act. I could tell she was about to scream. Maybe she thought I was one of the prisoners. I knew I only had seconds to make her realize that I wasn’t a threat. If I didn’t get her off me quickly, her hollering could alert any number of felons to our whereabouts. Or even worse, the guards who stood watch just beyond the shoreline.
I had two choices. I could die at the hands of some convict, who had probably already murdered a
half-dozen people. Or, I could be hauled off by the guards and taken back to my father, who would undoubtedly revoke my privileges. Though I had access to the officials’ unrestricted zones, I wasn’t allowed to cause trouble. Making one of the guard’s daughters scream in fear would mean no more afternoon getaways, no secret coves to explore, and no getting to know the little firecracker who would most definitely be the ticket to an unforgettable summer.
Mustering a pleading face, I mouthed a silent, “Shhh,” and a long-drawn, “pleeease.” Then pinching my eyes closed, I manufactured a small grin. I whispered calmly, “I’ll explain who I am as soon as you loosen your grip.” Still hesitant to loosen her hold, I added, “I’m not one of them. Trust me.” Her expression revealed that her trust was something to be earned, not given freely. It wasn’t until I whispered again, “You’ve got to trust me. You scream and we’re both dead,” that she loosened her grip and slowly began to rise from my chest.
Knowing that I had just saved us both from certain detainment, I took a deep breath and released it slowly. Still pinned beneath her, I raised my head a bit and tipped it in the direction of the tall grass. It was a quiet signal that we needed to hurry up and get off the beach. I was free to be there, but after taking a closer look at her, it was obvious that she was no guard’s daughter. Her long hair was everywhere, and her clothes were definitely not from any boutique my mom ever dragged me into. She had a more natural beauty to her. Her tan cheeks rosy from the sun, and a hint of plumeria scent wafted from her sun-kissed skin. It wasn’t a strong perfume like the ones worn by the girls back home. It was more like she’d been playing in a bed of tropical flowers.
Staring up at her round, brown eyes, I couldn’t help but wonder what her story was. How on Earth did a girl my age end up in a place like this? I knew one thing; I couldn’t be seen talking to her. I was no fool. It wasn’t hard to see our meeting could mean trouble for both of us. She was, without a doubt, trespassing on restricted land. I wanted to take her to a safe place where we could talk without being overheard. With a little more coaxing and a few more promises that I wouldn’t hurt her, she finally agreed to come with me.
As her cool, wet body lifted from mine, I was drawn from my wonderment. The feel of her weight pulling away from me was suddenly replaced by a little spike of heat that exploded deep within my belly. Maybe it was the scent of plumerias, or maybe it was just the new feeling of a girl straddling my hips. The dizzying sensation hit me with surprising force when she grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. I’d never felt a zing like that before. Actually, I’d never really had a girl my age touch me in any way. I was surprised at what it did to my body. I had to think fast and come up with something to say. Something to distract her from the crazy reaction that was happening below my belly.
Feeling relief that I had somehow gotten through to her, I mumbled, “I could tell you were a smart one.”
“Damn straight,” she affirmed. That’s when I felt something sharp poke at the small of my back. Leaning into my ear she warned, “Don’t do anything stupid, and you might live to see tomorrow.” The warmth from her body began to heat my arm as she pulled me in close. Then quickly, she nudged me to the meadow of tall grass. Still feeling the small stabbing pain of whatever she was holding against me, I walked in line with her until she was ready to release her hold.
Moments later we found a small clearing where she pushed me to the ground. Without breaking eye contact, she sat before me. That’s when she revealed the roughly shaped spearhead she had been holding to my back. She had fashioned it into a dagger, and something told me if I made one false move, she wouldn’t be afraid to use it. For what seemed like five minutes, we sat, staring in silence as the dagger tick-tocked in front of me. Finally she said, “You wanted to talk … talk.”
For some reason, the threat of the crude weapon waving in front of me had me tongue-tied. She must have sensed my distress because she eased it onto her lap and said, “Fine, I’ll start. I’m Ava. Ava Grace. Haven’t seen you around here before and I know everyone.”
“I’m Noah,” I held out my hand to shake hers.
As my hand moved toward her, she jumped back, simultaneously thrusting the dagger toward my chest. “What’re you doing?” she demanded.
Holding both hands up, I tried to talk her down. “Look, I’m just trying to shake your hand.”
Her blank stare told me she was confused. If I didn’t know it already, now it was obvious this girl was one of the islanders. Of course she didn’t know what a handshake was. She was uncivilized. My father had told me all about the prisoners and how dangerous it was to cross into the high-security areas on the island. If I ever ran into a prisoner, it would mean certain death. I never dreamed someone my age could be one of them. But if she was a prisoner, what was she doing in a restricted area?
My body began to tremble when I realized the danger of the situation. Lord only knew what she had done to be exiled. Maybe she had killed one of her classmates. Or worse, she could be one of those teens who went crazy and murdered her entire family. I started to back away. In fact, I began to turn so I could bolt in the other direction.
“Wait!” she called out. “Don’t go!”
The desperation in her voice stopped me from racing back to my father. Slowly, I turned around and looked at her pleading eyes.
“You can’t tell on me. They’ll put me back in the holding chamber … just like last time.”
“Holding chamber?”
“Yeah, where they put all the kids who mess up.”
“All of you? There are more of you?” I was shocked to think of all the teenagers who had committed the types of crimes that would exile them to Tabu Island. She must have read my troubled expression.
“I’m not a dangerous criminal, if that’s what you’re thinking.” She looked me up and down as though she was reading everything about me. My thoughts. My body language. My soul. “You’re one of those brainwashed official’s brats, aren’t you?”
I couldn’t help but stare, mesmerized by what I was seeing. Was this girl for real? She had her chance to let me go, and she called me back just to insult me? I was ready to give her a piece of my mind when she spoke again.
“I didn’t do anything wrong, you know. I was born here. An unfortunate side effect of exile. The Order’s plan never accounted for the kids who weren’t born yet. That’s just one of the things they overlooked with their brilliant plan. So, are you gonna judge me? Or do you want to hear the real story?”
• • •
Ava Grace could tell a tale, that was for sure. I was captivated by her every word as she told me how her parents ended up on Tabu Island. Back in the early thirties, after the old constitution had been deemed unfit for global society, all amendments had been repealed. There were no more freedoms, including the right to bear arms. The streets were wild. There were riots. Looting. Mass pandemonium across the country. The new government hadn’t yet gained complete control. That’s when the home of Ava’s parents was raided by the local police. They were conducting search and seizure of all illegal weapons. Apparently, one of the officers who’d had an attraction to Ava’s mom, thought he would have his way with her during the chaos of the raid. As her mom struggled on the kitchen floor, pinned by the officer who thought she was there alone, her father quietly grabbed a gun he’d hidden in the freezer and shot him from behind. Her mother had stabbed him just seconds before, buying her father just enough time to get to the gun.
For obvious reasons, they weren’t given a fair trial. They were barely given a trial at all. Weapons had been outlawed for all civilians. Anyone caught with a gun, knife, or explosive of any kind was automatically charged with a felony. The bottom line was, Ava’s parents had used an illegal firearm to kill an officer. It was not judged as self-defense. It was murder. A capital felony. Automatic exile. That’s how they had become prisoners of the island. Tossed out. Thrown away as though they never existed.
Life on the island sounded thre
atening for a young girl. Fourteen-year-old Ava Grace was constantly in danger from malicious criminals. There were those who eyed her when she walked by, waiting for the opportunity to get her alone. Her parents took every precaution to protect her, including teaching her self-defense and weapons handling. Not only did they strengthen her defenses, but her parents made it their mission to help the island culture by bringing faith to anyone willing to listen. They would have morning prayer time and preach weekly sermons for all the guards and prisoners who were willing to show up. They were devoted to making a good life on the island. They helped the guards when they found themselves in compromising situations. For these reasons, the family had earned the respect and protection of several officials.
Over the years, the guards had grown fond of Ava Grace. They had watched the curly haired infant go from crawling around in diapers to climbing coconut trees. She was an adventurous and curious child who didn’t seem to mind that she didn’t have items a normal child might have to entertain themselves. She didn’t know any different, but the guards did. They wanted her to have something of her own. Something that meant more than a bouncy ball or board game. They wanted her to have freedom.
That’s when they came up with a plan to make her a secret passage down to the ocean so she could get away for a bit every day. They wanted her to see more than the circle of run-down tents and tumbleweeds blowing through her little prison camp. They also wanted her to escape the dangers that loomed outside her door. Though it was a risk, they were willing to do it for her. She had won their hearts and risking their jobs was the least they could do to give her somewhat of a life.
The gift of the ocean was what led me to Ava Grace. She had been let out for her daily break from the prison. That’s when I found her splashing around, bobbing on that old piece of driftwood. It was her time to be a young adult, free of the dangers within the confines of the prison fence. Her time to let her guard down. The problem was, now I had taken that little sliver of peace from her and put her back on the defense. I could sense her new fear. It was no longer limited to the dangers inside the fence, but now what lurked on the outside too.
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