Repatriate Protocol Box Set 3

by Kelli Kimble

  Cole jerked his head towards the shelter, and Boyd went in to fetch the roll. He brought it out, rolled it into shape, and hooked it to my pack.

  “You should leave. The remaining cats will come back here at dusk. You don’t want to be around for that,” I said.

  Then, I nodded at Froyd and Boyd and started walking west. I didn’t want to lead them in a straight line back to Gayle.

  Wait! Froyd called after me. I stopped and looked back over my shoulder. We want to come with you. Both of us. He tipped his head towards Boyd. Cole’s face twisted into a scowl, but he didn’t make any move to stop Froyd, who was now moving towards me and taking my hand in his. You’re right. They’re never going to leave us be. We can’t go back to the city, he said.

  “What about your family?”

  I have to trust these two will do what they said they’d do — and I can always look in on them from out here.

  “Have you looked in on them? Since you left?”

  He nodded. They’re okay. They don’t know anything about the two of us. He paused and looked down at his feet. When we were taken for the experiments . . . our family thinks we’re already dead. It’s best if we don’t go back. Not if we want to be on our own terms.

  “I thought you said it was an accident.”

  That’s partly true. When we were brought into service, they told them we died. In an accident at the power plant.

  Boyd approached, wearing his pack and carrying Froyd’s. He handed Froyd his bag and looked at me with puppy-dog eyes.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” I said. “It’s fine. You can come with me. I could use your help with Gayle, anyway. She’s hurt.”

  I glanced over at Cole and Rolfe. Rolfe was standing beside Cole, and they were watching us with hostile expressions. But, neither of them made a move to stop Froyd or Boyd.

  “All right, let’s go,” I said. I waved at Cole and Rolfe. “I expect you won’t be following us!” I yelled back to them. “But you really better get on your way! You don’t want to be here when the cats come back!”

  Rolfe flung his knife to the ground, burying the blade midway in the dirt. Then, he turned and stomped back to the shelter.

  I noticed Boyd and Froyd’s shelter was gone.

  I glanced at Boyd. He patted his pack and nodded.

  I smiled. This might work out, after all.

  Chapter 11

  We headed west and gradually began to turn north as we gained distance. Twice, I sent supplies ahead for Gayle, knowing she’d been on her own for a good day and a half. But I couldn’t bring myself to accompany the food and water I sent her. She wasn’t going to be pleased when I showed up with Froyd and Boyd — and she certainly wasn’t going to be pleased I’d let two of the searchers go.

  We came to the cave at sunset. I went in first to smooth things over.

  “Gayle?”

  The supplies I’d sent were on the floor near the fire, which she’d let burn entirely out. In the dim light, I could see her huddled figure near the wall, stuffed inside the bedroll I’d left her with. I went over and touched her on the shoulder. “Gayle,” I said again, shaking her shoulder gently.

  Her eyes slid open slowly.

  “Are you all right?” I asked. “Wake up.”

  She didn’t answer. Instead, she started to cough. She coughed so hard, I thought she was going to vomit. I grabbed the canteen and tipped it to her lips. When I touched her face, it was burning hot.

  She was sick.

  “Guys, come here,” I said. I imagined the fire lighting and felt the warmth at my back. Froyd appeared in the mouth of the cave. “Get some wood for the fire,” I said. He dropped his pack in the doorway and retreated.

  Gayle moaned as I mentally lifted her and placed her near the warmth of the fire. I peeled back the bedroll, thinking I’d check her body for injuries. Instead, I remembered to do a mental scan. She didn’t seem to be suffering from anything new; the broken bone was finally starting to improve, but that was the only difference.

  Boyd came in with a load of wood, and he went about building the fire up larger. Froyd soon followed, also carrying wood. They took their canteens, as well as mine, and filled them, then went about heating up the roasted cat leg I’d sent earlier.

  Boyd knelt beside me to look over Gayle. She’s got a fever, he said. You can tell by the flush of her cheeks.

  I don’t know what to do for her, I said. We had a tablet that had some first-aid information on it, but we lost it in the flood.

  I’ve got something, he said. He removed a small device from his pack. It was maybe six inches long and had buttons along the side. He touched it to her temple. The people in the mountain used this technology, he said. They called it a ‘medical scanner’. It can diagnose medical problems and even administer meds if needed. He held it up and read off a readout, adjacent to the buttons. It says she has an infection from . . . bat guano? What’s that?

  My eyes drifted to the ceiling of the cave, hidden in shadow. It’s droppings, I said. From a bat.

  Eww, Boyd said, screwing up his face. There’re bats in here?

  I guess so, I said. What does it say to do? Should we move out of here?

  It administered some medication already. She just needs to rest. But we don’t want her to get re-infected, and we don’t want to get infected, either. I guess we should move out of here.

  I picked this spot because it’s easily defendable from the cats, I said. If we go out there, we’ll be vulnerable.

  Boyd and Froyd looked at each other over the fire.

  I know it seems like I’m invulnerable, I said. But, if the cats catch me while I’m sleeping, I’ll die, just as easily as your friend out there did.

  He wasn’t our friend, Froyd said.

  We’ll stay here until Gayle can move, Boyd said. We’ll set up the tent in here and sleep inside it, and hopefully, that will limit our exposure to the . . . droppings. He paused and licked his lips. Maybe we could build the fire large, and it will chase them off.

  I closed my eyes and drifted up to the ceiling, then farther up, into the cracks, where I knew the bats must have been lurking. I pushed down the guilt already growing in my gut, and I imagined flames licking the walls of the cave clean. A few bats darted out, and I spread the flames to them. Tiny shrieks filled the air, and they dropped to the cave floor.

  Froyd ran around, stomping out the flames. Or, maybe he was trying to put them out of their misery; it wasn’t clear. I blew a breeze around the cave, avoiding the fire, and it pushed the debris of the burnt bats out into the daylight. Then, I drifted back down to my body.

  I realized I hadn’t explained Gayle’s broken leg. “The reason we’ve been camped here,” I said, “is because Gayle fell and broke her leg. She won’t be ready to move anytime soon.”

  They didn’t seem to hear me. They were both staring at me, their mouths hanging open.

  Is there anything you can’t do? Boyd finally asked.

  “I apparently can’t get myself and a middle-aged woman across the country unscathed,” I said. “I’m certainly open to suggestions.”

  How long ago did she break it? asked Boyd.

  “Almost two weeks,” I said. I looked down at her. Her cheeks were already looking less flushed. “Will that medical device do anything to help it? Can it speed up the healing or dull the pain or something?”

  Boyd shook his head. There’s no technology that’ll heal broken bones. But we can manage her pain a little, he said sympathetically. So, why are you headed to the coast?

  I nodded at Gayle. “We’re trying to find her sister. She left the city almost 20 years ago, along with some people from the mountain.”

  The searchers have been looking for them for a long time, Boyd said. They’ll have guessed Gayle is looking for them — and they let the city know that’s where you were going.

  “The coast is a big place,” I said.

  That’s it? That’s your plan? Boyd questioned. Security by obscurity?
<
br />   “I don’t have anything else,” I said. “Besides my abilities.”

  They aren’t going to give up, Boyd insisted. They may have said they would, but they won’t.

  I shrugged. “I can’t afford to worry about what they’re doing. They said they were going to pretend we died, and I hope they’ll do that. Maybe they will; maybe they won’t.” I met his gaze and waited for him to turn away. His expression was unreadable, but I could feel the fear coming off him in waves. Was he afraid of me or the searchers?

  Finally, I turned away. “You don’t have to be afraid of me,” I said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Boyd’s eyes softened. I know you believe that — and I hope you never have to.”

  ◆◆◆

  Three weeks passed. It took a week for Gayle to forgive me for not killing the searchers. But she liked having Boyd and Froyd around, and they worked hard to keep her comfortable and warm while she recuperated. Boyd even designed a special splint for her that she could remove at night so that sleeping would be more comfortable.

  Froyd was the first to bring up the topic of moving on. Pretty soon, Gayle will be able to move, he said as we picked the bones of a rabbit clean. We should think about getting ready to go.

  Go? Go where? Gayle asked.

  I rolled my eyes. They know where we’re going, Gayle. They know about Tabby and Silver.

  Froyd elbowed her playfully. For the record, you’re a terrific actress. His expression turned serious. Back to the topic: We’ve got to get clear of this area. By now, Cole and Rolfe will have made it back to the city. We don’t know whether they’ll make good on any of their promises.

  He exchanged a glance with Boyd. Boyd picked up, If they’re going to break their word, it’s going to be about tracking you. They know where you’re going — or rather, who you’re looking for — and they both have a grudge against Tabby and Silver.

  What kind of grudge? I asked.

  Both of them lost their fathers, he said. He tapped his pointer finger against his thumb — an anxious habit I’d noticed. When Tabby and Silver left the city for the mountain, they sent searchers after them. That group never came back.

  I sighed. Could nothing be simple? “Some of those searchers — they were related to Cole and Rolfe?”

  Boyd nodded. They blame Silver, mostly. But they wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Tabby, too. She’s important to Silver.

  How are you feeling, Gayle? I asked her. Do you think you can put weight on that leg?

  I could try, she said.

  What about your scanner? I asked Boyd. Can it judge if her leg is ready to walk?

  Boyd dug out the scanner and touched it to Gayle’s skin. He checked the display. It says she’s healthy, he said.

  No time like the present, Gayle said. She scuffed her good foot back towards her butt. Someone want to give me a hand?

  The guys stood on either side of her and pulled her to a standing position on her good leg. She’d gotten pretty good at hopping around instead of scooting to go in and out of the cave, but she still needed help to get up when she wasn’t near a wall. Here goes, she said. She set the ball of her foot on the ground, leaning heavily on Froyd’s offered shoulder as she did so. It’s not so bad, she said.

  I think you’re gonna need to put your entire foot on the ground, Froyd said.

  She lowered her heel and hissed in a breath between her clenched teeth. That’s a little bad, she said. She lifted her heel back up.

  Nobody expects you to just start walking, I said. Practice putting a little weight on it today. Maybe tomorrow, you’ll be able to do more.

  Boyd shot me an annoyed look. This is never going to work, he said, just to me. We won’t be able to get anywhere with her like this. It’ll be weeks before she’s recuperated enough to do the heavy hiking required to get out of here.

  I’m not leaving her, I responded.

  I never said we should.

  I turned my attention back to Gayle. Gayle, maybe we could make you a crutch or a cane. Do you think that would help? I asked.

  She shrugged. I’m open to anything that’ll get me to Tabby.

  The thought of getting to Tabby seemed to steel her resolve. She put her heel back down, pressing it into the ground this time. Her face crumpled in a grimace, but this time, she didn’t back away from the pain. She slid her foot along the ground – just a few inches – then, leaning on Froyd, she took a quick step with her good leg. She grunted. This isn’t going to be easy, she said. She took three more tiny steps, managing to move a grand total of about 10 inches.

  I think that’s enough for now, Boyd said. It’ll take time to rebuild that muscle, and for the pain to fade. He flashed a crooked smile. When I was eight, I broke my arm. It took some doing to get it back to normal after they removed the wrappings.

  I remember that, Froyd said, snickering. You cried like a baby when they made you straighten your arm.

  I understand why, Gayle said.

  Froyd smothered his laughter with his hand. I didn’t mean you were a baby, Gayle. Heck, you didn’t even yell.

  Yes, well. That’s enough of that for now, Gayle replied. Can you help me to the shelter?

  I glanced out the cave mouth. It was nearly sunset. The others went about maneuvering Gayle inside the shelter, away from the potential effects of any bats that might still be lingering.

  The sky was smudged with oranges and reds, colors that reminded me of fire. A flicker of self-doubt and guilt shot through me as I remembered the fire that I’d used to killed people, people who were just unlucky enough to be in my way –

  Nim? Are you coming to bed? Froyd broke into my thoughts.

  I pushed the picture out of my head. I couldn’t change what I’d done. But I could help Gayle get to her sister, and I could start a new life there, with a fresh slate.

  I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Yeah, I’ll be right there.”

  ◆◆◆

  Gayle worked hard for a week to get to a point where she could walk. But she made very little progress. After seven days and countless attempts, she could still only shuffle short distances inside the cave, where the floor was relatively flat. As soon as she went outside, on the uneven terrain and loose rocks, she quickly lost her balance. Pressure on the leg also caused her a lot of pain — though she thought she was hiding that well.

  On the eighth day, after her first steps, Froyd put his foot down. We’ve got to leave. Tomorrow. No matter what the state of Gayle’s leg is. If they’re coming back for us, they’ll already be halfway here by now.

  Why don’t you look through his eyes? Gayle asked me. See where they are. What they’re doing.

  I’ve only ever been able to do that with Silver, I said, and it only seems to work because I have something of his. I pointed to the tablet, which was never far from Gayle’s side. “I don’t have anything that belonged to Cole or Rolfe.”

  I do, Boyd said.

  I looked at him.

  He shrugged. I took Rolfe’s gun. It seemed only fair.

  I don’t know if that’s personal enough, I said.

  No harm in trying, he said. He fetched it from his pack and handed it to me.

  It felt heavy and cold in my hand, almost repulsive. I closed my eyes and thought about Rolfe. Had he gotten home to his child? I remembered the way he’d rubbed the doll’s head in his pocket. Was it an unconscious gesture, or was he thinking of the doll’s owner when he did that?

  I relaxed into the floor, willing the gun to lead me to Rolfe. But I got nothing.

  It’s just not working, I said. Maybe it isn’t personal enough. I handed it back to Boyd — though I wondered if I should be worried that he’d had a gun all this time without mentioning it.

  Maybe they’re dead, Gayle said. You said you were attacked by cats, and some got away. Maybe the cats got them. Or bears. Or wolves. She gestured out at the blue sky, shining beyond the entrance of the cave. There’s a thousand natural ways to die out here.
r />   I nodded in agreement. We’d certainly encountered more than one way to die ourselves.

  I still think we should go, Froyd said. There are three of us to help Gayle along. We don’t have to travel far; we just need to get away from where they know to look for us.

  I narrowed my eyes. They don’t know to look for us here in the cave, I said.

  They know where the tablet is, he said.

  I wanted to pound my head against the cave wall. Then, why did you let me bring it? We’d have been better off without it.

  He held up his hands in a peacemaking gesture. Whoa, whoa. I figured out how to disable the tracking on it not long after we got back here. But the last place it tracked was right to this spot, so it’s where they’ll look first.

  Now, his level of urgency made more sense.

  Let’s go now, then. I said. Pack up. I’ll fill the canteens. We can get a few miles away today, at least.

  In less than 20 minutes, we were on our way out of the cave and back into the unknown.

  Chapter 12

  We didn’t make it far from the cave when we realized Gayle’s slouching walk wasn’t going to cut it. The first half-mile took nearly an hour, and the boys were getting impatient. It was obvious we couldn’t move any great distance as we were. I would have to carry her mentally.

  I didn’t say anything, and I didn’t ask her permission. However, she did flash me the most relieved expression I’d ever seen when I scooped her into the air, thinking of her riding in an imaginary basket. I kept her between us: Froyd and Boyd in front, then Gayle, and I brought up the rear. Naturally, we made better time with this arrangement — but it wore on me, and I had to ask for frequent breaks.

  Gradually, over the days, it became obvious I couldn’t keep up this kind of support – no matter how much I wanted to. Headaches began to creep in on me, and I started to feel weak. I didn’t mention it to the others; I didn’t want Gayle to feel bad. But I did ask every day for her to try and walk some on her own.

  “But, why? We make much better time when you carry me,” she said.