The Keep (A Renegades story Book 1)

by Marilize Loxton

  Copyright Marilize Loxton

  Published 2017

  Thank you to all who enjoys reading this just as much as I enjoyed writing this!!!

  Chapter 1

  The door to the stairway swung shut behind her. She felt the racing pulse of her heart beating in her throat as she swallowed, and her feet hauling heavier as she scaled the stairs two by two. The building’s roof was twenty seven floors above ground level, and Samantha Cyrus had run herself to the very top in under ten minutes.

  The sun had at long set, and already the faint shine of the moon peeked through the heavy clouds of smog that hung over the city. Sam took a moment to catch her breath as she stared out across the tall buildings of the great utopia of Emitton.

  Its streets were quiet, run down, and she saw the glimmering glitz of the High Burrow train speeding across its tracks, soundless.

  Far off on the horizon, she’d seen the heart of the city, where it broke into three individual districts: Lujoso (where she’d lived), Suburbio and Pobre. The city had been named after Benjamin Emitton, the soul founder of its origin. He took lead in restoring disaster after a fatal nuclear war. Everything was destroyed, and everyone seemed broken.

  Of course humanity had come a long way since then. They’ve built up and re-established all civilization, developing a government of oligarchy, and led by only the most powerful of leaders.

  Their only goal now, being to survive.

  Sam removed her heavy satchel, and set it down beside her. It was time to get to work. She flipped open the top, and carefully took out a pile of rolled up rope. She securely tied the one end to a rusty metal pipe against the wall, and tossed the rest of the rope over the side of the building. She revealed a black harness hidden beneath her coat.

  First, Sam gave a forceful tug on the rope, happily approved, and connected herself with a shiny silver clip.

  She held her breath as she carefully lowered over the side of the building.

  The cold evening breeze sent chills travelling down her spine, and she struggled to keep her hair from getting caught up in her mouth. Her breath turned short as she glanced down, and saw the solid concrete pavement way down below. She silently prayed for the rusty pipe not to break.

  If only she had another choice, but of course, there hadn’t been. The events of tonight had been planned for over six months now, and Sam was too fired up and determined to turn back.

  The air smelt strong of damp moss that grew on mouldy wood. It had a faint hint of smoke vaguely passing through from the polluted atmosphere. Even though it had been the way the air had always smelled, it seemed somewhat amplified within the face of danger.

  Sam stopped in mid-air as she hung outside the darkened office of Cara Emitton.

  Cara was the chairwoman of the Board of Leaders, and the great, great granddaughter of Benjamin Emitton. She had crystal blue eyes, and a tight, slick ponytail. Her favourite attire was simple: A navy pencil skirt, accompanied by a loose, white blouse.

  Sam shuddered. She removed a fresh roll of masking tape that hung from her belt, and carelessly covered the entire window. She swung herself back, and spread out her legs to kick at the glass. A few swings in, she saw thousands of successful cracks that formed underneath the tape, and used a sharp knife to silently cut along the opening. It was easy to crawl inside, and Sam felt relieved as her feet touched the solid floor.

  She quickly unhooked herself from the rope.

  The dark and deserted office was surrounded by a series of clear glass walls, and through it Sam could directly see into the main conference room. A great, marble table was set at the centre of the room, and around it every member of the board sat sunk away in bulky, leather chairs. Cara Emitton stood at the head of the table, intently in possession of all attention. It was exactly for this reason that Sam had chosen tonight:

  She knew that Cara’s office would be empty, and there’d be no risk of anyone walking in on her. If any of the board members were to get up, she would instantly see it through the glass, and have more than enough time to safely make her escape.

  Sam counted the members too ensured all ten were present. She cautiously tiptoed to Cara Emitton’s desk, and wheeled out the chair. Once seated at the computer, she turned it on. It sounded out a loud tune, nearly giving Sam a heart attack, but she quickly recovered. As she hadn’t known the password, she connected a small device to the computer that helped her in decoding it, and almost instantly, was she successfully hacked into the system.

  ‘Welcome Miss Emitton.’ The computer said.

  Sam’s heart raced as she nervously scrolled across the screen, not knowing where to begin when searching. ‘C’mon, where is it?’ Her voice was hoarse and croaky. One of her many flaws when anxious. She instinctively tapped on an unnamed folder, and found herself staring at a long list of blueprints for top secret projects.

  Sam gasped.

  She saw so many things that had been hidden from the public: Upcoming reduces of food and water ratios, the promoting of security at the district borders, and much, much more. Sam had wanted to read on, but stopped, when her eyes caught the attention of one particular folder…a map to District X.

  District X was rumoured to be a covert development centre, kept from the public by no one other than the board itself. No one knew exactly what they were developing, or where the centre was located, but some way or another, it had shot up in conversations around town quite frequently.

  Sam’s fingers were shaking as she moved the folder across the screen, and copied the entire thing onto her connected device. She was impatient, and couldn’t sit still when staring at the slow progress of the green bar on the screen.

  Every few seconds, Sam’s head sprung back to the conference room. Her neck muscles relaxed, and she exhaled deeply. The coast remained clear, and her presence remained a secret.

  Finally, after what felt like forever, the transaction was completed, and Sam hurriedly plucked the device from the computer. She was bewildered, for a shrieking alarm went off. It pulsed from the walls, and blared from the floors. It was a piercing shriek like nothing she had ever heard before.

  Sam’s ears rung as a sharp pain shot through her head. She hadn’t known what to do. Her plan had backfired, and it seemed Cara Emitton had anticipated this exact situation. Sam tried everything to shut down the computer. She pressed every button in sight, but alas, it only pumped up the volume.

  She was done here.

  Sam shoved the device down her pocket and made a break for the window. Behind her, she heard the distinct sound of footsteps that rushed towards the office. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably, but somehow, she had managed to connect herself to the rope. With the blazing rush of adrenaline that pumped through every vein in Sam’s body, she lowered herself down the side of the building.

  A bright, flashing light suddenly cast over her, followed by the deafening sound of an airship’s propellers that roared endlessly from the sky. Its sleek metal framing took on the diverse shape of an angel shark, and barely fit in between the buildings.

  Sam clenched to the rope.

  She saw her black gloves had almost burnt through, and specifically felt the flaming tips of her fingers chafing raw. Her arms had grown tired, and gravity took its toll.

  She almost slipped.

  ‘This is Emitton Crime Department!’ a voice called out above the noise. ‘SAMANTHA CYRUS, WE ORDER YOU TO SURRENDER!’

  ‘Not tonight…’ Sam mumbled through clenched teeth.

  Just then, four thin lines were cast from the airship, and tightly secured at the top of the building. On each line, a guard, dressed in solid black, slid down and parked feet first on the roof. As
one man they transitioned their lines over the side of the building, and abseiled down towards Sam at lightning speed.

  It was then that Sam realized she had nowhere to go: She helplessly hung five floors above ground, and barely had two meters of rope left.

  Without thinking twice she closed her eyes and hurled herself towards the building. Glass shattered everywhere as Sam flew through the window, and landed on her back while still hooked to the rope.

  The stroke to her hind left her breathless, and sore. She blinked her eyes at the spinning ceiling above her. It was dark, but glass glittered in the moonlight. She wormed herself out of the harness, and almost fell when getting to her feet. Crunching glass spun through the air as Sam made a break for the door.

  She had spent too much time recovering, and already the black uniformed ECDs were hot on her trail. She flung every possible object to the floor: File cabinets, a dustbin, three rickety chairs, and a copy machine. It was bound to slow them down.

  Sam dived over a desk at the front reception, and crawled her way to an open stairway. The door swung shut behind her, and she blocked it at best she could with a chair.

  Upon reaching the lobby, Sam came face to face with a stoutly security man, and just as easily flinched past him in a double dodge. His flabby arms reached for her waist, but she wrenched herself from his chubby fingers, and leaped towards the exit.

  ‘No!’ Sam cried, seeing the automatic doors were shut off for the night, and they couldn’t be opened manually. She turned on her side and charged elbow first. This time, she felt the sting of shattered glass just above her eye, and saw a small stream of blood dripping across her cheek.

  The cold evening air met with Sam’s skin as she dashed across the street, and into a dark alleyway. Out of breath, she held onto a wall and wiped her cheek with her sleeve.

  Her head throbbed in pain.

  Sam grasped at her pocket, and sighed of relief. She felt the rounded lump of the device, safely hidden in her pocket. She made it…and it was an actual miracle though, for the ECD wasn’t a force to be reckoned with.

  Sam carefully peeked around the corner, and saw that the coast was clear. The street was oddly quiet, and she couldn’t spot the airship anywhere in the sky. She listened, and caught the far off sound of a siren, probably a few blocks away.

  Sam peered up, and studied the deserted building. A lump formed in her throat. Suddenly the two broken windows seemed extremely high up. What if she’d fell from there? Sam frowned as she studied the sleeping city around her. There hadn’t been a single living soul in sight. It was as if she’d dreamt the entire night’s happenings, and none of it was ever real. Her mind overflowed with questions, all demanding answers at once: Where are the ECD? What happened to the security guy? What about Cara Emitton?

  Before Sam knew what was happening, a bright light had blinded her, and her arms were forced behind her back. A hand had dug deep into her pocket and removed the device. She was commanded not to struggle, and was told that only then the piercing light would be removed from her eyes.

  Sam’s body drew stiff, and every muscle nervously contracted. She breathed heavily in defeat, and lowered her head to shield her eyes.

  They had caught her by surprise.

  A few seconds passed, and the bright light faded. Sam waited for all her surroundings to return to their normal night time colours, and opened her eyes. Before her, stood a tall, middle-aged man with dark curly hair, and a fancy suit. Under his arm, he carried a shiny bowler hat.

  Sam knew who he was: He was the infamous Dallas Romero, head of the ECD. Everyone knew him.

  Behind Dallas, lurked the ten members of the board. They were all stunned, their faces glowing in a mixture of confusion and curiosity. Sam had tried to avoid them, but failed when seeing Cara Emitton staring at her. Her face was pale, robbed of all emotion, and her crystal blue eyes were watery.

  The grip on Sam’s arms tightened as she was shoved on her knees.

  ‘What’s on the device?’ Dallas asked. He had an unshaved chin, distracting Sam with the prickly black tuffs that covered most of his mouth.

  ‘Oh, you know, just this and that.’ Sam said, staring off into the distance.

  ‘It can only help you if you tell us.’

  ‘I don’t need your help.’ Sam’s voice was cold, but she kept it soft. There was no need in waking the entire city of Emitton.

  ‘Very well, then.’ Dallas said. His frustrated face had settled, and in all disappointment he directed his men to take Sam away. ‘We’re done here.’ He said, and removed a cigar from his pocket.

  Cara Emitton turned away as they shoved Sam past her. It seemed she hadn’t dared to stare upon the face of the girl who’d just robbed her. Sam was forced onto the airship, and fastened to a seat across from the driver. It felt cold and hard against her back, igniting the pain from her fall.

  The entire fleet of ECD had boarded the ship within seconds. The door raised shut, and they took off, silently sailing through the night time sky. Luckily for Sam, she’d been sat down by a window, and could serenely enjoy the stretched out view of Emitton as it passed her by. Her eyes lost focus, and she blinked to retain it. She tightly held onto her seat, hooking her feet to a metal bar below, and clenched for dear life as the roaring airship braided through the tall, still fast asleep, buildings of the Lujoso district.

  The Lujoso district was known to be the city of Emitton’s capital region, and for its hundreds of inhabitants to have nothing but the most luxurious of lifestyles. Even though Sam had lived there her entire life, looking at it now from above, it seemed an unknown place of mystery.

  Her eyes blandly focussed on the large concrete statue of Benjamin Emitton. She saw brilliant rays of light, igniting it to a bright burning beacon where it stood at the centre of Emitton. All Sam was ever taught was of how Benjamin had saved them, and how the on-living future of human kind was all thanks to him. Although he started the city as a sanctuary, it had after all the years turned to nothing but a lethal dictatorship; from which the board of leaders controlled everything.

  Sam sighed. She felt Dallas Romero’s eyes pierced to the nape of her neck. He was surely smiling. Although one might think that tonight turned out to be a total failure, and that she was steered for nothing but doom, it wasn’t.

  Sam smiled, for from the very start this was exactly her plan.

  She had spent the last six months mapping out the absolute perfect crime (and the ideal way to get caught).

  Why? Well simply because Sam’s now a juvenile, and juveniles get sent to the wastelands.

  Chapter 2

  The soft clicking of Cara Emitton’s heels played their soft rhythm to the floor as she marched down the corridor. She had only been to the holding cells of the ECD once before, nearly five years ago. Never had she thought she’d have to come here again.

  Her eyes kept focussed on the corridor’s end, avoiding any accidental glance into one of the passing cells. In each one, a hardened criminal was patiently waiting upon execution or exile, as stated by law.

  Cara halted by a door at the end of the corridor, and breathed. It was the very same cell she had visited five years ago. Back then it was the cell of her nephew, Mike, as he was just about to be exiled, and sent off to the juvenile holding facility in the wastelands: The Keep. She placed her palm over the scanner, and the door slid open. Cara hesitated before entering, feeling the pain of her broken family return.

  Inside, the walls were layered with a snowy white padding of safety foam. There was nothing but a single, flickering light bulb mounted to the wall opposite of her, and Cara saw no other furniture but a single, rickety bed.

  The door slid shut behind her. Sitting on the floor was a bundle. It resembled somewhat to that of a girl, leaning with her back against the wall. Her face was unfocused and blank; and her dimmed eyes gleaming empty. She showed no sign of ever had shed a tear. There was a small cut along the edge her hairline, and red stains of dried blood had encircled it.r />
  ‘What are you doing, Samantha?’ Cara Emitton asked.

  ‘It’s Sam.’

  Cara took a seat on the bed. ‘I promised your mother I’d take care of you. I promised her your safety–’

  ‘–if that was true,’ Sam said. ‘Mike would’ve still been here!’ She hid her face, but failed to suppress the clear streams of tears from dripping to the floor.

  ‘So that’s why you did it…because of Mike?’ Cara’s cheeks had flushed a pale blue, but Sam had nothing to say. She simply stared at the wall, clutching her knees tight against her chest. ‘Samantha, um, Sam…what your brother did was his own fault. I did everything I could to help him, you know I did!’ Cara reached out to Sam, but her hand was rudely dismissed. She wrenched it back, and balled it up into a tight fist.

  ‘Well it seems like your everything wasn’t good enough…’ Sam hissed.

  Cara sighed.

  ‘It wasn’t good enough back then, and it still wouldn’t be good enough today! I’m not going to be able to stop them from sending you away.’ Cara paused, and swallowed. ‘You can be thankful you’re still a minor Samantha…if you were eighteen–or older–you would’ve been executed!’

  ‘Do you really think I’m that stupid!?’ Sam asked. She pushed down on the floor, and stiffly got to her feet. Her knees crackled when straightening. ‘I know what I’m doing!’

  ‘No, you don’t. You broke into a government building…you stole the map to one of the most secret districts…and all just to get yourself caught on purpose!’ Cara threw her hands in the air. ‘I don’t think you apprehend even the tiniest bit of what you’ve done!’ She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. ‘Your parents would’ve been mortified.’

  Cara thought back the night before: When she’d seen Sam dangling out the window in her office, she thought it to be nothing more than a cruel prank. She always knew that Sam never exactly liked living with her, but never imagined her niece doing anything quite this irresponsible and dangerous.

  ‘It was the only way I could get to Mike.’