Jack Crowe’s bouldering voice emerged from the building, and his stomping feet kicked at the concrete while he chased the guards across the construction site.
‘Find them! All of them!’ He barked.
‘Yes sir–right away sir–’
The nine prisoners of room 23 were loosely hidden behind the outstretched hedges surrounding the courtyard. Although they were out of sight for the time being, they knew that they had to move fast if not wanting to get caught.
‘I told you I’d be fine.’ Sam said, stepping aside to let the others in. She’d never admit to have doubted herself (especially not to Aaron). ‘Is that everyone?’ She asked, peering out the door. She’d seen the last trail of Jack Crowe’s blustering arms disappear behind a thick patch of hedges. He’d been headed straight towards the guards’ quarters, and far away from them.
Sam sighed of relief.
‘If it’s not everyone, it’s their loss. Just close the door!’ Viper said. She pulled Sam aside, and watched as the door shut behind them. ‘Come on, we have to go! Now which way is it?’
Sam looked to Aaron for strength, clenching her fists. He vaguely nodded in reassurance, but looked away as soon as Sam parted her lips to speak.
Entering the tunnel from the outside had made it seem darker than ever. The persistent flashing of red lights had once again boggled Sam’s mind, and she had to think hard to remember which way to go.
Her friends had trusted her with their lives, and all the while when she’d been withholding crucial information from them. She knew that it would be a long shot to think Mike would await them in the ghost town, especially when he’d been a part of the rebellion.
Sam blinked, and buried the guilt.
‘It’s that way!’ She cried, recalling Shawn’s directions in her mind. At least I think it is, she thought.
Chapter 13
It was early dusk, and the warm twilight sun had rested just above the farthest mountaintops. Its sheepish rays had illuminated every inch of the red sea of sand across the desert.
Although all life had withdrawn itself for the upcoming of night, the entire Keep was still sprawled with chaos. There were panicking fleets of guards patrolling all open corridors, as well as the inside of every assigned room. Jack Crowe had commanded that all prisoners were to immediately be rushed back to their quarters, and evaluated.
‘ATTENTION SENIOR OFFICERS! We’re missing all inhabitants of room 23!’ Jack Crowe announced over the intercom. ‘I repeat: ALL INHABITANTS OF ROOM 23!’
The intercom died down to a crackling wave of static.
Even though they were still yet to be discovered, Sam couldn’t help but to grimace in uncertainty at Jack Crowe’s fuming voice. To their greatest advantage, it’d seemed he was entirely clueless of where they were, and not yet had anyone thought of them lurking within the walls.
‘We’re almost there!’ Sam said. She’d kept silent for most of their venture, only every now and then reaching to a halt as another fleet of scouring guards glided by on the outside.
‘Then, the hard part starts.’
Viper nearly choked. ‘Wait, this isn’t the hard part?’ She hesitantly studied the gloomy walls of the dark and musky tunnel, her eyes blinded by the red flashing lights all around.
‘Well, we still have to get past the wall, remember.’ Aaron said, narrowing his gaze to see within the dim, greyish light. His blackened pupils had dilated, revealing only the largest of charcoal pearls shining within the tunnel’s red glow.
Aaron abruptly stopped. He flung his hand in the air (shushing those behind him), and courageously glanced around the corner. It was all clear. ‘And then, we’d have to make sure they don’t catch up to us.’ he continued, slipping down the corridor. His razor-sharp gaze had darted athwart a beeping door, and he immediately increased his speed. ‘They’re entering the tunnels, come on, we have to hurry up!’ He cried, taking his first left.
Aaron’s body slid tight against the narrowing ridges of the tunnel as he waited for all the others to surpass him. Sam had wanted to stop next to him, but he refused, and shoved her onward.
‘Go on, lead them towards the door. I’ll be right behind you.’ He said, breathing heavily.
‘Aaron, no–’ Sam pleaded. ‘I can’t let you stay back here all by yourself! What if they catch you?’ Her hand reached for his forearm, but he wrenched it away.
‘I’ll be right behind you, I promise, and they won’t catch me if you’re the one leading the group!’ Aaron said. He faked a smile, and nudged Sam forward. ‘Now go!’
Sam blinked in awe. Her eyes had felt like flooding with tears, and a suffocating lump had gotten stuck in her throat. She slowly ran her fingers along the crusty fabric of Aaron’s sleeve, feeling it slowly slip away as she increased her pace in the opposite direction.
‘Viper, take a right!’ Sam cried, rapidly charging to the front of the group (and leaving Aaron, all by himself, trudging behind).
* * *
Corner after corner, the eight estranged renegades plodded onward, trying to avoid the numberless fleets of guards closing in on them. Their breath had fallen short, and on more than one occasion, they had to stop for Melanie to gather one of her shoes. She hadn’t worn the same steady, black boots as all the others, for within the entire storage of the Keep, there hadn’t been one single pair that had fit her petite English feet.
‘Help, my shoe!’ Melanie cried, dashing back the line.
‘Not again Mel!’ Sam sighed. She covered her face with her palm, impatiently watching as the freckled, red headed girl struggled to find her foot.
‘I’m sorry, but I can’t help it.’ Melanie reached for Luke’s shoulder, and tightly held on while slipping the boot back on, just as easily as it kept slipping off. As they stood still, Sam shut her eyes. Far off in the distance, she could hear Jack Crowe angrily barking orders, and stomping around as he always did. A good sign, she thought, opening her eyes.
The tunnel was as dark and undecipherable as ever. She saw that it wasn’t more than fifty feet until they’d reach a solid brick wall; with nowhere to turn, but back. Within the murky red lighting, she’d noticed a glistening shade of what looked like metal hidden aside the corner.
It was a door.
‘There it is!’ Sam cried, running towards it. The entire group had bundled up behind her, their heads darting back and forth between the shiny locked door, and the empty corridor.
Sam retrieved the stolen passkey and swiped it across the panel. She nervously stepped back in anticipation. Almost at once, the door flashed a bright purple light, and swiftly slid open.
Their sensitive eyes had almost been blinded by the early sunset-light, vividly streaming in from the outside. Even though the entire sky was as pale of a yellow as always, they had all only now realised its true illuminating potential.
Sam stared out across the amber covered construction site, most of her view crudely blocked by the bulky, half-finished wall stretched out along the side of the Keep. She hurriedly scanned the area for any patrolling guards.
‘All clear, come on!’ She said. ‘But be quiet!’
Sam lowered into a crouch, and ducked behind an outsized heap of ochre dirt. Her tired body had felt hot and sweaty, slowly roasting beneath the scorching night time sun.
‘What do we do now?’ Melanie asked. She had lowered herself next to Sam, and peered out behind the sinking grains of sand. Sam lifted her palm, and hesitantly motioned to the beaming watchtower at the edge of the fence.
‘Two of us will need to sneak up there,’ Sam said. ‘To knock out the guard and lower the fence.’
A large lump of loose dirt had tumbled down from atop the heap, and exploded to pieces in mid-air above their heads. ‘SIT STILL, WILL YOU?’ Viper barked, shoving Luke in the gut.
He held his stomach, letting out a silent whimpering wheeze.
‘I’ll do it.’ Eric cleared his throat, sounding brave. He pumped out his chest (increasing its size by only a
few measly inches).
‘Oh, and what can you possibly do big guy?’ Viper asked. ‘Sing the guard to sleep?’ She raised herself to her knees and wiped her mouth with her sleeve, smirking. ‘I’ll go.’
‘Fine, you can both go!’ Sam said, seizing a shovel, and handing it to Viper. She’d felt the splintery wood of its hold between the hardened lids of her fingers. ‘Use this.’ She whispered.
‘But don’t kill the guard. Just use it to knock him out. We’ve already got enough blood on our hands.’ Sam had tightened her grip on the shovel, and stiffened. Both her eyes were cemented to Viper’s (as if trying to hypnotise her).
Viper smiled teasingly; her nose pulled up in utter disgust. ‘Fine…your majesty.’ She said, and snatched the shovel away. ‘We won’t kill him.’
She had rolled her pitiless blue eyes at Sam, and turned to face the watchtower.
‘We don’t have much time left you guys!’ Jamie warned. She’d sat by door, her ear pressed flat against its cold metal frame, listening in.
‘Any sign of Aaron yet?’ Sam asked, hopefully.
Jamie shook her head. Her light blonde hair had stuck to her cheek, firmly glued on by glistening pearls of salty sweat.
‘But I’m sure he’s okay.’ Jamie added, blinking wildly.
Sam forced a smile; the corners of her mouth twitching. She’d felt her eyes yearning to close, and never to open again.
‘Are you all right?’ Melanie asked. She’d wrapped her icy hand around Sam’s, and squeezed it shut. The cold of her skin had felt good (rejuvenating even).
‘Of course,’ Sam whispered, glancing up. ‘After all, it’s Viper and Eric who’s got the hard part.’
Melanie frowned. Her innocent, green eyes were openly pinned to study Sam’s thoughts. It was almost as if she’d truly been able to read Sam’s mind, for every now and then she’d fixedly bop her head, and mumble something inaudible below her breath.
‘Well that’s comforting!’ Eric said. He’d broken the silence with a shrill cry, and was almost trampled by Luna for raising his voice. Eric crossly shook her off him. ‘I’m just saying!’
Sam curiously watched as he desperately tried to persuade Luke to take his place.
‘Not a chance!’ Luke refused, raising his hands in denial.
‘Ah, come on! Please.’
‘Stop being such a baby, Eric.’ Viper said. She rolled up her sleeves. ‘Whenever you’ve decided that you’re man enough to do this, you know where to find me.’
Without looking back, Viper had lowered into a running crawl. She’d stealthily snuck out from behind the amber heap of dirt, and quietly tip-toed to the south end of the watchtower.
Eric wheezed. He’d watched her go, and sighed. ‘Well, here goes nothing!’ He said, setting off behind her. There were small drips of sweat resting below his neck, perfectly on par with his short, black hairline. Even though he’d always acted the fool, inside, he was as soft as a spongy ball of fluff.
‘Good luck!’ Melanie cried after them. She’d clasped her hand to her mouth, and almost swallowed her fist. ‘Sorry.’ She whispered to Luna.
Chapter 14
Viper had slithered through the open door of the watchtower. There wasn’t much of a security system, for never had they needed one. Whenever the prisoners were working outside, there were tons of other guards patrolling the site.
Eric slid inside after her. His feet were hauling heavy, and with no weapon of defence, he’d felt as useless as a simple sitting duck. He’d studied the crumbling edges of the ceiling for cameras, while Viper had peered around the corner of a pale, grey corridor.
‘We’re all clear!’ Viper whispered. Her arm flew towards Eric, almost knocking him out with the shovel.
‘Hey, watch it!’ Eric cried, covering his head. ‘And why should you be the one to carry the shovel anyways?’
Viper stopped dead in her tracks, and turned to face him. ‘Because we both know, that between the two of us, I’m more man enough than you’ll ever be.’ She sneered. Her dark and bushy eyebrows grazed the top of her forehead. Eric had wanted to speak, but his lips were mysteriously glued together. Instead, he’d uttered a low gargling sound.
‘I rest my case.’ Viper said, and turned way. She’d flung the head of the shovel across her shoulder, and shrewdly scaled the stairs. Each step had been made of rusty old metal, its rickety worn frame threatening to collapse beneath the balls of her feet.
Viper peered up through the thin metal platform atop.
She’d seen a grumbling guard (his polished, bald head shining) sitting alone behind dozens of flashing computer screens.
‘No sir, there’s no sign of them.’ He said, reporting away on his radio. ‘Very well sir. I understand.’ After letting go of the microphone, and the radio had went static, the guard snatched up a dart. He slowly pulled it back, and in one quick reflex, shot the dart at the opposite wall. Viper had to flinch if not wanted to be hit.
She looked to her side, and saw that the feathery dart had hit right at the centre of worn out poster with Jack Crowe’s face on it.
‘Let’s see how you clean up your own slack with just one eye!’ The guard said to the poster, sounding rather chuffed with himself. He sat back down, and lounged in his chair.
‘You have to admit, it was a good shot though.’ Eric said, startling Viper.
‘Shove off, Eric! You’re going to get us caught!’ Viper flung the shovel towards Eric’s face.
‘Whatever.’ Eric rolled his eyes and backed up, avoiding Viper’s hit. He’d hated being doubted, especially when he himself knew what he was doing.
As a young a teenager, Eric Boss had attended Emitton’s Public High School, the only acceptable place of education within the entire city. Up to then, Eric thought he’d led a completely normal life, sharing a fair sized apartment with both his parents in the Suburbio district.
Being a small patch of town between both the Pobre and Lujoso districts, Suburbio had been home to those who couldn’t always pay for grand luxuries, nor had to roam the streets to survive. It had only three streets, circling the school, and serving as a detour from both the other districts.
Of course, none of their true vulnerability had ever seemed to bother Eric. He’d loved his music, and couldn’t have asked for anything more.
It was only briefly after he’d turned sixteen, when suddenly everything had started falling apart. His friends and classmates, from the Pobre district, had despite their blessed childhood, turned to their roots, and onto a dark path.
They’d all soon made the lethal choice of using drugs.
It wasn’t just any drugs they’d use, but the most illegal drug in Emitton: Hulm. Hulm was extremely popular for its rich toxins, that had made you forget completely who you were, and turn you into an out-of-control maniac. It was as if it morphed you into a completely different person, therefore seeming as re-birthing you to a new life (or a new beginning as some had seen it).
Eric was quite stunned to witness how easily his friends had been able to get a hold of it; and how gravely it had started to affect their personalities. Those who were nice and caring, had soon become some of the most feared students in school.
‘Come on, Eric. You’ll feel good!’ They said, but Eric refused.
‘No, I’m not doing drugs.’
‘Do you think you’re better than us, Eric? You’ll be sorry for this, I promise you!’
At first, Eric hadn’t cared for any of their pity threats, until one gloomy afternoon, when he’d arrived at home from school: His mother had been lying unconscious on the cold, living room floor, amidst sharp shards of glass from a broken window. Eric immediately called his father and they’d rushed her to the hospital.
Fortunately, his mother said to have only fallen from the fright of the window breaking. She had told then of how she slipped when ducking for the brick that had caused it. Even though the ECD’s investigation had come up clean, Eric knew exactly what (and who) were responsible.
It was only then that he’d first realised how easily his friends could get to his family, and everything they were capable of doing.
‘Why are you doing this?’ Eric asked, being cornered by his friends at school.
‘Well, let’s just call it a little security.’ They said. ‘When you’re guilty as well, you won’t be able to report us to the feds.’
‘Why would I report you anyway?’
‘You never know…but we can’t take any chances.’
Soon after that, Eric had been reeled in by the sneaky clutches of the dangerous drug, Hulm. Suddenly, he’d been unable to play his guitar, and struggled to keep up in school. His entire relationship with his parents had fallen apart, and sometimes he was completely unaware of whom, or where, he was. Whenever he’d been under the drug’s influence, nothing else had mattered.
Almost an entire year had gone by, and without even noticing it, Eric was left to be the only one still using the drug. All of his friends had matured, their rebellious faze passed, and was fighting hard for an educational future.
No matter how hard Eric had tried; there was no quitting the Hulm.
His parents had grown suspicious of all of his allowance disappearing, even so much so, that they had threatened to take him to a specialist. Eric of course, had freaked out, and ran away from home.
If it wasn’t for an almost fatal overdose, Eric would’ve most likely still been living in a tattered old warehouse this very day. His mind would’ve been long rotten away, and he’d have lost all ability to think for himself. Eric cringed to think that there wouldn’t have even been someone to know the day he’d finally die.
He remembered the moment when the ECD had finally caught him. It was the very first day, in more than a year, that he’d finally been sober.
It was then and there, that Eric had vowed never to use any kind of drugs again.
‘Aren’t you coming?’ Viper asked, impatiently. Her growling snarl had snapped Eric back to reality, and his heart sank in his chest.
‘Oh…I’m right behind you.’ He said, studying the unaware guard from top to bottom.
The Keep (A Renegades story Book 1) Page 10
