Surviving ELE (ELE Series #4)

by Gober, Rebecca

  Lee puts his finger to his lips, reminding me to keep it down. Chances are high that if people see me panic, it’ll start a chain reaction.

  Alec chimes in. “I get that, but how can the government not know what’s going on here? Wouldn’t they know that one of their shelters basically blew up?”

  Lee nods his head. “Exactly. They have to know what’s going on, or at least a part of it. I want to know why they haven’t stepped in. That’s why we have to find a way to make contact. If we make contact, they will be forced to recognize what’s going on out here. They won’t be able to ignore us any longer.”

  “Do you think that the people in the other shelters have powers like us?” I ask.

  “I don’t know. For our future’s sake, I hope not. I can’t imagine a world where everyone possesses these powers,” Lee answers.

  I think that no matter what, this world will never be the same. We fall silent for a second, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

  “Are you ready?” Lee asks.

  “Yes, I am,” I tell him. “Good luck.”

  “Good luck to you too, Willow,” he tells me. I can see the pain in his eyes…like he’s scared of leaving me. I watch him take a deep breath and he gives me a slight nod. I guess he’s come to terms with needing to let me go out on my own.

  We shake hands and then go to our respective sides of the room. I can’t help but notice that the number of people on my side is much less than Lee’s. I feel better about that though, less people to be responsible for.

  I hear Lee speaking to the group behind me. He gives a short hoo-rah speech that has everyone clapping in the end. I turn around and watch as the hordes of people exit the room.

  I look back at our group who is left in this cavernous dining hall. Everyone seems to have their gear ready to go. They look to me for further direction. Alec nudges me lightly and whispers, “Don’t you think it’s time for a speech?” He laughs when I groan.

  “I really don’t enjoy public speaking,” I complain to Alec.

  He smiles at me and in that smile, I see our friendship at work. A few puzzle pieces have been pieced together overnight, I guess. “I know, but you’re good at it. They look up to you,” he states, giving me the reassurance I needed.

  I’m only sixteen, not necessarily an age that deserves much respect. Even still, I know my mom saw something in me and so did all of the people who nominated me to take charge. It’s her legacy that she leaves behind that urges me to carry on. I want to know that if she were still here, I would make her proud. I reach down and touch the pocket of my jeans, feeling her final words tucked securely inside.

  I look around at everyone on my team. The number isn’t impressive by any means. I count thirty-three people on our side. Since I hate odd numbers, I decide to add myself in the mix to make it thirty-four. I know pretty much everyone on my team. I notice Marya, the girl I met who has telekinesis. A man, who looks to be twenty or so, with bright yellow eyes, is standing close to her. He possesses the same strawberry-blonde hair and good looks as she does. I can only assume that he’s the cousin that saved her.

  I scan the rest of the group and end up locking eyes with Jennifer. She stares at me with her untrusting, silvery-grey eyes. When I first met her, she looked much older than she does today. Her hair has been pulled over her shoulder and secured in a braid. She tied a small piece of ribbon to the bottom, giving her a child-like quality. She looks to be the same age as Marya, around seventeen or so. I haven’t yet figured out what powers those grey eyes hold. I can only guess that they provide some sort of shield since nothing I did worked on her back in the maze.

  I take a deep breath and clear my throat loud enough to gain everyone’s attention. It takes a few tries but eventually everyone quiets down. I look around the area at each one of my team member’s faces. I pin them to memory, knowing that if anything happens to any one of them, it’ll fall back on my shoulders. Without the safety net Lee provided me before, I feel naked and insecure. Leading a group of this size, even if it’s considered small, sets me at unease. I begin questioning my motives and quickly resolve all the negativity. I have to remain focused and positive…it’s what my mother would have done. I stifle a small cry in her memory and address the individuals standing before me.

  “I want to thank each and every one of you for being here with me today. You don’t know how much it means to me to know that we share the same vision. We all share the desire to bring Zack Hastings to his knees and to take down his minions too. The risks are great and the road will be tough, but I know deep down that all of you possess the strength needed to survive this journey. As God is my witness, I pledge to do everything in my power to bring each and every one of you home to safety. In order to do this I need us to stick together and never lack in communication. It is essential that each one of us knows exactly what’s going on at all times. The odds are against us, as you already know. There are Reapers lurking in the shadows and people we will run into whose loyalties lay elsewhere. Never underestimate Zack’s hold on his men. They have been brainwashed into believing that Zack’s vision for power is one that will enable them to take complete control over the area…and possibly over the world. “I have no idea where the speech emanated from; possibly my mother gave me the words. I can tell by the faces of the people on my team that I have won them over. They are ready for whatever life throws their way.

  “The proposal we have is one of simplicity. We plan on hiding out in a central location while sending out teams to scout the area. If we have any hope of beating Zack at his game, it will be that we have outsmarted him. We have to think critically and intelligently. We have to work together. Each of your opinions count, more than you’ll ever know. One of us could hold the key to bringing down Zack and his army. If we keep our values in place, we should have no problem beating Zack at his own game. “I finish my speech.

  The silence in the room is deafening. One could hear a single pin drop. Then, when I think I’ve lost everyone, a single clap emanates from the back of the room. I notice that it’s started by Connor but the point is that it’s followed by another and another until the entire room is enveloped in applause. A smile etches itself across my face. I try to suppress it but am unable to do so.

  I feel Alec placing his arm around my shoulder and he gives it a squeeze. “Your mom would be so proud,” he says to me so quietly that I’m the only one who can hear it.

  This time, at the mention of my mother, I no longer feel sad. I feel blessed. Blessed that I am the one chosen to carry on her legacy. Blessed that she made me believe in myself and made me into the person I am today. I would be nothing without her. “I love you, Mom,” I whisper into the air. Hoping it will drift until it reaches her…wherever she is.

  ***

  We take to the woods like a fish takes to water. Each of us is on high alert as we head back towards the mountain. It’s a long shot but I’m hoping to enlist the help of some acquaintances for our mission. That is, if they don’t send us away immediately. Our reception the first time we met wasn’t the most welcoming one.

  As the mountain comes into view off in the distance, thoughts of Reapers cloud my vision. I find it especially odd that they’ve seemed to disappear altogether. As if they’ve never existed. Could they be lurking in the woods closer to the mountain?

  After a few hours of walking in hushed silence, Claire trots up to my side, along with Connor. “Hey, Willow,” she says, linking her arm in mine.

  “Hey, Claire,” I answer, patting her hand. She hesitates for a moment, cluing me in that she has something on her mind that she wants to tell me. “Spit it out,” I say to her playfully.

  She feigns hurt and puts her hand to her heart. “Willow, why would you think I had something on my mind?”

  I laugh, answering her question. “I just know you.”

  She smiles up at me. “Well, okay. I did have something to ask you. “She hesitates for a moment before asking. “Is it going to be hard for you g
oing after Zack like this? I mean, Tony is bound to come into the picture sooner or later if Zack has control over him. How are you going to handle that? If push comes to shove, will you have the strength to fight him?”

  I knew the question would be brought up sooner rather than later. I just didn’t expect Claire to be the one to do it. “I don’t know. I’m not going to say it’ll be easy, because that would be a complete lie. But, I’ll deal with it when it happens.”

  “Don’t worry, if he tries to hurt you, Alec and I will be right there to defend you.” Connor slaps me on the shoulder lightly.

  His words don’t comfort me in the least. The thought of someone hurting Tony brings out the protective instincts within me. I don’t want anything bad to happen to him. Well, at least nothing worse than what has already occurred. “I don’t want anyone hurting Tony. You can subdue him if need be, but please don’t hurt him. He’s still good. He hasn’t lost complete touch with reality.” I fail to mention the fact that Tony is much stronger than the two of them combined, so good luck with that.

  “How can you possibly know that, Willow? Didn’t he try to kill you?” I hadn’t realized that Alec had entered in on our quiet conversation until now. Last I saw, he was in the back of the group making sure everyone was keeping pace. We lock eyes and I can see the anger in them as well as the protective instincts he feels towards me.

  I answer him assuredly. “I know because we talked last night.”

  “What?” Alec says all too loudly, drawing unwanted attention.

  I shush him and look back at the people behind us. They look at us with interest. I make my voice even quieter now that they’re aware of our conversation. “I could hear him from the woods. I stayed in my room. He didn’t come any closer than the tree line and he only stayed for a few minutes. He apologized for chasing me. He has no control of himself when Zack takes over.”

  “What do you mean you could hear him?” Claire asks. I cringe, realizing I’m now going to have to divulge our secret.

  I can’t help looking at Alec when I answer. He doesn’t look happy at all. “We don’t fully understand the why of it, but for some reason, Tony and I can speak to each other through our minds.”

  Alec does a horrible job of trying to mask his hurt.

  “I’m sorry,” I try to say in my mind to him. Of course, he doesn’t hear me. Would it be easier if he did? If what Tony and I share is something that I can share with anyone I wish...if it wasn’t special?

  Connor looks intrigued and says, “That is so cool. Can you do it with me?” He closes his mouth and gives me an intense look, that borderlines a creepy, serial-killer glare. When I don’t answer him, he moves his face closer to me, leaving only two inches between us.

  I reach my hand up between us and gently push his face away with the palm of my hand. “Um, no. I don’t think it works that way. In fact, I’ve never been able to speak to someone and have them hear me. I can hear your thoughts, if I want to of course, since that’s my original gift, but I can’t send my thoughts to you. I don’t know why I am able to do that with Tony.”

  Claire senses the tension between Alec and me, so she politely changes the subject. “Do you think that Erik and his people will be able to help us?”

  “I hope so, since we’re almost there. If not, at least they can provide us shelter for a day or two,” I answer.

  We see a break in the woods not far ahead. I motion for everyone to stay quiet as we come upon the paved road. Just like the last time, it’s eerily quiet.

  We follow the road, sticking close to the tree line, ready to take shelter if need be. Soon, we make out the grouping of scattered log cabins up ahead. We walk under the arch that holds the sign declaring this place: Camp Cheley.

  From what I can see, there is no sign of life. That’s not much to go on though, since the first time we came everyone did a great job of hiding. I wonder though, if they abandoned this place after everything went down at the shelter.

  We walk up to the main building that they call: The Commons. I put my hands up in the air and motion for everyone else to do the same. “Erik?” I call out. “We mean no harm.” A minute passes with no sign at all that this camp is still occupied.

  “Nobody’s home,” Connor says.

  I turn and glare at him. “Quiet.”

  We wait in silence and allow another two minutes or so to pass. That’s when I hear the distinct sound of ammo being chambered into a shotgun behind us.

  I turn, keeping my hands in the air, to find that we’ve been completely surrounded. I look at the intimidating number of people that hold a wide variety of weapons. Thankfully, I don’t see any red eyes among the crowd.

  “What do you want?” demands a dark-haired, intimidating man in the middle of the group, who towers over six feet in height. Back in the day when sports were popular, he would have made a great basketball player. The most notable thing about him is the awesome pair of blacked-out aviator sunglasses he’s sporting. With the overcast sky today, it’s hardly needed, but they definitely make him look like a boss. When I breathe a sharp intake of air, he points his gun right at me, causing my palms to become a clammy mess.

  I open my mouth to ask for Erik but Alec steps in front of me. “Hey, Morgan!”

  Morgan turns his ear towards Alec. The hard set of his facial features seems to lighten just a tad.

  “Alec, my man, long time no see.” He gives off a short laugh, as does Alec. He seems to relax slightly but he doesn’t drop his weapon. His voice is still intimidating as he asks, “What exactly are you doing here?”

  “We’re looking for some help. Did you hear about what happened at the shelter?” Alec is smart enough not to move forward or drop his hands while he talks to Morgan.

  I can see the posture of those holding weapons stiffen at the mention of the incident. Morgan answers somberly. “Yes. We heard of it. Many of the refugees are still with us. We heard about the number of people who were killed as well. That they took their bodies.” He shakes his head in disgust.

  “Yes, some were killed. But, there is a lot more to the story than meets the eye. The people who were shot were not automatically killed. They were shot with tranquilizers to subdue them. We fear that there is a greater conspiracy at work here than our group is prepared to take on alone. We would like to meet with Erik about this matter as soon as possible,” Alec says.

  Alec has the natural qualities of a leader. He used to be my boss after all, so he doesn’t lack experience. The tone of voice he uses can calm any situation and put the most anxious of people at ease. I wonder if things were different, would he be the one leading our people instead of me?

  Morgan speaks to one of his men in a volume meant to keep us from listening. We allow him a few seconds before he answers. “We will take you to Erik, but the rest of the group must stay here under our watch until Erik says otherwise.”

  I open my mouth to make an objection, but Alec does it for me. “I will come with you but I also request that you allow me to bring our leader with us to meet with Erik.”

  Morgan looks at Alec. “Are you not their leader?”

  Alec shakes his head and smiles. “No.”

  “Then who is?” Morgan asks.

  Alec gestures to me. “This is Willow Mosby, the leader of our team.”

  A man to his left whispers in his ear. Then, both he and Morgan laugh. Not just a normal laugh either, a bountiful, belly-shaking laugh. The rest of their group joins in as if they all heard this inside joke. “She’s a babe,” Morgan says with humor.

  Embarrassed and a bit peeved, I drop my hands and place them on my hips. “Excuse me?” Some of the men tense at my sudden movement, so I put my hands in the air again. “I don’t see what my looks have to do with my ability to effectively lead these people.”

  Morgan laughs again. My cheeks heat and I give him a heated, fiery glare as he takes such obvious amusement in me. I wish he would take off those stupid glasses so we can meet eye to eye. I have to forc
e myself not to unleash the wrath of my powers on him to show just how capable I am. Don’t think the thought of uprooting a tree or snatching those sunglasses off his face hasn’t crossed my mind.

  He holds up his hands as if to keep me from getting more upset. “Don’t get me wrong, they say you are cute and all but...” He has to stifle another fit of laughter. “I meant that you are young, like a baby...babe...” He holds his side with his free hand as if his fit of laughter caused him pain.

  “Oh,” I say. Understanding his meaning doesn’t make it any less mortifying. “Well, I am sixteen years old and I fully expect that you will allow me to accompany Alec to speak with Erik. He knows of me and would not be happy if you kept me from meeting with him.” I stand up as tall as I can, lengthening my spine.

  The man next to him whispers in his ear again. I really wish I could hear what they are saying. I try to read their minds but it’s to no avail. A hint of amusement flashes across Morgan’s face. He waves his hand at us. “Very well then. You two, come with me.”

  I roll my eyes and take the lead in front of Alec, heading towards Morgan. His men take special care not to point their guns directly at us as we approach.

  Alec immediately holds his hand out and he and Morgan do that manly handshake-half hug thing that guys do. Is this what they rehearse on a guy’s night out? Alec steps aside and gives me a look that I can’t quite interpret.

  Morgan holds his hand out towards me. I shake his hand and the instant our hands touch, he audibly takes a breath. The men next to him tense. I look at Morgan with surprise. I can’t see anything past the black lenses of his glasses. They are so opaquely dark that I have no idea how he can actually see through them. He holds on to my hand a little too long, making me feel uncomfortable. Finally, he lets go of my hand and smiles at me. “It’s nice to meet you, Willow.”