Escaped

by Gary Urey

  Chapter Thirty

  AXEL

  “What just happened?” Charu asked, her mouth hanging open.

  “I don’t know,” Axel said. “But why did a large man and a freaky woman with a tattoo on her forehead just tase Loosha, toss him into a car, and speed away?”

  “Where do you think they’re taking him?”

  “Who knows? A piece of paper flew out of the driver’s jacket. Maybe that will help.”

  Axel jogged across the parking lot, grabbed the piece of paper, and rejoined Charu.

  “Does it say anything?” Charu asked.

  “It’s a brochure for a campground called Hafnawi’s Desert Life Camp,” Axel said. “There’s a map and everything. It says the camp is only one hour by car from the visitor center. Price includes your choice of hot air balloon ride, camel tour, and guided hike. Additional activities extra.”

  “What do we do now?”

  “Loosha said Daisha was here at the visitor center. We need to find her. If he wasn’t lying, that means she’s still alive!”

  Axel could barely contain his excitement over seeing Daisha. He was getting so close. His heart pounded with anticipation as he and Charu spent the next hour calling her name and scouring every inch of the visitor center. Tour groups came and went, but not one trace of Daisha.

  “She’s not here,” Axel groaned, leaning against a wall in the parking area. “He really was lying.”

  “She’s not here, but maybe we can find her at Hafnawi’s Desert Life Camp,” Charu suggested.

  “What are you saying?”

  “If that woman and man took Loosha back to this camp then maybe Daisha is there too. They have both of them.”

  Axel’s eyes widened with excitement, renewed hope of finding Daisha filling his soul. “You may be right,” he said. “But how do we get there? We certainly can’t walk there in this heat.”

  Charu nodded. “Yes. We tried hiking in the desert alone and with no supplies. We’d be dead right now if it weren’t for the Wadi Rum Desert Patrol.”

  A door opened behind them and out walked a man dressed like he was in the Jordanian army. Axel and Charu had seen him before, when they were hiding from Loosha behind the big rock.

  “What’s all the commotion out here?” the man asked and looked hard at Axel. “Hey, you’re that boy the man was looking for. He had a tattoo on his neck. Are you with the same tour group?”

  Axel shrugged, not knowing what to say.

  “Yes,” Charu answered and grabbed the brochure from Axel’s pocket. “We need to go to this place. That’s where we’re supposed to meet him.”

  The man looked at the pamphlet. “Of course, Hafnawi’s Desert Life Camp,” he said. “I know Fahd, the owner, very well.”

  “How can we get a ride there?” Axel asked.

  “Next van comes in four hours,” the man said, looking at his watch. “If one comes at all. From what I understand, Fahd’s people already picked up a very large tour group. There may be no reason for them to come back.”

  “What do we do now?” Charu wondered.

  “Wait here,” the man suggested. “If a van doesn’t come, inform the front desk and we’ll make arrangements for you to sleep somewhere here.”

  The man went back inside the building, closing the door behind him.

  “Well, at least they have a water fountain and bathroom,” Charu said. “Perhaps they have a manicure salon and I could get my nails done while we wait.”

  “We need to find this campground now!” Axel shouted, not in the mood for joking. “If Daisha’s really there, I need to know. Besides, she could be in trouble. Look what that woman did to Loosha with the stun gun.”

  The roar of loud motor engines caught their attention. They turned around and saw three jeeps cruising into the parking lot. A decal plastered on their driver’s side-doors read Wadi Rum Jeep Tours. The vehicles were dusty and dirty, like they had just come back from a long drive. Three young Arab men hopped out of the jeeps and walked into the visitor center. Two of them turned off the jeeps. One left his running with the key in the ignition.

  Axel and Charu looked at each other with sly grins.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Axel asked.

  “Have you ever driven a standard vehicle before?” Charu asked back.

  Axel shook his head. “The closest thing to a car with an engine I’ve driven was a go-cart at Disneyland.”

  Charu smiled. “I’m only fifteen, but I’ve driven plenty of vehicles in my day.”

  “Let’s do it!”

  Axel hopped into the passenger’s seat. Charu slipped into the driver’s side. She let go of the emergency brake, shifted from neutral to first gear, and zipped out of the parking lot in the direction of Hafnawi’s Desert Life Camp.

  Adrenaline surged through Axel’s veins as the visitor center faded into open desert. The road to the camp was nothing more than a well-worn path in the sand. Signs painted on rocks appeared every few hundred yards, indicating they were driving in the right direction. Axel looked to see if the other jeeps were coming after them. No one was on their trail.

  They had been driving for a good fifty minutes when Charu began to slow down.

  “What’s wrong?” Axel asked.

  “We’re getting low on petrol,” Charu said. “I need to save it.”

  “I hope we have enough to get us there.”

  “You and me both. The last signpost said the camp is in three kilometers.”

  “That’s less than two miles. We could walk that if necessary.”

  Just then, a powerful gust of wind blasted the jeep. Thunder cracked over their heads, and lightning bolts sliced through the clouds. Grit and dirt blew in their eyes. The jeep rocked sideways, teetering on two wheels. Charu tried to correct the wheel but lost control. The jeep flipped, somersaulting its way across the sand like a hunk of space-age sagebrush.

  The jeep finally came to a stop in a mound of soft sand. Both of them sat there for a stunned moment. They slowly moved limbs and rolled necks, checking to see if any bones were broken.

  “Are you okay?” Charu asked.

  “I guess,” Axel said. “How about you?”

  “Nothing’s broken, but I feel a whopper of a headache coming on.”

  Charu crawled out of the jeep. A second later, she shrieked at the top of her lungs.

  “Wow!” Charu cried. “Axel, this is amazing! You have to see this!”

  Axel wiggled free from the wreckage and looked into the atmosphere. What he saw nearly brought tears to his eyes. The once clear blue sky was now the color of an exploded crayon box, a never-ending ribbon of a leprechaun’s rainbow.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  MEGAN

  The jet skidded to a stop, mere feet before crashing into the control tower. Miraculously, the pilot had managed to correct the plane in midair and land on the runway. Some passengers wept. Others prayed. Megan let out a long sigh of relief. She held Jag’s arm with one hand and wiped off her mouth with the other.

  “I’m sorry I got sick,” she said.

  “Don’t apologize,” Jag said, taking in deep, slow breaths. “I almost threw up myself.”

  Megan was still in shock from both the airplane flight and the revelation about her mother.

  “My mother’s a doomsday cult leader,” she whispered, still not quite believing what she had read. “She left me and my dad when I was little to worship the end of the world. I wonder if schizophrenia runs in families.”

  The sound of sirens blared from outside. Megan stuffed the magazine with the article about her mother in her carry-on. She looked out the window and saw several emergency vehicles racing down the runway in their direction. An hour later, everyone was off the plane with only a handful of minor injuries.

  “This would be so much easier with a GeoPort,” Megan said to herself.

  “What next?” Jag asked.

  “We rent a car and head for 29.5347° N, 35.4079° E. That’s where we’ll find
Axel, Charu, and hopefully Daisha. I’ve done my research on the location. It’s extremely remote. Very near several desert tourist camps and not far from the Wadi Rum Visitor Center.”

  As they stood in line for a car rental, a large crowd gathered around a television monitor. A show reported about temperatures reaching as high as one hundred and forty degrees Fahrenheit in several countries near the equator.

  “It’s happening,” Megan said, her voice filled with dread. “Temperatures like this signal the earth’s magnetic field is dramatically weakening. Soon those temperatures will reach far into the colder regions of the northern hemisphere.”

  “We’ll find Axel,” Jag said. “We’ll fix this.”

  “Good morning,” said the clerk behind the car rental counter. “Would you like to rent a compact, economy, midsize, or full-size? We also have several standard SUVs for rent.”

  “Standard SUV,” Jag said. “We may need four-wheel drive.”

  The clerk typed into her computer. “May I see your credit card, please?”

  Megan handed over the Hatch, LLC card, and the clerk swiped it into a slot. A rejection beep rang out. The clerked swiped the card several more times.

  “I’m sorry,” the clerk said. “This card isn’t working. Do you have another one?”

  “No,” Megan replied with a sigh. She turned to Jag. “Looks like the Doctor caught on to us.”

  “Where can we get a bus?” Jag asked.

  “All buses and taxis depart from Airport Street outside Gate C,” the clerk instructed.

  They pooled their cash and purchased two tickets to the Wadi Rum Visitor Center at ten dollars one way. That left them with another fifty bucks for food, bribe money, or whatever. The ride was bumpy and long. They drove through beautiful expanses of desert, but Megan had much more important things on her mind than scenery.

  “Do you remember when Daisha went into the X-Point at the Sun Temple?” Megan asked.

  “Of course,” Jag said. “How could I forget it?”

  “The only thing I can think of is that it has to happen again. Only this time with Axel and in the opposite way.”

  “Daisha accomplished her mission, but we don’t even know what happened to her. She could be dead for all we know. What happens to Axel if he goes through?”

  A tear rolled down Megan’s cheek. Axel’s father and Daisha’s mother would have known what to do. In fact, if they had lived, none of this would have happened. Megan suddenly felt the weight of responsibility on her shoulders—to protect Axel and Daisha, to safeguard their parents’ work, and to save the world.

  “I don’t know what’s going to happen to him,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “But we both know what’s going to happen to the earth if he doesn’t create a new X-Point.”

  Jag let out a deep sigh. “Say we only find Axel, or just Daisha,” he said. “Will one GeoPort do the trick?”

  “Common sense says yes, but your guess is as good as mine at this point. All I know now is we have to try something before it’s too late.”

  Megan’s mind drifted back to when Larraj had read her own palm leaf before he disappeared from the caves. The Nadi reader revealed her life like an exposé in a tabloid magazine. He even knew about her mother abandoning the family when she was only four years old. His words still sent shivers up her spine.

  You helped the boy with hair like a muddy river die yet still live. Now, it’s your turn to do the same. For humans, death is not the end. It’s just the beginning. The Earth, on the other hand, only has one life, and there are no beginnings but this one.

  The bus rolled down a dirt road and into a large parking lot.

  “Wadi Rum Visitor Center,” the driver announced. “You can get information on camps, excursions, and activities.”

  Megan had a recent picture of Axel on her phone. She and Jag walked around the complex, asking employees and tourists if they had seen the boy. No one recognized him. Just as they were about to give up, a man wearing a camouflaged outfit, red beret, and big black boots opened a door and walked outside.

  “We might as well ask him,” Megan said. “We’ve tried everyone else.”

  Megan and Jag rushed outside before the man slipped out of sight.

  “Excuse me,” Megan said. “May I ask you a question?”

  The man turned around and smiled. “Of course,” he said. “How may I be of assistance?”

  “We’re looking for this boy,” Megan said and handed him the phone. “I thought he might have been here.”

  “Is this a joke?” the man asked accusingly. “Am I on an episode of Hidden Camera or something?”

  Jag gave him a puzzled look. “No, sir,” he said. “We really are looking for this boy. He’s a friend who may have gotten lost.”

  The man let out a hearty laugh. “You are the second person today who was looking for this boy! Yes, I’ve seen him. He was waiting for a bus to Hafnawi’s Desert Life Camp. It’s about an hour from here.”

  “That’s exactly where we need to go,” Megan said. “How do we get there?”

  “On tomorrow’s bus,” the man said. “Last transport there left thirty minutes ago.”

  “I have money,” Jag said. “I’ll pay someone to take us.”

  The man took off his beret and ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. “I know a boy who runs a jeep tour. If you pay, he’ll take you. Someone actually stole one of his jeeps today. Follow me.”

  “Thank you so much!” Megan said. “We really appreciate this.”

  They took one step toward the visitor center, and the sky exploded over their heads. Thunder, lightning, and brilliant colors rocked the atmosphere. Blasts of hot, highly charged particles rained down on them like giant sparklers on the Fourth of July.

  “We’re too late!” Megan cried as Jag dragged her from the bombardment and into the visitor center.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  MUNI

  Muni assembled all of her followers in the large, open-air dining tent. They had just come back from their camel ride and were hot, tired, and hungry. Since the Antakaale were strict vegans, Tala, Ghazal, and another woman served them a large buffet of hummus, stuffed grape leaves, tabouleh, fresh vegetables, and bread.

  They chatted quietly among themselves as they ate. Muni watched them all intently, her soul overflowing with unconditional love for every one of them. Unbeknownst to them, this was to be their last meal, and Muni was glad they were enjoying themselves.

  Faraw sat at the end of one of the long tables. She bounced Varya on her lap and fed her cucumbers and bread. The child’s smile never ceased to warm Muni’s heart. She walked over to the table and picked Varya up.

  “How did our precious one enjoy the camel ride?” she asked Faraw.

  “She loved it,” Faraw answered in her thick Somali accent. “Tell Muni what you thought of the camels, sweetheart.”

  “Bumpy,” Varya said with a giggle and pinched Muni’s nose. “Will I see Mommy today?”

  Muni kissed the toddler on the cheek. “Mommy’s going to be very busy today,” she said. “I’d like you to spend much of the day with me. Would you like that?”

  Varya nodded and buried her head into Muni’s chest.

  “Perfect.” She handed the child back to Faraw. “I’ll see you very soon.”

  Holding the toddler always made Muni think of her own daughter. The memory of her own little córka at the same age made a lump form in her throat. She quickly swallowed the emotion and turned her attention back to her followers. They would need much guidance and love today. Nothing could pull her focus.

  She walked to the front of the tent, clapped her hands three times, and spoke.

  “Give thanks to the Voices!” she said loudly. “Their words and their love continues forever.”

  “Their love continues forever,” the crowd answered back.

  “Verse ninety-three,” Muni continued. “The entrance to New Earth is but a brief breath. Do not miss the opening, or the Voices may pass y
ou by.”

  “Do not miss the opening,” her followers repeated, “or the Voices may pass you by.”

  The sound of a car engine whined behind her. Muni turned around and saw Pavana step out of the SUV and run toward their tent. She was alone. The brown-haired boy of her vision was not with her.

  “The Voices dictated our hallowed book to me a long, long time ago,” Muni said, focusing back on the crowd. “I was laughed at in the beginning. The more I shared the Voices and The Way to New Earth, the more scorn and ridicule rained down upon me.”

  Verse sixty-nine jumped off the tongues of her flock. “The Voices give comfort and compassion!” they shouted. “Their suffering is your salvation!”

  Tears streamed down Muni’s cheeks at their devotion. Everything about her life made perfect sense at this very moment. She was meant to be here in this place and time to lead her people to New Earth.

  “The time has come, dear ones!” Muni cried out. “Today is the day! What we’ve so longed for is finally here.”

  Shocked gasps, gentle whimpers, and curious whispers echoed through the crowd.

  A middle-aged woman named Chetana, who in a previous life had been a chief deputy assistant attorney for Ventura County, California, stood up.

  “The Voices will cleanse your tears and lead you to New Earth,” Chetana said, reciting verse forty-six. “Are we really leaving today?”

  Anticipation mixed with anxiety filled the room. Muni could feel their growing excitement. They were all her daughters, but she had to surrender them to the Voices. This was their command.

  Just as Muni opened her mouth to tell them, a hurricane-like wind swept up the desert valley. A powerful gust ripped the tent from its stakes and sent it flying into the air. A collective shriek went up from the Antakaale as the first crack of thunder rumbled in their ears. They cried out even louder as lightning streaked across the sky. But when the heavens turned into a giant kaleidoscope of color and light, everyone screamed at the top of their lungs.

  “See the top of that mountain!” Muni hollered and pointed in the distance. “That is where the door to New Earth will open for us. Let’s go!”