by Box Set
Tears blurred my vision. I wasn’t amazing. It wasn’t true. But he’d given me the encouragement I’d needed to be something more than I’d believed possible on my own. I shook my head, denying the ache his words pulled through me. D’Lo and Jackson were waiting outside, and I ran through the door back to them. When Dee saw me, he caught Jackson’s wrist and pulled him over his shoulder. I sniffed and wiped my eyes hard.
“This way,” I said, setting off in the direction of the barracks. “We just have to get past the soldiers’ quarters, but they’re not as full as you think.”
Silently we slipped past the cabins and through the break in the fence. I could make it to the spring in this darkness, but we’d have to feel around for the rock ledge once we got there. I wasn’t sure I could remember exactly where it was. That moonlit night was a gauzy blur in my memory.
Down the first hill and up the next. Just as we crested the second, D’Lo made us stop and put Jackson on his feet against a tree. Jackson groaned, and I stepped over to examine his face. It was still dark, but I could see the stains of blood on his cheeks, and I remembered seeing them on his chest.
“Jackson?” I said in a too-high voice. “Are you okay?”
To my surprise, his eyes fluttered open. He looked at me and frowned then he moved his head back. “Prentiss?” His voice was slurry.
“Jackson! It is me. It’s Prentiss.” The sound of loud voices back in the camp made me jump. “We’ve got to keep moving, Dee.”
Instantly D’Lo caught Jackson’s wrist and pulled him over his shoulder. This time, my boyfriend made a grunting complaint at being hoisted onto his best friend’s back, but we didn’t have time to discuss it. Breathless with worry, I led the way down the second hill to where the small pool lay black in the night. I wasn’t sure if they’d pursue us, but I wasn’t going to give them the chance at recapturing us.
“How do you know about this?” D’Lo was breathing hard.
“Sometimes when it was hot, we’d come here.” I whispered.
In a fast reel, images filled my head of the first time I was brave enough to lie down on the blanket in the sun, rewarming my body after swimming in the frigid pool. My hip still ached that day, but I remembered Gallatin’s smile. He was happy I finally trusted him, and his eyes were merry as he jumped a cannonball into the sparkling water.
“Good way to get information,” Dee said.
“It wasn’t like that. For the most part.”
I went to the hillside and desperately felt around the ground for the rocky outcropping. I couldn’t remember exactly where I’d been when Gallatin asked me to dance. I’d resisted at first and walked away, but he’d caught me. And after that first attempt, we backed up…
“Here!” I cried. “The rocks are here. Gallatin said there’s a cave straight over the hill from this spot.”
D’Lo came to where I stood and we both looked up. “That’s pretty steep,” he said.
“You can do it. I know you can.”
“Good thing your boyfriend’s still small. In fact I think Jax has lost weight.”
“If he’s been out here, living in the woods, I’m sure he has.”
We dug our hands into the hillside and started to climb. I led the way, and I tried to dig out handholds for my giant friend to grasp. With the leaves wet from the rain, we kept slipping. My feet shot out from under me more than once, and every time, I heard a grunt and a cuss from below.
“We should’ve tied him on,” D’Lo called to me. “He’s slipping.”
“Almost there,” I gasped.
It felt like hours, but we made it to the top of the hill. There wasn’t a cave in sight, and my shoulders dropped. Had I gotten the directions wrong? Had Gallatin remembered them wrong? Had he gotten them wrong on purpose…
“Cave’s probably down the side,” D’Lo interrupted my rambling thoughts. “Unless it’s a well.”
“Right!” I rolled to my belly and started down the steep side of the hill. Sure enough, in a few moments, my foot hung down into the mouth of an opening. “I’ve got it! It’s here! Can you get him to me?”
“I’m going to lower him by his arms. You pull his legs inside.”
“He’s bigger than me, Dee!” My voice was frantic.
“You can do it!”
We struggled and pulled, and with Jackson coming around, it was easier to get him downhill. He landed on his feet and caught me around the waist sooner than I’d thought possible. He still wasn’t fully himself, but being in the cave gave me the first spark of hope I’d had in almost two days.
We were filthy, with mud and leaves stuck to our clothes. D’Lo helped me drag Jackson as far back as we could go in the darkness. Then Jackson slumped down to the floor and leaned back against the wall.
“We’ll spend the night here,” I whispered.
Jackson blinked up at me and smiled, and although my emotions were all mixed up and torn, I smiled back. I’d wanted to see him so long, and here he was. Alive.
“Into the Woods”
* * *
Volume 5
Chapter 21
“You’re going to be okay,” I said, kneeling beside Jackson. “You’re just tired.”
Instinctively, he pulled me to his chest, and I let him hug me. The soft fabric of his borrowed shirt was against my cheek, and when I inhaled, Gallatin’s scent surrounded me. I had to push away. It was too much with my feelings so raw and confused.
Jackson didn’t seem to notice. He patted my arm and leaned back again, closing his eyes. I smiled sadly at the face I’d loved since I was a kid, the brown curls that formed large Cs around his temples, the faint cleft in his chin, the blue eyes. How long had it been? How long… I frowned and sat up again.
“Jackson,” I caught his chin and looked into his glassy eyes. “What did they do after they caught you?”
“Hm?”
“Before we found you? Did they do anything to you?”
“Ah, they tied my hands. And they led me back to this church camp or something. It’s hard to remember.”
“But you’re covered in blood.”
“Blood?” He looked down at his arms then he gave me a glazed smile. “Oh, that’s just camouflage. Not mine.”
I frowned then I thought a moment. “Did you eat anything?”
“Eat?” He stared at me, but I already knew the answer. This is why it was so hard to bring him around. His sluggishness was from more than a tranquilizer dart.
“Food… did they feed you?” I demanded.
“They tried to. Steak—looked like high quality, but I only took a few bites. I couldn’t tell if it was poisoned.”
I glanced over at D’Lo, but I knew he didn’t remember how Flora had died, the drugs in the meat. Jackson was already dropping off again, and I patted his shoulder before straightening up again.
“We gotta wait ’til he can show us where to go.”
Dee sighed and walked to the mouth of the cave, looking out into the woods. I sat and stared at the savior I used to dream of finding, now lying helpless against the cave wall. I’d anticipated him taking the lead, making a plan, and taking us back for the others. Now I was only sad and tired and all mixed up inside. I should be so happy, and I wasn’t. I wasn’t sure how I felt anymore.
What I needed was sleep—it had been days since I’d rested, and I knew that was a big part of my problem. At this point, our rescue mission was still up to me. I sat back and sighed. We had to wait for the drugs to wear off anyway.
“Come here,” Jackson said, holding his arm up for me to lie beside him. “Once it’s light, we can meet up with the others.”
“Others?” I asked, encouraged. Others who were not drugged?
“Russell and me.”
“You found Russell!”
“Star and I found him in the woods. He was searching for Yolanda.”
“You found Star?” I sat back frowning. “How long ago was that?”
“Not sure. A few weeks maybe?”
“And I’ve been checking every hollow log and bush trying to find you ever since.”
Jackson rose onto his elbow beside me. Then he caught my neck and pulled our faces together for a kiss. His lips were warm and familiar, but I cut it short when he tried to push my mouth open.
“Get some rest now,” I said, standing up.
He chuckled and lay back on his side. I walked to the cave’s entrance and looked out into the woods. In a few minutes I heard his heavy breathing, and I knew he was out for the duration.
“Few weeks,” D’Lo said from his seat at the entrance. “Russell and Jackson and Star.”
“It sounds like there’s more than just them.”
“Maybe.”
I glanced over at him. “What?”
“From the look of that kiss, you already know what.” He threw a rock way out into the valley.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
We sat at the mouth of the cave in silence a long time. Until D’Lo’s breathing turned heavy, and I was the only one still awake.
My thoughts took the trail we’d just followed back over the hill, back through the break in the fence, and back into the small cabin I’d left behind. I wondered what he was doing now. As the distance between us grew, my feelings mellowed. I thought more about how he’d helped me, and I remembered all he’d said. None of this was technically his fault. He’d been brought here against his will, and he’d inherited the problems others had created. I knew he wanted to stop running. I knew he wanted peace. I knew he and I wanted the same things, and I pressed my eyes closed as I knew we wanted each other.
In my mind I saw us at the creek when he’d held me in the water and said all those things about a life together. I wondered if anything bad would happen to him when they discovered Jackson was gone. Ovett acted suspicious, and I hoped the fact that Gallatin was a Guard and a member of the royal family or whatever they were would protect him. I didn’t want to care, but I did care so much.
I sighed and walked inside to lie down in the shelter. Jackson was almost snoring, but sleep was a long time coming for me. Eventually D’Lo came back to where we were and made his bed a little ways from us. Soon I recognized the sound of him sleeping, too, but I couldn’t relax. I was lying next to Jackson, and the scent from his borrowed shirt filled my head with thoughts of the one I’d left behind. Yes, I was still angry at him, but a painful lump hardened in my chest when I remembered his face. The expression as he let us go.
I was so hurt by what happened with Flora. We’d grown so close, but he still lied to me. He let them drug us, drug me, and his deception had cost me my friend. I pressed my palms against my eyes, struggling with my emotions. I rolled closer to Jackson and tried to sleep, but every noise roused me, and my dreams were filled with visions of aliens storming in to recapture the escapees and kill the rebels. Gallatin being tortured with cuts down his face and arms, and me being ripped in two.
* * *
Jackson’s voice woke me, breaking the silence of the cave.
“We made our way west from the camp where you were.” His voice was serious, plotting. I knew his tone well—it meant he had an idea. “It was the only one where I saw people. The others seemed deserted except for a few steers.”
I sat up, almost not recognizing him today. He was so animated as he crouched over a drawing in the dirt. His face and arms were still streaked brown with blood, and he still wore Gallatin’s shirt. D’Lo was beside him looking at the primitive map.
“So you’ve been hiding out in the woods,” Dee said. “Why didn’t you get the cops?
“The town was empty. We didn’t know what was happening or if it was safe to go home.”
“You could’ve gone to Collins or Seminary.”
Jackson cut him off with a laugh. “And say what? We’ve been invaded by aliens? Like they’d believe that. Bunch of kids talking about aliens. No, it was up to us to bring them in, and now with you here, we’ll do it for sure. When they see the bodies, we’ll be heroes!”
“You’ve had some crazy ideas, man, but this one—”
“Just wait til you see my army.”
I pushed myself up and smoothed my hair back. “What’re you two talking about?”
“Hey, Pip,” Jackson smiled. “You’re looking pretty good for a prisoner.”
He jumped up and ran over to kiss me, but I pretended not to see what he was doing, standing up and walking over to where they’d been crouched.
“What’s that?”
He didn’t seem bothered by my behavior. “Just showing Dee where the other camps are.” He squatted again in front of the map. “We found two besides yours, but yours was the only one where we saw people.”
“Two more camps?” I asked.
“Yep. We’ve been trying to figure out what’s going on, but the explanation sounds a little crazy at first.”
D’Lo glanced at me, but I wasn’t talking. I wasn’t sure whether to tell them about the ship or any of the things Gallatin had told me. I wasn’t sure how I felt about any of it now in the light of day and with the knowledge they’d soon be gone. Maybe I should just let well enough alone. Who even knew if we’d remember all this in another forty-eight hours.
“So who all’s with you?” D’Lo asked. “It’s not just Russell and Star.”
“Nah, we’ve slowly been growing as other kids find us or we find them. And now that I’ve found you and this camp, we’ll kill these alien bastards once and for all!”
“So you know they’re aliens,” I said.
“Yeah, we do! Clinton saw one of ’em cut through a tree limb from four feet away.”
D’Lo nodded. “I saw pretty much the same thing when we were working early on. Sliced through a rope thick as Pren’s wrist with nothing. Just a glance, and Bam! cut. They’re strong, too, but they’re soft. Like us.”
Jackson clapped and pointed to his friend. “That’s the key! That and the element of surprise. We’ll sneak up on ’em when they don’t know we’re coming, and take them all out at once.”
My stomach tightened as they talked, and all I could think of was Gallatin.
“But why?” I said.
Jackson looked at me like I’d just barfed up a squirrel. “Why?” His voice was incredulous.
“I mean, I heard them say they were leaving. Soon.”
“Then we’ve got to act fast!” He jumped up.
“But why not just let them leave?”
“Let them leave?” he cried. “What’s going on with you, Pip? What if this is a scouting party? What if a whole army of alien invaders comes back to take over our planet, and we let it happen?”
“But what if it doesn’t?” I argued. “What if they’re peaceful?”
Jackson looked at Dee. “Is she for real? Prentiss, this is not peaceful behavior. They attacked us. They took you prisoner. Russell said one of them jammed a syringe in his neck right in front of Yolanda and left him for dead. They started it, and we’re gonna finish it.”
I knew too much he didn’t know, but I decided to stop arguing with him. Instead, I studied the map. “So what are you planning?”
“We need to get back to our camp and get organized. Dee, you’ll be my muscle. Russell’s there, and he’s like my second in command. The three of us’ll figure out an attack we can execute simultaneously but that only requires a few of us in each location.”
D’Lo nodded, but I couldn’t speak. All I could think about was saving the alien who’d caused Flora’s death. I closed my eyes. I was a complete traitor. At the same time, that wasn’t fair. Everything had gotten mixed up, and he didn’t know I was sharing my food with her. He tried to save her, and he did help Braxton…
Jackson slid his hand over mine and threaded our fingers. “What’s the matter?”
“I was just thinking we’ve got friends in the camp.”
He squeezed my hand as his lips tightened. “We might not have
time to stage a rescue op. But we’ll do what we can.”
My eyes shot to D’Lo, and he frowned. “Yolanda’s back there,” he said. “Russell should know that.”
Jackson stood up. “Then let’s stop wasting daylight and get back. We’ll have a war council and see what we can do and what we can’t.”
I stood followed by D’Lo, and we walked to the mouth of the cave.
“Which way did we come from?” Jackson asked, looking in the direction of the rising sun.
“Directly behind us.” Dee pointed to the back of the cave. “We came over this hill from that side. There’s a creek with a small pool there.”
Jackson nodded and pointed toward the sun. “That way’s east. I know where to go from here.”
We started down the hillside following Jackson into the shadowy woods. He was moving fast, and my feet kept slipping on the wet leaves as we traveled down the steep slope. More than once, I sat on the damp ground, and the rear of my coveralls was wet by the time we reached the bottom. Once we were level, Jackson started to jog.
“I was scouting in this area when they caught me,” he said. “Russell led a group around the other side. I must’ve been just coming up on that hill when everything went black.”
“It was a tranquilizer dart,” I said, breathless from trying to keep up.
“I was so close,” Jackson muttered. “But now we know. I’ve got the direction in my head. The other two camps triangulate out from there.”
He kept moving fast, and soon we were all silent, the only noise being the swish of the leaves under our feet and the huff of our breathing. We ran up another hill and down again, then we crossed the road. I had to stop, and luckily so did the other two. I pulled the zipper down on my coveralls as I bent forward at the waist, squinting with a cramp.
“That’s Old School Road,” Jackson said, pointing up ahead. “It seems to be the dividing line between where we are and where they’re hiding out.”
