“Where’s Lana?” Evelyn whispered, fearing the worst.
Rillian put a finger to his lips and glided closer. Evelyn followed apprehensively and watched as the soldiers swept in and apprehended her friends. The soldiers cuffed them, then forced them to their knees.
“Where is she?” asked one of the soldiers, a younger looking black man.
Everett, Clive and Selena just stared at the ground.
The soldier gestured toward the door of the cabin and four other soldiers darted inside.
He turned his attention back to the three captives. “If she’s inside they’ll find her.”
Suddenly, the cabin lit up with the rapping sound of gunshots. One of the soldiers stumbled out holding his arm and cursing loudly, followed by two of the others, carrying another, who had a wound on his neck.
They laid the injured man on the ground and immediately began addressing the wound. Blood seeped through their hands as they tried to keep pressure on the wounded soldier’s neck. One of the ships lowered to the ground and a bay door opened on the back.
Another soldier leaped out and rushed to the wounded man’s side. He had his back to Evelyn and Rillian so she couldn’t get a good look at him. He pulled out an aerosol can and sprayed a grayish jell onto the wound.
The jell hardened quickly and he pointed to the hover-copter. “Get him inside.”
The two soldiers picked up the wounded man and carried him inside the hover-copter, while the one who had applied the jell walked over to the man with the injured arm. “What happened in there?”
“There was a woman inside and she got the drop on us, Captain.” The man winced in pain. “Peppered us with a shotgun, but we took her down.”
Evelyn’s heart sank. Was it Lana?
“Was it the target?” asked the Captain.
“No, too old to be her.”
He nodded toward the hover-copter. “Go address your wound.”
The man saluted with his good arm. “Yes sir,” then disappeared into the lowered hover-copter.
The Captain continued, “Sergeant Davis, there was another heat signature when we arrived. Find out who it belongs to.”
The younger looking black soldier stepped forward. “Yes, Captain Phelt.”
Sergeant Davis turned to the other soldiers. “You heard the man.”
The soldiers shouldered their weapons and spread out in different directions. It was only the Captain who stayed with the three captives.
He faced his prisoners. “I know she crossed the border with you and you can save yourselves by telling me where she is.”
Evelyn glanced at Rillian. He looked as if he was considering a rescue attempt. But, before he could move, Selena jumped to her feet and rushed Captain Phelt. Her attempt to catch him off guard was a failure however, because with one deft movement, Captain Phelt knocked her flat on her back.
Selena gathered herself on the ground then climbed back to her knees, there was a trickle of blood coming out of her nose.
Rillian grunted in anger and started to get out of the water, but Evelyn grabbed him and held him back. She shook her head and pointed down the beach. There were two soldiers moving up the shore toward them.
Rillian exhaled a frustrated breath and restrained himself.
Evelyn turned her attention back to the soldiers and after they passed by a large sand dune, something unexpected happened. Lana poked her head out from over the other side. She scanned the peer looking for Evelyn and her eyes seemed to glisten with joy when she saw her. Evelyn tapped Rillian on the shoulder and pointed toward the sand dune. Rillian’s face lit up with surprise when he saw Lana. Lana glanced at the soldiers then gestured for them to come that way. Rillian nodded, but before they could move in that direction, the soldiers stopped and climbed onto the broken peer.
The sobering reality of their situation returned as the two soldiers made their way up the peer, taking care to look through every gap in the wooden planks as they moved.
Evelyn’s heart sank. “Do we swim for it?” she whispered.
With just a look, Rillian told her he didn’t intend to run. He reached down under water and produced a knife.
“If they catch us, I’m not going down without a fight,.” he whispered.
“Don’t do it Rillian,” she urged. “You’ll get yourself killed.”
Rillian ignored her as if she wasn’t there as he braced himself against a support beam.
The soldiers were getting closer. Evelyn could hear the creaking of the wood beneath their boots. Rillian raised the knife and readied himself to strike like he was a predator stalking prey. Evelyn took a deep breath and looked over at Lana and saw the decision in her eyes.
Before Rillian could make his move, Lana made a noise garnering the attention of the two soldiers, who snapped themselves around to see her fall back behind the sand dune.
“Sir, we’ve found something,” one of them said into his intercom as they sprinted back down the peer.
The two soldiers were quickly joined by others as they rushed over the dune after Lana. There was the sound of gunfire and moments later, they returned dragging an unconscious Lana behind them.
They dragged her to the feet of Captain Phelt. “She was the only one we found. We had to stun her sir, but she’s alive.”
Captain Phelt bent down and examined her. “Take her inside. She will be very useful.”
One of the soldiers picked up Lana and threw her over his shoulder then carried her inside the lowered hover-copter. The other ship descended to the ground and the remaining soldiers ushered Everett, Clive and Selena on board at gunpoint.
Captain Phelt, motioned for it to take off then turned and boarded the other. Evelyn gasped when she finally saw him in good light.
Rillian nudged her on the arm and spoke in disbelief. “Did you see his face?”
“Yes,” Evelyn answered, horrified as she thought about the sketch hidden in her bag, “It’s him.”
Chapter Twelve
He was younger with shorter hair but it was him, there was no mistaking it. Even Rillian noticed right away and looked at Evelyn in disbelief as the SS bugs flew away and disappeared over the water.
She watched them blend with the horizon with longing. Strangely, she wanted to follow him, to be near him, though she knew very little about him other than his last name and that he was a Captain in the Secret Service. She looked away ashamed, hoping that Rillian didn’t see the longing in her eyes.
If he did, he didn’t say anything. He just climbed onto the peer and ran toward the cabin. Evelyn took one last look back at the horizon then followed. She caught up to him in the cabin, which had been turned to Swiss cheese by the gunfire. She found Rillian in the kitchen, scrambling through the cupboards.
“What are you looking for?” she asked.
“Anything we can use. Food, valuables, weapons.” Rillian answered as he tossed a couple cans of baked beans into a trash bag then opened the silverware drawer. “Put this silver in a bag.”
“It belongs to Dr. Larkin.”
“I hate to break this to you, but the good doctor is probably dead.”
“They made no mention of him.” Evelyn dropped what she was doing and ran toward the doctor’s room. “He might still be alive!”
“Evelyn, wait!” Implored Rillian.
Evelyn was out of the kitchen in a flash before Rillian could stop her. She darted down the hallway to the doctor’s room, threw open the door, but came to a screeching halt when the grisly sight of Alexia’s corpse caught her sight.
Evelyn covered her mouth with her hand as she sank to her knees. The hospital bed where Dr. Larkin had been earlier was empty, but Alexia’s body was reclined against the bookshelf, vacant eyes peering forward, with the shotgun across her blood-soaked lap.
Rillian appeared behind Evelyn and put his hand on her shoulder.
Evelyn stood up quickly and threw her head against his chest.
“My parents, my friends and…and Alexia. It
’s all because of me.”
Rillian wrapped her in his arms and said understandingly, “You can’t think that way. You didn’t choose for any of this to happen.”
“But it did.”
“I know.” He caressed her hair. “I know.”
Evelyn pulled away. “Did you hear that?”
They both became very silent. There was a scratching sound coming from within the room.
Rillian pointed behind her. “It’s coming from behind the bookcase,”
Evelyn turned around. “Dr. Larkin!”
“You may want to close your eyes,” Rillian said as he rushed over to Alexia’s corpse. “I have to move her.”
“I’ll help.” Evelyn said solemnly.
Rillian nodded and the two of them quickly, but gently, moved Alexia’s body away from the bookcase. Rillian covered it with a blanket then joined Evelyn. She was examining the bookcase.
“I’ve never seen this many printed books in my life,” said Rillian. “Who reads those anymore?”
Evelyn shrugged. “I don’t know.”
He grabbed onto the bookcase and gave it a violent pull but it didn’t budge. “If it’s a door, there must be a way to unlock it.”
Evelyn ran her fingers across the spines of the many books. She stopped on one entitled “Modern Horticulture.” She pulled on it, triggering the clanking sound of a locking mechanism as the bookcase opened slightly.
Rillian’s mouth dropped open a bit. “How’d you know?”
Evelyn shrugged. “Lucky guess.”
Rillian wasted no more time. He reached his hands behind the bookcase and pulled the hidden door open the rest of the way. Inside they found Dr. Larkin lying face down on a concrete slab with a bloody knife lying next to him. He was alive, but barely. Evelyn rushed to his side and carefully rolled him over. He was bleeding from a wound to his abdomen and a wound to his wrist. The old man opened his ashy looking eyes. “Alexia…”
Evelyn glanced back at the blanket covering Alexia’s body and her heart broke for him. “No, Dr. Larkin, it’s me.”
He meekly reached up his hand to touch her face but it dropped to the floor with a thud. “I’m…I’m sorry Sara.”
Evelyn looked back at Rillian who just shrugged. She took the old man by the hand. “It’s me, Evelyn, and I’m here to help you.”
He was breathing short slow breaths, making it hard for him to speak. “Too…late for me, Sara.” He said between breaths. “But…you can save…your friends.”
Rillian handed Evelyn a pillow and she gently placed it under Dr. Larkin’s head. “We are going to help you. You just have to hold on.”
With what little strength he had left, Dr. Larkin grabbed her wrist, then placed something in her hand. “Detroit…First National Bank…of Detroit.” His eyes widened. “Answers…you’ll find answers. Hurry…” He closed his eyes slowly. His chest rose then fell, rose then fell but didn’t rise again. His grip loosened and he expired.
Evelyn climbed slowly to her feet and opened her hand. Inside she found a key engraved with the numbers 2-4-3 and a small identification chip.
Rillian peered over her shoulder. “It’s a key to a safety deposit box and—”
Evelyn glanced at the bloody knife, “—the ID chip from his wrist.”
Rillian touched her on the shoulder. “We need to leave.”
“Can we bury them first?”
“We don’t have time. The SS may come back.”
She nodded and turned away from Dr. Larkin. “Let’s go then.”
“Where do you want to go?”
She glanced down at the key and chip in her palm. “Let’s go find some answers.”
Chapter Thirteen
Evelyn peered out the passenger window as dawn broke over the rolling hills of central Michigan. It was a humid morning and wisps of fog wrapped the base of each hill in blankets of white and hovered above still glassy ponds as they traveled across the rarely used country roads. It was tranquil but Evelyn couldn’t share in the tranquility.
She couldn’t get his face out of her mind. She hated him because he was responsible for the deaths of Alexia and Dr. Larkin and the capture of her friends, but there was a feeling she couldn’t quite describe as well, deep within her. An ache, she guessed, compelling her to find him . But that was the last thing they needed.
Both Rillian and Evelyn had changed out of their wet clothes before they’d left the cabin. They’d crossed the road to an old barn they’d passed on their way in. Inside, they’d discovered a rusty beat up farm truck. The keys had been nowhere to be found, but Rillian had tinkered under the hood and had been able to get it started in a matter of moments. She’d had her suspicions about where he learned such skills but nonetheless, Evelyn was growing to appreciate his resourcefulness.
Rillian had said that the truck was most likely used by a farmer and since it was well past the planting season, the farmer was not likely to realize it was gone for quite a while. As they’d pulled away he’d mentioned that they’d gotten lucky, but Evelyn was starting to believe that luck just seemed to follow him around. Another reason to stick close to him.
“You should try to get some sleep before we get to Detroit.” Rillian suggested as they cruised down the lonely road.
Evelyn turned away from the window. “What about you? You’ve had less sleep than I have.”
“Someone’s got to drive, sweetheart.”
“I can drive. And don’t call me sweetheart.”
“You don’t have a license…sweetheart.”
Evelyn shook her head then pointed out, “Neither do you.”
“That’s because technically, I don’t exist.” Rillian smiled. “But at least I’m old enough.”
“I’m only one year away.”
“Evelyn, no offense, but I don’t feel like getting whiplash.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know how you teenaged girls drive.” He spoke in his best feminine voice. “I’m just driving down the road, oh look! I just got a holo-message. I’ll just take my eyes off the road and check it right now.” He purposely swerved the car back and forth. “Ah, watch it old man trying to cross the street, I’m like, trying to drive here.” He slammed the brakes and pointed out the window. “Oh my, it’s like a baby deer or something. I gotta call Cindy.” He pretends to holo-message using an invisible phone. “Hey Cindy it’s me Evelyn, you won’t believe what I just saw.” His face lit up. “A baby deer! It was so, so cute.”
“Enough! Enough!” Interrupted Evelyn. “I can’t take it anymore.”
Rillian returned to his normal self. “See what I mean?”
Evelyn crossed her arms. “Just drive.”
Rillian let off the brake and the truck began moving again.
“We aren’t like that.” Evelyn added.
Rillian shrugged. There was silence between them again and Evelyn felt the young captain’s face creeping up on her. Not wanting to indulge the thought of him, Evelyn decided to break the silence and ask Rillian something she had been wondering.
“So, Rillian, I know why Lana and the others got involved in the SPC, but why did you?”
“It’s not really that interesting of a story.”
Evelyn was persistent. “Still, I want to know.”
Rillian gripped the wheel with both hands and sighed, “Alright, but I warned you.”
“I’m sure it’s thrilling.”
“Thrilling?” He shook his head skeptically. “No.”
Evelyn spoke flatly, “Just tell me.”
“Okay. Okay.” He relented. “So, when I was eight years old, my uncle, who took care of me, died in a car accident and I became a ward of the state.”
“So you had a foster family.”
“Several,” he responded. “I guess you could say that none of them stuck. Eventually, when I was about 14 years old, I just ran away.”
“Why?”
He dropped his eyes for a quick second. “I wanted to find my parents.”
“What happened to them?”
“I knew you’d ask that.” He paused and took a deep breath, then began again. “I don’t remember much. I was still really young. It was early, the sun hadn’t come up yet. They came into my room, they didn’t know I was awake. They said goodbye and kissed me on the forehead then left. My mom was crying. I remember that part vividly.”
“Where did they go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you ask your uncle?”
“All the time and he always said the same thing. That he would explain it to me when I was old enough to understand.”
Evelyn spoke solemnly, “And he never got the chance.”
Rillian nodded. “My uncle was rough around the edges, but he was a good man. When the time came he would have told me.”
“I’m sorry about your uncle.”
“Me too. I miss him.” Rillian paused. “Shortly before he died, I did learn something however.”
Evelyn leaned toward him. “Really?”
“Yeah. One summer day when my uncle was at work, I snuck into his room. I don’t know why I went in there originally, I was bored and curious I guess. But inside a drawer in his desk, I found an opened package that was shipped from Little Rock. Inside the box was a souvenir space shuttle.”
“You think that was sent from your parents.”
Rillian answered without hesitation, “Yes.”
“And what makes you think that?”
“Because my father used to work for UPSA. He was a part of the program that sent the first man and woman to Mars, and that souvenir space shuttle was an exact replica of the one he helped design.”
“That was nearly twenty years ago.”
“I know, right around the time I was born.”
The landing of people on Mars was something the previous government of America had been striving for, but their plans were derailed by the depression and the War. So, when the new government actually did land on mars, it was seen as a triumph of the new way over the old. No other nation had gotten past the moon.
Ill-Fated (Ill-Fated Series Book 1) Page 10
