One by one, Joan, Mercy and Chase, threaded themselves into a queue, following Michael without question. Too narrow for a front-faced approach, they were forced to slide sideways along the gravel lip. Bodies pressed against the stone surface, arms stretched wide, hands nervously seeking and clinging to any thin crack they could find, they slowly made their way along the mountain.
Mercy’s fingers started to bleed, and her legs began to wobble. Sandwiched between Chase and Joan, Mercy tried hard to match their pace.
‘Keep looking up!’ screamed Chase, encouraging her.
The path bent and curved, causing Michael and Joan to disappear continually, leaving Mercy to find her way forward. Tension ate away at her muscles and exhaustion threatened to consume her, but a glance down at certain death, kept her moving.
Someone was hollering. Joan turned her head towards Mercy and relayed a message from Michael, ‘The cave is just ahead.’
Their pace picked up.
A black hole in the mountainside swallowed Michael, then Joan, and finally Mercy and Chase.
Mercy leaned against the cave wall, hands pressed against knees, and allowed herself to breathe again. Overwhelmed, she hadn’t noticed they were not alone. A small, thin hand placed itself over hers, and there came a song she had heard before.
‘Jillet!’ she cried, grabbing the young girl into a maternal hug. ‘How…what are you doing here?’
Jillet whistled and pointed at Athena, who was in heavy conversation with Michael.
Joan, standing guard on the cave’s edge, was the first to spot the military ship coming at them.
‘Michael! They are here!’ she shouted; gun pointed down to the forest.
Michael and Athena rushed the cave’s edge, guns out, bracing for a fight.
The slow rising ship did not attempt to attack.
‘Is it one of ours?’ asked Joan, confused.
‘No,’ answered Athena, still bracing for a fight. ‘Something is wrong.’
The flying vehicle came to a frozen stance directly in front of the fugitives. A ripple of liquid metal shimmered on its side, and an opening appeared. Facing the cave and its inhabitants were Doctor Brutus and the Prime, backed by guards with guns pointing in a standoff.
Mercy pulled Jillet behind her.
Doctor Brutus smiled – the wicked grin of a winner who has cheated but doesn’t care. ‘Exactly as I hoped,’ he laughed. ‘Please, send the young girl over, and we will let Mercy go home.’
‘What do you want with the girl?’ Chase asked, confused.
The Prime spoke, ‘Haven’t you figured it out yet? The immune hybrid – the cure? She’s the one. We knew the fugitives would never give her up. We needed your help in finding her.’
‘You let us escape,’ Joan blurted out.
‘Outstanding, Ambassador,’ continued Brutus, spitting the words out sarcastically. ‘Now, hand over the child and you all walk away.’
‘No!’ shouted Mercy, getting more and more exasperated. Turning to Chase, she begged, ‘Don’t do it. We can’t let them use her like that!’
‘Think about your next move carefully, Chase,’ argued the Prime. ‘We need her for a cure. We all do. I’ve only ever wanted to protect you.’
Chase was silent for a moment. He looked at Joan, Michael and Athena; ready to fly into violent defence which would risk everyone’s safety. He turned to face Mercy and tucked his ears back, pleading. ‘You said it yourself Mercy,’ he continued in a voice so mournful, so hurt and sad it brought tears to both their eyes. ‘I need you to be safe and alive. This is the only way.’
Chase gripped Jillet by the shoulder.
‘Chase, what are you doing!’ Mercy screamed horrified and jutted forward, trying to put herself between them.
‘Okay, take them both, and Mercy goes home. Agreed?’ he said to the Prime, holding Mercy back with his free arm.
The Prime nodded and motioned for the guards to move in.
As the vehicle nearly mounted the cave’s lip, Chase turned to Athena, nodded, and suddenly grabbed Mercy by the arm. Mercy turned her eyes to his. He looked down at her, pained, desiring, and above all else, determined to save her.
‘Trust me,’ Chase whispered.
Chase let Mercy’s arm go and launched Jillet in the opposite direction of the ship. Like a hummingbird, Jillet’s wings spread and suddenly picked her up. She raced away from the cave.
Joan and Michael quickly launched at the guards, opening gunfire.
Mercy, eyes locked on Chase, took a step backwards, off the edge, and fell. Chase held her stare, ears tucked back, eyes begging for forgiveness. A laser from the ship caught him and burnt into his chest. He sank to his knees, reaching for her.
‘No!’ Mercy screamed.
Slowly, very slowly, she was falling but never landing. A deep sadness made her forget the fear. She was ready to join Chase. Ready to hit the ground and die with him.
Something sharp dug into her flesh, wrapped around her shoulders. With a bone-stretching jerk, she suddenly stopped falling as Chase slowly disappeared behind the white curtain of Athena’s wings. Mercy was rising.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
A scarlet sunset bled across the sky. It had been two days since their escape and the horrible events of the last battle.
Joan and Athena stood on the white sandy beaches of the eastern Belt as Mercy and Jillet climbed into a small sailboat floating at the water’s edge. No computers, no electronics, nothing trackable on board. Hybrid dolphins, now fugitives, circled the bow of the boat waiting to lead them to the volcanic island where Mercy’s ship and Gia were waiting.
‘You should arrive on the island by nightfall. Agent Basil has received the location,’ explained Joan. ‘You won’t have much time once you get there. The Prime is already sending search parties outside of the Shade.’
‘Thank you, Joan. For everything.’ Mercy’s tone was sincere but without tears.
She wanted to cry. She felt tears would show Joan how much she had come to care for her. How much she appreciated all that she had done over the last two days to plan their escape. But Mercy hadn’t felt anything since losing Chase – nothing but ghosts. She lived in the memory of his touch, his soft pleading eyes, the warmth of his body, his breath on her lips. Oh, how she wanted to feel his kiss again.
‘Take care, Mercy, and be safe. We are all counting on you.’ Joan raised her hand in farewell.
A strong wind caught the open sail, firmly pushing the boat out to sea. Mercy watched as Joan and Athena disappeared below the horizon. Jillet, leaning over the boat’s edge, fingertips trailing the water’s surface, started singing. The melody drew Mercy forward, into thoughts of the future. The world still needed a cure for the virus, now more than ever. She wondered if she had the strength to start over, to find a purpose beyond her grief.
Instinctively, Mercy placed a protective hand over her belly and the new life inside. There was only one possible answer. ‘For Chase,’ she whispered.
- END -
Thank you for reading Children of the Miracle. I hope you have enjoyed the story. Other readers and I would love to hear your views. If you could please leave a review on Amazon (link is available on the book page), I would appreciate it. You can also follow me for future series, fan art, and my blog on social media and by signing up for email updates at www.danielweisbeckbooks.com.
All Hail the Prime!
Daniel Weisbeck
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