Worlds Collide: Sunset Rising, Book Two

by McEachern, S. M.

  “It’s a good vantage point up here. Let’s see if we can put your superhuman vision to work.”

  “What are we looking—” I stopped mid-sentence when I turned around and saw them.

  They looked as if they had been waiting for us.

  Chapter Eighteen

  I grabbed Jack’s arm to prevent him from going any farther.

  He stepped in front of me. “I see them.”

  Within seconds we were surrounded. Some carried spears, pointed directly at us. All had knives tucked into sheaths at their sides and bows slung across their backs. Just like the first time I saw them, they were all dressed similarly and painted.

  Jack held up his hands, as if that would stop an assault. “We don’t want any trouble.” They remained silent. “Do you speak English?” They cast glances at each other but didn’t say anything. Jack asked again, more slowly and in a louder voice.

  “If they don’t speak English, yelling at them isn’t going to help. It might even make them angry,” I whispered.

  “You have a better idea?”

  The one standing directly in front of us pulled a face. “We speak English.”

  “We have no fight with you. There’s no need for this,” Jack said, pointing to the spears.

  “You’ll come with us.” It wasn’t an invitation; it was a command.

  “Do you mind telling me why?” asked Jack.

  “It’s not my place.” He turned and walked away.

  Someone jabbed a spear at us as incentive to follow. I didn’t even see Jack’s hand snake out and grab the spear, but suddenly he and the other man were locked in a fight. I scrambled away from the edge of the cliff before I was knocked off, and turned back around to help Jack. But as I did, hands grabbed me from behind and I felt the cold blade of a knife against my throat. Jack looked up, my capture throwing him off guard. The other man knocked him to the ground and the rest surrounded him with spears.

  “Dead or alive, you’re coming with us,” said the one holding a knife to my throat.

  “Don’t hurt her!” Jack yelled.

  They checked Jack for weapons, confiscating his pistol and knife, before they let him up. His eyes never left mine. I knew he wanted me to do something to break my captor’s hold. I inconspicuously shook my head. There were too many of them and I saw the speed at which they moved to take him down. We didn’t stand a chance.

  “A gun. Where did you get this?” the leader asked Jack.

  “It was issued,” Jack said dryly.

  The leader cocked an eyebrow at that and then down at the pistol in his hand. He tucked it into his belt.

  “Keep them separated. I want him up front where I can see him,” said the leader.

  I watched as Jack was forced to take the lead, two spears pointed at his back. My captor released me and gave me a shove forward.

  From my back of the group vantage point, I observed our kidnappers. Even though their hairstyle and clothes were similar, the people themselves were very different. Two of them had extremely dark, almost black skin, while a few of the others were pale-skinned. All of them had long hair twisted into a single plait down their backs, decorated with feathers. Their clothing was made from animal hides, the color of which depended on the wearer; the darker the person, the darker the clothing and the lighter the person, the lighter the clothing. The paint on their faces and arms extended over their dress, visually blending wearer and garment into one. The markings seemed random at first glance, but as we walked through the forest and the sunlight dappled through swaying branches, I understood how they could disappear into their surroundings.

  The outcropping we were on gradually sloped downward, back to the valley floor. They seemed to be constantly alert, reacting with suspicion to every sound. Although they walked quickly, each step they took landed on a rock or a tree root. With feet wrapped in thick skins, they barely left a trace.

  Silently we walked for what seemed like hours, keeping to the dense cover of the forest, until we came to the edge of the valley. The only place we had left to go was up. The pathway was steep and the higher we went, the thinner the forest became. Soon the path became so steep that we were forced to climb.

  “Follow me. Put your hands and feet where I put mine. Got it?”

  As my captor spoke, I noted the fine bone structure and full lower lip. She was female. With my eyes hidden behind my dark glasses, I looked over the faces of the rest of the group, but it was too difficult to tell their gender with only a quick glance.

  It was a short climb and the rest of the group was waiting for us when we reached the top. Jack moved toward me when I pulled myself up, but he was held back. I shot him a reassuring look to let him know I was okay.

  The terrain at the peak was rocky, interrupted by stands of trees sharing infrequent patches of soil. One by one, people began to emerge from crevices and caves. They watched us pass with silent curiosity. We were led through a narrow opening between two huge boulders, which opened into a clearing that looked like a naturally formed courtyard.

  Many people were gathered here, busily performing various tasks. A few fires were lit around the courtyard and the smell of food wafted up to greet us. On my left, two people seemed to be scraping an animal skin stretched out on the ground. Children chased each other, getting in the way of the adults. As our presence became known, everyone stopped to stare.

  We were led to an area where six old people were squatting around a low-burning fire. A pot was set on the coals. I wondered why they were gathered near a heat source on such a hot day. They all stood as we neared.

  “We’ve been waiting for you,” said the shortest of the six. “My name is Amini. Welcome to my barangay.” Her white hair contrasted sharply with her dark skin.

  “Not much of a welcome,” Jack said, motioning to the spears. The leader of our group cuffed him on the side of his head.

  “Diego!” exclaimed one of the grey-haired men. He leaned heavily on a stick that had been worn to a polish. “You will control yourself.”

  “I beg you to forgive Diego. He’s very upset,” Amini said.

  “And rightly so,” said a female voice. A tall woman walked to Diego, placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered something to him. He stomped away. She turned an accusing glare on Amini. “I wonder who approved him to go on the mission in the first place.”

  Amini scowled. “His brother was taken captive. He had every right to go.”

  The taller woman crossed her arms over her chest. “I disagree. And it was my place to coordinate the mission, not yours.”

  It wasn’t just Diego who was upset. It felt as if the entire community was anxious. Something had happened and I wondered what we had to do with it. I looked over at Jack to get his reaction, but his attention was on the group of old people who were staring at us.

  With a sniff, Amini turned away from the taller woman and focused on us. “This situation has us all on edge.”

  “What situation?” asked Jack.

  The tall woman, who looked like the youngest member of the group, motioned for us to join them. Jack took the opportunity to move beside me and no one stopped him. We sat down on the ground, cross-legged.

  “I’m Dena,” the tall woman said. “This is Seru, Li, Ghica, and Carlos. We each represent our own barangay, and together we lead our nation. Now, perhaps we can have the honor of your names.”

  Jack and I looked at each other, silently communicating. He was the diplomat, not me. I didn’t want to do the talking. He nodded.

  “I’m Jack Kenner and this is Sunny O’Donnell.”

  “It’s nice to finally make your acquaintance. We know so little about your people. We did attempt in the past to make friends, but our advances weren’t very
well received.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Seru murmured.

  “I’ve only recently learned about that incident,” said Jack. “It was horrible and inexcusable. I’m sorry it happened.”

  At first I wondered what they were talking about, but then I remembered General Powell’s story about the trade the heathens tried to make. It ended with the bourge killing two of their people.

  Seru nodded. “I appreciate your recognition of the tragedy of that event. Our entire nation went into mourning.” A murmur of agreement went around the circle.

  “And we’re very relieved you feel that way,” Amini said. “It gives us hope in resolving the current situation peacefully.”

  Jack gave me a quick sideways glance, his expression wary. “Current situation?”

  “Some of our children were captured by your people yesterday,” Amini said.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. He drew his eyebrows together. “How were they captured? Your people seem to be very good at hiding.”

  “A group of foolhardy teenagers who should’ve known better than to expose themselves out in the open,” Amini said. “Your people took four of them and the rest were allowed to return here to give us a message—they want the two of you handed over to them, or the four children will be killed.”

  My stomach clenched and nausea rose up. This wasn’t good. Not for the hostages. Not for us.

  “I think you better tell us what this is about,” Dena said.

  “I’m sorry they involved you. This isn’t your fight,” Jack said.

  “I think I know why the bourge involved them,” I said to Jack, then spoke to the circle of people. “A soldier was picking on a child—one of yours—and I told him to stop. Maybe they think we have a friendship with you.”

  “Friendship is considered a crime?” Amini asked.

  “When one of your people shot the soldier with something, the bourge thought I’d done it. There was a good chance I was going to be executed. We escaped and now they’re looking for us. They probably think you’re hiding us.”

  “Why would they kill you? The soldier wasn’t hurt. He was darted with a mild sedative. If anything, he should be held accountable for his actions,” Dena said.

  “I’m a slave. I sealed my fate the minute I challenged that soldier’s authority.”

  The crowd surrounding our circle bristled at the information. “It’s true! They are slavers!” someone shouted.

  A nervous chatter among the crowd rose up.

  “They’re going to keep killing us!” a shout rang out.

  “We need to take action against them!” a voice yelled.

  “No! We need to leave the valley!” someone yelled back.

  “It’s time to fight back!”

  Dena stood. “Enough!” she called in a booming voice. Looking at the guards surrounding us, she flicked her head toward the crowd. Several of them moved toward the crowd, directing them to leave. “Everyone, go back to what you were doing. We’ll report later.”

  Amini turned an angry glare on us. “It’s time you told us exactly who you are and where you came from.” Jack opened his mouth, but Amini put up a hand to stop him. “No. From her,” she said impatiently. “I’m beginning to distrust anyone wearing that uniform.”

  Jack and I both looked at his military fatigues. He regarded me with an uneasy expression.

  I looked back at the group of old people, now staring at me expectantly. How did I even begin to tell them that the mountain they thought gave them protection was really a custom-built refuge for the important people considered worth saving? And how did I do that while the man I was in love with sat here wearing their uniform?

  I decided that it was in our best interests to stick to the facts and keep my emotions out of it. It was doubtful anything I said would change their minds about handing us over to Powell—trading two strangers to get their loved ones back was a small price to pay.

  When I finished my story, Ghica was the first to speak. “She’s lying.”

  Carlos nodded. “I think they’re Ryder’s people.”

  Amini shook her head. “I thought we’ve been in agreement for some time that they aren’t Ryder’s people. Look at their technology—Ryder isn’t that advanced.”

  “He’s been gathering technology for years,” Carlos said. “We have no idea how advanced he’s become.”

  Dena looked at him. “Why would they lie?”

  Carlos looked uncomfortable with her directness. “To scare us,” he said with uncertainty. “By lying about how many more people are in the mountain. There’s probably no one. It’s just them.”

  “Yet if it is true, it explains much of the mystery surrounding the mountain,” Amini said.

  “And even as the legend protected our nation all these years, now the truth threatens to destroy us,” Li said.

  “Perhaps this will convince everyone that it’s time to move our nation,” Amini said, pointedly looking at Dena. “This valley is no longer a safe haven.”

  “We still have the issue of retrieving our children,” Li pointed out. “General Powell gave his word that no harm would come to them if we did as he asked.”

  “You can’t trust him,” Jack said. “If you hand us over, he’ll assume you were hiding us all along and seek retribution. You’ll play right into his game.”

  “And if we don’t hand you over, he’ll kill four children,” Amini said. She pointed an accusing finger at Jack and appealed to the other Elders. “That is nothing more than a plea for mercy. If he shot a leader, then I don’t blame their people for wanting to hold him responsible for his actions!”

  “I agree with Amini,” Li said. “This is not our fight. We should retrieve our children and leave this valley. I don’t know if these people are Ryder’s men or the bourge as this young lady says, but I do know they’re dangerous.”

  Dena wasn’t as quick to concur. “We can’t forget how we were treated when we made an offer of peace.”

  “I thought we had agreed that was an unfortunate misunderstanding,” Amini said.

  “Our ruling in that matter never sat well with me, as I’m sure you all know. I understand that they think we stole the animals, but killing two people for it was hardly justified,” Dena said.

  “Yet the matter was concluded. They’ve never come looking to extract any more payment from us,” Amini said.

  “Until now,” Dena reminded her. “It seems to me that what Jack is saying fits with their behavior.”

  “So what is the alternative?” Li asked. “We can’t just abandon four of our own people when we’ve been given the opportunity to save them.”

  “I understand that,” Dena said. “However, it would be wise to send a group of Protectors to oversee the trade.”

  “I have no problem with that,” Amini said.

  “We’re all in agreement then,” Li said.

  Amini addressed one of our guards. “Send a team with a message. We’ll make the trade tomorrow at noon. Until then, keep these two separated and under constant guard. I don’t doubt they’ll run if they have the chance.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  As Jack and I stood, my guard put a hand on my arm. “This way.”

  Jack’s guard gripped his arm as well, and he yanked it away.

  “Get off me!”

  Two more guards came to assist.

  “Jack, don’t,” I pleaded. We couldn’t fight them—there were too many. He would only end up getting hurt.

  Three guards were trying to control him. One of them did something to his neck that appeared to send a jolt through him. He stopped fighting. My captor prodded me to get going, but I pushed back. I needed to make su
re he was okay.

  “Don’t worry. They won’t hurt him,” my captor said.

  “It looks like they already did.”

  “They’ll let him go once he calms down. Come on.”

  Without much choice, I followed. I kept Jack in sight as long as I could.

  “I’m Jin-Sook and this is Maria,” she said, motioning toward the woman on my other side. I noticed she was carrying a lit torch.

  The sound of running feet came from behind me, slowing their pace as they neared.

  “What are you doing here, Willow?” Maria asked the newcomer.

  “My name is Will and I’m here to help with the prisoner,” she replied.

  “This is not a job for little girls,” Jin-Sook said.

  “Grandma gave me permission,” Will said, her chin tilted in defiance.

  Maria groaned. “You mean we have to put up with you all night?”

  They led me through an entrance in the rock wall into a manmade grotto. A staircase led us down into an open cavern. I was surprised to find wooden homes strung together along one side of the cave. They weren’t unlike our apartments in the Pit.

  The torch seemed to burn brighter in the confined space even with my sunglasses on. Averting my eyes from the direct light, I kept my head down as we walked. My guards chatted. People passed us, shooting curious glances at me. I put my head down.

  Jin-Sook stopped at one of the apartments and opened the door. “You’ll stay here for the night.”

  The room was quite spacious and held comfortable-looking furniture. A big bed was pushed against one wall with a brightly patterned blanket draped over it. On the other side of the room were a table and chairs. A dresser and mirror separated the two living areas. To my immediate left hung a curtain.

  “What’s behind the curtain?” I asked.

  “The bathroom,” Jin-Sook said. She lit several candles that were scattered about the room. “Maria and Willow, can you get some food?”

  “It’s Will!”