Bryan clenched his fists. They’d hoped to defeat the creature in short order, and therefore, had left most of their provisions on the cliffs for their women.
“Perhaps a few of us can return, inform our relatives of what is happening, and check in on them,” Louie suggested. “Our scouts can bring back supplies.”
For a moment, looking around at all the bedraggled people, Bryan considered it. But then he thought of his promise to Gideon, and the inspiring words he’d spoken to Sherry. He’d promised her a better life. He’d promised it to all of them. And now he’d spilled blood for their cause.
“What will we tell our women? That we failed?” A surge of anger washed over Bryan as he thought about admitting defeat. “That we marched down here, only to have more people killed for nothing? I won’t do it.”
“Surely, they already saw what happened down here,” Louie said.
“They saw us fall, but next time, they will see a victory,” Bryan promised. Gesturing at some Watchers stationed around the table, he said, “Arrange for a dozen of our most trusted men to go out into the colony to scavenge. Have a dozen others go down to the river, to collect water and any crops they can find.”
Louie nodded.
“In the meantime, I will keep working on our next plan,” Bryan said.
Chapter 24: Neena
Neena glanced at the two-dozen people around her, who sat perched on rocks, or cross-legged. Kai, Samara, Amos, Roberto, and Salvador sat the closest. She flinched at a needle of pain from one of her many, crusted wounds. With some time to settle down from her initial, emotional outburst, other, buried pain had set in.
Looking around at all the faces around her, she kept expecting to find Darius among them. Of course, he was dead, and she’d never see him again.
Darius’s loss was a pressing weight, hovering over all of them.
Blinking back some tears she hadn’t had a chance to process, she wiped her face and asked, “Where did you put his body?”
“In a tunnel a ways from here,” said a woman, beckoning toward the back of the tunnel. “Kai found a smaller cove for him. We covered him with rocks the best we could.”
Neena blinked hard. Looking past the group and toward the rest of the cavers, she asked, “How did everyone take the news?”
“We protected the children from it, and whomever else we could,” Kai lowered his eyes, through his emotional pain. “Of course, no one could stop talking about it for days.”
“Nothing like this has ever happened in Red Rock.” Samara blew a long breath. “Nobody could bear to keep his tools, after how they’d been used. So we laid them to rest with him, along with his cane. I cleaned up the cove where he worked.”
“And I carved a circular marking on the wall of his resting place. “Kai’s eyes welled up.
For a long while, they sat in silence, remembering their lost friend, blotting their eyes. Each quiet sob from the women was like a jab to Neena’s heart. Thoughts of vengeance mixed with her sorrow. But of course, they had other things to consider.
“When the time is right, we’ll give Darius a proper burial,” she swore. “Or maybe even a procession. But right now, we need to focus on getting back Raj.”
Those who were crying smeared away tears. Others nodded.
“If we don’t act, Raj might be killed next,” she added.
A tense silence returned. The others looked up, ready to listen.
Pushing away her sorrow, Neena put on a stern face. “What is your plan?”
Kai and Samara traded a glance, deciding who should speak first. Samara started.
“As we’ve discussed, rushing down to the Comm Building and looking for him would be a recipe for death,” Samara said. “They have two hundred armed people. We have only a hundred that might be able to fight, out of our hundred and fifty. Too many of us are old, inexperienced, or have children to tend.”
The others agreed.
“So, what are we thinking?” Neena asked.
“My guess is that Bryan’s people are holed up and dressing their wounds, preparing for the next attack on the monster,” Salvador said. “With a group that large, they’ll need provisions. And that means they’ll come out again soon. At least, some of them.”
“That is our opportunity,” Kai said. Taking the next logical step, he added, “Assuming they don’t all come out at once, we might be able to get a small group alone.”
“We can leverage that,” Samara said, tilting up her chin.
“How?” Neena asked.
Samara traded a glance with Kai. “Our thought was that we could ambush one or two people when they go out for supplies. If our logic holds, they’ll split up, and we’ll have an opportunity. We’ll confront a few of them, pull them into a hovel, and find out if Raj is in the Comm Building.”
“What about Sherry’s women?” Neena frowned.
“We’ll use the lower caves and sneak down at night, so they are less likely to see us,” Kai elaborated. “We’ll stick close to the hovels in the colony. We’ll bring only a small group, so we’ll be agile.”
Neena fell silent. Thinking about the Left and Center Cavers brought back a slew of angry, painful memories. Neena couldn’t forget Sherry’s attack on the ledges. More than once, she’d entertained the notion of confronting Sherry and her women, but she forced the thought away. Raj was the important issue now.
Returning to the current matter, she said, “With any confrontation, we risk a disturbance. We might draw more people, or the monster.”
“It is a risk,” Kai admitted. “But if we confirm whether Raj is alive, it will be worth it.”
Neena blew a breath. Of course, she’d do anything for her brother. “Let’s make the hopeful assumption that Raj survived. What would our next step be?”
“That’s where Samara’s leverage comes in,” Kai said. Looking around at the others, he continued, “If Raj is alive, we’ll bring the ambushed people back to the Comm Building and offer a trade.”
Sensing some hesitation among the others, Samara added, “Our intent is not to harm them, of course. We’ll disarm them and avoid conflict. But that will give us bargaining power.”
A small silence fell over the group.
“What if Bryan won’t give Raj up?” asked a woman with short, dark hair. “Will we make good on our threats?”
Kai and Samara looked at one another, before Kai finally answered, “We’ll do what we have to do to make sure Neena’s brother is safe.”
The woman breathed nervously. “So we’ll do what they did to Darius.”
“Or what they did to us,” Kai said, looking at his bruises. “Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”
The woman chewed on her thoughts for a moment, looking around at the others. Not for the first time, Neena saw hesitation. Everyone was happy to see Neena alive, but they were worried. Thoughts of Darius’s death were fresh on their minds. And, of course, everyone had witnessed what happened on the ledge.
“What if we trade our ambushed men for Raj, and Bryan’s group attacks us afterward?” the woman with dark hair asked. “Who’s to say he will honor our agreement?”
More silence.
“Perhaps we bring our kidnapped marchers with us,” Samara suggested, after thinking about it. “We’ll release them when we get to the top of the cliffs. They’ll return, and we’ll stay here with Raj. That will give us security.”
“Or we’ll provoke a battle with two hundred people that we can’t win,” the woman mumbled.
The people on the fringes of the circle shifted uncomfortably. A man with shaggy gray hair blew a long breath, looking around at the others, before saying, “I’m not disputing the importance of finding your brother, Neena. But we’ve already seen the way Bryan’s people treat us. Everyone will reap the consequences of our actions. What if confronting them brings death to us all?”
A few people murmured, looking behind them at their relatives elsewhere in the tunnel, who tended the children.
“Anything we do carries a risk,” Kai said. “But this is the safest plan we can think of.”
The group sat in silence. Looking at their concerned faces, Neena couldn’t help but think they were right.
What if they were discussing the very thing that would get them all killed?
“There is another thing no one has considered,” Amos said, breaking the quiet. “What if Raj doesn’t want to return?”
Everyone turned toward him, listening.
“Clearly, Raj made a choice to sneak out and leave us behind,” Amos elaborated. “And obviously he told Bryan about the weapon. What if we go to the trouble of ambushing these people, and Raj refuses to go with us?”
The group looked at Neena. It seemed like her question to address.
“As much as I do not want to believe he would do that, it is possible,” Neena said, hating her admission. “Clearly, Raj harbored deeper feelings of resentment than I realized. Maybe Raj is alive, and he doesn’t want to come back. And if that’s the case, I don’t know our recourse.”
Angry tears stung her eyes. She looked away from the concerned group to Samel, who sat elsewhere in the cave.
What if she died in the process of finding Raj, and left him alone?
Or what if Raj was already dead, and she was chasing a ghost?
Impossible questions.
Sitting forward in the dirt, the dark-haired woman said earnestly, “All I’m asking is that you consider your actions, Neena, before you make a rash move.”
Neena blew a long sigh, before she conceded. “I’ll mull it over tonight and commit to a plan in the morning.”
Chapter 25: Bryan
“Bryan,” Louie called.
Resting his uninjured arm on the jamb of the doorway, he peered into the quarters where Bryan sat ruminating.
“What is it?” Bryan asked.
“I’ve gathered a group of our stealthiest Watchers, like you asked,” Louie said, motioning behind him. “A dozen will search for food, under my direction. A dozen will go with Ed to secure water and Green Crops.”
Bryan nodded.
“I have concerns, though,” Louie said. “It’s getting dark. We’re less likely to spot what we need under torch light. And if the monster arrives, it’ll make for a dangerous scenario.”
“Agreed,” Bryan said. “Leave first thing at dawn. And return as soon as you have enough to fill your bags.”
“Will do, sir.”
Chapter 26: Neena
Neena sat in her bedroll, staring at the ground. Conversations rose and faded around her, but she barely heard them, nor did she pay attention to the people bringing back rats from their traps.
“What are you thinking?” Kai asked.
Neena grappled with her thoughts. “I understand why people are so hesitant to act. I understand they think that we might be killed.”
Kai sighed. “I understand it, too.”
Neena shook her head. Breaking her gaze from the floor, she said, “We’ve already jeopardized everyone by bringing the monster here. How can I ask them to risk their lives again?”
Kai stroked his stubbly chin, just as conflicted.
“Something else is weighing on me,” Neena said. “Something we only talked about a little bit.”
Kai watched her carefully. “What is it?”
It took a moment for Neena to muster the words, and even longer to say them. “I keep thinking about what Amos suggested, about Raj not wanting to return. And that leads my thoughts to darker places. Obviously Raj told Bryan about the weapon. But what if he had a part in Darius’s death?”
Her words felt like a betrayal to Raj.
“I don’t think he did,” Kai said, reaching over and touching her arm.
“How can we be sure?” Neena asked, not wanting to believe the words she spoke. “I had no idea that Raj was leaving. Who knows what other secrets he held?”
Kai considered it a moment, before answering. “I don’t know your brother as well as you do, but I don’t think he would hurt Darius.”
“I want to believe that, too,” Neena said, fighting back a tear. “But his actions shook me. It’s hard to fathom that he would leave his family behind. He must really hate me. And that makes me wonder what else he could do.”
Kai shook his head. “He’s a boy, Neena. He’s struggling to find his place on the planet. I know exactly how that feels.” Kai trailed off, finding more words. “At one time, I was as young and as lost as he was. I made stupid mistakes, and even bigger mistakes later, when I went to jail. But now I am here, and those mistakes matter less. And that makes me think that Raj can get past this.”
“I hope,” Neena whispered, wiping her eyes.
Kai scooted closer to her, and she found his arms, holding him tight. Together, they surveyed the rest of the cave, watching people speak in smaller circles. Every so often, someone looked over at her and Kai, obviously worried.
An undeniable resolve washed over Neena.
“No matter what my doubts are about Raj, I won’t leave him down there,” she said, firmly. “If he is alive, I will get him back, even if I have to do it myself.”
“I’m coming, too,” Kai promised.
Neena squeezed him tighter. “I knew you’d say that.”
They held each other tight.
“Bryan’s anger is with us. It always has been,” Kai said. Drawing a long, nervous breath, he added, “Perhaps this is the safest choice for our people.”
“We brought the monster here,” Neena agreed. “We angered The Watchers. And my brother is the one missing. It is our problem to solve.”
A strange calm washed over Neena. If this was the way their lives would end, then at least they’d do everything they could for Raj.
“Perhaps we are better off not telling the others,” Neena said. “We don’t need them feeling pressured to endanger themselves. We’ll get a little rest. After we’ve slept a while, we’ll tell the guard, and go.”
Chapter 27: Raj
Raj sat in a quiet corner of the Comm Building, chewing his dried meat. After speaking with Bryan, he’d retreated to his bedroll, where he’d stayed. His hope was that if he blended in with the others, they’d forgive him. The shadows seemed like his only friends.
He couldn’t stop replaying his conversation with Bryan in his head, or the way he’d dismissed him. Bryan clearly didn’t want his help, nor would he discuss his plans.
And he certainly didn’t want to talk about Darius.
Raj’s eyes wandered the room miserably. For most of the day, he’d watched Louie and Ed counting their remaining supplies, sharpening their spears, and readying empty bags.
It didn’t take a genius to see that they were preparing for a scavenging trip. One look at the tired, hungry faces around him supported that. Raj’s eyes roamed to the other people in the room. Almost everyone was focused on the important men who spoke in curt, confident tones.
Unlike Raj, The Watchers were men of respect, worthy of looking up to.
Raj felt a pang of envy.
He wanted to feel the same way as before. He wanted to be strong and admired, not a castaway boy.
He’d give anything to walk among The Watchers again, or to feel as important as he had when he’d first crawled into that passage and discovered the strange device.
No one—not even they—could’ve done that.
A small sense of pride came over him.
An idea struck him, so hard and so fast that he had to stop himself from getting up.
Maybe that was it. Maybe this was a way he could redeem himself.
Gaining his courage, he tucked away his food pouch and slowly rose, finding Louie. At the moment, he was directing some Watchers.
Raj weaved around a few surprised people, who looked up, startled to see him leaving the shadows. He was halfway to Louie when the large man broke from conversation, heading toward Bryan’s quarters.
Raj halted.
He stared inside the room where Bryan sat, looki
ng as intimidating as he had earlier. He wasn’t ready to go back in there.
Not again.
When he woke up, he’d find a quiet moment with Louie.
Chapter 28: Adriana
Adriana lay in her bedroll in the Right Cave, drawing circles in the dirt. Guilt festered in her heart. Ever since Neena had regained consciousness, she and her closest comrades had been discussing things in quiet circles, always out of earshot, always away from the children. The few times Adriana had interjected herself, they’d dismissed her, shielding her from the conversation.
She felt useless. Frustrated.
Ever since Raj had taken that final march down to the colony, she could think of little else. She sensed his absence every time she looked over at his wrinkled bedroll, or in the pile of rocks that still remained. She felt it in every sad, vacant stare from Amos, or in the constant worry that rang in Neena’s voice.
Adriana didn’t know if Raj was alive, or dead.
She felt like it was her fault.
She hadn’t known about Raj’s plan to leave with The Watchers, but somehow, she felt responsible. She’d seen the gleam in his eyes after he met Bryan. She knew how Raj respected him. She should have pieced things together.
Puzzles were always easier to solve after the fact.
She heaved a long sigh and returned to her drawing in the dirt. Without thinking about it, she’d created two people: her and Raj. She couldn’t stop thinking of the adventures they’d had together, their conversations, or their kiss.
She didn’t think she’d miss him this much.
Raj could be stubborn, but he’d interested her in a way that few boys had. Sure, he’d kept a huge secret from her, but his last conversation felt like an apology. And she’d never forget the way he’d tried helping her grandmother.
Could he really be dead?
Adriana left her finger in one spot in the dirt, sick with grief. She thought of what she’d seen in the colony the other day—the gasps of the crowd, and the screams of Bryan’s people in the desert. It certainly seemed that all the horn blowers were dead. And Raj had been carrying a horn.
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