Escaping Darkness (Book 4): The Fallout

by Richards, E. S.

  She stood at the end of the driveway and watched as the car grew smaller and smaller in the distance, fading away behind the screen of ash that clouded the road. Jorge was gone. The car was gone. Mia sank to her knees, raw despair seeping through her entire body. Never had she felt so alone in her entire life. She felt like all hope was gone. Like suddenly, it was the end. What was she going to do now?

  Chapter 15

  Lining up to be escorted back to his block, Chase looked over at his sister and smiled. Even though he hadn’t had a chance to talk to her directly, he knew Joel had shared several words with her and that—along with just seeing her face again—made him feel like all his hope had been restored. Among them they might not be any closer to finding a way out of the pit, but just knowing that Riley was alive made Chase feel like anything was possible again. They would find a way to escape and until then, he was happy to know that his sister was surviving just like he was.

  “I hope you have all paid attention to what you’ve learned here today,” Magic, the guard from the Authority tasked with escorting them back outside, boomed from his position near the exit. “You’ll be assigned to this work detail for the rest of the week, so if you have any problems, I’d recommend you get over them pretty quickly.”

  Chase stole another look at his sister when he heard the guard’s words. Magic was only tasked with addressing the boys, even if the girls could surely hear his loud voice as well. Catching Riley’s eye, Chase confirmed his thoughts. She had heard. Now that they both knew that Chase and Joel would be back on the construction crew every afternoon that week, they both just had to hope the girls would be back as well. A female member of the Authority was talking to them as Chase watched, though her voice was too low for him to overhear. But there was a strong chance—Chase forced himself to believe that there was a strong chance.

  He didn’t have time to find out before Magic started ushering their line forward, forcing them back out into the city for a few brief minutes before they returned to their own little corner of the pit. Yanking his frail breathing mask up over his face, Chase prepared himself for the terrifying winds and dark shadows that blew throughout Houston now. The city was so dramatically changed he didn’t think he’d recognize it anymore if he didn’t know where he was. As always, Chase just hoped the devastation was confined to the city. He hoped that the winds didn’t stretch as far as his grandparents’ farmhouse; he hoped that they were both still safe.

  Even though it had only been a few hours since he was last outside, Chase still marveled at the city around him as he was escorted back to D block. The buildings had developed a sort of wet look to them. They seemed to be melting in some way, the brick covered in a dark gray layer of ash and dirt that dripped down toward the ground. It gave the impression that the buildings were folding in on themselves, like their foundations were compromised and were all just a few days away from collapsing.

  After how he had just spent his afternoon, Chase realized that his thoughts could very well be correct. The constant fall of ash seemed to be weighing heavily on the buildings, making it possible that even some of the tallest skyscrapers could topple. It was yet another threat on his life, added to the long list that Chase was starting to become too familiar with. If the city was at risk of falling down, that was simply another reason to escape from the Authority before it was too late. He didn’t doubt that they had plans in place for the rectification of Houston once it was possible, but Chase could tell it would be several weeks before the worst of the weather was over. The Authority might have prepared for the long term—especially when he considered the breeding program they were pushing—though Chase felt like there needed to be more attention paid to the here and now if anyone was going to survive what Houston could throw at them.

  “Do you think the girls will be back tomorrow?” Joel whispered to Chase once they were back in their cells for the night. The guards of the Authority had locked them away and that meant that security was fairly low until sunrise. Although there was no way for the boys to get out of their cells, they could finally talk freely among themselves, and Joel and Chase had a lot to share.

  “I hope so,” Chase replied. “I can’t believe you got to speak to Riley. How is she?”

  “She’s fine, dude, honestly,” Joel smiled. “And can you believe that she’s made friends with my sister? That’s nuts. Man, I wish I could’ve seen Hazel.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” Chase replied, feeling slightly jealous that Joel had managed to talk to his sister so much and he hadn’t been able to. “At least they’re both okay though. What sort of things did Riley say about where they’re being kept? Is it the same as here?”

  “Oh man,” Joel exclaimed, remembering all the different things Riley had told him. “Not even. They don’t even have to stay in cells. They’ve got, like, real dorms. So unfair!”

  “What?” Chase questioned, eager to find out as much as possible about where his sister was being kept. He wanted to know that she was safe and not living in terrible conditions, but he also wanted to know as much as possible about the layout of other theaters. Any information he could absorb would be useful for when they finally planned their escape.

  He listened carefully, asking questions only at the places when Joel paused in his tale. Chase was pleased that his sister seemed to be living slightly more comfortably than he was, the feeling of being locked up at night still troubling him at times. Chase felt more like an animal or a criminal than an apparently treasured and valuable member of the community. He grew increasingly confused about the Authority every day, feeling that if he were in their position of power, he would’ve gone about things in an entirely different manner. His father had always taught him that there was more to being a leader than just making the decisions. If you were going to be the one in control, that meant you had responsibility for everyone below you and that was more important than anything else. Power came from the people and if you wanted to retain power, you had to look after the people first.

  “What else?”

  Joel racked his brain, trying to remember what else Riley had told him. They hadn’t actually had that long to talk to one another, trying to frantically get through the important stuff before they were spotted and separated. He’d told Chase about Riley’s living conditions and the fact she spent her days in a similar fashion to theirs, lessons in the morning followed by random work assignments or training in the afternoon.

  “I don’t think there’s much else to tell, dude. She asked if we had come up with a way to get out of here and I told her we hadn’t. Didn’t sound like she’d had any luck on that end either.” Joel paused, looking at his friend and seeing his face fall. He knew what Chase wanted to hear. “She told me to tell you that she missed you though,” he continued. “And she knows that we’ll figure out a way to escape. I can tell that you mean the world to her, man.”

  Chase smiled at his friend, grateful for the words Joel had shared. “Thanks,” he nodded through the darkness between their cells. “Man, I hope they’re back with us tomorrow.”

  “Me too, dude.”

  “Think I might try and get some shut-eye now,” Chase said, lying back down on his hard camp bed.

  “Yeah, good idea,” Joel’s voice floated through the darkness. “Night, dude.”

  “Good night,” Chase replied, closing his eyes and rolling onto his side into a more comfortable position. His mind was too alive to try and sleep right away, despite what he had told Joel. He just wanted a few minutes of quiet to himself, to allow himself to think through what Riley had told Joel and to try and figure out a way to get his sister out of the pit for good. To Chase, getting his sister out was by far the most important thing. He could stick it out in there for longer as long as he knew she was back home safe and sound. It was his job to protect her and Chase vowed that he wouldn’t let her down.

  The next morning seemed to drag by at a snail’s pace for both Chase and Joel. They ate a quick and disappointing bre
akfast, Chase barely even turning his nose up at the slop they were served now. That was followed by the humiliating shower sequence, Chase reminded during that once again how glad he was that things were different for Riley where she was being kept. He knew he wouldn’t be able to contain his rage if he’d found out that Riley was being subjected to such a degrading affair every single morning. He understood why the Authority did it—to assert their dominance and make the boys feel like they were small and worthless—but that didn’t mean he agreed with it in any way.

  What would’ve been a half-interesting morning of lessons seemed dull for Chase that day, his mind preoccupied with the afternoon and whether he would get to see his sister. He listened to Red and Dead detail and demonstrate different fighting techniques, without a doubt one of the better lessons he had ever been given. It all went straight out of Chase’s head that morning though, his eyes glazing over as he watched the two members of the Authority grapple with each other at the front of the room.

  “Finally,” he muttered under his breath when the lesson came to an end. “That was long.”

  “Seriously?” Mike asked as they filed into a line to walk to lunch. “I thought that was pretty interesting.”

  “I guess,” Chase shrugged. “I’ve just got other stuff on my mind.”

  “He’s thinking about his sister, you idiot,” Leo elbowed Mike from behind, Chase and Joel’s two other friends updated on what had happened over breakfast that morning. “You doing okay, Chase?”

  “Ah man,” Mike rubbed his hand across the back of his neck awkwardly. “Sorry, bro. I forgot.”

  “It’s okay,” Chase replied absentmindedly, not really concerned about what his friends thought at the moment. “I’m cool.” He just wanted to get to lunch and get on with the afternoon. He didn’t have any appetite for the stew and stale bread that they were served, the mystery meat looking particularly unsettling to him. He felt his stomach twist into knots as he pushed his plate over to Leo, letting his friend double up on meals and wolf the contents down. His skin paled as they were told to line up following the meal, knowing exactly what was coming.

  “You okay, dude?” Joel asked as they shuffled forward, nearing the exit of their theater and the door to the outside world. “You don’t look great.”

  “I’m fine,” Chase nodded, placing the breathing mask over his face after he replied. It was anticipation that made him jittery and nervous at the same time. He felt like he was going to burst, the potential of maybe seeing his sister causing him to sweat and shiver simultaneously. Without a shadow of a doubt it was worse than it had been yesterday. Now that Chase knew she was definitely safe and well within the pit, it made it more irritating to know that he couldn’t just speak to her whenever he wanted. He practically held his breath as they walked into the theater where the construction work needed doing, looking around immediately to try and find his sister.

  Seeing her this time was like a massive hit of adrenaline. Riley was there, standing side by side with another girl and causing Joel to yelp beside him. Chase could only assume it was Hazel. The two girls were staring right at them, a look of determination and pure grit on both of their faces. Chase felt pride ooze through him. He stole a look to his left and saw Joel that stood with a massive grin plastered across his face. Catching his friend’s eye, Chase winked. Today was the day: they were going to find a way out of there, he could feel it.

  Walking down the line toward where work details were being handed out, Chase prayed that he wouldn’t be put in a harness and forced to rappel down the building again. He would literally do anything else if it meant he could be on the ground and talk to his sister. Another bout of elation ripped through his body as he was handed brick-laying equipment and instructed to start rebuilding some of the interior walls that had crumbled. It was quite possibly the perfect job, made even better by the fact Joel was assigned the same role. Together they walked slightly inside the building, their bodies hidden from view from the majority of the Authority, giving them the perfect cover to talk freely and—hopefully—plan with their sisters.

  “Man, I can’t believe this,” Joel burst out once they were alone, practically hopping from one foot to the other in excitement. “She’s here. She’s okay.”

  “Chill out, man,” Chase replied with a chuckle. “We need to keep things casual. Can’t raise any alarm bells.”

  “Right,” Joel nodded, immediately straightening up and quieting down. As excited as he was to see his sister again, he knew if they gave what they were doing away to the Authority, then they would be seriously reprimanded and never allowed to see their sisters again. “Keep it calm. Gotcha.”

  “I’m pretty sure they saw us come in here,” Chase continued, remembering Riley watching him closely. “I’m sure they’ll find a way to get here soon.”

  “I hope so,” Joel nodded. “I can’t wait.”

  The feeling was entirely mutual for Chase. To know that he was just minutes away from seeing his sister again felt incredible. It was the longest he’d ever gone without speaking to her. Ever since they lost their parents, Chase and Riley had grown closer than anyone would’ve imagined. She was so important to him; he loved her with all his heart and knew he would always protect her. It actually physically pained him that she was suffering so much at the hands of the Authority, even if she didn’t feel like it was that bad. Chase had promised his father he would make sure she was always safe and if he broke that promise, he knew he would be letting down his dad. He couldn’t do that any more than he could allow Riley to be in danger. It went against not only everything he believed as a brother, but everything he believed as a human being.

  Chapter 16

  “From what we have established,” Jackson spoke, “they have commandeered the entirety of the theater district. But that doesn’t mean it’s impenetrable, by any means. If we launch our main attack here”—he paused and pointed to an area on the map below—“and set off another wave of explosives here, and here, then we should be able to cover all main areas and free the children in a relatively easy manner.”

  “What about the interior walls?” a man from within Jackson’s group asked, leaning forward and inspecting the map that was stretched out across the table.

  The planning session had been underway for the better part of two hours, everyone sharing their views on how best to infiltrate the theater district and save the children. The sheer number of explosives and weapons that Vic and Blake had returned with had greatly impressed everyone in Jackson’s faction, Vic smiling at the secret fact that what they’d brought wasn’t even ten percent of everything he had back at the store. It had sparked the discussions about where they were going to attack and where they should merely plant explosives though. A debate that had started out as a casual conversation and then quickly morphed into full-scale war planning.

  “That is why we’re timing this for the middle of the afternoon,” Jackson explained. “We think the majority of the children will be out and about through the day. At night some of them are locked away, so it’s too risky then. But during the day we should be able to get them all out. We have intel as well that a lot of them are gathered together in the afternoons at the moment.”

  “Yes,” a woman spoke up, clearing her throat and preparing to explain. “I’ve received news from one of my sources inside that there is building work going on at one of the theaters that they’re using the kids for. Different groups work there morning and afternoon, so if we target that area, we should be able to free a large group of them right off the bat.”

  “Thanks, Hannah,” Jackson smiled. “That is why this building,” he paused and pointed to one theater in particular, “seems to be the most logical place to target.”

  “I know that theater,” Blake announced. “I’ve performed there a couple of times in the past. Old building. Was practically falling down already last summer. I’m not surprised it’s been brought down by all of this.”

  “Excellent,” Jackson smiled.
“I assume that means you know the interior layout well?”

  “Fairly well,” Blake nodded. “I’m sure I could recall it given a few minutes to think on it.”

  “We’ll get you to brief all the teams on that then, once it’s all come back to you,” Jackson decided. “I want five separate groups to assemble, three actually going inside, two manning the explosive stations. Vic, can you show everyone on those teams how to set them off when needed? Unless you want to be a part of one of the teams yourself.”

  “Certainly, my friend,” Vic confirmed. “I’ll make sure everyone knows how they work. I’ll come into the theater as planned, though—never been one to skip out on the action myself.”

  “I can understand that,” Jackson smiled. “A man after my own heart.”

  Vic nodded at Jackson, getting along with the faction leader more and more with every minute he spent with him. Jackson was a no-nonsense, straight-talking kind of man. He was the sort you knew you could put your trust in, no secrets or hidden agendas surrounding his actions or words. Jackson wanted his kids back and that was the end of it. He was angry at the Authority for what they had done to his wife, but Vic could see his main agenda wasn’t revenge, it was restoration. Once he had his family back and had returned the city to the way it ought to be, he would stop. He wouldn’t spiral out of control once the power was in his hands and he wouldn’t become the next terrifying leader in a long line of dictators. Jackson was a good man and Vic respected him a great deal as a result, happy to fight alongside him in the battle for Houston.

  Outside, the city continued to deteriorate and the threat on their lives grew and grew. All the adults now wore masks or scarves of some kind over their faces. Few were as efficient as the ones that Vic had gathered from his store, but there weren’t enough of them to go around. Just he, Blake, and Jackson wore them, entirely protected from the toxic fumes, ash particles, and whatever else floated through the air outside.