“Let’s go. The bridge is out. We’re going to have to walk.”
“Walk? I can barely get my legs to move!”
“Well, you can stay here, I guess, and wait for them to find you,” Lenata said unconcernedly as she pulled herself up into the cargo hold. Jenna refrained from retorting at the woman. She was right, of course. Lenata opened a crate and dug out two large jumpbags. “You’ll need to carry one. They’ve got rations and water.”
Jenna let Kendra’s hand drop and creaked onto her knees, grabbing at one of the packs. She unzipped it and found a water bottle. Cracking the lid, she handed it to her daughter first. “Rinse your mouth out first, and then swallow just a little. We want to make sure your stomach is settled. I’ll give you more to drink in a little while.” When Kendra was done, she drank half the bottle herself. She was certain to be dehydrated, and who knew how long they would need to trudge through this forest. During a storm too. Jenna swallowed another mouthful of water and then mentally hardened herself. Kendra needed to survive this, and somewhere Berry and Erik needed their mother. They were depending on her. She would have to be strong.
Lenata hopped out of the crawler, swinging her pack onto her back as if it were nothing but a lightweight pocketbook. Jenna steeled herself and crawled back to the door, her legs screaming at her. She dragged the heavy jumpbag to the opening and awkwardly clambered down to the ground. Cool rain trickled down her neck and soaked her thin shirt. Luckily the weather didn’t seem too cold because they were all going to be wet through in just a few minutes. She yanked the jumpbag onto her back and then helped Kendra down from the transport. Gritting her teeth, she shifted her weight, trying to find her balance with the heavy, awkward pack on her back. Her legs were already shaking.
Lenata rummaged through a medical kit in the crawler, shoving a few supplies into the various pockets of her jumpbag. Then she pulled a probe from the kit and stalked over to Jenna. She pressed the probe against Jenna’s arm, and Jenna gasped at the injection. “What was that for?” she demanded.
“Just protection against some of the jungle fevers,” Lenata said without emotion. “You’ll need this one too.” She pressed another injector against Jenna’s arm and activated it. Jenna nearly jerked away. That one had been even more painful. “That one protects you from the little worms that will want to burrow into your skin.” Jenna shuddered. What exactly were they going to run into hiking through that jungle? She didn’t protest when Lenata bared Kendra’s arm but instead held her daughter tightly so she couldn’t squirm. Kendra thrust out her chin and edged closer, holding out her arm and burying her face into her mother’s side. She winced but didn’t cry at Lenata’s efficient injections.
“Move to the side, right there under the tree line,” she ordered, stowing the injector back in the jumpbag. She thrust a torch into Jenna’s hands. “Watch your footing. It’s going to be treacherous.” Jenna herded Kendra to the edge of the road, her feet slipping in the mud as she tried to get her shaky legs to cooperate. Under the trees, she turned back to see Lenata climbing back into the crawler. For one heart-stopping moment, Jenna thought Lenata was just going to leave them here the middle of some forsaken jungle. The crawler rumbled to life again and then lumbered forward toward the washed-out bridge. Lenata threw herself off the moving crawler, landing lightly on her feet. The crawler moved on to the edge of the bridge, which collapsed under its weight. It tipped into the rushing water, slowly sinking and drifting downstream. Jenna watched the muddy waters swirl around it, reaching the window level.
“With any luck, they’ll think we’ve all drowned,” Lenata said as she reshouldered her jumpbag. “Let’s go,” she called over her shoulder, striding into the trees along the riverbank. Jenna nodded at Kendra and took her by the hand. Then, shooting one last look at the nearly submerged crawler, already almost out of sight, she turned and headed into the trees.
25. The House in the Jungle
When she saw the light glinting through the trees, Jenna almost sobbed with relief. They had trudged through the jungle along the turbulent river for at least two hours. The ground was slick and treacherous, and they weren’t following any kind of a path, so they were constantly stepping over tree roots and rocks. Her shoulders ached from the heavy straps of the jumpbag, and twice she had tripped and scraped long gashes in her legs. Her pace was excruciatingly slow, her legs were stiff and slow to respond, and her knees and hips ached as if she had aged twenty years inside the medical capsule. Kendra trudged along beside her, one hand wrapped in a fold of Jenna’s loose shirt. She had to be exhausted, but she didn’t give up, and she didn’t complain. Jenna was amazed at her daughter’s endurance and courage.
“I see a light. Is that where we are headed?” Jenna asked Lenata. She had tried striking up a conversation more than once with their unlikely rescuer, but the woman had always shushed her, eyes wide as she scanned the nearby jungle. Apparently she was prepared for this unexpected trek; Lenata had pulled out a pair of night-vision goggles early on so she could see where she was going. The rain had finally tapered off a short time before, though the water dripping from the tree leaves and branches that continuously plunked on their heads and shoulders made it hard to tell a difference. Jenna was thoroughly soaked, and from the little she could see of Kendra in the dark, she knew her daughter was too. Her bare legs were covered in scratches, and the military boots had already rubbed her skin raw around the ankles. It was increasingly difficult to take each step.
Just when Jenna thought Lenata was going to continue to ignore her, the woman answered, “I’m not sure. There’s a man who lives somewhere around here who might help us; that may be his light. But I haven’t been out here in years, and there could be others living out here too.”
What kind of people would choose to live out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a lethal jungle? And where were they exactly? Tarentino was on the eastern edge of the Mandel continent, but Mandel didn’t have any rainforest that Jenna was aware of. There were some jungles on the Ruban continent, though they were several hours to the south by shuttle.
“Where are we, Lenata?” Jenna asked for about the fifth time.
Lenata sighed, looking around at the trees once more and then turning back to face Jenna, the goggles and the dark making it impossible for Jenna to read her expression.
“Zoria,” she said finally, with an air of resignation.
“Zoria!” repeated Jenna in shock. She’d never even considered that they would take her to Zoria. This was the most unpopulated continent on the planet. This was the home of rugged plantations, steamy jungles, and ferocious exotic animals. It was also home to smugglers, criminals, and anyone trying to live out of the reach of the Union government. It was where her sister Andie’s skiff had crashed. The irony was thick. Her mother had worried for years that Andie was lost in some Zorian jungle, unable to find her way home. Now Jenna was stumbling through some Zorian jungle with her daughter, unable to make her way home. She wondered if her sister would have any survival tips for her or if she had been captured and shipped off to Corizen so quickly that she’d never had to survive in the jungle at all.
Hopefully they had reached someone who could help them. Jenna didn’t have any jungle survival skills, and she didn’t know when Lenata would decide this wasn’t worth her time and abandon them.
When they broke through the last of the vines and tree branches blocking the source of the light, Jenna stopped up short. They stood on a gravel drive of some kind leading to a house like she had never seen before. A large rectangular box made up of overlapping sheets of corrugated metal nestled in between the trunks of several intertwining trees. There was a light globe illuminating a ramp that led up to a set of bay doors set on the left side of the house wall. A giant tree trunk had fallen against the doors, denting them. Judging by the fresh gashes and splintered branches, it had fallen recently. Probably during the storm. Jenna scanned the building for m
ore damage. There were no windows that she could see. Nor were there any doors in sight except for the bay doors. Surely the owner didn’t enter his house by sliding those tall bay doors open every time? Or maybe he only left his house in a crawler or some other kind of transport? If he did, he might be trapped in the house. Judging by the damage to the doors, it was doubtful they could open at all.
Lenata strode over to the bottom of the ramp, where there was an intercom box welded to a rusted metal pole that was stuck into the muddy patch of bare ground. She flipped open a plastic cover and pressed the communicator button. “Kip doesn’t like visitors, so it’s best you stand back a bit, just in case,” Lenata warned ominously. “He can see us on camera, and this place has defenses.” Jenna backed away, Kendra pressing against her side and clutching her hand. Was this Kip likely to attack them? She turned her head, trying to figure out where they would retreat to, but looking down at her exhausted daughter, she knew they would just have to wait and hope for the best. Neither of them had the energy to go any farther. The jumpbag straps had cut into her neck, and her legs shook with fatigue. She wasn’t sure she could walk another five meters, let alone run off with Kendra back into the trees.
Lenata pressed the intercom button once more, and Jenna wondered if the man was even home. Maybe he’d evacuated before the storm. It would explain why he’d left a giant tree trunk blocking the bay doors.
Suddenly, the intercom crackled to life.
“Don’t tell me the storm made you five days late! You could’ve gotten here before it hit,” a voice accused unexpectedly.
Jenna turned to Lenata, wondering what in the universe he was talking about, but Lenata looked just as puzzled. “I think you have me confused with someone else,” she said, leaning toward the box.
“My larvae are practically starving, I haven’t had enough trays to support them, but you should have just waited till tomorrow. I don’t want the delivery in the middle of the night!”
Starving larvae? Had Jenna heard him right?
“I’m sorry,” Lenata placated. “I didn’t come from the village, so I don’t have your order.”
There was a pause. Jenna wondered if the man would send them away. But when he spoke again, he only sounded bewildered himself. “Yeah, I guess you’re not dressed right for the village. But you’re a Roran, ain’t you? You look familiar,” the voice said.
Jenna shivered. She couldn’t see a camera, but somehow this man was staring right at Lenata. Did he feel threatened?
“We met a few years back,” Lenata said. Her voice was timid. “You helped me leave the village, remember?”
The man Jenna assumed was Kip was silent for a long pause. Then he finally spoke again. “Aye, now I remember. The Roran girl with the nasty husband. Needed to get away. What’re you doing back here, then?”
“It’s a long story. But we need help,” she said.
“What kind of help?” He was suspicious now.
“A place to stay for a night. Some food, if you have enough to share,” Lenata said simply.
“I’ll have to scan you,” he warned.
“No problem.”
There was another pause. “Fine. But you’ll have to go around to the back. Can’t get in on this side until I have time to get rid of that pit-awful tree.”
Lenata crooked a finger at them and then headed around the corner of the house. Jenna put her arm around Kendra’s shoulder and started after her. In front there was a clear path, but on the side of the house the vegetation grew all the way up to the foot of the walls, and, in some cases, up the walls, coating them in a faintly glowing yellow fuzz. Jenna tried to stamp down the ferns a bit for Kendra, and they pushed their way through. Hopefully there were no snakes or rodents or anything else in the brush that would end up underfoot.
When they made it to the small clearing at the back, Jenna stared at the house in bewilderment. There were no doors or windows here either. How exactly did Kip plan to let them in? Did he have a door set so flush and tight in the wall that it was invisible? That seemed unlikely.
Suddenly, a loud hissing sounded from the clearing, and Jenna startled, looking wildly around for the source of the mechanical noise. “Look, Mommy, what’s that?” Kendra asked, pointing off to the side of the clearing. A circular disk was lifting off the ground, leaving a dark hole underneath. Jenna glanced at Lenata, who had turned to face the hole expectantly. She switched off her torch and stuck it in the side pocket of her jumpbag.
A head started to emerge from the hole, a man with a wild bush of hair sticking straight up. He wore goggles of some kind, and Kendra shrank behind Jenna. He crawled completely out of the hole and stood straight up, unfolding his long body. He was tall and thin, with spindly legs encased in a tight-fitting shiny fabric that only accentuated his bony appearance. He pulled his goggles up to his forehead and squinted at Lenata.
“Well, you look different. Like a Raviner. What made you come back? Pinin’ for the jungle?”
Lenata gestured in Jenna’s direction. For the first time, Kip looked their way. He glanced briefly at Kendra clinging to her waist, and then he stared at Jenna’s face for so long that it started to grow awkward.
“Like I said, it’s a long story. Once we get inside, I’ll tell you about it,” Lenata promised.
“I’ll need to scan ya first,” Kip stated warningly. He fumbled at his waist, pulling out some kind of handheld scanner. Jenna glanced at Lenata in alarm, but she just stood there; if anything, she looked resigned, like this was only to be expected. Kip walked close to Lenata first and started near her feet with the small wand. In his other hand he held some kind of electronic display, probably wirelessly connected to the wand. He reached Lenata’s head and then nodded, turning without a word and striding to Jenna and Kendra. Jenna pulled Kendra even closer. Was he scanning them for weapons? For disease?
Kip held the wand near their feet, traveling up to Jenna’s and Kendra’s legs at the same time. When he reached the top of Jenna’s head, he frowned at his display, running the wand back down. Jenna’s eyes dropped to Kendra, who was staring wide-eyed at the wand, either in horror or fascination. Probably fascination, if she knew her daughter.
When he finished, Kip stood up straight and stared at them thoughtfully, his gaze flicking between both Kendra and Jenna. He tapped his lip, as if unable to come to a decision. Finally, he crooked a finger at them.
“Come inside,” he invited at last. “It’s damp in the tunnel, had a bit a floodin’ in there, but the pump’s been running all evening.” He turned and strode away, disappearing back down the hole.
Lenata waved Jenna forward. She shifted the jumpbag’s weight and then trudged warily in the direction of the hole, Kendra following close behind. She reached the edge and looked down. A metal tube dropped down into the ground. It had a heavy-looking metal lid that had to open and close using some kind of hydraulic system. Jenna could see the struts. There were metal rungs attached to the side of the tube; a faint green glow came from the bottom. It must lead down to the tunnel Kip had been talking about, she decided. Kendra leaned around her, trying to see down into the darkness.
Those metal rungs were going to be murder to manage with legs that were threatening to give out any second. She looked briefly at her daughter, who stared back at her with wide, terrified eyes. Kendra was not a fan of tiny enclosed spaces—would she even be willing to climb down?
Lenata strode up next to her. “Well? What are you waiting for?” she demanded impatiently.
Jenna stifled a retort. She wasn’t sure she owed Lenata anything; the woman claimed to have saved their lives, but in Jenna’s book, the jury was still out on that one. They were stranded in the middle of the rainforest. She wasn’t sure their circumstances had improved all that much. Still, it wouldn’t help matters to alienate her, so she answered in a carefully neutral tone. “I was just trying to figure out how to get down
the ladder without falling. I’m not sure I have the strength.” Lenata heaved an exasperated sigh and yanked at Jenna’s jumpbag until it came off her shoulder. “I guess you can stay up here,” she grunted. Holding the second bag with one arm, she stepped down onto the ladder. She quickly descended, using only one hand to hold on to the rungs while gripping the second jumpbag with her other.
“Go ahead, Kendra,” Jenna encouraged. “Be careful. The rungs might be wet and slippery.”
“I don’t want to do this, Mommy,” she whimpered. “I don’t want to go in there.”
“Sorry, sweetheart,” Jenna said wearily. “I don’t think we have a choice. But I’ll be down there right after you. Maybe there will be something to eat.” Kendra’s eyes lit up hopefully, and she looked down the ladder.
After a long minute of Kendra trying to gather her courage, Lenata’s voice echoed up the tunnel. “Are you coming or not?” she snapped from somewhere far below. “Kip’s about to shut the hatch.” Jenna nudged Kendra gently, and Kendra gulped before stepping into the hole. Jenna followed, her sore legs stiff and uncooperative. The ladder took her much longer than it took the other two, but she finally touched the tunnel floor. The hydraulic lid hissed and started to close. Kendra stared overhead, her breathing started to come faster.
“We’re trapped,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“No, it’s just a secret door, locking everyone out. It will keep us safe from the bad guys,” Jenna said conspiratorially. Then she herded Kendra before her into the dim tunnel, hoping she had told the truth. Peering ahead, Jenna just caught a glimpse of Lenata disappearing around a corner about ten meters away in the same direction the faint green light came from. She took a deep breath and started forward, nudging Kendra ahead. Every so often there were puddles of murky water on the floor, and though Kendra usually jumped over them, Jenna had to trudge straight through, since with her stiff legs she couldn’t do more than shuffle forward at this point. Her borrowed boots were waterproof, but the water splashed up and soaked her legs. After all the rain in the forest, though, it hardly mattered. She could hear Kendra chanting to herself, something like “I’m not trapped.” Her breathing was loud and panicky. Jenna hoped Kendra could hold it together a little bit longer.
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