by Casey Hays
He picks up a tiny pebble with his over-sized hand and bounces it up and down in his palm.
“We thought he’d been lost out in the wilderness somewhere all this time. Or dead. When he finally showed up, we couldn’t imagine what had happened to him, and he wasn’t talking. He was in bad shape, close to death, and he wouldn’t tell anyone a thing about where he’d been, how he’d survived. Not even his parents. But then, one day, right out of the blue . . . .”
He pauses. I raise my brows expectantly.
“He mentioned you.”
His eyes rest on me, and it takes me a moment to find my voice.
“I—I asked him not to tell anyone about my village,” I say.
“Why?”
I study the dirt, as if it’s going to somehow magically teach me the words I should say. I don’t want to tell Jesse about my home. I remember how Ian reacted at first. Someone else should tell Jesse. Or maybe he doesn’t ever need to know at all. I scoop up a handful of pebbles and drop them one by one back to the ground.
“We are very private here.” I keep my voice even. “We—we don’t like to interact with outsiders.”
“So that’s why it’s such a big deal that we’re here?”
“Yes.”
“I haven’t seen any dudes around here.”
“Dudes?”
“Yeah. Boys. Men. All I’ve seen are women.”
“Oh,” I nod in understanding. “Our village is mostly women.”
I chew on my lip, hoping he doesn’t ask anything more. Wishful thinking.
“Where are your men?”
I cringe and look away. Jesse will not understand our system, and I don’t know how to reveal it and ward off his scrutiny at the same time. I fear he will judge us for how we treat our men. I don’t want to bring trouble on my people even if I don’t believe our way of thinking is just. I piece my words carefully.
“There have never been too many men in the Village,” I say, keeping my eyes on the horizon. “It’s the way it’s always been.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t see any men.”
I swallow. “They’re . . . around. We just—the women are in charge.”
“Really? Interesting.” He thinks for a minute. “So this Mona lady? She’s the real one in charge, right?”
I nod.
“And she does this to you a lot?” He gestures toward my swollen and bruised face. “Uses your face like a punching bag?”
“A punching bag?”
He raises a curious brow. “It’s a heavy bag, made out of leather usually, that hangs from a rope. You put these special gloves over your hands, and you hit it with your fists, like this.” He demonstrates with strange circular movements, and I laugh. He smiles and shrugs, lowering his hands. “It teaches you defensive techniques. It’s good target practice, too, in case you ever need it.”
I don’t understand everything he says, but I can relate to the analogy. Mona’s fists I am familiar with.
“I guess I get in her way a little bit more than I intend to.” I shrug it off hoping by this to make the gravity of the beatings less pronounced.
“Does she hurt other girls?”
And Layla is alive in my memory followed by Meg. “She has. Yes.”
“And she’s hurt you because of Ian.”
It’s a statement, not a question, so I don’t answer. He already knows.
I study Jesse. His quiet personality is comforting. He’s not so curious that I’ve had to reveal much, and he seems to understand without long explanations. I am grateful.
“As soon as we can get them out of that pit, we’ll pack up and get out of here.” He glances at me. “I’ll drag Ian all the way back to Eden if I have to, but we’re leaving. We’re already cutting it close anyway.”
“Cutting it close?”
“Yeah,” He looks away. “We just need to get home.”
I don’t question him further. The sun is setting, and after dark, whether Mia has returned with news or not, I will go to Ian.
Chapter 30
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18
I see Mia’s tall, slim frame just as the last few rays of light are fading over the mountain. She moves quickly along the edge of the path close to the brush. As she draws near, I spring to my feet and squat low, watching the path with her for any signs of danger. Jesse bolts upright, his body tensed defensively, ready to pounce.
“What is it?”
“Mia,” I tell him.
I stand up out of my hiding place just enough for her to see me. She rushes over, climbs in behind the bushes and kneels beside me. I grasp her hands, anxiously searching her face in the darkness.
Her eyes are full of manic fright, and when they fall on Jesse, they grow even more anxious . . . two sizes larger.
“I know,” I smile. “He’s big. Jesse, this is Mia.”
Jesse bounces two fingers off the tip of his cap in salute to which Mia does not respond. Neither one of them speaks.
“Did you find out anything?”
Mia rips her gawking eyes away from Jesse, who resumes surveying the Pit. She is agitated, and her words are a hurried, nervous whisper.
“They are planning an execution in the morning. For all the prisoners. First light. There will be a reward for anyone who spots the escaped intruder and reports it.” Her eyes flit toward Jesse and back at me. “There’s a reward for you, too.”
“Oh?” I can’t help myself. I smile. “And how much am I worth to Mona? A whole week chore-free?”
“Kate!” Mia slaps at me, exasperated. “This is serious. Stop joking.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ve been hiding in bushes all day. That can make you a little crazy.” I put on my serious face again. “Why has no one come here to look for me?”
“No one wants to find you.”
I sit back on my heels, surprised.
“They are saying you’ve been a nuisance since your birthday, and you must be the reason for Layla’s baby. They can’t understand why Mona hasn’t rid the Village of you yet, and they don’t think she’ll execute you this time.”
Mia pauses and gazes at me while I digest her words. Any sentiment that I was once a type of hero for the women vanishes with her words.
“To be honest,” Mia continues. “I don’t understand, either. Anyone else would be dead by now. The women are hoping you’ll simply disappear.”
“I suppose Mona has her reasons for keeping me alive,” I say this with no emotion. “Perhaps she likes having a steady punching bag.”
Jesse chuckles behind me, and I smile, feeling daring again. Mia only frowns, not understanding.
“Kate. Tell the truth. You have to know why Mona hasn’t killed you after all this trouble with Ian.”
I pause in thought. Perhaps I should tell her. And why not? I’ve defied Mona at every other turn. I rest my eyes on her worried gaze, etched with so much anxiety it’s a wonder she’s not trembling from it. She waits for my answer, close to tears, and my heart thumps with the burden I bear. The weight of the Village and all its troubles hangs over me like a noose I can’t escape.
And with that image clouding my mind, the temptation to tell her flees as quickly as it had come. I sigh. It is my affliction and no one else’s. It could be several years before I take my place—twenty or thirty even—and this only if I survive this night. And if I live, and Mona lets me return to my life, I have no desire for anyone to know what my future holds. I want, simply, to be Kate, one inconspicuous villager among many. I have no desire for fame of any kind.
“No one can predict Mona’s actions, Mia. We’ve known this all our lives.”
She nods tensely, her eyes scouring our surroundings.
“What about Jesse?” I ask.
Mia swallows and peers fearfully at Jesse around my shoulder. He locks eyes with her once and scowls when she doesn’t look away soon
enough.
“They are scared of him,” she whispers. “Most of the women who were in the Village at the time saw Mona and the others dragging him through in a net. They believe he is a giant monster. No one will leave the Village.” Her frightened eyes dart toward Jesse.
“But some are looking?”
Mia nods. “Only the guards who are not watching the perimeter. Mona ordered them to search the entire area. They are sweeping all of our land starting in the north. They just haven’t come this far yet.”
I blink. What fortune! This could be my chance to reach Ian.
“How long before they get here?”
Mia shrugs and examines the sky. It will be completely dark soon. “They might have stopped for the night. They can’t see anything now. But—”
“But what?”
“Mona is coming here tonight,” Mia whispers frantically. “I overheard her and Tara speaking. She wants to talk to Ian before she kills him.”
Mia’s words hit me like one of Mona’s fists. For a minute, I can’t breathe—can’t take precious air back into my deflated lungs.
Eden is special.
And now, Ian will die, and Mona has specific reasons for why she wants him dead that have nothing to do with a runaway mate. I glance at Jesse’s perfect face where there were fresh injuries just this morning. And I realize in this moment Mona will have her way, even if she must kidnap or kill to do so, and Ian and his friends are somehow tied to it.
A panic surges through me suddenly, and I jump to my feet. Time is running short. If he’s going to die, I have to see him now.
“I’m going to the Pit. Jesse?”
He’s on his feet in an instant, an exuberant smile lighting is face.
“Finally, some action,” he says.
He stretches to his full height, which surprisingly seems even taller than before. Mia’s astounded face is turned up to him. He must look enormous from where she sits. Her voice is shaky.
“You’re going into the Pit? Are you insane?”
“Probably. Yes. But it could be my last time to see him alive . . . or my only chance to save him. Either way, I’m going.”
Mia grasps my hand. “Please don’t do this. Don’t go. You need to get out of her, Kate!”
I wrench free and place my hands on both of Mia’s shoulders. “Listen. Mona will not let me continue to defy her. Her patience is running thin where I’m concerned. So this is a risk I must take before it’s too late.”
In my heart, I know it is more than this. It’s a drive, a need deep inside that draws me to Ian. Perhaps it is the overwhelming panic of knowing his death might be near—and mine as well. Or it’s an urge to somehow save him because I have never before felt anything close to what I feel for him. But something pulls me to the Pit. He is there. And so I have to be there also.
Mia releases a heart-wrenching sob. I wrap my arms around her.
“You are the best friend I’ve ever had, Mia. If I don’t survive this, I want you to remember that forever.”
“Forever,” Mia whispers nodding. She flings her arms around my waist and squeezes. I let her hold on a while longer, absorbing her friendship and all the memories we’ve built, before I free myself. I would not have survived as long as I have without her help. And as angry as she can make me at times and despite her missteps, she’s proven her friendship. With one last reassuring look, I follow Jesse.
>--->
Jesse drops the ladder quietly, his eyes scanning the Pit below. In the darkness, we can see nothing, but the jailers inevitably lurk somewhere. Mona has not left the cages unattended. We scurry down the ladder.
Jesse walks in front of me like a protective shield: big, bold and intimidating. I’m extremely grateful for him, and his presence lessens my fears. He casts me a cautious look, warning me to stay close. I sense that I shouldn’t be here at all. I should have let him come alone. If we both get caught, the rescue mission is over.
But I can’t stay away another minute. I have to make sure Ian is not hurt.
The cages are made of silvery metallic bars and as we draw nearer, I see that they are very different than bamboo. It’s odd to see so much metal in one place. I’d learned about different kinds of metals in my school lessons as a child and even held small, broken pieces of it. Mostly we were taught that metal is destructive, that it was used in harmful ways during the war to the detriment of this world. But this doesn’t look as destructive as it does confining, and I wonder briefly if there is harm in that as well.
There are no jailers in sight. My defenses are triggered instantly, and I can’t help but think again that this has to be a trap. I stay close to Jesse.
Justin is in the first cage. He’s lying on his back, his hands tucked behind his head, staring at the top of the cage. He’s jumps to his feet the minute he sees Jesse.
“Dude! Am I glad to see you! We thought you were dead!” His words are barely above a whisper, but I hear the relief in them.
“Nah. Close though.”
Jesse moves nearer the cage. They talk in hushed whispers while I inspect the cages. In reality, it’s one large, square cage sectioned into four separate cells, each one about the size of the caves. All four are connected to each other in the center by one corner, and the inside walls are a cross-section of solid metal rather than bars so that Ian and his friends can’t see each other and can barely hear each other through its thickness. I’m amazed, and I can’t imagine how such a large and unusual structure was constructed without the villagers noticing.
I skirt around to the other side and peer into the next cage. Ian sits against the back wall, one arm resting loosely over one propped up knee. He scrambles to his feet at the same moment I spot the jailer charging toward me from the backside of the cages.
“Hey, girl!”
I spin around just in time to see an object raised above her head and poised to crash down on top of mine. I raise my hands in defense. She moves closer, a huge wall of a woman ready to end me. I hear a scream, and it takes me a moment to realize it’s me. I shrink back against Ian’s cage, waiting for the blow.
It never comes. There’s a crunch, but amazingly, it’s not my skull shattering across the dirt. Metal cages rattle violently, and I open my eyes to see Jesse, sitting on the ground, the unconscious jailer pinned beneath him. He wrenches the hammer from her clenched fist and stands, kicking her hard in the ribs. She groans and lies still.
My breathing comes in heavy gasps. I move my hands to my throat protectively. Ian reaches for me through the tight bars, and I twist around to face him, letting the feel of his hands against my cheeks steady my shaking.
“Thanks, man.” He glances at Jesse who stands a few feet away, the hammer in his hand. Jesse smiles.
“That felt good,” he says, flipping the hammer into the air once and catching it by the handle again. “And I thought we were mutants. That was one scary-big woman.”
Ian laughs. His hands hold my face. I rest my forehead against the cold metal bars.
“Kate,” he whispers, kissing my forehead tenderly. “You’re all right. You’re fine.”
“I’m fine,” I repeat, my voice raspy. I wrap my fingers around his wrists and cling to them. “They are planning to execute you tomorrow. First light. We have to get you out.”
I step back and examine the bars, shaking once to test their sturdiness. I pull at the lock.
Ian looks skeptical. “That’s not gonna happen. Mona did her homework.”
“What do you mean?”
I’m still holding the lock. He looks at Jesse, and understanding flashes between them.
“Titanium,” Jesse says knowingly. He scans our surroundings for more jailers.
“Even the locks are made of titanium,” Ian says. “The only thing getting us out of here is a key.”
“You’ve tried then?” Jesse steps up to the bars and grabs hold. He pulls with all his weight. Nothing happens, as I expected. I look at Ian.
“He thinks he can break
these bars?”
“He knows he can’t now.”
I’d seen Jesse break bamboo stalks like they were nothing and crash clean through a wall, but it was only a wooden structure. It was impressive, but I can’t imagine what would make him think he could break a metal lock.
Jesse is walking away, moving toward one of the caves carved into the sides of the Pit. I pull away from Ian and hurry to catch up with him.
“Where are you going?”
“I just want to check out these gates. See what they’re made of. What are all these for anyway?” He sweeps his hand around the Pit at the other caves and keeps walking.
“Bamboo. They’re made of bamboo.” I wring my hands. “Let’s go back to Ian.”
“Bamboo? Piece of cake.” He reaches the first gate, and with one stroke, he rips it from its hinges. “See?”
“Yes, Jesse. I know. You are very strong.” My eyes widen in terror.
If anything is destructive, it’s Jesse. I scramble into the cave, sweeping my eyes through the room. No one is here. This one, gratefully, is empty. With a relieved sigh, I emerge quickly.
Jesse, let’s—” I stop mid-sentence. Jesse has already pulled the gates off of three more empty caves and is working on the fourth.
“This is some set up you have here, Kate. It’s like a regular prison. Is this were you keep all the intruders?”
“Not quite,” I mumble under my breath. I helplessly watch him yank the gate free and fling it behind him. It clatters against the ground loudly. Wincing, I glance over my shoulder at the barracks just as the door swings open and another jailer steps out.
“Jesse—” His name has barely escaped my lips when I see his wide eyes. And then I see what he sees. This cave is not empty.
“What the—?”
He’s staring into the mouth of the cave. And staring back at him is one of the stock—and not just any one. I can only assume it is Bruce. Big and hairy, he heavily trudges out of his cell. He scans the area. He looks once at Jesse, then turns and saunters off into the darkness. I watch in horror as he disappears from sight.
