Escape from Eden (Original Series book 2)

by Rachel McClellan

  My suspicions are confirmed when something falls from the hovercraft. A moment later a black parachute appears behind what can only be a human. It spirals fast, circling around and around. If it’s not righted soon, the landing will kill whoever hangs from those black strings.

  “It’s a drop!” someone cries. Cheers and sighs of relief fill the room.

  Jerry whistles loudly until everyone has quieted down. “Recovery team, get ready. You all know what to do. The rest of you get back to work. We can’t have you in the way.”

  The crowd shifts but doesn’t disperse. Everyone is too excited. From the bits of conversation I pick up, people are wondering if it’s a man, a woman, a Prime? They wonder what this person’s crime must’ve been to get sent to the island. Purgatory is saved for those the Institute wants to torture for life.

  In all the excitement, I’ve lost sight of Link. His parents are exiting the room, but he isn’t with them. Shoot! I turn to Max. “Can you find your way back to laundry? I have to find Link.”

  He nods. “See you later?”

  “Of course.” I peck him lightly on the forehead and hurry through the thinning crowd.

  There’s only one place Link would go. I move into the hallway and jog down the long ramp toward the side of the complex that holds all the weapons. Link was put on the recovery team when he turned nineteen a few weeks ago. I asked to join the moment I found out about it, but my request had yet to be granted, because Jerry didn't think I was ready.

  “Link!” I call when I spot him at the back of a line of people waiting for a weapon. A wide gate has been slid back to reveal a long closet full of spears, swords, bow and arrows; whatever they could make on the island. There are even several guns that have been smuggled in, but those won’t be used for a recovery trip. They will only be used if Eden ever comes under attack.

  “What are you doing here?” Link asks when I reach him.

  “I want to come.”

  He laughs. “Good luck.”

  I stand in line behind him, waiting as everyone in front of me is handed a weapon. When Link gets his, he stands to my left instead of following the others outside.

  Jerry reaches into the closet and removes a spear and a whistle hanging from string. He holds them out, but stops when he realizes who I am.. “You’re not on the recovery team.”

  I take the whistle and the spear from him. “I am now.”

  “But you haven’t been trained on what to expect outside the wall.”

  “I’ve read all the books. I know the strengths and weaknesses of every creature out there. Plus you've seen me fight." I slip the whistle necklace around my neck. "Please let me do this."

  Jerry’s gaze moves past me toward the open door. “I don’t have time for this.” He turns to Link. “Do you feel you can still do your job and watch out for her?”

  Link’s mouth opens, but it’s me that fills it with words. “Link’s the most capable person on the island. After you, of course.”

  Jerry snorts and walks by us.

  Link shoves me, but he’s sort of smiling. “Why’d you do that? I can’t watch out for you. I’ll barely be able to take care of myself!”

  I playfully shove him back. “That's reassuring.”

  Outside, Jerry is addressing the small group of about fifteen. “We stay together in pairs just like we trained. Fan out a hundred yards from each other and try to stick to the trails. Move quietly, yet quickly. No sudden movements. If you get into trouble you can’t fight your way out of, climb a tree and blow your whistle three times. Help will come. And if you hear two whistles that means return to the compound. Ready?”

  When everyone agrees in a unified cheer, Jerry turns and leads the way to the main gate jogging at a steady pace. It takes us several minutes to get there, and when we do, Jerry quietly unlocks a metal door that passes through the tall wall. He peers out first to make sure it’s clear then motions us forward. When I go past him, he gives me a stern look and shakes his head, but I’m too excited to care.

  As soon as I’m on the other side of the wall, I inhale deeply. It might be my imagination, but I swear the air smells better out here, not so stale. Even the forest around me feels more alive, as if life might spring from the rich earth at any moment. The ground is wet and teeming with all kinds of plants and trees all squished together fighting for the same space despite the cold. Vines cross in and out of each other just above our heads. There’s so much foliage that it will be about impossible to walk through without taking the time to cut through it. The Techheads who used to live on the island must've mutated many of these plants to get them to live in such cold conditions.

  Link tugs on my arm, bringing my attention back to Jerry who’s motioning with his hands. I have no idea what he’s saying, but the others seem to. Two by two, they pair off, most walking as close as they can to the wall. One pair disappears into a narrow trail that cuts through the forest in front of us. Jerry follows after them.

  Link motions me to follow him, and we go in the opposite direction away from the others. There’s barely enough space for us to walk between all the foliage and the outer wall, and even then Link has to chop vines that block our path. I can’t imagine what this place will be like when everything is in full bloom.

  Drops of water continually fall onto my head and shoulders, soaking through my light jacket. If only the mist at the tops of the trees would part, we might get some relief from all the moisture.

  A branch snaps, making me jump. “What was that?”

  “Stay quiet,” Link says and swipes at another vine.

  I move closer to him. It doesn’t help knowing the strengths and weaknesses of every creature out here if I can’t see them.

  Just ahead there’s a small clearing. Link stops when he reaches it and whispers, “This is where we go out. Watch the back and sides.”

  “Got it,” I say and follow after him, my head on a swivel.

  At one point this must’ve been a trail, but it’s all but grown in now. The ground is extra muddy here, threatening to suck my shoes off every time I take a step. Link seems to be having the same problem in front of me. He curses under his breath.

  Another branch snaps. I glance behind me and to the side, my grip tightening on the handle of the spear. Link pauses and looks around, but after a few seconds he proceeds forward.

  As far as I can tell, we are moving in the direction of where the parachute landed, more like crash landed by the way the thing was spinning. I hope they’re still alive, whoever it is.

  Link reaches up to push aside a thin and prickly plant. My brain immediately fires, and I grab his arm, stopping him.

  “That’s poisonous,” I say, my voice low.

  He glances back at me. “How do you know?”

  “I read it.”

  He mouths the word “nerd” and turns back around, smiling. Maybe I shouldn’t have stopped him.

  We go a little farther when the hairs on my arms bristle. We're being watched. I grab Link's arm and shush him before he can say anything.

  I lean up on my tiptoes and peer into the forest searching for our predator. A limb moves, then another. There’s a flash of black and orange, which could either be really good or really bad. I slowly lower to the ground to feel for a rock with my free hand, never once glancing away from the trees. My fingers latch tightly around a stone the size of my fist.

  “What are you doing?” Link whispers.

  “Syth or a vargon. Not sure yet.”

  I toss the rock into the direction of where I saw black and orange. I follow it up by beating my spear against the leaves and branches in front of me, creating as much noise as I can without actually yelling.

  Sounds, much louder than mine, grunt and squeal. I beat the trees again. Link lifts his spear and points it into the trees, his muscles rigid.

  Because we haven’t been attacked yet, I figure it’s a vargon, which resembles a black bear but is much thinner and has a distinct orange stripe that runs from head to
tail. It’s a carnivore, but a timid one. If I can frighten it enough instead of the other way around, we may just avoid a fight.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Link whispers.

  He reaches for me, but I avoid his grip and take a step into the forest. I hit my spear onto the trunk of a nearby tree and move deeper into the forest. Link comes after me.

  More snorts. I catch glimpses of the vargon’s long, black hair through thick vines and leaves. It’s swaying back and forth. I beat the branches again. This time Link joins me. The added noise frightens the creature, and it turns and disappears. I drop my shoulders and lower my head.

  “How’d you know to do that?” Link asks.

  “It was in the books my father wrote. Doesn’t anyone read those?”

  "I've read them, but I don't remember half of what's in there. Besides, we could've just fought it. I think we could’ve taken it.”

  “That’s not always the answer. Any time you can avoid a battle, you should.” I walk by him to get back on the trail. “How close do you think we are?”

  Link slips by me to take the lead again. “Hard to say. Maybe another—”

  A whistle sounds to our left. I grab Link’s arm and stop breathing. A second shrill blast whistles through the air.

  “Don’t blow,” Link whispers. “Don’t blow.”

  I’m thinking the same words in my head. The whistle blows a third time. Someone is in danger.

  4

  “Let’s go!” Link says and plows into thick overgrowth beside us, slashing his machete at branches and gnarly vines.

  I reach down and pull a knife from my boot to help him. It’s a difficult task. The branches of trees and bushes snag our hair and tear at our clothes. I ignore the sting of thorns cutting into my skin and push my way into the forest.

  A woman screams, loud and frantic She’s not far away. Link moves faster. I’m with him doing all that I can to get us through, one slash after another.

  “Help me!” she calls.

  There’s movement up ahead, leaves falling, tree limbs shaking. A flash of dark green darts in and out of the foliage. It seems to be circling something. I need a better view.

  “I’ll go to the right,” I say, separating from Link. “Take the left.”

  “Got it.”

  The forest isn’t as dense here, and I don’t have to cut my way through. Instead, I’m able to step over fallen limbs and duck beneath low hanging vines. The woman screams again. I see her now, just barely. She’s in a tall tree with more limbs than I can count attempting to climb higher, but she’s cradling one of her arms to her chest, which hinders her progress. By the look of her jacket, she's one of ours, and if I'm not mistaken, her name is Bo.

  I slip between two trees, then drop to my knees to crawl beneath a tall shrub blocking my path. A thorn snags my arm and slices into my flesh. I resist the urge to cry out, especially when the enormous creature steps directly in front of me. I freeze and cover my mouth.

  It's on all fours with its solid back to me. Its long head is pointed up toward the woman. The thing must be as big as a truck! Sharp spikes protrude from what looks a lot like a turtle shell. This is what gives the species away. It’s a tortiz, one of the first modified animals my father wrote about in his journals, probably because they are the easiest to spot on account of their size. They don't have any known natural enemies because of their tough skin and—I drop to my belly just as a long tail cuts through the branches above me—their deadly accurate tails.

  The tortiz lowers its head and rushes the tree Bo clings to, twenty feet up off the ground. It smashes into it, shaking the entire trunk. Her footing slips, but she manages to catch herself just in time.

  Where is the person Bo was partnered with? I search the ground until I spot a bloodied boot not far away. Bo is wearing both of hers so it must belong to her partner. I move the spear in front of me, my hands shaking. There’s only one way to kill this beast, and I won’t be able to do it if I can’t be accurate.

  I puff out air and force my mind and body to relax. It’s been a long time since I fought anything, and I’ve almost forgotten how much self-control it takes not to run the other direction. I think of Bo, how scared she must be. I think of her family back at the compound, two daughters. I picture their smiles. They would really miss their mom.

  These thoughts give me courage to do what needs to be done. I crawl out from the bush and point the spear at the tortiz, my hands no longer shaking.

  “Hey!” I call. If I can get its attention focused on something else, then I can get up the tree to check on Bo and hopefully find out where her partner is.

  The tortiz turns its long, turtle-like head toward me, which is about at my eye level. Its tongue flickers out from tight lips. When it takes a step toward me, I grip the spear tighter.

  Link appears at my side, breathing hard. “Trying to steal all of the fun?”

  “Nope. I saved some for you. Think you can keep this thing busy for a minute?”

  "It would be my pleasure."

  I toss my spear at the bottom of the tree and run in the direction of the tortiz, but before I get to it, I jump into the air and take hold of the nearest limb. I swing my legs up just as the tortiz lunges for me.

  “Be careful!" Link calls, before giving the tortiz his full attention.

  I scurry up and over the many limbs to Bo, mindful of where I step. The branches are wet and slippery, making this much more difficult than I anticipated. I shout back to Link, “Aim for the eyes! It’s the only way to take down this beast.”

  I reach Bo, making my way carefully across a thick limb, the closest one to her. She is sitting on the base of a broken branch, one arm wrapped tightly around the trunk, the other pressed protectively to her chest. Tears streak a path through dirt smudged on her face.

  “You okay?” I ask.

  “I think so.”

  “Where’s your partner?”

  Her eyes close tight. “The tortiz attacked us in the forest. Aleron tried to fight it off, but—” she inhales a shaky breath. “I don’t think he made it. That thing tossed him into the trees, and I ran.”

  I touch her lightly on the shoulder. “We’ll look for him. Maybe he’s okay.”

  Just then the nearly ten-foot long, spiny tail of the tortiz smashes into the tree, knocking me off balance, and I slip. A branch hits me in the back and another scrapes the side of my face. At the last second, I catch myself on a limb.

  “Quit messing around!” Link says to me just as he dives out of the way of the tortiz’s heavy tail.

  I wait for the tortiz to pass beneath me before I drop to the ground to retrieve my spear.

  “I can’t get at its eyes,” he says. He’s crouched low, shuffling his feet back and forth as he tries to maneuver into position, but no matter where he goes, the tortiz turns its body so it can have a better angle to get at Link with its tail. It swings now, barely missing him when he rolls across the ground.

  I sprint toward the back of the tortiz. When I am close enough, I stab at the thick shell. The tip of the spear doesn’t even leave a mark, but it does get its attention. The tail whips my way, but I dodge it and whirl around in the opposite direction.

  While I’m keeping it busy, Link tosses his spear. It hits just above the creature’s eye. Link curses, then curses louder when the tortiz lunges for him. With no way to defend himself, Link darts into the forest. The tortiz, who is snorting and spitting, gives chase.

  I race after them, knowing I need to be faster. Pumping my arms, I leap over a fallen tree. The tortiz’s tail bounces in front of me, crushing everything it touches. When its tail lifts, I push as hard as I can and sprint beneath it until I’m running parallel with the beast. One misstep and I will be stomped to death.

  Just before I’m pinned between a wide tree and the great beast’s side, I reach up and take hold of one of the foot-long spikes on the tortiz’s body. I use my momentum to swing up on top of its back, mindful of the spear in my other hand. As
steady as I can, I use the spikes as foot holds and crawl my way toward its head.

  “You’re going to get yourself killed!” Link yells.

  "Stating the obvious isn't helping!" I yell back. When I near the tortiz’s neck, I attempt to sit up, but this is hardly a smooth ride, and I almost fall. Whatever I do, it’s going to have to be quick.

  I grip the spear tightly and, while holding onto a spike with my other hand, maneuver into a crouched position. As soon as there’s a break in the limbs above, I straighten and shove the spear directly into its large right eye. It lets out what sounds like an almost human scream that makes me want to cover my ears, but I’ve lost my balance and am falling to the ground.

  Before I hit bottom, the tortiz turns its head directly into me and bounces me back into the air. I reach upward, grasping at whatever I can, but I only come up with a handful of leaves. On my way back down, I hit the top of the creature; one of its spikes pierces my side. I cry out and push myself away, only to end up bouncing down its shell. Before I’m sucked beneath him where I’m sure to be trampled, I take hold of another spike.

  My body continually slams against the tortiz as it presses forward, but at a much slower pace. I won’t be able to hold on much longer. The pain in my ribs is severe, and I can’t breathe.

  “Hold on!” Link says and snaps off a nearby limb in passing. He runs in front of the tortiz, then turns around and plants his feet, the long stick in his hands. His eyebrows are drawn together, and he yells a battle cry.

  Just before the tortiz reaches him, Link jumps into the air and shoves the pointy end of the broken limb directly into the creature’s good eye. It goes all the way into its skull. The force of the blow whips Link to the side, but the tortiz collapses to the ground, taking me with it. I roll a few times until I stop, gasping for every sip of air.

  “Sage!” Link calls and hurries over, jumping across the top of the tortiz’s head to get to me. He turns me onto my good side and lifts my shirt to check my wound. “That’s bad. We better get you back. Can you walk?”

  I nod my head and grimace when I try to sit up.