Thank you. I can’t believe we did it. We are a great team.
“You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to get out of there.” I add. I tell Millie a short version of our adventure at the library. Millie seems distracted and keeps looking around us, searching the lengthening shadows for something. “Millie, did you hear me?” I say. “I had to throw a chair to break the window.” Millie looks at me and I can tell she hasn’t taken in my words.
“I’m sorry Chris. I’m sure there will be lots of time to go over what happened on our ride home. The sun is getting lower in the sky. We need to leave the city now.”
“Everything okay, Millie?”
“We really need to make a move. One of my connections told me that Yanx and the army are planning to move through the city tonight. They’re likely travelling in the same direction as us and I want to keep ahead of them.”
“Yanx is one of the gang leaders, right?”
“One of the worst.”
It doesn’t take long to get our things together. I slide the books carefully into my tunic pockets and Delphine does the same. We walk briskly back along the outskirts of Central Forest and reach the river as the sun touches the horizon. Dusk is almost upon us. Millie recovers the wooden platform from where she hid it earlier and we walk further upstream to avoid being swept back to the bridge. Delphine looks at the platform with concern.
Can’t we pay for a bridge crossing now? I’m worried about damaging the books.
“We still have nothing to trade,” says Millie.
What about the extra books that Chris took?
I pull the two books from my coat. One is titled Encyclopedia Britannica Junior Edition, and the other is titled Catcher in the Rye. I flick through Catcher in the Rye. It’s about someone called Holden. I open the Encyclopedia which is a reference book filled with colored pictures and writing on many subjects. My fingers trace the illustrations. The images are so exotic, so unfamiliar. I want to keep the Encyclopedia so I hand over Catcher in the Rye to Millie. It seems the least valuable of the two books. She looks at it dubiously.
“This is probably worth two hundred times what a bridge crossing would cost us. I don’t think we should trade it.”
But what if the other books are ruined? Then the mission will have been for nothing!
“We’ll be careful. Honestly, this could save our lives one day. Let’s keep it.”
We discuss the worth of the book for a few minutes. Delphine is insistent that we cross at the bridge but Millie wins out in the end. As a concession, she builds an even taller platform with branches to keep the books from getting wet, and then we wrap the books carefully in our plastic rain covers.
The water is still cool and the last of my warmth is whisked away on the current. We all kick carefully, safeguarding our precious cargo from the murky depths below, and make it across without incident.
After pulling ourselves on to the bank, I notice smoke rising from behind us. I climb a nearby tree to get a better view of what is happening back at the city.
“There are fires burning all over the city,” I yell down. Millie tells Delphine then calls me to come down.
“What’s going on?” I ask breathlessly as I re-join them on the ground.
“It’s Yanx. The army has reached the city.” I realize with surprise that she is scared. Her voice is hoarse and her face looks anxious and worn. “Basically, they’ll pillage the city, taking whoever and whatever they want, and then move on. I pray for those women and children. Yanx is just too strong. They control everything around here. None of the other gangs will challenge them. We will have to ride through the night I’m afraid. We can’t risk them catching up to us.”
Delphine and I nod our agreement.
“They won’t come as far as my father’s place,” continues Millie, “and even if they do, we are well protected. Father has built an underground cellar that’s virtually impenetrable and we can hide in there with the dogs until they pass. We’ve nothing of real value except the wine, which we store underground anyway.”
Delphine is still nodding, but she is shivering now. There is no warmth left in the sun so our chances of drying out are slim. She must be as tired and hungry as I am.
“What about food?” I ask.
“My friend who has been watching the horses will feed us, now let’s go.”
Millie’s fear is infectious and despite our exhaustion we somehow summon the reserves we need. Our clothes are damp and our spirits are low, but we press on. Delphine and I hold the books close to us, wrapped tight against the damp.
We found what we came for.
Chapter Seven
Millie, once again, leads the way through the forest. We follow her, one weary step after the other. The sun eventually sets against the smoky haze and darkness settles uneasily around us. A wolf howls, and a shiver runs down my spine. Millie tightens her hold on her crossbow and I adjust my grip on the shotgun.
We cross a small stream and follow Millie as she heads towards a rocky outcrop. She enters a cavernous opening carved into the rock face and is about to plunge into the darkness when she realizes Delphine and I have paused at the entrance. Millie beckons us. I shrug and go in ahead of Delphine. Once inside, we walk single file: me holding on to Millie and Delphine holding on to me.
The blackness engulfs us. I cannot even see my feet. One hand holds firmly onto Millie and the other I hold out in front of me, feeling the edge of the cave as we proceed. Delphine clutches the back of my tunic tightly. The rock is rough and cool, almost damp.
The cave wall curves to the left and then I sense the horses! I reach out, unseeing, and find a muscular flank. I let go of Millie and inhale the dusty, grassy smell. I don’t know if it’s Lucky but I whisper his name.
Next thing, I hear Millie knocking on something wooden and a door opens. Light floods the cave, blinding me until my eyes adjust. We are standing in a huge space. The horses are tethered to a purpose-built rack that has a food and water trough. I’m so grateful they are here. Along the wall we’ve just walked beside is a series of grooves at hand height leading to the timber door that’s just opened. I look back the way we came and the entrance is not visible. It’s the perfect hiding place.
The silhouette of a large man stands in the doorway and Millie embraces him. We’re ushered through into a large stone room that’s lit by candlelight. The room is warm and a fire is burning in one corner. Someone has cut a chimney into the rock. I take a moment to appraise our host; he is dark-skinned and handsome, with white teeth and a welcoming smile. We shake hands and he kisses Delphine on the cheek. He introduces himself as Patrick.
I take a seat next to Delphine at the round dining table by the fire. I’m grateful for the warmth. Patrick’s home is humble but well kept. I notice his bed in the corner is neatly made, and the floor is remarkably clean. The comforting aroma of fresh bread and a pot of stew bubbling on the fire make my stomach growl loudly. I cough to cover the sound but only Delphine looks at me curiously. Patrick and Millie are sitting at a small wooden table at the side of the room, unaware of anyone but the other, holding each other’s hands tightly.
“I’m so glad you made it back, Millie. I’ve been desperately worried all day,” says Patrick. He runs his hand over his hair in what seems an anxious gesture. Millie strokes his arm and I turn away from them, not wanting to intrude.
“You worry every time, and every time I make it back fine.”
“I wish you had let me come with you.”
“It was too dangerous with Yanx and the army around. You know they’d target you,” she replies.
Millie seems to remember we are here and turns to explain. “Patrick used to run with one of the mainland gangs.” Her voice is somber. “He’s out now, but his former gang is an ally of Yanx.”
Patrick rolls up his sleeves to show off the decorative tattoos that cover his arms. “If any of Yanx's people found me and discovered I was a deserter, they’d kill me on the spot.”
&n
bsp; I want to ask him about the gangs but Delphine hands Millie a note before I have time to speak. Millie reads out the note: “How did you meet?” They smile at each other.
“She found me swimming by the river and couldn’t keep her hands off me,” he jokes. Millie turns a bright red and we all laugh. I want to know the true story but they both seem unwilling to share. Delphine catches my eye and winks. We’ll try to get the details out of Millie later.
“Will you stay the night?” he asks hopefully. I smile and nod.
“We can’t, Yanx has already reached the city. I want to stay ahead of them and I must warn my father they are on the way,” says Millie, her face ashen in the candlelight.
“Yanx is already here. Why didn’t you say?” Patrick looks worried and jumps to his feet. “Millie, you must leave now.”
I sigh audibly and rub my aching legs. My weariness is all-consuming.
Patrick pulls out two loaves of bread and some salted fish and wraps them up. I stare longingly at the stew. “I’ll saddle the horses and fill up water bladders for you,” Patrick says, bustling around the small room.
My stomach rumbles at the sight of the food. “Couldn’t we just stay here one night?” I ask.
Patrick shakes his head; the worry and fear is clear on his face. “It’s not safe. You need to stay ahead of them. My place is well hidden but they could still discover it. If you’re found with me, it will be death for all of you.” He looks at Millie with deep affection. “It’s a risk I’m not prepared to take.”
I contemplate telling the girls to go on ahead while I stay with Patrick but I can’t imagine that would please either of them. Instead, I catch Patrick’s arm as he passes and say in a low voice: “Patrick, can I please have something to eat before we leave?”
Patrick laughs good-naturedly and tears me off a hunk of bread and passes each of us a bowl of stew. We eat without pause where we stand while Patrick collects our water and loads up the horses.
Patrick pulls Millie into a tight embrace and kisses her on the forehead. I can’t help but watch. Patrick whispers something in Millie’s ear. When I look at Delphine, she is watching them too.
I remember Delphine’s bleeding hand and I help her off with her coat. There’s a small wound on her forearm. It’s not serious but I apply some healing balm and then kiss her wrist softly. She smiles.
Sooner than I’d like, we are preparing to start our ride. Delphine passes a note to Patrick, and he kisses her cheek and thanks her. We shake hands and he clasps my arm with his other hand. It feels familiar and comfortable and I’m overcome with gratitude for Patrick’s hospitality. Next thing I know, we are on the horses and waving goodbye.
It’s early evening now and a few stars are visible through the forest canopy. We ride quickly and silently. Punctuating the usual cacophony of the night are the sounds of Yanx's people advancing behind us. These are loud, unfamiliar, terrifying noises that slice the serenity of the night open wide.
“Is this smoke from Yanx?” I say to Millie. The air is now hazy with smoke; it obscures the stars above us.
“Yes, they are getting closer. We must stay ahead.” Millie passes bread around as we ride and—still hungry, I devour it quickly.
We manage a good pace and the sounds of the army slowly fade away. Millie thinks we’ve put enough distance between us so we make camp and get an hour of rest. As soon as I lay down, sleep overtakes me. Then Delphine is shaking me awake: it’s dawn already and we must ride.
I have never ridden a horse for such a prolonged period and my back and legs protest as I climb onto Lucky's saddle. Delphine and Millie both have deep circles under their eyes. I touch my face, feeling the growth along my jaw and chin. It’s been such a long time since I lay in my bed or cleaned myself properly. Not much further now, I say to myself—we’ll be home soon. We settle into a familiar rhythm as the horses continue towards the winery.
“Millie,” I call out. She slows down until we are riding next to each other. Delphine pulls ahead of us to make room on the narrow path. The forest is closely packed with towering trees. Spidery branches brush my shoulders and face as we ride side by side. Millie looks at me expectantly.
“When we were at the library, I think one man recognized your quarrel,” I tell her. Millie curses. I notice Delphine looking over her shoulder at us.
“Are you sure?” she asks. I nod. “What did he look like?”
“He had that tattoo on his skull, you know—the same tattoo as the man that stole our gold.”
“He’s a Runner,” she says to herself softly.
“What’s a Runner?”
“Never mind.”
“What do you mean, ‘never mind’”? I ask, my voice rising louder than I intended. Delphine has her back to us now and hasn’t seen me speak. “Surely I’ve earned an explanation, after everything we’ve been through.” I stare at her, willing her to speak.
“Chris, this situation is so much more complicated than you could imagine.”
“You could at least try,” I say.
She sighs. “Things on the mainland are very different to the island.”
“So you’ve said.”
“Do you remember that boat you saw on the way to New York City, the one with the lights? That boat belongs to Yanx. The Runners are one of the main gangs in New York City and they’ve aligned themselves with Yanx. That’s the gang that Patrick used to run with.”
“Patrick ran with Yanx?”
“No,” she says. I can hear the annoyance in her voice and try not to take it personally. “He was with the Runners.”
“Why doesn’t he have the skull tattoo?”
“He does. He’s grown his hair to hide it.”
“Right, so how did they recognize your quarrel?”
“I had a wine trade with them that turned bad. One man, well… let’s just say he wanted more from me than what we agreed for the trade. He put me in a bad situation and I shot and killed him with my crossbow.” Millie’s voice betrays no emotion as she relates her story. “They’ll be looking for me to exact revenge.”
I remember the man who stole our gold. “So the man that robbed us, he recognized you too, didn’t he?” I ask.
“Yes, I think so.”
I’m listening to Millie when suddenly Delphine’s horse rears up. Millie and I both call out simultaneously as Delphine falls to the ground. Thankfully, she rolls out of the path of Lucky's hooves. I pull on the reins and Lucky skitters to a stop. Millie rides after Delphine’s horse as it crashes away through the forest. She disappears from sight between the ancient, moss-covered trunks.
“Millie!” I call after her. There’s no reply. She must be too far away to hear me. Delphine is lying on the ground and I quickly check her over for serious injuries. She brushes my hands away and smiles at me. I’m relieved that she is unharmed.
I’m helping Delphine to her feet when there is a loud growl. I turn towards the noise and there is a beast towering above us. It has a wide-open mouth with teeth sharper than the devil.
Time slows down as the beast rears up on its hind legs. A loud rumble erupts from its throat and I take in the details of its fangs and claws and its matted brown fur.
What is it? Is it a huge, rabid dog?
I’m frozen, watching the animal, when I notice Delphine scramble backwards and feel the tug of her arm. My face meets hers, and her eyes say: run!
We turn and bolt, scrambling over fallen logs and bracken, our weight crushing decades of decaying mulch. I can sense the beast close behind us but I daren’t glance back.
Suddenly there is an intense pain in my leg and then I am flat, face first, on the forest ground. I’m vaguely aware of something hard poking into my stomach and the sound of screaming. Everything swims into focus and I realize it’s me that’s yelling. I look at my leg and see the beast’s terrible jaws locked on my calf. I kick; trying to free myself but the pain is too severe. Instinctively I lay still and cover my face with my arms.
Th
en, inexplicably, my leg is free.
I brace myself for another attack, but it doesn’t come. Delphine has her arms around me. Her tears and fingers are on my face. She kisses me and then helps me roll over. The beast is nowhere to be seen. My left leg is bleeding and I slowly peel back my trouser leg. There is too much blood to assess the wound so I take my tunic off and tie it tightly around my calf, hoping to stem the bleeding.
“What happened?” I ask Delphine. “Has the beast gone?” Delphine pulls out her book.
After you became still, it just turned and ran off.
“What was that thing?” I ask her. Delphine opens her eyes wider and shakes her head. “Do you know what direction Millie went? We have to find her.” Delphine shakes her head again.
“Millie!” I yell. “Millie, we’re here.” My voice echoes loudly through the forest. I’m struck with the sudden realization that the sound of me calling out may draw the beast back to us.
Are you okay?
“I think so,” I say. “But I don’t think I can walk. My leg feels like it’s been pretty badly injured by that… thing. We need to find Millie. And Lucky.”
I’ll go search for her.
“No! Let’s stay together,” I say adamantly. I risk calling out again. “Millie! Millie, we’re here!”
I stop yelling and listen for a long moment. The sounds of the primordial forest rise to fill the space left by my words. There’s something else too. I close my eyes, trying to pick out the noise. It sounds like voices.
“I can hear something. It sounds like people.”
Delphine nods, her pupils constricting. She hears it too.
“It could be Yanx and the army. We have to move from here.”
Delphine helps me to my feet and insists I place an arm over her shoulder. I pull my bag onto my back and we shuffle slowly onwards, pausing every few steps to listen. My leg aches and I know I need to clean and dress the wound. But first we need to put space between whoever is coming and us.
Up ahead I spy an enormous fallen beech tree. Green moss and rotting leaves cover the trunk. The branches and exposed roots offer us a temporary refuge. “We should rest here,” I say, pointing to the tree.
Greenhouse Page 8
