by Karin Dahan
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reason for her knowledge about the Scully’s. That was information she gathered for Tenebris. He wanted to know the ins and out of the Scully gang to determine if they were an actual threat to his government.
With all the information at hand, Tenebris decided to let the Scully’s continue to put fear in Hope. Their goals and mission were never grand enough to be a threat. Instead, they served a purpose. As long as the Scully’s were rulers of Hope, there would be no uprisings or political aspirations that could manifest. Adira had told us all of this with an emotionless face. Meanwhile, my blood felt like it was boiling.
Even though Adira is leading us now, I can tell she isn’t burning for the cause like the others. Her heart is not in the fight or the politics. Her emotions seem muffled in the same fog we’re now walking in towards our goal.
It takes us fifteen minutes to get to the building. It would’ve been faster if the fog wasn’t blocking our way. None of us speak the whole way there. The only noise is the frosty footsteps on the ground. I stick my hands in my pockets to avoid the freezing temperature.
I can’t believe we’re doing this. Part of me wants to turn around and wait for the crew at the shack instead. Going into the lair of the Scully’s horrifies me. But I can’t be a coward any longer, I’m done
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running away.
The brick building has two floors. The main one serves as home for the members of the crew and the second one holds all their treasures; food and guns. Trying to go in through the front door would be a suicide mission. So, instead, we are climbing the garage next to the brick building, from there gaining access to the second floor by a window. We would be in and out in a few minutes. That’s the plan at least. Adira made is sound so easy that no one questioned her. I was the only one that wanted to scream that this was total insanity. But I held my tongue. I have to be as brave as the rest of them now if I truly want to be part of this cause. If I want a change in this world.
The brown colored building blends perfectly into the trees in the background, it looks as dead and sleepy as the tree branches. Ryker puts up his fist in the air and all of us stop. We stay like that for a minute and my eyes nervously scan the area. He gives some other signals and point to what must be the garage, a few feet away. Everyone moves slower, more alert now towards where Ryker indicated.
I don’t feel the cold anymore. I’m too preoccupied looking for danger. The Scully’s must have gotten comfortable with the unquestioned power hold in the city because they don’t even have
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guards posted. Lucky for us.
“Phoenix, you keep a lookout from here,” Ryker whispers as we get to the spot where we’ll climb to the roof of the garage.
Phoenix gives a quick nod and his blue eyes are all business now. There’s no glimpse of the humor that I have gotten used to. He looks dangerous and stoic.
“You first,” Ryker motions to Boston while he gets ready to help him climb to the roof. Boston puts one foot in Ryker’s hands and easily pulls himself up. Orland is next while Boston reaches his hand down to help Gwennie. Adira just backs up slightly and with a gracious movement jumps to reach the edge, pulling herself up within a matter of seconds. They all make it look so easy and effortless.
“Ok, now it’s your turn.” Ryker walks to stand next to me, dropping his hands so I can place my foot the same way Boston did. I place one hand on Ryker’s broad shoulder and for a second my eyes get stuck in his; my body locked in place.
“You can do this,” he encourages me. He reaches down his hand to grab my right foot. I swallow hard to muster up some courage.
Ryker’s strength lifts me up and I reach out to grab Adira’s hand. I lose my balance as I throw my legs over the edge and fall to the
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rooftop with a small thud. As I look up, I see Gwennie standing next to me, giving me a deadly glare. I’m happy we need to keep quiet. Otherwise, I know she would have something nasty to say right now.
Boston and Orland help pull Ryker up, who, of course, lands smoothly on the roof, ready for any danger as soon as he is over the edge. After taking the lead, we all follow him over the smooth flat roof, moving slowly and carefully to make sure the material holds our weight. The small particles of frost on the roof glimmer in the early light and for a moment the rooftop glitters. It’s such a contrast against the hard exterior of the group. Everyone has their guns drawn. Adira is holding onto her Bo, the fighting stick she uses in combat. I feel naked not having anything in my hands. Ryker refused to let me have a gun, saying it was dangerous without proper training. But how can that be more dangerous than walking unarmed?
We reach the brick building at the side of the garage. As promised, a large window is in the perfect height for us to climb. Ryker gestures and everyone crouches towards the wall while he carefully looks in through the dirty glass. It has so many layers of filth that I don’t know how he manages to see what’s inside.
After a few minutes, he seem satisfied that it’s safe for us to
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move to the next step. This time he gestures to Orland to stay outside to keep a lookout. It’s too risky to even whisper now. When we went over the plan yesterday there was a discussion what to do with me. Adira argued that it was safer if we were at the lookout with Phoenix or even stayed on the roof with Orland. But both Ryker and Phoenix disagreed. According to them, the safest place meant me being in the largest group, which now consists of me, Adira, Boston, Ryker and Gwennie, as we climb one-by-one climb in through the rustic window. The brick building is too old to have modern locks. Once again, it seems the Scully’s are too comfortable to take precautions.
I go in after Gwennie. Ryker is on the other side to help me down smoothly. I saw that he didn’t help Gwennie so I’m guessing it’s because he doesn’t trust me to be as gracious. I hate being treated like a child in this group. But right when Ryker puts his arms around my waist my annoyance disappears. I can’t help but enjoy the closeness, it makes me feel safe. Some of his confidence and calm rubs off on me.
The room that we gain access to gives me pause. It’s far more advanced than I ever assumed possible for the Scully’s. According to Adira, the spacious second floor is divided into three rooms. The one we’re all standing in is filled with shelving units holding ammunitions
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and rows of guns hanging on the walls. There are more types than I can recognize. They are far more organized than I expected. It looks like a military room, not some holding area for a local gang. How did they get all these weapons? And what are they planning to use it on?
Boston and Ryker are already filling their bags. Boston looks like a kid in a candy store and I can tell that he’s having a tough time not talking or yelling in excitement. As planned, Adira has gone into the other room, the one with the food supplies, to make sure it’s secure.
I walk around the room in awe. Long forgotten is the order that I was strictly to stay by the window. I see some maps laying on a large table that pique my interest. I run my hands over the brown stained papers and I recognize some of the street names on the City map. This is where I used to live. My fingers linger on the place where my old home was. It feels like an eternity ago I went back there. So much has happened since.
A small noise makes me look up, Gwennie has moved into position by the door to the third room. I assume she has cleared it already. I glance behind her to peek in. Adira never mentioned what types of treasures that room held. It’s much smaller than the one we’re in. From the looks of it, it’s not nearly as organized. Gwennie grabs my
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arm as I move closer. Her thin fingers dig into me, making me flinch. She shakes her head, indicating that I’m clearly not allowed to go anywhere. I take a large step to get away from the pain she is inflicting. Her grip drops but her eyes are still on me, like a hawk watching its prey. I turn to walk back to my place by the window. But something catches the corner of my eye.
For a second, it’s like time has stopped and everything around me disappears. On the shelf far in the third room, a familiar bottle glimmers as the first rays from the sun hits it. That’s the same bottle Edward had in his apartment I was just in. My heart is beating so loudly I can hear the drumming in my ears. I walk into the room, right up to the bottle. I have to see if it’s his. Could this mean the Scully’s have captured Edward or that he was able to barter with them to get out of the City?
Questions storm in my mind. The amber liquid moves lazily in the bottle as I take it from the shelf. I remember the label Edward had. I turn the bottle to see if this one has the same. This type of whiskey is not common. I know that for sure. It’s Edward’s favorite drink and he always used to complain about how hard it was to come by. My heart skips a beat as the recognizable ship in a stormy sea meets my eyes. Just
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as I run my finger over the subdued colors, someone grabs my arm. The tight grip catches me off guard. The bottle slips through my fingers. The glass shatters on the floor making the liquid inside splash around us.
The large sound echoes in the room and my eyes met Gwennie’s. I’m surprised to see panic there. It scares me more than the noise I now hear coming from the stairways. Within seconds Scully members barge through the door, moving surprisingly fast for their body built. The next few things happen at once. Gwennie pushes me behind her as she brings up her gun and fires towards the one-eyed men that are approaching us. It makes them slow down for a second, and she keeps backing up, protecting me with her body, pushing us both towards the door. One of the Scully’s brings up his own gun to return the fire. Gwennie pushes me back and Ryker grabs me. His gun is drawn and he’s firing towards the Scully’s as well.
“GET HER OUT OF HERE!” Gwennie yells as she stands her ground. But I can see more and more Scully’s entering the room. For everyone they hit, two more appear. Adira is suddenly by my side, trying to move me towards the window.
“No, we can’t leave them.” I fight her, trying to go for the guns on the wall. I need to help. I need to do something. But Adira stops me.
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“We need to get out of here.” Her voice has the same authority Ryker use when he gives commands.
“Gwennie, come on. Back towards us,” Ryker’s yelling over the bullets. Gwennie still hasn’t moved. I can see her from the distance, her yellow hair that is usually perfectly combed behind her ears now falls around her head like a messy Gloria. And then she turns towards us, a smile covering her face. Instead of yelling, she whispers, “Get her out…Complete the mission.” Within a second, I know what she’s going to do. My whole body jumps toward her direction but Adira holds me back. No one has time to act as Gwennie swiftly closes the metal door, separating us and her. Before Ryker can push the door open, we hear the locks click in place, trapping Gwennie with the Scully’s.
“NOO!!” I yell as Adira finds the strength to carry me towards the window where she pushes me out. The rest of the crew follows, everyone moving with speed. No one says a word and I hold in my sobs as we run across the rooftop towards Phoenix.
When we jump down, we hear a hoard of Scully member exiting their front door. Their calls of rage fill the quiet air around us. Phoenix is already using his semi-automatic weapon, shooting in their direction to keep them from getting too close to us. They’re too many for us to
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outrun. We would never make it. For a split second my mind tells me to run to the forest, run away from the fighting once again. Stay alive.
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Chapter 21
I disregard the thoughts in my head telling me to run, to save myself. My mother’s last words float in my mind … Survive for me … But this time, I ignore them. I can’t leave this group again. I can’t just abandon them when they are fighting to keep me alive. When they’re all willing to die for a better future.
We hear footsteps above us. Some of the Scully’s must have made it to the rooftop of the garage. It’ll only be a few seconds before they are on top of us. “We have to run to the forest,” I yell at Ryker, trying to get his attention. But he ignores me. Instead, he sprints toward the door that leads to the garage. With one kick, the weak lock gives way and the door swings open.
“Get inside!” he yells while he brings up his gun, ready to give us cover while we all run in.
The air inside is stuffy, but the smell of gunpowder is still prominent. It stings in my nose and burns my eyes. “We should have gone towards the forest. Now we’re trapped,” I face Ryker who is busy dragging a workbench over to block the door. Why’s he trapping us in here? Does he not realize he’s just making it easier for the Scully’s?
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Adira puts a gentle hand on my arm. “Deep breaths…Remember, stay calm.” I try to focus on her voice, calming my raising heart. Right then, a loud bang comes from the door. Someone outside is forcefully trying to get it open.
“Orland, check the car,” Ryker commands. Just then, I notice the room holds two large military vehicles. I have never seen the Scully’s drive around the village. I never assumed they owned any cars. While I stand and stare, Orland is already inside one of them, busying himself with something under the steering wheel.
Another loud bang makes me jump and I see how the bench that’s holding the door moves slightly. It won’t take long until they break it. “Get in the car,” Ryker urges, keeping his gun directed towards the door now, backing up after us. We all cram into the vehicle while Orland is still working on getting it started. I sit in the middle in the backseat since I have no gun.
I can hear noises coming from the front as well. We’re surrounded.
Right then the humming of the motor fills the room. A flood of relief fills me. I think it’s the best noise I’ve ever heard.
At the same moment Orland revs up the gas, the back door
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breaks and Scully’s start firing towards us. “Get down!” Ryker yells as he returns the fire.
Adira pushes my head down while I close my eyes and crouch low. The loud gunshots ring in my ears and sweat drips from my forehead. The room vibrates with fear and death. Then, the car moves forward with a speed so strong it throws me back in my seat. The doors at the front are shattered into pieces as the car plows through them. We don’t slow down from the impact. The car is made for these things. I see Boston bringing up a device next to me and before I can even see what it is, an explosion from behind us makes me turn instinctively. The garage we were just in blows into small pieces.
“We have to turn around. We have to go back for Gwennie,” I say.
No one answers me or even looks my way. “Ryker, we have to go back. We can’t just leave her there!” Desperation claws at me thinking about what Gwennie did and what she’s now facing because of me, because of something stupid and impulsive I did.
“We can’t…” Ryker answers. His words are low and lacks his usual strength.
“What do you mean? We just have to.” He is sitting in the front
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seat and I grab his shoulder to make him turn to look at me.
“Gwennie knew what she did. She made her own choice Eddie.” My sadness seems mirrored in Ryker’s eyes and he quickly breaks away.
I look at Phoenix who’s next to me. But his gaze is stuck looking at the passing forest, his hand clench around the gun in his hands. “Phoenix …” I say trying to get him to back me up.
He doesn’t answer, he just shakes his head slightly.
“Orland, stop the car! If you guys are not going back there, I will. I will not leave her!”
Adira puts a gentle hand on my arm. “Eddie, you need to stay calm. We’re not out of danger yet. Going back there is a lost cause. We can’t risk it. More importantly, Gwennie wouldn’t want us to. She risked her life for this mission. We can’t let it be in vain.”
I lean back in my seat. I just can’t believe they’re all in agreement, that they are letting her die in the hands o
f the Scully’s. A despair fills me at the thought of what the Scully’s might do to her. I force my mind to be blank, to let go of all my emotions, just like Adira taught me. If I don’t, I know I will go crazy. It doesn’t take long before the lack of adrenaline in my body, along with the rocking motions of the
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car, puts me in a deep sleep.
I wake up as soon as the car comes to a stop. The light is about to disappear behind the bare treetops and the frost is already creeping up on the ground. Did I really sleep all day? How did that happen?
“Let me go in first to make sure the coast is clear,” Boston says as he opens the door and climbs out. He sprints to a log cabin that’s in front of us.
“Where are we?” I ask as a yawn escapes me.
“A family member of Boston’s. We hope to board here tonight.” Ryker doesn’t turn to look at me as he answers. Instead, his gaze is stuck on Boston, his hand on the gun in his lap.
I look to see Boston knocking on the front door, a rhythm of some sort. It must be a code. A figure opens the door and a surprise joyful cheer fills the air. After Boston receives a hug, he turns to waive us in.
