Escape from Eden (Original Series book 2) (18 page)

"Have you been able to determine how many Originals there are?" I ask, thinking of my mother.

Colt rubs the back of his neck. "It's difficult to tell this high up in the air, but we guess at least a hundred and maybe as many as two hundred."

"How many used to live there?" Link asks.

"Fifteen years ago, the Institute claimed to house over a thousand, but we have no way to substantiate their claim."

My heart sinks. If that's true then there is a good chance my mother isn't alive, despite what Ebony had hinted at back at the Institute. She was probably lying anyway. I clench my jaw. I can't think about that right now. I won't.

"What of other compounds like Enfield?" I ask. "Do you know where they are?"

While Colt types something into the flat screen, he says, "We think there are three others, but we're hoping that when we get into Enfield, we will have access to all of that information."

Lines appear next to every building.

"Sage, can you fill in these blank spaces with the name of each building for Link?" he asks.

"Sure."

He taps a few more times. "When you get done, could you also draw the inside layout of each one on paper? You can then scan the image into here and it will project it outward. Hopefully, it will help Link memorize them better."

I glance at Link. He's staring at the large projection intently as if trying to memorize it as we speak.

"This is a lot to remember in such a short amount of time," I say.

Link's head snaps in my direction. "I can do this."

He says the words, but I hear the hesitation in his voice. We're asking too much of him.

I turn to Colt. "You're making a mistake. He's not ready."

"I will be," Link insists. "I just need two days."

"He'll be okay, Sage," Colt says. "We’ll be in contact with him every step of the way."

"How?" I ask.

He reaches down and picks up the small circular device. "Look familiar?"

"It looks like the thing Max made for me."

He smiles. "We copied his technology, only made it better."

"But it's in Morse code. Are you saying Link has to memorize that too?"

Link speaks quickly. "I've already been working on it and have a lot of them memorized."

I shake my head. This isn't right. "What if I insist that I go?"

"It won't matter," Colt says.

"You can't talk me out of this," Link adds.

I fold my arms to my chest. I'm mad, at least I think I'm mad. There's a match inside me threatening to ignite. I feel it tickling my skin, like an itch I know I should scratch.

The door to the lodge flies open.

"You better come quick," Jenna says. "A couple of Planks are about to kill each other."

Colt looks at each of us. "You two got this?"

We both nod. Colt jogs through the room and out the door, taking Jenna with him.

I turn to Link, but before I can speak, he says, shaking his head, "Don't even ask. You're not going."

"I wasn't going to," I say, but even I can hear the hint of doubt in my voice. "Let's just get this over with."

I pick up the pad and light up the screen with the touch of my finger. It takes me a few minutes to understand how it works, but then it's a breeze. In no time at all, I have all the buildings labeled. While Link works on memorizing their location, I begin to draw the layout of each one.

"So this uniform," I say, not looking up from my paper. "How did they make it?"

Link doesn't respond. He's too busy staring at the projected image hovering feet above the floor.

"Link?" I ask again.

His head lifts. "Huh? Did you say something?"

"I was asking about the uniform. How did they make it?"

"Some machine they had brought in a few days ago. They're not sure if it's the same material as Enfield's guards, but close enough. Mine, however, is made a little thicker so I won't feel getting shot by the dart sensors as much."

My eyebrows lift. That's pretty smart. "How many did they make?"

"A lot of the normal ones, but just one of the special suits. As soon as I get the electrical shield down, a bunch of Primes are going in wearing them. It's supposed to cause confusion among the guards and hopefully reduce casualties." He returns his focus back to the projection.

I'm impressed by how much thought has gone into taking over Enfield. Colt has taken every measure possible to protect his people. I'm going to do the same.

After all my drawings are complete, I locate the scan function on the pad and press a button. A light shines from the pad's center and blankets the paper. I do this with all of the papers in my small stack.

"That's a lot to memorize," Link says. He lowers into a chair, his face pale.

"It sure is." I let out a low whistle. "You've got a lot of work ahead of you."

"Don't do that, Sage. I may not have your great memory, but I will do this. Somehow I'll figure it out."

"I'm sure you will," I say. I reach forward and touch the nearest projected building. Suddenly the image transforms, lighting up a crudely made blueprint of the inside.

"I know I'm in over my head," he says, his voice low. "I saw what they did to you, and I don't think I can survive the same thing. Truth is, I'm terrified. Sometimes I wish I was back on the island, completely bored. So many people are depending upon me out here."

I place the pad back down and walk over to him. Lowering into a chair next to him, I say, "You don't have to do this alone. We could go together."

"How can you even say that? After everything they did to you?"

I think about this for a long time. His steady breathing is a soothing sound to my racing pulse. "I'd love nothing more than to crawl into a bed somewhere and stay there for a century, but then what happens to the people I care about? To my mother? It needs to be me who saves her. I keep saying that, but no one believes me."

"I get it," Link says, "but you're still not going. As scared as I am, I would never put you at risk again. And I promise, I'll help your mother."

I purse my lips and nod my head. I really thought I'd be able to convince him.

"You're going to do great," I say and stand. "Let me know if you need any help."

I leave the room so he can prepare without distractions. Nobody wants me to go. I get it, I do, but Colt told me to fake it til I make it. Surely he knows what the old me would do.

L
ink zips up his uniform
. He slides a matching black cap over his head. "How do I look?"

"Damn good," Jenna says.

Anthony sighs.

"Like you're one of them, Link," Colt adds quickly, casting Jenna a dangerous look.

They’re all standing in a circle, making adjustments to Link's suit. I'm sitting in a chair not far away. I contemplate going back to my room, the same one I'd woken up in a few days ago, but decide against it. They might say something I need to know.

"It's late," Tank says to me, lowering the magazine in his hands. He's sitting near me, seemingly bored by everything that's going on. "Why don't you go to bed? It's been a long day."

He’s talking as if I've been super busy this whole time. That couldn't be further from the truth. Every time I asked someone if I could help, they always shot me down and told me to go rest.

It didn't help that Colt was always hovering over me to make sure I had everything I needed. He even kept offering me extra portions of food or other special privileges that no one else was given. I didn't like it as it made me appear weak. I intended to tell him as much just as soon as we had a second alone.

"In a minute," I say. "I want to say goodbye to Link."

Tank stares at me for a moment before he stands. "How much longer?"

Colt checks the pad on his wrist. "The truck leaves in twenty minutes. Do you have everything?"

Link picks up a small backpack and peers inside. "Com device, security card, Taser, check." He glances over at me, wearing vibrant blue contacts, and winks. "This is going to be fun."

"Don't forget to toss the bag if you get into trouble," Anthony tells him. "We don't want you getting caught with it."

Link zips it up. "Got it."

I stand and throw my arms around him, because that's what the old me would do. I notice, however, that it doesn't feel so forced this time.

"Please be careful," I say, squeezing him tight. "I want you back in one piece."

"Geez, Patch!" Jenna snorts. "Give him some space. He's going to think you're desperate or something."

I let go of Link and look at Jenna. "Maybe you need to see how it's done."

"I know how to hug," she says.

"Then do it," I challenge.

Link joins in, smiling big. "Yeah. I dare you to hug me goodbye. It will give me luck."

"It will give you a lot more than luck," she says, her eyes flashing below his belt.

Link's face reddens.

Tank laughs, and even Anthony chuckles low.

Colt moans. "Don't freak the kid out right before he leaves! He'll probably run away now. Good job."

"I'm fine. It's fine," Link says quickly.

"If you get the chance," I say, "will you check on my mother?"

The room grows quiet. Just like me, they realize the chances of my mother being alive are slim.

"Of course," he answers.

"Good luck then," I say and take a step backwards.

Colt walks over to me. "I'll see you to your room."

I nod and lead the way. He walks closely behind me. The strength of his presence can be as hot as the sun on a summer day, or as strong as tropical storm, depending upon his mood. Tonight he is warm.

I walk into my room and turn around. Colt follows me in and closes the door behind him.

"I appreciate you not fighting me on this," he says. "It means so much to me."

My gaze shifts to just above his shoulder. "No problem."

His hand reaches for mine, and he pulls me to him. I let his arms envelop me. At first I feel nothing, but after a few seconds there's a warmth that makes the blackness inside me seem not so black. Maybe more of a dark gray. I sigh and relax into him.

After a full minute, he leans back and slides his hands up to my face. He stares intensely into my eyes, a look that seems to go right through me.

"I'm glad you're here. I thought having you around would make me weak—"

I pull my brows together.

"—because I would be distracted by worrying about you, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Your courage makes me stronger. Your bravery inspires me. I am a better person with you around."

"Don't you ever forget it," I whisper and smile.

"Never." He lowers his head and presses his lips to mine. There's something desperate in the kiss, making me think that he knows.

He pulls away a moment later and takes hold of my hands. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm good. It will probably take me a while to fall asleep because I'm worried about Link. It should be me going."

"He will be just fine. Don't worry. But if for some reason you can't sleep, you can come be with me at the lodge where we’ll be monitoring him."

He gives me one more kiss before leaving me alone. I listen to their muffled voices behind the closed door, but after several minutes all is quiet. I glance at the clock. Link will be leaving in just a few minutes.

I open the door cautiously and peer into the hall. The lights at the end are turned off. I move further into the cabin, mindful of where I step. No one else shares the cabin with me, but I wouldn't be surprised if Colt asked Jenna or Anthony to stay over. After a quick search, I discover that I really am alone…inside, at least, but just outside the front door, two Primes sit on chairs in the darkness. One of them is reading a book with its pages lit up, while the other appears to be asleep.

Colt thinks I'm going to try and leave. And he's right.

I tiptoe back into my room and reach under my bed for the bag I packed earlier. Sneaking out is going to be a lot harder than I expected. I examine the window in my room for the second time, but just like before, I won't be able to escape from it without breaking the glass, which will draw a lot of unwanted attention. The stupid thing opens a mere three inches.

I leave my room and creep up the stairs to the loft. There's a window up there that slides open, unlike the one in my room.

It takes a few minutes to push the glass up the window frame as it keeps groaning from the force. It probably hasn't been opened in decades. When I feel confident the Primes haven't heard me, I fling the pack over my shoulder and climb out the window and into the cool night.

I'm mindful of my steps as I navigate down the steep roof to the edge. Close by is a tall tree, but to reach it, I'm going to have to really jump and stretch. I glance down. I'm not that high, maybe ten feet. I can do this.

Using all the strength in my legs, I jump from the roof. My hands just barely catch a thick limb, leaving my legs dangling beneath me. I swing forward until I'm able to snag the tree trunk with my feet. It takes me a minute to climb the rest of the way down, but as soon as my feet touch ground, I sprint away from the cabin and into the forest, guided only by the full moon's light.

I jog a little farther until I reach an old barn where they keep most of the vehicles. I sink to my knees and drop the bag to the ground. I unzip it and fish around inside for my wristpad. I find it at the bottom among several other items I may need.

After securing the wristpad, I turn it on to the map feature. I tap the screen and a small projection fills the air in front of me. My position on the aerial map is indicated by a green dot, Link's is in blue. He's about a quarter mile away. Yesterday, I snuck his wristpad from his room while he was sleeping so I could pair mine to his, a trick I learned after watching Colt do the same thing so they could track Link.

I walk to the end of the barn where they keep the motorcycles. I take the last bike and push it as far as I can through the trees before I fire it up. My experience with them is limited. We had one growing up, but it was broken more often than not. Hopefully, I can just hang on and not do anything too reckless.

It's slow going the first few miles as I can't see well. The light from the wristpad only goes so far, and it's constantly bouncing because of the rough terrain. More than a few times, the bike tips over when I try to ride up small rises or around fallen trees. Because of this, I fall farther and farther behind Link.

Eventually, I reach a dirt road where I make up a lot of time. When Link's blue dot slows, I hide the bike into a clump of bushes and walk the rest of the way. By now Link will have begun his journey into the mile-long security field around Enfield.

I feel a little guilty using Link like this without his knowledge, but I didn't know what else to do. I glance down at the blue dot. He's maybe half a mile in front of me and moving fast. Suddenly the dot stops, making me think he got hit with a dart, but then it starts up again. Good. He wasn't shocked.

As he goes, I memorize his path. It will be the same one I take in hopes that he will have triggered all the security darts, letting me sneak into Enfield unnoticed.

The moon hangs low in the sky; its light skims the top of the forest. Occasionally, thick ribbons of light find their way through tangled branches. I try to keep to the light as much as possible to soothe my racing pulse. My biggest fear is getting caught. I think I would rather die than go through that pain again. I shake my head, trying to rid myself of such thoughts.
Think of your mother.

Link's blue dot stops again. I suck in a breath and hold it until it begins to move. I exhale, my chest relaxing. I'm sure he's been shot a couple of times now, which means guards are on their way. Link's movements are fast and sporadic enough that they will have a hard time finding him.

A sign up ahead reads: Warning: Property of IHRD. DO NOT PASS. When I reach it, I hesitate at the threshold. I could still go back. I glance behind me, then in front. One thing I've never done before is go backwards.

I step forward. It might just be in my mind, but I swear the air feels differently here, more charged. It makes me nervous so I pick up my pace, darting back and forth between the same trees Link hid behind. Occasionally moonlight catches the imprint of his boot in the soft ground.

My gaze dashes back and forth between the treetops searching for any darts Link may have not triggered. The last thing I need right now is to get hit by one of those, which, according to Stella, would shock me something awful. So far I am lucky, having only spotted a couple on the ground. They are smaller than I expected, about the size of a large grasshopper. I wonder if any of them actually struck Link. The first one would have but then he could've tried dodging or knocking the others away as much as possible.

Link's blue dot is close…and not moving. I freeze.

"Come on, Link," I whisper, my muscles tight.

Ten seconds pass and still he doesn't move. Something's wrong. I lift my head and run, staying on the same path Link had taken minutes before. I skid to a stop when I hear voices to my left, and press my back against a tree.

"Over here!" a deep voice calls.

Hurried footsteps crunch against the ground. From what I can tell, there are at least three sets. I sneak out of the shadows and continue on the path. That's when I see him. Link's lying in a small clearing surrounded by three Primes, his body twitching unnaturally. He also looks unconscious. They must've injected him with something. My suspicions are confirmed when I see one of the Primes pocketing a syringe.

I move to help Link, despite the Primes, but at the last second I force myself back into the shadows. I can't help him like this. I have a better chance of sneaking into Enfield and getting him out that way then I do fighting these guys.

At least that's what I tell myself. Part of me thinks I'm just being a coward because I'm afraid I'll get caught too. I press my knuckles to my tight lips.
I'm so sorry, Link.

The three men discuss what to do.

"How do you think he escaped?" one of them asks.

The one on his knees, hovering just over Link, says, "I don't know if he did escape. He doesn't look familiar. Maybe he's trying to sneak in. His walking pattern would suggest it."

"For what purpose? We haven't had an Original try to get into Enfield for years."

"Plus he's wearing one of our uniforms. He had to have snuck out."

"Possibly. Let's get him back," the Prime with the deep voice says. "We can question him later." He presses something to Link's leg, and there's a clicking sound. Link's whole body relaxes.

The heftier of the two easily picks up Link and flings him over his shoulder. Link isn't wearing his backpack, which means he must've abandoned it somewhere. I'd better find it before anyone else does.

I wait several minutes before I move out of my hiding place to search the area. I'm almost to the spot where Link was when I notice an odd lump in the shadows not far away. Very carefully, I step to it mindful of any darts that haven't been triggered yet. I need to keep my identity secret for as long as possible.

The backpack is definitely Link's. It matches mine. A short distance from it is a thin sheet of metal a few feet tall and a couple of feet wide. I pick it up, wondering where it came from. There are several puncture marks across its surface. Then it dawns on me. Link was using this as a shield. He let himself get shot once so the guards at Enfield would know an Original was on the loose and wouldn't electrocute the area, then he blocked what he could with this. Smart. And even smarter that he tossed his bag where the guards wouldn't find it, when he must've heard them approaching.

I lower next to the bag and unzip it, searching specifically for the small com device and security card. They are right on top. After stuffing the security card into my own bag, along with Link's Taser, I turn the com device over in my hand thinking how best to deal with it. I'm sure Colt and the others have figured out that Link has been captured. They would've seen the same thing I saw.

It takes me a second to realize the device is turned off. I slide a pinhead-sized knob over to the right. A small light appears, blinking rapidly. I stare at the flashes making a mental note of each one: long, short, short, long, long, short and on and on until I'm able to make a sentence with the letters.

"Status"

I lower the device, thinking how best to answer. Do I want them to know I'm out here so soon? Colt will be hurt when he finds out I've lied to him, but that is inevitable. Besides, Colt might try to do something reckless, like an air raid, if he thinks there is no chance the security field can be turned off.