Escape from Eden (Original Series book 2) (3 page)

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.

“
L
et’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.

“Are you guys okay?” a male voice calls. Several people come running up the trail of destruction left behind by the tortiz.

“She’s hurt,” Link says. “We need to get back to the compound.”

“Bo—” I say.

“We got her,” the man says, and then adds after nearly choking on a breath, “We also found Aleron’s body.”

Link touches the man on the shoulder gently. I don’t know these people like Link does, but I do understand loss. It’s always difficult.

A whistle fills the air.

We all freeze and look up as if something is about to fall from the sky. The whistle sounds again.

“No more whistles,” Link whispers. The others seem to be thinking the same thing. One of the women clasps her hands together as if saying a prayer. None of us want to hear three whistles ever again.

After a few seconds and only the sound of the wind blowing through the tops of the trees, there's a collective outpour of held breath from everyone in the group.

“Let’s get back,” Link says and helps me to my feet.

I can walk but not without leaning into him. Despite the pain, I move as quickly as I can. Someone from the outside has just been recovered, and I can’t wait to see who.

A
s soon as
we reach the compound, I’m whisked away despite my protests. Link hands me off to one of the Primes who lives with us. His name is Brutus, and he’s in charge of the medical unit. I’ve seen him many times before. He’s one of the few Primes that was born on the island, a child of Techheads. His father was dumped on Purgatory when he was caught stealing sensitive information from the Institute, and his mother was banished for openly speaking against the Institute's treatment toward Originals. It was extremely rare for a Techhead to be sympathetic toward us as most were happy with their brain and all the knowledge it contained. In general, Techheads felt the population would be better if everyone were there species.

“This should heal quickly,” Brutus says and swipes at his large, bronzed forehead with the back of his hand. His blond hair is receding, making the deformity more pronounced.

I lie flat so he can better get at the wound. “Just hurry and sew it up. I want to see who was dropped.”

“What does it matter? It will be some Prime who thought he could take on the Institute. Now there’s one less person out there who cares about Originals.” He presses at my side with a wet cloth. After a few seconds my skin becomes numb.

“Why haven’t you ever tried to leave the island? They could use your help out there.”

He squirts a liquid on my wound that smells like apples and a bit like pine. “Nah. I’m twenty-five now. The Kiss has already touched me. I feel it in my bones, eating at me bit by bit. It won’t be long now.”

There’s pressure on my ribs. I glance down at a long, rectangular box that Brutus is pressing into my flesh. At the touch of a button, several needles pierce my skin and begin to vibrate. There's a sharp pain as the electrical current and vibrations begin to heal my wound.

I flinch and say, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“It’s part of life,” he says, his lilac colored eyes meeting mine. After a minute, the box at my side beeps. Brutus removes it and helps me to sit up. “You're going to be sore for a few days, but take this. It will help with the pain.”

He drops a large pill onto my hand. I turn it over. It’s big and brown and contains healing properties. For me to feel better, I have to take it. I have to accept it as if there is no other way.

“What if it wasn’t?” I ask, after I've swallowed the pill.

“Excuse me?”

“What if it wasn’t part of life? What if the Kiss never existed?”

His eyebrows lift. “Then I would get the hell off this island. I would travel the world, and I would find love and have a family.” He helps me off the table. “But that’s something that will only happen in my dreams.”

“Not if I can help it.” I grit my teeth, as I stretch my upper body.

He chuckles. “A teenage Original out to save the world. I like it.”

“I have to try.” I slide off the table to my feet. “Thanks for fixing me. I really appreciate it.”

“Anytime, Sage. Good luck.”

Before I leave, I throw my arms around him, despite knowing his aversion to being touched. I can't help it. With him having the Kiss, he could die at anytime.

He jerks a little in surprise, but then hugs me back, a long sigh escaping his lips. "Thank you," he says.

It's my turn to be surprised, and I pull away. "For what?"

"I forgot what it's like to be hugged. It's nice."

I give a sad smile and say, “Take care of yourself.”

He nods. “You too.”

I open the door to the med unit, feeling deflated. If only I could get off the island, I could help people like Brutus somehow. Maybe my father has a cure by now. If he did, I'd get it back to Brutus. He's one of the good ones.

Out in the hallway, Link jumps up from a chair when he sees me, his eyes wide with concern.

“You didn’t need to wait,” I say. “I’ll be fine.”

“You lost a lot of blood.”

“I'm better now. Thanks for helping me.” I walk by him, and he falls in step next to me. “Have you seen who dropped yet?”

He shakes his head. “I’ve been here the whole time, but I overheard someone say it’s a man. They were excited about whoever it was too, like they knew him.”

“But how could that be? How would an Original know any Prime on the outside?”

Link rubs the back of his neck and sours his face like it hurts. “They wouldn’t unless it was someone really famous that we've seen in magazines, but I doubt the Institute would drop someone like that here.”

I freeze, every part of me. Even my heart stops for a fraction of a second. But in the next heartbeat, I’m running as fast as I can, regardless of the pain shooting through my body.

“Sage!” Link says. “Wait up!” His feet slap against the metal floor after me.

I turn several corners, dodging past people walking the narrow halls. I say an apology whenever I bump into someone, which is often. It seems to take forever to get to Jerry’s office, the place I know he’d take a dropper to introduce them to the compound. It's one of the nicest rooms and doesn’t feel as cold and rustic as the rest of the place. It’s where Jerry first took me.

When I round the last corner, lots of voices carry out from Jerry’s open door. I slow to a walk, suddenly nervous.

“What the hell, Sage?” Link says from behind me, sounding out of breath. “You just got speared!”

I step into the doorway. There are several people in the room, but I only see two. My brother is smiling big and talking to a tall, broad-shouldered man who is sitting in a chair, his back to me. He has platinum blond hair.

Max’s smile disappears when he sees me. “Sage? What happened?”

I move into the room, unable to look away from the man who is slowly turning around.

“Hey, good looking,” the man says and winks.

“Tank?” It’s a stupid question, one of my dumbest, but I can’t believe he’s really here. Tank is known around the world for his extreme athleticism. He was the superstar in every sport, attended all the celebrity events, and was known for being a lady's man. Secretly, though, he was working with HOPE up until he exposed his position to save Colt and me from being captured by the Institute.

He chuckles. “Last time I checked.” He glances down at my shirt, probably noticing the blood. “Still getting into trouble, I see.”

Max touches my arm. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I got spiked, but I'll live.” I walk past him and go to Tank. There are so many questions I need to ask, but one must come before all others. “Is Colt alive?”

He pauses before answering, “Alive and well.”

I stumble back a step and gasp for air.
Colt’s alive.
The room seems to grow warmer and all the colors around me brighten.

I ask my second question. “What are you doing here?”

Even though he’s smiling, I know he’s been through a lot. His lip is split, half of his face is bruised purple and yellow, and dried blood is caked onto his clothes.

“The Institute dropped me. You know me and my big mouth.”

“But how did they catch you?” This is what shocks me the most. Tank is the most skilled fighter I have ever seen, and if he didn’t want to fight, he could easily hide anywhere in the world. He pretty much has the money to do whatever he wants.

Link comes beside me, his mouth open and staring at Tank. “You know him? The world’s greatest athlete? I have posters of him… of you.”

Tank grins even wider. “I like this guy, Sage. He’s a keeper.”

This can’t be happening. Tank is here, joking with me as if we never parted.

He must notice my shocked expression because he laughs and says, “You better sit down.”

Max brings over a chair. I’m dropping into it before it’s all the way under me.

Jerry steps forward and clears his throat. “This reunion is nice, but it’s going to have to continue later. We need to talk to Tank alone. Everyone clear the room.”

“Are you coming?” Max asks me. Link stands next to him. He’s still staring at Tank.

“I’m staying,” I say. I need to know why he’s here.

“No you’re not,” Jerry says. “This doesn’t concern you.”

I don’t believe him. Why else would Tank come here? I must be needed on the outside for some reason. Maybe my father needs my help or maybe Colt. I smile at this thought.

“I can stay, right Tank? This is about me after all.”

His expression falls. “Sorry, babe. Not this time.”

“You need to go, Sage,” Jerry says.

I don’t move. He’s lying. He has to be.

Max takes my hand and gently tugs me to the door. “Come on. You should probably be resting.”

“I’ll find you when I’m done,” Tank says. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Yeah, okay,” I say, but I say it so soft, I’m not sure he heard me. It was foolish to think he was here for me, I guess. It's not like I'm a key player in the resistance, any kind of a player for that matter. And that's what I need to change. Primes and Originals should be working together to take down the Institute.

“So you guys know him, like really know him?” Link asks once we’re out in the hall.

Max laughs. “We do. He’s a great guy. He helped get us to Eden.”

Link whistles low. “Who knew someone so famous was part of HOPE? I wonder if there are others.”

“Probably not,” I mumble. I don't want to tell him that very few Primes believe in HOPE's cause.

“What happened out there?” Max asks me. “How’d you get hurt?”

“It was awesome,” Link answers for me. “Your sister took on a tortiz.”

While he continues to tell Max about what happened, I try to ignore the empty feeling in my chest. So what if Tank isn’t here for me? Colt is alive, and in time I’ll find my way off this island. I won’t be here forever.

But no matter what I tell myself, I still feel the sting of Tank’s rejection. Not just his, but in a way I feel it is Colt’s too. That is stupid, though. I have no way of knowing if Colt and Tank still speak to each other. Plus there is a chance that Colt’s health isn't a hundred percent. But Tank had said ‘alive and well’ I remind myself. If he is well than that means he must’ve gotten an oDNA injection from my father, buying him several more years of life. And if he could get his hands on more, he could continue to live even longer. Still, though, it wasn't a true cure. The Kiss would eventually come for him.

I stop when I reach the outside door.

“What are you doing?” Max asks me.

“I’m working outside today.” I need to stay busy, otherwise I’ll be tempted to storm Jerry’s office and insist I speak with Tank again.

“But you’re hurt. What are you trying to do? First you take on a monster by yourself and now this?” Max’s voice is rising.

“It’s okay,” I say. “Relax.”

“I’ll go with her, Max,” Link says and pats Max's back. “I won’t let her do anything too hard.”

Max stares at me, his ivory complexion turning red. “You can be so selfish sometimes,” he says and walks away.

“Max!” I call, but he doesn’t stop. I go after him and whirl him around. "What was that all about?"

His jaw is set tight, and he won't look at me.

"Spill," I order. This is the first time he's ever spoken to me like this, and I can’t help but feel a little hurt, especially after everything I’ve done for him.

His gaze slowly meets mine. His chin quivers, reminding me of his young age, before he says, "My whole life you've taken care of me, even taking over Mom's role when she died. You sacrificed so much, and then last year, when we were on the run, you nearly gave your life to keep me safe." He inhales a hitched breath. "When Dad healed me, I couldn't wait to show you. I could finally take care of myself, but more importantly, I could finally take care of you."

I open my mouth to speak, but he stops me.

"How am I supposed to take care of you, if you keep rushing into danger? You're being stupid, and I don't understand why."

I stare at him, dumbfounded. I don't know if I'm angry at him for calling me stupid, or angry at myself for not noticing how he was feeling sooner.

"So are you going to tell me?" he asks again.

"Tell you what?"

"Why are you so anxious to rush into danger all of the time, especially when there are stronger people for the job? Do you have a martyr complex or something?"

Heat rises to my face. "I don't want to be a martyr. I just don't want anyone I care about to get hurt."

He balls his hands into fists, his expression twisting into something unrecognizable. "And how exactly do you think I'll feel if something happens to you? Don't you think I'll be hurt? Does that even cross your mind? We finally have a chance for a normal brother/sister relationship, but all you want to do is go back to fighting every chance you get, and I'm sick of it!"

Before I can respond, he turns on his heel and storms off. This time I don't go after him.

Link comes up behind me and pats my shoulder. “You okay?"

I quickly nod and swallow the tears running down the back of my throat. I had no idea Max felt this strongly, and it saddens and shocks me. I used to always know what Max felt or needed just by the way he looked at me, but now I realize that I don't know him at all.

I
can’t do much
in the way of clearing the forest. My side hurts every time I twist or try to pick up anything. Pretty much all I’m good for is scooting fallen limbs out of the way with my foot. It also doesn't help that I can't stop thinking about Max and everything he said to me. Am I acting like a martyr trying to get off the island so soon? I don't know the answer, but I do know that I need to be doing more than just clearing trees all day. I want to help. I want to make a difference. But what does that mean for Max? Am I being selfish? These thoughts plague me until I stop working altogether.