Escape from Eden (Original Series book 2) (6 page)

M
ax is
in his room alone. His other five roommates are probably at the nightly activity, which, if I remember correctly, is a 3D movie, one everyone has already seen at least a dozen times. New movies won’t be brought in until Jerry sends people out for supplies late in the spring. Max sits hunched over on his bed, his attention on a black device in his lap.

“Max?” I ask.

He keeps staring down at whatever is in his hands. “It’s almost ready. Sort of, I guess.”

“What is it?” I walk to the other side of his bed and sit down, bending my head so I don’t hit the bunk above me.

Max unhooks a small, silver disc slightly bigger than a quarter from a black box that looks like a crudely made battery. He hands it to me and says, “It’s the beginning of a communication device. It uses electromagnetic waves, which is super old, instead of satellite. I thought if we had something like this, the Institute wouldn’t be able to track it.”

I turn it over in my hand. The disc looks like two metal milk lids glued together. “What does it do?”

“There’s a chip in it that will beep Morse code. Do you remember our father telling us about people using it centuries ago?”

“I do, but how does it work?”

Max removes another disc, this one blue, from the other side of the battery box. “I keep this one, and when I press it like this,” he squeezes it between his forefinger and thumb, “yours will beep no matter how far away. That way I can communicate with you if Eden is ever in trouble or if we need something important.”

Sure enough my disc hums a high-pitched note until Max lets go. I look up at him “This is so cool. Can I communicate back to you?”

His head lowers. “Not yet, but soon. Only one can send while the other receives. I should’ve had them both communicating by now, but I thought I’d have another month before showing it to Jerry. I hoped he could take it off the island with him and give it to good Primes.”

I palm it gently, my chest full of pride. “You are so smart, Max. I’m lucky to have a brother like you.”

He cracks a smile.

“So do you have the code I can memorize?” I ask.

Max jumps from the bed and turns around. From under his mattress, he removes a folded sheet of paper and hands it to me. “Each letter is based on a combination of a short beep and a long beep. If I do need you for any reason, I'll keep it simple and only if it's an emergency.”

I unfold the paper and stare at the letters with their corresponding dots and dashes. They instantly go to my memory where I’ll easily be able to retrieve them later. “Let’s hope you never need to use it, but I have to admit—it makes me feel better knowing you can contact me if you ever get into trouble.”

“Me too,” he says. “Do you have time to practice with me a little?”

I place the paper on the bed and open my other palm revealing the disc. “I’m ready. Send me a message.”

Max grins and narrows his eyes. He quickly presses his device in a series of patterns.

I laugh. “Slow down! I’m not as smart as you, remember?”

He runs the string of beeps again and then again. “Do you know it yet?”

I have to glance at the paper lying on the bed to finally figure it out, but when I do I scrunch my nose and say, “Link thinks you are cute?”

He giggles, and I gently slug him in the shoulder. “Give me something else.”

We practice for another twenty minutes until I’m sure I can decipher his code quickly. The whole thing he’s created is pure genius. A thought occurs to me, and I ask, “Will I ever have to charge this?”

“Not for a very long time, like years,” Max says. “But you can’t take that long to come back.”

“I won’t.” I study his face, his gentle, curious eyes and youthful smile. My brother who looks like a child, but has the brain of something much greater. He will follow in the footsteps of our father and help to make the world a better place. And it’s my job to make sure that happens.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” I say and give him a hug. “Be good and contact me if there’s an emergency.”

“I love you,” he says.

“I love you too. Always.”

I leave the room before the tears in my eyes fall. I hate leaving him, but at least I know he’s living in the safest place on earth.

I stop at the nearest window on my way back to Jerry’s office and peer out. The sky is mostly dark except for a hazy line of orange burning up the horizon. It looks freezing outside. Frost frames the window, and it’s cold to my touch.

“Sage!”

I glance down the hallway. Link is at its end motioning me forward. He’s wearing a black leather jacket that looks a little too big for him. It must be his father’s.

“You look good,” I say, after jogging up to him. The jacket makes him look older and with his dark hair and distinguished features, I can see why the girls go after him the way they do.

He curls his collar upward. “Thanks. We’re almost ready. Everyone’s waiting in the back training room. Your gear’s waiting for you there.”

In the room that separates the compound from the outside, Jerry is waiting with Tank and Link. There are three others: Layla, Renny, and Smoke. I don’t know them well, but I’ve worked outside with Smoke quite a bit. He’s probably in his fifties, tall and muscular. Where the rest of us are dressed warmly, he wears a black sleeveless t-shirt and jeans.

“I should’ve known you’d be a part of something like this,” Smoke says and spits into a nearby garbage bin. His bottom lip is always full of tobacco he grows himself.

The double doors in the training room are open to the outside. Tank is out there, pacing by them every few seconds. The sky is dark behind him.

“Are you sure we need this many people?” I ask Jerry as I pull on a heavy jacket and strap on a headlamp. “Stella said we might draw unwanted attention with too many of us.” I slip a knife into each breast pocket.

“We need all the help we can get. If I could, I’d bring a bunch more.” Jerry turns to address everyone else. “All set?”

"Sure thing, boss," Link says. He reaches for a gun hanging on the wall.

Jerry takes hold of his arm. "No guns, Link. We don't need the added attention. Silent weapons only."

Jerry turns his back to speak with Layla and Renny. Link glances over and winks at me, as he quickly removes the gun and shoves it into the back of his pants. He holds his finger up to his puckered mouth silently saying, "Shhh" before he crosses the room to where Smoke is loading up on all kinds of weapons.

“It will be fine. It’s just there and back, okay?” Renny says. He takes Layla's hands, confirming the rumors I had heard about them. They are dating. They are about the same age, early twenties I'd guess, but Layla’s face appears more youthful against Renny’s dark features.

She gives a small nod.

“You really don’t have to come,” Jerry tells them. “This is a volunteer mission, remember?”

“I know,” Renny says. “But we can help. Both of us know that submarine inside and out.”

Layla straightens. “Renny’s right. We know what Tank’s trying to do on the outside, and we want to help any way we can. No one wants to live on this island forever.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Smoke says, coming up behind me. He spits again.

Jerry shakes his head as if he’s disappointed. “Let’s just get this over with,” he says and heads outside. The others follow.

When Layla passes by me, I say, “Thanks for coming.”

She stops and furrows her brow. “I know I’m not much older than you, but I know enough to know when I’m out of my league. You really shouldn’t be going anywhere with Tank. Let the Primes fight this battle. Our time will come after.”

Her words don’t surprise me. Most Originals feel this way. I smile and say, “I’m not waiting for anyone to fight my battles. My time is now.”

“Ohhh!” Link says from behind me and laughs. “She burned you, Layla.”

I hush him and turn back to Layla. “I’m not trying to
burn
you, and I don’t expect anyone to feel the way I do. This is my choice.”

“I can respect that,” she says, her tone sincere. “Just be careful.”

I nod and walk by her toward Tank who is still pacing.

“Let’s go already,” he says, his voice whispering loudly through the darkness.

Link pounds his chest, a solid thump. “I’m right behind you. Just say the word.”

“I’ll take the lead with Tank,” Jerry says. “Layla and Renny, you go behind us. Then Link, followed by Smoke and Sage at the rear. Stay close together and keep your eyes open. There are creatures out there that none of you have ever seen before.”

I wet my lips and mentally prepare for what is to come. And it has nothing to do with traveling across the island. That I can handle. It’s what happens next. What if my mom isn’t alive? What if she is, but I can’t save her? And then there’s Colt. Maybe he’s already forgotten about me. It would be easy enough, I think. It’s not like we spent a lot of time together, at least that wasn’t under duress. People change and so do feelings.

“Sage!”

I turn around. Tank and the others are circled around the hatch that leads into the tunnels, watching me expectantly.

“You coming?” Tank asks. "It's now or never!"

I
jog
over just as Jerry lifts the hatch door. Tank jumps into the tunnel followed by Jerry and the others, all except for Smoke. I don't follow right away. Instead, I take a few shaky breaths, open and close my hands a few times and tell myself that everything is going to be okay despite the small, smothering space.
Deep and slow breaths, just like I practiced
.

"I didn't take you for a chicken," Smoke says.

"I'm not," I stutter, and hurry to prove him wrong. I climb down to the bottom. The metal of the ladder feels like ice against my hands, but the sharp pain helps to focus me.

Smoke climbs in after and closes the hatch door.

I place my foot on the wet ground. A thin layer of mud sticks to my shoes when I walk, making a sucking sound.

“Lights on, girlie,” Smoke says and reaches over to press a button on my headlamp.

“Thanks,” I say and turn my head in the direction of the tunnel. Light illuminates the back of Link as he walks. I can’t see much beyond him. The tunnel is narrow and smells of moss and iron. Wooden beams stretch across the ceiling like one giant ladder; they are the only things keeping the earth from falling onto our heads. Patches of damp fungus grow along them, and they drip water continuously.

Link glances back at me, smiling. “How you doing?”

“Not as good as you. How come you’re so excited?”

His smile grows. “I think I was meant for stuff like this! I’ve got so much adrenaline pumping through me, I could take down another tortiz.”

“Cool it, kid,” Smoke says. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

“No talking,” Jerry’s voice calls back to us.

Link winks at me before he spins back around.

We walk for several minutes in silence. I wipe one droplet after another from my eyes. My hair is damp and makes me shiver whenever the back of my ponytail swipes past my bare neck. All sounds and most of our light are swallowed up in the small, musty space. So far I have yet to freak out. I inhale again. On my exhale, I count to five slowly.

“Is the tunnel getting smaller?” someone up front asks. I think it is Renny.

It breaks my concentration, and I notice that the tunnel is indeed narrowing. Right away a wave of nausea washes over me. I place my hand on the dirt wall to steady myself and take several more breaths.

The last time I was in this tunnel, when I was first smuggled onto the island, I hyperventilated so badly that I ended up passing out. That was great because I was carried the rest of the way, thus avoiding most of this crowded space.

But I can’t pass out now. I have to stay alert. Focused. What I really need is air. I glance around frantically, my breath catching up with the rapid beat of my heart.

Smoke flashes his headlamp onto my face. “You okay, kid?”

I flinch at the light and lower my head in a single nod. He can’t know of my fear. Jerry might make me go back. The last thing this group needs is dead weight. I take in a great breath, forcing air into my tight throat. The fog clouding my mind clears a little.

“Do you feel that?” Jerry asks from the front of the line.

Everyone stops, waits, listens while I’m still trying to suck in oxygen.

“There’s a breeze. I think the tunnel might’ve collapsed up ahead.”

All I hear is the word ‘breeze’, and I’m pushing and shoving my way to the front. Voices tell me to knock it off, to slow down, but I need air. I get past Jerry and feel the small gust of wind pushing its way through the tunnel. This spurs me on, and I begin to run.

“Stop!” Jerry calls after me.

“I’m right behind you, Sage,” Tank says. “You’ve got the right idea.”

I say nothing, mainly because I can barely breathe, but I wouldn’t even if I could. Tank can just keep thinking I want to hurry. No need to tell him that I really just want some oxygen before I go all comatose on everyone.

In less than a minute, the breeze becomes a strong wind; it blows much needed, fresh air back into my lungs. I slow to a walk when light from my headlamp falls upon a huge pile of crumpled dirt and wood. My head is spinning, my vision blurry. I squint, forcing my eyes to focus on the area around the barrier. There’s no going around it, but there’s a hole at the top big enough for even Tank to squeeze through.

Jerry’s rough hand takes hold of my arm and spins me around. “What do you think you’re doing?”

The movement is so quick that with my head still spinning, I stumble.

From next to Jerry, Tank steadies me with his hand. “You okay? You look pale.”

I tighten my lips in case I vomit. My stomach is swimming enough to make that a likely scenario. "Just want to get off the island."

"Rein in your impatience, Sage, for the sake of the group," Jerry snaps. "You're putting us all in danger! We do it together or not at all, do you understand? That means no running ahead and no crazy stuff.”

“Sure. No more crazy stuff.” I point up toward the opening in the tunnel. “So who’s going to go through first?”

Link steps forward and says, “I’ll do it.”

Tank places his hand on Link’s chest. “Get back, kid. Leave it to the professional. I’m going first.”

Before anyone can disagree, Tank runs toward the gaping hole and jumps up when just beneath it. His hands catch the edge, and before dirt can crumble beneath his grip, he scrambles to the top.

“I’m up,” he whispers down. “Good thing I packed this.”

A split second later a rope drops into the tunnel.

“He is the coolest man alive,” Link says, his eyes twinkling in the beam of my light.

“Or stupidest,” Jerry says and walks toward the rope. “Renny and Layla. You’re up.”

Layla, Renny, Link and Smoke get to the surface first. When I reach for the rope, Jerry jerks it away from me.

“I meant what I said before,” he says. “We have to stay together. Our survival depends upon it.”

I look him straight in the eyes, despite the glare from his light burning my retinas. “I swear to you, when we’re up there, I won’t run. I’ll do whatever you say.”

He hands me the rope. I wrap it around my hands a couple of times before giving it a good tug so Tank can easily lift me out of the tunnel.

The surface isn’t what I expect. There’s so much more of, well, everything that I become disoriented whenever my light hits a green surface. Vines, thick and gnarled, suffocate wide trees. They string from one to another creating a giant web that looks like something you’d find in a nightmarish fairytale. I thought the forest was thick close to the compound, but this is ridiculous!

“How are we going to get through?” I ask. Everywhere I look, the path is blocked. With enough time we could get through, but our time is limited.

“Over here,” Link calls in a loud whisper.

I swivel around but can’t see him. The movement makes me slightly nauseous.

“This way,” Tank says and tugs on my arm. He takes hold of several vines as thick as my wrist and snaps them in half. I go through them and have to duck under several more. On the other side is Link. He must’ve climbed over the ones Tank just broke.

I illuminate the area with my headlamp. The ground beneath my feet is worn, and all around trees are snapped in half or splintered on their sides. Vines are torn and cut, and when I shine my light just right, it looks like we are in a corridor of sorts—one cutting through the forest.

“It’s an animal trail,” I say.

“You mean a monster trail,” Smoke says next to me. Behind him, Renny takes Layla’s hand and whispers something in her ear.

“Do you think it leads to the beach?” Tank asks.

“I can’t tell,” Jerry says. He’s several feet ahead looking down at a compass in his hands. “But we should stay close to the tunnel in case we can find a way back in. Let’s follow this path for a little ways then cut back over.”

“But if we run this,” Tank says, “we could be at the beach in less than an hour.”

Smoke snorts. “Stupid idea. We don’t know what kind of creatures run this path.”

"It's worth the risk." Tank stretches tall, his head almost skimming the top of the vine ceiling.

“And what about the rest of us, Tank?” Jerry asks. “Right now we’re a team, and we stay together.”

Tank moans. “Then let’s hurry, whatever we’re doing.”

“Back in formation,” Jerry says. “Stay close and heads on a swivel. Keep as quiet as possible.”

I obey along with the others. Smoke and I are at the back again. Our pace is quick, but not quite a full run. It feels good to be free of the tunnel walls hurrying through a darkened forest, my hair lifting behind me. It reminds me of my home in Maine where I used to run for hours without a care in the world. Those memories feel like another lifetime.

Tank drops back from the front until he is next to Smoke. “Trade me.”

“Let the old guy take the heat at the front,” Smoke says. “I get it.”

“Just go,” Tank says.

Smoke spits but picks up his pace to join Jerry. Link looks back at me questioningly, but I just shrug my shoulders.

“This is taking forever,” Tank says quietly to me. “Colt probably thinks I’m still at the Institute so we either need to run, or I need to find a way to communicate with him before he does something stupid.”

A sudden coldness that has nothing to do with the outside air hits my core. “What do you mean? What would he do?”

“What did you do when the Institute held Max or Anthony?”

I grit my teeth together remembering how I had convinced the others to save Max. It wasn’t too difficult considering he was an Original, but when the Institute captured Anthony during the rescue, Colt and the others weren’t even going to try and save him. With Anthony having less than five years left to live, despite being in his early twenties, they didn’t think it was worth risking their own lives. But I did. Anthony was important to me, and I didn’t care when he might die.

“There might be a communication device on the sub,” I say. “As soon as we get back into the tunnel—” I shiver at the thought “—we can run the rest of the way.”

I rub my hands against my arms, the chill inside me warming slightly. In a way, I was glad to know Colt was willing to sacrifice his life for someone else, even though I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to him. It meant he valued life, which meant others probably did too. When people sacrifice for someone else that means there’s love, and where there’s love, there’s hope. Could people on the outside have changed that much?

Jerry stops the group ahead. “Go check the tunnel, Link. And hurry.”

Link nods and disappears into the forest by jumping up and taking hold of a thick vine. He swings himself into the darkness.

“I can’t take this waiting,” Tank says. “I can probably pound my way back into the tunnel.”

“Not without making a bunch of noise.” Jerry squats to the ground and places his hand onto the dirt.

I wonder what he’s doing, but then I feel it too—a small vibration. I swivel around and shine my light onto the darkened path behind us.

“What is it?” Layla asks.

The vibration grows, bouncing the dirt floor. Pieces of dirt clods near my feet crumble apart. Something is coming.