《Ashes of Hope: Phoenix Rising》


 New Earth

    [Chapter 1] ¡ª New Earth


    I looked down at the fat, sweaty, whimpering sack of human man that¡¯d been my boss the last six months. He laid there tied up to the pipe under the sink in the tiny, putrid bathroom that was ¡°maintained¡± for employees. He was muttering away to himself while I closed up the gas station he owned. As I counted the till, I noted the seven hundred dollars and pocketed the money. He wasn¡¯t going to have any use for it after tonight. I walked the short distance to the bathroom door and leaned against the door frame, looking down at the pathetic heap huddled on the floor half under the sink. Ever since I could remember, men took whatever they wanted out of women. Most women settled down as soon as they came of age, as it offered some level of protection from strange men and kept their interactions strictly within the family. I, however, was not that type of woman. I was not going to condemn myself to a life of servitude and misery, no matter what it cost me. I was not a breeder, and I was not going to give myself over to just anyone.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for this you little bitch! You¡¯re having a world class meltdown for what? Stealing my money for what? What do you think you¡¯re going to accomplish here? Don¡¯t act like you didn¡¯t like it!¡± The questions and threats continued from him, but I had turned around and walked away. He had already disconnected the security cameras when he came in earlier that day, just after two strangers had walked into the store. It was unusual for us to get people who were unfamiliar to our parts, we were in the most remote parts of the State we could possibly be. You only came through here if you were extremely lost, or if you knew someone here. Nobody visited here if they could help it. Most places didn¡¯t have running water or electricity, they were simple cabins in the woods. The more innovative and tech-savvy homesteads had solar or wind power, one family had hydroelectricity, but most homesteads were completely off-grid.


    Humans had left Old Earth; driven away by the rapidly increasing temperatures, the melting polar ice caps flooding city after city anywhere below 3,000 feet- even higher than that in some areas, the destruction of the protective ozone layer being the final disaster that made the planet uninhabitable. New Earth, as our new planet was so creatively called, was much the same as Old Earth thanks to advanced terraforming technology and the Arks that brough the people and animals from the planet. Many had died just on the voyage here, and even more during the weeks of terraforming. Those who were left had the skills necessary to survive or thrive with little to no technology or infrastructure.


    Governments had broken down during the voyage and were virtually non-existent, and those that still held on did so tentatively and with very little authority. Society broke into two factions, and in this part, women were deemed weak and useless for survival other than as breeders; their only purpose being the continuing of the human race. When we first got to New Earth, a large group of men took it upon themselves to ensure the continuation of the human race. They gathered up all unmarried females of breeding age, tied them down and raped them one by one. This began the faction known as The Cult of Seedbearers. Many of the women remained captive, enduring this fate every day until they became pregnant. After too many women died in those conditions they found ¡°more comfortable¡± accommodations for the them. These accommodations were not more comfortable; They were shacks built out of hastily made wooden planks roughly held together by the least number of nails possible. Each shack shared at least one wall with the next, with a small commode that was emptied each morning by female staff accompanied by armed guards. Each shack had a wash bin and a pitcher of water that was refreshed daily under the same conditions. This continued for months until the terraforming was complete, then what remained of the governments banded together to create the Council and put a stop to it. The men who participated weren¡¯t punished, however. They were healthy, able-bodied men and that was exactly what the government needed to ensure survival.


    None of that entirely relevant to the current situation. I stood over the sniveling man and listened to him beg, ¡°Please, Katerina. I¡¯ll give you anything you want! I¡¯ll marry you and let you bear my children!¡±


    I scoffed, ¡°Oh, you will? You¡¯ll allow me to bear your children? HA! You disgusting excuse for a human being! I wouldn¡¯t lay with you if we were the last two humans in existence. You see, you are the last remaining member of The Cult of Seedbearers who held captured women and teenage girls against their will. You are the last and most vile member of the very cause of the loss of breeding women. The council is not very happy with you.¡± This last sentence was delivered in my best sing-song voice.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my idea! I just made a joke about it and the next I knew; guys were going nuts! They were lining up to take their pick of the lot! No man was going to pass up virgins! I wasn¡¯t the only one! This all ended up completely different than it started!¡± His pathetic, sputtered defense sickened me. My stomach actually flipped and churned as he spoke. I backhanded him and he yelped as his head hit the sink¡¯s underside. After six months of intelligence gathering to ensure we had the right man, this moment was a long time coming for me.


    ¡°You disgust me. As ordered by the Council, I sentence you to death by fire. Your valuables will be pillaged and your body will burn within these walls with everything you have built. Your children will be detained and their names forcibly changed. Any inheritance they would have gotten from you would normally be confiscated and used to pay reparations to the children of those forced to bear them. Sometimes the women choose to keep the properties and businesses they win from their abusers; yours, however, have decided to forego the income and property to fire for cleansing.¡±


    ¡°This is insane! My children will have nothing to live on! Where will they live? How will they prosper?¡± He screamed at my back as I walked out to the front of the store.


    Once at the front door I turned to him and said, ¡°Which children, Bruce? The ones you had with your wife, or the ones you forced on those women? Either way, that¡¯s no longer any of your concern.¡± I turned and continue out the door, leaving him screaming obscenities at my back as I walked away.


    Once outside, I was met with my team. ¡°All clear, Commander. All his valuables are packed up in the trucks and his family has been detained for their next life.¡± Laura, my Lieutenant, reported.


    I watched as the other members of the Phoenix Centennial spoke with the Widow, explaining the family¡¯s options once the fires were set. She looked¡­ relieved. That was often the case in these situations. Women were forced into marriages to avoid the Breeding Ceremonies held every year, where three women from each county was selected to undergo similar treatment as those first women, who we were now seeking justice for. Each woman would be given a private room that was much cleaner and more comfortable than the shacks the First Women- as people have come to call them- had to endure. They were still guarded and unable to leave during the Breeding Ceremony, but they were given some luxuries that are not found in the outside world and they were not shackled. Plus, if they became a State Breeder (meaning they got pregnant during the Ceremony) they were afforded even more luxuries during their pregnancy.


    However, the women chosen for the Breeding Ceremony were volunteers who were gang banged for fifteen hours a day until it ended. They were afforded eight hours of sleep and one hour throughout the day to eat and tend to hygiene. It was still a disgusting display of misogynistic bullshit, if you asked me. Women were still being undervalued and underestimated, treated as objects for the men to use to suit their needs. Even in a marriage a man no longer had the expectation to treat his wife well. If she didn¡¯t consistently provide him children, or didn¡¯t provide him with enough children, or provided too many children of the ¡°wrong sex¡± (meaning girls), the husband can have their wives stoned or burned to death. If they did have children, they would be the ones to cast the stones on their mother until she died. Though The Cult of Seedbearers had all but dwindled in their most heinous practices, there still existed large groups of people who still adhere to the morals and standards set by The Cult. It was a constant battle the Council was fighting to restore the balance of equality among men and women.


    ¡°The family has been taken to base. We¡¯re ready for you to set the blaze, Commander.¡± Seargent Calvin Thorne was one of the few men I could trust, and I trusted him with my life. He was the son of one of the Highest-Ranking Councilwomen and Councilmen, and he was on the side of women everywhere from the start. His roguish behavior had gotten him into some trouble in his youth and he¡¯d been demoted a time or two- mostly for beating the hell out of guys that dared look the wrong way at one of his squad mates. He was extremely protective of the women- and men- he served with, but most of us on this squad had been one of the First Women so he was particularly angry about anyone looking at us with anything but respect and obedience.


    ¡°Thanks, Cal.¡± I looked one last time on the gas station I had spent the last six months at. A thought came across my mind that both sickened me and committed me to my decision; ¡°Not once did that bastard recognize who I was.¡± As I lit the match, I thought of my daughter- our daughter- and threw it on the stream of gasoline that had been pumped and dumped all over the building. As the flame ignited the gold liquid, it travelled quickly from where we stood to the front door of the store where the screams from my rapist started anew. I watched as the flames engulfed the building. I listened to his screams as he burned to death, his skin melting from his bones. I smelled the acrid air that held the billowing smoke from the burning body of the father of my child; of the man that forced me to become a mother at 14.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Shortly after his screams subsided, I turned to Cal and said, ¡°Pack everything up that¡¯s left. I want to move on from here ASAP.¡± He nodded in response, and went about prepping to head out. I kept catching him out of the corner of my eye watching me, checking to see if I was still okay and holding it together. I went and sat in the truck and took out the brown colored contacts I was wearing, and lay my head back on the headrest.


    The truth was, I still didn¡¯t know where they had taken my daughter after she was born. She wasn¡¯t with him and his wife and other children, so where had they taken her? Was she even still alive? No, I couldn¡¯t think like that. Even though she wouldn¡¯t have a clue who I was, after twelve years of searching for my daughter, I would not give in to that possibility. I snuck out the only picture I had of her from my breast pocket. Two minutes after she was born, bloody and screaming on my chest, the picture was snapped as fourteen-year-old me stared incredulously but lovingly at what had just come out of me. I still remember the waves of confusion, pain, and love I felt that day.


    #


    A sweaty dark-haired man ran down the halls of the transport ship that brought everyone to this planet. He was the boss¡¯ right hand man, and he had great news for the Boss. He hurriedly checked room by room until he found the person he was looking for. He ran up to the man, a balding 30-something fat man with poor hygiene and rotting teeth.


    ¡°Boss, the girl at the end is having your baby! The labor has already started and it¡¯s moving quickly.¡± James said, flushed with excitement.


    This would be the first child born on New Earth. It was a momentous occasion, even if it had been conceived forcibly and with a child. The whole human race would be watching this day, and the events that transpired would solidify his position as King if he were to have a son. On the journey to this planet, there was rebellion and famine. Sensing a weakness in the current governments, he had formed The Cult of Seedbearers to undermine them and took over as soon as the new planet was in sight. When they landed on New Earth, Bruce himself had emerged as the top contender for King. Bruce had named the new planet, in fact, in the first speech he gave. He had garnered enough rough and tough men to do his bidding, and though most men were unaccepting of his plans to repopulate the human race they wouldn¡¯t have a choice. Bruce¡¯s men had taken all of the weapons for themselves before the ship landed, leaving nothing for a rebellion to arm themselves with.


    Bruce stood up quietly and unsteadily, the spirits that he had distilled from local plant life was strong. That was probably a good thing, though, as it was difficult to make and took very little to get you drunk. This was not the first time he¡¯d turned to the spirits when he couldn¡¯t handle stress, and he¡¯d been doing pretty well there the last few months on the Ark. He had barely recognized the man he was when his first wife left him, nor did he remember why she¡¯d left. He just remembered her going, and then she was going by her maiden name and with a new beau.


    He knew which girl he was talking about- the young one with the different colored eyes. Those eyes had haunted him ever since he took her. He had been the first to take her, and the only. The reaction seen on him by the other men had them backing away, claiming the King was the only one worthy of that one. Truth was, she terrified him. If he had just left her in the position they started in, everything would have been fine. He just had to see those perky little titties, though, and ever since then he has nightmares of breasts with one bright blue eye and one deep green eye. It completely ruined boobs for him, and he was pissed.


    ¡°You good, Boss?¡± James asked as he wrapped his arm around Bruce¡¯s shoulders. Bruce was anything but fine.


    ¡°Yeah, man, I¡¯m great! I¡¯m about to welcome my son into the world. Couldn¡¯t be better.¡± Bruce¡¯s words slurred together and he leaned heavily on James as he started ambling towards the door and out to the shabby tents where the girls were held. James supported him on one side and various items around the camp on the other. They could hear the girl¡¯s wailing from many yards away, and Bruce¡¯s footsteps fumbled and slowed. ¡°What if it¡¯s not a son? What if it¡¯s¡­. useless?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think like that, Boss. You¡¯re going to have a son and it¡¯s going to solidify your position as King of New Earth. C¡¯mon, it¡¯s not much farther now,¡± James said in a tone that should have been reassuring but was filled with pity. James knew that Bruce was not fit to be King. Bruce had not yet produced any children, but James had three sons with his wife. James knew that his baby was due to be born any day now too; and when it came out a boy, he could steal the position from Bruce.


    They entered the tent to the sounds of squelching and baby cries. Bruce immediately turned and vomited just outside the tent. James had known to expect this but apparently Bruce had not. The baby was placed on the girl¡¯s chest and someone snapped a picture of the mother and child. Bruce came back in and stumbled over to the pair. He grabbed up the baby roughly and looked at the genitals.


    ¡°A GIRL?!¡± Bruce roared, casting the child aside into James¡¯ arms. ¡°Useless, just like her mother!¡± He turned and stormed out of the tent, knocking into several people and objects along the way. ¡°GET RID OF HER¡± He shouted as he stormed across camp.


    James handed the baby to the woman who had helped the mother give birth, and mumbled, ¡°Do something with this. The girl is not fit to be a mother.¡± He stood guard while the woman carted the newborn out of the tent and the young girl screamed for her child.


    ¡°Her name is Everlea! Tell them that her name is Everlea!¡± The young girl screamed over and over again until she had no strength left in her and she grew quiet. She occasionally muttered the phrase again and again in her sleep.


    Once the girl was fully asleep, James exited the tent and went around camp, giving a code phrase to a select group of men as he came upon them. Each man stopped what he was doing and headed in a different direction than James. When they finally found everyone, they met in the center of camp to search for their target- Bruce. They found him drinking his distilled spirits in his room, sulking.


    Bruce didn¡¯t seem surprised to see the group of men gathered at his door, and he lazily took another swig of his spirits and said, ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t think I was going to be King after producing a freaky, useless girl.¡± The men grabbed him and took him to the outskirts of camp, to a disheveled tent far away from everyone else.


    ¡°I have already produced three sons, and I have another due any day now. A man like me should be your King!¡± James pounded his chest as he said this, gaining a roar of approval from his men. ¡°Bruce is weak, he has produced no sons, and he is a drunk! He is no King.¡± Another roar of approval from the men. They chanted James¡¯ name as they made their way back to the center of the camp, where James and his family took over the center-most and least tattered tents that Bruce had once occupied. They threw his distillery equipment and ingredients, along with anything else they deemed useless to them, into the fire pit just outside their tents.


    A devastated fourteen-year-old Katerina listened from her tent as the commotion and celebration went on into the late night. They had taken her baby, and no one would tell her where she was, if she was safe or healthy. The sounds of the camp were nothing compared to the screaming that was happening inside her head. She knew if she actually screamed out loud that the punishment would be severe; they would likely strap her to the pole near the center of camp and stone her to death.


    Katerina picked herself up of the dirt floor, the afterbirth and fluids from what had just happened still staining it. Her legs were wobbly and weak, and she needed to hold onto the pole she was shackled to for support. She made her way over to the disgusting commode in the corner of the tent. She was in a lot of pain, but she felt the need to do her business so she forced herself to stay upright as she walked over to it. The chain she was on was just long enough for her to reach it and sit down.


    After sitting for a long moment, she felt the searing pain in her insides that was the first movement after giving birth. Katerina knew nothing about giving birth. She was an orphan; her father had died long before the voyage to New Earth and her mother was unable to survive the journey here. She had only gotten one cycle before she was chained in this tent and left to rot. She had no idea why her belly was growing over the months and didn¡¯t understand when they told her she had a human in there. How could a whole human fit inside her belly? She was not a large person. In fact, Katerina was quite small and skinny for her age. She only stood 4 foot 10 inches tall, was a mere 75 pounds soaking wet. The harsh reality came crashing down on her as the first waves of contractions set in, though, and instantly she understood. This is how you became a mother.


    Katerina didn¡¯t know if all women felt as she did towards the father of her child, but she hated him. She hated everything about Bruce; from his disgusting breath, his sweaty body, all the way down to the little stub between his legs. The one and only time she¡¯d had to deal with that stub hurt a tiny bit at first, but only for a second. After that she could hardly feel anything at all until, he collapsed on top of her, panting.


    He had obviously been bothered by her eyes, and it showed. The way he recoiled back and threw his arms up in front of his face when he looked into them was almost comical, especially when he started tripping over himself to leave the tent, pulling up his pants as he went. She had kept her eyes cast toward the ground like her father had taught her until this point. She obviously didn¡¯t know the real reason why, but her father had told her that her eyes held more power than any other and one had to be responsible with that kind of power.


    When Katerina was done with her business, she walked around the tent that had been her prison for the last 11 months. She had not been of a mind to really look around but now that they took her baby, she wanted out. No matter how long it took, she was going to get out of there and get her Everlea back.

 Chapter 2- The Search for Everlea

    [Chapter 2] ¡ª The Search for Everlea


    ¡°Evee! Get inside! There¡¯s a storm coming in fast!¡± Gage yelled at the 12-year-old picking flowers in the field. His wife Megan prepared dinner in the kitchen while Gage stood on the wraparound porch just outside, calling for the child until finally she gave in and came inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to melt, you know.¡± Evee mumbled under her breath as she came walked by him.


    ¡°Maybe not, but if you don¡¯t eat your dinner, the wind might just blow you away!¡± Gage teased her as he followed her into the house, securing the storm door behind him.


    ¡°Momma Meg, Papa Gage is teasing me again!¡± Evee whined as she entered the kitchen and hugged Meg from behind.


    ¡°Oh, Gage, would you leave that poor child alone! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s hard enough?¡± she chided Gage softly, love entwined in every word. Meg was a loving and nurturing woman, but she was also very honest. She had never led Evee to believe that she and Gage were her real parents. She had been the nurse that attended Evee¡¯s birth, who had taken her out of the tent and listened to that poor girl¡¯s screams. She couldn¡¯t quite make out what she was saying, but it sounded like ¡°Evee¡± so that¡¯s what she¡¯s called the little girl. It broke Meg¡¯s heart to walk away with the girl¡¯s child, but she knew that the only way to protect the newborn was to get her out of that Camp.


    Meg and Gage had not met until the voyage to New Earth, and by that point Meg was not able to have children. She wasn¡¯t too old; she¡¯d had an accident that led to a stillbirth in transit that resulted in the need for a full hysterectomy. Her husband shunned her, and later she and Gage had met. When Meg and Gage saw what was happening on New Earth, and how the government fell, they knew they wanted no part of it. They had found some like-minded people who wanted to separate from the camp and establish themselves elsewhere. The night they were due to leave, Meg came in with a tiny baby and told Gage what she had been told to do. They knew they had to protect this child, so when the group left that night Meg had baby Evee in tow.


    Meg had always hated that they left without Evee¡¯s mother. It ate away at her as the child grew, taking her first steps and saying her first words. These were things that the child¡¯s mother should be experiencing, and while Meg was grateful to be able to watch Evee grow, she always kept that poor screaming child in her mind; a mother who was still a child for herself, yet the love of a mother¡¯s bond with her baby no less present. As she grew, Evee surpassed most everyone around her; she was incredibly astute, easily reading and acting in a situation with a wisdom far beyond her years. She learned how to read by age three, was teaching older kids to read by age 4, and was doing college level coursework as a twelve-year-old. Her teachers had a difficult time finding appropriate work for her as many of them were only Educators to the secondary level and Evee was in college level. She could do advance math in her head, memorize an entire dance routine in under 30 minutes to perfection, sing in every old language that had music, and read and write in as many languages.


    The girl was the spitting image of her mother; with one striking blue eye and one dark green eye, surrounded by long black curls. Evee was nearly the age her mother was when she gave birth to her, and that further pained Meg. She raised the girl knowing the truth about her existence, knowing that her mother cried for her as she was taken away. She also knew how much she and Gage had regretted not being able to get her mother out with them, but there had not been enough time before the group of separatists moved on to their new location. Missing that departure would mean not being able to follow, as there was no definitive plan on where they would settle shared with the group. They just knew that they were leaving here and going far enough away that The Cult wouldn¡¯t be able to interfere with their lives. Meg refused to take the chance that this child would grow up to endure the same fate as her mother.


    So, they left with her, and raised her to know everything. Made sure she knew how special and loved she was by them and her mother. Meg didn¡¯t know the girl before assisting in Evee¡¯s birth, but she saw the love in the girl¡¯s eyes when Evee was laid on her chest and heard the love in the girl¡¯s voice as she screamed after them. She didn¡¯t need to know that Evee¡¯s mother loved her, there was no doubt. So, Meg made sure that there could never come a time where Evee could be hurt by a lack of information or miscommunication as to who she and Gage were to Evee. She never wanted there to be a point in Evee¡¯s life where she questioned whether she was loved.


    Two years after leaving the camp, a party was sent to rescue the First Women. By that point there were many separatist groups, which included a reforming and ever-strengthening government in the form of the Council; these groups had collaborated as quickly as they could manage to rescue the women still in captivity with the Cult. It had been an interesting battle, as the weapons the groups used were of a far lesser quality than what the Cult had stolen from them; but they¡¯d had a limited amount of time to make weapons for those that had volunteered for the mission and less-than-perfect fabricators. Only one group- the group that the Council was the head of- was able to get a fabricator out, and it was an older model that had seen better days.


    The conditions the women were found living in were improved from when the groups had left the Camp, but they were still unsanitary. Many women had died of disease or injury, and they were led to believe that Evee¡¯s mother may have been one of them. With little to no healthcare, medical supplies, or medications some of the women had succumbed to beatings doled out by the Cult members. The women that were rescued who had been captive at the same time as Evee¡¯s mother had told the Separatists that she had last been seen attempting to escape the camp over a year before; they heard the shouting of the men chasing after her, they heard the gunshots, but they were never able to learn the fate of Evee¡¯s mother. None of them even knew her name.


    This was hard news for Meg and Gage to process; they had been hoping that they would be able to rescue Evee¡¯s mother and return her daughter to her, safely. Not because they didn¡¯t love Evee, she was their whole world; they weren¡¯t going to be able to have children of their own, so this was as close as it was going to get for them. They both knew, however, that as long as Evee¡¯s mother was out there that she was the rightful parent. They would keep Evee safe while the Separatists continued the search for Evee¡¯s mother. Every living First Woman, and many others who had chosen to leave with them, were rescued from the Camp that day, but Evee¡¯s mother had not been one of them; despite the assumption that Evee¡¯s mother was dead, she never truly gave up hope that she had escaped the hands of the Cult.


    After twelve years, there were very few places left to look. There were a few bands of Separatists by this point, and not all of them spoke amongst each other. Pierce County where Meg and Gage lived was very remote, a volcanic mountainous region with rivers running throughout. There was a lot of wide-open spaces broken up by vast stretches of rainforest, everything sprawled on the sides of vast mountains and volcanoes.


    There were not many counties like theirs, but there were a few. Some even more remote and off-grid than this one, and theirs was already difficult to reach. There were only certain times of the year that you could traverse the paths to their mountain county; and if you didn¡¯t know exactly where you were going you would get lost and caught up in a flash flood, or break through the line of trees only to fall to your death at the edge of a cliff that was immediately on the other side. Most things came in and out of this county by drone or plane, it was far less dangerous than trying to navigate the paths.


    Pierce County focused on medical and scientific advancements, ensuring the general populous had access to basic vaccines and antibiotics, and developed the necessary technology and tools to make life on this planet survivable; sonic saws, laser screwdrivers, sewer borers, construction bots, etc. There were few who could afford much of the technology, most of it went to the government for building cities and infrastructure, but it allowed for a few more comforts than most counties had.


    The scientists and doctors were the bulk of Evee¡¯s educational foundation. With so few people able to keep up with the child¡¯s ravenous mind, they had recently had no choice but to turn to the highest intellects in the county to tend to her education and even they were impressed at how quickly she caught on to their projects and ideas. Not only was she able to understand it, she was able to provide engaging and intelligent questions and feedback on each one.


    Meg walked her way across the kitchen, the limp left over from her accident that had cost her child still evident; she set dinner on the table and the three of them sat down to eat. They had a dinner time tradition, to each say one good thing that happened that day and one that wasn¡¯t as good. Evee went first, telling Meg and Gage about her day at the lab and what she learned, and ended with being teased ¡°mercilessly¡± by Papa Gage. She made sure to say this with all the drama that existed in her little body, bringing about muffled giggles from Meg and Gage. Meg went next, saying that the good part of her day was delivering a healthy baby and having another day with Evee, and her not so great news that there was once again no news of Evee¡¯s mother. This was something that was frequently the ¡°not-so-good¡± part of Meg¡¯s day. She always wanted to make sure Evee knew they were not going to give up until they found answers, and that no matter what came of it Evee was loved.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Well, my good part of the day is sitting here with you two eating this delicious dinner! The not-so-great part of the day was waiting to hear on a lead I was following on Evee¡¯s mother.¡± Gage said this cautiously, not wanting to cause too much upset as he wasn¡¯t entirely sure where it would lead. ¡°I got news that there is a Commander in the Phoenix Centennial who roughly matches the age and hair color of Evee¡¯s mother. Now wait, wait¡± Gage said pumping his open palm down in a ¡°slow down¡± motion as Meg gasped and nearly jumped out of her seat. ¡°There¡¯s a problem with this report, and I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s actually her. She has brown eyes.¡±


    This made Meg feel defeated. Evee and her mother had the same eyes, one bright blue and one dark green. This woman couldn¡¯t possibly be Evee¡¯s mother if she had brown eyes. You don¡¯t just suddenly lose incredible eyes like that. Meg pushed her food around on her plate as she thought back to the day Evee was born. She remembered vividly the fear and determination in the young girl¡¯s eyes as she had contractions. Her labor had come on so quickly, and Meg wasn¡¯t called upon to help until the baby was almost crowning, there had been no time to ask the girl her name. Meg chided herself quietly about that one all the time. It was the one time she had not gotten her patient¡¯s name and it was a mistake she¡¯s not made before or since.


    ¡°Now,¡± Gage continued, ¡°we have sent out scouts to find this woman and determine her eye color and identity. As you both know, the Phoenix Centennial are highly elusive and secretive. They never talk about where they¡¯re going or where they¡¯ve been. Most people don¡¯t know them from other men and women, they don¡¯t wear uniforms or any significant identifiers. The only way to know if a someone is a Phoenix is to see the tattoo on their ribs, which is not a body part they reveal. The best way we could think to find them is to seek out all the Guard squads and narrow it down that way. We have no way to tell how long it will take to find all the squads and follow the lead through.¡± Gage finished almost apologetically, knowing that he didn¡¯t really provide any hope. He held on to the fact that he did not completely take it away, either.


    #


    I must have dozed off waiting for the Centennial to move out; because the next thing I knew, the Army Air Base was coming into sight. I hurriedly put my brown contacts back in before anyone else could notice. Cal, Laura, her three other squad mates, and one or two others were the only people on New Earth who knew my true identity. The Council had heard of the reaction Bruce had to my eyes, and how those around me seemed influenced on an otherworldly level. After I¡¯d given birth to my baby, whenever I looked into someone¡¯s eyes, I have been able to influence them to do as I asked. Somehow becoming a mother brought body and mind to full maturity very quickly, which unlocked my ability. It was this realization that had enabled me to escape from the Cult.


    As we parked the truck in the motor pool and unloaded, I turned around to see the closest thing I¡¯d had for a father and mother on this planet. Generals Mark and Lana Hammond were the first people I had encountered after I escaped the Cult¡¯s encampment. Being terrified, nearly starved to death, and filthy, I had come upon Mark and perceived him as a threat; after what I had been through, knowing only men who wanted to harm me for so long, who could blame me? I had locked my gaze on Mark and ordered him to give me clothes and food from his supplies. When Lana noticed his behavior, she followed him to my hiding place and had coaxed me to go with her. Mark and Lana had been hunting during their honeymoon, so they had been alone.


    Realizing what I had done to Mark, Lana had given me the brown contacts she had developed herself that could both hide my identity and collar my ability so it couldn¡¯t be used by accident. Lana later developed a pair that could be turned on and off with a neurolink at my will, but the first ones simply dampened the ability and changed the eye color. They were the ones I wore undercover, the ones I wore now. I was eager to get them off and put on the more comfortable, more advanced pair, but I paused in front of Lana and Mark.


    ¡°Generals, mission complete.¡± I stated in an official voice before Lana and Mark opened their arms and I fell into them. ¡°Now that¡¯s over, I need to find her. The worst of the threats are gone, I need to know what happened to her.¡± I knew my voice sounded muffled and child-like with my face pressed into my adoptive parents¡¯ chests, but I needed the comfort of their embrace as much as I needed to say this.


    ¡°We know, sweet girl. For now, get some good rest. We¡¯ll discuss the next steps after you¡¯ve recuperated.¡± Lana said as she embraced Katerina.


    I knew that there was no point in arguing with Lana, so I simply nodded and headed off towards my quarters. Once there, I showered off the feeling of living the last six months off-grid, changed into pajamas and put in my neurolink contacts. These I could wear twenty-four-seven, so if I was awakened by anyone outside my trusted circle, they wouldn¡¯t see my eyes. As I had matured, my ability had also matured. I was no longer required to give spoken instructions to my target, I merely had to will them to do something and it would be forced into the person¡¯s mind and actions. I really had no wish to force people to do things against their will, I¡¯d gotten enough of that myself in the camp. It was a useful tool for interrogation, forcing someone to tell her truths they would have otherwise taken to their graves; but even this was done as a last resort.


    I thought back to Bruce¡¯s interrogation. He was believed to be the last surviving member of the Cult, and he¡¯d had a vital piece of information. Aside from being my own abuser, he had also known the name of the woman that might know where Everlea was. It had taken me six months to gain Bruce¡¯s trust enough for him to reveal himself as my abuser, and once I had that evidence, I was able to detain and interrogate him. He had been in that bathroom most of the day, with me gagging him and closing the door when customers pulled up. I would take care of the customer and go back to my interrogation all day until finally the store was able to close. As soon as I had locked the door, I had taken my contacts out and begun the real interrogation. Bruce is obviously not going to give me the information I needed willingly, and he deserves to have it forced out of him, I thought to myself.


    ¡°Tell me who the woman was that attended the birth of the First Child.¡± I had said, glaring into his eyes.


    ¡°She-she was my first wife. The one that killed my first child and couldn¡¯t have any more. She had made herself useless, but she was a nurse so I knew she would need to help with the birth of my son¡­ but it was just another useless girl.¡± Bruce had answered in a monotone voice, his eyes glazed over and staring blankly at me.


    ¡°You discarded your wife? How did she kill your child?¡± I asked through clenched teeth. This man was every bit as awful as she remembered. He made have put up a decent front the last six months; pretending in front of his wife and kids that he was a happy, loyal husband and father but when they weren¡¯t around, he was grabbing tits and ass every chance he got or making some misogynistic comment.


    ¡°Sh-she t-t-told me that I w-wasn¡¯t fit to be a father. She said she had wished she had never married me or gotten pregnant but we were young. She wished that I would die, and I slapped her. She fell down three flights of stairs while on board the Ark and broke multiple bones, perforated her uterus in multiple places and she went into early labor. The baby was already dead and the surgeons on board were not prepared for injuries so severe, so they removed her uterus and the baby. They said they patched her up as best they could and that she would survive, but that she would never have children again. She wished me dead and then made herself useless to me. The only way the human race would survive is with healthy children, men to do the real work and women to ensure the continuation of the human race. How was I to be King if my wife couldn¡¯t even continue my line?¡± Bruce ended in the trance-like state, but waves of my true feelings combined with their true feelings always seeped through to the person being influenced.


    ¡°If I heard you correctly, you slapped her because she bruised your ego which resulted in the death of your child and her inability to have children of her own?¡± I could hardly believe what I had just heard. I knew not all men were horrible, but the ones that went bad were just¡­ unfathomably bad. I would never accept a bruised ego as an excuse for anything. It just shouldn¡¯t be more or less than a learning experience. This man, though¡­ he had taken his bruised ego to whole new levels; Physical levels, then blamed the death of his unborn child on the mother he caused to fall to such serious injuries. He had permanently ensured she would never be able to have children again. ¡°What was your first wife¡¯s name¡± I asked as she put her contacts back in.


    ¡°Meg¡± Bruce replied weakly. I began closing up the shop and counting the till. I had heard enough, and I had the evidence I needed. The hold my ability had on him was released as soon as he gave me the name, and he began shouting, begging and pleading but I¡¯d paid him no mind.


    I fell asleep replaying the sounds of his screams in my mind. I slept fitfully, knowing that I had served myself and my child justice, but still at war with my ability and my confrontation with my abuser. I knew that he deserved the sentence the Council had given him, as had all the others, but knowing that aspect of my story was closed and I was still no closer to knowing what happened to Everlea constantly weighed heavily on me. Images of watching the gas station burn and hearing his screams melted into Everlea¡¯s screaming as she was laid on my chest just after birth. A moment after being laid there, her screams subsided for just a moment and she had opened her eyes and stared into mine for a long moment. She¡¯d had the same eyes as me, and the same dark, curly hair; so much hair! I was vaguely aware of someone snapping a Polaroid photo while I stared down into those beautiful, powerful eyes. Moments later, Everlea was snatched off my chest and I was screaming after her. Everything from that day had otherwise been a blur, especially after all these years, but I remembered the details that mattered: I had a daughter named Everlea who looked just like me, they had taken her moments after her birth and I had no idea where she was or if she was still alive, and that I would do whatever it took to find out.

 Chapter 3- Meg

    [Chapter 3] ¡ª Meg


    Meg came back to their berth being a filthy mess, her husband asleep on the futon that doubled as a sofa reeking of his distilled spirits. There was no food, garbage everywhere, and he had clearly thought every corner was the toilet and getting it wrong every time. She was so tired; she had attended fourth births that day during her 12-hour shift and she was 22 weeks pregnant herself. To come home to this every night was not what she was expecting, but it hadn¡¯t always been that way. At the beginning, Bruce was not a big drinker and he held a good job. Even though that job had been in one of the big industries that had contributed to Earth¡¯s fast downward spiral he was still paid well and had good benefits. He was kind and attentive and loving, he¡¯d wanted a big family and a happy life, just as she had. When everything came out about Varotech, the company Bruce worked for, everyone around them had turned to Bruce and blamed him for destroying Earth. Varotech¡¯s executives had hidden the fact that their company¡¯s ¡°green vapors¡± were anything but green, and it was destroying the ozone layer faster than they could build the Arks to save humanity.


    For the final six months humans inhabited Earth, they were forced to do so underground in cramped bomb shelters. Most shelters in their area had refused Bruce entry, leaving him out in the steadily increasing radiation and elements that now poisoned Earth¡¯s atmosphere. After a month outside, Meg had finally won the ability to take him down into the shelter with her. The man she had once loved had become a shell of a human being, muttering to himself and constantly ill. The last five months in the shelter he never once left their bed, Meg tending to every illness as it came with everything she could manage to find. Nobody had been willing to help with supplies or doctors, so it had all been on her.


    There were moments when he had been his old self, and had romanced her into bed with him. Shortly before the Arks were ready to fly, she found out she was pregnant. Bruce had nearly been back to his old self, but he still had an explosive temper and paranoid delusions that he hadn¡¯t had before. Where he was once loving and supportive of her career, he was now suspicious and accusatory. Every time she left him to attend another birth he would explode, ranting that she was seeing other men.


    Things got better for a short while after the Arks began their voyage. For two short months, Bruce was productive, coherent, and loving once again. It was almost as if he had forgotten his time in the poisonous atmosphere, and he was back to his old self. That is, until Meg¡¯s belly started to grow. Once it was obvious that she was pregnant, Bruce had started distilling spirits in their berth and drinking heavily, frequently accusing her of having another man¡¯s child. He was almost always drunk, especially if he didn¡¯t have anywhere to be; since he couldn¡¯t hold a job that was almost always. At first it was more difficult to tell, he still functioned really well that if you didn¡¯t know what was going on you couldn¡¯t tell.


    Today, however, at twenty-two weeks pregnant and after dealing as best as she could with Bruce¡¯s spiral, she¡¯d had enough. She had done her best for him from the start,; she¡¯d been on his side defending him as everyone around them blamed Bruce himself for needing to vacate Earth, even though he was only a low-level factory worker; she fought to get him into the shelter with her, even though everyone was against them; she spent months nursing him back to health even though she was an obstetrics nurse and wasn¡¯t as knowledgeable about nursing a mental health case or radiation sunburns. His drinking had only gotten more frequent, his ability to function more dulled, and his temper was on a shorter fuse than ever. It was normally just him screaming obscenities slurred together until he fell back to sleep, but today she¡¯d had enough.


    Meg started gathering up her things and packing them in a duffel bag. She had no intentions of this being her life, or the life her child would live. As she packed as quickly and quietly as she could, she heard Bruce waking up. She hurried to get the last of her things packed before her was fully awake, planning to put herself between him and the door before he could block her exit. He sat up as Meg passed the futon he was laying on and grabbed her arm.


    ¡°Where you go?¡± he slurred drunkenly, urine beginning to pool on the floor in front of him and spread over the futon mattress.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving. You are not fit to be a father, or a husband!¡± Meg ripped her arm from his grasp and started heading for the door. She turned around and pointed saying, ¡°Look at yourself! You¡¯re urinating all over yourself as we speak, you¡¯ve urinated in every corner of the room, you¡¯ve eaten every bit of food we had for the month! I won¡¯t stand for this anymore. This is not the life I signed up for, this is not the life my child is going to live.¡± Meg turned and went out the door and began down the hallway towards the stairs. She had just gotten to the head of the stairs when Bruce grabbed her duffel bag from behind her.


    ¡°You whore! Where you think you go? Yer lover?¡± Bruce was so drunk he couldn¡¯t even form coherent sentences. The one thing that was clear was how angry he was. He shook the duffel bag violently, causing Meg to stumble towards him. Bruce slapped her so hard she stumbled backwards, falling down the stairs. The duffel bag was still wrapped around Meg¡¯s body, so when she reached the landing and the heavy bag bounced off the wall its momentum dragged Meg down two more flights of stairs. When Meg finally came to a stop three floors down, her crumpled body was so tangled up in the duffle bag they had to cut the straps to get it off her. Bruce had gazed down the staircase to where Meg had landed and saw that people had immediately gathered to her and was helping her. Bruce turned back and stumbled to his berth, closed the door, and crumbled back onto the disgusting futon, unconscious.


    Meg woke 3 days later in the ICU, and she knew what had happened. Her child was gone, and the large scar on her abdomen told her all she needed to know; her ability to have any other children died with the one she had carried the last twenty-two weeks. Meg was devastated, she adored children and had always dreamed of being a mother. Her career and Bruce¡¯s job had been prioritized when they were younger, so their first five years as a couple were carefully protected when they were intimate. Things had not been quite as accessible in every shelter, so her ability to protect against pregnancy had lapsed down there. She had still been excited though, and full of hope, when she found out she was pregnant. She had hope that Bruce would continue to recover and things would be as they had always planned.


    Laying here now she wasn¡¯t only mourning the loss of her child; she was mourning the ending of her marriage, the fact that her own husband was the one who put her in this hospital bed to begin with, and mourning any future children she could have had. It was a lot to process, so for many weeks Meg didn¡¯t say a single word. When she finally did, it was to thank the gorgeous male nurse attending her. He had stopped dead in his tracks on the way out the door and turned around.


    ¡°Did you say something, love?¡± Gage had said tentatively, not sure if he had actually heard her speak or if wishing she would made him delusional. He didn¡¯t normally make his patient¡¯s situations so personal, but this one had really struck a chord with Gage. A young, beautiful woman who lost her child and then couldn¡¯t speak for weeks for the grief she felt. Most of the nurses had requested other cases, not being able to handle the mute patient or her unwillingness to participate in her own recovery. Gage had taken it as a challenge, however, and hoped that he could charm the woman into opening up. He had certainly never had such a difficult time in getting people to open up but Meg was a challenge. They didn¡¯t have a last name for Meg, the only reason they knew her first name was because of the nametag they found with her things. Even the people who worked with her knew her only as ¡°Meg¡± as last names weren¡¯t relevant to doing their jobs- things had become very efficient and almost impersonal once they had set out on the Arks. It was a gap nurses tried to bridge with their patients as they didn¡¯t have the time or energy to do so amongst themselves. Gage had to admit, he didn¡¯t know the last names of anyone he hadn¡¯t known before the voyage had begun and that didn¡¯t sit well with him; there was never time for personal pursuits on the Ark, though. It was all work and no play- survival mode in every aspect.


    ¡°I said thank you.¡± Came the small voice of her reply. Gage had nearly dropped the empty lunch tray he was holding when she spoke again. Her voice was like a bell, light and tinkling. It was the most beautiful sound he¡¯d ever heard.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, Meg. I¡¯m here if you need anything else.¡± Gage knew his voice sounded strained, but he couldn¡¯t help it. This was huge for him, and he wasn¡¯t about to pass up the opportunity in front of him; he¡¯d also give almost anything to hear her voice again and again. He set the tray down on the sink and took a few tentative steps towards her. ¡°Could you tell me your last name, Meg? I know I¡¯ve asked you many times, but I was really hoping to know it, if you¡¯re willing to tell me.¡±


    Meg panicked for a moment as she had every other time she was asked. It seemed as though her husband had not been connected to her fall, and Meg had just wanted a clean break. If she gave her married name, he would be notified and there would be a whole new mess to deal with. That was definitely not something she wanted to do. Meg needed this to be her clean break from Bruce, so she had planned on giving her maiden name. This handsome male nurse had made her feel things she wasn¡¯t ready to feel, and Meg decided in that moment to say something witty and change the subject.


    ¡°What¡¯s your last name? Maybe I¡¯ll just take yours.¡±


    Gage sputtered before he let out a laugh that had Meg¡¯s insides doing cartwheels. She loved his laugh, and the way he tilted his whole body back at his waist as he did. For the first time in what felt like years, Meg gave him a shy smile. As long as this gorgeous man kept laughing like that, Meg didn¡¯t feel broken and useless.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, cat got your tongue?¡± Meg said slyly.


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s sassy now, huh?¡± Gage said, wiping the mirth from his eyes. ¡°Well, that¡¯s more than you¡¯ve said in months. I¡¯ll take whatever sass you want to throw my way, Meg. Better than watching you be silent.¡±


    ¡°Well, you still haven¡¯t answered my question. What¡¯s your last name?¡± Meg said cocking her chin out and to one side.


    ¡°Rainier. My last name is Rainier.¡± Gage replied.


    ¡°Like the volcano on Earth?¡± Meg giggled.


    ¡°Yes, like the volcano. My family owned one of the largest resorts out there and a few generations back one of my grandfathers thought it would be a good touch to share the name of the volcano.¡± Gage said, rolling his eyes. He¡¯d gotten that a lot, obviously, and it was just easier to tell it as he knew it rather than pussyfoot around and have to tell all anyways.


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. Your family were resort owners and you¡¯re a nurse?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I wasn¡¯t loving the fact that it took so long for basic medical care around the hiking trails. The mountain is remote in some parts, not always easy to access. I became a Nurse Practitioner so there would be an added medical presence on the more remote areas of the mountain.¡± Gage was proud of this decision, nobody else had the gall to leave and go off to college. Their lives were very comfortable on the Resort, having hundreds of acres of land and houses built and paid for. There was a section for tourists, and their own private section. Tourists often got lost and wandered into the private section, either wandering onto a family member¡¯s property and getting mauled by the dogs, or deeper into the Rainforest where they were exposed to the elements and often injured until they were found. Gage had been the first to give up the cushy mountain life that his family had enjoyed for generations. He worked hard to pay for his own place and get high marks in school. When he graduated, he did a voluntary residency before moved back to their mountain resort where he established his own practice.


    ¡°That¡¯s really brave, to leave everything you know and get an education.¡± Meg said, genuinely impressed at what was obviously a rich boy who found his own way.


    ¡°Thanks. It was tough, but I was determined and I¡¯ve never regretted my decision.¡± Gage was grateful for the recognition, but what he really wanted was to find out exactly who this woman was. ¡°So, what about you, huh? What¡¯s your last name? Why did you become an obstetrics nurse?¡± Meg looked surprised at his knowledge of this, and she was definitely looking more nervous.


    ¡°My last name is Harper,¡± Meg said quickly, giving him her maiden name without a second thought. She figured even if he did know anything else, she would rather take her shot than cower at her past. ¡°I became a nurse because my older twin sisters died during childbirth, and doctors couldn¡¯t stop the hemorrhages in time. I wanted to make sure I knew everything I could so when I was finally able to have a child of my own, I could make more informed decisions. Funny how that worked out.¡± That came out sounding more bitter than Meg had intended it to, but she was still hurting. He¡¯d have to forgive that one.


    ¡°Well, Meg Harper the obstetrics nurse, do you need anything else? If not, you should get some rest while I check in on the other patients. When I¡¯m done, I can come back and we can talk about anything you want.¡± Gage said, standing up and making his way to the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you. I¡¯ll see you later I guess.¡± Meg replied. She settled back into her pillows and closed her eyes, attempting to get some rest. It had been difficult for her these last few weeks; she kept having nightmares of falling down the stairs and of Bruce¡¯s face floating through the air with no body as he slurred obscenities at her. She could definitely use the rest, but she knew that as soon as she fell asleep she would be confronted with the dreams she¡¯d been having.


    Gage had left and Meg found herself drifting off into a sleep that was more peaceful than she¡¯d gotten in months. When Gage had come back to her room and seen her sleeping so peacefully, he decided that he was going to go back to his berth and change and come back. His shift had ended, and he was feeling less than clean and handsome. In his berth, he showered and put on a cobalt blue shirt that set off his blue eyes, and some khakis. He slipped on some frog togs and headed back down to Meg¡¯s room. On the way, he saw silk flowers and built a bundle of sunflowers and wildflowers. When he got to the hospital room, Meg was still asleep so Gage settled himself back into the chair and grabbed one of the books on Meg¡¯s bedside table.


    A few hours later, Meg woke to find Gage reading in the chair next to her. He looked and smelled amazing, and she realized that he was here on his own time when she saw that he had showered and changed. As she sat up, she caught sight of the bouquet of silk flowers next to her small stack of books. Sunflowers and wildflowers were her favorite flowers, and she had greatly missed seeing them on Earth. She stared at them for a long moment, a sad smile on her face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what kind of flowers you liked, so I just guessed and made something that looked pretty. They¡¯re just silk, but maybe someday when we¡¯re on a new planet they could be real ones.¡± Gage said quietly. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you for anything you don¡¯t want to give, but I¡¯m so drawn to you, Meg. Even if all you want is friendship, I will gladly take it. There¡¯s something about you that I just can¡¯t shake, that makes me want to be near you whenever possible. If that creeps you out, I will leave you alone. I had to let you know how I felt.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°I do not want you to go.¡± Meg replied quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I want, I¡¯m still feeling broken and useless, but I don¡¯t want you to go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here. Are you hungry? It¡¯s about time for dinner.¡± Gage pulled out the room service menu and opened it to the dinner section. ¡°Tonight¡¯s special is Lasagna with bread and butter and a side salad.¡± Meg simply gave him a small frown. ¡°Yeah, doesn¡¯t sound very appetizing to me, either. Stay here, I¡¯ll be back in a minute.¡±


    Gage ran out the door and went to the nearest clothing vendor he could find. He picked out a green t-shirt to match Meg¡¯s green eyes and set off her fiery red hair, a pair of jeans, and undergarments that all seemed to be Meg¡¯s size. He hoped they would be, at least. He rushed back into Meg¡¯s room and handed her the bundle of clothes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s blow this popsicle stand and get some real food, what do you say?¡± Gage said to Meg as she looked at the clothes. She looked back up at him and smiled, climbed out of bed, and ran to the bathroom to get dressed.


    This was the first time he had seen Meg smile, and it nearly knocked him to his knees.


    #


    The sky deck of the Ark held restaurants from every country on Earth, serving every dish you could think of. Meg had never had any time to come here when she was with Bruce; she was working and taking care of him. He was always spending their money on distillery equipment and ingredients, so they had limited funds and none of it was to eat out. Gage escorted Meg around the sky deck until something piqued her interest- Gage¡¯s favorite, chicken wings. She had almost gone with Sushi, which would have been fine by Gage, but when she caught the smell of the original chicken wings cooking not far away, she immediately changed course and beelined towards the smell.


    ¡°A woman after my own heart!¡± Gage exclaimed dramatically, clutching his chest as he teetered back on one foot and throwing the other slightly out to one side. ¡°Chicken wings are my favorite food ever!¡±


    ¡°Mine, too. Definitely my guilty pleasure!¡± Meg replied, pleased that what she had picked had gone over well.


    ¡°What flavor do you like best? I love hot wings when I¡¯m feeling spicy, and teriyaki wings when I¡¯m not. They have fantastic fries and this pineapple coleslaw that is delicious.¡± Gage was hungry, and his stomach was going to start rumbling if he didn¡¯t fill it soon.


    Right on cue, his stomach let out a huge rumble that Meg had clearly heard; she put her hand over her mouth and let out a little giggle before her stomach did the same. Her eyes opened wide and she let out a surprised laugh, Gage put his hands on his belly and laughed with her.


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯re both pretty hungry. Let¡¯s get some food.¡± Gage handed Meg a menu and they sat down at a caf¨¦ table. The sky deck was set up very much like an open-air mall, park, and event space all in one; with all eating outside in a cafeteria-like setting. They decided what they wanted and Gage went up to place their order. While they waited, Meg and Gage chatted about where they grew up, what their favorite things were, what they hoped life would be like on the new planet.


    When their number was called, they went up to the counter to collect their food. Meg¡¯s eyes had gone wide as she held the food in her hands, walking back to the table. They sat down and Meg practically danced in her seat, rubbing her hands together excitedly before diving into her Hawaiian chicken wings. Gage couldn¡¯t help but think that she was the most beautiful, most adorable, intelligent and strong woman he had ever seen. She told him her story as they ate, tearing up just a little when she spoke of her child. The rest of the time she was stoic, her jaw set and her eyes determined, not once letting there be any question that she did not regret leaving her ex-husband. With each word, Meg could feel her heart healing; the gaping hole that had been left in it shrinking with each truth she told him.


    ¡°We need to tell the authorities what he¡¯s done. He can¡¯t get away with this! Is this why you haven¡¯t spoken a word in three months?¡± Gage said, his chest practically heaving with anger.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t. I do not want to go through that. What¡¯s done is done, he can¡¯t hurt me anymore and in his condition he¡¯s not likely to hurt anyone else. Please.¡± Meg said hastily, trying not to let herself sound too desperate while begging for his silence.


    Gage looked at Meg, seeing how hard she was trying to hide her fear he nodded. There was no way he would make her do something she didn¡¯t want to do. He would do anything to see that smile on her face again.


    ¡°It¡¯s your body and your choice. I make no promises to keep my cool if we ever cross paths, though. I will not seek him out, but if he gets in my way or comes near you, I will kill him.¡± Gage said this in a calm and even tone, as he looked at Meg. She gave him a small smile and nodded, accepting this compromise.


    They gathered up the debris from their meal and brought it and their trays to the garbage bins. They dumped the trash in the bins and placed their trays on top. As they turned to walk away, Meg¡¯s foot caught the leg of a chair and she tripped. Gage reached out with lightning-fast reflexes and caught her, holding her face to face against his chest. Meg¡¯s arms were wrapped around Gage¡¯s neck, and their lips just inches apart. Just as quickly as she tripped, Meg closed those few inches and kissed Gage. Gage¡¯s lips tingled, his insides exploded, and he held her tighter as he returned the kiss. Neither one of them paid any mind to how long they stayed there, lips locked in a passionate first kiss.


    ¡°Gross! What are you doing? Grownups are weird! Mommy!¡± A little girl had come up to throw her garbage away and saw them locked in their own world. After shouting for her Mommy, she dropped her trash and ran to find her mother. Gage laughed, picked up the little girl¡¯s trash and put it in the bin.


    ¡°I guess blocking public garbage bins is neither romantic or appreciated,¡± Gage laughed reaching out for Meg¡¯s hand. She slipped her small fingers through his and they began walking.


    ¡°I think it was a perfect first kiss. It may not have been the conventional spot but it was genuine and it¡¯s ours.¡± Meg said with a smile, her head drooped slightly towards the floor while she lightly touched her lips where his had been just moments before. She certainly had not felt that kind of electricity with Bruce. She realized she couldn¡¯t wait to kiss him again; as they passed an empty bathroom, she pulled him into it and pushed him up against the door. Standing on her tip-toes, she kissed him again. She didn¡¯t hold back with this one, kissing as deeply as she dared while she inhaled the intoxicating scent of him. She felt something large move against her abdomen, and suddenly Gage scooped her up and opened the door.


    ¡°No way is our first time going to be in a bathroom when our first kiss was in front of a garbage can. You deserve better than that.¡± Gage said huskily. He all but ran to his berth, carrying Meg the whole way without even getting winded. To say Gage was in great shape would be an understatement; Meg had felt his abs and biceps as she leaned against him, and their hardness told her that when she got this man naked, they would make her drool.


    Gage arrived at his door, and he scanned his hand to open the door. His berth was one floor above the hospital room Meg had been staying in. She¡¯d been discharged from medical care over a week ago; but having no berth to go to they allowed her to stay in the room until other accommodations could be found for her. This hadn¡¯t been part of that plan, but if that¡¯s where it led that would be just fine with Gage. After weeks and weeks of looking after her, bringing her meals and linens, and trying to get her to talk to him; the day they had spent together so far told Gage that he wouldn¡¯t do life without this woman by his side.


    Gage carried Meg into his berth and moved quickly to his bedroom. His movements were so swift, Meg had barely had time to notice the masculine d¨¦cor which was surprisingly in good taste. Straight edges, abstract artwork, and a desk with papers that looked to have sketches on them made up the spacious living/dining/kitchen combination area. The bedroom was much the same, but calmer, clearly set up to be a sanctuary of peace. A plug-in waterfall stood against one corner, illuminated from within the false rocks. The artwork on the walls were large scale photos of landscapes from Earth, each one with its own soft light illuminating it from above. The lighting in the room was also soft, dimmed for sleeping.


    In the center of the farthest wall was the largest bed Meg had ever seen. She and Bruce had only ever been able to afford a full-sized bed, but this king bed was enormous. As Gage laid her down in the center of the bed, Meg felt like she was swallowed whole. She sank into the extreme comfort of the bed and Meg sighed, relishing a level of comfort that was alien to her. Gage gently laid down next to her and pulled her to him. Slowly, he inched his facer closer to hers, leaning in for a kiss. He hesitated, and Meg could only scream inside her head in frustration from not getting what she so desperately needed.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with this? I don¡¯t want you to feel like this is expected, if you tell me to stop right now I will. I can sleep on the couch and you can have the bed.¡± Gage was nervous, as though this was his first time. It was far from it, he had been a bit of a playboy on Earth, but nothing too outrageous. He had just never felt the need to be around someone and spend any length of time with them. Some had tried and they had been nice girls, but he was more focused on school and reaching his goals to give any of them much time. This time it was incomparably different; he wanted to take his time, to get to know her body and her likes and dislikes. He was not looking for a cheap thrill with Meg, he wanted it all and to give it all to her equally.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been so sure on anything in my life. Kiss me.¡± Meg mumbled against his lips.


    That was all Gage needed to hear. He kissed her with a heat and passion he had never felt before, desperate to have more and taste more of her. He moved his lips from hers, slowly and gently dragging them to the nape of her neck. He deepened his kiss there, and Meg¡¯s body arched into it. Her hands were wandering over his shoulders and back, her nails lightly scratching along the fabric of his shirt.


    He kissed his way up her neck, taking her earlobe into his mouth and nibbling gently, earning another arch of Meg¡¯s back and goosebumps to form all over her body. He moved his hands down to the bottom of Meg¡¯s shirt and pulled it up and over her head, catching her lips in a kiss as he lay her back down on the bed. He trailed his lips down her neck, alternating between light kisses and gentle nibbles until he reached her breasts. He slowly licked up one mound, and then the other, suckling gently on the skin just outside the edge of her bra. More goosebumps formed on Meg¡¯s perfect tits, exciting Gage and making it impossible to resist unclasping her bra and tossing it to one side.


    The sight that greeted Gage when he looked at Meg was unrealistic. This woman was the most beautiful he had ever seen; her red hair fanned out around her head, arms up by her ears, her gorgeous green eyes peering up lustily at him from behind long thick lashes. After taking in the perfection of her in his bed this way, he turned his attention to her perky, goosebump-riddled breasts. They were the perfect handful, with rosy red areolas that were hardened with arousal. She had the cutest little heart-shaped mole on her left breast, which was ever so slightly bigger than her right.


    Gage clamped his mouth down on that nipple, flicking his tongue over and around the hardened nub. Meg hissed loudly and arched her back, moaning as he squeezed her other breast. Gage moved his hands down to her pant and swiftly unbuttoned and unzipped them, leaving them up but open enough to get close. He cupped his hand over that open spot, feeling the intense heat as he nibbled on Meg¡¯s nipple.


    Gage pulled her pants off, and switched to her other breast; licking, flicking and nibbling as he slid his hand under her panties. He could feel how aroused she was, slick and wet and ready. His own arousal was more than obvious, and it was starting to get uncomfortable. He unbuttoned his own pants and let out his rock-hard member, pulling Meg in for another deep and passionate kiss as he breathed heavily from excitement. His pulsating shaft pressing against Meg¡¯s body caused her to quiver and simper as she reached her hand down to grasp it, her hand small against its length and girth.


    Gage moved quickly to position himself between her legs, making sure that the attention would stay on her for now. He kissed and nibbled his way up her inner thigh, stopping just before her most sensitive area; he switched to her other thigh and repeated the process, slowing down as he got closer to that sweet spot, he so longed to taste. Meg quivered under him, and he almost couldn¡¯t keep himself together. As he approached her clit, she whimpered, and Gage closed his mouth around it, repeating similar motions as he had on her nipples. Meg arched her back and grasped the bed sheets, arching into his mouth. Gage worked his tongue in and around her, savoring the sweetest taste he had ever known.


    He continued, bringing her to the brink of bliss and backing off several times. On the third time, he pushed his fingers into her; working them back and forth against her g-spot until she began to quiver and then backing them out again. He added a finger into her anus and she gasped, but he kept up the motions with his mouth and all his fingers and she began to moan louder and louder until she came, squirting her delicious juices all down Gage¡¯s chin and over the sheets. He continued the motion with his fingers for a moment, and then slowly pulled them out while sucking gently on her clit. She was practically convulsing with pleasure, dripping wet, and breathing heavily.


    Meg pushed herself up and rolled Gage over, kissing him deeply and tasting herself on his lips. She nibbled his bottom lip and he gave a light groan, and she kissed her way down his perfect chest to his nipples. She could not believe what she was seeing; perfectly sculpted pecks, biceps, and abs you could wash laundry on. Hell, you could probably start a fire off those abs, Meg thought to herself. She nibbled on each nipple, then continued her path down his delicious abs until she reached his perfect erection.


    Meg was not entirely sure if she would be able to handle all she saw before her. To say that he was well-endowed would be putting it politely; he had 10 inches of length and his girth was no joke, either. As daunting as it seemed, Meg took it in her mouth swiftly and eagerly, working her mouth up and down with her hands, giving a good suck and flick of the tongue when she reached the tip. She heard nothing but groans from Gage, telling her that she was doing something right and giving her the confidence to keep going.


    Meg took in as much of him into her throat as she could, and grabbed his leg up, balancing it on her shoulders while continuing to deep throat his cock. Before he could protest, she wet her finger with her juices and she pressed it into his back door, working that finger as she worked her other hand with her mouth, taking in as much of him as she could for as long as she could, coming up for air and flicking her tongue on his tip. She could feel him tensing in his back and feel the slickness of his oncoming orgasm.


    As he reached his climax, Meg jammed her finger in and his cock down her throat. His seed exploded into her mouth, salty but sweet; he clearly kept a healthy diet. His intense orgasm caused him to thrust himself down her throat over and over for several moments before he was able to relax back, his dick jumping every few seconds while what cum that hadn¡¯t made it into Meg¡¯s stomach dribbled down. Gage had not gotten soft, so Meg took her chance and jumped on, pulling Gage up into a sitting position as she rode him. They worked each other, taking it to the very edge of bliss before slowing down and extending the pleasure. Their hands roamed the other¡¯s body; searching, learning, pleasuring.


    At the third cusp Gage lifted her up with one arm, his full length sliding deep inside her and touching her soul. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as Gage stood there, holding her and bouncing her up and down along the entire length of him. It only took a few moments before Meg was orgasming, her arms and legs hugging Gage tightly and the walls of her vagina clamping down on him. Gage did not stop, keeping the same pace as she went limp in his arms. As he continued to work in her, she felt the heat rising in her as another intense orgasm wracked her body.


    By her sixth orgasm Meg was screaming in pleasure, completely unable to control herself. This position made it so easy to make her cum, after thirty minutes she had almost had enough. Seven. Fuck, here comes number seven! Meg thought as another wave engulfed her. She felt Gage slow just a bit with this one; allowing her orgasm to run through her body before thrusting deeper and faster, bouncing her on his throbbing, dripping shaft until he exploded in her. The two of them screamed their pleasure in unison as his seed filled her, giving Meg a whole new pleasure she had never known.


    Gage stood there continuing to hold Meg, his semi-hard cock still inside her. He looked into her eyes and saw something he had not expected; he saw love and trust, from someone who had gone through the horrible things she had. He kissed her gently, but passionately as he carried her the few steps back to the bed. The movement caused Meg to gasp and tremble, every part of her sensitive in the most pleasurable way.


    Gage laid her down gently beside him, his arms wrapped around her, looking into her gorgeous green eyes. Meg smiled at him and laid on his shoulder, satiated at a level she didn¡¯t even realize existed. Gage reached up and gently moved a piece of hair out of her face, tucking it several times behind her ear. They lay there for several minutes catching their breath before either one of them had the energy to move. Gage was the first to speak,


    ¡°I¡­. I don¡¯t even know how to process that. You are absolutely incredible, in every way. That finger trick was definitely a new one for me.¡± Gage looked at her, mildly amused at the mischievous glint in her eyes.


    ¡°Mmmm. Don¡¯t get excited, I don¡¯t have many tricks.¡± Meg said giggling. She felt so comfortable curled up against him, as if this is where she was always meant to be. She traced infinity symbols on his chest until she fell asleep in his arms on the most comfortable bed she had ever lay on in her life.


    Gage listened to her even breathing as she slept for a little while, not able to get to sleep right away himself. This had been the most unexpectedly incredible day of his life, and he couldn¡¯t wait to see what tomorrow would bring.

 Chapter 4: Society Divided

    [CHAPTER 4] ¡ª Society divided


    Lieutenant General Mark Hammond looked around at his fellow officers, noting how many of them were nervous about the recent events. Weapons and ammo had been disappearing from the armory, citizens were revolting, death was rampant on the Arks. Not just this Ark, but every Ark. The Ark¡¯s design was meant to allow all the surviving humans to dock the ships together to form one giant Ark and they had or a time; but when disease had hit, they had separated them once again to limit the spread. This had also meant that whatever limited supplies they¡¯d had were now even more limited. The conditions on Earth had deteriorated too quickly and there hadn¡¯t been enough time to properly supply and equip the Arks, leading to food shortages and unnecessary hysterectomies in young women from the lack of proper medical equipment. The animals had not all been gathered, and those that had been were small in number and dwindling as the weeks passed; all the animals that had once inhabited the Earth were now endangered species or extinct.


    ¡°We need to find a habitable planet, and we need to find it now. The longer this voyage continues, the more citizens we will lose. There¡¯s a large asteroid in sector 3 quadrant 2, but it lacks a predictable course and terraforming will be too much of a challenge if we don¡¯t absolutely have to. Ark Europea has found a tiny planet that will support their people long enough to repair and search for resources, Ark Asia has found a small moon they were able to terraform, and Ark Africa has found an asteroid with a predictable flight pattern they were able to terraform. The most promising option for us is a small planet in the Maelstrom Galaxy. That¡¯s sector 14 quadrant 4, about three weeks from our current position. It has an atmosphere of its own that is very close to Earth¡¯s clean atmosphere; the planet has liquid water, a singular continent that takes up 54% of the planet, and the rest seems to be salt water. The continent has rivers and tributaries, forests, mountains, and active volcanoes. It is quite close to Earth and considering the proximity to our location and the rapid breakdown of society onboard, I posit we set our bearings to those coordinates.¡± Hammond said in an authoritative voice. He was only about 75% sure that the planet was even habitable; but if they didn¡¯t find a solution to get off these Arks quickly, every species on board-including humans- were definitely going to be extinct.


    ¡°Are we sure this is a viable option? What were the most recent readings from the probes?¡± Lieutenant General Lana Mueller asked. ¡°Are there any other options other than this planet?¡± Hammond passed the readings along the line of Officers until it reached her. He had long since been an admirer of Lana, wishing that fraternizing were an option; but there was too much to focus on, too much at risk.


    ¡°This is our best option. Everything we have passed so far has been uninhabitable in one way or another. Most are poisoned by toxic gasses created by the planet¡¯s own thermodynamics. The next closest possibility is a large moon that¡¯s roughly five weeks from us. The closest and most provably habitable planet is the Maelstrom Galaxy. The name for the small planet is Uniterra, and as you can see the readings seem to match the name.¡± Hammond gazed at Lana, careful not to stare too long. She was incredibly beautiful, with long blonde hair and hazel green eyes. She was a talented officer, and smarter than most of her peers; Hammond included.            Lana looked over the documents, pointing things out here and there and discussing it with those on either side of her. She would occasionally nod at something one of them said, a look of quiet discontent on her beautiful oval face. She considered all the possibilities she could think of before looking back up at Hammond.


    ¡°Landing on Uniterra and simply exiting isn¡¯t going to be an option. The atmosphere is much denser than we can safely handle. We¡¯re going to have to start changing our atmosphere slowly here in the Ark, or we¡¯re going to have to purify the planet¡¯s atmosphere before we can safely exit. The best option is to slowly adjust the pressure here inside the Ark, giving our bodies time to adjust before increasing the pressure; we repeat this process until the atmosphere in here matches the atmosphere on Uniterra. When we get to the planet we should be at just about the same level as the planet¡¯s atmosphere, allowing us to exit the Ark immediately. Otherwise, we¡¯re looking at lung collapse, barotrauma, circulatory problems and a number of other fatal conditions.¡± Lana said this looking directly into Hammond¡¯s eyes, as if she were speaking only for him.


    Lana noticed that she had his full attention, and it made her roll her eyes. Hammond really thought he was keeping his feelings wrapped up, but it was so obvious to Lana it made her wonder how many others noticed his affections. He¡¯s like a simpering schoolboy, Lana thought to herself. She placed the stack of papers she held down on the table and turned to the man on her left;


    ¡°Gentry, go give the orders to the engineers. We need to get this process started immediately if we¡¯re going to survive this.¡± Lana turned to the person on her right, ¡°Baker, go alert the medical staff of the changes; tell them to be ready for people to come in with complaints of joint pain, fatigue, skin rashes or itching, cardiac symptoms, neurological symptoms and respiratory issues. It¡¯s best we are ready for anything, there¡¯s no knowing how people¡¯s bodies will react when they have no experience with deep sea diving. This is going to turn the Ark into one big scuba tank, maintaining the pressure evenly until we get to the planet. Harrow, go prepare the kitchen staff, tell them what they need to know to adjust their methods. Cooking under increased pressure is different and may require an alteration in the gasses they use. Hammond, you come with me to inform the captain. The rest of you prepare your departments and get back to work.¡± Lana had pointed to each man as she gave out their orders, and when she pointed at Hammond his heart did a backflip.


    Everyone dispersed, leaving Lana gathering up the intel on the table. She placed it into a file, and looked up at Hammond. She knew what she was about to do could land her in the brig, stripped of her rank and position; but she was fairly certain that would not happen. If she was right about Hammond, this would be far from punishment.


    ¡°Are you ready to go talk to the captain?¡± Hammond said as the last officer left the conference room. He had walked over near Lana, taking in her scent as she moved past him and around him as she had gathered the paperwork from the table. She had stopped not far from where he was and put the file where she stowed the paperwork down in front of her. She turned toward him and glided over the few short steps, causing Hammond¡¯s heart to beat faster as the distance between them closed.


    Just when Hammond thought his heart would explode in his chest, Lana grabbed him by the back of the neck and pressed her body against his. When their lips met, Hammond thought for sure his knees would give out from beneath him but he managed to keep upright. She was an amazing kisser, so much so that every other kiss melted away in his memory and was replaced with this moment. To his horror, he started to get an erection like a pubescent boy. He could feel it move in the closeness between their bodies. He pulled himself back, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red.


    ¡°I apologize, this is not the time nor the place.¡± Hammond started to back away further, making an attempt to get their task completed.


    ¡°Not a chance, Schoolboy.¡± Lana said, pulling him back against her and kissing him deeper. She swiftly unbuttoned his shirt, her slim fingers deftly undoing each button with a quickness that seemed otherworldly. When she reached his belt, she unclasped it and pulled it out with one swift motion; tossing it on the floor. The button of his pants was undone before the belt had even hit the floor, and she released his hard slender member. She wouldn¡¯t call it a pencil, exactly, but it wasn¡¯t overburdened by girth. Lana was optimistic that he could use the length, and she grasped it in her small hand; she massaged it for a moment before looking into his eyes, undressing herself from the waist down.


    ¡°Quick and dirty, we have work to do.¡± Lana said quietly, leaning back against the conference table and wrapping her legs around him.


    Hammond could not believe what was happening, but he didn¡¯t question it. He swiftly moves his nine inches inside of her, thrusting hard against the back wall of her vagina as he held her firmly around her narrow waist. She wanted it dirty, but that wasn¡¯t normally his style; he changed the position of his hips slightly as he thrust, making sure he hit every millimeter of her insides. She was warm and slick the moment he had thrust into her, and as he drew near his climax, he felt her warmth gush over him and those walls clamp down tighter than he had ever experienced. She dug her nails into his back and she stifled a wail of pleasure into his shoulder. His climax came a moment later, his seed filling her and spilling back out onto himself. They shuddered against each other one last time before Hammond dropped his mouth to Lana¡¯s neck, giving a prolonged kiss at the curve of her shoulder.


    After a moment to breath, Hammond pulled himself away from her and looked into her eyes. Her hazel eyes had become greener with golden flecks in it, the emotions of what they had just done leaving them with a slightly glazed over look. Luckily the conference room had a sink and paper towels, and Hammond rushed to get some dampened for them to clean up. He kneeled in front of Lana, faced for the first time with the sight of her and he couldn¡¯t help himself; He leaned down and grabbed up her legs, lifting them onto his shoulders. He clamped his mouth down on her clit, flicking his tongue while sucking hard. Lana moaned loudly before biting her hand to stifle the noise, which only encouraged Hammond to deepen his assault on her vagina.


    He thrust his tongue deep inside her, lapping up the remainder of their coupling. She tasted so sweet; he couldn¡¯t get enough of it. He pulled her hips up farther, allowing his tongue to go deeper into her core as he thrust in and out until he felt her warm juices flowing again. He swallowed up all of what she released, relishing in the taste of her. He turned his attention back to her hardened clit as she trembled, her orgasm prolonged for several minutes as he flicked and licked her back to bliss.


    When she had calmed, he gently wiped her clean with the dampened paper towel before getting himself cleaned.  He held his hand out to Lana, helping her up from the table and handing her clothes to her. Once they were both dressed Hammond grasped her chin and turned her head up, pressing his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. He rubbed his thumb over her lips as he wondered what that had been about. He pulled himself away from her and pointed towards the door.


    ¡°Are we ready to go see the captain now?¡± Hammond asked, cocking his eyebrow up at her.


    ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t seen Daddy in a while. It¡¯ll be nice to see him, even under the circumstances.¡± Lana said with a smile as she walked out the door.


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®Daddy¡¯ Mueller? Mueller!¡± Hammond called after her, but she had kept walking down the hall giggling. For a brief moment, panic consumed him as he realized what had just happened. He had just fucked the boss¡¯s daughter on the conference table¡­ he was going to get airlocked for sure. He sighed heavily and followed after her, knowing that the job at hand was more important than his fears.


    When he reached the flight deck Lana was already embracing the captain and talking to him quietly. As he approached, Lana smiled at him and introduced him to her father;


    ¡°Daddy this is Lieutenant General Mark Hammond, one of my peers. He was not aware until now that you were my father so we may need to give him a moment.¡± Lana laughed as she said this, making a joke at Hammond¡¯s expense which normally he would find annoying and rude but from her was just endearing.


    ¡°Captain Rivers, it¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you. Has your daughter brought you up to speed?¡± Hammond said this hoping that his tone and demeanor gave nothing away.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°She has indeed.¡± Captain Rivers replied, arching his eyebrow at him. ¡°You let her convince you to let your guard down and things escalated in the conference room? Don¡¯t worry, my daughter likes to try and shock me. I¡¯m sorry you were caught up in her shenanigans.¡± Lana giggled mercilessly, moving towards Hammond and wrapping one arm around him and the other around her father.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tease him, Daddy. I really like him, even if he¡¯s a simpering schoolboy.¡±


    Hammond wasn¡¯t sure what to say as he stood there in such close proximity to his boss, this gorgeous woman that he had just had every inch of himself inside just minutes before, holding the two of them against her for a long moment that felt like a lifetime. When she let them both go, Hammond moved to a respectful distance from them both.


    ¡°I greatly admire your daughter, Captain Rivers. She¡¯s incredibly intelligent and a great officer. It¡¯s my honor to serve beside her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is. She earned it all on her own, she wouldn¡¯t let me help one bit. She even enlisted under her mother¡¯s maiden name so she couldn¡¯t be directly tied to me. She didn¡¯t want anyone to think she had an advantage over them for being my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Daddy, we¡¯re actually here on official business. There¡¯s a lot to discuss.¡± Lana interrupted their chat, having gotten bored quickly and wanting to get down to business. She and Hammond proceeded to tell the captain everything he needed to know.


    Nobody noticed the eavesdropper they had listening to their conversation.


    #


    Ansley hurried along the corridors and down staircases, searching for the berth she needed. As her job as a radar technician on the flight deck often gave her opportunity for, she had come upon some sensitive information that she needed to pass along to Bruce. As she came upon his berth, she wondered what state he would be in today. Since his wife had left him, he had some days where he was very coherent and sober and other days where he was so drunk he was soiling himself. Ansley thought of him as pathetic, but she was the type of woman who would do anything- with anyone- to get ahead. Bruce had been organizing a movement to take control of power and become king, and Ansley was determined to be the Queen. It didn¡¯t matter who¡¯s dick she had to suck to get there, she was more than willing to do so.


    Ansley opened Bruce¡¯s door and found him standing in the middle of the room masturbating. He looked at her expectantly and she rolled her eyes, walking over and kneeling in front of him, taking his tiny dick in her mouth. It was like brushing her teeth, narrow and about the length of her jaw; there was no such thing as deep throating this one, there wasn¡¯t enough of him to even tickle her uvula. She tolerated the act half-heartedly and when he finished in her mouth, his sour jizz spilling over her tongue making her want to gag, she swallowed and smiled at him like he had given her something to be proud of. She knew her role.


    ¡°Always a pleasure, Ansley. Now why are you bothering me?¡± Bruce said as he threw himself onto his disgusting futon.


    ¡°I overheard the captain talking to a pair of Lieutenant Generals. They¡¯re going to alter the pressure in the Arks to match a new planet they found for us to live on. It¡¯ll take three weeks to get to the planet and they¡¯re going to slowly increase the pressure until we¡¯re living at the same atmospheric density as the planet. Once we¡¯ve landed, we will be able to exit the Ark immediately. It¡¯ll be safe outside. They said that increasing the pressure in the Ark can cause people to get sick but that it¡¯s the best option they have considering how socially unstable things have gotten.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for letting me know. Now get over here and let me stick it in that sweet ass.¡± Bruce said, grabbing Ansley by the wrist and pulling her to the futon.


    Ansley gave him a sultry smile and undressed, preparing herself to take his little stick in her back door. When she turned around, she dropped her smile faster than her panties dropped to the floor and assumed the position Bruce liked her to be in; face down on her elbows with her rear end up in the air. She felt the little push like someone had stuck the tip of their thumb in her anus and he began thrusting, Ansley made fake noises of pleasure as he did. Bruce only ever lasted five minutes, and that was when he was working for it; he finished with wet grunting noises and pulled out letting his cum squirt on Ansley¡¯s back. He slapped his peanut on her butt a few times before tucking himself back in his pants. He grabbed up a dirty t-shirt that was on the floor and tossed it onto his pile of ejaculate.


    ¡°Clean yourself up and get on with your day. You¡¯ve served your purpose.¡±


    Ansley looked at him with mild distaste as she cleaned herself up and got dressed. She hated him; but if he ended up as King, she would tolerate him for what he could give her. Ansley had only ever had one goal in life- to be in a position that everyone had to respect her. She had never had any kind of real love or respect in her life. On Earth, she¡¯d had a family and a father and mother but not until she was a young adult. Her mother was a paranoid schizophrenic and refused to take meds. She¡¯d lost custody of Ansley and her siblings while her father had been in jail for dealing drugs. Ansley had been adopted by a couple who was not kind to her and she had been neglected, she had been clumsy and often had broken bones go untreated so she ended up a lopsided cripple, the father had inappropriate feelings for her that the mother resented her for; they had all but tortured her, to put it bluntly.


    Her father had gotten out of prison soon after she turned 19 and moved in with her. He was supposed to be helping her take care of her three severely disabled children, but he was a drunk and was far from reliable. Ansley had no choice, though, as he was the only person she had to help her. She had struggled with a meth addiction in her younger years, so her father being drunk and taking care of the kids was a vast improvement on her own abilities to nurture them at the time. She had been a prostitute since she was sixteen, stripping at night as a supplement to her income. One night while she was with a customer doing meth, her father had taken the children out to the liquor store and crashed the family vehicle, killing all of them. Ansley had gotten clean after that, and gone to night school to be a radar technician. She joined the military when they got desperate enough for soldiers that her past didn¡¯t matter anymore.


    As Ansley left Bruce¡¯s berth, she turned to go back up to work but was intercepted by one of her old customers from Earth. James was much different from Bruce. He was tall and handsome, well endowed with hips that moved like the Earth was tilting on its axis. He wasn¡¯t lean and cut like a magazine, but he had a dad bod worth noticing. As James pressed Ansley up against the wall of a little used corridor, he licked up her neck and pressed his erection into her to let her know his needs. Ansley looked around the area and spotted a supply closet nearby.


    Leading James carefully into the closet, Ansley eagerly dropped to her knees and pulled out his fat cock. James had a disrespectfully thick dick, but Ansley was used to having it in every part of her. Ansley put his length into her mouth slowly, wetting every inch of it in preparation for what was to come. It was always the same with James, so when he began throat fucking her with his hefty eight inches, she was prepared for it. It didn¡¯t stop her from gagging, but he loved that; the more tears that flowed from her eyes the more excited he got, thrusting faster and faster until he emptied the contents of his testicles into her throat.


    When he had finished, he stripped her down and started thrusting his fingers vigorously inside her, front and back. As she came close to her climax James stopped and forced himself into her, thrusting straight to her core. Most men she couldn¡¯t even feel inside her but James was so thick and moved his hips so much that she could actually feel him knocking around in there. James clamped his eyes shut as he got close to ejaculating, feeling that Ansley was there with him he pounded into her several quick times and they escalated to bliss simultaneously.


    Once finished he grabbed some paper towels off the shelf behind Ansley and tossed them to her to clean herself up. He got dressed as she did, and then he sat on a workbench to watch her dress. Ansley was far from beautiful, but she had a nice body. Her ass was perky and despite the constant abuse, her kitten was well groomed and pleasing to look at. Her tits sagged a bit, but he could tell that they were once perky and delicious looking. He never asked her anything personal, but he often wondered how many kids she had based of her breasts; his wife had borne him three sons, each breastfed- he knew what boobs looked like after feeding babies for months on end.


    ¡°So, did you tell him?¡± James asked as Ansley brushed out her hair with her fingers.


    ¡°Of course I told him. That¡¯s what he pays me for. Why did you think that I wouldn¡¯t? Just because you ask something doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to do it. This is a business arrangement, not a relationship. I don¡¯t owe you anything, but you do owe me for the fuck.¡± Ansley was annoyed. She continued to gather up her things, cursing James in her head. He had come to her weeks before trying to get her to go to him first with anything she found out. He didn¡¯t even have the courtesy to offer her anything of value; ¡°just a simple request between friends¡± as he¡¯d put it. She scoffed in her head, just who does he think he¡¯s dealing with? I don¡¯t do anything for free, especially not for men. Expressly not for a man who had the audacity to think that anything from me would come without a price.


    Ansley had her back turned to James as she finished putting on her shoes. She stood up and turned around in time to see James close his hands around her throat, pressing down on her hyoid until it snapped. James laid her down slowly, his hands still tightly grasping her throat as she suffocated to death. He watched as her face turned purple, then blue, before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she stopped struggling to breathe.


    James grabbed up a bottle of bleach and an empty squirt bottle; he filled the bottle with the bleach and pulled her pants down far enough to get to her genitals. He inserted the end of the bottle into Ansley¡¯s dead pussy, squeezing the unconcentrated bleach into her in an effort to degrade any DNA he had left behind. He filled the bottle again and poured the contents down her throat and over her panties and pulled her pants back on, not bothering to button them back up. James quickly moved the workbench aside and opened the large air vent behind it. Stuffing Ansley¡¯s dead body inside, the look of surprise forever etched on her buttery features, James shoved as hard as he could until she was no longer visible. Then, closing the air vent back up and replacing the workbench, he checked outside the supply closet to see if anyone was around before exiting and walking off as though nothing had happened.


    James made his way down the corridor to the head of the Armory. He poked his head in and said, ¡°Hey, did you hear that there is supposed to be a meteor shower today at five?¡± and continued on his way. This was a code phrase the members of the Cult had agreed upon as a way to signal that they needed to meet without having to be seen fraternizing with each other. Most of them were spread out across the Ark, and those that were in the upper echelon of the group knew to pass this phrase on to the others they were responsible for notifying.


    James then went to the head cook, the engineering department, the motor pool and the medical bay giving the code to the members. When he was done, he went and got some dinner before heading to the meeting spot. Anyone who overheard the phrase took it at face value and spread the word to be on the sky deck to see the meteor shower. This often cleared the way for the members of the Cult to assemble in the billiard hall without arousing suspicion. It was a place where people from all departments and walks of life gathered, and by five pm most people were in their berths eating dinner with their families. As James saw that everyone had arrived except Bruce, he started speaking to the group quickly.


    ¡°Listen everyone, the girl told Bruce everything. We¡¯re going to have to keep playing along as if he¡¯s got power for now. We still aren¡¯t strong enough to go up against the Army, and we don¡¯t have weapons for everyone yet. Everyone knows the plan, let¡¯s just stick to it and quietly recruit new members until we have the numbers we need. This is a long game, ladies and gentlemen. The fuse is set, we just have to wait for it to burn to ignition so-to-speak. Everyone clear?¡±  He looked around and saw everyone nodding, some looking openly annoyed.


    ¡°What are we clear about?¡± Bruce had walked in, swaggering like he had a large set between his legs; or a large load in his pants.


    ¡°Just telling them that you¡¯re never late, we¡¯re simply early, Boss.¡± James replied, taking on the demeanor of eager minion for Bruce¡¯s benefit.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I make the time tables. Now, we¡¯re going to land on the new planet in three weeks. That means we need to set all our plans into motion. Culinary, start to spike the food and drinks of members of the military and government. Make sure they don¡¯t have the willpower to object to our power play. Armory, you need to increase the number of weapons and ammo you¡¯re getting out of there each night. We need to have it emptied out in two weeks or less. Medical, keep siphoning supplies out of the medical bay, a lack of resources when disaster strikes will throw them off. Department heads need to up their recruiting game. We need to increase our numbers and fast. You all know what needs to be done, and you all know how to be discreet. Let¡¯s get it done, people!¡± Bruce ended with two claps of his hands, signaling to the members that they were dismissed.


    James led the way out of the billiard hall with his two most trusted associates by his side. They walked silently for a time until they were well out of Bruce¡¯s earshot.


    ¡°Make sure culinary knows to slowly poison Bruce¡¯s food with the others. Make sure they don¡¯t kill him, but make him weak and sick.¡±


    The two men nodded as they broke off going separate ways.

 Chapter 5- The Hunt Begins

    [CHAPTER 5] ¡ª The Hunt Begins


    I woke up the next morning feeling more invigorated than I had my entire adult life. The obligations to the Council to delve out the sentences for the members of the Cult of Seedbearers were complete, and it was finally time for the Council to hold up their end of the bargain; to dedicate ample resources to finding her daughter. When this had all started, I¡¯d had absolutely no interest in being a part of any kind of society. Even at fourteen I had planned on setting out into the wilderness on my own and facing whatever wild animals were out there. Still now I find the threat of a ravenous wild animal less scary than facing an unknown man.


    The Council had learned of my ability from Lana and Mark, and had begged me to stay and help hunt down and bring the members of the Cult to justice. Lana and Mark were both members of the council, and had shared my ordeal and advocated for my proper care and treatment while courting me towards taking the position. It had taken several years for me to fully trust Lana and Mark, during which time I stayed in the woods and lived in relative solitude. A solitude that was broken up once every week when Lana and Mark would bring supplies and stay for whatever meal I had caught that day. After I had turned sixteen, I started visiting them on base; coming after dark or before sunrise so as not to run into many people and sneaking into their quarters. On my eighteenth Birthday I had shown up in their quarters with everything I valued and accepted the Council¡¯s offer.


    I dressed in my undergarments, then looked in the mirror to tie up my curly black hair. There was so much of it; layers upon layers of thick black curls cascading down my back, it always took so long to get it tied up properly. I tested my contacts to make sure the neurolink had not degraded over the last six months and found them to still be working perfectly. I crossed the small living area to the closet that held my uniforms and gear and laid them out on my bed. In the small bathroom I brushed and flossed my teeth and washed my face before heading back to don my uniform.


    I stopped by the mess hall to get coffee and a muffin, just so I wouldn¡¯t be lying to Lana when she asked if I¡¯d eaten yet today. It was always one of the first things she asked, so I knew it was just easier to make sure to take care of myself so I wouldn¡¯t worry Lana any more than necessary. I ate and drank as I walked, being careful when going around corners so as not to run into anyone and cause a mess. By the time I got to the Command Center I had finished my breakfast, taking the last sips of my coffee as I walked up to my adoptive parents and dangling the empty cup and muffin wrapper for Lana to see before disposing of them in the waste basket a few feet away from where they were standing.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve learned the value of having a meal in you,¡± Mark said with a small smile on his face.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I knew Mom would ask and it¡¯s easier not being on her shit list.¡± I chuckled as Lana threw me a quick exasperated look. ¡°How has everything been since I¡¯ve been gone?¡±


    ¡°Much the same in most areas, your brother is a handful, as always. The latest field reports detailing the conversions of the low-ranking members of the Cult show a drastic increase now that Bruce and James have served their sentences. Eighty-seven percent of the known members have converted and there have been no new recruiting efforts by the Cult.¡± Lana said as she passed copies of the report to me. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long enough to show how Bruce¡¯s sentence will impact these numbers, but so far they show that our efforts have not gone unrewarded.¡±


    ¡°Have we looked into this Meg person? Where are we on that?¡± I asked, pushing the rest of the information to the back of my mind and making clear where my focus lay.


    ¡°Out of the literal thousands of Megs and Megans of every spelling, we initially found over a thousand women who could be the Meg we were looking for. Our sources have allowed us to eliminate prospects by age, race, country of origin and vocation. Once those women were eliminated, we found only six of them who had left with various separatist groups in those early days. Our next step will be tracking down and locating which group was the one that left that night, and where they settled. We have regular contact with these groups but not with any communication; these are other off-grid counties like where you have been recently, but they have been on our side from the jump. These are communities that respect the need for people to work together for survival but who don¡¯t necessarily trust anyone; they believe that anyone is capable of becoming an enemy so they keep their communities isolated away from those that haven¡¯t earned their trust. They exchange their goods and services to Us in exchange for supplies they are unable to make or obtain in their counties, and for the understanding of peace and the ability to live within the confines of our laws while isolating away from those they feel they can no longer trust.¡± Lana explained all this while displaying intel on one of the screens in the command center that allowed everyone to see at once. ¡°There¡¯s no written record of when exactly each group separated, so the only way we can narrow down the right person is to scout each county, earn the trust of the residents and ask the questions we need to ask. If we go straight in asking questions, we¡¯ll just get stonewalled and learn nothing; so, diplomacy will be everything in these situations.¡±


    I looked over the intel on the screens, trying to remember the face of the woman who had helped me bring Everlea into the world. It was something I had tried to do a hundred times before, to no avail. The only thing I could picture of the woman who held the key to what happened to my daughter was a large ponytail of red hair. Some of the files were complete, with their driver license or some form of photo identification on file which allowed me to rule out a couple of the women immediately. The rest of the files must have been corrupted in one of the cascade failures the servers had had over the years. The world¡¯s governments had the forethought to ensure that the identification of every human who boarded the Arks were accounted for, but as the equipment aged or were damaged the ability to properly maintain them waned and there had been several servers that had been lost along with all its information. Having never had photo identification on Earth, the only thing that existed in my file was a birth certificate that had been poorly scanned in. I knew who my biological parents were, but as they were dead and their names weren¡¯t legible, I took Mark and Lana¡¯s last name when I came to live with them.


    ¡°The woman that we¡¯re looking for has red hair. We can eliminate anyone with other hair colors.¡± I spoke softly as I said this, still partially caught up in the memory of that day. I¡¯d tried everything available to us in an effort to remember; meditation, hypnosis, scans and tests and the list went on. Anything anyone suggested to try to remember, I tried; nothing had worked. The only thing that I had been able to get out of it was the color of her hair, which was something. I clenched my teeth as I remembered my conversation with Bruce. I had been able to get Meg¡¯s first name out of him, but the spirits he was so fond of had completely erased the memory of her surname from his mind. I could have done anything I wanted to him; it wouldn¡¯t have made a difference.


    ¡°That leaves four possibilities. That¡¯s a lot more than one, but it¡¯s less than we started with.¡± I muttered, mostly to myself. Mark and Lana heard, me, though, and each placed a reassuring hand on my shoulders.


    ¡°Our first stop will be Elbrus County, a volcanic region in the Northeast hemisphere of the continent. This is the largest county on the list, and where a lot of our mined resources and livestock products originate from. Its size will make it easier to find people willing to help us and over time, they will get more people to help us until we¡¯ve been able to completely rule out that county as a possibility. Katerina, you will lead a team of five others and meet up with a contact we have in the area. She has a mining company and will give you all jobs to do, which will allow you to establish yourselves in the community. With the size of the county, you will all be spread out at various locations in the company. This will give us the most area coverage to network the people and gather intel.¡± Mark was running through the plan as five individuals walked into the Command Center and straight up to us. As we greeted the members of my team, Mark handed us each a map of Elbrus County with sections drawn out on each. ¡°Each of you have a section of the map that will be your area to work within, each of these sections are color-coded on each map and a key of who goes where. Every Sunday at four am you will turn on your radios and check in with each other and with the Command Center. Should one of you fail to check in, the two closest people to that person¡¯s section will go in search of the missing member. As simple as this mission sounds, we don¡¯t know what happened to the girl we¡¯re looking for. You could be facing violent individuals involved, so always be on your guard. You¡¯ll have the day to prepare, your transport leaves tomorrow at dawn. Any questions?¡±


    Each of us nodded, and we were dismissed to prepare to head out in the morning. Cal and I exited the Command Center last and everyone had shot a quick look to Cal before dispersing and going about their business. When he put his hand on my arm to stop me, I knew what was coming and I was mildly annoyed. Having people who cared enough about me to be annoying may make me the richest person in the world, but it also made me the most irritated at times.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Hey KitKat, you doing okay?¡± Cal said in a gentle voice. Cal was a handsome man, tall and muscular with washboard abs and tattoos covering his arms and back. Being in the field with no sanitation services meant we often bathed together as a group in whatever clean water we could find. It had given us all the opportunity to see every inch of each other, which also meant that any one of us could identify any part of our team¡¯s body. While it was rare, this was a helpful advantage when receiving body parts from the Cult.


    ¡°I hate it when you call me that, Cal.¡± I didn¡¯t, but lying about it was far less painful for me than admitting that I loved it. ¡°I¡¯m fine, as I¡¯ve already said a dozen times since Bruce died. Even better now that we are actually dedicating all available resources to our unit¡¯s search for Everlea. This mission is almost identical to the others, only instead of searching for the bad guys we¡¯re finally going to get me some answers. I do not understand how I could be better.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if you would open up a bit, let us know what you¡¯re thinking, we could all rest assured that you are really okay. All any of us cares about is that you come through everything in one piece.¡± Cal was still being gentle with his words, and that drove me crazy.


    Cal was a great soldier, and a good man. He did not see gender lines, and believed as normal people did that aside from the obvious reproductive abilities of each gender there was no difference between them. He was the first to lend a helping hand; the last person to leave a dangerous situation, and only once he had ensured that everyone else had made it to safety. The knowledge of these facts did not ease my dismay at the physical response my body gave whenever he was near; or whenever he was extra gentle with me like he was being now. The fact that my body yearned to be closer to him during those moments made me want to run far away and hide. I remembered what acts came from those kinds of feelings, and it was not something I ever wanted to experience again.


    ¡°Like I said, couldn¡¯t be better. Now, stop being so squishy or you¡¯re going to get killed this mission for sure.¡± Cal made a face of mock-hurt as I turned to walk away towards my quarters.


    ¡°Katerina Hammond, that was hurtful.¡± He said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.


    ¡°Like I said. Squishy.¡± I giggled as I turned a corridor and he was out of view. I took a deep, steadying breath and hustled to my room. What is wrong with you, Hammond?


    #


    Cal watched as Katerina turned the corner. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, wishing that he could just tell her how he felt. It had taken him so long to gain her trust, and the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel unsafe after everything she¡¯d been through. I wish I could tell you how amazing you are. He thought, as he turned down the opposite corridor towards his own quarters. There¡¯s no way that a woman that amazing would need him in her life, and he knew it; but it didn¡¯t stop him from wishing she would want him.


    Over the years Cal had watched Katerina transform from an angry and independent girl who wanted nobody; to a strong and independent woman with a strong sense of justice, ambition, and a kindness and tenderness she tried to hide behind the mask of a woman who needed no one. Many men were put off by her no-nonsense demeanor, saying that a woman that cold would be no fun to live with; but Cal knew that it was a front she put up so she didn¡¯t have to be caught feeling vulnerable. He had spent years observing Katerina during their missions; what he found was an incredibly intelligent, fully capable soldier that could take on any challenge that came their way.


    Katerina¡¯s ability had been an urban legend on Earth; a family lineage that resulted in the ability to control the minds and actions of others. The legend had said that most of the family members had gotten power hungry, and used their ability to establish huge corporations that made them incredibly rich. Only one family member, a man named Eli, had estranged himself from his family and refused to use his power; claiming that power that great had to be used with great responsibility and until that was learned he and his descendants would not use their ability. Naturally Cal had wondered if there was any relation to Katerina and her hesitance to use her ability; but when he asked her father¡¯s name, he learned it was Henry.


    As they often are, this Urban Legend was discussed frequently. Many people were of the mind that they would not want to be associated with someone with that ability, saying that they would not be able to trust that they weren¡¯t under the influence of their abilities when they¡¯re around them. It was a fair point to be scared, but trust and fear goes both ways; Cal could understand that a person with that ability could easily influence someone out of fear just as readily as people could react violently when faced with someone with the ability. This understanding made Cal feel like he was on equal ground with the world; everyone was equally capable of violence when fear was the driving force.


    When Cal reached his quarters, he went inside and sat down on the loveseat in the living area. He took out the copy of his latest field report and flipped to the photographs and looked through them until he found the photo he was searching for. In the photo, Katerina had been on a break from her undercover job; She had hiked to a nearby field of flowers and lay watching the clouds. The drone that had captured the photo snapped it as it was directly over her body, so it was an aerial view of her full body lying among the flowers. Her curly black hair spread out around her, hands tucked behind her head and legs crossed at the ankles. They weren¡¯t always able to capture great photos of Katerina; he took this one to give to her parents knowing that they wouldn¡¯t take it from the file that held it. Being his personal copy, he could simply photocopy this for his record of the report.


    Sighing, Cal stood up and began packing his gear for the next mission. He knew that what Katerina had been through had made her highly distrustful of people. At first, he¡¯d thought it was just men; but observing her he realized that she distrusted women just as much as men. As he learned more about her, he found out this was because Katerina had begged the women who tended to her prison cell for help and they had turned away from her. Men may have been the ones to hurt her physically, but the women involved had broken her trust just as fully. Any adult would have a difficult time processing that those other women may have been in the same amount of danger, but Katerina was only fourteen. No fourteen-year-old should have to process that kind of violence and isolation.


    When he was finished prepping for the next mission, Cal took the photo of Katerina to make a copy. He placed the photo into an envelope and placed it in the Generals¡¯ mailbox before heading to the mess hall to eat. Seeing his squad mates when he walked in with his tray, he went over and sat at their table. He was just about to take his first bite when he noticed everyone staring expectantly at him.


    ¡°Well?¡± Laura, the Lieutenant said as everyone else nodded their heads.


    ¡°She says she¡¯s fine. She says the only thing she cares about is finding Everlea. As long as the Council holds up their end of the bargain it seems like all¡¯s well.¡± Cal replied calmly before taking a huge bite of the chicken Caesar salad he had gotten himself.


    ¡°You cannot honestly believe that,¡± Rain, another member of the squad, chimed in. ¡°You are the closest to her, and you have that¡­ thing¡­ for her. Have you talked to her about that yet? Maybe if she knew how you felt she¡¯d be able to open up more.¡±


    ¡°What thing?¡± Cal asked as everyone at the table groaned and rolled their eyes or put their faces in their hands in frustration. Apparently, he was not as bottled up with those feelings as he¡¯d thought. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t said anything. She¡¯s been through too much; I¡¯m not going to be responsible for any other difficulties for her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because you love her and you¡¯re a good guy. That doesn¡¯t mean she doesn¡¯t need to hear it. It also doesn¡¯t mean that we all need her to hear it so we can stop watching you look like a wounded puppy.¡± Jackie, yet another squad mate, interjected.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Cal said, clutching his heart as if he were wounded. ¡°I don¡¯t look like a wounded puppy.¡±


    The others looked at each other and laughed. ¡°Yes, you do.¡± They said in unison.


    ¡°Well, where¡¯s Greg? Why isn¡¯t he eating?¡± Cal was trying to change the subject, poorly. Luckily for him the ladies had seemed to have satiated their humors and didn¡¯t call him out on it.


    ¡°He just got back from one mission and is immediately going out to another. Where do you think he is?¡± Laura said lazily, taking a bite of her steak bomb. Cal knew this meant he was in his quarters with his husband making up for lost time.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Cal replied before continuing his own meal.


    They spent the rest of the meal in relative silence, making a joke here or there about one thing or another. Cal kept thinking about Katerina and his feelings for her. He wasn¡¯t afraid of them being unrequited, but it terrified him to think that he could upset her with his feelings. He knew how hard it was for her to trust people; he had seen her struggles over the years and the last thing he wanted was to cause her any kind of emotional turmoil because he couldn¡¯t keep his feelings in check.


    He knew that the night before a mission was definitely not the time to bring it up with her, so he put it out of his mind as he went about the rest of his day. It was an uneventful day spent mostly in his quarters brooding about Katerina¡¯s missing child. A child he had never met but felt a deep sense of protection over; a deep sense of fatherly love. He had not been much older than Katerina had been when they¡¯d first reached the new planet, but his parents had been in the government his whole life and were both high ranking members of the Council; this kept him protected to a degree but powerless. The only thing he knew to do as a sixteen-year-old boy was to try to learn as much as he could about as many people as he could.


    He¡¯d remembered Bruce and James and even though when they served James¡¯ sentence, he had looked a bit different than he remembered, the memory of meeting them and interacting with them when they tried to recruit him into The Cult of Seedbearers left a foul taste in his mouth. He ran through as many memories as he could from that time while he brooded. Most were just normal people, people who wanted nothing more than a decent life; there was one couple, however, that were standing out in his mind. He could not remember the woman¡¯s name, but after a while the husband¡¯s name came to him.


    He dressed himself to meet with the Generals, and rustled through his boxes until he found the journal he was searching for. It was late and they were most likely in their quarters sleeping; this was intel that couldn¡¯t wait.

 Chapter 6- The Memory

    [CHAPTER 6] ¡ª The Memory


    Cal rushed through the corridors until he reached the Generals quarters. He pounded on the door and waited several seconds, listening for noise inside. Hearing none, he pounded on the door and repeated this process until he heard a rustling inside.


    ¡°Generals, it¡¯s Seargent Cal Thorne. I need to speak to you, it¡¯s a matter of great urgency.¡± The door flew open and the Generals were standing in their dressing robes behind it. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but I have to show you something.¡±


    Mark motioned him inside and Cal hurriedly opened his old journal to the pages he was looking for. Once he found it, he handed the book to Mark and gave him a moment to read it. His eyes widened and he handed the book to Lana who read quickly before gasping quietly and covering her mouth with her hand.


    ¡°When we first landed, I was sixteen. Old enough to understand right from wrong, but not old enough to really do much about it. What I was able to do was keep a record of everyone I met and my perceptions of them. For what it¡¯s worth, I have a record of the woman I think is Meg. This is a woman I met through her husband, Gage, and didn¡¯t have much interaction with. I tended to focus on the less trustworthy types, and these two did not fit the bill.¡± Cal quickly explained his reasoning for waking them up, hoping that they wouldn¡¯t be angry and would find this information as valuable as he did.


    ¡°It says here that Meg and Gage met on the Ark and married which means we probably won¡¯t have a record of them as a couple.¡± Lana said quietly, a little disappointed.


    ¡°Yes, but it also says that Gage and Meg were in the Nursing field. We know that most of those in the healthcare field ended up in a limited number of counties. If we can narrow down our search to the counties that focus on that field we may have better luck; we have no idea what kind of life Everlea has lived up until now, but time is of the essence here for Katerina¡¯s sake. So, if we can focus on the most likely options first, we might be able to expedite this search.¡±


    ¡°You really love her don¡¯t you, soldier?¡± Mark said quietly, looking over his half-moon reading glasses at Cal.


    ¡°My feelings don¡¯t matter.¡± Cal said, heaving a heavy internal sigh at how blatant his feelings had obviously been. ¡°What matters is that Katerina will never be able to heal until she finds out what happened to her daughter.¡±


    There was a long moment of silence as Mark and Lana looked through a few more pages of his journal. Cal stood there wishing that he had simply made copies of the pages as they came closer and closer to pages he definitely didn¡¯t want them reading. He hadn¡¯t, and he couldn¡¯t very well take it from them at this point; but if they turned one more page, they would come face to face with Cal¡¯s sixteen-year-old opinion of them both. Just as this thought formed in his mind, Lana turned that page and she and Mark began reading his passage about them both.


    They both looked at each other and burst out laughing, clutching onto each other and wiping tears from their eyes. Cal was immediately thrown off-guard; he had called Mark a pompous asshole who enjoyed giving orders way too much, and Lana as a gorgeous sexual encounter he hoped to conquest one day. His face flushed, turning him red from the tips of his ears to the nape of his neck as he grinned. This was humiliating; it was one thing for them to be reading about other people but knowing that they knew his thoughts from that time were truly embarrassing.


    ¡°I sincerely apologize, everything I said was out of line and- ¡°


    ¡°You were sixteen years old and a kid?¡± Mark finished Cal¡¯s sentence for him. ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯re hardly going to hold it against you a dozen years later. Besides, I really did enjoy giving orders too much back then and Lana was drop dead gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, was?¡± Lana said, giving him a look that would have sent Cal running.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t start that, Lana. You know you¡¯ll always be the only gorgeous woman to me.¡± Mark said quickly.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve said many times before¡­ But what did you mean by WAS?!¡± Lana was clearly not going to let this go, and Cal felt for the General.


    ¡°My perception was that back then you turned everyone¡¯s head, not just those with good taste.¡± Cal offered. Lana looked at him through narrowed eyes before looking at Mark expectantly, clearly waiting on his answer.


    ¡°Yes, exactly!¡± Mark replied, relief etched in his face.


    ¡°Okay, then!¡± Lana said with a smile and a bounce of the head. She kissed Mark on the cheek and headed towards their bedroom. When she had left their earshot, Mark turned to Cal.


    ¡°Thanks for that. I wouldn¡¯t have come up with a satisfactory answer at this hour and she would have teased me mercilessly if I didn¡¯t explain myself on that one.¡± Mark said, clapping his hand on Cal¡¯s shoulder once.


    ¡°No problem, sir.¡±


    ¡°Now, as far as this intel goes; We already have this mission planned and though we suspect we will not find the girl, we will still see this one out. Someone there may know which of these counties are the best possibility. I assume Katerina doesn¡¯t know this yet as she¡¯s not here with you, am I correct?¡± Cal nodded his head to this question. ¡°Good, I don¡¯t want you to tell her just yet. This mission is still important and dangerous, we need her to focus on the mission.¡±


    ¡°But, sir-¡°Cal began to protest, but Mark held up his hand to stop him.


    ¡°You know how she gets, and you know what will happen if she finds out information that hasn¡¯t been authenticated. Her focus needs to be on her safety and the mission at hand. She will know, in time, once we¡¯ve been able to find out more and give her as much detail as we can. You know that it¡¯s better for her this way.¡±


    Cal simply nodded at this, and Mark showed him to the door. As Cal made his way through the hallways, he realized that there were only a few hours left until dawn; he¡¯d better hurry up and get some sleep. He turned a corner and ran into someone coming from the other direction. The man was knocked back and fell on his rear, landing with a dull thud that echoed through the empty space. Cal immediately held out his hand to the man to help him up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, man. Are you okay?¡± Cal said to the guy, who knocked his hand aside and stood to his feet. He noticed the man¡¯s uniform was an unauthorized combination of Army and Airforce uniform insignia; his uniform displayed an Army rank while his cover held an airman¡¯s and none of the required accessories adorned this unauthorized combination of uniforms.


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going, asshole.¡± The man said in a gruff voice, keeping his head cast toward the ground as he began to walk away. Cal grabbed the man¡¯s arm to detain him; he clearly didn¡¯t belong here and he wasn¡¯t going to let him walk off.


    ¡°Who are you? What¡¯s your purpose here?¡± Cal was able to get these questions out before he felt a sharp pain at his back; his body tensed and he blacked out as he fell to the floor.


    ¡°What do we do with him, James?¡± The man that Cal had confronted looked panicked at the person who had snuck out of the shadows to taser Cal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that! James is dead, remember? Put him in this storage closet and tie him up. Gag him so when he wakes up, he can¡¯t alert anyone else until we¡¯ve well cleared this place.¡± James had made the choice 12 years ago to have a stand-in for him that did all his public speeches and appearances. Once he had taken over and his family moved into the center of camp, he¡¯d had his twin brother act as him protecting James himself in case the Cult failed in their mission. This worked well because his brother loved being the center of attention, and James loved making the plans and decisions. It was a good thing he did, because Kevin took the Council¡¯s sentence meant for him.


    ¡°Sorry, Kevin.¡± The man, Murphy, said as he grabbed Cal up by the shoulders to drag him into the closet. ¡°Christ, this man is a fucking mountain! He¡¯s a tall man but he¡¯s dense as a boulder!¡± Murphy was really struggling with dragging Cal¡¯s dead weight.


    ¡°Fucking A, Murph. You¡¯re pathetic.¡± James grabbed up Cal¡¯s legs and nearly threw out his back in the process. Fuck he really is heavy, James thought to himself.


    James and Murphy finally got Cal into the closet, zip tied his feet and his hands to a steam pipe within the closet, then he pulled out a length of heavy cloth and slipped it between Cal¡¯s upper and lower jaw and tied it tightly around his head, tight enough that if Cal tried to speak, he wouldn¡¯t be able to. James then pulled out a pair of shackles from the pack he carried and shackled Cal on top of the zip ties; feeling how heavy Cal was made James feel like the extra protection was warranted if this guy were to wake up and try to get out.


    ¡°Did you find out what we needed to know, Kevin?¡± Murphy asked as James triple checked Cal¡¯s shackles and prepared to head out.


    ¡°They know who has the girl, and I know just where to find her. I know which county Meg lives in; we¡¯re going to get to her first.¡± James said this as he closed the door to the closet behind him. The next phase of their plan needed to be put into motion immediately.


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    #


    Two days later James and Murphy were sneaking into Pierce County under cover of night with a small group of men. It was hard going, but James was letting nothing get in the way of his mission. Like the Council, James had been looking for where this child had ended up; his hope was that the girl would have the same abilities as her mother had developed, if the rumors about Katerina were true. He was going to groom her to be his weapon and his sex slave so he would have her power and make children with that power. His own army of freaks to control the masses.


    After several hours of hiking and climbing, the first signs of civilization came into view. There were only a few sparsely lit buildings about a mile away. If James¡¯ calculations were correct, they had entered the county from a position that would have brought them straight to their doorstep without crossing too many other residences. From the ridge they stood on, James could see the meadow he was looking for, and started his descent in that direction. As they reached the home, they set their watches and Murphy went to the front door while James went to the back with their respective teams. James checked his clock to time the entry with Murphy, and the moment his watch hit time James and Murphy burst through their respective doors and the two groups fanned out through the house to gather the residents.


    The men brought Meg, Gage, and Evee into the living room and forced them to their knees; guns pressed against the backs of their heads. Meg and Gage looked terrified but said nothing, knowing that trying to negotiate was pointless and would likely result in worse circumstances than they were currently under.


    ¡°Make sure he can¡¯t follow us.¡± James said to Murphy as he pointed Gage. ¡°Tie those two up and take them.¡± Gesturing to Meg and Evee and addressing the men on either side of him. ¡°The rest of you, make sure nobody heard us and wait for us outside. Take care of anyone that gets in the way.¡±


    Murphy grabbed Gage roughly under one arm and dragged him into his bedroom. He tied Gage to the bed and, ensuring that nobody was able to hear him, whispered to Gage.


    ¡°My real name is Joshua Thorne; I¡¯ve been undercover for twelve years. Get the message to Councilmembers Carl and Melinda Thorne that James is still alive and that he¡¯s captured your wife and the girl. Tell them that I¡¯m still alive and that I¡¯m so close to bringing James down. Tell them I¡¯m sorry, I was never really on James¡¯ side. I had to let everyone believe that to make the transition undercover believable. Now, I¡¯m going to have to shoot near you to make them think that you¡¯re dead. When I raise the gun start screaming but make sure you stop as soon as the gun goes off, okay?¡± Gage nodded his understanding. When Josh raised the gun, he began screaming like his life depended on it and the moment the gun went off he went silent.


    ¡°Please make sure you tell Meg and Evee that I¡¯m okay the moment you can.¡± Gage said quietly as Murphy-Josh reached the door.


    ¡°I will. I won¡¯t let them suffer any longer than is necessary. Good luck.¡± Murphy said as he closed the door behind him. He sighed as he walked down the hallway towards the rest of the men in the backyard. A room caught his eye, and he stepped into the doorway; this was clearly the girl¡¯s room, it had a stuffed bird with red and orange hues on the bed and flowered bedding. He walked over to the bed and picked up the stuffed bird; he could tell it was well-loved, so he shoved it into his pack. On the bedside table were two photos, a young girl with a newborn baby on her chest, and a photo of the three people that lived here. He took both photos out of their frames and carefully packed them in his pack. The last thing he took was a journal he found under the girl¡¯s pillow and a pen for her to write with.


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Murphy said as he joined the men outside. He looked towards Meg and Evee, who were looking at him with hatred; silent tears streaming down their faces as they clung to one another. He cast his eyes to the ground, saddened that he couldn¡¯t immediately tell them that their loved one was okay.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± James said, leading the group back the same way they had traveled into the county. He went quickly, they needed to be far into the wilderness by dawn.


    Murphy took Meg¡¯s arm and as he zip tied her hands behind her back, he leaned in to whisper in her ear, ¡°Your husband is fine, I¡¯m undercover, too much to explain now. Elbow me in the gut like I just said something disgusting in your ear, and I¡¯m sorry for slapping you.¡± Meg stomped on his foot and elbowed him in the gut, and Murphy slapped her in the face before grabbing hold of her again.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Meg said to him quietly. Murphy saw her look towards the terrified girl, he pulled Meg over to the girl and he grabbed the girl¡¯s arm with his other hand.


    ¡°I got these two. Everyone else fall in around us so they can¡¯t escape.¡± Murphy ordered the other men. James had heard the commotion and stopped for only a moment before turning around, disinterested, and continuing the hike.


    They hiked through the rest of the night, making it out of the county before dawn with no event. They had hidden their off-road vehicles just on the other side of the county line knowing that they would need a quick way to escape with their prisoners. Murphy¡¯s vehicle, an old Jeep Wrangler with the back modified into a cage, was the closest; he shoved the pair into the cage and closed and locked it as the other men passed by to their own vehicles. Murphy got into the driver seat and an older man got into the passenger seat.


    Neither man said anything, and Murphy didn¡¯t start the car right away. Meg tried to say something but Murphy quickly shouted at her to shut up as he watched his watch. Forty- five seconds later, Murphy turned the engine over and began to fall into line with the other vehicles.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I shouted at you, Meg. We can¡¯t take the chance that anyone finds us out. This is Henry.¡± Murphy gestured to the man in the passenger seat. Meg looked at the older man and gasped as she noticed the eyes staring at her adopted daughter.


    ¡°You look so much like your mother, young lady. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, I¡¯ve been hoping for this for a long time.¡± Henry addressed the girl gently, assessing her with his blue-green eyes. She looked terrified, but then she was also still under the impression that the father she knew was dead.


    ¡°I told your mom here that your dad is okay, and I haven¡¯t really been able to give much more information than that. My name is really Joshua Thorne, and my parents are high ranking Councilmembers. When I was eighteen, I went undercover with The Cult of Seedbearers; allowing everyone I loved to believe that I had really betrayed them. The Cult was growing stronger and stronger, and I knew we would have to take them down from the inside. When the Council started executing high ranking members, they established a secret base in an old mine in Elbrus County. The location is remote and nobody known exactly where it is unless they have been there. It¡¯s guarded closely and once you¡¯re there they don¡¯t let you leave. I¡¯ve not been there yet and Henry has only been as far as the nearby town. The only way in is to be invited, and it¡¯s taken me twelve years to be invited in. This is where my mission really starts.¡± Murphy addressed the two of them, trying to shed some light on the background.


    ¡°James is unbelievably paranoid, doesn¡¯t trust anyone. He¡¯s been moving members to the mines for years, establishing a whole city underground more populated than we could ever have thought. Many of them start out as prisoners, like you two, but the more they cooperate the more autonomy they can earn; nobody leaves regardless, and if they try, they are executed. The two of us are going to be responsible for guarding you. They will surround our vehicle as we drive to the mines until we are inside. Once there, you will be held hostage but we will keep you comfortable. We have to have time to learn all the passageways and find a way to get you out. I wish we didn¡¯t have to, but it¡¯s not safe to try to get you out one the way. We don¡¯t have the resources to take on the men and vehicles surrounding us.¡± Henry interjected, trying to ease the young girl¡¯s fear.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t your eyes.¡± Evee said to him bluntly. Meg looked more closely at the eyes that had initially caught her attention because they looked so familiar. Henry looked momentarily startled before he chuckled and, blinking his eyes a couple times revealed the same eyes as Evee. That was why his eyes looked so familiar, he wore a pair of neurolink contacts that she had once seen long ago in development. There was a Lieutenant General that she had been friendly with who was absolutely brilliant, but could not quite get the contacts to work; it had been Gage who had given her what she needed to complete them, though she had never really been sure what that was and neither was Gage. Something he¡¯d said while hearing about them triggered something in the woman¡¯s head that got her hyper focused on the work and they had left her to it. The next day they had gone with the first separatist group.


    ¡°You¡¯re an observant one, chickadee.¡± Henry said as he smiled lovingly at Evee.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Meg asked, her mind racing with possibilities.


    ¡°My name is Henry, I¡¯m Everlea¡¯s grandfather.¡± Henry replied.


    ¡°Everlea? I thought the girl was screaming Evee, she¡¯s spent her whole life being called that. Oh, that poor child.¡± Meg leaned over and kissed Evee¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Where is my birth mother?¡± Evee asked calmly. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she with you?¡±


    ¡°Your mother, Katerina, thinks I¡¯m dead. Our family has dark secrets that I had attempted to protect her and your grandmother from. At the time, the only solution seemed to be to fake my death and change my identity; that worked for a while, but losing my family put me in a dark place. It wasn¡¯t until I heard what happened to your mother, found out about you, that I was able to pull myself back together and work towards getting our family back.¡± Henry explained.


    ¡°My bird¡¯s named Katerina. She got left at home, though.¡± Evee said sadly.


    This made Murphy start, he had let his mind wander for a few moments while Henry talked to his granddaughter. Hearing Evee talk about the stuffed bird had him reaching for his pack.


    ¡°Here, Henry, could you open this please?¡± Murphy asked as he dropped the bag in Henry¡¯s lap. Henry opened the pack and Murphy reached in, grabbing out the stuffed bird. When Evee saw it, she gasped and reached for it. Murphy passed it through the bars and she hugged it close. ¡°Sorry I forgot about that, love. I also have the pictures from your night stand and your journal for you. I can¡¯t let you have any of these in front of the others, so when we get close, I¡¯m going to have to put the stuff back in the bag until you¡¯re in your cell; I just wanted you to be able to have it for now. It should take us a few days of driving to get to the base and you can keep it all until then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Thorne!¡± Evee said emphatically as she squeezed the stuffed bird. ¡°Daddy Gage made this special for me. It¡¯s a phoenix with eyes like mine. Well, I guess like ours, grandfather. Momma Meg says that Mother has the same eyes, too. We didn¡¯t know her name, though.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Josh when nobody else is around, but it¡¯s important that you call me Murphy if it¡¯s not just the four of us. We have no other allies at the moment, so if it¡¯s not myself or Henry they can¡¯t be trusted.¡± Murphy said, making sure that the two of them understood. Meg and Evee nodded their understanding simultaneously. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone is exhausted, but we have a long drive ahead of us. There are pillows and blankets back there, do what you can to get comfortable and rest up. It¡¯s going to be a long journey.¡±


    Meg pulled out the pillows and set them up against the front seats, then laid a blanket on the floor and leaving one to cover up with. She and Evee settled into as comfortable position as they could manage and snuggled, darkness quickly coming to carry them into a fitful sleep as the vehicle bounced and jolted.


    This is so much to process. I¡¯ve been calling her the wrong name all these years, what if she had an identity crisis? I hope I haven¡¯t done damage to this poor girl, but what a coincidence that Everlea named her bird the same name as her birth mother. Meg¡¯s thoughts raced as exhaustion claimed her.

 Chapter 7- Elbrus

    [CHAPTER 7] ¡ª Elbrus


    It took eight days for the caravan to make it to Elbrus County, stopping at base outposts to resupply and refuel. Meg and Evee were allowed out at each stop to use the bathroom, but remained in the vehicle the rest of the time. It was a long and arduous car ride for a twelve-year-old, but Evee handled it with a grace far beyond her years. When they reached the final stop before they made their way into the mines, James stopped Murphy and pulled him aside.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust Henry. How does he seem to you?¡± James said quietly.


    ¡°I just spent the last eight days in the Jeep with that guy. He¡¯s boring as hell but he seems solid to me.¡± Murphy responded, trying not to let the panic rising in his throat become obvious.


    ¡°Alright. Keep a close eye on him and if he gives even the slightest sign of not being committed, kill him.¡± James said gravely, pulling open the door to his own truck and getting in. Murphy walked over to his own truck and got in. He looked at Henry with a serious look on his face before starting the Jeep and falling into line with the others.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Henry asked, noticing the troubled look on Murphy¡¯s face.


    ¡°James says he doesn¡¯t trust you and I¡¯m supposed to kill you if you show signs of not being loyal. You¡¯re going to need to do something that shows him you can be trusted.¡±


    ¡°What the hell am I supposed to do?¡± Henry asked, worried about the limits he was going to have to push to keep in James¡¯ good graces.


    ¡°Meg, anytime a weapon comes out, hide Everlea¡¯s face. We¡¯re really going to have to sell our position in The Cult, and nobody is going to like whatever it is we¡¯re going to have to do.¡± Murphy said to Meg, holding eye contact in the rearview mirror. Meg looked at him seriously and nodded.


    Suddenly Murphy slammed on the breaks, sending everyone careening forward uncomfortably. A fluffy white cat with a stub tail and calico patches on its rear end had come into the road and sat down to lick its genitals; one of its legs outstretched and folded over in a creepy fashion. Murphy loved animals, but this thing that cats did would always be weird to him. He honked his horn at the animal and it just looked up at him, as if it was annoyed the he had the audacity to disrupt its bath. The cat stared past Murphy seemingly right at Everlea for a long moment before getting up, stretching, and moseying its way out of the road. As they passed, Everlea and the cat kept eye contact until they couldn¡¯t anymore. Well, that was very interesting. It almost looked like she was communicating with it. Murphy thought as he watched the exchange through the rearview.


    As they turned a sharp corner, the entrance to the mine became visible. It was an unassuming entrance, one that was maintained for structural integrity in a way that kept it looking as derelict as an abandoned mine would be. As they approached the entrance, two heavily armed guards popped out from the sides, guns raised as they made their approach to the first car. James said something to them and they lowered their guns to salute him before he continued his way into the mines.


    As they drove through the monstrous arches that held the opening, they entered into a dimly lit tunnel built up with stone and steel. The ceiling vaulted to over a hundred feet and spanned over fifty feet, high and wide enough that large trucked full of waste rock, mine water or tailings to easily go in and out of the mine to dump the byproducts. A second, smaller entrance was about a quarter mile down the mountain where they would take the valuable minerals and rocks out of the mountain; this entrance had collapsed several times rendering it inoperable and permanently unsafe. The mining company had moved their mine to the other side of the mountain, far away from where this one lay abandoned.


    One by one the vehicles in their party drove to the entrance of the ramp that spiraled its way down into the mine, like a parking garage structure. When they reached the loading zone, they found it to be bustling with activity; this was more people than Murphy and Henry had anticipated and they shared a concerned look as Murphy parked the Jeep. Henry had gathered Everlea¡¯s personal belongings as they had descended into the mine, and he now handed the pack containing them to Murphy. Each of the men opened a back door in the Jeep and grabbed the arm of a prisoner.


    As they led Meg and Everlea to their prison, they made sure to be rough with them without causing too much pain to them. Each man¡¯s heart breaking a little more each time Evee let out a little whimper or recoiled from a stranger. They couldn¡¯t show that they cared, they could only guide them roughly through the mines until they reached a small suite. Once inside, Murphy and Henry removed the zip ties from their wrists and gave Evee her personal belongings.


    ¡°There should be clothes for Evee in the closet, and clothes for you in the trunk,¡± Murphy said to Meg, ¡°At least that¡¯s what James told me.¡± Meg nodded and went to check on the clothes in the closet for Everlea, then the trunk for herself. She looked at the bathroom and found basic toiletries and towels, and the beds were made up with clean bedding.


    ¡°Thank you, Josh. Thank you too, Henry. For being on our side; for everything.¡± Meg said quietly. Henry nodded before he left Murphy alone in the room with the pair of them.


    ¡°Henry and I share the quarters next door; we have to keep you locked in and stay posted outside your door day and night. If you need anything, just knock on your door and we will hear you. I¡¯m not sure how many luxuries we¡¯ll be able to sneak you, but your basic needs will be provided for. Meals will be brought three times a day. If you can give me a list of what you like and don¡¯t like we will do our best to stick to that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks again. I¡¯m sure Everlea is starving, what time will our next meal be?¡±


    ¡°Henry has first watch; he¡¯s out getting your dinner now. Once he¡¯s back I will go to sleep and be on watch in 12 hours. Is there anything else you need to make the night comfortable?¡± Murphy asked, double-checking the linens and the clothing to make sure they had everything they needed.


    ¡°Everlea, do you need anything?¡± Meg asked her, but Evee shook her head no before laying down on the bed farthest from the door. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but thank you. Maybe tomorrow you could bring some things to help entertain her mind? She¡¯s incredibly smart and loves to read.¡±


    ¡°I will see what I can find for her.¡± As Murphy said this, Henry walked back into the room with their dinners. ¡°Have a good night, I¡¯m sorry about all this. We will work towards getting you two out of here constantly.¡± Murphy turned and left them, going next door to the quarters he shared with Henry.


    #


    It was ten minutes past dawn and Cal was nowhere to be found. This was so unlike him, the team worried. They checked everywhere they could think of to find him but were unsuccessful. Finally, Katerina saw her mom rushing up to them with a worried look on her face.


    ¡°Cal was attacked by intruders and tied up in a closet. He¡¯s almost done being checked over by medical and if he¡¯s clear for the mission he¡¯ll be with you shortly.¡± Lana said to the group. ¡°As far as we can tell, it was a reconnaissance mission by The Cult of Seedbearers; Nothing was stolen or damaged, so the only logical conclusion is that they were there to gather information. The cameras that we were able to see them on, they are just standing around, so we can only come to these conclusions.¡±


    ¡°Hey sorry for the hold up,¡± Cal said as he jogged up to the group. ¡°All clear to go, General.¡± His teammates obviously had questions and they attempted to ask them but the General silenced them, reminding them of their mission. As everyone moved to load up, Lana placed a hand on Cal¡¯s arm;


    ¡°Remember, not a word to anyone about what you heard.¡± Lana cautioned him.


    ¡°Got it, General.¡± Cal replied. He may not agree, but it was a direct order and he would obey as best he could.


    Their transport was an old C-130, which would carry them to a landing strip barely large enough for them to land where they would meet up with their ground transport. The four-hour flight was turbulent, tossing them around while they tried to get a nap in. Cal sat there with his eyes closed, pretending to be napping, but his mind was racing. Those men had said they knew where to find Everlea, that they were going to beat them to her. Cal knew that was true, they didn¡¯t even know where this Meg person was and The Cult did; there was no way they could make it to the girl before they did. Cal knew this meant that when they got back from this mission they would essentially be starting over from the beginning. The only thing they still had was Meg¡¯s first name.             Landing in the air field was a bit exciting, the pilot overshot 75 ft of the 2,800- foot landing strip, causing them to nearly crash at the far end as they ran out of room. The pilot being a talented airman and well-used to this landing strip, they did not, and they rolled to a stop just as the nose of the plane bumped a tree. This was already a nearly impossible landing, so bringing everyone through it safely was quite an accomplishment. Normally they would have used a combination of helicopters and Humvees to reach their destination, but this was far too remote and not an area that was frequented by those types of vehicles. The C-130 they travelled in on, however, was a regular supply for the military installment nearby; so, seeing the C-130 making its normal decent into the airspace was nothing unexpected.


    They disembarked and thanked the crew for the ride before hiking out into the forest to meet up with their ground transport. They had 3 kilometers to go to get away from the airfield and meet up with their transport. There were too many eyes and ears around to risk going straight from the airfield. As they made their way through the dense forest, Cal kept a watchful eye on their surroundings.


    Knowing that The Cult knew how to find Everlea and that they would reach her first had him severely on edge; once they had Everlea it was only a matter of time before they came after Katerina, and if they¡¯d found Everlea then they probably already knew Katerina¡¯s real identity. Last night¡¯s encounter with the two intruders solidified Cal¡¯s worst fears; The Cult had infiltrated the military and was stealing the intel gathered during their missions. This meant that nowhere was safe for Katerina, and Cal¡¯s only care in the world were her and her daughter; especially if they had taken Katerina¡¯s sealed files that proved who she was.


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    Thankfully the journey through the woods was short, and they reached the meadow where they met up with the truck that was to take them into the town and the man that drove it; there they would meet up with the woman who was their contact in getting established in the mines. The man that drove the truck was an associate of this woman, someone obviously close enough to be trusted with the mission; at least, that¡¯s what Cal hoped. They exchanged a few pleasantries, none of them offering a name, before the Phoenix Centennial loaded into the back of the covered military transport.


    All were collectively silent as the man drove to the mine company¡¯s dorms. At one point they could feel a steep downgrade for several minutes before levelling back out; about ninety minutes later they felt the steep incline that made them wonder if they¡¯d gone under the mountain or through a canyon. They felt the truck slow to a stop, and the driver got out; they all started unloading in front of a large building. There, they met with the woman that would place them in the company to begin their mission. They had all been given names that were similar to their own for the mission, and the woman knew them only by these aliases.


    ¡°Hi Y''all. My name is Marcia, I¡¯m the Chief Executive officer. I¡¯ve got your assignments here; three of you will be staying here in this dormitory and the other two will stay at the North dormitory. Your assignments are too far to stay here and commute daily. Katherine, Laurie, and Grant, you three will be here in this dorm. Carl and Rainey you¡¯ll travel another two hours to the North dorm. Katherine, you¡¯ve been placed as an entry level engineer, meaning you¡¯ll simply be trained on this company¡¯s policies regarding the equipment; this is a cliff notes version of the job and the equipment so when you show up to the site tomorrow you don¡¯t look like you know nothing. All of you have one of these booklets. Laurie, you¡¯re in dorm maintenance; you won¡¯t be in the mines, you¡¯ll be here at the dorm making sure everything is in working order. Grant, you¡¯re a foreman, you¡¯ll head up a mining crew. Carl and Rainey, you are Wildcrafters; hunting and gathering to provide the Culinary Specialists with supplies. That also includes firewood and other non-edible resources. More details for everyone¡¯s jobs are in the booklets. Carl and Rainey, your transport is ready to take you to your dorm. Welcome to SeedCorp.¡±


    Each of them looked at each other when she said the name of the company; nobody had informed them of the name before now, and it raised suspicions in all their minds. Marcia held out her arm to direct Cal and Rain towards their transport to their dorm. The Cult had been such a formidable foe for so long that any kind of tie towards it or the name put people on edge; and The Phoenix Centennial were no exception. Their goodbyes were silent, shakes of the hands all around and the two were off out the door. Cal and Rain loaded once again into the back of the transport truck, and the journey commenced; the first hour and a half was spent in silence, with Cal completely silent and brooding. With only 30 minutes to go, Cal broke the silence.


    ¡°I need to tell you something and it has to stay between us. I¡¯ve been ordered not to tell anyone, but I need to talk about it and it can¡¯t be with Katerina.¡± Cal said to her seriously.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said slowly, giving him the room to continue.


    ¡°The men who attacked me last night were members of the Cult who had infiltrated the ranks, and they figured out how to find Everlea. Not only that, but the Generals suspect that they also stole Kat¡¯s sealed files; so, they most likely know who she really is. It¡¯s likely that we have walked right into a trap.¡± Cal blurted all of this out quietly, not wanting anyone in the cab of the truck to hear them, as Rain listened with an increasingly more horrified look.


    ¡°Do we need to call off the mission? Why would the Generals let their daughter walk into a trap?¡±


    ¡°The Generals know that it was a high probability that we were walking into the thick of it; The Cult is close, possibly based in the area. The report given this morning was intentionally vague so as to keep Katerina¡¯s attention on the mission, we found out that James is still alive and The Cult is not weakened at all, merely driven underground. We also can¡¯t tell Laura yet; we think James fathered her son, though she would never say what exactly she had against him or who the father of her son was. She¡¯s finally starting to enjoy her life since she thought he¡¯d been executed. The Generals will tell her when we are back from the mission safely.¡±


    ¡°Fuck! He¡¯s still alive? What the fuck! Who was executed in his place? He was identical to James, everything about him matched James¡¯ profile!¡± Rain spouted out each question as she waved her arms around animatedly.


    ¡°James had a twin. We suspect that James had his twin stand in for him in public; creating our profile of him as his twin, Kevin, rather than James himself. Their files were part of one of the losses we had when the servers failed. There was always a lot of confusion and contention with that because even though the servers were getting old, they were well maintained so there shouldn¡¯t have been such catastrophic failures and loss of data like that; the IT department still insist that it wasn¡¯t their neglect but they haven¡¯t been able to prove that they were hacked, either. We¡¯re now wondering if it was an attack of some sort; if not a hack, then something that caused those servers to be wiped.¡± Cal gave all the detail he knew from his short meeting with the Generals that morning.


    Cal had been tied up in that closet for several hours before someone on their way to the mess hall heard him banging on the shelves; most of what was held on them were knocked off or out of place. As soon as they had freed him, he ran straight to the Generals to tell them what had happened. They had forced him to medical to be checked over for concussion and other injuries, discussing the events as Cal knew them all the while. He had protested continuing with the mission, saying that putting Katerina out in the open risked her getting captured; the Generals knew that should that happen, Katerina¡¯s subdermal tracking would lead them straight to her. The Generals hated the idea of their daughter being bait, but Katerina had ordered the tracking device herself, set the plan herself; they knew that they couldn¡¯t take her chance to bring down the Cult for good should she get it. Once he was cleared by medical, he rushed to join his team; unwilling to let them go on the mission without him. He may not be right next to Katerina the whole time, but he would at least be closer to her than if he¡¯d been sequestered to base.


    Rain sat in thoughtful silence almost the entire rest of the ride to their dorm. When the large building came into view, Rain looked at Cal mischievously;


    ¡°Hey, Cal; do you think we¡¯ll get some female attention while we¡¯re here? I mean¡­ what better way to get information from someone than to get that when they¡¯re vulnerable, right? I think that a good time with a beautiful woman counts as part of the mission, don¡¯t you?¡± She giggled as she said this; most missions involved Katerina interacting with the people and the rest of them in the woods for support and backup for her. This would be the first time in a long time that Rain would have the chance to interact with people.


    Rain and her wife were polyamorous, and her wife Cassie had some close friends on base that kept her company while Rain was on missions; Cassie also took care of Rain¡¯s son from her ordeal with the Cult. They seemed happy, and their son seemed happy; post- apocalyptic concerns had killed issues like homosexuality and polyamory, among other social concerns that had existed on Earth. Everyone had suddenly realized that who someone loved or the color of someone¡¯s skin or a different religion or political stance were not things that divided humanity; they created a diversity that made humanity beautiful. The one social issue that could never be squashed, however, was pedophilia; for obvious reasons.


    Cal always thought it sad that it took an apocalypse to make people realize that worrying about people who are hurting no one was simply not where their energy should go, and ironically life had been better for many people because of it. There was no more hate because someone had a different color skin or loved someone of the same gender; there was no worry about why a man wanted to transition to a woman or vice versa, it wasn¡¯t their business and so they no longer concerned themselves with people who just sought the same happiness they did. In communities outside of the Cult, people finally lived in a harmony they had never dared hoped for on Earth. Everyone was equal, everyone was happy; within those communities there was peace on New Earth.


    As the transport pulled up to the monstrous building, a young woman came out of the door and waited to greet them. She was small, no taller than five feet, and slender. Her Auburn hair fell in straight locks around her hazel eyes, which were framed my thick bangs. Even though she was small, she was muscular; a clear sign that she was used to hard work. As Cal and Rain unloaded their things, the woman came up to them with a big smile.


    ¡°Well, hey there! You must be Carl and Rainey. I¡¯m Isadora, a senior Wildcrafter. I¡¯ll be showing you to your bunks and getting your gear assigned to you today. If you would both follow me, I will show you where you can put your things.¡± Isadora turned and hastened into the dorm where they were greeted by an open foyer with a corridor to each side leading to spiral staircases, and a large staircase directly in front of them. They turned left down the corridor and took the spiral staircase down two levels, where they turned right and followed another corridor. They finally stopped about two thirds of the way down the corridor where Isadora opened a door.


    ¡°This will be both your dorm; there¡¯s no room anywhere else, but fraternizing with roommates is strictly prohibited.¡± Isadora said, looking pointedly at them both.


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to be a problem, he¡¯s got the wrong genitals for me.¡± Rain said bluntly, causing Cal to burst out in laugher before regaining his composure.


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Isadora said, giving Rain an indiscernible sideways glance. ¡°You should come to the pub sometime. You might meet someone to have fun with.¡± Rain gave Isadora her best ¡°come get me¡± smile while nodding her silent acceptance.  Isadora smiled back, and after they had put their things in their bunk led the way to the supply room.


    The first things they were issued were their uniforms, a woodsy camouflage button down and matching cargo style pants, and a jacket of the same color and pattern. They also both received brown waterproof hiking boots, game bags in various sizes, bright orange hats, shooting glasses, scopes, rope, flints, a tent, fishing poles, cooking gear, mess kits, and hiking packs. Once all of their survival gear was issued and accounted for, Isadora led them to the armory to be issued their weapons. They were each issued the standard hunting rifle, as well as their choice in short-range munitions. Cal chose a shotgun while Rain opted for a semi-automatic handgun. Next, they were issued bow and arrows and crossbows, in case they ran out of bullets, they would always have these weapons; Arrows were easy enough to make from what could be gathered in the woods, so it was a near- infinite source of firepower. Their weaponry was rounded off with a series of hunting and fishing knives, laser saws for cutting wood- and limbs, and hatchets as a backup to the saw.


    Every moment Isadora spent issuing their gear, she and Rain had been flirting; they could have been finished a lot faster had they focused more on the task instead of each other. Cal was happy that Rain had found someone to keep her company while they were here on the mission, though, so he stayed quiet and let them enjoy themselves. By the time they were done with their gear, the two of them were physically holding themselves back from each other. As Cal packed his gear up to move out, the two ladies leaned against the wall facing each other; chatting and laughing, clearly enjoying one another.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to the bunk to change into my gear, then I¡¯m going to head out. I need to learn the land and set up somewhere for a few days before I can bring something significant back. You two enjoy yourselves,¡± Cal said with a chuckle, leaving the two ladies alone in each other¡¯s company.

 Chapter 8- Rain

    [CHAPTER 8] ¡ª Rain


    ¡°Come with me.¡± Isadora said as soon as Cal was out of earshot, grabbing Rain by the collar and dragging her along the corridors until they reached a derelict corridor. They made their way down the hall, taking care to stay in the one strip of floor that wasn¡¯t covered in dust. When they reached the end, they stood in front of a huge window that overlooked the stretching forest that led to the mountain. Isadora checked out the window, then turned back down the hall where they had come from; seeing nobody, she grabbed Rain¡¯s wrist and pulled her into the room to the left side of the window and closed the door.


    ¡°Nobody will find us in here as long as we aren¡¯t too loud. This wing is abandoned for structural issues but it¡¯s safe enough for the two of us.¡± Isadora pulled Rain in and kissed her, pressing her petite body against Rain¡¯s much larger frame. As their lips met, a spark ignited and Rain¡¯s breasts served as a ledge for Isadora¡¯s as she picked her up, straightening her back to her full height. As Rain stood, Isadora wrapped her legs around her waist; Rain carried her to a dusty bed and laid her down. Their soft kisses became caresses, Rain exploring every hollow and curve of her neck and breasts before moving to disrobe her. Isadora¡¯s breasts were perky, her areolas a soft pink against her alabaster skin. Rain leaned in and kissed her again, starting at her lips and moving down her jawline to her neck before trailing down to suckle each nipple, sucking them in deep and hard. Isadora gave Rain exactly what she was looking for; a sharp, hissing inhale that had her body trembling with anticipation at what came next.


    Rain moved from her breasts down her stomach, her deft fingers undoing Isadora¡¯s pants so when she got to her waist, she was able to rip the pants away and lock her lips on her clit faster than Isadora could process that her pants were gone. The surprised moan she let out was oozing with pleasure before she stuffed a knuckled in her teeth and bit down, quieting herself. Rain gave her complete attention to her task, Isadora¡¯s soft moans echoed in the quiet room as she brought her closer to ecstasy. Slipping three fingers into her depths and another into her back door, Rain moved in and out of her, taking care to keep her fingers position on her g-spot. When Isadora had reached her climax, she stuffed her whole fist in her mouth to stifle her screams of pleasure. Rain lavished in the juices that flowed from her as she kept her task going, allowing the twitching of Isadora¡¯s body fuel her own pleasure.


    Once Isadora had calmed, she lifted herself up off the bed to take a dominant position. Beginning the same way Rain had, she explored every nook and cranny of Rain¡¯s body as she undressed her one piece of clothing at a time. Rain was not used to receiving the same as she¡¯d gotten; not that her wife wasn¡¯t good, they¡¯d just always had limited time with Jared around so it started with Rain giving her oral and moved straight to coming together. This attention was both amazing and uncomfortable for Rain, but she enjoyed the uncommon experience. Normally when Rain had encounters with other females, they didn¡¯t do the same things Rain would do to them. Isadora was different, she gave exactly what she received and that thought sent Rain over the edge.


    Isadora sat Rain up and, staring deep into her eyes, intertwined their legs. With their bodies pressed together they started a gentle rocking motion, the warmth and pressure building with each movement as they hurdled towards a shared rhythm of ecstasy. Just as they were about to reach their mutual climax, Isadora stopped suddenly; without untangling them, she whipped her head around towards the door, listening intently. They heard voices outside the door, and Isadora relaced, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯re about to have company, but it¡¯s not someone we have to hide from. It sounds like my husband is about to bring a playmate in.¡± Isadora leaned in and pressed her lips to Rain¡¯s as the door opened and two men walked in holding the other¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Oh, hello darling. Sorry to interrupt, but would you mind if we go down to the other side of the dorm?¡± Her husband was a tall man, standing over six feet, with blonde hair and grey eyes. The man he had with him was about four inches shorter than he was, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Both men were slight of build but muscular, as if they spent a lot of time exercising and taking care of themselves.


    ¡°No, love, of course not. Caleb, this is Rainey; Rainey, this is Caleb and his lover John. How are you today, John?¡± Isadora made quick introductions, but Rain¡¯s head was spinning just a bit. She knew people were polyamorous like she and her wife were, but she¡¯d never actually met anyone else; nor had she known anyone to be as comfortable blending their sexual escapades as Isadora and her husband Caleb. Rain quite admired it, and wondered how it would be in her own relationship were she home more often.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright Dora, yourself?¡± John replied as he and Caleb passed them heading towards another bed further down the large dorm room.


    ¡°Good, thanks. You two enjoy yourselves!¡± Isadora responded before turning her full attention back to Rain. ¡°Now, where were we?¡± Isadora began moving again as she said this, their bodies dancing once again, friction sparking a fire within them that had them hurtling towards shared release.


    As they reached their climax, Rain began to hear the sounds of the guys at the other end. This was a completely new experience for Rain and she wasn¡¯t certain how to react, so she just looked to Isadora to guide her on that until she could decide for herself how she felt. Isadora took no real notice on the noises they heard and moved to lay in the bed to relax. She held out her arm, inviting Rain to join her, so Rain moved to her and lay on her shoulder. This was another new thing for Rain, she was a tall at five foot eleven so she was used to being in a more masculine position.


    ¡°You have a very unique relationship with your husband. My wife and I are also polyamorous but you two take ¡®open¡¯ to new heights.¡± Rain said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Well, luckily for you, you met me. Being anything but heterosexual in these parts is severely frowned upon. As in, you could get beaten or punished for any reason and around here they¡¯re ignorant enough to find one. Caleb and I married each other for safety, and we love each other but not in that way. We are both gay, but we can¡¯t live openly without risking serious consequences.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible. I know that¡¯s how it was on Earth, but where I come from everyone is so accepting and diverse. We¡¯ve never experienced any isolation or judgement from our community. There¡¯s been no threat of violence. I¡¯m so sorry you have that fear here.¡± Rain felt troubled for Isadora and Caleb; John as well. Anyone who was part of the LGBTQ+ community would be in danger in this part of the world. Isadora ran her fingers through Rain¡¯s short brown hair, looking pensive.


    ¡°It would be nice if the Cult of Seedbearers were eliminated once and for all, but that¡¯s just the way life is here. They set the laws, enforce the laws, and nobody argues. I remember what it was like on Earth, and it wasn¡¯t as bad as this. You look like you would have been pretty young on Earth, but I was twenty-two when the Arks launched; the years sailing through the universe were a little better than Earth as far as judgement goes, but once we landed and moved this direction it got steadily more difficult for our community.¡± Isadora had laid her head back on the dusty pillows as she spoke, staring up at the ceiling as if she was seeing into another time.


    ¡°The Cult is here? Where I come from, they thought they had all died out.¡± Rain asked this cautiously, not wanting to risk bringing too much attention to her past. She was supposed to be undercover and while that meant a lot of secrets, she could make up the name of where she was from and still speak about life there.


    ¡°Elbrus is the Cult¡¯s last base. Not many actually know that, but James is my brother so I get more information than most. The Council forced them out of all the other Counties, but this one is so remote they don¡¯t even bother with us. This county is the one and only county that is on a second continent on this new planet. Most only know about the one large continent that everyone else lives on, but this one is a hundred miles off the Eastern most coast of the main continent. We found it when James and Kevin moved the group out of the Camp. It took us months to get to the coast on foot, and many died from starvation or exposure on the way. They set up the base camp on the coast, and started developing a means to cross over the water. From the bluffs over there, you can see the island on a clear day if you¡¯re looking in the right place. The mountain is large enough that it¡¯s visible even from lower points on the bluff, but at the highest it¡¯s very visible.¡± Isadora had started twirling the longest parts of Rain¡¯s short hair in her fingers; there may have only been two inches of hair there but she was making the most of it, twirling one lock then the next as they dropped out of her slender fingers. Rain¡¯s heart broke to think that the community here who were not willing members of the Cult thought that the Council didn¡¯t care about them.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know James had siblings. Do you really think that the Council doesn¡¯t care about the people here?¡± Rain couldn¡¯t help but ask. The Council had always stood for equality and justice for everyone, and had actively spent the last twelve years trying to free people from the clutches of the Cult. Rain herself had participated in dozens of anti-Cult operations that had resulted in freeing hundreds of men, women and children who were unwilling members.


    ¡°We have many; James and his twin Kevin, and I have five other brothers and seven sisters. The boys you can find here and there but the girls, those of us who escaped hid who they were so James could never find them. We weren¡¯t an exception to my brothers¡¯ fanatical abuse, and some of my sisters refused to follow him after what he put us through and were able to integrate themselves into society under different names. As far as the Council goes; they don¡¯t seem to. Everywhere else the Council have come in and liberated County after County. It¡¯s been twelve years and things here keep getting worse. There has never been any sign of the Council, and if I could get away and join them I would. James sacrificed Kevin, his own twin, to further the Cult¡¯s motives; there is no amount of brotherly love I could muster to make myself okay with that. Our brothers may not have ever forced themselves on me or my sisters that I know of, but they definitely allowed other men to do so. What they were doing was bad enough but to allow it to happen to their own flesh and blood feels so much worse.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Isadora. I had no idea things would be so bad here.¡± Rain was ready to just tell her who she really was, but there was more than just herself to consider. If she was wrong about Isadora, her whole squad would be at risk; she would have to wait and talk to everyone and get to know her better before making a decision that serious. If she was right, though, she would make a fantastic asset in bringing down the true final Cult base; with any luck, the Cult as a whole.


    ¡°Call me Dora.; all my friends do. It¡¯s not your fault the way things are, but I¡¯m glad we met before you got yourself into trouble. No need to let that pretty face and those magic fingers go to waste.¡± Dora said with a giggle.


    ¡°Thanks, Dora. I should head to my bunk and settle in, shower and get ready to leave before dawn.¡±


    ¡°Well thanks for the fun,¡± Dora said with a grin, ¡°Make sure you check in every few days. Good luck out there.¡±


    Rain mulled over what Dora had said about the Council as she made her way back to her bunk. The conversation with Dora had been unsettling for Rain, but she tried to focus on settling into her bunk, taking a shower and getting some rest. She kept repeating the intended process as she made her way through the corridors until she got to the bunk. She entered and found a note from Cal had been left folded for her on a table. She walked over to it, picked it up and unfolded the note.


    Heading northeast, towards the mountains. A Wildcrafter named Caleb tipped me off about an abandoned mine; I''ll check it out while hunting. Need a secure location for meetings and intel storage. Hoping this mine fits the bill.


    Cal


    Rain brought the note with her into the shower and let the water wash away the evidence of the communication. Normally it would be burned, but as she was inside and taking a hot shower, anyways, this was equally effective. As the water ran down her face, she watched the note disintegrate away in her hand; the particles washing down the drain with the sweat of the day. Rain let the hot water flow over her body for a while before she moved to clean herself. She couldn¡¯t get her mind past what life here must be like, and she knew something had to be done about it. The first thing she would have to do is get a message to the Council about this place and what it was. They can¡¯t solve a problem they don¡¯t know they have, so getting a message to them was top priority for Rain.


    She stepped out of the small shower stall and onto the bath mat, grabbing a towel and wrapping up her tall but slender frame before exiting the bathroom into the bedroom. She stopped dead in her tracks, seeing a man in a mask rifling through their belongings. In two quick running steps, she lunged on top of the man and wrestled him to the ground. He struggled and almost got out of her grip, but Rain managed to get him subdued and get the mask off his face; she was shocked to see a familiar face staring back at her.


    ¡°John?! What the hell are you doing?¡± Rain asked, holding his wrists to his chest so her couldn¡¯t struggle.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you lady? Where are you from? We need to get out of here don¡¯t you understand?!¡± John continued to struggle against Rain¡¯s intense grip as he asked his questions, the pitch of his voice rising with each one. It became clear to Rain that he wasn¡¯t a threat and she let him go and stood up. She held out her hand to help him up, and his look changed from anger to confusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m a soldier of the Council. We are here to find a young girl who was taken by her mother. At least, that is the primary mission. As soon as I¡¯m able to get a message to the Council about this County, we will be ordered to liberate the people and put a stop to the Cult once and for all. In order to do that, it has to be an absolute secret that I am with the Council. We¡¯re here undercover, and we¡¯re made the mission will fail. There¡¯s no knowing what will happen to the girl, but we will definitely have a more difficult time liberating the people. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. Yes, I do. How can I help?¡± John stuttered, clearly in disbelief that help had finally arrived for them.


    ¡°Do you know of anyone who has a little girl around twelve years old? She has one blue eye and one green, and most likely has black curly hair.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a girl like that, but the have had to deliver supplies to their underground base inside the mountain. There¡¯s an old abandoned mine that they¡¯ve taken over and made into a whole city under there. My brother only allows me and Dora to make the deliveries so we are the only ones who know exactly how to get there. If James is going to hide something important, it goes into the mountain.¡±


    ¡°The mineshaft on the Northeast side of the mountain? Caleb must have met my partner earlier because he told me that Caleb told him the area the mine was in. Wait, brother? James is your brother? So, Dora is your sister?¡± It took Rain a minute for that tidbit to sink in, and she was a little surprised. Dora had not mentioned he was her brother while they were all in the same dorm naked and having sex, not even when they were talking about her siblings. She wondered why that was, when they were close enough to be comfortable in the situation they were in earlier, but she didn¡¯t mention John was her brother.


    "We don¡¯t advertise family ties¡ªa precaution born of the last two decades. James''s opponents actively shield their identities. He¡¯s toxic. His wife escaped James¡¯ grip years ago, rejecting him completely. Marcia, disgusted by his post-Ark depravity and the corrupting influence on her sons, finally escaped. His assaults drove her from their home and into SeedCorp, where she climbed to CEO. But he still stalks her. I''ve seen the telltale bruises; he won''t let her escape his grasp."


    ¡°I can understand that, I wouldn¡¯t want to be associated with him, either. This mining shaft, is it heavily guarded? Will they shoot a Wildcrafter that happened upon it or will they give warning to stay away? My friend went in that direction and if he¡¯s in danger I need to know.¡±


    ¡°Only the entrance itself is guarded, and they will stand guard inside unless a vehicle approaches. They have speakers that will play wild animal growls if someone approaches and tries to enter on foot, which deters most people; but if they try to enter, they may have an issue. The mine is incredibly well-hidden, so it¡¯s unlikely he will find it anytime soon. You could live out there six months and still not find it, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in immediate danger. Especially in a Wildcrafter¡¯s uniform; they¡¯re supplied by us, too, so they tend to be more courteous towards us in case they offend one of us and we don¡¯t supply them properly.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Is there another direction I could approach the mine entrance that isn¡¯t from the northeast?¡± Rain was thinking of cutting the search time in half by starting from the opposite direction and working towards Cal¡¯s area.


    ¡°You could circle northwest and cut east around the mountain, but that¡¯s significantly more difficult terrain. There¡¯s a lot of cliff faces and long drops. If you go that way, you need to be issued climbing gear and weaponry for mountain game. Caleb and I can both do that for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to do that. It will cut down on the time it takes to find it and a way in. Would you be willing to give me the coordinates of the entrance they use, so we can search for another way in?¡±


    ¡°I can do you better than that; I¡¯ll give you the blueprints for the whole place. Ventilation shafts, entrance, everything that¡¯s built down there. Let¡¯s go get your mountain gear issued and I will get the blueprints. Rainey, thank you for being on our side. We have been without hope for so long, it finally feels like there¡¯s a chance to escape this hell.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for, John. Lead the way, I¡¯ll be right with you. I just have to put some clothes on and we can go.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Right, sorry.¡± John said with an uncomfortable chuckle as he exited her bunk.


    Rain hurriedly put on her Wildcrafter¡¯s uniform and joined John in the corridor. They made their way silently, not willing to risk conversations being overheard by those passing them by. When they got to the armory, they found Caleb there taking inventory of the gear. John looked down all the aisles of shelves to be sure they were alone before approaching Caleb.


    ¡°Have you taken inventory of the mountain gear yet?¡± John said quietly, looking back at Rain as he spoke to Caleb.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to start it now, why?¡±


    ¡°I need gear for our friend here, and we need to get the blueprints out of the safe.¡± John said, looking at Caleb with unspoken intent. Caleb¡¯s eyes went wide and he looked over at Rain, clearly understanding what wasn¡¯t being said.


    ¡°Thank goodness. I had all but lost hope that we would ever find a way to escape.¡± The relief in Caleb¡¯s voice was apparent, and Rain¡¯s heart broke a little more.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know this place existed; but now that we do, we¡¯re going to end this once and for all. It¡¯s urgent that I get a message back to the council. The airwaves won¡¯t be safe, so I will need to get it out of the County and delivered by hand. There are planes that stop at the depot on the mainland; if I can get a message to them, they can deliver it to the Council.¡±


    ¡°I can get the message to the depot. I have to go there every few weeks to trade ore for resources we can¡¯t get as easily here. Write it down and give it to me, I will make sure it gets where it needs to go.¡± John said to her.


    For just a moment, Rain hesitated to trust John and Caleb. John was one of James¡¯ brothers and even though he had said he was on opposing sides; he could just be saying that to get her to trust him. She knew this was her best chance of getting the message out, though, and her instincts were telling her that they could be trusted. She grabbed a pen and paper, and wrote:


    Ychvhl Wtululmzo Iyhscu: JywhNpij uywu fjwvluvm xvzn rh awwbex usyuzhwre oflllpbjn gj xbzhdeye. Kbw GPP zm fse jepgpgfu; mzi tt Aueid'' fo-qajp. Krgww'' qbdcdc lou nzi NFF lwqlje cf mxnvxaeef uufkps. Tifjtsdyv: Nlnvm aw lmzpw (wzviww: wttkyj Mdbuije). Eiv wmpe nrcfxljem s wpdiyl fltv qaxsje Yjimvj. Lwuffjn aqxfucsxp crwcya bex syeifladluzif xz jeclmluv ceqpezuli ebbyvsho. Todx xpeclscjea smcxrpww..


    The previously chosen keyword, ¡°Elbrus¡± would allow the Generals to decode her message with a Vigen¨¨re cypher. Once decoded, it would read: Urgent Situation Report: SeedCorp cult operates from an island continent northeast of mainland. The CEO is not involved; she is James'' ex-wife. James'' family and the CEO remain in immediate danger. Confirmed: James is alive (source: sister Isadora). The cult maintains a secret base within Elbrus. Request immediate backup and authorization to initiate immediate takedown. Cult monitoring airwaves.


    Rain folded up her message and reached into her breast pocket for a lighter, then her pants pocket for a small stick of wax and a Phoenix Centennial seal. She sealed the letter and handed it to John, who placed it in his breast pocket for safekeeping. Caleb handed her a bedroll, and she looked at it, confused.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need this extra bedroll; it gets cold up there.¡± Caleb said and as Rain grabbed hold, he leaned in close, ¡°The blueprints are hidden inside. We can¡¯t risk you getting caught with them; they¡¯re the only copy we have left.¡± Rain nodded and attached the bedroll to her pack.


    Once she had all her supplies and a plan in place, she headed out. After all that she had learned, she didn¡¯t want to wait until morning. She felt like she needed to set out immediately and find a way to defeat the Cult once and for all. She was angry, and she felt ignorant thinking that because she enjoyed a quality of life equal to those around her that everyone had those luxuries; but here these people are having to marry to hide who they are for fear of violent retribution. She headed into the thick woods, plans formulating in her mind through the waves of anger.


    There¡¯s no way people should still be living in fear because of who they love or how they live when they¡¯re hurting no one. We have to put a stop to this.

 Chapter 9- Laura

    [CHAPTER 9] ¡ª Laura


    Laura¡¯d had an eerie sense of foreboding ever since they had arrived at the Dorm. When her brother James¡¯ wife greeted them, she¡¯d shown no signs of recognition but that hadn¡¯t helped; she was terrified that her sister-in-law would recognize her and she¡¯d be forced back into the folds of her brother¡¯s Cult. She hoped that she had changed enough over the years that she would not be easily recognizable; Marcia and James were nearly a decade older than her, and she had not spent a lot of time with the pair. Hopefully that, and the fact that the birth of her children through the Cult would have changed her body enough to make it difficult considering they hadn¡¯t been close in the first place.


    They had gotten through the introductions and Marcia¡¯s description of their jobs and their assignments. Just when Laura thought she¡¯d made it through, Marica quietly grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her away from the other two walking towards their bunks. She quickly looked around to make sure nobody could overhear them before looking at her with a burning intensity and hissing:


    ¡°What are you doing here, Danika?! Are you crazy? If James finds out you¡¯re here, he¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°My name is Laura now. We didn¡¯t know what this place was before we came, but now that we¡¯re here we¡¯ll be staying until the mission is over. I joined the Phoenix Centennial; we work for the Council. We executed James three years ago; how could he find me?¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Marcia repeated.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to find a child; Katherine¡¯s daughter. The child had one blue eye and one green, about twelve years old. Have you seen a child fitting that description?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. It is far too dangerous for you to be here. You have to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do that, especially since I know that you¡¯re here and the Cult hasn¡¯t been eradicated.¡±


    ¡°You were an impossibly stubborn teenager, too. I¡¯m so sorry I didn¡¯t put a stop to what was done to you. I should have protected you.¡±


    ¡°How would James find me if he was executed, Marcia? Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°Kevin stood as the face of the Cult. He was the one who was executed. James stood by and let his twin take the fall for everything just to throw off the Council.¡±


    Laura¡¯s whole world shattered down around her. The only thing that had made life bearable for her these last few years was knowing that her brother was dead. Now, she found out he wasn¡¯t dead and her world crumbled. Her heart raced, the world spun, and within a few seconds she had run off towards the bathroom doors. Marcia followed after her and found her in the last stall, vomiting.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sweetheart. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Marcia said sadly; she knew she could do nothing but stand outside the door as Laura quietly cried. When Marcia was stuck in the middle of James and his actions, trapped in a life that she detested, she could do nothing but focus on protecting her boys. What James had told Marcia was happening and what was really being done were completely different, but Marcia couldn¡¯t forgive herself for taking James at his word. When James told her that his sisters, all of his sisters, had willingly joined what the Cult called the repopulation project she should have known something was wrong. Danika- Laura- had only been fifteen; among the youngest of the women abused by the Cult¡¯s so-called project. James was so good at making an awful action look genuine and caring. A few long moments passed before Laura opened the door and looked Marcia in her eyes for a long moment before wrapping her arms around her in a gentle hug.


    ¡°I know that you would have helped if you could, and you had the boys to think about. We have all been James¡¯ prisoners in one way or another for far too long. It¡¯s time to put a stop to that.¡± Laura held onto her for a moment before stepping away.


    ¡°The moment I saw you get off that truck I knew I had to do what I could now. You were supposed to be the foreman in the mines, but if you were out there every day someone would eventually recognize you. There¡¯s no telling what James would do if he found out you were back, so we will have to be cautious.¡± Marcia was relieved that Laura wasn¡¯t angry with her, but also sad; Marcia couldn¡¯t let go of her guilt in the role she played. To her, it didn¡¯t matter that she didn¡¯t actively hurt anyone; her inactions had done plenty of damage all on its own. She had chosen to marry James because he was charming and handsome and she was young; Marcia¡¯s choices would haunt her until the day she died. ¡°We have to make sure you keep out of people¡¯s way, and don¡¯t bring any attention to yourself. Even here in the Dorm people know the family, know what most of us look like and who we are. James ensured of it; he has billboards up all over the county with the family photo. Every few years he updates it with age progressed photos, except for himself and the boys- they take the pictures new in person. They use age progression software to create the rest of us and remake the same photo. It¡¯s a little creepy to be honest, but he''s never given up looking for those of you who escaped and he wanted to make sure everyone knew who to look for. Your photo isn¡¯t quite right, so we may be okay; but if someone looks closely enough, they will be able to see your resemblance to James.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fucking deranged.¡± Laura said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Okay, well I guess I should start with getting settled into my bunk and getting some rest. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s plenty of maintaining to do around here. Where do I bunk?¡±


    ¡°I put those two together in a room, it was going to be all three of you until I saw you. I have a room next to mine that I¡¯m going to put you in. I want to keep you close just in case.¡± Marcia motioned for Laura to follow her and she led her up the stairs on the west side of the building to the top floor. They went down to the end of the corridor and Marica stopped, turning towards Laura. ¡°This room here is mine, and the room here across the hall is open. You can bunk in here.¡± Marcia opened the door and let Laura in.


    Laura stepped into a well-lit, tastefully decorated room large enough to sleep five people. She circled the room, taking in the floor-to-ceiling windows and vaulted ceilings. In the center of the golden-beige room was a small table with a vase of fresh flowers that looked like they had been placed there this morning.  Beyond the table was a queen-sized bed whose comforter matched the colors of the walls in damask print, with the most luxurious pillow she¡¯d ever seen strewn across the head of it. Along the large windows was a long bench for lounging, with little decorative pillows scattered along the length. A small gold chandelier with teardrop crystals lit the room, casting dancing prisms and shadows alternately along the ceiling, walls and floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to have this room by myself? It¡¯s big enough for my whole team, can we not all stay here?¡± Laura asked as she took in every corner of the tastefully decorated room.


    ¡°It¡¯ll arouse too much suspicion to have you all in here. It¡¯s two to a room in these newer dorms, so you would have had to bunk with someone else anyways; but having all of you in here will be difficult to explain when there¡¯s an open bunk. However, since that¡¯s the only bunk open and there¡¯s technically nobody who qualifies to share a bunk, I can put you alone in here with little suspicion; especially since I¡¯m going to make you my personal assistant instead of having you work maintenance. This will erase any questions as to why you¡¯re bunked right across the hall from me. I¡¯ll also be able to keep an eye on you better when you¡¯re close. I¡¯m not going to sit by and hope you¡¯ll be okay this time.¡± Marcia said tearily, dabbing the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief she pulled from her blazer.


    Laura wrapped her arms around her former sister-in-law and hugged her tightly. She knew that Marcia would not be able to let go of the guilt she held over the Cult¡¯s early actions, especially since she had been under the impression that they had willingly participated in the repopulation program. When Laura had escaped James with her other brothers and sisters, Marcia had come to the horrible realization that they had not been willing participants. Laura pulled back from the hug and looked Marcia in her eyes;


    ¡°I forgive you. I don¡¯t feel like there¡¯s anything to forgive, but you clearly need it; I forgive you. I don¡¯t believe that you willingly allowed any of us to suffer, and you were in a compromising position yourself with the boys being so young and having to deal with James. Look at me,¡± Laura waved a hand down her front, gesturing to her body, ¡°I am fine, I survived, I have a child which I never thought I wanted until I had her; you had to protect your sons and yourself. Please stop punishing yourself.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Marcia nodded and wiped here eyes, then her runny nose. She did not understand how Danika- Laura- didn¡¯t blame her for turning a blind eye. Knowing how much those women had suffered, knowing the conditions they had been in, would never be something Marcia could forget. Knowing that she could have driven a knife through her husband¡¯s heart any of the nights he lay beside her was becoming increasingly more difficult to live with.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to leave you to get settled in; your duties won¡¯t start until tomorrow, so get comfortable and get some rest. I have other business I have to attend to for now, but I hope to see you at dinner.¡± Marcia smiled and nodded to Laura, then turned around and left the room; closing the door quietly behind her.


    Laura wandered around the room for a few minutes, investigating the various knickknacks and statuettes that made up the clutter d¨¦cor on every surface of the room. The dresser sat to the right of the room, against the wall opposite the windows; the d¨¦cor on it in particular caught her eye. Its surface held little potted succulents in themed pots. The pots were shaped like little fairies, with their heads open for the plants to grown as their hair. A birdcage painted gold was centered on the top of the dresser, and these smaller fairy pots surrounded it, with two being placed inside. The fairies inside were surrounded by miniature plant beds, with mirrors placed strategically to represent water. Moss filled every open space in the birdcage and made up the floor, and climbing plants wound their way up the bars, creating a magical miniature greenhouse scene. Solar powered fairy lights were wound around the bars, so at night they would twinkle and bring the scene to life. The birdcage was topped by a loop which would have been used to hang it; but this one was topped with a small golden phoenix clutching the loop in its talons, its wings spread out as if in flight.


    Laura walked over to the bed and lay down, looking still at the fairy garden on the dresser. She had one as a child, on the Ark. This one looked so much like it, and it brought both comfort and turmoil to her. The last time she had seen that fairy garden had been in the Camp, right before James had taken her and her sisters to the tents. She had been trying to repot one of the fairies inside the birdcage when James and his minions had come in; they grabbed her and dragged her off, kicking and screaming. She kicked the table it sat on and the empty fairy had fallen to the floor and broken into several pieces, as had several of the potted fairies. The last time she¡¯d seen her little garden was in shambles, with her precious fairy pots broken on the ground.


    Her garden hadn¡¯t been as nice and polished as this; the paint on the metal bars had been chipped and aged, the door to the birdcage was barely hanging on, and the lights had been merely an inaccessible dream she¡¯d had for it. The phoenix that topped it had not been a part of her original design, but given what she had become it was a symbol that she appreciated. Other than these things being updated, the fairies all in one piece, the phoenix and the lights; this looked exactly like hers.


    Laura rolled onto her back on the bed; she felt as though she were laying on clouds, and she realized too late that she was drifting off to sleep. Her dream that night was a tumultuous reliving of her childhood growing up with James. Coming in bits and pieces, she relived many of the awful moments James had done something that terrified, angered, or devastated her.


    When she was eight, she¡¯d had a doll that she cherished above everything else she¡¯d owned, a Cabbage Patch doll she called Jennifer. Jennifer was her favorite friend, someone she could always depend on for a hug; with her auburn hair and green eyes, and her soft squishy body, Jennifer always gave her the best hugs. One day, she¡¯d put Jennifer down for a nap when their mother called them to lunch; when she came back to Jennifer, Kevin had been standing outside her bedroom door with a grin on his face that told her that something was not okay.


    She walked into the room to find James holding a knife to Jennifer¡¯s lady area, he looked at her and smiled maliciously before stabbing the knife into that area over and over again. She watched in horror as James destroyed the only thing she truly loved; ripping her to pieces from the crotch up, then ripping her head off and cutting it into pieces and throwing it around the room. She had screamed and begged him to stop hurting her friend, but he acted like he couldn¡¯t hear her and destroyed Jennifer. Kevin had stood at the door watching, laughing at his twin brother¡¯s antics.


    Their mother heard her screams, and came into the room and looked to the scene. She¡¯d done nothing more than tell James to stop and clean up the mess, telling Laura to stop being so dramatic and she would get her a new doll. James had then taken the pieces of Jennifer and put them in a shoebox and buried her in the yard. He forced her to stand there holding a mock funeral for her beloved doll, while he talked about how stupid and ugly she was. After Jennifer¡¯s backyard funeral their mother had brought her a new doll, but it wasn¡¯t the same; so, when James repeated the process, it didn¡¯t hurt her. That had angered James, so he had taken her out to the woods and left her there unable to find her way home; it had taken three days for the rescue team to find her, half dead and starving in the middle of the forest where she had found a hollowed-out log to take shelter in.


    Once again, James¡¯ punishment was pathetic; for whatever reason, James and Kevin were their parents¡¯ favorites and got away with everything. They had been incredibly rich then, and their father had been able to buy their way out of any predicament the boys had gotten themselves and the family into. James was not allowed to play games outside his room after dinner, and he was no longer allowed to be left alone with Laura; this meant that as long as he was in his huge room with all his electronics and video games he wouldn¡¯t get in any more trouble. Kevin had gotten the same ¡°punishment¡± as James, but he didn¡¯t care. As long as he was getting attention from their parents and everyone around them, nothing else mattered to him.


    Laura, however, had been confined to her emptied room for weeks. Her parents had taken out everything but her mattress and locked her in there day and night unless it was time for a meal. Three weeks she lived this way; one week of each day she was missing. She¡¯d spent her days writing stories in her head where she was a heroine defeating her brothers.


    Laura awoke with a start, sitting straight up in the bed like a hot rod had been stuck under her back. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the darkened room; the lights on the birdcage were the only source of light in the room. She was not sure what had woken her up, so she got up and went to her bags. She searched through them until she found what she was looking for; her toiletries. All she could think about right now was taking a shower and washing the sweat and dirt from the day¡¯s travel off her skin.


    She took her toiletries and started to head to the bathroom to shower when she heard a thump from across the hall. She placed her toiletry bag down on a nearby table and went to her door; she opened it to see her brother Sean standing in the hallway outside Marcia¡¯s room. To say he was surprised was an understatement; his eyes widened and his eyebrows flew up into his hairline, his mouth formed a perfect O shape as he gasped and cried out,


    ¡°Danika! I thought you were dead! James is going to be thrilled to see you.¡± He grabbed Laura as he said this, and dragged her into Marcia¡¯s bedroom. He threw open the door and shouted, ¡°Look what the cat dragged in, brother! Our sweet little Danika back from the dead.¡±


    James was on top of Marcia, holding her face to one side and clearly assaulting her. When Marcia heard Sean say this her eyes flew open wide and she screamed, ¡°No! Leave her alone! Do whatever you want to me but leave her alone.¡± James laughed at her, pulling himself out of her back door and zipping up his pants, he rose from the bed to walk over to the pair.


    ¡°My, my, my. You really had me convinced there, Danika. I mourned your death.¡± James spat in Laura¡¯s face.


    ¡°Mourned not being able to rape your own sister, you sick fuck? You did mourn me; you mourned the loss of your ability to control me. You too, Sean. You¡¯re a malignant narcissist who gets off holding your children hostage from their mother because she doesn¡¯t want to suck your dirty ass dick. You¡¯re both pathetic.¡± Laura retorted, laughing in his face. Sean turned her around to face him and backhanded her, letting her fall to the ground with a dull thump. As Laura stood, Marcia ran up behind James with a vase and smashed it over his head. James turned around and grabbed her by the throat, squeezing his fingers around the slender column harder and harder; his laugh getting more and more persistent as she turned purple and blue. She clawed at his hands for several seconds before going limp in his hands; James let her body drop to the floor, her head cracking on the carpeted floor making a sickening thud.


    ¡°I should have done this ages ago, you wretched bitch.¡± James said as Marcia stopped struggling and he threw her limp body to the ground. She did not move, and it didn¡¯t look like she was breathing.


    ¡°You piece of shit! What did she ever do to deserve you!¡± Laura screamed as she watched for any signs of life from Marcia but seeing none. Sean grabbed one arm and James grabbed another and dragged her across the room kicking and screaming. Just as they were about to exit the room, James grabbed a candlestick from an accent table and hit Laura over the head, knocking her out and silencing her so they could get her out quietly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we can¡¯t let anyone see us with her.¡± Sean said to James as he stopped outside Laura¡¯s open door.


    ¡°Is this where she was staying?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Yeah, she was, but let¡¯s go! We have to get out of here before someone sees us.¡±


    James entered the room and looked around, his eyes finally falling on what he searched for; Laura¡¯s bags.  He rifled through them until he found her military ID and her communicator. He pocketed them both and exited the room, rejoining Sean in the hallway. Picking up Laura¡¯s feet, they continued down the hall until they reached a large tapestry of Van Gogh¡¯s Starry Night. James put Laura¡¯s feet down and moved the tapestry aside and, knocking on the paneling until he found the right spot, pushed on the wall; the wall depressed and then popped open, and James picked Laura¡¯s feet up once again and carried her down into the passageway.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take her to the mountain. Keep her locked up next to the other prisoners.¡± James told Sean as they exited the building through an unassuming door in the back.


    They loaded Laura into their truck and took off, leaving devastation to await discovery in their wake.

 Chapter 10- Sean

    [CHAPTER 10] ¡ª Sean


    Sean chewed his bottom lip as he sped away from the Dorms, his already unpredictable mood now a volcano of hatred waiting to explode. He still couldn¡¯t believe that Danika was still alive, let alone that she was in the back of their truck, unconscious. She had been his favorite plaything ever since he¡¯d been adopted by James and Danika¡¯s family when he was six; she never told on him, no matter what he¡¯d done to her. Sean¡¯s own family didn¡¯t want him, claiming he had the devil in him- he was the king of mischief from an early age, and the gentle parenting that his new family had tried had done nothing but imbue him with a confidence to try getting away with anything. His behavior, combined with the fact that his mother had slept with a white man, had been more than his maternal grandmother could handle and she¡¯d refused to acknowledge his existence.


    His mother had been strict, and had hated that he was mixed race; she would send him to his grandmother¡¯s house where she would pretend like he wasn¡¯t there. She would feed him and keep him clean and away from harm, but she would never look at him or speak a word directly to him. His mother was the opposite- rarely fed him or tended to wounds, and berated him constantly for anything and everything he said or did. She would put him outside after the sun rose and lock the door, not allowing him back inside until dark. He would have to beg neighbors to let him use the bathroom or use a bush behind the house, and drink from the garden hose when he was thirsty. This was something that had always been a memory in Sean¡¯s mind; he couldn¡¯t remember an age when he wasn¡¯t left alone outside all day long.


    He¡¯d spent a week in the mental health care facility near his adoptive family¡¯s house when he was thirteen; there they had diagnosed him with schizoaffective disorder with the Dark Tetrad. He had moments of lucidity, where he seemed unburdened by mental health struggles; he would attend family dinner and socialize with guys from school or his adoptive brothers. He also had many moments of any number or combination of struggles; mania, severe depression, psychosis, antisocial behaviors, delusions, among other things that have crept in over the years. He could take medication and he could actually be less symptomatic, a person who didn¡¯t rape and torture the mother of his children for fun, a person who didn¡¯t manipulate every situation to suit his purposes, a person who didn¡¯t live with hallucinations and delusions; but he refused because admitting he needed those meds was equivalent to admitting he was less of a man in Sean¡¯s mind. So, he refused to admit that he did anything terrible, he refused to acknowledge all the awful things he did to his ex-girlfriend, or their children. He just pretended like none of it ever happened, and when he couldn¡¯t he would blame it on the mother of his children.


    The day he crashed his car into a tree because she wouldn¡¯t get back with him, he''d waited until he had their children in the car with him and then acted like he was trying to avoid a cat. When his Ex had shown up in the emergency room, he told her that it was her fault he crashed his car into the tree because she wouldn¡¯t get back with him. The crash had broken the little girl¡¯s lower spine, and the little boy¡¯s arm, leg, and collarbone; there was a question as to whether the child would ever walk again or not. He''d made sure his Ex was unable to see her own children, had her barred from the hospital while they were there, and when they had been discharged, he had moved houses and refused to tell the mother where they were, keeping both children away from their mother simply because she refused to be with him. His only entertainment these years he¡¯d thought Danika had been dead was to tell their mother that she could see them if she did a certain task, or sent him money, and then refusing to let her see them even when she had done what he¡¯d asked; he did the same with allowing her to speak to them on the phone. Every time the poor woman had broken down begging him to let her speak to her children, or see her children, he would respond with the same thing, See, if you would stop being so stupid and be with me, you could have everything you wanted. You¡¯re so selfish; you really need to do the world and your children a favor and kill yourself. That fun had ended a few years ago when she finally threw herself from a cliff.


    Sean never questioned himself when he said or did anything; as far as he was concerned, the rest of the world was populated by people that were beneath him; especially the perfect white family that took him in when nobody else would. He hated them most of all; they tried to make him take the medications that made him feel like he was outside his body looking down on everything, but feeling every sensation his body felt- including the worms he felt in his brain wiggling around whenever he took meds. They challenged him, and tried to manipulate him into being just like them; to go to Church, to do charitable things, to walk into the world with love and kindness. What a joke. Sean thought to himself, there was no love and kindness for me, except the fake love and kindness they showed me for their own image. Life with them was a joke, but I make the rules now. There¡¯s nobody to stop me from finding my son now that I¡¯ve got Danika¡­ she¡¯s kept him from me long enough, and I know he¡¯s alive if she¡¯s alive.


    Sean pulled the truck off the dirt road they were on into the line of trees where, two hundred feet into the tree line, was a gate to a little known semi-private road. Sean got out to unlock and open the gate, drove the truck through, then closed and locked the gate behind them. As long as that gate stayed locked, nobody bothered to try to access the road; this was imperative because this was the most direct road to the mine shaft that they had taken over. Elbrus was a huge mountain, and this side of it had been abandoned years ago. James had taken it over for the cult when the mining company had fully abandoned it and he turned it into an underground city.


    There was another thirty minutes on this private road before they reached the mine¡¯s entrance. When they pulled up, two more of Sean¡¯s adoptive brothers came out from the mine entrance with their rifles. Sean flipped them the bird, to which they both flashed him their privates, then he started driving the truck forward and began their descent into the mine entrance. The whole ride James had sat mute in the seat beside him, and nothing changed now. He didn¡¯t even roll his eyes and sigh like he normally did when Sean and the others had their exchange. As Sean parked the truck, James got out and started calling for one of his men.


    ¡°Murphy! Murphy! Where the hell is Murphy?!¡± James shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, boss!¡± a man Sean had never seen but seemed vaguely familiar said as he ran up to James.


    ¡°Take this prisoner to the unit next to the others. Make sure she doesn¡¯t escape, and don¡¯t give her any luxuries.¡±


    ¡°You got it, boss.¡± Murphy said, lifting Laura from the back of the truck. He went to carry her to the room when he looked down at her face and stopped dead in his tracks. Sean noticed as he stared at Danika¡¯s face for a long moment before Sean elbowed James and pointed in his direction.


    ¡°Is there a problem, Murphy?¡± James asked sternly. Murphy startled at his words and began shaking his head vigorously.


    ¡°No, sir. No problem at all.¡± Murphy replied, forcing his body to move once again and bring her to her room.


    Sean watched until Murphy was out of sight before turning to James and saying, ¡°Well, that was weird. Who is that, anyways? He looks familiar.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Murphy. He¡¯s a nobody with two brain cells, don¡¯t mind him.¡± James replied.


    Knowing what would happen if he dawdled any longer, Sean got to working on unloading a nearby supply truck. As he stacked the crates for the next group of workers to bring to their respective areas and unpack, he tried to place Murphy¡¯s face. It took him several hours of working before the faintest of memories came to his mind¡¯s eye; A young man named Josh and his younger brother Cal, always getting in the way and undermining his and his brothers¡¯ fun.


    #


    ¡°Stop doing that! She¡¯s a little girl you jerk!¡± a young Cal had been shouting at Sean and his brother Jason as they raped their sister Danika. Hearing this, Jason and Sean had looked at one another and smiled, letting go of Danika and turning their attentions to Cal. Sean had been the one assaulting her, and he tucked himself back into his dirty pants as he and Jason made their way over to him. They reached for him simultaneously, standing shoulder-to-shoulder they grabbed him; cocking their fists back to start pummeling him. Just as they were about to take their first swing, Josh had come up behind them and hit them both with a tree branch lying nearby. Jason and Sean had fallen forward, losing their grip on Cal, their heads both forming a large lump that wept blood. After a moment, Sean began standing to his feet, a look of pure hatred so evident that if looks could kill, Josh and Cal would be dead in the space of a heartbeat. As he helped Jason up, Sean hissed at the boys,


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for that you rotten little- ¡°


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Came the booming voice of Cal and Josh¡¯s father. ¡°Just what do you boys think you¡¯re doing?¡± He addressed his sons first, then turned to the slightly older Sean and Jason and said, ¡°You young men again? What did you get caught doing this time?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do shit.¡± Sean spat at him. ¡°Your little assholes attacked us from behind.¡± He pointed at the lumps on their heads, which weren¡¯t dripping blood but clearly still had fresh blood surfacing.


    ¡°Dad, he was raping this little girl! I did hit them, but only because they were attacking Cal who was trying to stop them.¡±


    Carl looked over to where the girl lay on the ground, terrified and trying to cover herself as best she could. Josh and Cal saw this and immediately took off their shirts to give to her. She couldn¡¯t have been more than twelve years old, but she had already begun budding breasts and pubic hair. The girl gave them a small haunted smile as she grabbed their shirts from them; they couldn¡¯t see it, though, because they were looking up at the sky to avoid looking at her body.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, young lady?¡± Carl asked the girl. She had stood up, and was standing unsteadily in Cal¡¯s shirt with Josh¡¯s wrapped around her waist. She was staring at her toes, barely moving with her hands clasped in front of her. A barely audible whimper came from her as the moments dragged on without an answer from her.


    ¡°Dad, she¡¯s terrified. This isn¡¯t the first time they¡¯ve done this to her, we¡¯ve stopped them two other times.¡± Cal told his father, who¡¯s face crumpled from authoritative to one mixed with sadness and fatherly protection. By this point, others of the council had joined the group, having heard the earlier commotion of the boys shouting and fighting.


    ¡°Crowley, you and Hudson take those two and lock them up. They are not to be let out of anyone¡¯s sight.¡± Carl took a few steps closer to the girl and knelt down on the ground in front of her. He didn¡¯t say anything to her for a long moment, Danika- he would later learn is the girl¡¯s name for himself- had flinched when he kneeled in front of her even though he was a good five feet away. He took that long moment to very carefully formulate what he would say to this poor child.


    ¡°Child, I know you¡¯re scared, but I will never hurt you. Can we take you somewhere safe?¡± Carl said to her quietly, gesturing to the group of people who had gathered around the scene.


    Danika looked around at the people in the crowd and shook her head no. Sean and Jason had been tied up and were being held by two very large men nearby, and were glaring at her like they were staring into her soul. The crowd had too many of her siblings that were like James and Sean and Jason, she wouldn¡¯t be safe if she went with them, it would only anger her siblings and the punishment would be far worse that this gross act she¡¯d had to endure. They were usually pretty gentle if she didn¡¯t fight, so she had learned to stay still and quiet. She couldn¡¯t risk that these people she didn¡¯t know would not do the same or worse to her if she went with them. Josh had come and knelt down beside his father, and was looking at her with a kind smile.


    ¡°Hey there. Do you remember me and my brother from the other times?¡± He asked her. She nodded her head to indicate she did remember them. ¡°This is my dad. His name is Carl, and my name is Josh and that¡¯s Cal, remember?¡± Again, she nodded her head. ¡°I know you¡¯re not safe, and I know you¡¯re scared. Please, can we help get you away from the people that hurt you?¡±


    Again, Danika stared at her toes. She knew she could trust Josh and Cal, but there were too many ways her other siblings could get to her and punish her. She took a few small steps toward Josh and gave him a hug, whispering in his ear, ¡°They¡¯re watching.¡± Then stood back up and walked a few steps away. She turned back to them and said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. I have my family. Have a good day!¡± She ran off into the woods as she said this, waving her small arm above her head in a goodbye.


    Josh was confused for a while after that, not knowing what to make of her whispered message. Was she nervous because of the crowd? He looked over at where Sean and Jason were being led away and ran up to them.


    ¡°How many siblings do you guys have?¡± Josh hurriedly asked Sean.


    ¡°Fuck you.¡± Was the only reply he gave.


    Josh looked around at the crowd that was slowly beginning to disperse. He noticed another man and two women who looked at them as though they harbored nothing but ill will towards everyone involved. As Sean and Jason were taken away, they turned and dispersed with the rest of the crowd. Josh knew that there was nothing he could do, but he remembered their faces. He looked over at his brother Cal and noticed him writing in his journal; something Cal had started doing since landing on the new planet and watching all the horrible things going on. When he was finished, they followed their dad back to their camp not too far away from the main camp.


    Sean and Jason were tied to a tree with ropes while their captors decided what was to be done with them. Sean watched them through narrowed eyes, the hatred he held for each of them threatened to explode in his chest. Hours went by with them tied to that tree, and nobody offered food, drink or a bathroom break. It had felt like a lifetime to Sean before anyone approached them, and when they did he started immediately demanding to use the bathroom. The man that had come over had looked back and, seeing no one, decided that he would have to let him use the bathroom. Sean and Jason were tied around the tree with separate ropes, so he untied Sean¡¯s rope and let Sean get up.


    Sean immediately pulled himself out of his pants- which had never been done up from assaulting his sister- and began urinating on the guard, raising and lowering his stream to cover as much of the man¡¯s body as he could reach. The guard sputtered and tried to attack Sean, but he sidestepped him and delivered a blow to the back of the guard¡¯s head before turning and running away, leaving Jason tied to the tree yelling for him. Sean laughed as he ran away, blatantly ignoring his brother¡¯s yells for him not to leave him. There was no way he was going back for an adoptive brother who only cared because of the fun Sean could bring the wormy little asshole.


    Sean escaped back to where his siblings were all camped. Well, most of them anyway; some of them had already began separating themselves from the group involved with James, fully unwilling to be associated with the Cult and everything they were doing. The siblings that remained all began questioning Sean as to where Jason was and how he had gotten away. Unwilling to have Jason back under his skin, or to have him tell their siblings that Sean had just left him there, he was vague about his escape.


    ¡°It was crazy! They beat us, tortured us, and kept us tied up! I barely escaped with my life! They kept me and Jay separated so I couldn¡¯t rescue him,¡± Sean had begun fake sobbing while he told his ¡®story¡¯ and just like he thought they would, they ate up every word. Sean¡¯s siblings were very close-knit; they were raised to be very family-oriented, and to support and participate in their siblings¡¯ lives. That had become increasingly more difficult to do for some of the siblings when their parents had died and their oldest brother Ashley had become responsible for caring for the many siblings.


    Ashley was an alcoholic, and could barely comprehend anything about the world around him, but society had already been breaking down at the time of their parents¡¯ murder. They had been the owners of a corporation that was considered primarily responsible for how quickly the Earth had broken down. Ashley had been of working age on Earth, and when he started working there, he found out what his family¡¯s company was doing to the planet; he could not cope, and he started drinking heavily. By the time they¡¯d reached the Arks, the next eldest siblings were taking charge- James and Kevin- because he had ended up with liver failure.


    Sean¡¯s siblings patted him on the back and congratulated him on getting away. Sean was all smiles, knowing that they had believed ever word, and his brother Jason¡¯s fate was left up to the very people their family fought against- government types. Sean couldn¡¯t stand Jason following him around all the time, he hated sharing his fun with anyone; but what he hated most about Jason was that he was not adopted, so Sean had always felt like Jason saw himself above him like the rest of them. It was for this reason that Sean took so much pleasure in all the things he did to people, in lying and manipulating them.


    His siblings dispersed from around him and began talking amongst themselves about whether to go after Jason right away, or allow them a day or two to plan and execute a rescue. James had won out in the end, and he had wanted to wait until after the First Child was born; which would be any day now. He didn¡¯t think that they would really torture Jason, and he had never been Sean¡¯s biggest fan. James was the only sibling that could see through Sean¡¯s innocent fa?ade. James had been the only one of them to comment on how well he seemed after being tortured; there were no significant abrasions or injuries other than the one on his head.


    Sean didn¡¯t care when Jason was rescued, or even if. Once everyone was done giving him their attention he wandered off, going in search of Danika once again; they had unfinished business, after all.

 Chapter 11- Katerina

    [CHAPTER 11] ¡ª Katerina


    I made my way to the room I was to share with Greg, led by Marcia¡¯s assistant who had come out of nowhere without a sound. There was no introduction, just a quick beckoning and he walked away leaving the two of us to catch up after him. As we walked the corridors, I kept a mental note of every staircase and turn we took in an effort to make sure I could find my way out easily. My time in captivity had left an everlasting effect on my psyche that no amount of therapy had yet fully healed, leaving me with the need to know every possible escape route whenever I was in a new place. My therapist had told me the last time I saw her that there was something preventing me from allowing her to help me; Well, my child is still missing, so maybe that? I had said sarcastically. This was just before the last mission to bring Bruce to justice, and there had been no motivation for me to even bother continuing until I knew what happened to Everlea if that was the case; and frankly, it kind of pissed me off that she didn¡¯t put that together based on the multiple times I told her I felt frozen without knowing what happened.


    Before I knew it, we had reached the room; the assistant opened it up and gestured us in unceremoniously, waiting for us to enter before closing the door behind us quickly. We each threw our stuff down beside a bed and sat down. The journey had taken all day, and we were both exhausted and ravenous. We had not been given directions to any kind of cafeteria to eat, so I grabbed my booklet that Marcia had given me and started scanning through it. At the back, I found a map of the grounds and the dorm; I stood up, ready to go get something for dinner.


    ¡°Hey, you want to go get some food? There¡¯s a cafeteria.¡± I said to Greg, waving my booklet open to the page with the map.


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds great. I¡¯m starving.¡± Greg said.


    We made our way through the dorm to the exit, and followed the map to the cafeteria. There was a separate building about five hundred yards from the dorm that held the cafeteria and laundry services, so that is where we directed ourselves. It wasn¡¯t a long walk, but it gave us a good idea of how the campus was laid out; the dorms were the center, with the auxiliary buildings fanned out in a semi-circle around it, concrete paths connected each building and encircled the dorm. As we drew nearer the cafeteria, we could hear the sounds of people inside eating, talking and laughing.


    As we opened the door and entered, the sound became almost deafening. The sounds of people sitting at tables eating, dishes and utensils clattering, people standing around chatting, rambunctious young men tossing food, or trying to get a young lady¡¯s attention bombarded them as they made their way to the line to get food. Much like a hospital cafeteria, the sitting area was one area and the line went through a set of doors into the kitchen, where a long row of warmers held the various food available to them at no cost; a Menu hung above the line outlining the various dishes and a la carte items you could order at a moderate cost.


    We chose our food from a mix of the free and a la carte foods and made our way through the cafeteria until we found a table tucked in a dirty corner away from everyone else a bit. We brushed the debris onto the floor and set our plates down, both of us taking positions with our backs to the wall looking out at the fray. I didn¡¯t get more than a few bites in before I felt it- someone staring at us. I looked around the room and finally, I saw him leaning against a pillar near the center of the room; a thin, wiry man with features that were uncomfortably flat, skin that looked almost blue, small black beady eyes, and incisors that were disturbingly long and thin. The moment he saw that I noticed him, he stood upright and began walking over.


    ¡°Do you see him, Kat?¡± Greg said under his breath as he cut what we could only assume was Salisbury steak and took a bite.


    ¡°Yeah, I see him.¡± That was the only thing I could get out before he was at the table, his dirty hand placed in a position to hold him in what I could only guess was supposed to be a threatening position as he leaned in closer to me.


    ¡°Filthy drage, I thought the last of you were killed in the Great War! How did you survive?¡± he hissed at me. As he did, I noticed that his tongue was split down the center, just like a snake¡¯s would be. This had caught me off-guard; I had no idea what a drage was, or what Great War he was referring to unless it was the World War on Earth but something told me that was not what he was talking about. My silence must have gone on for too long, because again he hissed at me, ¡°Filthy drage! I will see your race wiped from existence!¡± He slapped the table as he said this, causing Greg to jump up from his seat and stare the man down. The funny man jumped a mile, the fear evident even on his unusual features. He looked back at me as he backed away and hissed, ¡°The Leviathan will rise again!¡± before he turned around and ran out of the cafeteria.


    Greg had remained standing until the guy had left the cafeteria before he moved; when he did, he noticed that the exchange with the snake-like man had caught the attention of a few nearby. He stood still, looking at them one by one until they returned to what they were doing before sitting down. Sometimes he was a little excessive, but he meant well; he was a tall six foot one and very muscular- like, bodybuilder muscles. He was a bit older, closer to fifty than forty, so his muscles weren¡¯t quite as defined as they once were, but he still very much had a body builder¡¯s physique. I knew that it had been difficult on Earth for members of the LGBTQ+ community, with the added difficulty of being an African American man growing up in small town Alabama.


    ¡°I wonder what the hell that was about.¡± I said as he sat back down on his chair. The words he used had sparked a tiny ember in my mind; a feeble little ember, trying desperately to ignite a memory that I just couldn¡¯t quite call to the surface. I brushed it off and returned to eating, knowing that the harder I tried to think of the memory the further it would bury itself into my subconscious.


    ¡°Yeah, that was weird. I haven¡¯t heard of drage and leviathans since I was a kid.¡± Greg responded quietly, almost absently.


    We ate in silence after that, the two of us in seemingly deep thought as we ate quickly; both of us eager to get out of the cafeteria with all of its intrusive noise. My mind kept trying to grasp onto that memory, but every time I thought I was getting somewhere, someone would shout or something would get tossed close by and I would get distracted from it again. As we made our way back to the dorm, my mind finally started to begin to clear and I was able to hear myself think. The word drage had stirred something deep within me that I couldn¡¯t explain other than as a dull warmth deep in my chest.


    When we reached the room, I gathered my things and went in for a shower. I tried not to take too long, but I kept getting distracted by the fractured memory that kept trying to surface every time the word ¡®drage¡¯ entered my mind. I know it was from when I was very young, maybe four or five, and my father; beyond that, though, I couldn¡¯t put the pieces together. I didn¡¯t realize that I had used up almost all the hot water until Greg knocked on the bathroom door and shouted for me to get out. I finished with all my hygiene steps as quickly as I could and jumped out a few minutes later.


    I apologized to Greg as I left the bathroom, knowing that he was not going to get much hot water, if he got any at all. He mumbled something about needing a cold shower anyways after reading the letter his husband had sneaked into his pack, and closed himself in the bathroom. I went over to my bed and dressed for bed, then lay down and stared at the ceiling for a while. The embers that had sparked from hearing the words ¡®drage¡¯ and ¡®leviathan¡¯ still desperately clinging to the foreground of my mind, preventing me from falling asleep. I finally heard the shower turn off again, and a few moments later Greg came out wrapped in a towel.


    ¡°Greg, you said you¡¯d heard of drages and leviathans, right?¡± I asked him as he took his night clothes out of his pack.


    ¡°Yeah, well, not a ton really. My grandfather used to tell me bedtime stories of the drages and their supernatural powers; their greatest enemy were the leviathans, a snake-like sea creature to the drages¡¯ fire. They had been locked in a battle for centuries, neither side able to truly get the upper hand over the other. That is, until a new race was created from the fires of the drages, the waters of the leviathan, and something nobody knew or understood; something that was completely different than either race, yet contained elements of both. This new race had a whole new set of abilities that were used to bring the war to a peaceful end. Some that had not been a part of the battles, or that had too much to profit from the war continuing had broken away from the two clans and formed their own; consistently trying to drive another wedge between the two races in any way possible. That¡¯s about all I remember, though. He used to tell me stories of battles and heroes, villains and conquest; but that was so long ago I can¡¯t remember any details.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my dad used to tell me stories just like that, I think.¡± I said, before rolling over and closing my eyes. A moment later, sleep overtook me and I found myself in a waking dream. My father was sitting at my bedside, I was tucked into bed; I must have been no more than five years old, and he was telling me that I could have only one bedtime story tonight, as the one he was going to tell me was very important for me to remember because it was a true story. I remember being disappointment that I was only to have one story that night, but once my father had started telling me, I lay there entranced. Everything felt exactly as it did then, and I almost felt like I could reach out and touch my father¡¯s hand.


    Out in the Galaxy is a race of people called the Drage. They are a noble people, full of wisdom and knowledge; but they were also a wealthy people. This, combined with their secretiveness made other races jealous, He had begun, they had spent so many millennia cut off from other races in the universe, they had not realized how envied they had become. When the Leviathans came, they wanted nothing more than to destroy everything the Drage had built, all the knowledge they had gathered, all the wisdom they had to provide the world. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The Drage considered themselves the Keepers of the knowledge and wisdom that had come into their power, and refused to allow the Leviathans near it; they offered up every ounce of gold they had among them, every gemstone, and anything else that could have been of value. They hoped that this would be enough to satisfy the Leviathans into leaving the priceless tomes and scrolls they¡¯d had hidden in the deepest depths of the planet. Had the Leviathans asked for copies of anything, the Drage would have happily provided; after all, knowledge is for all and should be accessible to all. However, that is not what the Leviathans wanted to do; they wanted to destroy every artifact, every ounce of wisdom, every historical document and records of lost cultures.


    Obviously, the Drage could not let that happen, so the two races got into and epic battle that lasted for centuries. Every time the Drages thought they were gaining the advantage, the Leviathans would find where the artifacts were hidden and the Drage would be forced to move its location again; each time it was found and move, a little bit more of it was lost. This is why there are so many questions left unanswered today. Little bits and pieces of history, culture, and science were lost along the way.


    Now, there was still quite a bit of knowledge left and the Drage intended to use it to protect what was left; the cost would be high, but they were only concerned with protecting the knowledge and wisdom their race had gathered from across the Universe for centuries. Their last defensive effort was to create a race of being that was both Drage and Leviathan, yet it was neither; a race that would judge each individual on both sides of the war and bring what they had hoped would be a peaceful end to the war.


    They created a Phoenix, a mythical creature whose tears could heal wounds, that had one green eye and one blue, and when it died its body would burst into flames and it would be reborn from its ashes. It had the ability to influence people¡¯s thoughts and actions, the wisdom of the universe, and the bravery and strength of the Leviathan. The Drage would recognize the Phoenix as a Leviathan, and the Leviathan would recognize them as Drage, ensuring that neither side could ever claim one as their own. There was one male, and one female Phoenix, and together they defended the most precious of treasure from destruction. Those who the Phoenix judged to be honest, courageous, and loyal were spared; they were rewarded by the Phoenix and were healed- body, mind and soul. Those who were not of those qualities, however, the phoenix banished to a faraway planet in the Milky Way Galaxy called Earth.


    That¡¯s why Earth is so full of dishonesty and deceit; some family members who were deemed virtuous followed their banished family members and did their best to make a life on Earth so they could remain with their loved ones; it was difficult but they managed. The Phoenix came to Earth to watch over their exiles, fading into the background of history until they became a myth.


    A loud piercing beeping woke me up, and I reached into my bag; feeling for the travel alarm clock I kept with me at all times, I found pretty much everything I owned except the clock. Groaning, I got up out of bed and tore through my pack, getting increasingly more annoyed as I pulled out everything that I owned until the pack was empty. I stared at the empty pack, blinking numbly while I processed what I was seeing, and then I realized that I had put it into the front pouch so it was easy to access. Nice one, Hammond. I thought to myself, thoroughly annoyed that I was already beginning my day fumbling. The shower turned off and I realized that Greg hadn¡¯t been in his bed this whole time. He came out and saw that I was awake, wearing a towel around his waist with a smaller one in his hand drying his head and torso.


    ¡°Well good morning, sleeping beauty. I was not about to let you hoard all the hot water this time, so I showered first. I hope I left enough for you.¡± He said with a mischievous grin that told me he definitely had not left me with enough hot water.


    Fair is fair, I suppose, I thought to myself as I gathered my things to shower.


    When I finished my shower- as quickly as I could, since the water was only lukewarm to begin with but quickly turned cold- I dressed and got ready for the day.


    Our first task was to meet the supply officer and be issued our uniforms and safety equipment. The company provided them with three sets of charcoal grey coveralls with the company logo on the right breast; an empty Velcro spot on the left breast was to hold the identification tag of the employee. Many companies had moved away from plastic ID cards and moved to these embroidered patches that employees wore on their uniforms. It was more difficult for these patches to be stolen, as only one patch was issued to each employee and they remained on their uniforms; eliminating the possibility that it could be swiped off a lanyard.


    We consulted our pamphlets to find our way down to the supply room, and a nice older gentleman named Nemus issued our uniforms. Each ID patch needed to be made once new employees were issued their coveralls, so he directed us to eat breakfast and come back after thirty minutes and he should have them done. We then went to the cafeteria to eat while we waited, and found it every bit as busy and bustling as dinner had been the evening before.  Once again, we found ourselves going through the line for food, choosing the combination of what was available for free and what we could pay for ourselves. For breakfast they had a spread of eggs cooked in different styles, bacon, sausage, chorizo, fruits, pancakes and waffles.


    It seemed much nicer than the dinner selections, and I chose most of my foods from there; however, the one thing that they did not have much of a variety available for free were berries, and I really loved blackberries and raspberries on my waffle. I walked away with a Belgian Waffle topped with my blackberries and raspberries- which were expensive as they are hard to come by, but worth every penny to me- with maple syrup, bacon, sausage, and poached eggs.  Greg came out shortly behind his plate piled high with scrambled eggs, sausage, home fries, and bacon.  As we searched for a table and noticed that the table we sat at last night was free, so we made our way over to that table.


    I sat down in the same seat as last night, and watched the people as I dug into my breakfast hungrily. It didn¡¯t take long for me to spot the weird guy from last night, either; he was sitting at a table across the room with three other men who had very similar features to his. They were talking to each other in low tones, looking our way and seemingly arguing about something very quietly. The more intense the conversation got, the closer they all huddled together. Finally, the one from last night pounded his fist on the table and stood up to make his way out of the cafeteria. A second, much older- looking one made his way over to us.


    ¡°Honored Drage, greetings to you.¡± He said, placing his right hand over the left side of his chest; he dipped his head down in what seemed like a slight bow. ¡°My name is Silas Valor; I wanted to apologize for my son¡¯s treatment of you yesterday, and say that the Valor clan of the Leviathans wish you no harm and bear you no ill will. I hope that we can start again.¡±


    I was so caught off-guard I sat there with my fork halfway to my mouth. After a moment, I lowered my fork, but still could not find the words to say in response. I ended up staring at him dumbly until he spoke again.


    ¡°I see you have not yet completed your rites, so this must seem very strange. Tell me, have you lost your birth parents?¡± His demeanor had become soft, almost fatherly. I did not want to answer him, not wanting to give up my cover or identity. He must have sensed my distrust because he continued on even without my response, ¡°A young drage is no different from any other human child. The difference is once they come to child-bearing age, a drage performs their Rites of Maturity and is given their power and knowledge. When a young drage has lost their birth parents, they are unable to perform these Rites as their culture is lost to their death. Mature Leviathan and Drage can sense each other; which is why we are able to sense you, but you are unable to sense us. You needn¡¯t be afraid, I will not harm you, but I can see I¡¯ve overwhelmed you so for now I will leave you to finish your breakfast. Just know, you can always seek me out when you are ready to know more.¡± With that, he turned and walked back towards his family.


    ¡°That was incredibly weird.¡± Greg said, ¡°But it also makes a lot of sense. Not total sense, because of your eyes, but it makes sense. Some Drage have the ability to manipulate people¡¯s perceptions, but the most powerful have the ability to alter people¡¯s opinions and actions. It doesn¡¯t all quite fit according to the myths and legends, but the bits and pieces alone make sense.¡±


    ¡°So, these guys think I¡¯m some alien race? Oh, please.¡± I said, laughing it off with a wave of my hand. I returned to my breakfast and finished it quickly, ready to get out of here and get to work.


    As soon as we had both finished our meal, we cleaned up the table and headed back to the supply room to pick up our ID patches. When we picked them up, the old man didn¡¯t hand mine to me and instead ¡°showed¡± me how to put it on; which was really just an excuse to touch my voluptuous chest as putting a patch on a piece of Velcro was anything but difficult. He had also thrown Greg¡¯s at him and told him to ¡°put it on straight¡± rather than touching all over him to get it on, so that just confirmed to me that he just wanted a cheap thrill. I rolled my eyes while he fixed it on but when he went to take a real good squeeze, I grabbed his wrist and squeezed hard. I looked him dead in the eye and whispered with intensity,


    ¡°If you ever take another liberty like that, I will kill you where you stand. Do you understand crypt keeper?¡± He could only nod, so I let him go and gathered up my things.


    The old man stumbled away and as I slung my pack over my shoulder he muttered, ¡°Psycho bitch.¡±


    To which I responded with, ¡°You have no idea, and you better hope you don¡¯t find out.¡±


    I left him staring at me incredulously as we turned and walked away; once again I discreetly consulted my pamphlet to tell me where to report next. Straight to work, I thought as I saw the next place to go was the mine entrance. We made our way to the transport stop where the trucks would pick up the employees and drive them to the mines and waited as the truck pulled up to the stop. The workers queued up to board the truck, and as we moved to join the line, I felt a hand on my back and a foot swipe my ankle, trying to get me to the ground; I turned around to punch the person only to find it was Silas¡¯s son, and I stopped my swing. He just gave me a dirty look and cut in front of us in the queue. Greg went to intervene, but I stopped him;


    ¡°Don¡¯t, Grant. He¡¯s not even worth the effort.¡± I said haughtily, loud enough for him to hear every word. He turned around and began to say something when his father walked up to the stop.


    ¡°Morpheus, that¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t make me have to tell you again!¡± He said to his son with authority. Morpheus turned around and waited to get on the bus, crossing his arms and huffing like a small child who had just been reprimanded by its father and not like the grown man who stood in front of me.


    I shot a look to Silas, who was watching his son closely now. He looked tired, torn, but not weak; no, he still looked like he could hold his own. Something about him piqued my interest, but I couldn¡¯t put my finger on what it was. His other family members weren¡¯t as interesting, but Silas seemed like someone worth getting to know; someone who might have something of value to add to the mission.


    I got onto the transport truck and sat as far away from Morpheus as I could manage. I¡¯m about to start my day off any worse than it already was I thought to myself as the truck pulled away.

 Chapter 12- Cal

    [CHAPTER 12] ¡ª Cal


    Cal wandered the woods around the mountain hunting, fishing, and searching. He had made several trips back to the dorms to bring the game and fish he had caught, heading out immediately after each drop-off. Three weeks he had been doing this; not sleeping in a bed a single night for the need to find the mine entrance and see if there was anything of value left, but he hadn¡¯t yet found the correct spot. He knew it was going to take time to find the entrance, but he never imagined it would take nearly a month.


    Just then, he spotted a piece of fabric that he recognized, and with it a coded letter from Rain. She had apparently been out here trying to find him to give him the mine entrance location and blueprints. This was an older one, from almost two weeks ago; it said that he would be able to find her at the dorm each night after sunset. He walked along further and found another more recent note that said she would be at the dorm only once per week. He continued walking for a while not seeing anything of note until he was nearly a mile away, he saw another small piece of fabric with another note that simply held coordinates.


    The coordinates were roughly another mile up the mountain over tough terrain going the most direct route. There were roads he could follow that would be easier, but he had already wasted three weeks out here getting nowhere. He set out on a path that would bring him to the coordinates in the most direct way. He hiked about 20 minutes in that direction before he saw a fluffy white cat with a stub tail and calico patches on its rear end.


    The cat came up to him and brushed the length of its body up against him, inviting him to pet it. Cal reached down and began to pet the cat, who immediately began to purr loudly. He squatted down so he could get a better distance for petting the cat along its entire length, from the top of its head to the tip of its tail. He gave the cat only a moment or two longer before standing up and continuing on his way.


    He hadn¡¯t made it but a few feet when the cat came bouncing back in front of his, meowing its discontent in a series of staccato notes that started and stopped with the cat¡¯s jolting movements. He looked down at the cat and cocked his head to one side, the cat followed him. The moved his head to the other side, the cat again copied him. Well, this isn¡¯t awkward or weird at all, Cal thought to himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, kitty, but I have to go. I have a little girl to find. Why am I talking to a cat? I¡¯ve been out here too long¡­¡± He had begun talking to himself and walking away. He made it only a few more steps when he heard it;


    I¡¯m sorry this is weird for you, sir, but we¡¯re not talking- well, you¡¯re talking, I¡¯m linking to your mind. That¡¯s neither here nor there, though. Everlea sent me to find help. I¡¯ve been out here looking for weeks and I finally found you. I was so relieved to see a human and I just had to get the pets, but it is imperative that we get to her; they¡¯re keeping her and her adoptive mother captive inside the mountain! She¡¯s ever so sad, and we need to help her! Come on, follow me!


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely losing my mind. I¡¯m hearing this cat talk to me.¡± Cal said as he continued once again on his path.


    There¡¯s no time for your doubts! Come on!


    Cal looked at the cat once again and it was pacing around his legs, then walking a few feet behind him over and over again. It obviously wanted to him follow it, but he was desperate to find Everlea at this point. He muttered to himself as he kept walking, only for the cat to once again try to get in his way.


    ¡°Okay, look, cat. I don¡¯t have time for this.¡± Cal said.


    Seraphina.


    ¡°What?¡±


    My name is Seraphina.


    ¡°Okay, then, Seraphina¡­ I do not have time to play games. I need to find Everlea so her mother, the woman I¡¯m madly in love with, can know what happened to her. I don¡¯t have time to play games or go on weird little adventures with you, okay? I do not even understand how I am hearing you or why I am even talking to you!¡±


    I can take you to Everlea. You just need to trust me and follow me.


    ¡°The mine entrance is this way. You¡¯re trying to bring me in the opposite direction.¡± Cal was exasperated at this point.


    The old mine entrance is heavily guarded both day and night. There is no cover to hide behind to get close enough to sneak in, even if you were able to get the guards far enough out of the entrance to sneak in. You would be exposed the entire time, and I know that Wildcrafters are not given enough ammo to take out machine guns. That¡¯s what they have just inside the entrance, a hidden robotic machine gun that fires over a thousand rounds per minute as a backup to the guards with guns. You must follow me. I know another way.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to listen to a cat.¡± Cal said as he turned to follow Seraphina a few hundred yards back the way he had come, past where they had first crossed paths. From there she turned West and went another few hundred yards into the denser tree line. She stopped before a clump of bushes and sat there waiting for him to approach. As he did, she said;


    In these bushes is a vent; an air vent that goes directly to Everlea¡¯s room, but it¡¯s outside in the hall. The two guards alternate, so she¡¯s guarded day and night. She said they were on her side, so you may be able to persuade one or both of them to help you. You must go, Everlea needs to be with her mother again, before it¡¯s too late!


    Cal pushed his way into the bushes and found a rather large opening that plunged into the depths of the mountain out of sight. He couldn¡¯t see more than fifty feet down into the shaft, so he had no idea if he would have enough rope to make it to the bottom. He pulled out all the rope he had with him and assessed its quality and length; he found there to be about a hundred and fifty feet worth of rope that was good quality- safe enough for him to use to belay down the shaft and hopefully reach the bottom. The bushes that surrounded the shaft, creating its hiding place, were large and strong; the base of which was the size and width of a medium-sized tree, so he tied his rope to the base of the bushes and tested the hold.


    He set up the rope in preparation to belay, when he heard a rustling in the leaves behind him. He turned quickly, whipping out his hunting knife as he spun; ready to fight whatever came his way. He came to a stop facing the cat, Seraphina, who looked at him lazily as if his actions annoyed her.


    Are you going to keep messing around, or are you going to go help Everlea? You know if she¡¯s not back to her mother before she hits maturity she will weaken greatly. There¡¯s not a lot of time until then, we must hurry!


    ¡°Alright, alright! I need to get a message to my friend, but I can leave it where one of her messages were and with any luck, she¡¯ll find it. I need her to bring Katerina- Everlea¡¯s mother- here as soon as possible, and notify the council. I need a few minutes to prepare.¡± Cal told her with little annoyance. He immediately pulled out his notebook and pen and scribbled a note in code with the cypher and walked the five minutes to where the closest note from Rain had been. He took her piece of fabric and replaced it with one of his own, then tied the note to it. His fabric was cut from his emergency blanket, so it was a shiny silver strip that would gleam in the sun, catching the eye. Cal just hoped it would catch the right eye, and it wouldn¡¯t be removed before Rain could get the message.


    Cal returned to the cluster of bushes that hid the large air vent that would take him to the girl they had been looking for since she had been taken almost fourteen years ago. His heart beat wildly with anticipation, wondering what exactly he would find on the bottom of this shaft. He checked his harness, turned on his head lamp, and positioned himself by the edge of the shaft. He took one last cleansing breath and dropped over the edge, make a moderate and even pace the whole way down. His head lamp barely helped in the oppressive darkness of the air vent, and every few minutes there was a huge rush of stale air as the air supply within the mountain was renewed and the existing air forced out.


    Cal was less than fifty feet from the end of his rope when he finally saw the bottom- at least eight feet lower than he had rope for. How the hell does the cat get in and out from here? He thought as he exhausted every inch of rope. He shined his head lamp carefully at the walls around him, noticing a crumbling spiral walkway that had once wound its way up the shaft to act as maintenance access. That must be it, but I can¡¯t reach. Think, Cal¡­ He thought to himself.


    He began to shift his weight from side to side and he began to swing, closer and closer to the ramp that would get him down safely. Finally, he reached it and caught the floor of it at chest height. He pulled himself onto the ramp and removed his harness, hanging it on an old iron bar that stuck out of the side of the ramp as if it once held a railing. He walked down the last ten feet of the ramp very carefully, taking are to stay near the wall where the clay was likely to be the strongest. As he reached the bottom, he realized that there were multiple much smaller vents down here, and he had no idea which one would be the one to lead him to Everlea¡¯s room.


    He decided to just pick the one directly in front of him and crouched down to enter the tunnel. As he made his way along the tunnel, he saw other vents branching off from the one he was on that led into rooms. He passed room after room until he passed one that had someone he recognized and he stopped, unable to continue forward with his journey. He stared at the man in the room beyond, unable to really believe what he was seeing. He opened the vent and crawled into the room and jumped on the sleeping man inside. The man struggled under Cal, wriggling and thrashing as he tried to break free¡­ But Cal had the advantage and he was squeezing the life out of the man.


    ¡°Cal¡­ Stop. Cal¡­ I¡¯m¡­ undercover. Please¡­¡± Josh said as Cal squeezed the life out of him.


    ¡°Why should I believe you? You betrayed us all! Mother didn¡¯t survive it, and father didn¡¯t survive losing mother. You left me all alone!¡± He continued to squeeze his brother¡¯s throat as his face turned purple and his heartbeat slowed. Just as it was becoming too late to turn back, Cal let go of Josh¡¯s throat and Josh coughed and sputtered himself back to consciousness. They both sat at the edge of the bed for a long moment, silence the only thing they shared. When Cal couldn¡¯t take any more silence, he began again;The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Why did you betray everyone like that? Do you have any idea the wake of destruction you left behind you? Mom was beside herself; Dad couldn¡¯t cope with the humiliation; I had to take care of both of them, watch both of them dying before my eyes knowing there was nothing I could do to change it. How could you do that to your family, Josh?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see any other way to take down the Cult. It was growing too big, too fast, and nobody knew how to handle it. The only thing I could think of was to go undercover and gather as much intel as I could to bring them down. Being here is the final step to bringing them down; it¡¯s the last base they have. The only way to get in way to move up in rank with the Cult, so I¡¯ve had to do things I wish I hadn¡¯t; but it¡¯s gotten me here, watching over Everlea and with a real chance at bringing them down. I know that¡¯s not an excuse, but it¡¯s what I have. I¡¯m sorry for what I put our family through, but the greater good was at stake.¡± Josh¡¯s voice was hoarse and strained from Cal choking him; Serves him right, Cal thought.


    ¡°I had to watch them die, Josh.¡± Cal said, putting his face in his hands and hunching over. He felt his big brother wrap an arm around his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him and Cal let him. He had been alone in the world until a few moments ago when his dead backstabbing brother was suddenly not so dead and not so backstabbing.


    ¡°I know, Cal. I¡¯m so sorry. I hadn¡¯t heard that they died.¡±


    ¡°What do we do now? We need to get Everlea out of here and back to Katarina. Kat¡¯s been dying slowly without her for nearly fourteen years, and Everlea will lose out on something important if we don¡¯t get her back to her mother before she reaches maturity.¡±


    ¡°Maturity, what do you mean maturity?¡± Josh was puzzled.


    ¡°Our best guess is before the girl has her first menstrual cycle, but we¡¯re honestly not sure. It could also mean when she turns eighteen; but since Katerina¡¯s ability unlocked with the birth of her child, we¡¯re not wanting to take any chances.¡±


    ¡°Well, the firs thing we need to do is tell Katerina¡¯s father.¡± Josh said.


    ¡°Katerina¡¯s father is dead, how are we supposed to tell him, get a Ouija board?¡± Cal responded sarcastically.


    ¡°Katerina¡¯s father is not dead; he¡¯s standing guard outside Evee¡¯s room. He¡¯s on our side, obviously, but I need you to stay here so I can alert him that you are here before he comes in.¡± With that, Josh got up and got dressed. He took one more look at his little brother before exiting and closing the door swiftly behind him. A moment later, and older gentleman with bright teal eyes opened the door and entered cautiously, keeping his eyes locked on Cal as if he were afraid he might disappear in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Uh, hi. I¡¯m Cal, I work with Katerina.¡± Cal said to him awkwardly as the man clearly sized him up.


    ¡°I rise from the ashes, reborn and bright; A symbol of hope, a fiery sight; A city of legends, a desert¡¯s crown; a name that echoes world renowned. What am I?¡± Henry said this while continuing to size up Cal.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I didn¡¯t know there would be a test, here.¡± Cal said nervously. He wasn¡¯t really sure why he was nervous, but he was.


    ¡°Answer the riddle.¡± Henry said simply.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I don¡¯t know, a Phoenix?¡± Cal blurted out as he felt like he was coming upon a corner that he didn¡¯t want to be boxed into.


    ¡°Hmm. Interesting. My name is Henry, nice to meet you. Josh said your name was Cal?¡± Henry backed off and became pensive for a moment before continuing without getting the confirmation on his name. ¡°Well, anyways, tell me everything you know, and I will tell you everything I know.¡±


    ¡°Sir, no disrespect here but I¡¯m a soldier and you¡¯re an old man; I¡¯m not giving you my intel without even confirming who you are. Katerina told me her father has been dead half of her life; how do I know you¡¯re really him?¡±


    Without saying a word, Henry turned and approached him in three quick steps, grabbing him by the front of his shirt, he looked deep into Cal¡¯s eyes. One moment Henry¡¯s eyes were clearly teal blue and the next moment one was bright blue and the other a dark green; just like Katerina¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°The only people to have this exact color combination of eyes is our gene pool, so even if you don¡¯t believe I¡¯m her father you can¡¯t deny that I¡¯m a blood relative.¡±


    Cal stared, dumbfounded. Katerina had no other family she was aware of; she had told him she only ever had her mother and father. The only explanation was that this was Katerina¡¯s father, and Cal didn¡¯t even know how to process that let alone how he would tell Katerina. He conceded that this must be her father, and proceeded to tell him everything he knew. He told him about Katerina, her ability, the missions, and finally the mission to rescue Everlea.


    ¡°Katerina¡¯s mother died while she slept, so Katerina has no idea what she needs to do for Everlea when she reached maturity. Her instincts should drive her to do it anyways, but she won¡¯t fully understand what she¡¯s doing unless I can get to her and explain everything.¡± Henry stated pensively.


    ¡°So, what happens if we don¡¯t get Everlea to Katerina before she reaches maturity?¡± Cal asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Then Everlea will not receive her powers, he lifeforce will be stripped away and she will be a mortal; no longer what she is.¡±


    ¡°What are you, anyways?¡±


    ¡°Katerina¡¯s mother, Eudora, and I are mates; the two Phoenix created by the Drages to end the Millenium Wars between the Drages and the Leviathans. Once the Millenium Wars were over, we came to Earth to watch over those that would not learn from the wars and move on. While here, we blended in and took on a relatively normal life. After a few thousand years, Katerina was born, and we were happier still; but then the Earth began dying and we needed to escape. We tried getting off the planet with only those who were good and kind, but by then we were seriously outnumbered. I had to leave them in an attempt to keep those who were not suited for freedom from getting off the planet, but I failed. We were separated when it came time to board the Arks, so I ended up on Ark Europa and they were on Ark Americana. Katerina¡¯s mother must have held out hopes that I would return to have the necessary conversations with Katerina with her, and thus never got the chance to really tell her everything she needed to know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like a bird¡­¡± Cal said slowly; to which, Henry laughed heartily before regaining composure.


    ¡°No, no I do not. Much like the Drage and the Leviathan, the Phoenix is mostly a symbol of mine and Eudora¡¯s choosing based on what happens when our physical bodies die.¡±


    ¡°What happens when your physical bodies die?¡±


    ¡°Well, we smolder and turn to a pile of ashes that become hardened into an egg. When it¡¯s time for us to be reborn, the egg hatches and the spirit that comes out is a fiery golden bird with iridescent plumage that looks a lot like what people see as a Phoenix today.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not immediately reborn?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes we are, if the right conditions are met. Sometimes it takes a while. I once had to wait a century for Eudora to be reborn. I had to carry that damned egg with me everywhere, too.¡± He said with a chuckle that got him lost in his memories for a moment. ¡°I would do it all again if I could find her egg. She died when I wasn¡¯t there, Katerina was so young and knew nothing, so I have no idea where she is. If I can¡¯t find her, she¡¯ll be lost until someone in our lineage finds her egg and gives her the chance to be reborn. In rare circumstances she can be reborn without me, a failsafe that the Drage put in place to ensure that there will always be at least one Phoenix to do the job; but it¡¯s never happened before, so I have no idea if that¡¯s come to pass or not.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ So, you and Eudora are the Phoenix, which makes Katerina a Phoenix; what does that make Everlea?¡± Cal was trying desperately to come to terms with all he had learned in the last five minutes but his mind was reeling.


    ¡°Everlea is something new. We did not know we could mate with humans and produce offspring. Eudora and I were thousands of years into our lifecycle before she was born, so we didn¡¯t even know it was possible for her to conceive a child; let alone a child with Everlea¡¯s abilities. She¡¯s been slowly showcasing them the last few weeks and it¡¯s impressive to say the least. She seems to be able to communicate freely with animals, as you and I are now; that is one I did not expect. When she displayed the ability to control others¡¯ thoughts and actions, I was a bit surprised to see it so young; but that¡¯s one that we all have.


    ¡°As our generations continue, the abilities of each Phoenix will evolve based on what¡¯s most needed but we keep the abilities of the previous generations. Fifty generations from now, the Phoenix will be more wise and more powerful and we could ever imagine. That is, if we are able to keep our lifecycle going.¡±


    ¡°Well, what do we do now?¡± Cal¡¯s head was spinning so fast he grabbed a nearby chair and sat down. This was an incredible story, one that he had heard his whole life in bedtime stories, but to learn that it was all real was incredible.


    ¡°We need to get Katerina here; there¡¯s no way that we¡¯ll get Laura, Everlea and Meg out without raising suspicions. Once she¡¯s here- ¡°


    ¡°Laura! Laura is here? Where? I hadn¡¯t even heard that she was missing. I saw several notes from Rain but I didn¡¯t get to read them all before the damned cat was in my head and giving me orders.¡± Cal jumped up at this; the guilt of not knowing one of his own was even missing all but consuming him.


    ¡°She¡¯s been here about three weeks. She¡¯s awfully sick, and they beat her up regularly; she is the one you need to get out of here right now. Then you get Katerina and you bring her right back and we will all fight to get them out. I have been rigging gas lines in my spare time over the last few weeks; I just need to rig up the detonator and we can blow this whole place down on the way out.¡±


    ¡°That would mean a lot of casualties in other functioning mines, not to mention the innocent here.¡±


    ¡°There are no innocents here. There are no women who haven¡¯t chosen to be here besides Laura and Meg, and there are no children besides Everlea. Most of them are Leviathan who refuse to live in peace. It¡¯s true, the other mines would likely be affected, but this is our chance to bring down the Cult once and for all. We cannot squander this opportunity.¡± Henry was getting agitated at Cal¡¯s hesitance to collateral damage, but Cal let it slide; this was his family and his mission after all.


    ¡°Take me to Laura. I¡¯ll get her out now.¡± Cal said calmly. Henry ran his fingers through his hair and turned towards the door.


    ¡°Wait here, I have to make sure the coast is clear and tell Josh what¡¯s going on. I¡¯m going to have to take a hit, get knocked out, to make it believable that she escaped alone. I have no idea how much time it¡¯ll buy you, but that¡¯s the plan we¡¯ve got.¡± Henry turned around and swiftly exited, closing the door behind him. Cal just sat there for a few minutes before Josh was back with Laura under his arm. She was barely conscious, covered in bruises and cuts, and utterly filthy; but she was alive and breathing.


    ¡°Holy, fuck! Laura!¡± Cal exclaimed as he grabbed hold of her from Josh and brought her to a chair to sit her down. ¡°How am I supposed to get her out of here through the vents like this?¡± He asked his brother as Laura slumped over, unconscious once again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The only thing I can think of is to tie a rope to her waist and tie the rope to you¡­ And you drag her through. I doubt she¡¯s got enough strength to make her way through by herself. The air vents are all carved stone, it¡¯ll support your weights and it should dampen the noise but it¡¯ll be hard going.¡± Josh was explaining as he was still trying to come up with something better for their escape.


    ¡°I can do it. She¡¯s lost weight, I can tell. Do you have rope? I left mine at the surface.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go grab some.¡± Josh replied, turning and exiting the room.


    Just then, Laura stirred and started mumbling something Cal couldn¡¯t quite make out. He stepped closer to her to try to hear what she was saying.


    ¡°Kat¡­ They¡¯re going after Kat.¡± She mumbled.


    ¡°How do they even know where to find her, Laura? What do you mean they¡¯re going after Kat?¡± Cal grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to steady her, patting her cheek to try to bring her back to consciousness to no avail. Her skin was on fire, and she was too sick and injured to be of any further use. Just then, Josh walked back in with a length of rope. ¡°Hurry up, I need to go. She said they¡¯re going after Katerina.¡±


    They strapped Laura to Cal and he climbed back up into the vent. While Josh lifted her body up, Cal pulled Laura into the vent with him. Then Cal made his way quickly through the vents towing Laura behind him. It was arduous, but he kept replaying Laura¡¯s words in his mind the whole way.


    Kat¡­ They¡¯re going after Kat.

 Chapter 13- Marcia

    [CHAPTER 13] ¡ª Marcia


    Marcia had woken up three days after she was attacked and Laura was abducted. She had sent messages to the other members of Laura¡¯s team as soon as she had someone she trusted, but had not heard anything from them since. She was getting reports that one was incessantly in the field and did not even use the dorm he was assigned; the other one was doing her job well but spent a lot of time socializing with her ex-sister-in-law Dora; the woman here, Katherine, seemed to be the head of the little group, and she was the one who was in the most danger.


    She had been the one that James had been taunting her over before Laura and Sean burst into the room. He had been telling her how they had the woman¡¯s daughter, and it was all coming to a head now that they had the girl. The first two weeks all she could remember was that Laura was taken, but as she healed, she began to remember other clips of him speaking about Katerina- whom she had thought was Katherine-and her daughter. Marcia kept trying to remember everything James was saying to her that night, but it was coming in fractured; like a Vine, she was only getting five or ten second video clips every time she tried to remember any details.


    It was three weeks now since she had woken up in the hospital bed, and she was just starting to get back to a somewhat normal schedule when her spy had sent her another message that had brought back one solid memory that was a little more than useless; but not much. James was on top of her, assaulting her body once again, while talking about someone named Katerina, how they had her daughter, and what they planned to do once they captured Katerina or lured her to their base. It was this memory that had her up and out of bed that day, getting dressed and ready to go find this Katerina and warn her before something had happened. When she hadn¡¯t gotten a reply to her first message, she had wanted to go find one of them and speak to them directly; however, as the CEO, she had more people relying on her.


    Those people had overwhelmed her with security and 24/7 assistance with whatever she had needed; but they were not her people, they were company people. After she had sent that first message, she had not seen any of her own personal assistants for two weeks and by then Marcia wasn¡¯t even sure her memories were real as nothing had happened to the woman yet. It wasn¡¯t for another week when she got the message from her spy that triggered the memory that she had been trying to hold together for these three weeks; they knew about Katerina¡¯s abilities and they planned to use her to unlock her daughter¡¯s abilities so she can be a weapon for the Cult.


    Once she was dressed and ready, she checked her watch; someone came every 30 minutes to check on her and she had barely more than a minute before someone came back. She jumped into her bed and covered up, acting as though she were still in bed in her pajamas. Moments later when someone walked in, she stretched and rolled over as if she were not ready to get out of bed yet. The woman who came, Marissa, was not the brightest bulb in the box and simply nodded silently and left.


    Marcia jumped up out of bed the moment her footsteps faded down the hall and she went over to the wall opposite her bed. Behind an old and faded tapestry was a secret door that led to an escape passage that only she knew about. The builder that had worked on it had an unfortunate accident before the entire thing was finished, forcing Marcia to complete the last hundred feet of the passage herself. It had been backbreaking work, and it took her a month to finish it by herself; but now that she actually needed it, she was grateful she had put the work into finishing it.


    The passage wound its way under the dorm and grounds to a secret garage that held off-road vehicles. When she reached the garage, she cautiously listened to the room beyond and when she heard nothing, carefully opened the door and stepped into the room. Most of the off-roading vehicles were not there, but her ATV was sitting in its spot waiting for her. She went to the shelves behind the ATV and looked for the box that held the hidden key, then went over to start it up.


    This was the riskiest part of her escape; though the garage was secret from most people, it was not secret to all. Once the garage doors are opened, the outdoor security cameras would start recording and would send a signal to the security office. As they were alerted to her current restrictions, they would immediately start tracking her movements through the forest, so she would have to be faster than they were. She prepared herself to ride immediately, perching atop the seat, gripping the handle in one hand and the garage door opener in the other; when she was positioned to complete all the necessary steps in one swift movement, she hit the garage door opened, started up the ATV, and peeled out of the garage as fast as she could go.


    She heard the alarms go off immediately, and heard the loudspeaker announcing ¡°Intruder, intruder!¡± repeatedly as she sped away through the forest. These were trails she knew well, and she hoped that the trail she was looking to turn off to was still unknown so she could make a clean escape. When she heard the distant sound of pursuing vehicles, she hit the accelerator and didn¡¯t slow down going around turns. She had a difficult time keeping all four wheels of the ATV on the ground consistently on the uneven trails, but she was managing and she could hear the sounds fade away.


    She reached the turn-off for the trail she was looking for and found a tree blocking the path. She stopped right in front of it and turned her engine off, listening for the sounds of her pursuers. Hearing none, she walked over to the tree and tested its weight; it was quite heavy- too heavy to fully pick up and maneuver by herself. She could almost get it up high enough to perch on her ATV, but not quite.


    She ran to her pack and took out a length of rope. She tied the rope around the branch and threw the loose end over a branch in a tree above. She pulled the tree up little by little until it was high enough to squeeze her ATV under, which she did quickly and then gathered her rope from the trees after allowing the tree to fall back onto the path. She continued on the secret trail as quickly as she had approached it.


    As she raced away from her home, she wondered for a moment if she would ever see it again. Pushing that thought back, she continued on with a fierce determination. Whatever the woman and her daughter had for abilities could not bode well for the rest of the world if James found a way to weaponize them. She rode for several hours, avoiding all sounds of others on the trail whenever she encountered them; hiding in bushes and ravines when she heard other vehicles and weaving her way back and forth through the forest in an erratic pattern designed to make it look like she was out on a leisurely ride but not heading in any specific direction.


    Just when she was going to head back to the mine Katerina was assigned to, Marcia heard someone struggling in a bush not far from her. She pulled her ATV behind a large group of fallen trees and covered it in branches before moving on foot towards the sounds she heard. When she reached the bush, she heard the sound of a man struggling to pull something up the air shaft, and she peeked through the branches to see who it was. She was surprised to find Carl, or so she knew him by, pulling something heavy on the end of the rope that plunged down into the air vent below.


    She walked over and grabbed hold of the rope, surprising him enough that he almost lost his footing. She gave him a look of determination and began pulling on the rope; she knew these were people that were on a mission to take down the most hated enemy of all decent humans, so she didn¡¯t question what it was that he was hauling to the surface. When finally the load reached a height where she could see what it was, she began pulling with even more ferocity than before; it was her abducted ex-sister-in-law. When she was within arm¡¯s reach, she grabbed hold of Laura and began pulling with all her might into her arms.


    ¡°Danika! Danika!¡± Marcia said with fervor as she firmly patted Laura¡¯s face in an attempt to bring her to consciousness.


    ¡°She¡¯s weak and injured, I doubt she¡¯ll wake up right now. She needs a doctor and a hospital; do you know where we can bring her? Someone we can trust?¡± Cal was questioning her and Marcia was only half- listening, checking Laura over herself for signs of life. As soon as she found her weakened pulse, she gave Cal her attention.


    ¡°Yes, I have someone I can trust. I have my ATV over there,¡± she said, pointing in the direction of her hidden four- wheeler, ¡°But I can only take one of you.¡±


    ¡°Take her, I can make my own way. If she doesn¡¯t get help soon, she might not make it and she has a son to get home to.¡± As Cal said this, he hauled the roped that was still tied to Laura¡¯s waist over his shoulder and grabbing the length tied to her waist, hoisted her up onto his back; holding the rope tight to help carry her. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Marcia led him to her ATV and quickly cleared the branches she used to hide it away, starting it up and getting on to move it out of the brush so it was easier to secure Laura on the back. When she was cleared, Cal came over and gently positioned Laura¡¯s unconscious form to the back in a sitting position, using the rope tied to her waist to secure her to Marcia¡¯s back. Checking that the ropes were secure around both Marcia and Laura, Cal uttered a quick ¡°Good luck¡± before Marcia hit the throttle and took off towards her trusted friend, Deitrick. She knew she couldn¡¯t bring Laura back to the Dorm where all the corporate stooges were waiting for them, so Deitrick would have to treat her in his basement like he did for Marcia when she needed it.


    It was much more difficult for Marcia to go full speed when she had an unconscious woman tied to her back, but she managed to go pretty fast regardless. Hiding from and avoiding her own pursuers was also difficult, but finally after two hours she pulled up to Detrick¡¯s back door. He was already standing outside waiting for her; as she knew he would be, his trail cams picking her up racing along the trail as soon as she came into his territory. Without a word, Deitrick helped Marcia get Laura off the ATV and down to the basement. Once there, he began his questioning.


    ¡°Who is this, Marcia? What the fuck happened to her?!¡± Deitrick asked as he gathered supplies and donned neoprene gloves in preparation of examining Laura.


    ¡°James happened.¡± Deitrick was one of the few people who knew that Kevin had been executed in James¡¯ place, mainly because he was the one who often had to treat Marcia¡¯s wounds after James had left. This last time she was so close to death she hadn¡¯t been able to get herself to Deitrick, hence the Corporation taking charge of her care.


    Detrick focused on his examination silently and Marcia made her way up the stairs to Deitrick¡¯s kitchen, where she began boiling water to help Deitrick wash Laura¡¯s unconscious body and any wounds they found on it. It was clear she had not been able to bathe during her captivity, and she reeked of infection and open wounds. Some of the ones visible on her arms and one grisly one on her chest were already seeping puss, a clear sign that the body was trying to push out infection. While water boiled on the stove, Marcia searched for clean towels and clothing for Laura to change into. She had stored old clothes of hers here ages ago when she realized she¡¯d have to keep coming back as long as James was alive.


    When she had the supplies she needed on the counter, and the water was boiled, she positioned half the stack of towels flat and placed the pot of boiling water on top. Then, she placed the other half of the pile of towels against her chest and pressed it against the pot, picking the towels and the pot up from the bottom pile of towels so there was no part of the pot touching her directly. Making her way carefully down to the basement, she placed the pot of boiling water next to Deitrick and the towels next to it. She then sat back silently, moving only when Deitrick requested her do something; watching in anticipation to see what the verdict would be on whether or not Laura would live. It felt like hours before Deitrick stood from her side, taking one glove off, then the other before looking at Marcia.


    ¡°The rest will be up to her. I¡¯ve mended her as best I can, the IV she has is full of broad-spectrum antibiotics, but whether or not she comes out of it will be up to her.¡± Detrick said as he reached my side. ¡°You should get back; she¡¯ll be safe here with me.¡±


    With great hesitation, Marcia made her way upstairs and out of the house to her ATV. She knew Laura was safe, she just didn¡¯t want to leave Laura not knowing if she would ever see her again; but there was a war to start and Marcia couldn¡¯t do that sitting at her bedside. She fired up the engine and took off back towards the dorm.


    Greg had spent the last three weeks fumbling around the mines around Katerina playing foreman. He had read and re-read the pamphlet explaining his job and what he was supposed to do but it hadn¡¯t really made sense; so, he just stuck close enough to Katerina to keep an eye on her and did his best. The only part of the job he did understand was overseeing work, so he just supervised the work being done by everyone around him. Frankly, he hated being undercover. He was much better suited to lurking in the shadows awaiting the need to swoop in and kick some ass; but this was the assignment so he had to do his best.


    He was older than the rest of the Centennial, and he had spent longer of his life on Earth hiding who he was. With the new regime on New Earth, and his ability to be open about his sexuality and home life he had craved the ability to be home with his husband making up for lost time. He hadn¡¯t wanted to be on this mission; in fact, he had intended to give his retirement notice the same day they moved out on this new mission but there hadn¡¯t been the time, and they couldn¡¯t replace him easily enough to allow him to stay home and serve out his retirement. So, here he was, on his final mission with the Centennial and none of them knew it.


    He had meant to tell everyone on the way in, but it hadn¡¯t seemed the right time. Katerina was brooding over her lost daughter, Cal was brooding over his capture and release; Lord only knew what Rain and Laura were brooding over but there they had sat, brooding nonetheless. Greg had sort of become the Centennial¡¯s father-figure, so to drop a bomb like retirement on them was a huge deal, and it had to be done right. So, he kept the news to himself; hoping that there would be a chance on the way home to explain his retirement.


    His thoughts were often in the past, or in the future, but not focusing on the present. So far, they had not been able to glean any useful information out of anyone. Hell, they couldn¡¯t even get most people to talk to them. He spent his days watching Katerina run tests and perform assessments. Today she was working on blueprints for the current mine system and looking for ways to improve structural integrity. He was bored out of his mind, and he was becoming increasingly unfocused; so, when Katerina was suddenly not at her station it took him longer than it should have to notice.


    When he finally did notice, he searched frantically around the area they were working; increasing the distance he went as he cleared the areas. He returned to her work station and looked around her table, searching for any clue that would help him figure out what happened. With any luck, Katerina had seen the threat coming and left him a warning. He searched through each paper on the work table and found nothing; slamming his fists on the table in frustration, his eyes finally caught something.


    The ground beneath him was littered with scuff marks, as if someone had been dragged away from this spot. He followed the drag marks to the road, where they ended. The tire marks where the vehicle had peeled off showed a general direction in which they went. Greg knew then he had seriously fucked up, and he had no idea how he was going to fix it. Greg''s heart pounded in his chest. Katerina, the heart of their mission, was gone. His mind raced, sifting through the possibilities. Had she been discovered? Was this a trap? Or was it something entirely unrelated? He had to act quickly.


    First, he needed to alert the others. He pulled out his comm device, his hands trembling slightly. He knew the use of the comms was prohibited since they¡¯d found out the airwaves were being monitored, but he figured this was enough of an emergency to warrant its use. "Cal, Rain, Laura - emergency. Katerina''s been taken. I need you at the mine entrance ASAP."


    Next, he had to secure the site. Katerina''s work, her notes, could contain sensitive information. He gathered her papers, scanning them again quickly for anything that could compromise their mission. He then destroyed them, the ashes scattering in the light breeze.


    As he waited for the others, Greg tried to piece together what had happened. The scuff marks, the tire tracks - it was a clear abduction. But who? And why? Were they after Katerina specifically, or was this a random act of violence?


    When Rain arrived, her face etched with concern, Greg quickly asked where the others were before he briefed her on the situation. The others were out in the field or had been abducted by the same people who had Katerina. "We need to find them," Greg said, his voice firm. "We can''t let them get away with this."


    Rain, ever the strategist, began to analyze their options. "We need to track the vehicle. Any cameras nearby?¡± She looked around quickly then added, ¡°I''m checking the mine''s security system. There might be footage of the abduction."


    Greg, despite his guilt and worry, felt a flicker of hope. They were a team, the Centennial, even when there was only two of them. They had faced countless challenges together, and they would face this one too. They would find Katerina and Laura, and they would bring them back. He owed them that much, at the very least.


    As they set off to follow the trail of their missing comrades, Greg made a silent vow; he would not think about retirement until this mission was over. He would see it through to the end, no matter the cost. His retirement could wait, two of his team¡¯s lives were at stake.


    Greg and Rain followed the tracks as far as they could before they ended up back on a paved road. The trail had gone cold, they had nowhere else to follow. Just then, Rain pulled a set of blueprints out of her pack and handed them to Greg.


    ¡°This is where they are taking them, I¡¯m sure of it. This is the last base the Cult has on this planet, right here on the other side of the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any time, then.¡± Greg responded gruffly as he moved to head towards the cave.


    The two of them grabbed their gear, and searched for a vehicle they could borrow to save time. They found one, and after an intense moment where they thought they would be caught, fired up the engine and peeled out of there before anyone could stop them; heading straight for the coordinates on Rain¡¯s blueprints.

 Chapter 14- Taken

    [CHAPTER 14] ¡ª Taken


    I woke up in the back of a truck, with no idea where I was or how I¡¯d gotten there. The last thing I remembered was watching Greg stare off into space in front of the mine while I conducted geological surveys on the mountain. I had gone to the crate of supplies to get a new pencil when I felt a sharp burning sensation on my back before everything had gone fuzzy and dark. Now I was clearly in the bed of a truck along a bumpy road, sore from head to toe but not so much that I couldn¡¯t move.


    I lifted my head up off the bed of the truck and I was greeted with a throbbing in my head like I¡¯ve never experienced, before a violent bump threw my head back against the truck bed and I was reeling, trying not to lose consciousness. I must have let out a groan when my head hit the hard bed because I could hear voices through the rear window as my ears rang a deafening tone. I couldn¡¯t tell what they were saying, but I heard my name and looked towards the face glaring at me from the small window. My eyes were blurring and my vision was doubled, and it was several long moments before I could make out their face or hear what they were saying; when I realized who it was, my blood ran cold.


    ¡°Hey there little Katerina. Remember me?¡± James said when he realized I knew who he was. ¡°I got a little present for you. Now, be a good girl and sit tight. We¡¯re almost home.¡±


    I tried to sit up but realized that he had hog-tied me, my feet and hands bound together behind my back- with an added bonus just for me; the rope was also tied in a noose around my neck so the more I struggled, the tighter the noose got. For now, I was at their mercy; I could feel that my weapons had been taken off me, so there were no knives to slide out and use to cut the ropes. The only thing I could do was wait until they reached the destination and I was untied; then I could find a way to escape. I didn¡¯t wait long, moments later the truck had parked and the tailgate thrown open. I was grabbed roughly by a pair of hands which then cut the rope so I could stand up straight and walk.


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, I swung my elbow around to connect with the man¡¯s ribcage. He dropped to the ground with a grunt and I heard footsteps coming up behind me and I swung my leg around for a roundhouse kick to my opponent. James had been the one approaching me and he had been ready for my attack; he grabbed my leg and wrestled me to the ground, getting me into a submissive position and laying his full weight on my back while other men scrambled to bring shackles.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for your surprise, little Katerina.¡± James breathed the words into her ear with a hot wetness that made me want to cringe, but I stood my ground. He continued, ¡°Ever wonder what happened to that sweet little baby of yours?¡±


    My heart raced as James shoved me towards a guard who looked familiar; he nodded and grabbed me roughly, leading me down a short corridor to a set of doors. My forehead began to bead with sweat as the heavy doors of the base creaked open, revealing a stark, sterile environment that felt more like a prison than a sanctuary. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting an eerie glow on the concrete walls. I was escorted through a maze of corridors, my mind racing with questions and fears. Where was I? What had they done to my daughter?


    As they approached a reinforced door, my breath hitched in my throat. The guard paused, glancing back at me with a mixture of intensity and curiosity. With a swift motion, he unlocked the door and pushed it open. The sight that met my eyes was both a balm and a dagger to my heart.


    There, in a small, brightly lit room, sat my daughter, Everlea. The girl was drawing, her small hands moving quickly across the paper, oblivious to the world around her. Though I had never seen her past her first few moments of life, but I could tell immediately. Her mop of curly black hair was so much like my own, and her skin was as porcelain as my own. My heart swelled with love and relief, but it was quickly overshadowed by the reality of our situation. I rushed forward, kneeling beside Everlea, my voice trembling. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"


    Everlea looked up; her big blue eyes wide with surprise. "Mommy! I knew you would find me. I knew I would meet you one day. Momma Meg will be so excited to see you!" she exclaimed, dropping her crayons and throwing her arms around my neck. The warmth of my daughter''s embrace was a fleeting moment of joy in a sea of despair. I held her tightly, unable to truly believe I was finally holding her in my arms. As I held her, I fumed; vowing silently to protect her at all costs.


    The moment was short-lived. The guard cleared his throat, reminding me of the urgency of our predicament. I pulled back, forcing myself to focus. "We need to get out of here, Everlea. Can you be brave for me?"


    ¡°Katerina, we have to bring Everlea to get Meg before we get you out of here.¡± The guard said, drawing her full attention to him for the first time. He was an aging man with striking teal eyes and a familiar face that she just couldn¡¯t place. ¡°James is going to want to see how you react to having Everlea back before he kills you and makes her his slave. We have to make it to Meg and get you all out of here before he decides to join us.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked the man, feeling my heart jump into my throat and race faster and faster as I awaited his reply. I was getting flashes of the man¡¯s face in front of me but much younger, but all this time I had though he was dead.


    ¡°I¡¯m Henry, your father. I wish I had time to explain everything, but we don¡¯t. We need to get you two out of here now.¡±


    With a nod, Everlea wiped her tears, determination shining in her eyes. I quickly grabbed her hand and she gave it a squeeze, looking at me with an innocent and encouraging look. I looked at my father, newly reincarnated from the dead as far as I was concerned, and nodded curtly. We set out from the room without another word.


    He led us out and into the hall, taking one turn and then another until we were standing in front of another door that looked almost identical to the first door I had been led to- the one behind which sat my daughter, innocently coloring as if she weren¡¯t in dire straits. Henry opened the door quickly and ushered us in, closing the door behind us.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right here; it just has to look good in case anyone comes by. Be quick, we don¡¯t want to set around too long.¡±


    I scanned the room, taking in the simple but clean room around me before a small redhaired woman came in from the back room.


    ¡°Evee! Oh, thank goodness. I know we should trust your grandfather but I get so worried when I can¡¯t see you.¡± Meg gushed as she rushed over to the girl and looked her over before wrapping her in a warm hug.


    ¡°Momma Meg, we found her. This is my mother, Katerina.¡± Everlea pulled me over to her, and I immediately was wrapped in the same embrace; suddenly semi-supporting a crying Meg as she hugged me.


    ¡°Oh, you poor child. I can¡¯t even begin to tell you how sorry I am. I didn¡¯t want to take your child, but I couldn¡¯t risk what they¡¯d do to her. I hope you can forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± I exclaimed, unable to put into words how grateful I was to find that my child was alive and well. ¡°I can only thank you. You¡¯ve not only kept her safe, but she clearly knows who I am. You¡¯ve been kind and selfless and I couldn¡¯t ever repay you or thank you enough.¡±


    A knock came at the door, and Henry poked his head in. ¡°Josh is coming. He¡¯s on our side. Hurry along, we have to get going.¡±


    ¡°Josh Thorne?! You¡¯ll have to explain that one to me later.¡± I said to him as he closed the door. I turned to Meg, the feelings of gratitude and kinship surging through me in a way that puzzled me; she had raised my child for years in my stead, but she clearly made sure she knew who she was, for t he most part. That was a selfless and no doubt difficult sacrifice that Meg had made for me, a young girl she didn¡¯t even know. ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here. Gather whatever you need as quickly as you can; James is coming for us.¡±


    Meg gave Everlea a quick hug and placed her hand lovingly on my cheek before disappearing for a few moments into the back room. When she came back, she had a stuffed phoenix and a backpack on her shoulder. She grabbed up the few snacks that were in the front room and packed those into the bag before slinging it onto her shoulder. As Meg joined us, she held the stuffed bird out to Everlea who took it and gave it a hug before tucking her into her sweatshirt for safekeeping.


    "Stay close to me," I whispered, leading Everlea and Meg toward the door. As we stepped out, my heart pounded in my chest as my father was joined by a man, I had thought dead and many times had wished was dead. Somehow, Josh was on our side; but I decided to be wary of him for the time being. We had to move quickly. I could hear the distant sounds of guards patrolling the base, their footsteps echoing ominously.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Boy it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen that face. You look good, Katerina.¡± Josh said to me as he came to my side. ¡°I know you¡¯re not going to trust me yet, at least not if I did my job right, but Cal understood what I did and I hope you can too.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea how hurt Cal was when you betrayed everyone and joined the Cult? You were his idol; he looked up to you and you abandoned him.¡± My words were angrier and more truthful than I had intended, but it has already been a long day and I¡¯m not in the mood to mince words.


    ¡°I get it, I explained that to him and now I¡¯m trying to get us out of here while taking down the Cult so I can spend the rest of my life making it up to him. But we have to make it out of here alive first.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and walked over to my father, signaling to him that we were ready to go. He led us once again through the corridors; we reached a room that had several men and Josh took them down silently. I looked at him with an arched eyebrow, then looked at Everlea to see how she was and found her face pressed into Meg¡¯s shoulder; Meg had grabbed her the moment she knew something violent was going to happen and protected her from seeing it.


    We raced through the corridors, my mind focused solely on getting my daughter to safety. When we encountered any guards, my training kicked in; I fought fiercely, my adrenaline surging as I took them down one by one. Each victory brought us closer to freedom.


    But as they stepped outside, Katerina''s heart sank. The base was rigged to explode, a last-ditch effort to erase any evidence of the Cult¡¯s operations. She turned to Everlea, her voice steady despite the chaos around them. "You have to go, sweetheart. You have to run!"


    "No, Mom! I can''t leave you! You just found me." Everlea¡¯s voice trembled, tears streaming down her cheeks.


    I knelt, cupping my daughter''s face in her hands. "You have to be brave for me. You have to live. Promise me you''ll run and never look back."


    With a heavy heart, I pushed Everlea away, urging her to flee. Meg grabbed her by the shoulder, giving me a nod and gazing for a long moment with a forlorn look. Josh came over and pressed a small paper into my hand, and looking at it I saw it had all the sequencing codes for the base printed on it. I nodded my head at him and he stepped back, joining the others. The ground shook beneath us as the countdown began. I turned back to the base, knowing I had to buy my daughter time. I activated the final sequence, sealing the doors behind me.


    I turned to face my fate, and my eyes landed on a demon; James stood before me, chest heaving and eyes wild. With his hands clenched in fists so tight he was probably cutting into his palms; he started stomping towards me. There was no doubt in my mind that he meant to kill me and stop the sequence, and I was not about to let that happen. The Cult of Seedbearers was going to finally be destroyed; right here, right now.


    James was two arm¡¯s length away now, and he suddenly lunged at me, making a move to grip my throat and strangle me to death. Before he could get a grip on my throat, I swung my arms up and out, knocking his hands off course and causing him to grip nothing but air on either side of my head while I slammed my head into his face. He let out a scream that was a cross between a dying cat and a wounded bear as he stumbled back before tripping on a pipe wrench that had been left on the floor. He growled once more, scooping the pipe wrench up and he stood back up to administer another attack.


    He began his attack once more, swinging the wrench as quickly as he could. He made connections with my shoulder and collarbone, and I felt my socket fall out of place and roll in towards my clavicle. I screamed out in pain and held my arm, not daring to take my eyes off James to look at the extent of the damage. I rolled over the railing beside me, gripping the top rail as I went over.


    I held the pole as hard as I could and wrenched my shoulder further away from the joint and twisted it back in, pushing hard as I twisted the best I could. I didn¡¯t get it in there perfectly, but it was better than a fight to the death with it dislocated. I managed to jump back just in time to miss James¡¯ latest swing of the wrench, rolling my newly conjoined ball and socket as I stepped back as quickly as I could. It hurt like hell but at least it was useable.


    James once again bounded forward, wrench raised and ready for an attack. I knelt down and grabbed up some dirt from the earthen floor, effectively dodging the first swing; as I rose and spun to meet him, I let fly the handful of debris into his eyes, temporarily blinding him. I roundhouse kicked the pipe wrench out of his hand as he feverishly rubbed at his dirt-filled eyes; it skidded far out of reach as it thumped across the dirt floor. I grasped my hands behind my back as I paced slowly round him, waiting for him to be ready to finish the fight.


    Just then, I heard bootsteps behind me and whirled around to find James¡¯ adopted brother, Sean, standing close behind me. He swung his fist and connected with the left side of my jaw; a blow I¡¯ve taken many times but was now seeing stars. Sean was a lot stronger than he looked with his five feet ten-inch frame and a smaller build with low muscle tone. I stepped back a moment before my vision started clearing up, hoping it would clear fast enough for my next move.


    Once I could see well enough to find what I needed, I ran over to the pipe wrench. As I neared it, I slid on the floor and grabbed it up; Sean¡¯s heavy footsteps not far behind me. I popped up on my knees swung my body around while swinging the wrench and connected with Sean¡¯s man meat. He doubled over in pain, bringing his head down to the perfect position for me to pummel him in the head again and again; falling on top of him as he fell over and continued to bash the wrench into his head, creating a sizeable crater in his skull.


    I dropped the wrench once more and looked for James, who was nowhere to be found, of course. I walked towards the door and the timer; this bomb was taking ages to detonate and I needed this to be over. I reached the terminal and checked the timer- forty- two seconds left. I heaved a sigh and leaned my bottom against the terminal. At that moment, James stepped out from behind a stack of pallets.


    I stepped forward, readying myself into a fighting stance as I waited for his attack when my shoulder hit something metal hanging from the ceiling. I reached up to grab at the chains I had bumped into, brought one up into my hands and began swinging it over my head. As the chain reached its momentum, I flung my hand out and threw the chain at James. It wrapped itself around his neck and the tail end came up to smack him in the face. James grabbed at the chains in a desperate attempt to free himself.


    I hurled myself at him, wrapping the chain around his hands as they continued their futile task; I wrapped it around his neck until there was no chain left to pull, and I waited; watching his face turn redder until it turned purple and his lips were blue. I watched as his eyes popped out of his head as he was slowly suffocated to death, knowing that he couldn¡¯t speak any last words if he wanted to.


    ¡°You know, James; all of this is your fault. I knew Bruce wasn¡¯t the mastermind behind the Cult of Seedbearers, but the little lap dog that was glued to his side? It was so obvious it was you from the jump. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve thought you were so smart and powerful, but look at you now. Face like a beet and snot coming out of your nose like a toddler. You don¡¯t seem very powerful to me. You dragged so many people down with your evil ways, but soon that won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    James kicked his legs out towards me, trying to kick my shins as he grew angrier. He missed, and I chuckled at him as I looked at the timer on the countdown. Twenty- two seconds left; it felt like a lifetime had passed. I looked back down at James, who was barely clinging to life, as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and foam started coming from his mouth. A few seconds passed and he stopped breathing, stopped struggling, went limp and shit his pants.


    ¡°How fitting that a shitbag like you would shit his pants when he dies.¡± I said, rolling my eyes and turning back to the countdown.


    Ten seconds left; I suppose I could try to make a run for it, but I¡¯m not about to risk anyone getting to stop this sequence. I thought of the look on Everlea¡¯s face the first time she saw me come through that door. She was so beautiful, she¡¯d grown up without me being able to be there for her, and now I wouldn¡¯t get to see the rest of her life. A sacrifice I was more than willing to make to ensure that she wouldn¡¯t have to grow up in the world I did.


    Five seconds left; I worry that I¡¯ve made the wrong decision for Everlea in making her leave without me. She has already been through so much in her short life, would this damage her further? I couldn¡¯t possibly know; I knew nothing of the girl beside the fact that I gave birth to her. It¡¯s too late to change anything now, and even if I could I don¡¯t think I would. Taking down the Cult has been priority number one for me since the moment she was born.


    3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­


    As the base erupted in flames, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. I had saved my daughter. In that moment, I knew I had done everything I could. The explosion consumed me, but in my heart, I would always be with Everlea, guiding her through the darkness.


    #


    As Everlea felt the ground shake, she turned around to see the enormous cloud of smoke rising into the air from where the base once stood. In that moment, she felt a powerful force wash over her; enveloping her in light and warmth. The moments passed, and she felt herself getting stronger and more powerful as each one flew by; her body becoming imbued with the ancient magic that had run through the blood of her mother. Everlea knew now that what she was feeling was her mother¡¯s essence dissipating into the surrounding atmosphere and gathering itself into her.


    The feeling stopped more suddenly than it started, and Everlea felt Meg wrap her arms around her as she called her name. The comfortable warmth that had been surrounding her just moments before was gone, and she suddenly felt cold and alone. Even Meg¡¯s warm and loving embrace felt cold and distant as she gripped her tighter as the moments dragged by without a response from Everlea. As she stood there, her ears ringing and her heart pounding, Everlea knew; she knew that her mother was gone.


    Meg, with her arms still wrapped around Everlea¡¯s shoulders, began to guide her away from the spot she had rooted herself to when she felt the ground beneath her reverberate with the concussion of the bomb. Everlea couldn¡¯t think, couldn¡¯t cry, and couldn¡¯t focus on walking with the shock of finding her mother and losing her forever in the same day. She allowed Meg to guide her blindly as her mind remained blank. Everlea hoped that her mother¡¯s efforts were not in vain, otherwise she didn¡¯t think she could bear the loss of her.