Awaken (38 page)

I listen intently as
they plan. The talking goes on for quite some time, long into the
night. Finn had been kee
ping me company
but at his stifled yawns I send him off to bed with the promise I
would wake him if they came back with Ben. Tater had wandered off
too. I figured there had to be an ale room somewhere nearby that
needed attending to. So I watch the rebels plan on my
own.

They eventually
arrive at a good
strategy, a sound
proposal, and as I listen to Lily outline it I realize that she is
a natural leader. She skirts around the issue of me only agreeing
to stay here based on them being able to free Ben. Instead she
plays it off as rescuing my kin would free me up to be able to
concentrate on their cause, their rebellion. That they would be
doing me a great honor. I am amazed to see not one person protest
this escape plan. As a matter of fact they are all arguing over who
should be in the select few able to go. They finally decide on the
chosen eight, Jax and the man Mack being two of the eight. I’m
still put out at not being included in the rescue group and watch
almost angrily as the chosen group is divvied out the black gear,
right down to the black hoods, same as our rescue group from the
previous evening. I still cain’t believe that they are going after
Ben without me.

Zoe lays the
remaining dark clothes on a smaller table back against the wall and
leaves them unattended as she starts refilling drinks. I look at
the clothes, just sitting there and all of a sudden an idea starts
forming in my head. I
’m still listening
to Lily but I stroll almost casually to the table trying not to
draw any attention to myself. The group is arguing now over who
should be the ones to go in and who should be the diversions. I
take advantage of their inattention to quickly swipe a hood and
black tunic and shove it under my own. Quickly, before anyone can
see the tell tale bump, I scurry out of the room up the hall and
straight to the room with all the books. I hide the clothes under
one of the tall backed chairs and I am back in the kitchen before
the argument is even over. I am relieved to see that no one seems
to have been aware of my absence. Jax looks up as I enter but I
just smile brightly at him and give him a thumbs up gesture. His
look turns to puzzlement at my behaviour but he just shakes his
head at me and turns his attention back to the tall
man.

“
So it is
decided then. Jax, Krowell, Riven and myself will be the four to go
in. Our inside man assures me he will get himself assigned to the
prisoners quarters tonight so he can give us access no problem. You
other four will create the diversion we need to get in. It won’t be
easy. I have heard the Prezedants men arrived this morning and they
were very upset at hearing Naryz had lost the three prisoners.
Security is at high alert right now, no one wants to be the next
one to screw up.”

Lily speaks
again
. “Mack is right. This will not be
easy. It will however, be very dangerous. Some of you...may not
come back. Are you all willing to take that
chance?”

At hearing those
words being spoken aloud the reality of it all hits me like a punch
to the gut. It was a dangerous thing they were doing...and they
were doing it for me! I had asked them to do this. Why would they
do such a thing for a stranger? I look, waiting to see if anyone
wanted to change their mind...I wouldn
’t
blame ‘em if they did, but no one backs down. The one called Riven
slams his meaty fist on the table and grins out over the
crowd.

“
I’d be willin’
to chop off me own arm if it meant a chance to take out a few of
that evil bastards men!”

This is followed by
a round of howling laughter and a few shouts of
“Aye!”

I am...astounded. I
cain
’t even begin to understand why they
were doing this. Then another realization hits me. Shizen! Jax was
going too! He was going to put himself in grave danger to help
rescue someone he ain’t even met! Just ‘cause he promised me! I
cain’t believe that I had been so selfish...so intent on Ben’s
rescue that I ain’t even thought about the danger the others and
Jax would be in. I look at him with this fresh awareness, only to
find those light blue eyes already on me. It was like he knew what
I was thinking in my head and he smiles at me. A real full out
smile like the night of the dancing, and I can feel my heart doing
that same crazy flip flop only this time I ain’t got no excuse that
it was dancing causing it. Right then and there I know. I know my
anger at not being allowed to go ain’t just ‘cause I’m afraid they
were going to mess up rescuing Ben, but also ‘cause I ain’t gonna
be there to watch Jax’s back. I had to go...Jax needed me there,
and I know I had made the right choice by swiping those clothes.
There weren’t no other option. I look up again and see he’s heading
straight for me, like he wants to talk to me so I panic and
hightail it out of the room. I cain’t talk to him right now. I’m
too full of confusion and guilt and fear.

I head
back to the book room. I dress quickly in the
black clothes and cover my head and face with the hood. I had heard
‘em say they were going to take the covered wagon that had brought
us here last evening so I make my way to the smelly stone room off
of the white hall, hoping I don’t run into anyone and have to
explain what I was doing. Thankfully I don’t meet nobody. The stone
room is luckily still empty so I choose a nice big pile of hay at
the back of the wagon as my hiding spot. I ain’t got to wait long
before they start showing up. I watch as the black clothed rescuers
pile into the wagon but Jax lingers behind, looking around. Is he
looking for me, I wonder. Was he expecting me to see them off?
Finally he shrugs, runs a hand through his hair and joins the
others in the back. I ain’t sure but I think I could
see....disappointment on his face. Zoe shuts the door behind them.
She then opens up the two massive doors leading outside and climbs
up into the rider’s seat behind the two horses. I wait for my
chance then run swiftly at the wagon and jump onto the back step
just as it begins to move. I grab the metal bar at the top of the
wagon cover and hang on for dear life, ‘cause if I remember
correctly from last night I was in for a bumpy
ride.

Thankfully at this
late hour there ain
’t nobody traveling
the roads but Zoe don’t take any chances...she sticks to all the
winding back roads and alleyways. The few stragglers we do come
upon are either too drunk or too involved in their own
transgressions to care what we were up to. They don’t pay no heed
to the wagon or to the fact that I am hanging off the back of it
like a bouncing mad woman. We don’t meet no resistance at the back
gates leading out of the city either since Po had been sent ahead
earlier in the evening to ‘take care of’ the guards. I ain’t quite
sure what that entailed, whether it was the same trick he had
pulled on the raiders or not. I don’t want to know. Whatever he had
done, it had worked, there ain’t a guard to be
seen.

Once through the
gates
, the light of the city fades and it
takes a while for my eyes to adjust to the inky darkness of the
outer lands. It surprises me how Zoe can maneuver the wagon so
easily through the sand mounds, but she don’t slow her pace at all.
It ain’t long before we come to a stop under cover of a high sand
dune, concealed from any watching eyes of guards that may be
lurking in the area. I can see the iron mines off in the distance.
It was hard not to. As dark and shadowed as the rest of the outer
lands area was, the Iron mines were lit up like it was the middle
of the day. There were blazing fires burning everywhere,
surrounding the perimeter. They definitely weren’t taking any
chances. Shizen! Those fires would surely make it that much harder
to sneak in. Why were they taking so many precautions I wonder? It
ain’t like they knew we were coming to break Ben out. I don’t get
no time to wonder about it though before I hear Zoe make her way
down from the rider seat and start coming round back. I hop from my
perch and sneak to the other side of the wagon. Only after she
opens the door and the rebels are all standing outside do I
casually make my way into the pack, under cover of darkness. They
don’t even realize I’m there, they’re all looking at the lit up sky
surrounding the mines and wondering the same as
me.

“
No matter...we
knew they would increase the security...the plan still stands,”
Mack whispers loudly and all the murmuring stops at his commanding
words. “You four...up the ridge...get ready but wait for my
signal.”

They
creep away to disappear into the night without a
sound.

“
Let’s go,” he
whispers again and we head out. I follow the group’s stealthy
ascent, my heart beating wildly, but hang back a bit for fear they
will notice their number is five...not four like originally
planned. But I ain’t got to hide for long. As we get nearer to the
mine we can tell something ain’t right. The fires burning all round
the mines were done on purpose like, a light show to enhance what
was put on display. At first I ain’t sure...I think my eyes are
deceiving me. But at Mack’s “Holy mother of gods!” I know what I’m
seeing is real sure enough.

Bodies! At least
fifteen or twenty of them...all hanging by their necks from a long
platform built across the e
ntrance to the
mine. They were swaying quietly in the night air, a blood curdling
sight to behold. My stomach lurches sickeningly and I feel like I’m
going to retch but as much as I want to I cain’t tear my eyes
away.

The first I see is
Nayrz...his bloated body made even more so by death. The two next
to him also soldiers...I can tell by their uniforms. But then I see
something that almost brings me to my knees. A ragged yellow tunic!
The young girl Ben had helped yesterday! No! It
cain
’t be her! Why would they do such a
thing to her! Not even the Prezedant could be this brutal! This
evil! But even as my heart is struggling against my brain telling
me it cain’t be her, I see the chains round her ankles linking her
to the next body hanging beside her....and the next. The rest of
them hanging there...they’re all prisoners!

“
No!” I cry,
unable to bear the horror of it any longer. It cain’t be! Ben
cain’t be there too!

My cry is enough to rouse
Jax from his shocked stupor and he whirls.

“
Tara?” he says
in disbelief.

“
What are you
doing here girl!” Mack is whispering at me angrily but I’m way
beyond caring at getting caught.

I want to run...I
don
’t want to look....please...he cain’t
be there! He cain’t be one of the bodies!

“
Jax....they’re
prisoners!” I whisper grabbing at his arms, and he understands
right away. His eyes do what mine refuse to and they search the
faces of the people hanging there.

“
He’s not there
Tara!” he says finally and my knees actually wobble in
relief.

“
You sure?” I
whisper and he grabs my shoulders as if he fears I’m going to
fall.

“
He’s not
there,” he says again, more firmly this time, and I’m glad for his
hands supporting me ‘cause it feels like I’m too weak to stand on
my own.

“
Mack!” The
urgent whisper comes from behind a large boulder and a brown robed
soldier steps into the light. Already rattled by the gruesome sight
in front of us the rebels all raise their shooters in alarm at his
sudden appearance but then Mack relaxes and puts up his
hand.

“
It’s
okay....he’s one of us. Stand down. What the hell happened here
Stein?”

The soldier is
looking
‘round nervously like he fears at
any moment we’re going to be attacked.

“
The
Prezedant...he came for the new blood,” he says, and my relief at
knowing Ben wasn’t there is quickly replaced by fear
again.

“
You mean...he
was here? In person?” I say.

The soldier
nods.
“He arrived this morning to the
news that they had escaped....that they had fled Littlepass. He
blamed Naryz. Naryz, he tried to atone...he gave up the boy you
were coming to rescue. He said that they knew each other...him and
the new blood.”

“
What do you
mean gave him up?” I’m glad Mack is asking ‘cause I cain’t form the
words right now, I’m too busy trying to swallow the lump in my
throat that must surely be my heart.

“
What did he do
with him?”

The soldier
shrugs.
“He took him...when they left. He
took him with them and left this as a message for the new
blood.”

“
A message?” I
say but it comes out as a croak.

The young man wipes
his face like he
’s still in shock at what
he had witnessed.

“
He...killed
all these people like it was nothing....and then those of us he
left alive, we were given a very specific message to pass along.”
He closes his eyes like he’s trying to remember...or trying to
forget, I ain’t sure.