Quest for Freedom Page 17

  The group journeyed toward the free-zone. They must’ve traveled close to an hour without finding a hide-out or coming across the Morgee. However, Vala and Gryden swore that the soldiers were still ahead of them, also moving in the direction of the free-zone.

  Janai pushed away disturbing thoughts and concentrated on searching for a safe place. The free-zone was only about an hour ahead, at most. They had to make it. She wouldn’t accept anything else. We’re too close. We can’t give up now.

  They dodged between trees and tall shrubbery in an attempt to conceal themselves from the enemy. Janai lost track of time and wasn’t sure just how far they’d traveled, until she spotted it. She froze in her tracks as she made out the marker for the free-zone in the distance. The others stopped near her, and together the group gazed at the massive boulders, much larger than what appeared on the map. Then she saw something else—Morgee patrolled the area between her group and freedom. The familiar sound of the clanking boots made Janai’s hair stand on end, and her head pounded in unison with her heart.

  Vala leaned near her right ear. “There’s another soldier behind us.” Janai froze, terror locking her muscles. “Janai, we don’t have much time. Janai?”

  Vala tapped her and she was able to concentrate again. She wiped beads of sweat from her brow with her arm. “If we can make it to that biggest boulder there, we might be able to outrun the soldiers.”

  The others agreed and prepared to bolt. They waited for the soldiers to start for the other side of the trail then they ran as fast as they could for the boulder. But they weren’t fast enough. One of the soldiers saw them and called out to the other two. They were committed now. They would have to race the Morgee to the free-zone entrance. Janai wasn’t sure how to get in. The map simply stopped at the boulder clump.

  “This way!” Ash yelled.

  Janai grabbed Krav’n’s hand and moved instinctively. By the time they were close to the boulder clump, her side burned, and she was practically dragging Krav’n along behind her. The marker was farther than it looked. She glanced behind. Ash and Tish were on her heels. Vala helped Gryden, who held his ribs as he ran. Blal’k urged Lance and Penny onward. They’d fallen behind and the soldiers were close on their heels.

  Penny fell and screamed as a soldier advanced on her. Gryden turned, aimed his arrow and let it fly. The arrow simply bounced off the metal armor and landed on the ground. Penny screamed again as the soldier picked her up with one hand. Lance yelled something and charged after them. Janai and the rest of her group ran to help.

  A sharp pain burned through Janai’s arm and she looked up to see gold glowing eyes staring at her. She grabbed the tentacle mouth and aimed the heat distributor into the end. She had the setting on hot and pressed the button. The soldier flinched but didn’t freeze like when she had used the light-fire weapon. She aimed the distributor again but he knocked it out of her hand.

  Ash yelled for someone to go through the rock illusion. She twisted in the soldier’s grip and caught a glimpse of Gryden crossing through the boulder clump clutching his middle and pulling Tish behind him. They disappeared on the other side. Lance lay on the ground next to a frozen soldier. Vala crouched near the boy, but there was no sign of Penny. Where was Krav’n?

  “Janai!” Ash yelled.

  A large, golden ship hovered near the area and she was carried that direction. Ash called her name again. If the soldiers got them to the ship, they could forget about freedom.

  “No,” she said. Desperation turned to anger and her contempt for the Morgee took over. She grabbed the tentacle and placed her hand over the end. The familiar surge of energy pulsed through her body into her hands. The soldier twitched and froze. The glowing eyes went dark. Janai pulled herself from his grip and landed hard on her backside. Someone screamed. “Krav’n!”

  Another soldier had Krav’n in his grip. She pulled herself to her feet and charged, grabbing the tentacle and allowing the energy to flow freely through her hands. She felt weak, sleepy. Hands tugged at her and she started to fight.

  “It’s me,” Ash said. “Come on.”

  “Krav’n?”

  “I’ve got him.”

  She allowed herself to be pulled along. As soon as they passed through an illusion of rock into a cool, lit room, everything went black.

  28 ~ Freedom’s Price

  Janai heard someone singing. A young child’s voice, which she didn’t recognize. She opened her eyes. The room started to spin and she snapped her eyes shut against the movement. Someone placed a cool hand on her forehead and she opened her eyes again.

  “Hi there.” Ash looked down on her. She smiled and tried to sit up but he held her in place. “Not a good idea, Healer.”

  “I’m all right.” Her stomach grumbled.

  “Stay right where you are, young one,” a firm, older voice said in an accent she didn’t recognize.

  Janai turned to see a stranger at her side. This person was female, the same race as the beings in the illusion pictures they’d discovered in the mountain room, and wore a gray jumpsuit with a gold insignia on the left sleeve. Janai suddenly realized she was on some sort of table or bed. She was clean and wearing a fresh jumpsuit. Her head began to clear. She turned away from the woman’s large, reddish eyes to the smooth wall across from her. The berry stain drawings Krav’n and Tish had made along their trip hung in order of occurrence. She looked back to Ash.

  “Krav’n?”

  “He’s fine,” Ash assured her. “Everyone made it to the free-zone.” He looked up at the older being and she nodded.

  “Good. I’m hungry.” She allowed Ash to help her sit up.

  “Food is on its way for you,” the stranger said. Her full lips revealed large, gray teeth that stood out against her blue tinged skin. She had a kind face.

  “This is Divia,” Ash said, introducing the alien woman. “She’s a healer.”

  “Pleased to meet you.” Janai felt a bit weak, something she’d have to get used to with her new healing talents.

  Divia briefly dismissed herself and returned with a bulb fruit bowl and cup of water. Ash helped her eat three servings of the strange stew-like meal. The food made her feel a little stronger. She heard the child’s song again and gave an inquisitive look to Ash.

  He smiled. “It’s Tish. She started talking yesterday. And singing a whole lot.”

  “Yesterday?” How long was I out?

  Healer Divia smiled. “You’ve been asleep for two days, young one.” Her hands had the same fused fingers that Janai remembered from the illusion pictures. White streaked her yellow tufts of hair and the small ridges on her forehead moved slightly when she talked.

  “Where are the others?” Janai wanted desperately to see them.

  Divia’s large eyes glistened. “They’ve been waiting outside.” She walked to the far side of the small room and pressed a black button with a strange symbol. A panel in the smooth wall opened to reveal a doorway.

  “Janai!” Krav’n was the first inside the room. He dashed past Divia’s reaching hands and jumped onto the bed. Small arms wrapped around her neck and a webbed hand caressed her white curls.

  She fought tears as the others made their way to her bedside. She took in the sights of Vala, Gryden, and Blal’k. Penny and Tish climbed up next to Krav’n.

  Tish’s bright smile revealed a missing tooth. “We missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.” Janai caressed the formerly silent girl’s braids. Penny’s eyes were red and she placed a thin, gray hand on the little girl’s forehead. “How’re you feeling?” The little girl shrugged and laid her head on Janai’s shoulder. Janai placed an arm around Penny and pulled her close.

  “How’s your arm, Vala?”

  “Stronger,” the Aknidean girl said with bright yellow eyes. “Gryden’s ribs are almost mended, too. Divia’s an accomplished healer.”

  “Good.” Janai hugged the children closer. “I’m glad to hear it.” She was ashamed to admit it, but she felt a
slight pang of jealousy at the thought of Divia taking care of her patients.

  Someone was missing. Lance. She remembered the boy lying on the ground during the struggle with the Morgee soldiers. She opened her mouth to ask about him.

  “All right,” Divia said in a parental tone. “That’s enough visiting for now.” The group moaned in protest. “Janai needs her rest.” Divia helped Krav’n and Tish from the bed. “You can see her later.” She lifted Penny in her arms and handed the little girl to Blal’k. Then she ushered them out of the room.

  Ash remained. He exchanged a knowing look with her and she followed the children out, sealing the door behind her.

  Janai studied her Kritine companion. He seemed distraught. “Ash, what is it?” Her stomach knotted. “Where’s Lance?” Ash gave her a long stare. “You told me everyone made it.”

  “He was injured. Vala managed to get him inside the free-zone.”

  Janai shook her head at this. “Divia healed him, right?”

  “He saved Penny.” Ash sat next to her. “One of the soldiers captured her and he used his carving knife to cut the tentacle.”

  “I don’t understand.” Tears welled up and she felt confused and angry.

  “The power is in the tentacle,” Ash explained as though talking to a small child. “Lance took the full blast of that power into his body when his knife cut—”

  “I don’t believe you.” Janai’s face grew hot and she started to get up. “You take me to him, Ash.”

  “Janai—”

  “No.” She tried to push past him to stand but he was too strong. He held her in place. “I can help him. Let me up.”

  “He’s dead.” Ash held her shoulders and forced her to look into his lavender eyes. His face softened. “There’s nothing you or anyone else can do for him now.” His jaw muscles ripple and his eyes filled with tears.

  That’s when she let herself go and sobbed uncontrollably, while he held her and rocked her like an infant. She didn’t know how long she cried, but after a while, she didn’t think she had any tears left. Ash offered her a cloth to dry her face. He’d been crying, too.

  She pulled away from him. “Are you all right?”

  “I will be. We all will.”

  “Poor Penny.” Janai sniffed, remembering the little girl’s reddened eyes and indifferent manner. “How’s she taking it?”

  “She’s seen death, but I’m not sure she understands her brother’s never coming back. Tish sings to her.” He offered a slight smile then looked up at the far wall and the doorway appeared.

  Divia stepped into the room. “How are we doing, young ones?”

  “When can I get out of this bed?” Janai said. Her heart jumped when Divia delivered a stare that reminded her of her mother.

  “Another day or two.” The healer’s tone left no room for argument. “It’s our fault you children are here, so we plan to take very good care of you.”

  Janai didn’t understand what she meant and gave an inquiring look to Ash.

  “Divia’s ancestors created the Morgee,” he said.

  Janai studied the woman and waited.

  “What Ash says is true. They were created by the ancient E’treuns to dig for gemstones and perform other dangerous tasks. They could work long hours before regenerating and didn’t get hurt like our flesh and blood ancestors.”

  So the Morgee were once slaves themselves. The large tunnels. The old ones they no longer use for anything except traffic. No wonder they captured children and kept the tunnels small. Probably didn’t want to be enslaved again. Janai pushed those thoughts away, not wanting to sympathize with her former captors. No matter what had happened to them, they had no right to do it to others, especially children.

  Divia moved next to Janai’s bed and placed fused fingers on her arm. “Something went wrong with their programming and they revolted, slaughtering many of my ancestors and placing the captured ones in what you know as the slave camps. A few of the ancients survived and escaped to the mountains, taking what tools they could carry with them. After a few centuries, the captured E’treuns had died out and the ancient ones living here decided to avoid another technological disaster by teaching only what they needed to survive and keep the generations going. They focused on nature, art, healing and other similar knowledges.” She gave Janai an apologetic look. “Most of the texts were stored away centuries ago and much of the ancient codes forgotten.”

  Janai sat up a little straighter. I had suspected. They never seemed to rest, only ate from tubes. Or rather, regenerated. And that steady way they lumbered on, as though they had an eternity to get any place, to do anything. She fought a shiver. “So the Morgee are machines.”

  “Only part machine,” Ash said. “Part of them is organic. Genetically engineered.”

  Divia smiled at Ash. “That’s right. Their genetic make-up has allowed them to learn some of the ancient technology over the centuries. They’ve evolved, so to speak. We had no idea how much of the old technology they had learned to use until we found out about the raids on your worlds.” She suddenly looked very old. “There’s nothing we can do for the children who have been lost. But when we discovered Ash had the gift of communication, we knew we could help you.”

  “That’s why I was getting all those headaches,” Ash said. “Divia’s people were sending messages.”

  “We had never communicated with anyone outside our race and we weren’t sure our methods would work.” Divia smiled at Ash again. “I’m glad you only suffered headaches.”

  He smirked. “I would’ve preferred not to experience those, but Janai’s pain herbs helped.” He nudged Janai and she forced a smile.

  “You’re quite accomplished for your age, Janai,” the woman said. “Are all healers on your world like you?”

  “No,” Ash chimed in. “She’s special.”

  Warmth crept up Janai’s neck and into her face. She gave Ash a sideways glance then looked at Divia. “There aren’t any other Kritine healers here?”

  “I’m afraid not. Only a few Kritine children here have received the mind gift, and none of those seems to be in the healing arts. I could use some help around this place. We’re getting more and more children each cycle of the moons.”

  “So others have made it,” Janai said, mainly to herself.

  “Oh, yes.” Divia beamed. “And word seems to be getting back to the camps about us.”

  “The Morgee were just outside the entrance. Why didn’t they follow?”

  “They can’t trigger the illusions. The illusion walls were kept as safe passage for my people in case something ever went wrong.” She sighed. “We’re still connected to the Morgee. We are forever connected to them, and if we venture outside the free-zone, they will detect and destroy us. They were created to be stronger and live much longer than my people.”

  “How many of you are there? E’treuns, I mean.” Janai felt sympathy toward Divia. Her anger was for the woman’s ancestors.

  The woman offered a sad smile. “Not as many as there used to be. Our mature females only produce one child about every ten cycles. We live long lives but our reproductive time is very limited. We were plentiful before the Morgee revolt, but now—” She took in a long breath. “Our scientists here have been trying for generations to increase our number of children, but they’ve had no luck.” She exchanged a long glance with Ash. “By the time we found out the Morgee were raiding other worlds, our numbers were so depleted we had no way to stop them.” Her reddish eyes hardened. “We thought we had all the time in the world to learn to defeat them. We never thought they could evolve so much. And we certainly never expected them to leave the planet.”

  “They were at the rockdome,” Janai said. “The raids are still happening.”

  “We know. The Morgee are childlike in many ways. They are, after all, E’treun children, in a manner of speaking.”

  Janai frowned. She would never see the Morgee as childlike. Never.

  Ash’s expression mimicked her
thoughts and he made an obvious change of subject. “From what Divia’s told me, children now outnumber the soldiers by quite a bit.” He took Janai’s face in his hands. “You figured out how to disable them. If we can get word back to all the camps—”

  Janai flicked a hand at him and he pulled away. “Wait. Ash, we’re older than most of the others, and we lost two of our own group fighting the soldiers. That was after we had gained strength from rest and food. And we had weapons.” She stared into his eyes. “The younger, weaker ones would never have a chance against them.”

  The Kritine boy glanced in Divia’s direction. “They might,” the E’treun said. “If we help them.”

  Janai’s mind spun with the information she’d received. This was the free-zone and many had found their way here. But others were still enslaved and dying in the camps. Janai was a healer, not a soldier. She and the others were barely out of childhood themselves. She wanted to tell Ash she would be happy to venture back into the Morgee territory, that her life didn’t matter as long as she could save others. But she was feeling selfish. What about my life? A wonderful life she had envisioned with Ash as her mate. How could she be expected to give up her dreams now that she was safe in the free-zone? She’d done her part. She had rescued several camps and led a group to freedom. That’s all I’m supposed to do. Someone else is supposed to take over now.

  A hand landed on her shoulder and she looked into Ash’s eyes. Matt had died freeing her camp, and other runners like him risked their lives every day to help others to freedom. Lance had died saving his sister, and Sarah...A sudden wave of guilt and anger washed over her and she began to cry.

  Divia’s voice broke through her tears. “This is your choice, young one. Take your time. Any decision you make will be honored and respected. We get injured in the free-zone and need healers here.” The woman placed a warm hand on Janai’s head and waited until she blinked her tears back and looked up. “You’ve done well, child. You need to rest.”