Into the Roar (The Roar Series Book 2) Read online

  “We couldn’t chance exposing ourselves. They burned everything. Then we found the note. That reminded Timothy where to find you.” I reasoned.

  “You picked the place, Timothy! How could you forget?” She demanded. I thought I saw tears well up in her dark eyes. “Well, mark that village off your list of places from now on! They beat the heck out of me and treated me like a dog.” She spat angrily.

  “I’m sorry, Cara. I had to take Alex back to see if anything was left at the doctor’s. We came as soon as we could.” He confessed.

  He grabbed her and hugged her. At first, she stiffened. I thought she was going to fight him off, but she melted into his embrace and quietly sobbed. I put my arms around them both and held them tightly.

  After a few minutes, she pushed us off her. “That’s enough.” She said abruptly. She pulled her hair away from her face and wiped her wet eyes with her sleeves.

  I pointed at the paper. “Is that it?” I asked. The paper seemed too small to hold the information we needed.

  “It’s a part of it.” Cara regarded me. “I didn’t think it was a good idea to hide all of it in one place.”

  “You hid it?” I asked.

  “Yep.” She replied proudly. “I hid three separate pieces like this one.”

  She sat up and handed me the sliver of paper. It had a small map sketched upon it.

  “What is it?” I passed it to Timothy.

  “That is a map to the entrance to the computers that synchronize the Roars.” She held a hand to her wounded eye.

  An icy streak ran through my gut. The importance of this small piece of paper astonished me. I leaned over Timothy’s shoulder to have another look.

  “I guess I didn’t realize the doctor got that far.” I breathed deeply. “Hold on.” Something about all of this jogged my memory. “Do you remember the doctor said that he needed to put more of the puzzle pieces together from the capsule?” I asked Timothy.

  He looked at me strangely and slowly nodded his head.

  “Do you think he was hinting at the papers? They are parts of a map that we are meant to follow.” I put my hand on his arm.

  Timothy pondered the thought. He folded the paper carefully. “Cara, what should I do with it?” He held it away from himself. He was nervous about the responsibility of the map.

  Cara laughed. “I’ll take it, but you two have to help with the others. I don’t feel like one of us should be charged with holding all of the notes.” She shifted to take the paper from Timothy. Cara tucked the paper under her shirt. “Don’t think I have to worry about anyone searching there. Not much to draw interest.” She smirked and patted her chest.

  I shook my head at the joke she made at her own expense. “Alright. What in the world happened last night?”

  Cara’s eyes flashed angrily in the shadows of the tree. “As the doctor was making new discoveries, he grew paranoid that someone might try to take it or that the soldiers would find us. He asked me to hide pieces of his notes so that they wouldn’t find all of them, if his fears came true. I did what he asked, because I thought it was smart. You’ve got to give it to the old man; what he lacked socially he made up for in brains.”

  “Do you think he really knew they would be coming or do you think the raid was a coincidence?” Timothy asked.

  “I don’t think he really knew. I just think he was paranoid. Anyway, after you two left the doctor’s, he gave me the last of his notes. I went out to hide them. It was getting dark, so I didn’t want to go too far. I hid the papers and I heard the screams on my way back to the village.

  I ran; terrified that they would find you two. When I reached the outskirts of the village, I tried to find a good vantage point to survey the raid.” Cara lowered her eyes. “A soldier found me and gave me this.” She pointed at her black eye. “Trust me, I left him in worse shape.”

  I giggled nervously. “I don’t doubt it for a second.”

  “I went straight to the next village. That was where Timothy and I had agreed to meet up, in case of emergency. I was worried sick about you guys.” She pulled my hand into hers.

  “We were worried about you, Cara.” I reassured her.

  A single tear rolled down her cheek. I wasn’t used to this much vulnerability from her. It made me feel awkward in my attempts to console her.

  “When I got to the village, I knocked on a random door. I immediately told them about the raid. Other people were brought to see me. They decided they didn’t believe me, because of what I am. So, one of the men slapped me around.”

  I caressed the top of her hand. I glanced at Timothy. His face was red with rage.

  Cara went on. “They were afraid the soldiers were going to come to their village next. The leader wanted to keep me as a bargaining chip. In the morning, you guys came.”

  Timothy blew out a heavy breath. We sat in silence to digest her story.

  “I am sorry we didn’t come sooner.” I left it at that. She didn’t need to hear our excuses. She needed us and we weren’t there.

  Timothy couldn’t hold back his anger anymore. “If I ever see that village again they will be lucky if I don’t burn it to the ground myself.”

  “Timothy.” I cautioned him. “Remember, not all of them are to blame. There are innocents among them, too.”

  He took a deep breath to calm down. I put an arm over his shoulders. Eventually, he nodded that he understood.

  “What now?” I ventured.

  “We get the other papers.” Cara answered.

  Chapter Nine

  We crawled out of our hidden sanctuary and into the sun’s full wrath. I squinted and shaded my eyes with my hands. It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the light.

  I couldn’t fathom what the world must’ve looked like for Cara and Timothy when they took their first steps above ground. The sun must have blinded them. The open space must have overwhelmed them, in contrast to the tunnels below.

  I looked Cara over as we began to walk. She only came to my shoulder in height; her little frame concealed her strength. It amazed me, even after all we had been through together, that she fought a soldier in hand to hand combat.

  Cara was out the night of the raid. Fortunately, that meant she had her weapon and a small pack of supplies. She always carried some provisions whenever she left the village. I was thankful for that.

  Timothy and I were weighed down with belongings. At some point we would need to take inventory and discard some of the items we grabbed in desperation. In those last moments in the hut, we packed everything we could get our hands on.

  Cara told us we would travel inland a couple of miles to retrieve the next paper. Each of us held our weapons at our side, in case we ran into any surprises. (We had a knack for running into surprises.)

  Beneath the forest’s canopy, it was easy to let my guard down. I had to force myself to stay focused. I still found myself in awe of the outside world; its beauty and the music nature provided.

  In the camp, where I had spent the last few years, there was no nature, no music from the insects and animals, only dirt and despair.

  I took my place in the middle of Cara and Timothy. They were both very protective of me. I was happy that neither of them brought up the slight limp that lingered. It wouldn’t do any good now; crutches had no place out here.

  I watched my feet. I stepped over fallen twigs and piled leaves. Quiet feet prefer the soft beds of pine needles.

  “Alex drew the machine again.” Timothy broke the silence.

  “When did she do that?” Cara asked.

  “This morning, when we got to the doctor’s.” Timothy relayed with concern.

  “I don’t remember doing it this time either. I black out and when I come around, the drawing is there. Timothy thinks it’s connected to emotional stress.” I added to explain.

  “Let’s hope that you don’t black out at a bad time then.” Cara pointed out.

  I hadn’t thought about that. I would be a big liability if my brain dec
ided it was a good time to go artsy in the middle of a fight. I sighed.

  Cara wrapped an arm around my waist. “Don’t worry I’ve got your back.”

  “This is so frustrating. I don’t know what is going on with me.” I rubbed my temples.

  “I know. We will figure it out soon or it will stop on its own. The device has been out of your leg a couple of days. Maybe it will just wear off.” She tried to sound hopeful.

  Timothy held up his hand to stop us. He turned with his black hair in his eyes and gestured to a plump squirrel that was busy in the leaves ahead. Cara eased ahead with her knife held high. She released it with a determined force. It made for a clean kill, as always, quick and to the head, so the animal wouldn’t suffer.

  She walked over to it, cleaned her knife on the bark of a tree, and slung the meal over her shoulder.

  Her apt hunting skills were beyond me. My last attempt was less than stellar. I made a mental note to have her teach me more while we were out here. I needed to be able to fend for myself, God forbid I ever need to.

  “What did you eat underground?” I felt comfortable enough to ask, because there had been no sign of people for quite some time.

  “When I was young, I remember food was a necessity we had to choke down. Tubers and roots were mashed, roasted, or boiled with every meal. Grubs or other edible creepy crawlies made up our protein.” Cara wrinkled her nose at the memory.

  “The closer we got to the Roars, the more “normal” the food became. I guess there were so many of us that made trips above that they lost the will to eat garbage anymore. Your food was much more appetizing.” Timothy joked.

  “That’s probably why so many of you were fat!” Cara teased.

  I smiled at the memory of some of my favorite foods.

  “You guys ever had pizza?” I asked.

  “What’s that?” Cara wanted to know.

  “It was probably the most fattening, gluttonous thing you can imagine. There was flat bread on the bottom, tomato sauce, melted cheese, and whatever you wanted on top. All you had to do was make a phone call and viola; thirty minutes later a guy would deliver it to your house.” My mouth watered. In the chaos, we hadn’t eaten. My stomach growled.

  Cara’s eyes were wide. “That must’ve been some good stuff! You look like you did when we ate that boar.” She held up the squirrel in front of me. “Makes this thing look like a grub I bet!” She joked, but I felt like I sounded ungrateful. My stomach rumbled again.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for your hunting ability. Without you, I would be living off grubs.” I added quickly.

  “Cara makes the best roasted squirrel I’ve ever had.” Timothy poked Cara in the side.

  “Don’t you give me that!” Cara smacked him in the arm. “Even I would take one of those pizzas right about now. What have you got to eat?”

  Timothy rummaged around in his pack and presented us with a piece of dried meat and an apple. Despite no pizza, we all chewed and walked together happily.

  “One day, after we shut this down, I will make us a giant pizza. It’ll have sausage and mushrooms on top.” I offered with my mouth full.

  “I am going to hold you to that.” Cara said with a bite of apple mushed in her mouth.

  Chapter Ten

  Cara led us to a tree with roots that twisted and protruded from the earth. Timothy and I stood guard as she walked the circumference of the tree until she found a tiny hollow in the base of the trunk. She knelt in front of the hole before she put her hand inside. Cara slid a small metal tube out, like the one we found in the ashes. She held it up and smiled at me.

  Timothy took the tube and opened it. He dumped a small scroll into his hand. Gently, he unraveled the paper and looked it over.

  “This looks like it might be a map through the tunnels. It is the location of the main machine underground.” He stared at the small paper in his fingers.

  “Can I see?” I leaned over his arms.

  On the paper, a sketch of what appeared to be a network of tunnels was drawn. The edge of the note was torn. It looked like the pattern on the corner was deliberate.

  “Cara, can I see the other note?” I asked.

  She produced the folded note from her undergarments. I took it and matched the ends. They fit together perfectly; like a puzzle. Timothy raised an eyebrow at me. I shrugged and smiled.

  He turned the paper in his hand and traced the map to the entry point. From there, the new piece continued exactly where the other left off. It flowed into an underground map.

  Cara giggled. “Alex, you are a genius.” She nudged me.

  I brushed off the exaggerated compliment. “Two down, one to go.”

  Timothy looked back at the paper and then to me. A smile spread across his face. He still processed the fact that I had figured out the puzzle faster than he did. He kissed the side of my head.

  “Let’s go get us the last piece.” Timothy proposed.

  Cara frowned. “I don’t think we will make it there today. I hid the last one a little better than the other ones. I think it is the most important. It contains the information about how to shut down the machines.”

  My knees were little weak. Of course, I knew that was our mission. This had just been a treasure hunt, up till now. The reality of our intentions began to sink in. I was sure the color drained from my face.

  Timothy took my hand. “You can still decide to stay behind.”

  “No, I can’t. This is as much my battle as yours.” There was no way he would leave me behind.

  Cara piped up. “If it makes you feel better Timothy, you can believe Alex will change her mind.”

  Timothy shot her a nasty look.

  Cara took the tube and the papers from him. She neatly rolled the paper and stuffed back into the tube. She stuffed the folded one down her shirt and patted it in the concealed spot. Then she handed me the other and gestured for me to hide it inside my boot.

  “Better to hide it there. You have a little more up top to attract attention.” Her eyes sparkled in the light, mischievously.

  Timothy cocked his head and rolled his eyes. I pursed my lips.

  “We have to go back to the river for the next tube.” Cara seemed tired.

  “Then you’re right, we won’t be able to find it and get to a safe place to sleep. Do you know if the old mill is still abandoned by the creek?” Timothy questioned.

  “It was last time I passed by on an errand. It’ll do for a night.” Cara suggested.

  Suddenly, a scream pierced the forest. All three of us turned with our weapons drawn. Timothy grabbed my shoulder and shoved me against the tree. He stepped in front of Cara. We waited, but only heard a muffled sound come from the same area.

  “We have to check it out. Whoever that was needs help.” I whispered.

  Timothy nodded. “You two stay behind me.”

  We crept along from tree to tree to stay in the elongated shadows of the late afternoon. I was ready for a fight if need be, but there was no question that someone needed help.

  The scream made my hair stand on end, because it was one of physical pain. Since I’d been out here, I had come to recognize the different sounds of screams. Some screams translated into mourning, others were from anger, and the worst was the bloodcurdling call of pain.

  Beads of sweat gathered on my forehead as I followed Timothy closely. The back of his neck glistened with sweat also. He moved smoothly across the ground, like a ghost.

  He ducked behind a fallen log pinned between bushes. We squatted and peered through the leaves.

  A young girl, maybe in her late teens, writhed on the ground. There was a young man wrapped around her. He covered her mouth with his hand. He tugged at something on the ground. The object clanked, like metal.

  Cara sprang from behind the bushes. She evaded Timothy’s attempt to pull her back.

  “What are you doing?” She yelled.

  The young man froze in surprise.

  “I’m going to ask you on
e more time and if you can’t find a convincing answer I am going to slit your throat, you sick-“

  “Wait! Wait!” He interrupted. “This is my sister. She is caught in an animal trap. Help me, please!”

  Timothy and I emerged from hiding. The girl looked at us. Her eyes were wild with pain.

  The girl’s eyes met mine and I gasped loudly. Her eyes were like Timothy’s and Cara’s; pitch black. My eyes shifted to the young man’s. His eyes plead with mine. I was frozen in shock.

  “See?” The man lifted a chain that was somehow attached to the girl’s leg. She struggled against him with the movement.

  Cara processed the situation quickly. She rushed to the couple and dumped her bag on the way. She slid onto the dirt next to them.

  My legs started to move again. I found myself with Cara’s pack in hand and then beside them.

  “I had to try and keep her quiet. Who knows what is out here?” He tried to explain.

  “It’s going to be alright.” Cara tried to calm the girl.

  She followed the chain to the girl’s ankle. There was a metallic claw that gripped her ankle.

  Blood soaked the girl’s boot. She had on a very rudimentary version of the type of boots we wore. There was a layer of metal in the sole that is meant to ground the Roars and kept the frequency from the person that wore them.

  “Timothy you have to pry that thing off her. Alex, start pulling out the medicine and something to wrap the wound.” Cara was back in her element. She looked back at the man that held his sister. “You are doing the right thing. Keep her as quiet and still as possible.”

  I tore through Cara’s pack and found some of her ointment. Inside my own bag, I pulled out a shirt and stripped it. I twisted two together and handed it to Cara to use as a gag. She gave me an appreciative nod. The girl needed something to bite, to muffle her screams.

  Timothy grabbed two large sticks from the ground. He held one out to me. He knelt beside the trap and took off his jacket. “I am going to need your help. When I get the teeth of this thing off her ankle, you slide this stick into the edge. Try not to pin it against her leg.”