In The Shadows of the Cavern of Death (Shadows of Death Book 1) (4 page)

Shaking his head in confusion, he said, “I don’t understand, you said that all of the animals died thousands of years ago. How could there still be meat?” Instead of answering him, I just stared at him, forcing him to accept the truth staring him in the face. Minutes passed and a hundred emotions flashed across his face before I saw the truth of my words sink in, followed by the horror its reality brings. “You’re wrong,” he whispered in despair, turning to his son. “Please tell me it’s not true,” he pleaded. 

“I can’t,” Tristian softly answered before angrily swiping the stray tear that drifted down his cheek.

As mad as I was at Tristian and his father, I shared their grief and burden of this truth. Rising from the couch, I laid a gentle hand on Crowley before moving away. This was not something that needed to be shared. Each had to deal with this horror alone as they came to terms with their own guilt of what they had unwittingly done and what had been done to their children, families, and friends. Walking to the door, I quietly let myself out, wondering if any of us would ever come to terms to with what had been done in the shadows of the Cavern of Death.

Chapter 4

By the time I got up in the morning, Josie and Tina were gone. A quickly left message in the kitchen stated that they had gone to work at the fabric factory for their shift and would return later. I knew they were avoiding me, having feigned sleep when I had returned last night so they wouldn’t have to speak to me. The silence of the house was unsettling. I was rarely home alone, so I never realized how quiet it could be. Was this how it was when you were the last member of your family? Was this what they came home to until it was their time to enter the Cavern of Death? If it was, I could imagine that they looked at the cavern in relief, knowing that they wouldn’t be going back to their empty homes. That they finally had an end to the madness that the unending silence brought.

The knock on the door wasn’t loud, but echoed through the lifeless house. Going to it, I was careful to stay to the side and remain unseen as I peeked through the curtain to see who was there. Unsurprised at my visitor, I unlocked the door. Opening it enough for him to enter, I stepped to the side and waited. After a moment’s hesitation, he crossed the threshold and I silently closed it and relocked it, trying to keep the world at bay. Moving past him, I went to the living room, not bothering to see if he followed, and took a seat. The silence stretched in the small room, until he broke and said what he came here to say: “I would like to see the vid disc that you spoke of.”

“Wait here,” I said, before rising and retrieving it from its hiding spot. Opening the vid display, I brought up the video, pausing it before it could begin. Walking to his side, I placed it in his outstretched hands. “Just press play,” I murmured, before resuming my seat across from him. We both sat in silence as the words began to fill the empty void of the room. I didn’t need to watch it again; it was seared into me so as its words reached me, its accompanying images played back in my mind. As the last word left that evil woman’s mouth and the room went quiet again, I had to fight down the nausea that had come with it.

“Tristian’s lottery is next year,” he croaked, trying to fight back his emotions. “I can’t let him go to the lottery. You will take him with you.”

“Yes,” I stated. It wasn’t a question, but a fact. No matter how angry I was with him, I would never have left him behind to this fate.

“May I see the map? Rising from my seat, I took the vid display and returned a moment later with the map, spreading it out on the table in front of him. Pushing the table closer to him, I took a seat on the floor and waited. I had spent all last night trying to figure out the best route for us to take. Each route had its own dangers, ranging anywhere from cave-ins to soldiers and I didn’t know which was worse. We could possibly kill a soldier, but could we dig ourselves out from a cave-in? “You’ll have to cross the border into the Loyalist cavern to even begin to have a chance of reaching one of these exits, the military cavern is obviously not even an option. Have you thought of how you’ll get the four of you across?” Crowley asked, as he frowned at the map in front of him.

Unfortunately, that is what I had spent the other half of the night trying to figure out. No one had ever made it across to another cavern, the security at the entrances making it impossible. The solution I had come up with was one I didn’t want to have to use. Clearing my throat, I said, “I’m not sure if it’s possible to make it into the Loyalist cavern with the military presence in front of it. Even if we made it past the first layer, I just don’t know how many are posted on the other side.”

He must have heard something in my voice that betrayed me. Raising his eyes, he focused on me. “From the reports our agents have told us, there are ten on rotation at all times with heavy weapons, but I think you had already realized it would be something like that. So entering through the Loyalists cavern isn’t going to happen, which only leaves one choice.”

“Yes, only one,” I murmured.

Nodding his head, he dropped his eyes back to the map before continuing. “It’s the smart choice. There are only two token guards patrolling there at any time. It’s not exactly a place where anyone is rushing to enter. A small disturbance near there would draw the guards away long enough for you to enter. Since the remains aren’t brought through our cavern, there must be an entryway into the Loyalist cavern. I doubt that their side is even guarded, but to be sure, I’ll have an agent check the next time they are escorted across the border. Hopefully they’ll be going in the direction of the Cavern of Death.

“That would be helpful, thank you,” I told him, before discussing our next problem. “My sisters work in the fabric factory, so I have access to the cloth that is produced. If I can obtain it, do you have anyone trusted that could produce us clothing to blend into the Loyalist section?”

“Your sisters are excellent seamstresses. Why not have them do the work?”

I loved my sisters, but I knew that they would ask questions that were better off not being answered for as long as possible. One wrong word even by accident could mean our deaths. “I would prefer to keep them in the dark about our plans for as long as possible,” I said, instead of the truth, that I was afraid that they would rebel once they learned of our plans. They had always been afraid of the unknown, preferring the comforts of routine to give them a sense of stability in an otherwise unstable world.

Nodding his head in understanding at what I left unsaid, he said, “There is an Elder who I would trust to do the work.” Seeing my objections, he held up his hand to stop me. “She is vetted for many years and I trust her. Remember this is also my son’s life, I understand the risks.”

The next few hours we spent going over every possible route and the issues involved with each. Finally we came up with three routes that would give us our best chance. The primary one, if we could reach it, would force us to cross three borders, but I agreed that it was worth the risk if we felt that we could make it. It was an actual sub-entrance originally used by the designers of our prison. While the means of transport they had originally used to get down here would be gone, the size of the shaft would more than make up for it. Our least favorite was in the Loyalist cavern. Partially explored and abandoned due to instability, it could be a death trap for unexperienced climbers like my sisters. I wasn’t worried about Tristian or I; we were climbers from a young age, always looking to escape the poverty that surrounded us, finding little cracks we could slide through to explore. Josie and Tina would be our weak links in this journey, but ones I was willing to die to protect.

“How will we get the supplies and equipment unseen with us? I’m sure Loyalists don’t walk around with climbing equipment, food, and water. It will be a dead giveaway that we don’t belong,” I said, voicing my thoughts.

Pondering our dilemma, Crowley responded, “We’ll have to figure a way to conceal as much as we can under your clothing, and for the rest we’ll have to design bags that look like they belong there.” I nodded my head in agreement, it was the only option. “You’ll wear your climbing suits under your clothing––it will save time if you’re discovered and have to run for the fissure. The guards pursuing you will have bulky uniforms, making it harder to move in the tighter space.”

With that sorted out, I moved to something I knew had to be said. “Eventually it will be noticed we are missing. One or two gone could have been an accident or a reckoning––no one will think too much of the bodies missing as it’s happened before. The problem is with four missing and one being the child of an Elder. I heard what you said to the other Elders, that you believe there are government spies watching you. If you don’t raise the alarm that Tristian is missing, they’ll know for certain that something is wrong. They’ll definitely take you in for questioning and if you tell them about the vid disc it could mean the life of every living soul in our cavern. I think it would be better if you come with us so there is no chance of them ever finding out,” I concluded, hoping he would listen to reason. I should have known better.

Leaning back in the chair, he rubbed his hand across his face before he spoke. “Since my twenty-first year, my life has been about the devotion of our people’s history and the sheer, unrelenting gratefulness that I was allowed to raise my child when so many others couldn’t. Thinking I had received a gift instead of the curse that it truly was. A curse to watch all those you loved die and be left as a living memory to their lives. For twenty years, I have said good-bye to almost everything that has held true meaning in life. You children are the last pieces. I will gladly die before I give them what they want, but I’ve thought about this, too. Once you’re out of this cavern you should be safe in the sense that there is no chance they will search anywhere else but here if I raise the alarm. Which may work in your favor if this cavern is the military’s focus. I’m more selfish, also, for wanting to stay for revenge.” Adding strength to his voice, he continued, “While I had acknowledged the deaths of my loved ones as something endured until we could bring change and freedom to our people, there is no way I can accept what was done to them and what they plan to do to my child. What they did to my wife. I’m an Elder, the keeper of the truth, and this is a truth that must be known. Now that I’m aware of the other caverns, I’ll begin to gather those who can be trusted and show them the truth. If you four make it out unseen, then we may be able to use that as a way to access the other caverns to spread the word and unite with the other Contributors out there. What we have endured in the name of peace to ensure our race’s survival is one thing, but these atrocities must be answered for. No government has the right to single out one people that is part of their sovereign rule. Again and again through our history we have been forced to endure their indifference to our suffering and hardships, whipped like an animal if we offered a word of protest. We are not inferiors, but what our country once stood for, the hardworking who built it. Who suffered gladly in silence knowing that their sacrifice would lead to a better life for their children. In a moment of desperation, we rebelled against the tyrants who thought themselves kings, stealing what we bled for to line their greedy pockets and spread our children’s wealth to the takers of our society. Men and woman who laughed at our labors while spending their time trying to take more from us instead of going out and fighting for their own. The more they received, the greedier they became, selling their votes to a government that lavished them with more every election to keep them happy until the takers far outnumbered the Contributors. Oh, yes, we rebelled. The injustices so great against us we could no longer stand it. Not willing to lose control, they destroyed the surface of our world, sending us into hell. Blaming us for their misdeed. Know this, when we are united once more, there will be no treaty. We will not stand down. What was done cannot be forgiven. This time, when they lose, there will be no pit to flee to. If they wish to silence us, then they will join us in this tomb,” he proclaimed, slamming his hand to the arm of the chair, chest heaving, and resolve etched in the grimness of his face.

Staring at him in this moment, I was awed by what I saw. This was no broken man that I had left the night before. This was a man unwilling to let the injustice of a flawed system steal any more from him. He had been pushed to all limits and instead of breaking, it had made him stronger. In that moment I felt that strength flow to me, empower me to believe that I could do this. I could lead us out of here. I could lead us out of the darkness and into the light.

Chapter 5

In the week that followed my talk with Crowley, I was a wreck. Every knock on our door caused my heart to race. Every face I passed on the streets I was certain was following me, waiting for me to make a move. Terrified, I hide my emotions deep, letting nothing show until it seemed like I was another person than the one that walked in our world just a short time ago. My sisters were afraid for me and of me, speaking in whispered tones whenever I was around. Their worried gazes followed my every move. Ignoring them because I knew that I couldn’t allay their fears, I continued with the plan.

Sneaking into the fabric factory was more difficult than I thought. There had been guards stationed there during the night and I had been almost caught more times than I cared to count. Taking the fabric to Crowley was just as difficult. The morning I went to take the fabric to him, soldiers had lined the streets doing random house searches, checking for contraband, and they almost caught me with it. Only quick thinking and a convenient alley filled with debris saved me from being caught. Luckily, when I went back later that night, the fabric I had stashed in the alley was still there waiting for me. Sneaking it in through Tristian’s window, I was afraid to be seen entering their home. Watching the doors and windows, I sat in the living room to find out if they had any new information. “Have your agents found out if the cavern is guarded on the other side?” I asked lowly, not wanting my voice to carry.

Shaking his head, Crowley handed me a glass of water and sat down next to Tristian “No, they’ve been to the Loyalist cavern, but the house that they were taken to isn’t deep into the cavern, but very near the border,” he said, but the distracted look on his face told me that there was more. I didn’t have long to wait before he continued. “There is something strange. We don’t keep written reports because we are afraid of discovery, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately of the reports and have been speaking with the agents. Something that we have never connected before is now blatantly clear. They are never taken far into the Loyalist cavern, only near the edge and from what I’ve been able to put together, they are always taken to the same street.”

“Maybe those houses are used as their meeting houses for when outsiders are brought in to control what they see and where they go,” I concluded, thinking that made perfect sense.

“I was thinking the same thing, but as I spoke to the agents, they said that there were personal images of the party’s hosts and their family around the houses. No, they are definitely personal residences,” he said, taking a sip from his glass. “The other thing they noticed, now that I pointed it out, is that it isn’t alive there.” Seeing mine and Tristian’s confusion, he said, “Here there is always noise, a sense of life if you will, but there they say beyond the sounds that come from that house, they rarely hear anything, not a child’s cry, the sound of a footstep, nothing,” Crowley finished, clearly disturbed.

Unfortunately, it disturbed me that the whole plan was to blend into the community, a community that should be alive and thriving without a care in the world. If the streets were empty, we would be spotted. How could a community as large as that one is supposed to be, be empty? It made absolutely no sense.

“They have to be mistaken or there is some sort of sound buffer,” Tristian said, voicing my thoughts.

“I know none of it makes sense, Tristian, and that’s the problem––even with a sound buffer, there would be some residual noise in a cavern that size,” Crowley responded, before changing the subject. “The clothing will be ready in two days. On the third day, I want you all gone from here. There is something not right going on around here––the soldiers were acting strangely, they’re targeting Elders’ homes. I think I was right about our new lottery winners and the government has become suspicious as to why we haven’t brought them into the fold yet.  Gillon was pushing for a meeting of the Elders and it has been scheduled in three days’ time. This will be the perfect distraction for you. While they are focused on us, you can make good on your plans.”

“Dad, what type of trouble are you expecting?” Tristian asked, his concern clear.

“Nothing we haven’t dealt with before,” Crowley said, smiling and dismissing Tristian’s concerns.

Realizing that he would say no more on it, I said, “It’s agreed then, in three days we make our move.” Rising from my seat, I said my good-byes and headed for Tristian’s room. Moving to the window, I was stopped by a hand on my arm. “I need to get back home, Josie and Tina are waiting,” I said.

“Josie and Tina are hiding from you,” he retorted, “and they’re who we have to talk about.”

“My family is my business, Tristian, and it doesn’t concern you,” I hissed, trying to pull me arm free.

Tightening his grip, he swung me around, forcing me to land against his chest. Grabbing my chin, he gripped it and forced me to meet his eyes. “They are my responsibility, too, and I will be heard now,” he growled, releasing my chin and dragging me to the bed. Throwing me against it, he said, “Sit.”

Glaring at him the whole time, which seemed to amuse him, I moved myself up so my back could rest against the wall. “Go ahead,” I sneered, waving my hand for him to begin.

With a smile on his face that I wanted to slap, he said, “My father filled me in on his talk with you and I agree that the Cavern of Death is most likely our best way through, but have you given any thought on what that could mean?”

“Yes, of course I’ve given it thought,” I said. What did he think I had done every moment since I had seen that damn vid disc? It haunted my waking hours and dreams, causing me to wake with screams trapped in my throat as accusing dead stares flashed through my mind.

Shaking his head, he said, “I mean have you thought of what we might see in that cavern? What Josie and Tina might see?”

Were my dreams a prophecy of my future when I walked through that cavern?  Would those dead stares follow my every move? I could already hear Josie and Tina’s screams echoing in my head as they looked at Rose’s lifeless, maimed body. I knew what he was saying, if I brought them in there unprepared, the horrors they might see would drive them insane, fracturing their fragile minds. I couldn’t stop the sob that escaped my throat any more then I could stop Tristan when he gathered me into his arms. He was right, they had to be told and it was my place to tell them.

“No, not just your place––I’ll be there with you to help them accept it,” Tristan whispered into my hair, startling me as I realized I had been speaking my thoughts aloud.

“Why did you and Rose hide the truth from me?” I croaked through my tears.

“We did it to protect you. Had you known, you would have wanted to help and neither of us wanted you to experience the depraved acts that she and your cousins had in the name of freedom. You, for all your fierceness, are still pure, uncorrupted by the daily struggles of our lives. By keeping this from you, she saved a part of herself that would have been lost otherwise. Only with you was she ever the girl that she should have been, instead of the woman that she had to become,” he said, so simply, as if it was the most natural conclusion to come to.

Sobs tore from my soul at his words. I was lost. Pushing into Tristan, I forced him down on the bed, curling myself onto his chest. Like a broken child, I sought comfort, burying my face, hiding from the world and the pains that it held. Sleep came quickly, as I was exhausted by the lack that I had since before Rose’s death and the turmoil of my emotions, and I embraced its sweet oblivion when it came.

I’ve slept in Tristian’s arms before, so I wasn’t concerned when I woke in them. Careful not to awaken him, I slowly pulled myself free from his tight grip. Rising from the bed, I spotted my shoes that he must have removed and quietly put them on and made my way through the window, closing it silently after me. It was totally dark as I made my way home, telling me it was deep into the night. I don’t know what alerted me that I wasn’t alone, but a feeling shook me, causing me to blend deeper into the shadows and look carefully into the darkness. Spotting a slight movement, I froze and waited as two men dressed in dark clothing made their way through the streets away from me. There was something not right about them, something that didn’t belong. Matching their stealthy movement, careful to stay out of sight, I followed them, surprised when they stopped at the Elder Gillon’s home. After a moment, the door opened and they entered, a sliver of light peeking out to the night from the sealed house. Careful to keep to the shadows of the homes, I made my way to an alley near Gillon’s home. Moving through it quickly, I made my way around to the back of his home, and crouching down, I moved under a cracked window so that I could hear the voices coming from inside.

“I’m doing the best I can,” Gillon’s voice screeched. “It’s that bastard Crowley, he’s the one that is holding the others back from the induction of the new members.”

“Can you terminate him and take care of the problem without causing suspicion?” a raspy voice asked.

“It’s best to wait until after their Council meeting. I have enough votes that I can get it passed, then I’ll make sure that he causes no trouble for my replacement,” he said, laughing evilly. “These people are such fools, it’s hard to believe that their ancestors almost toppled the government. I can’t wait to be away from the filth of this place. I was only supposed to be here for two years before a replacement was sent to take my place, and it’s been five. I know that bastard Vincent was behind it!” he accused, a loud crash punctuating his words.

“You place too much importance on time, Jalic, and not enough on your mission. It was your duty to remain until you were no longer needed. I’m sure you’re not questioning your superiors, are you?” the voice intoned. In a bored tone, the man continued, “The information that you have gathered on the Rebels has been useful. You should take it as a compliment that they allowed you to remain these last three years––it means that you have been effectual at your assignment. Now if you are done complaining, give me your vid disc with your reports so we may leave.” 

“Here, take it and hopefully the next time we meet it won’t be in this hovel,” Gillon barked. Fading footsteps and a slammed door announced that he left the room.

“Do you think he will be a problem?” the silent one asked, speaking for the first time.

“If he becomes a problem, his replacement will silence him permanently,” the other answered, unconcerned.

No sound other than a soft click of the door told me they had left. As quickly and quietly as I could, I retraced my steps, barely catching sight of the direction that they went. Knowing that it was dangerous, I followed them anyway, through the twists and turns of the streets, careful to stay out of sight. I followed them all the way to the entrance of the Loyalist cave, where the soldiers parted to let them cross. Turning quickly on my heels, I made my way back to where my night had started, climbing silently into Tristian’s window. Making my way back to where I had left him hours before, I laid my hands on him, whispering softly but urgently, trying to wake him.

Leaning down until my lips touched his ear, I insistently said his name, getting louder each time in my bid to wake him. So focused was I on this that I was unprepared when he turned his head and caught my lips with his, wrapping his arms around me to hold me in place. Frozen, I sat as his lips moved over mine, caught by surprise at the feeling. Jerking back from his lips, but still held in his arms, I watched as his sleepy eyes opened and realized it was me. I guess I expected shock and to be pushed from his arms, not the smile that curled his lips and the warm, sure press of his fingers on my back trying to pull me toward him. Moving my hands to his chest, I pushed back to separate us, seeing a frown mar his face before I took my eyes from his and he released me. With unsteady legs, I got up from the bed, keeping my face averted to hide the blush I could feel burning it. Remembering why I came back, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and turned back to face him, taking a quick step back when I found him standing right behind me. Knowing I couldn’t leave to avoid what just happened, I ignored it. I was probably making too much out of it, anyway––who knows who he thought I was?

Turning my gaze to his chin, I blurted out, “We need to wake your father,” before he had a chance to speak. Turning on my heels, I went for the door. A hand shot past me, landing firmly on it and blocking my exit. Keeping my back to him, I said, “We need to wake your father, Tristian, now. It’s a matter of life or death,” I finished, waiting to see what he would do. With deliberate slowness, he removed his hand from the door, allowing me to release a breath I hadn’t been aware that I was holding. Pulling the door open before he changed his mind, I made my way toward his father’s room, stopping when a hand closed around my upper arm.

“Go into the sitting room, we’ll join you in a moment,” Tristian said, in a deep voice that sent a shiver through me. Obeying without question, I went and sat on the couch, silently waiting for them to join me. After about ten minutes they finally came.

“What’s this about Misty?” A grumpy Crowley asked as he took the seat across from me, leaving Tristian to join me on the sofa. I really should have thought about the seating arrangements before taking my seat, I thought, before pushing that aside and getting down to what I came to tell him.

“I was out walking a few hours ago and noticed two strange men,” I began, but was interrupted by Tristian.

“What the hell were you thinking of walking home this late by yourself? You should have woken me. Do you realize what could have happened to you?” he yelled.