Emily (22 page)

As exhausted as Vladimir and Eric were they didn
’t sleep. Vladimir had tried to come up with a plan to free them but he couldn’t see how they could get out and the thought was driving him to distraction. Guilt washed over him for bringing Emily into this. Then his thoughts went to the years that his mother had endured in this prison, and the death of his men.

Eric
’s thoughts were similar. He didn’t want to die without seeing Emily and Valeskia again. He wanted, so desperately, to see his son, to talk to him and to know him. So the night had passed with each man experiencing their own worst hell in their minds.

The guards opened the door at sunrise and the blonde girl who had distracted the guard the day before came in; she was carrying a tray of food. It was porridge.

‘You’re kidding, right?’ Eric quipped, bringing a smile to the girl’s face and a snarl from the guards.

Putting the bowl in front of the men, Helena mouthed,
‘Be ready,’ before she turned back to the guard and left the cell.

‘
What’s happening to us today?’ Vladimir asked the guard.

The guard smiled cruelly.
‘Why, another round of torture. I’m not sure why we’re wasting food on you but don’t worry, it won’t be long until we’re ready to take you back to the white room.’

‘
Great,’ Eric mumbled, ‘another day in paradise.’

After the guard left Vladimir said,
‘We must be ready when they move us, that is when they will have to free us.’ At least, he hoped it was when they could try. He didn’t think that either of them would last another day of torture, the damage to their bodies would be extensive.

When the guards came, both men were standing in the cell. The pain in Vladimir
’s leg was excruciating and he didn’t think he’d be able to walk very far. After the guard removed the foot shackles Vladimir tried to flex his leg but the movement was stiff. As the men left the cell and came into the hallway there was no one else in sight. Vladimir’s heart sank as they approached the lift. He looked at Eric who just shrugged his shoulders, he too had given up hope. As they entered the large lift the guards moved both men to the back. Pushing the button to the floor below, the lift doors closed and they began to move down.

Vladimir realised that the lift was taking longer than it did the previous
day, Eric had picked up on this as well. As the doors opened Vladimir pretended that his leg gave out and he stumbled, causing the guards to look back at him. When they turned back to step out of the lift they were faced with Janak, Helena and three other men, facing them with guns. The lift had taken them to a space under the white floor; it was like a cavern and looked like it had been dug out by hand.

‘
I think this is my floor,’ Eric remarked and within seconds the guards had their guns removed and were being tied up. Producing the key, Janak unlocked the men’s chains.

‘
Come, we must be quick. Varrick and Roy are waiting for you above.’

‘
Do they know about this floor?’ Vladimir asked quietly.

‘
No,’ Helena replied, ‘it’s taken us five years to make it. The hard part was joining another section to the lift and changing the wiring so the lift would continue down. We hadn’t had a chance to test it so we’re glad it worked.’ Vladimir was impressed with their commitment; the tunnel was over two hundred and fifty metres long.

‘
I am glad it worked too,’ he commented drily.

On seeing daylight, Vladimir stumbled again. This time it was for real, his leg was too hurt to carry him.

‘Give me a moment,’ Vladimir panted.

‘
No time,’ Janak replied. He gestured to two of the men, who gave their guns to Janak and Helena then picked Vladimir up in a fireman’s lift. Eric was in no better shape but he was able to move. The events of the day before had affected them physically.

Reading their minds, Janak encouraged,
‘It’s not much further. We’ve got a truck and it will take us to a safe place,’ and as he said it, they rounded a corner and there it was. The motor was running and they took off as soon as they had all climbed in.

Catching their breath, Vladimir looked at Eric. It was good to be free but Vladimir felt disempowered. He had left Emily and Valeskia behind and for a split second a wave of dread almost overpowered him. Would he see the woman he loved again? Reaching out he pulled Eric close to him, placed his arm around his shoulder and whispered into his ear;
‘We will get them back.’ But Eric was silent, his eyes full of tears, it was so hopeless.

* * *

The alarm sounded as Varrick and Roy were walking to the torture chamber. Walking across to a phone, Varrick rang the head guard.

‘
What’s going on?’ he demanded. Roy watched Varrick’s face turn bright red. He knew that, whatever the news was, it was bad. Hanging up the phone, Varrick paused trying to get his emotions under control, his face red.

‘
Vladimir and Eric have escaped.’ He choked out the words.

‘
How?’ Roy asked. He stepped back from Varrick feeling the rage pulse off him.

Varrick responded by picking up a chair and throwing it against a wall.

‘
I’ve been too soft on these people, I can see that now. Call the guards; we need to find my son and his mate. This time I don’t care if they bring them back alive or dead.’

Roy just nodded; he knew that Varrick could easily turn on him as well. He pitied the guards who had been with Vladimir and Eric when they escaped
– if they were still alive they wouldn’t be for long.

As if he had read Roy
’s mind Varrick turned and said, ‘Bring me the guards who have failed me, but first kill them slowly. I only want their heads.’

Then, thinking for a moment, he said,
‘Have Ivan do it, he needs to vent some steam.’

Roy thought to himself,
Now that will be gruesome
.

Since Sarah had gone, Ivan
’s control over his constant desire to kill had diminished. Already Ivan had killed two abnormals for just being near him and Roy knew he would soon have to send Ivan from this world. He was like a nuclear time bomb; it wouldn’t matter who was around if he went off, he would try to kill them all.

Hearing the alarm go off, Valeskia realised that Vladimir and Eric had escaped. Varrick had come to see her but all he had done was look at her. Valeskia knew to say nothing; she understood her life was in danger. The rage pulsating off his body was almost visible and their years together had attuned her senses to his. When he left she took a deep breath. The years had
taken her anger away and for the first time in thirty years she longed to be free, and not just herself, her people as well.

In her dream the previous night, Dusana had come to her and told her that Emily was the key. Valeskia couldn
’t imagine how the girl could free them all, but this time she wouldn’t turn her back on her dream. Dusana’s gifts were never really understood, all Valeskia knew was that there was a bond and it was so strong, death couldn’t part them. She needed to free Emily but she didn’t know how. She knew that Varrick would triple the guards around them now that Vladimir and Eric had escaped.
But there is always a way out
, she thought,
always
…

* * *

It seemed like they were rolling along for hours in the back of the truck. Helena had pulled out a basket full of food and Vladimir and Eric ate their fill. Eric had looked at Vladimir’s leg but they could see it was beginning to heal and there was no infection. After some rest he would be able to walk on it again. While they relaxed in the truck, Vladimir observed Janak and Helena. They seemed to work as one, rarely talking but knowing what the other needed. After thinking for a moment he asked them, ‘You are bonded?’

Helena smiled and Janak replied,
‘Yes, we are, like you two.’

‘
Does it always happen?’ Eric asked, curious.

‘
Yes, it is rare for us not to find a bond mate, it usually happens after the gene therapy.’

‘
What happens if one of you die?’ Vladimir asked, thinking of Ivan.

‘
Usually the one left does not exist for long. Sometimes they go mad but mostly they kill themselves.’

‘
We are bonded to Emily as well as each other,’ Vladimir spoke softly. ‘We need to free her.’

Janak looked away.
‘I’m sorry, I don’t know how we can free her. Varrick will make sure that no one gets to her now.’

Eric smashed his fist into the side of the truck in frustration but Vladimir remained calm as he thought to himself,
there has to be a way
. Putting his head on Eric’s shoulder, he whispered, ‘We will find a way, Môn vieux, I promise you.’

The truck turned off the small road onto a track that was covered in bushes. The branches smashed into the truck and it seemed that at any moment the truck would have to stop because of the vegetation. Finally the truck pulled into a clearing and stopped, it was in the middle of a camp. Eric jumped off the truck and helped Vladimir down. There were dozens of children playing tag and they all stopped and looked at the men. Adults were gathering and Vladimir counted over fifty people, all different ages. They were dressed in rags and looked under-nourished but they all stood proud and defiant.

Eric turned to Vladimir and smiled. Vladimir thought to himself,
Now, these are the kind of people we are
.

A small boy ran up to Janak and he scooped him up in his arms, tickling his tummy and kissing his head. Turning to the men he introduced the boy.

‘Gareth, these are our new friends. This is Vladimir and this is Eric.’ Gareth buried his head into Janak’s chest; he was shy but peered back up, smiling at the men.

Helena beckoned for the men to follow her and she led them into a large tent. Inside were two cots and the floor was covered with sheep skins, the only other furniture in the tent was a table
with two chairs.

‘
This is yours. I’ll gather the Council and we’ll meet with you.’

‘
The Council?’ Vladimir asked.

‘
This is how we run the camp, through a Council. We make our decisions together.’

‘
Before you go Helena, please tell me, are all the people here like us?’ Vladimir asked.

‘
You mean wolves?’ Vladimir nodded. ‘Yes, we are all wolves here, although some of us don’t turn after the treatment. Varrick sends the other dark creatures to a different camp we don’t know where it is, we’ve only really heard about them and Vondra is the only tiger we know of.’

‘
She’s mad,’ Janak added, coming into the tent. ‘She hardly talks to anyone.’

But Helena replied,
‘I don’t think she’s mad, I think it’s because she hasn’t bonded. I think it’s because she’s alone.’

‘
What about the children?’ Eric asked.

Helena replied sadly,
‘All the children here are from the people that are free. So far none have lived past the age of fifteen without the gene therapy. We’ve only been able to steal enough serum for half of the children and even then only half will live to be adults after the gene therapy.’

‘
What do you know about my mother?’ Vladimir asked softly.

Helena responded with a smile.
‘She’s a kind woman, I’ve always known her. Varrick has kept her for as long as I’ve been alive and I’m twenty six years old.’

Janak added,
‘She has helped many of us escape.’ Eric and Vladimir shared a small smile; they knew how smart Valeskia was. Vladimir felt pride in his Mother.

Helena moved to leave and said,
‘I’ll gather the Council, it will take an hour. Please rest, you’re safe here.’

‘
Janak reached for her hand and as they left he said, ‘We have patrols all around us. We’ll know if Varrick comes close to us, our people know how to move quickly.’

After they had left, Vladimir lay down on the cot.

‘Let’s try to connect to Emily,’ he suggested. They had tried the night before and the day before that with no luck.

Eric lay down on the cot next to Vladimir and joined him in a connection as he tried to connect with Emily. For a moment it felt like she joined them but within seconds it had gone.

Eric sat up feeling frustrated. ‘Damn it!’

Vladimir thought for a moment then said,
‘Let’s see if we can connect to Applejacks.’

Eric and Vladimir had never forged a connection to the horse without Emily before, as whenever they wanted to speak to Applejacks they just went through Emily
’s connection. And both men had spent time alone with Applejacks and had learned to communicate without words.

Lying back down, Eric shut his eyes and connected with Vladimir. After a moment, Applejacks joined them and they could sense his relief at their contact.