In The Shadows of the Cavern of Death (Shadows of Death Book 1) (17 page)

It was well into the dark when we left our little hideaway. Moving silently, we hurried as quickly as we dared, careful not to make a sound. The ones at the rear of our party disguised our trail as we pushed forward. It was close to dawn when we heard something that made my heart stop. A twig snapped and voices grumbled in the dark as two soldiers stepped right into our path, not five feet from me. Instinct to survive rushed through me as the soldier closest to me opened his mouth, I lunged, fear giving me strength and surprise the advantage––I brought us to the ground, driving my knife deep into his throat. With dispassionate eyes, I watched as life left his. Uncaring that I had just taken a life, it was but the first of many I was sure I would have to take in this new world. The part of me that would have cared was long since buried deep within me. Unfortunately, the others weren’t as quick. The sound of a gunshot echoed around us the other soldier got off a round before they were able to silence him. We were out of time, stealth was no longer an option, they were coming, and if we did not reach the bunker before they found us, we never would.

Racing, we heard their approach moving quicker than I would have thought possible; they made their way unerringly in our direction. Our capture would have been assured if two member of our party had not moved away from us, racing in another direction. The sound of their firing guns echoed in the distance, drawing the soldiers to them. Dawn had come, the entrance to our haven stood before us, risen from the ground as its keepers waved at us to hurry. Grabbing my arm, Michael pulled me forward. He and I were the last to enter as the lift descended into the ground, hiding us from those that would see us dead. Two lonely shots sounded, echoing through the forest. Their sound as clear as a bell for those who understood the soldiers would not capture any of us this day. 

Chapter 16

Twenty-four hours had passed since we arrived. The council had given us this long to recover before calling us to them, unable and unwilling to wait any longer. My sleep was plagued with nightmares as I slept alone in my room. Standing before the mirror, I threw cold water on my face, wiping the remnants of what little sleep I had gotten from it. Going to the door when the knock sounded through the empty room, I opened it and followed the man on the other side to the meeting hall in the center of the complex. The halls themselves were crowded with people the closer we came, overflowing from the meeting hall that was unable to hold them all. Parting for us, they whispered as we passed, touching my arm and smiling as if they were happy that I returned to them alive. Entering the hall, the crowd parted to let us pass, allowing us clear access to the front before moving back, closing the path behind me. 

Seated high up, the council waited, watching me. Bowing my head to them, I went to where Michael and the others of our group were seated and took the empty seat next to him.

Looking out into the crowd, the Councilman Samson said, “We call this meeting of the council to order.” The silence was instantaneous. No one wanted to miss a word of what was to come. “We are pleased to see that so many of those who accepted the mission have made it back to us and grieve with the families of those who did not. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten.” Turning to look at Michael, Councilman Samson said, “Commander, the council has some questions for you that we will speak of later. For now though, we need to speak with the fruit of your mission––those you brought back with you.”

Standing, Michael motioned the first woman we found to step forward, looking back at the council. “This is Tara,” he said, as the terrified woman stepped forward. “She was instrumental in helping us gather the others quickly,” he said, stepping back, motioning her forward.

Smiling kindly at the frightened woman, the council said, “Child, you have nothing to fear from us, we will not harm you. We have brought you and the others here to answer questions no one else has the answers to anymore. We will not judge you on anything you say, so please be honest with us.” At her timid nod, he continued, “How long ago did you escape the city?”

“Four years ago,” she whispered.

“Louder, please, my dear, some of us aren’t as young as we used to be and our hearing is not as it once was.”

In a louder voice, she said, “Four years ago, sir.”

Nodding his head approvingly, he said, “And how did you escape the city?”

Looking with wide eyes back at the other Prey before she caught herself and turned quickly back to answer the floor in front of her, she said, “We didn’t escape the city.”

Murmurs moved through the crowd, so the councilman raised his hand to silence them “Then how did you get to Twin Rivers?”

“We are Prey, sir,” she said, as if that made all the sense in the world.

Seeing that this was going to take forever with this line of questioning, I stood. “Victor, members of the council, may I ask her a few questions?”

After some quiet words among them, they told me to proceed, and I turned to Tara. “Look at me,” I said harshly, forcing her to raise her frightened eyes to mine. “What is Prey?”

Seeming to be able to function better with my harshness, like any good slave, she stood a little straighter as she began to speak. “Prey are those that have displeased their masters or are too old to be of use and are let loose from the city to be hunted by the Hunters for sport.”

Seeing me smiling my approval at her words, she seemed to relax a little. “So you and the others escaped the Hunters?” I asked.

“Yes, we escaped and the townspeople found us and took us in.”

“Why did you not tell them about the City to the West, or what they had done to you?”

“At first we were afraid that they would give us back, then later, when we realized that they weren’t like those that we escaped, others came to see us. They said that if we ever told anyone about what goes on at the city, we would be returned there.”

“Were you born above ground or below it?”

“I was born below, but there are many born above also that serve the masters.”

“Loyalists!” I spit out, uncaring that I was scaring her enough to step back. “They are not your masters, they are Loyalist scum and you, being born in the caverns, should know that.” Her cowardness at those words, even when she was safe, was too much for me to bear. Realizing that my mask was slipping, I worked it back in place. “Forgive me, Tara,” I continued, at her uncertain nod, “How did they take you from the caverns?”

Still afraid to meet me eye, she said, “At the lottery. We entered the Cavern of Death––it was dark, so dark. We stood in silence, waiting when a bright light came on blinding us. High above, they stood looking down at us. Soldiers moved through the crowd, pulling those of us out that the ones above pointed to. Gathering us, they herded us to a room to the side and sealed us in. I can still hear the screams of those that were left in there, even through the thick wall we heard, as the soldiers standing with us laughed at the fear that it caused within us. A few moments after the last shrieks echoed and died, the door was opened and we were pushed back in with them. The ground was littered with their dead bodies. However they were killed was beyond painful, as those last moments were etched into their now-frozen faces. A single man now stood above, looking down at us and told us that if we did not do as we were told that what happened to them would be mercy compared to our fate. Leaving us without another word, the doors on the other side of the cavern opened, showing us the truth of the Cavern of Death”––Tara stopped, and looked around wild-eyed as if she was seeing the images again––“We were forced to drag the bodies out and clean the room, so many bodies, the smell causing us to retch and gag. When we were finished, we were taken by transport in a closed truck to the surface. My first look at the world above burned my eyes, but kicking us forward, the soldiers laughed at our pain. We were brought to a building. For weeks we stayed there as we were cleaned and our new duties explained to us through beatings and pain. One by one, we were brought to a block in the large courtyard in front of the building as the Loyalists examined us before we were sold to a new form of hell.”

“Tell them Tara, say it. Tell them what the Cavern of Death truly is,” I whispered so low that only she could hear me.

Tears poured from her eyes, unseeing. “It is a place of evil. I remember the hooks that the bodies hung from, waving there, waiting for their next victims. They made us watch. The smell as the skin is removed burns your nose. They made us watch our friends be slowly chopped and ground as a taster sat to the side and checked the quality, offering us some.” Turning back to the others, she asked, in a little-girl voice, broken as the truth of her sins came to light, “Why didn’t we tell? Why didn’t we try and help them?”

Stepping back, I went to go to my seat when her voice stopped me. “Do you think we don’t know who you are?” Stiffly, I turned around and faced her. “We came anyway because we know that what was done cannot be undone and we must be punished for it.” A look of steel moved into her face, gone was the broken woman and in its place stood what she must have once been. “He didn’t say a word as we lied and in our fear said the words we were trained to say. He just looked at us in understanding, not condemning us as he should have. I knew that as soon as you said that you were from the caverns who you were. We will do all to help these people and hopefully help what is left of our people and families below.”

Letting my mask fall, I looked her in the eyes. “Do you think that will change what you have done?”

Shaking her head, she said, “No, what we have done cannot be undone and we accept what you will do. In truth, I think I will welcome it. At least it will silence the screams.” She moved past me as another stepped forward to take her place. 

The gallery was silent at our words. Taking my seat, I ignored the council’s looks and was saved from speaking as the next one we saved began to tell what he knew of the layout of the city. Hour after hour passed before we left the Meeting Hall, the last speaker’s words some of the harshest. They would be divided into groups to work with those to help build models and maps as we began our preparations for what was to come. Alone in my room, I stared into nothing, turned my head, and  saw Victor walk into the room. Had he knocked, I wasn’t sure, but there he stood.

Taking the seat across from mine, he stared at me as I spoke. “The maps aren’t going to be enough. It’s been a long time since they were held within the city and there is no telling how it has changed.”

Sighing, he replied, running a tired hand over his face, “You’re right, the council and our commanders spent the last hour discussing it.
A
reconnaissance mission is needed to check the city’s defenses. We also have to find how high the corruption goes in our own government.”

“They’re going to be watching every town, city, and village closely. If news of your town’s disappearance spread, it could start people asking questions the governments will kill to not answer,” I murmured, my mind already moving to the trip that I was going to have to take. There was no way that I wasn’t going to join the recon mission to the Loyalist city.

“We’ve made sure that only the most trusted know of it, so that it can be kept quiet as they gather others to the cause.”

An un-humorous laugh escaped me, “Are they the same trusted souls that knew about me and Tristian?” I asked, angrily wiping a hand across my face. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. When are we going to be heading into the Loyalist city?”

“I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to go in your current state,” he said slowly.

Pinning him with my eyes, I pointedly said, “It’s probably a better idea than me staying here, blood has a tendency to stain concrete,” not hiding what I had planned after Tara’s little speech.

Not bothering to pretend he didn’t get my meaning, he replied, “We’re trying to work out a plan now. It will be difficult with the patrols in the area.”

“Maybe not,” I smirked, leaning forward. “Maybe we’re looking at this all wrong. Maybe we should just drive right up and go in through the front gate.” The look he gave me told me he thought I had lost my mind, but with a small but true laugh, I said, “No, I’m not crazy. What I’m thinking is that the soldiers just drive right into the city. I mean, who is going to stop them?”

Looking at me in wonder as my plan sunk in, he started to laugh. “No, I don’t suppose that they would search their own soldiers, now would they?”

“I don’t suppose that you’ve managed to get your hands on any soldiers’ uniforms through the years?”

Smiling at me like the Cheshire cat, he said, “Of our troops’, absolutely; of the City to the West’s soldiers, no”––he chuckled as my face dropped a little––“but we’ve managed to make very nice copies of them.”

Leaning back against the wall, I said, “I think we’ll need small teams infiltrating both side immediately.”

“Agreed.”

Hating what I was about to say, but knowing that it was needed, I added, “I also think we will need to take one or two of your refugees with us. They’ll know the city and the people and without them we’ll have no chance of finding allies within.”

“I was wondering when that would cross your mind,” he said, with a knowing look.

“I can’t help how I feel about them, but this isn’t about me, it’s about your people and mine. I would rather see the living see justice and freedom than the dead who can no longer be harmed get revenge,” I pushed out, hating every word because I knew it was true. I knew that Tristian would rather me help these people than be avenged.

“Our people,” he firmly stated.

“What?” I asked, confused, tilting my head as I looked at him.

“They aren’t
your
people or
my
people, they are our people. Below or above, we are one people.”

Nodding my head, I said, “Well our people are in danger. We need to find who betrayed us if we are going to start gathering others to join. I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan on giving the city enough warning to prepare weapons that will send us back into those caverns for another few thousand years.” Rising up from the bed, I held my hand out to help him up.

Gripping it tightly, he pulled himself up and looked me in the eye. “Agreed.”

Walking out the door arm in arm to begin our strategy, I could only think one thing. We would never again surrender. Win or lose, there would only be one of us left standing when the smoke cleared. Death was coming on swift wings; it would be up to fate to decide who was carried away.

Chapter 17

The transport was right in front of us, but so were ten soldiers. Silently we waited for them to separate and move through the forest. We had been watching for days to see how each unit operated. While the local government’s troops seemed to know everyone and interact, the city’s soldiers were the exact opposite, staying within their own unit and almost hostile to the others. Which would definitely work to our advantage. This unit would leave tonight and return to the city for a week to gather supplies; it would be the perfect cover.

The council had made many decisions over the last week as reports had come in of attacks in other villages and towns as they searched for us and people were tortured for information about us. The unease that both governments had tried to silence only grew at their own actions of trying to capture me. The local governments’ allowance of the Loyalist city’s soldiers marching into their territory unchecked was only fueling our cause. The ones that had not wanted to get involved were now the most vocal calling for change. Refugees had been coming in from all over, quietly snuck into our bunker when the risk to their safety had become too great. So many had escaped that curfews had been put in many of these areas, promising death to any caught out during it.

A movement in front of me stopped my musing as I finally saw the soldiers break apart into groups of two and begin moving. Gripping my knife tighter behind my back, I waited for one to approach, as we were spread out though the forest like this. Leaning against the tree, I ignored the harsh question that the soldier barked, asking why I was in their sector. Dressed as I was in their uniform, I was a disobedient soldier, but not a threat. So focused were the two on me, they didn’t see the two that stepped out behind them. It was quick and silent. One moment they were alive the next they weren’t. Wrapping their wounds so a blood trail wasn’t left, we moved the bodies to the hole dug the night before. Stripping them of their weapons and anything else of value that we might need, we threw them in and waited. Over the next hour, groups of two were brought to join them until all ten were accounted for. Burying them, we carefully hid the shovels, making sure no sign of what happened here was visible, and went to the awaiting transport.

Before anyone got in, we were each checked thoroughly to make sure that our uniforms were correct and that we put on our helmets. The ones that I expected to be the most nervous at this point were Tara and Samuel, the two Prey who volunteered to go with us, but they were rock-steady climbing in and taking a seat. I may not like them, but I couldn’t help but admire the willingness to go back even knowing what would happen if they were discovered. Once everyone was seated and strapped in, we pulled out onto the main road to a checkpoint. They didn’t even bother to say anything to us, just waved us by. I was right, this would be the best way to reach the city and have a chance of ever leaving it.

For two days we drove deeper into the enemy’s territory. The closer we came to the city, the more often the checkpoints came, watchtowers hidden into forests between them. Seeing this, I couldn’t help but turn to Tara and ask, “How did you escape?”

Smiling at me grimly, she explained. “I ran and ran until I thought my heart would burst, day and night, but the dogs still found my scent. I knew what they would do when they found me, so when I came to a cliff and saw the water below, I didn’t hesitate to jump. What should have killed me was what saved my life. I don’t know how far I was swept down, but when I used the last of my strength to pull myself out, I couldn’t hear the dogs any longer. As I laid there, waiting to die, I realized something––that I had been dead for years and at this moment when death was closer to me than ever, I wanted life. So I pulled myself up and started walking. I collapsed at the bridge by Twin Rivers and when they found me I thought that I was done for, but they picked me up and cared for me instead.” She turned to look out the window, silently telling me that she no longer wished to discuss it.

Staring at her for a moment, I let my eyes drift to the window next to her. “My cousin Rose was a Secretary,” I started, not sure why I was speaking. “I was ashamed of her right up until the day of her lottery and I learned the truth, that she was actually a spy for the Elders. She discovered a map and vid disc that told the truth of the Cavern of Death and the caverns themselves. Instead of giving them to the Elders, she gave them to me, wanting me to save my sisters and myself. I don’t know if you realize this, but there are hundreds of caverns below, filled with hundreds of thousands of our people.” By their sharp indrawn breaths, I knew that they hadn’t known. “I knew that I needed help to get my sisters to safety, so I showed my best friend Tristian and his father, an Elder, the truth. I couldn’t leave Tristian behind to the death they had planned for him, and I couldn’t leave without someone knowing the truth. One of my sisters betrayed us, telling her boyfriend, who was a traitor, though she honestly hadn’t known that. She just wanted to take him with us. Freedom was closer than you could imagine when a cave-in took their lives and the lives of the soldiers who followed us. I think I would have laid there and joined them in death had Tristan not been there. The funny thing is, I didn’t get up because he forced me to. I got up because of the debt I owed his family that I could never repay. By my sisters’ actions she had condemned his father to death and the only thing I could give him in repayment was the life of his son,” I finished, going silent as I watched the scenery. I don’t know why I told them that, it was almost like I was explaining the reason that I would have to kill them. It wasn’t because I couldn’t understand what they did to live, hadn’t I defended them to Tristian? No, it was because this was the only way I could repay my debt to his family ever. I knew that there was another reason that I didn’t even want to admit to myself, because it no longer mattered, it would never matter again now that he was dead.

Lost in old thoughts and heartache, I was pulled back at my first sight of the Loyalist city. It was massive. Unlike the Stone city, it was built in the shadow of a large mountain, not inside the mountain. Monstrous buildings shot up past the great wall that encircled it, keeping all those within trapped. If I didn’t know the evil that lurked within it, I would have said that it was magical in its beauty. Instead all I saw was the sinister shadow that the mountain cast upon it in the waning light. Michael hurriedly went over our procedure again, drilling into us to remain quiet unless spoken to. Motioning to Tara to join him in the front because of her familiarity with the soldier’s ways, as she was forced to serve them at one time. A massive stone bridge lay before us that we would have to cross before entering through a set of steel gates that looked so eerily familiar, the final checkpoint. As still as statues we sat as a soldier approached, but instead of going to the window to speak with Michael, he moved to the front of the truck and scanned it.

After a moment of staring at his tool, he came to the side “You have three days. You’re assigned to section R6 for your sleeping quarters. Have the truck brought to gate F4 to be restocked with the supplies and fuel.” Without another word, he waved us past and turned, going back to his post.

Moving forward, Tara directed Michael to the correct gate. Soldiers were everywhere, supervising the workers of this area with vicious means. As she explained to us that this was the food intake and distribution center, we watched the half-starved wretches being beaten into the ground for not moving fast enough. The horror on the others’ faces told me that they had never seen the likes of this before, but three of us just stared on sadly, knowing that this was life. Seeing their looks worried me, so I growled for them to “drop their face masks”––this wasn’t the worst that they would see and if we wanted to make it out of here alive they would have to ignore it. Going to the spot that we were told to, we gathered our bags and exited the vehicle.

Following Tara without looking like it, we went to a passenger transport that traveled through the city. Taking an empty car, we silently waited as she punched our destination in. The thing moved so quickly and silently it felt as if you hadn’t moved at all, but within moments we arrived to our sleeping area. Following the signs, we found the correct building and floor that led to a barracks that we appeared to have to ourselves.

Seeing our looks, Tara quietly told us, “The units stay by themselves, the government doesn’t want fraternization between other units in fear of a coop. There are servants that clean the units and bring food to keep the pantries stocked, but no other soldier will enter.”

Figures, the paranoid bastards. Wasn’t that the reason that they kept the caverns separate? “Is it safe to speak?” I asked, looking around.

“Yes, its fine, they only bug the higher-ranking soldiers quarters with video and audio devices.” she said, as if this was the most normal thing.

“So what’s the plan? Are we going to go into the inner city now or later?” I asked, looking at Michael.

Eying Tara and Samuel, he said, “I’d like to get a feel for the place now, if you don’t think it’s too late.”

Looking to each other, Samuel answered first. “No, we can still move around the city easily and do recon. This place is alive almost twenty-four hours a day for its citizens and soldiers.”

“Should we change?”

“We should put on clean uniforms.” Walking to a closet, he opened it. “The only time you will have to take your helmet off is if you enter one of the soldiers’ eating and drinking establishments, otherwise no one will think anything of us leaving them on at all times.”

Reaching in, I pulled out a uniform and going to the bathroom to change, I ignored the others’ smiles at me as they just stripped where they stood. Waiting several minutes after I changed, not wanting to walk in on one of them half-clothed, I rejoined them. Ready, we moved to the door following Tara and Samuel as they led us back to the transport, punching in our location. They made us watch how it was done in case we were separated. The journey, like the one before, was quick, except this time when we stopped it wasn’t to rows of bleak buildings, but a magnificent square. Bright lights and screens filled the area as images raced before us. Thousands of people moved around, rich Loyalists dressed in bright, expensive clothes were followed by their drab servants. Soldiers milled freely through the square, making it easy for us to blend in. The difference of the classes was visible in every move that each took. It was as if separate worlds existed in the same place. Following the others, we stayed as close as we could together without being suspicious, eventually splitting into two groups, one with Samuel and the other with Tara. Murmuring as low as they could, they explained each area we visited in the town, which was separated into five sections. The soldiers were on the outer area, where we were staying. Then came the government officials, the rich, the Loyalists, and the last owned slaves. Those slaves maintained the city works and whatever else that was required.

Moving along the side streets, we made our way to the slave section. Even if they hadn’t told us, it would have been obvious that the closer we got the more run-down it became, nothing like the area we just came from. Even the soldiers’ area, for how bleak it was, was one hundred times better than this. The screams of the women could be heard as we entered the area. Looking to Tara and Samuel, they understood what I was trying to say as they pushed to the front with me, keeping the others back before they did something stupid. The streets reminded me of home––they were dirty and fires burned in them as small groups of people milled around. Soldiers came out of houses we passed and the low moans of their victims could be heard before the doors shut. Keeping a careful eye on the others, I kept a blank face as we passed servants and soldiers. These people were broken, beaten so low I wasn’t sure they could rise up enough to be of any help to us.