Shanakee's Tale Page 6

  The girl had finally grown quiet. Movement began on the field as they were not the only ones to notice the approaching doom. John threw away his plough when Margaret approached.

  “Where is Sena?”

  Her hands were trembling as she looked around in panic.

  “I think I know,” John murmured, looking at the hut that stood offside the village, “I’ll go and get him, alright?”

  He put a hand on her arm to calm her down.

  “Would you look out for my grandfather?”

  She nodded, whispering:

  “Please, hurry.”

  John began to run while dozens of Global soldiers dismounted the trucks. They looked menacing in their black shells, completely masked in blue helmets and eyewear that functioned like a supercomputer. All of them wore weapons.

  John ran faster. John began to run while dozens of Global soldiers dismounted the trucks. They looked menacing in their black shells, completely masked in blue helmets and eyewear that functioned like a supercomputer. All of them wore weapons.

  John ran faster.

  ARTHUR

  Arthur had been forbidden to go to the hunt for the past three days now. Instead, he was expected to vegetate in the hall and think about his behavior. Even the older stranger had been taken to the hunt, twice now. Thankfully, his mother would allow him several hours outside if Alasdair was not around. This gave him the opportunity to take care of Aideen once in a while without sneaking out into the night. The hall was dark. Arthur was fed up with waiting. Just waiting for his mother to return and beg her for several more hours outside of these walls.

  His anger towards John had subsided quickly, especially since John had stayed away from the hut. But why had he refused to make the promise? Was he expecting that things would fall together, just like that? Arthur missed his friend. But he refused to admit it, to make the first step. It was John who had to apologize.

  Suddenly, the double door flew wide open. Daylight streamed in with a swarm of soldiers that stormed the hall. The large and empty space suddenly seemed narrow. Before Arthur could even process what was happening, they snatched him and searched the hall. Arthur’s thoughts were rattling. Global soldiers. Here. One of them took off the helmet and eyewear. His face was only slightly wrinkled, his features perfect and intimidating, the brown hair combed back and cluttered.

  “Has someone entered your village in past days? A girl?”

  Arthur suppressed every reaction and shook his head.

  Several blows hit his body, one in his guts, one against his shin, and one into his face. The third broke his lip, and warm blood gushed into his mouth.

  “Stop lying, boy! She’s not worth protecting, she’s a fugitive!”

  Arthur hesitated, expecting more blows to hit him, even harder now. But he would not cave.

  “And may I ask what are her crimes?” a voice resounded from the door. Alasdair’s voice. The first wave of relief was replaced by panic. Arthur knew that his father would do anything to protect the village. He would hand Aideen over to the authorities, and there was nothing Arthur could do about it.

  “They are none of your damn business,” the soldier replied. “But if you must know, she fled the city without permission.”

  “I thought the Amendment of the Free Will allows every citizen to leave and go as they please, as long as they have a chip.”

  “Yes, and as long as they’re of age.”

  So Aideen was indeed under twenty-one. And this bastard of an overseer had probably filed a complaint or a search warrant, because he wanted her back in his claws. A cold shiver ran down Arthur’s spine. He imagined how they would lead her away, how she’d return into the hands of this monster. Please. Don’t. Everything inside of him was pleading while he instinctively tried to pull away from the strong grip that held him.

  His father gave no answer, so the soldier pressed: “Where is she?! And I won’t be asking twice.”

  Another pause. Please. Arthur wanted to catch his father’s glance and shake his head as a signal, but he was too afraid to raise attention.

  “We haven’t had any strangers in Area Three in years.”

  Arthur closed his eyes in relief. Whatever happened now, it was the first time that he admired his father for his courage, an he was glad for it.

  The soldier began to scream while he walked towards Alasdair, hand raising a weapon.

  “I will turn this whole village upside down! How dare you defy me, you pig!”

  Arthur feared that any second, a shot would resound between the walls. He tore at the grip again, but was powerless, earning yet another blow instead. His father still had a shotgun around his belt, and with a quick movement, he snatched it and was about to lift it when suddenly, a figure stormed in from behind and hit the approaching soldier with the shaft of a weapon so hard that he collapsed on the ground. From here on, chaos began. The soldiers stormed towards the exit while Arthur kicked one of his captors and bit the other. Both instinctively spun away, and Arthur ran like a madman.

  He now saw that the person who had entered was Conall, the stranger who had arrived only yesterday.

  “You cannot kill any one of them!” he yelled while they fought, “Killing a soldier makes you a terrorist. This would be the end for Area Three.”

  Alasdair only nodded. While he prepared to fight back the wave of soldiers that streamed towards him, he quickly handed Conall a set of keys.

  “Get her out of here,” he whispered, barely audible.

  Arthur had now closed in on his father, and while Conall disappeared, he knew that they stood no chance against dozens of highly trained soldiers. He just hoped Aideen would be safe.

  AIDEEN

  The door of the shack flew open, and the boy with the curly dark hair stared between Aideen and Sena, who was walking up and down the dirty wooden floor. He jerked back at the sound, relieved to find that it was only John who entered. Sena stormed towards him.

  “What’s happening out there, John?”

  “Soldiers.” John’s voice was strangely calm. “You need to get to your mother.”

  Sena hesitated.

  “They’re looking for me, aren’t they?” Aideen’s voice sounded scared, and she congratulated herself for that.

  “I’m not sure.”

  “I can’t just leave her here! They might come any minute, and then what?”

  It was evident how panic slowly ceased Sena, crept over his body like a snake.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll have the key soon. I’ll get her out of here.” John gently placed his palm on Sena’s shoulder, calming him. “Everything will turn out well. Just make sure you mother and my grandfather are safe, okay?”

  Sena watched John for a moment longer, then nodded, and left. What did he mean by that? He sounded so confident, as if knowing that this attack could do no harm.

  It was the first time that she was alone with John, and she instantly noticed the tension. Aideen did not mind wearing her mask in front of the others, but with John, it felt like he was watching right through it. As if lying to him was redundant, even ridiculous.

  John stood there and studied her, when shouting voices emerged from the distance. Feet were running towards them. John didn’t flinch. His gray eyes remained on her, swallowing her shape in the corner of the tiny shack. But she wouldn’t be intimidated. Instead, Aideen just stood there, and stared back at him. The closer those voices came, the more it seemed like time slowed down. Her heart began to slam against her chest. Why? She was not afraid of the attack. It was those eyes that somehow made her palms sweaty and her heart racing. Slowly, as if in a dream, the door flew open and four soldiers streamed in, one after another. As if caught in a time bubble, John repelled the attackers without even having to look back. His eyes were constantly fixated on Aideen. He anticipated their every movement, and brought them down with several skilled hits. One by one.

  Aideen could not help but let her shock appear all over her face. How did he do this? Was he th
e spy Manasseh had mentioned?

  Two more soldiers passed by John without him being able to deter them, but Aideen instinctively stoke out. The soldiers were much stronger than her due to those exoskeletons and the AI that supported their reaction speed. She was unsure if she could take two at once, but she was trained and swift, so she avoided the blows and slipped right by them, striking out where she knew the skeletons had their weak spots. What she had forgotten about was the chain, so when she lunged back, it pulled at her ankle and threw her down with one movement. Her head crashed against the wood. John, who saw the struggle instantly, had overtaken one of the soldiers. But the other went for an attack while her ears still buzzed from the hit. Suddenly, Aideen felt her ankle free from the metal. When she looked up, a man in his fifties, gray beard and strikingly dark eyes, was bending over her foot. He stood up and tore the soldier’s helmet off, robbing him of both protection and the AI. A punch in the face sealed his fate. When the stranger offered Aideen his hand to get her up, he stared at her, as if trying to determine who she was. He did not look like he belonged here, although all the signs were there—the old scar on the back of his right hand, the shabby clothes. But what was it about him that made Aideen wonder?

  “Conall?” It was John’s voice that came in-between heavy breaths. The man nodded.

  “You need to get her into safety,” he said, but Aideen interrupted.

  “I’ll surrender. I cannot let them destroy the village …”

  “They won’t,” John said.

  “How influential is this man looking for you?” Conall asked.

  “I’m not sure. I don’t think that he has much power.”

  “Then we’ll have to take the chances and surrender. They’ll turn the village upside down, but as long as they don’t find you, they won’t have any leverage to do harm.”

  “They don’t need leverage,” John said. Suddenly, his voice was crushed, but he quickly pulled himself together, and continued, to Aideen: “Take some blankets in case we need to spend the night.” To Conall—“I’ll take care of her while you make sure the MacIans behave.”

  Conall nodded.

  “I think the soldiers have overwhelmed them by now. They might have no other choice.”

  With this, they parted ways. But what both did not see was how Aideen took a knife with her she stole from one of the soldiers on the ground. Something was wrong with John, and she needed to find out what. Somehow, the thought of being alone with him the whole night scared her, and nothing had scared her for a long time.

  CONALL

  Conall wished he had more time to think, but the way to the village was short.

  He couldn’t get this girl out of his mind. The way she fought, with skill and precision. The way she held herself, no hint of fear. Who was she? And why was the government looking for her? She said that this man had no power, but Conall suspected it was a lie, or that she just didn’t know better. In fact, he suspected this man was Manasseh. And if it was so, he would come back soon. No matter how hard Conall tried to push that thought away, it still remained: She is Prometheus.

  She was a stranger, but was it a coincidence that she stumbled upon Area Three right now? She reminded him of his own daughter. At this thought, his heart began to ache, and he pushed it away. They just had to get it through this night without any major incidents. Maybe the soldiers would leave.

  Conall closed his eyes for one last moment of calm when one of the soldiers had noticed him from afar. Two ran towards him, strangling him, grabbing his arms and dragging him to the middle of the village, where most of the inhabitants stood by now. There were only several elders amongst them. Life expectancy was not very high in these parts of the world. At least seven or eight children under ten dragged at the trousers or skirts of their parents, suppressing cries and tears of fear. Alasdair MacIan stood firm, his eye beaten up and several bruises marking his face. His son, Arthur, stood next to him, lip bleeding.

  The soldiers were searching the houses. The breaking of dishes and crying of women resounded all over the village. For the first time in eleven years, the powerlessness of the simple people against the government dawned on Conall. He remembered the night he had to flee the city, broken, betrayed, helpless. His life’s accomplishments smashed into pieces. Human dignity seemed of no importance out here. It was as if the people turned into monsters once given power over others without having to fear consequences.

  Can’t you see it, Manasseh? Is this cruelty your idea of human progress?

  But maybe it was exactly this power that had corrupted him as well.

  The dump sounds of pain and breaking bones resounded here and there. Conall just hoped nobody would be raped today. He was kicked into his knee, and pain spread all over his body while he kneed on the ground.

  “Where have you been?” the rude voice of a soldier asked. It was the blonde officer he had knocked down in the hall. When he recognized him, he could not suppress a cunning smile, and earned a hard slap on the cheek in return. “Answer, bastard!”

  “Kids sometimes play in the abandoned hut at the edge. I went to check for them.”

  The soldier raised an eyebrow. “So?”

  “I just met several of your men and kicked their asses pretty good. No big deal.” Those words came out with a smile and a warm sense of satisfaction. Another blow hit his head, this time harder. But it had still been worth it.

  “Hughes! Torres! Go check the hut and the surroundings! See if anyone fled or if there are any casualties. Keep searching!!”

  With this he left to torment others.

  “If we survive this,” a familiar voice whispered, and Conall turned to see Alasdair next to him—“you have my permission to build a house.”

  For the first time, Conall saw a smile cross MacIan’s face.

  AIDEEN

  She strolled across the forest, putting on an earpiece. The darkness concealed her movements.

  Aideen had excused herself on the pretext of emptying the bladder, and constantly looked back to make sure she was out of earshot.

  Manasseh’s voice resounded on the other end.

  “So?”

  “It’s done,” she whispered, “You can summon them back.”

  “Good.”—a pause—“Anything else?”

  Aideen hesitated.

  “No. I’ll need more information. But now that they trust me, I’ll get it.”

  “I know you won’t disappoint me, Aideen.”

  She closed her eyes at those words, and took a deep breath.

  I won’t. At least not for now.

  Manasseh cleared his throat.

  “Keep in touch.”

  He was gone, and Aideen allowed her several moments to think before she returned to John.

  John. Even as she thought about him, her heart pounded against her chest. Who was John? She clutched the handle of the dagger she had stolen. It was hidden under her shirt, and gave her a small sense of safety.

  John looked up as she approached, and a lost smile crossed his face. It made him look fragile.

  Who are you, John?

  The knife still safely at her back, she sat down into the grass and enveloped herself into one of the blankets. They watched each other for a moment in the darkness, their expressions illuminated by the dim moonlight. It was getting very cold, but they did not dare to light a fire. Soon, the army trucks would leave, Aideen thought to herself. Until then, she needed to find out the truth.

  “Where did you learn how to fight this way?” Her voice was nonchalant.

  “I should probably ask you the same,” he replied, and he winked at her.

  If he really was the spy, he wouldn’t know about her identity. This was part of the agreement, part of the law. An agent’s true identity — something most valuable to him — was only revealed when he became a traitor.

  “We all have our secrets,” he added.

  His voice carried a hint of resolve while he brushed away the dark locks from his face. A beautiful
face, strong features, glistering gray eyes. His body was muscular. It had to be, the way he had overtaken those soldiers. He had to be the spy. Unless … Her hands froze for a moment. Unless it was him who she had been looking for. Aideen made a deep breath, knowing that she had to play the game.

  Brushing away her strands of red hair, she closed in on him.

  “Tell me yours.”

  John turned to face her, searching her expression thoroughly.

  “I know things,” he whispered.

  “Like what?”

  He paused.

  “Like the fact that you won’t forgive your parents for abandoning you to the Raising Centres.”

  He dropped this truth on her like a bomb, and it tore her into pieces. She instinctively jerked back, eyes wide, staring at the man who just had revealed her darkest demon. How? Was it just a trick? Countless children have been abandoned to the centers in the dawn of the Social Reform. She forced herself to ease, take a deep breath.

  Aideen shrugged.

  “A lucky guess.”

  But John was not impressed. He just watched her with those sharp eyes that made her heart leap, her gut tighten, and her breath heavy. Nobody had ever looked at her this way.

  “You hate the Global Union and everything it represents because you blame them.”

  Every single word pierced her heart. This also could have been a lucky guess, but the way he spoke, the way he said those words, it felt as if he truly knew.

  He closed in on her, so close that she could feel his breath on her skin. Her heart raced while she gripped the handle of the knife at her back, her hands under the blanket, hidden from his eyes.

  Who are you?

  Slowly, he whispered: “You came here,” while he talked, he pushed his hand tenderly under her shirt, closing it around her grip, and taking her knife slowly from her hand, “to kill me.”

  Everything inside Aideen trembled with the sensation of his nearness. The hands of fate pulled at her, dragging her unto the abyss she was suddenly unable to withstand.