The trek through the dark woods was long and quiet except for the sound of sticks snapping under foot and the scurrying of small, unseen creatures getting out of the way of our group.
There were about ten guys in all “escorting” the three of us as we stumbled along, sleep deprived and tied up.
This was not how I’d expected things to go.
We walked a lot farther than I’d expected, too. It seemed to go on for hours. Heath hadn’t estimated the Haven’s location accurately at all as it turned out.
Either that or our captors were marching us around in circles to confuse us— that was entirely possible based on the hostile attitude displayed by the group’s leader.
I scowled remembering his reaction to me telling him we wanted to help the other kids still back at the base.
That doesn’t interest me.
The leader of the so-called Haven wasn’t interested in helping other Gebbies? And he was treating me and my friends like criminals.
On my left, Ketta appeared to be walking in her sleep, staggering between her two escorts with her eyes barely open.
Jolie on my right just looked angry.
“No wonder no one’s ever been able to find the Haven. It doesn’t exist, does it?” she said. “It’s just you guys, and you’re the meanest boys I’ve ever met. I can’t believe I left the base for this. I could be home right now in my comfort- able bed with a full belly. Instead I’m going to die out here of starvation-or thirst-or exhaustion.”
She started sobbing, and again Speck snickered, apparently enjoying her misery. I was almost at the point of tears myself.
“We’re all about to pass out,” I said to Elias. “Can we stop and rest?”
Unable to contain my rapidly increasing disdain for him, I added a snarky, “Do you even know where you’re going?”
He chuckled. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
The entire group stopped moving, though I didn’t see a cabin, a cave, or even a group of tents.
Oh God- did they lead us out into the middle of nowhere to just leave us here?
Or execute us?
I shrieked and jumped to the side as something fell from above and slithered down my shoulder. All the guys laughed.
“Snake attack,” one of them said in a shout of mock warning.
Then he reached over and wrapped a hand around the rope someone had apparently lowered from the tree above.
Putting his foot into a loop at the bottom of it, he wrapped an arm around Jolie’s waist and gave the rope a sharp tug. It tightened, and he began to rise, taking my friend with him.
She whimpered as they ascended into the dark branches. “What’s happening?”
“Haven’t you ever been on an elevator?” he asked. “Just relax and enjoy the ride.”
I turned to Elias. “What is happening?”
He just grinned and slid an arm around my back, pulling me tightly to his body so that my face pressed into his chest.
“You’re about to find out. Welcome to the Haven.”
Another rope dropped from overhead, and he grabbed it, sliding his foot into the noose at the bottom.
This is the Haven?
I looked around and then up but saw nothing apart from branches and leaves. There wasn’t so much as a ramshackle treehouse in sight.
What was he talking about?
Slowly and smoothly we rose. I peeked down only once then quickly closed my eyes. Too scary. The tree was incredibly tall, and with my hands tied, I was unable to hold onto anything.
I looked up at the underside of my captor’s chin and clenched jaw. My life was literally in this guy’s hands, and he apparently hated me.
Once we reached the underside of the lowest branches, I started to understand. A flap of filmy, clear material opened, and we ascended through the gap before it closed again underneath us. A guy crouched on a platform near our feet, deftly securing the material into place again.
Looking down, the ground below was clearly visible, but when looking up I’d been able to see none of this-and there was plenty here to see. In fact, my jaw was hanging open at the sight of the Haven.
It was like something out of a dream or a movie set. The Haven was a sort of treehouse, or rather a collection of many.
A series of platforms connected by bridges and rope ladders created a kind of village in the air. The platform we stepped onto was huge, big enough for many tents and other structures.
Swinging rope bridges connected the platforms in this tree to the ones surrounding it. Solar torches were hung at regular intervals so that I could see people bustling around.
All of them were guys our age. At least I thought they were. They had to be our age if they were Gebbies, right?
It was hard to tell because they looked different from the boys back at the base. They were much taller and more muscular with noticeable hair on their arms and legs. Some even had facial hair.
Judging from the low rumble of conversation among them, their voices were much deeper, too.
As we passed, each stopped what he was doing and stared as if he’d never seen a girl before.
Some of them looked excited to see us, which made me feel good. While the guys we’d encountered at the campsite hadn’t been particularly friendly, maybe the Haven’s other residents would be more welcoming of newcomers.
“Get back to work,” Elias barked at one obviously gawking guy. He immediately ducked his head and focused on his task.
Tugging at my arm, Elias said, “Come on. Keep moving. This isn’t a sightseeing trip.”
He led our group from one tree to another until we arrived at what appeared to be the center of the aerial town.
At its heart was a large platform with several tents pitched on it—some kind of control center judging from all the activity here. As we reached it, a tall, thin red-haired guy stepped out of the largest tent.
He was clearly surprised to see us. “Elias, you’re back. I guess you found them. See anyone else?”
Still holding my arm, Elias shook his head.
“No. Just these three. No military or other followers-yet.” He winked. “We took the ‘scenic route’ just in case.”
“Well then… where do you want them?”
The guy looked at Elias expectantly and with deference, clearly waiting for orders.
So maybe Elias wasn’t just the leader of the “welcome committee” but of the entire Haven?
He glanced over at Ketta and Jolie. “Take them to Sector Three and put them in separate tents. Keep them under guard. This one’s coming with me.”
With that, my friends and I were separated. They looked back at me with worried eyes as they were marched away.
“Where are you taking them?” I demanded. “They’d better not be hurt or mistreated.”
Elias looked down at me and let out a little laugh. “So intimidating. Were you a general back on your base?”
I glared at him. “Why are you treating us like this? We’re not armed. We’re way outnumbered. We came here for refuge, not to hurt anyone.”
“Yeah, well that remains to be seen,” he said. “I’m separating you because I’ve got some questions for you-and I want to make sure the three of you give the same answers to them. Then I’ll decide whether you’re a threat to my people or not.”
His people. So I was right-he was the leader of the Haven.
He certainly looked the part. Here under the brighter lighting, I could see him better.
He was taller than the other guys with broad shoulders and big hands and feet-the coaches would have loved to have him on our school’s basketball team back at the base.
I saw now that his eyes, though dark brown, were flecked with amber, like a shimmering pool of deep-buried gold. They sparkled with intelligence and energy.
At the moment, they held my gaze, studying me just as thoroughly as I examined him.
He broke eye contact. “Come on, Sunshine. Let’s get a move on.”
Leaving the control center, we traveled over platforms and bridges to the next tree and then took a succession of ladders toward the top where a single tent sat on a wooden deck so high it probably overlooked the whole forest.
Elias followed me up each ladder, staying close and bracketing my body on either side with his arms. I was sorely tempted to throw my head back and knock out his teeth-or at least bloody his nose.
But since he was the only thing keeping me from toppling to my death, I resisted the urge. Finally we reached the highest platform, and I sank to it, gasp- ing for breath.
Elias squinted his eyes at me and grinned. “Didn’t they have ESBF classes back at your base?”
“They did. They also had due process-something you’ve obviously never heard of. You’re acting like I’m a convicted criminal, which I really don’t under- stand. My friends and I are just like you.”
“With one big difference,” he said. “I’m not shacking up with the son of our creator.”
At my shocked expression he went on. “Yeah, I saw you with Heath Gideon. I tracked you through the park as you hiked and camped with him and that Gebby kid. And before you say you’re just friends… I watched you kiss him.”
“I did?” Another missing puzzle piece clicked into place. “Oh yeah… I guess I did. How strange.”
One of Elias’ brows quirked up. “That’s right. You’re busted.”
His expression shifted, becoming slightly less judgmental.
“Or maybe they wiped your memory? It happened to a bunch of kids back on our base, too. One of the many reasons we decided to get out of there.”
“They did it to all of us at one time or another, I guess,” I said. “Heath is the one who helped me recover my memories. He gave me a new med that brought them back-some of them anyway. Things keep coming back to me. I’m not sure how much more there is that I’ve forgotten. I don’t know what I don’t know… you know?”
Elias nodded, as if he’d been there. “So you say Gideon’s kid is the one who helped you counteract the brainwashing?”
“Yes, he helped my friends and me to escape. And when you saw us together here in the park before, he was trying to help me find you.”
Elias snorted. “I bet he was. He got damn close, too. Way too close for comfort. Can’t you see what’s going on? He was using you, Mireya – to find the Haven.”
“You’re wrong. He was trying to help me – and his little brother Daniel.
Heath doesn’t think like his father. He sees us as equals. As humans. He’s still trying to help us. He’s been lying to his father to cover your location here, faking his efforts to search for you. Believe me, he’s one of the good guys – not your enemy.”
“There are no good humans,” Elias said. “How can they be anything other than the enemy when they want to corral us and control us—or wipe us out like pests if they can’t?”
What had happened to Elias and his friends before their escape?
Nothing good, clearly.
