Page 18

I t was a little past midnight when Jayden tiptoed back into the kitchen, the darkness wrapping around her like a comforting blanket.

This time she was searching for food. The canned foods were out.

They would be too heavy and make too much noise.

She meticulously packed her bag with packages of dried soup, crackers, dried milk, cereal, and as many freeze-dried meals as she could fit into her bag.

Her bag would be bulky and would slow her down.

She had brought everything she deemed necessary, pushing the limits of what she could carry.

Her wardrobe consisted of three brand new shirts, two pairs of dark gray hiking pants, one of which she was wearing, a forest green puffy jacket, a light-weight forest green hat with a brim that she could fold if she needed to and that would protect her when it rained, a pair of black insulated gloves, and an emerald green hand-knit wool scarf her mother had made.

She had the assortment of medicine and bandages she had scrounged earlier wrapped in the clothing.

The bundle was placed inside a waterproof bag she had taken from the supply tent where she had gotten the hat, coat, and clothing.

She had also taken a lighter, matches, and a new hunting knife that had a fine edge on one side and a serrated side for cutting through wood.

Her lance was a necessity which would also serve as a hiking pole.

Jayden’s desire to put as much distance between herself and the compound made it necessary to take more food than she wanted.

She wouldn’t have the time or the luxury to hunt or even forage much.

The cave was a good hundred miles or more from her current location, as well as across difficult and dangerous terrain.

Testing the weight of her pack, she decided she couldn’t afford to add any more. She glanced around the storeroom with regret. There was so much food here, more than she had seen in a lifetime. Tears burned her eyes at the memories of her stomach twisting with pain from hunger.

She closed her eyes. “I hope my people never have to feel hunger again. Please, be kind to them.”

Breathing deeply, she released her regret at the pain her parents would feel in the morning when they realized that she had left. Her grandfather would explain why she was doing this. It might help if they knew she was doing this for a far more noble reason than her original one.

Pulling her pack on over her shoulders, she picked up her lance and retraced her steps.

She paused by the door, listening. Over the past month, she had mapped out the complex, the guards, and their schedules.

She had also planned how she would escape.

There was a drainage tunnel that allowed excess rainwater to flow downhill a short distance from the complex to a lake.

The shifters had a canoe at the bottom. She would slip through the drainage pipe, down the hill to the lake, and take the canoe. This would help conceal her scent. Once she reached where she wanted to go, she would scuttle the canoe. She would then head for the mountain.

Her one prize possession was a map she had found in the supply tent. The detail had taken her breath away. The large green area was called Olympic National Park and was undeveloped. She had overheard Tracy telling Mitchell that the lands were protected and no shifter could live there.

Her people had only explored a quarter of the area. She had studied the map, committing as much as she could to memory and pinpointed the different areas where she could hide. She would need to stay on the move and be unpredictable.

It wasn’t likely that the shifters would care about one stray human, but she wasn’t going to risk it.

The image of Van and Peterson rose in her mind, vivid and haunting.

Van’s face today, filled with a profound sense of longing, had served as the final push for her to leave tonight.

She had felt an irresistible temptation to surrender to the intensity of her emotions for him.

She was terrified by the overwhelming surge of emotions.

Would I have been strong enough to resist if Peterson had been there?

She felt a shudder run through her, sending a chill down her spine.

The uncertainty of the answer fueled her running, each step driven by the need to escape her own doubts.

As she listened, the soft, rhythmic sound of footsteps coming closer were signaling the guard’s approach.

With each passing second, the sound of her own heartbeat seemed to pound louder in her ears as she waited.

She watched him pass by, and then she began to count.

In twenty-five steps, the guard would be far enough upwind that he wouldn’t smell her nor hear her footsteps.

In another hundred and fifty, a second guard would follow.

Jayden stepped out of the kitchen, careful to keep the door from making any noise.

As she wove her way between the tents and cabins, she continued to count, her footsteps creating a steady rhythm.

As she listened, she could hear the low snores of her clan mates blending with the soft whimper of a child.

As the moon rose higher in the sky, its shimmering light created a playful dance along the ground.

The full moon shone down on the complex.

Only sporadic spotlights crisscrossed through the trees, creating a mesmerizing play of light and shadow.

While she didn’t like the idea of escaping in the bright moonlight, it did make things easier for her.

She stopped next to one of the canvas tents to survey the surroundings, absorbing the details of the area.

The second guard was approaching, his heavy footsteps muted by the mulch and gravel path.

With each passing moment, her heart pounded harder, as if trying to escape her chest. She needed to find a hiding spot where he wouldn’t be able to detect her presence through sight or scent.

“Excuse me.”

Jayden started when a soft voice unexpectedly called out, breaking the silence. Janna stepped out from shadows of the canvas tent. She was cradling a fussy Macon in her arms. The guard paused on the path a yard from where she was standing.

“How can I help?” the guard requested.

“I—Would it be possible to get a snack for my son? He’s hungry and thirsty,” Janna asked.

“Of course. There is something suitable in the kitchen. Would you like for me to bring it to you or would you like to get it?” the guard asked.

“I’d like to go, if you don’t mind. I don’t want him waking the others up,” Janna replied.

As Janna and the guard retreated, their footsteps faded into the distance, and Jayden quietly breathed a thank you.

The fortuitous distraction would give her precious extra minutes to complete her task.

She searched for the guard she had been following.

He was halfway to the other side of the complex.

If he followed his usual routine, he would pause and engage in conversation with the guards at the gate before resuming his activities.

She patiently waited until he came to a complete halt before shifting her focus towards the spot she needed to reach.

There was a transport truck parked over the grate that led to the drainage tunnel.

She made sure the pack on her back was secure, rolled her shoulders to relieve tension.

Resisting the urge to break into a run, she headed towards the truck.

If anyone were to glance her way, she wanted to exude an air of confidence and familiarity, as if she belonged there.

She struggled to control the urge to run as her heart raced.

When she reached the truck, she twisted, shrugged her pack off her shoulders, ducked, and rolled under the huge military green truck. Tires half the size of her body helped conceal her as she pushed her pack toward the grate.

By the time she pulled the heavy metal lattice cover from the hole in the ground, her breathing was labored.

Her pack slipped from her grasp and tumbled into the hole, disappearing into the darkness below.

She mouthed a silent curse. It was a short drop, no more than ten feet, and there was nothing breakable in the pack.

Grasping her lance, she twisted onto her stomach and felt for the ladder with her foot.

As soon as she was inside the hole, she let go of her lance and extended her hand towards the grate cover, her fingers brushing against the cold metal.

The cover proved to be a challenge to pull back over the hole as she descended.

By the time she was done, her body was drenched in sweat and her skin was coated in a fine layer of sand.

With her head ducked and body crouched, she skillfully maneuvered through the concrete and metal tube until it led her to another iron gate.

She pulled out the keys she had taken from the supply tent, feeling the weight of them in her hand.

There had been a board in the supply tent that had caught her attention during her earlier reconnaissance of the complex.

The keys had been sorted according to their purpose. Some were for the vehicles, others for the medical cabinets, food storage lockers, and community buildings. When she visited earlier to gather supplies, she took only the keys she needed.

She struggled to maneuver the heavy lock, finally positioning it so she could see the small opening at the bottom.

She inserted the thick, burnt gold key into the lock, the sound of the tumblers clicking audibly in the silence.

As she turned the key, she heard a satisfying pop, and the lock sprung open.

She sent a quick prayer of gratitude, realizing how fortunate she was that the lock hadn’t been replaced since her last reconnoitering.

That’s when she had made the unexpected discovery of the canoe.

Stepping out of the damp drain, she could feel the chill of the air on her skin as she straightened up and prepared for the journey ahead.

She hoisted her pack onto her back and secured her lance.

She turned around, closing and locking the gate to the drain, before tossing the keys into the nearby bushes.

The poured concrete forms not only provided stability to the bank where the drain came out, but they also served as a means for her to climb up to the path leading down to the lake.

Within minutes, she found herself along the bank, taking in the calming sights of the shimmering water and the gentle rustling of the nearby trees.

It didn’t take her long to locate the canoe, turn it over, and drag it down to the water’s edge.

She shrugged her pack off and tossed it in the front to help stabilize the weight and placed her lance within easy reach.

Pushing the canoe out into the water, she waded a short distance in the frigid waters before twisting and slipping onto the seat of the canoe.

She picked up the paddle and turned the canoe in the direction she wanted to go.

North-by-northwest.

In the distance, the snowcapped mountains glowed like a beacon to her in the moonlight. Digging the paddle deep into the water, she created a rhythm to keep herself focused. Jayden concentrated on her counting and not the heavy weight that seemed to be an anchor wanting to drag her down.

She looked over her shoulder at the shore. Through the trees, she could see the glow of lights from the complex. She didn’t know if her heart felt heavy because she was leaving her parents and grandparents, or?—

Or because ? —

Her mind shied away from the vision of Van and Peterson.

Her new quest was of greater importance than her personal desires.

A shuddering sigh slipped from her at the thought of their intense stares and the fire they created within her.

She turned her focus to the mountains. She was too wild to be held captive.

If there was a hidden kingdom, she would find it. That would be her destiny.

“This is for the best,” she murmured to reassure herself.

The lapping of the waves against the canoe and the wind pushing her out into the deeper waters of the lake toward the mountains seemed to agree with her.

She took solace in the beauty surrounding her.

A shadow passed over her and she looked up.

Twenty feet above her, a barred owl soared past her, as if curious to see who else was awake in the middle of the night. Jayden smiled.

“Hello, friend. Are you here to help guide me?” she said, her voice laced with a wry amusement.

Turning in a tight circle, the owl gracefully landed on the bow of the canoe, surprising her.

Jayden couldn’t help but stifle a delighted laugh as it rotated its head, fixing its focus on her before ruffling its feathers and resuming its forward-facing position.

As she breathed deeply, she felt a weight being lifted from her heart, bringing her a glimmer of hope.

Despite the uncertainty facing her, she found solace in the gentle breeze that whispered across the water and the comforting presence of her new feathery friend.