The Facility, Eganene
“Come on, Anthony,” he heard one of the men say.
He glanced back at Richard and Sam who were in animated discussion. They should have been keeping their voices down, but the conversation was a positive, building trust for the approaching fight.
Their groups was several hours out from Faenella, Carl having set as quick a pace as he thought Jamison could manage. But the old man moved fast. Carl was keeping pace with him. The rest of their group moved slower, strung out in twos and threes a quarter mile back.
Carl was uncomfortable with the disorganization, but there wasn’t a good alternative. It was impossible to keep them quiet, too many voices and too many weapons. The clinking and clanking was scaring away the game for miles. And they had a lot to talk about-- the death of Smitty, his wife and children, the Facility and the Family.
Carl preferred the quiet, electing to walk in front with Jamison. The snow beneath his feet was still pristine, and he liked the way his boots cracked the crust of ice.
Nights were also a challenge. While he enjoyed the conversation and the warmth of his friends’ laughter, sleep eluded him. He was used to the soothing sounds of the forest, not the breathing of the men and the crunch of snow as they tossed on their blankets.
Jamison chose the dawn watch and woke Carl before the sun rose. His job was to scout ahead. Conscious of his mission and weary of the Facilities sentries, he slid his sword free from its scabbard. Thankfully, the forest life was audible over his silent footsteps, signaling that his trip would be a boring one. After an hour, Carl recognized Charlie’s footsteps behind him and broke his fast waiting on his friend.
“We are making a good time,” the burly man observed. “Your footprints were easy to follow.”
Carl shrugged. “No point in trying to hide them. Soon there will be eight sets.” He checked the position of the sun to gauge the time.
Charlie dropped his pack and sat.
“You want some?” Carl asked, offering a hunk of cheese.
Charlie shoved it into his mouth. “I miss Melody’s cooking.”
“Me, too,” Carl smiled. “She’s packing up the house?”
Charlie nodded, “Once we get back, I’m going to move her things into town. I plan on asking Tobius for a few of his horses.”
“I’m sure he’ll let you borrow some.” Carl repacked his bag and obscured his prints with the side of his foot.
Charlie gave him a look, “I thought you said there was no point trying to hide them.”
“Habit. Let’s get going before the rest get here. I want to beat Jamison to camp tonight. I thought his leg would slow him down, but he’s fast for an old man.”
“What is so important about being first?” Charlie said, scratching his beard.
“I’d rather take point. I can see better without a crowd.”
His friend nodded and they walked silently for a while, enjoying each other’s company. It reminded Carl of his youth, of playing in the forest unsupervised.
“You remember the time we took Mr. Mason’s daughter…” Charlie said, as if reading his mind.
“That was your idea.”
“Yes, it was,” Charlie agreed. “We showed her the waterfall.”
“And drank three skins of wine.”
The big man laughed, “I still can’t believe she went swimming.”
Carl shook his head, sharing the memory. “I still can’t believe you took her dress.”
Charlie laughed again. “I gave it back, eventually.” He elbowed Carl in the side, “Be honest. You can still see her running, can’t you?”
The sides of Carl’s mouth twitched. It was a good memory -- a time before he understood what the world was like and his responsibility in it. He thought about the women and children that had been Hunted, about those who had been taken to the Facility, and his thoughts turned sour.
Charlie recognized his mood and left him to his thoughts. His friend was good at providing companionship or backing off to let him be. That was probably why Carl had kept in touch. That and a host of good memories. Hopefully, he made the right decision bringing him along.
Lie was a great fighter, but he had responsibilities at home. If he didn’t return, Melody and Veri would be alone. She would have to go to her father’s for good, until her grief died out and she remarried. And what of Veri? There was no telling if Melody’s father would care for the child.
Carl shook his head, trying to dispel his dark thoughts. Thinking like that was no way to approach a battle, especially not if he wanted Tod on his side. He checked his sword again and paused, letting his eyes scan the forest, sensing the woods for anything that might be amiss. There was nothing close by, but a few miles back, he could see a dozen birds take wing. That was the group. He and Charlie had less than an hour on them.
When they were moving again, Lie broke the silence, “I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”
“Ask,” Carl said, surprised. It was midday and the rest of their group was probably stopping for a lunch.
“It’s about Veri.”
Carl watched a small deer freeze in place. It was too scrawny for a good meal and not worth the energy to dress it. “I don’t know any more than I told you,” he said.
“I know. It’s about what you think she can do.”
Carl grunted. “I’m not sure I know, Lie. She fixed my hangovers. I don’t know how. And that nightmare…what she said about the blast to the north.”
“She warned us, Carl. Told us we shouldn’t be heading this way.”
Carl glanced at the sun. “Well, we aren’t exactly headed north.”
“Don’t parse words. I’m with you on this, a hundred percent, I just wonder about the timing, you know.”
Carl shrugged. “It is a mystery to me, too, Lie. You said she hasn’t done anything strange since I left. It could’ve been my imagination. Her nightmare could be just that. A nightmare.”
“You don’t believe that.”
“I don’t. But I can’t explain it either.”
Charlie scratched his head, his dark hair escaping Melody’s cross-stitched hat. “What if we took her to see someone?”
“A healer?”
Charlie frowned, “No…”
“Then who?”
“Melody says she has some family a few days walk south of us.”
“What would they know about Veri?” Carl asked, confused.
“I don’t know,” Charlie explained, his face reddening with embarrassment. “Melody’s family is a little more interesting than mine. Her aunts live pretty secluded lives. I didn’t ask her directly, but I think…” Charlie took a deep breath and then finished quickly, “I think she was hinting that they had Power, like maybe they would know what Veri was doing because they could do it, too.”
Carl stopped and regarded his friend. “If that’s true, I think it’s a good idea. My gut tells me the girl’s special. The pain in my head disappeared. She cured me.”
“And you’re fine with that?”
He shrugged, “She helped me. If it is the Power…” He struggled for words, “I… she’s just a child. Just a sweet, little child.”
Charlie’s sigh puffed into the air, a warm, white cloud that covered his beard, “Good. I hoped you’d see it that way. We aren’t afraid of her.”
Carl started walking again, his friend taking big strides to keep pace. The idea that Veri had majic was unnerving, but not surprising. And why was majic such a bad thing, anyway? The Family were the ones to declare it something terrible.
Carl didn’t remember those years well, but as a child born before the Purge, he could still recall majic. There’d been a time when townsfolk who had the Power were revered, helping their neighbors to do all sorts of important things. It was the Family that had turned majic into a sin.
It wasn’t the majic that people feared, but the repercussions of having it, of their loved ones being torn from them, of their sons and daughters being Hunted and murdered.
Charlie grasped his shoulder. “I’m not afraid of her Carl. I’ll care for her if she has Power or if she doesn’t.”
Lapsing into silence, they traveled in peace until Carl found a place to camp. Quickly and efficiently, they cleared the ground of larger rocks and broken branches. While Charlie built a small fire, Carl ranged forward, checking the path ahead. When he returned, the others had arrived and were making beds for the night.
“Anything?” Malachi asked him, shielding his face from a gust of cold wind.
“No, it looks clear enough. Are you taking first watch?”
It was completely dark now and Malachi’s eyes looked bright against his dark face. “I’d prefer that. I like to get my beauty rest once my work is done.”
“You are pretty enough,” Anthony laughed.
“I think you’re all beautiful,” Jamison grumped. “Eat something and get to bed. We’ve at least two more days of this.”
“You’re no fun, old man,” Tobius joked.
The Bounty Master’s face was serious. “This isn’t supposed to be fun. We have nasty work ahead of us, and I’d like to see all your pretty faces back in Faenella when we’re done.”
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Thankfully, the men had the good sense to heed his advice. They ate in silence and bedded down for the night. Carl didn’t think he would fall asleep, but somehow he did, waking to Jamison’s hand on his shoulder.
“Glad you got some rest,” the Bounty Master whispered into the dawn silence.
“I’m surprised,” Carl agreed. Richard was awake, the man’s back visible beside the fire. “Are you coming with me?” he asked, squinting at the older man.
“If you can keep up,” Jamison replied.
The next two days went much like the first. They encountered no scouts and made a lot of noise. Luckily, finding the Facility proved to be easier than he dared hope. The men fell into line quickly, the seriousness of the situation impressed upon them by the enormity of the compound. Built in a small valley, the mountains rising above it like a protective ring, the Facility had a high, stone fence whose gray stones looked mortared into place.
How many years had it taken to make that? Carl wondered.
The eight men were hidden in the tree-covered mountain face, the winter air cooling the sweat on their brows. They were tired, but in good spirits, eager to see what was inside.
“We should wait a day,” Jamison counseled. “It’d be a bad idea to go rushing in and we’ve no idea what we are up against. Let’s take some time and see who goes in and out and from which gates.”
Carl nodded, glad someone was talking sense. “Absolutely, we need more information. The men I spoke with didn’t have much in the way of specifics.” He thought about the bald man with the hideous scar and pushed the memory away.
“A shame,” Jamison said. “It would’ve been good to have some particulars. We need to determine how many men they have.”
Carl pulled his hood over his head. “I agree.”
The Bounty Master looked tired and old. Carl wasn’t sure of his exact age and despite asking, had never gotten a real answer. The other Hunters were not sure either. Their best guesses ranged from fifty to eighty. “The place is a fortress. What is your best guess, Carl?”
“Enough that walking in the front door isn’t an option,” Malachi answered instead.
“You got that right,” Jamison agreed. “That place is twice the size of Faenella.”
Carl shrugged, “Perhaps. I can’t tell with those buildings.”
“Let’s find out more,” Jamison said, squatting in the snow.
The men all nodded, ready for direction.
“For starters, we should figure out how many guards are at the perimeter and how often they pass,” Jamison suggested. “And I would really like to know if they’ve sentries with guns. Especially long range weapons. If we could get a few of those, Carl, can you even imagine? It’d do a lot for us.”
“I can go find out,” Malachi offered.
Carl looked at him sideways. The man seemed to have an endless supply of energy. Lean and fit, he exuded good-health and athleticism. Carl knuckled his aching back and shook his head. He would have said this was a younger man’s game, but Malachi was older.
“You aren’t tired?” Jamison asked.
“Nah,” the man replied, stretching long, hide-covered limbs.
“We’ve been moving since morning,” Richard disagreed, coming up on the conversation.
“A nice warm-up. Come on. Let’s have a look around. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
Jamison grinned. “Good. Do it. The rest of us should try and get some rest. We are too close to light a fire, so tonight is going to be cold. Best if we can get this done as soon as possible. I want to put some distance between us and that place. The more we know, and the faster we know it, the better off we will be.”
“Tod let it be so,” Richard muttered, his eyes considering the flat topped, cinderblock buildings below. They were of Earthen construction, each structure a few stories high. Everything was a uniform grey, except the black lines that crossed the windows.
Carl started. Those were prison bars he was looking at. “Should I go with him?” he asked.
Jamison shook his head, massaging his knee. “Not necessary. Malachi can handle himself. Why don’t you get everyone settled?”
“Sure,” he said, watching the Hunter move off.
The last rays of sunlight trickled through the pines overhead, causing the man’s jerkin to shimmer. The short sword from Smitty’s rested on his back, the blade wrapped in cloth to hide its reflection. Above his deerskin boots were two daggers. Malachi was not unprepared.
Actually, Carl knew he was more than capable, an excellent hunter and talented fighter. They’d taken a few tandem trips together, stalking some larger prey. They worked well as a team. Malachi had been there the first time Carl took a life and he trusted him implicitly.
Still, Carl would have preferred to scout. He was responsible for these men. Not that he doubted the mission. He knew that they were doing the right thing. If the Family was abducting people, Faenella needed to know about it. But, he was aware of the fact that he was risking the lives of his friends to find out.
“Eat what you want and get some rest,” he told the men. “Obviously, we can’t have a fire, but do your best to get some shuteye. We might try the walls at first light.”
The men lay their blankets on the cold, rocky ground, but while snow covered everything, there wasn’t enough soil to be comfortable. Carl knew he wouldn’t sleep, so he didn’t try, preferring instead to sit up with Jamison. The grizzled old man had found a series of larger boulders and had his back to one of them.
Carl sat beside him, “Do you see him?”
“No. He’s too smart for that. I trained him myself. Same as I did you.”
Carl glared into the darkening night, “You were a monster back then.”
“I was what I needed to be. And you were a brat.”
“Making me creep around the forest for three days straight, hiding from every hunter you had, was more than a little excessive.”
“You made it, though. At twelve, you were the youngest.”
“I suppose,” Carl allowed. “But I still think three days is too much. I was so damn hungry and so damn cold by the end, I thought my shaking would give me away.”
“Quit with the sob story. I’m well aware you hid in the attic for a night.”
“What! I…”
“Please. I didn’t know it at the time, but the wife found her blankets all messed up and her cookies eaten.”
“I never touched her blankets.”
Jamison gave him a sideways look. “But you ate the cookies.”
Carl laughed, “Seems like a lifetime ago.”
Jamison didn’t crack a smile. “Those weren’t the good old days, you know.”
Carl nodded, “I know. But it feels that way. Feels like it was simpler.”
“Nothing was simpler. You were just too young to understand it. You were just a kid.”
Carl glanced down the mountain. It was almost fully dark now, the glass windows reflecting the moonlight. Large heavy clouds passed beneath the white orb, plunging everything into darkness over and over again.
Finally, he said, “I think I knew enough, Jamison. They all died. Everyone one of them.”
“Your family?” the Bounty Master asked, softly. “You never did tell me what happened. I mean, I know what happened, but not your part.”
“Not much to tell. I wasn’t there when it happened. I had gone on a trip with Lie, hiking up to a place we called the Widow’s well. They came shortly after we left. Smoke was blowing in the wrong direction, so we didn’t realize anything had happened until we saw the fires. That was late in the evening.”
“Ah…” Jamison said. “You were lucky.”
“Perhaps. We ran the whole night through, chasing the glow from the flames. But the Dogs were gone by then.”
“Why did they come?
Carl shrugged, “I don’t know. We didn’t have majic. We didn’t have weapons. Might be they weren’t there for us at all.” Carl felt his heartbeat quicken. “They killed almost half the village. Lie’s family lived because they fled. All the homes were burnt and there was no reason to stay.”
“One of them brought you to Faenella?”
“I’m not sure. Don’t have much of a memory after getting back into town.”
“So you don’t…”
“It was all black, Jamison. Just ash and dirt. There wasn’t anything to see, anyway. I’m guessing now, but I think Lie’s parents cared for me awhile. I don’t really remember though and I haven’t asked them.”
“You were just a kid.”
Carl sighed, “I know.”
“You remember how I found you?”
“No, but I know Lie’s family moved to Faenella. We never talk about it.”
Jamison passed his canteen and Carl took a long swig. “Doesn’t matter now, does it? I shouldn’t have been asking you such unpleasant questions. Not when we’ve business to attend to.”
Carl took another sip of liquor, feeling it slide down his throat. All this craziness had certainly been affecting his ability to indulge himself. It would be a happy night when and he could drink until he was well and drunk. He wanted to not think for a while.
He looked back at the sleeping shapes. He could hear their breathing, the little sounds and movements in the darkness. It had been nicer alone, when the forest had been his and everything had been quiet.
“You see him?” a familiar voice whispered in his ear. It was fully dark now, the clouds tight and thick above their heads.
“Go back to sleep, Anthony. If something happens, I’ll be sure to wake you.”
“But, Carl,” the thinner man whispered, “don’t you think Malachi’s been gone too long? Shouldn’t we go check on him or something?”
“No. If I thought anything was wrong, I’d be out there in a heartbeat. Malachi is doing his job. He’s going slow. Very slow. You wouldn’t even believe how slow. He’s going to get as close as he can to that godforsaken place and see what he can see.”
“And if we are lucky,” Carl continued, “he’ll find out the patrol’s location and numbers. It’ll be a heck of a lot easier getting in that place if no one’s shooting at us.”
The other man was looking at his boots.
“Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Where’s Malachi,” Richard asked, crouching beside them.
“By the gods,” Carl swore, throwing off his blanket and squinting to check the position of the others. Were they all awake?
“Go back to bed,” he soothed. “Malachi will be back in a bit.”
“He’s been gone awhile,” Richard continued, voice righteous.
Carl tried to make his voice hard, “And he has got a big job. You think walking the perimeter of that place is easy, finding out who is coming and going and memorizing their time and movements?”
Anthony shook his head, a dark orb vibrating in the blackness.
“I know. I realize it is a scary situation, but we’re fine here. And Malachi knows what he’s doing. You two need to sit tight. Panicking is going to help no one.”
Suddenly, a figure loomed up beside them.
All three men scrambled backwards, hands searching for hilts.
“You missed me! How nice!”
“Malachi!” Richard and Anthony shouted as one.
Materializing out of the blackness, he sat beside them. “Quiet down! I’ve got good news, boys.”
“What?” the brothers asked, their voices eager. Carl and Jamison both leaned in.
“The outside of the place is almost empty. Looks like the monsters don’t have enough men to put up a decent perimeter. Should be an easy enough in.”
“Where?” Carl asked, trying for Malachi’s shoulder, but getting a hand full of air.
His friend smiled, his teeth flashing in the darkness. “There are two gates, one to the north and one, west. There’s a lot going on inside. Voices. Screams. I couldn’t see much because the windows are barred and blocked.”
Carl nodded, wondering what was happening inside the walls.
“We should go now,” Sam suggested. The men huddled around, dark shapes identifiable only by the solidity of their blackness.
“If they’re weak…” Tobius began.
“Hold on!” Jamison interrupted. “It is good to be eager, but we need a solid plan. Rushing in there isn’t the right decision.”
He knelt down, his voice close to Carl’s ear. “There’s a lot more we need to think about before we decide on a plan.”
Carl shook his head, the motion invisible. Jamison was smart, but cautious. How long were they supposed to wait and watch? If the walls were weak, then why wouldn’t they take them now?
“If Malachi thinks it is a good time…” he began.
“Then we should talk about it,” the Bounty Master replied, his voice tight.
Carl searched for his friend’s arm. “What did you see down there? Tell us all of it.”
“The place is huge, with a thick wall around it,” Malachi began. “They have a roving patrol, but it’s only a few men for hundreds and hundreds of feet of wall. They can’t cover the entire thing. Not at night.”
“In daylight, it will be a different story. From the towers they’ll be able to see all along the walls. They cleared the fields and will have a clean line of sight right up the mountain. If we’re running, daylight won’t be the time to do it. I say we get in and out during the night.”
“Weapons?” Jamison asked.
“I couldn’t tell for sure. Mostly just followed the voices. Their gates are pulley and lever, from the inside. And they have guard towers on each side.”
“Manned?” Carl asked.
“I’m not sure. I didn’t see any lights, but that doesn’t mean much. They could be smart. They might not want to hurt their night vision with a fire.”
The smell of horses grew stronger. “So you think we should move tonight?”
Carl realized it was Tobius who had joined the conversation.
“I don’t know. I’m just telling you what I saw. The place looks calm right now. Easy to get into.”
“How do we get over the walls?” Anthony asked. His voice was slightly higher than the others.
Malachi smiled. “I’ve been thinking about that. I don’t think we should go over the walls at all. Too complicated. The man climbing would be exposed and the stones are mortared tight. Whoever built that place did a solid job, hardly any cracks or split. There’s nowhere to get a good toehold.”
“So what, then?” Carl asked, curious.
“I heard rushing water and followed the noise. They have pipes under the fields, and I found one of the openings. It’s at the base of the mountain where a smooth flat piece of stone covers it, strange and perfectly circular.”
“Did you go in?” Sam asked.
“No, I can’t lift the stone without help. I was able to get my fingers under it and lift it an inch or so, but we’re going to need more muscle.”
“I’ll help,” Lie and Tobius said simultaneously.
“I figure it’ll take most of us to slide it off,” Malachi answered.
“Well, let’s get to it, then,” Charlie suggested. “We’ve hours of night left.”
Jamison cleared his throat. “Slow down, Charlie. We don’t know what’s down there. Could be…”
“Then we should go find out. Malachi said we should be moving while it’s dark. And I, for one, don’t want to be sitting on this mountain in the daylight.”
“Without a fire,” Sam said.
“Freezing our stones off,” Richard contributed.
“While those poor people are screaming,” Anthony followed up.
“Now, hold on,” Carl said. “We can’t help anyone if we run in there and get ourselves killed.”
“I agree,” Tobius said. “But why not move the lid and explore these pipes tonight? We can figure our way in and then wait until tomorrow night to move.”
“Yes!” Lie agreed. “That is ‘reasonable’ isn’t it Carl?”
Carl looked to where Jamison was sitting, but saw only darkness. He wished the Bounty Master would chime in, give them a solid plan he could be sure of, but the older man said nothing, waiting for Carl.
“Come on, Carl,” Anthony encouraged. “Let’s go see what’s down there. It beats sitting here in the cold waiting. Let’s go find our way in.”
“I’m not tired,” Malachi said. “I’d like to see where all the water is coming from.”
Carl grimaced. “All right. Let’s go.”