The tunnel, as Xander called it, was more of a drainage culvert, only large enough for them to go through one at a time. The land they were on was close to the Potomac, and the culverts were in place in case of flooding. It would effectively drain excess water away from the fields. It was dark and nasty, slimy with mold and moss. A trickle of water ran down the center, a remnant of last night’s rain. The damp, cool marshiness seeped through the leather of her boots, and Sam shivered as they crossed through the tunnel.
She was third in line. Xander and Fletcher were in front. Jordan was behind. Thor padded along without difficulty. After five minutes of walking, Xander held up his hand, and Fletcher took the lead position. They were at the entrance to Eden’s land. She heard the two men murmuring to each other, deciding who was going to go where. Suddenly Xander was next to her. He motioned for Jordan to come in front. She nodded and passed them.
Xander whispered in Sam’s ear. “They’re going first. I don’t see anyone here. Adrian must have taken Kaylie into the compound. We’ll follow when Fletch signals. They don’t need us getting hurt. Technically, we aren’t allowed to be here.”
“You’re already hurt,” she said, but leaned close to him.
“I’m okay. You did a good job patching me up. Fletch said HRT is combing the site, looking for survivors. Someone set the barn on fire with people inside it.”
“Jesus. They are vicious, aren’t they?”
“Next time I tell you to park your ass, you—”
Fletcher whistled twice, low and sharp.
Xander cut off the diatribe, gave her a little push. “Go.”
She went in front of him. He had a hand on her shoulder, and they broke out of the tunnel into the beginnings of twilight. She had no idea they’d been in the woods so long.
There was smoke drifting toward them. Fletcher was crouched down, weapon raised. Jordan was next to him with a scope to her eye, talking on her comms unit.
Sam heard her say, “Roger that.” She stood and signaled for them to come closer.
“HRT reports four guards down, fifteen hurt in the barn fire, some critical, and no one can find Curtis Lott or Rachel Stevens.”
“What about Adrian and Kaylie?” Sam asked.
“Negative. No sightings.”
“They must be on this side of the compound,” Fletcher said. “Maybe there are more tunnels.”
“You’re right,” Sam said. “When Kaylie was telling us about Eden, she said she’d been kept in the dark. She thought it was underground, because the floor was dirt. And they’d take her to another room, also underground, for her ‘Reasonings.’ We need to be looking for more tunnels.”
Jordan hit her comms unit and relayed that information. A minute later, she was given the go-ahead to begin a ground search.
“We’re a go.” She pulled a map of the compound out of her vest and laid it on the ground. “HRT cleared the farmhouse and the barn and all the surrounding areas. They’re starting in the farmhouse basement. We are right here.” She pointed to a spot two clicks away from the farmhouse. “Let’s fan out and start looking for an entrance.”
“Thor can find it,” Xander said. He gave the dog a series of commands, and Thor started off, nose to the ground.
“He’s a smart dog,” Jordan said.
“I trained him from a pup. He’s the best.”
In just a few minutes Thor uttered a sharp bark. Xander joined him at what looked like a wall of thick, impassable brush. But the air felt cool, cooler than the surrounding forest, and Sam knew they’d found it.
“In there,” Xander said quietly.
The brush was thick, but not impenetrable, and they were suddenly in a cool, dark cavern. A natural cave. It wasn’t much more open than the culvert. They stopped, let their eyes adjust. Sam realized there was a fluttering motion up ahead, and the darkness wasn’t quite as deep. A torch. They were definitely in the right place.
Jordan backed out for a moment, relayed their position then rejoined them. She nodded at Fletcher then took the lead, weapon up, moving carefully toward the flickering light.
Chapter
58
ADRIAN WASN’T FEELING well. He’d lost more blood than he’d realized. The stupid pellets must have nicked an artery in his stomach. He’d knocked the vile, unclean woman on the head, and carrying her weight coupled with the injury made the going slow.
His only thoughts were of home. The quiet solitude of his chamber; the blood of the sacrosancts making him whole. Part of his mind was in revolt, screaming at him to run, to hide, to escape, but he couldn’t leave Curtis behind. He was bound to her, bound to Eden, as tightly as if she’d yoked a golden rope around his neck that became a permanent part of his skin, tying him to her slender hands.
When she’d received the copy of Doug’s will, the greatest betrayal of all, and understood that the operation was in jeopardy, her first and only thought had been the welfare of her people. She had to keep Eden safe. Adrian had been sent to clean up the mess, to retrieve the lost one’s pod and come home.