TESHA CREPT DOWN THE STEPS, hugging the shadows and freezing when anyone focused in her direction. Being small had its advantages. So far she had descended three stories undetected. She was almost there. A guard came up the ramp, pushing a thin man ahead of him. Tesha sank behind a barrel of sand and held her breath as the pair walked past. She counted to five before allowing herself to peek around the side to see his retreating back. She judged the guard was far enough away to risk movement as she stood from her crouch.
Tesha anxiously scanned the floor of the loading zone below for Deshi’s hair. It had a unique way of standing up on end at the back. His hair resembled the comb of a rooster, the way it stood up on end. That was how she always knew it was him. Her eyes swept the floor. He was nowhere to be seen. She searched the floor again. When she couldn’t locate him, panic welled up inside of her.
Oh no! Where is he? What if he has been moved? What do I do now? Chutzpa’s words came back to her. He said he won’t lose sight of him. He must know where he is. He must be there.
Easing out from behind the barrel, she moved to the top of the last staircase and hurried down with her head lowered. She hunched over at the bottom, just another slave going about her duties. Her robes dragged on the ground disguising her unbound feet. The last place she had spotted Deshi was at the far end of the terminus, loading another sack of black salt.
She moved into a crowd of workers and shuffled along with them, adopting their miserable expressions, something that was not hard to do. She was feeling miserable and scared. Tesha passed by a mound of rough rocks waiting to be processed. A small abandoned hammer with a broken claw rested on the ground beside the mound and she picked it up. The one remaining claw was shiny and sharp as though it had been run through a grinder recently. She swiped it as she passed, carrying it in her right hand to blend in with everyone else. She crossed the yard and scooted out of the crowd as she neared the top of the ramp leading to the carts. Her frantic eyes searched the crowd for her brother.
Off to her right, she could hear the buzz of gears, like a large sewing machine. She moved toward the sound, not meeting anyone’s eyes, while trying to keep everyone in sight. As she moved closer to the noise, she suddenly walked into someone. He grunted with pain as her hammer poked him in the stomach.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I should have watched where I was—”
Her babbling voice was cut off suddenly when a voice said, “Tesha, is that you? What are you doing down here?” Tesha peered up into Deshi’s eyes, and suddenly his face was swimming in tears.
“Deshi! Thank the ancestors! I have found you!” Her voice wobbled as her fear overwhelmed her for a second.
“Tesha, get a grip. Now is not the time to lose it. Why are you down here?” He shifted the heavy bag of salt.
“I am here with the Shamankas and a stranger. They are going to stage a break out. I came to tell you of the plan. I need to speak to you. Now.”
Deshi glanced over his shoulder then forward. They were alone for the moment. “I can’t stay still. They will come to see what I am doing. I will walk slowly past you as I do my chores. Every time I pass, whisper the plan to me. Stay in the shadows. I will glance at you each time I pass so you know it is me and slow up as I go by. Make sure no one else hears, okay?”
“Got it.”
“Okay, I will be right back.”
It took ten passes before she was able to relay the entire plan to Deshi. She waited in the shadows for Deshi to come back for an eleventh pass, but he didn’t return. Instantly Tesha’s fear ramped up as her adrenaline kicked in. Worry over whether or not he had been discovered made her dance on the spot, torn between staying put and searching for him. A shadow loomed up beside her in the dark, and she jumped as though she had been goosed.
“Hey, it’s me. Quiet now, I am going to get you out of here.” He gave her a quick squeeze. “All is set. The word is being spread among the workers. I have told the children to move toward the carts. They are all arming themselves with their tools and getting into position.” He grabbed her by the shoulders. “Now listen. We are going out through the mine tracks, too. It is the closest exit, and I am not going to allow you to try to flee any other way. You shouldn’t even be down here. If they catch you, you will be executed for sure, as a spy. So when the commotion starts, I want you to run past the battles and head for the front cart. I stashed a loose burlap bag there. Crawl under it and stay put. I will join you as soon as I cut the rope. Stay under the bag, no matter what you hear. Keep your hammer with you in case you are discovered. It is your only weapon.”
He heard footsteps coming down the path. “Stay here until I return with a bag then follow me. When you see me give the signal in the loading zone, run for the lead mine cart. I will make sure none are in your way.” He moved off into the dark and Tesha waited as five more workers passed by going both directions. She made her way to a short wall that hid her more effectively.
Deshi returned and nodded once as he passed her. Tesha slipped out behind him, following him to the staging area then shuffling off to the right, making for the furthest ramp. A group of guards watched her approach with suspicion. She went to one knee and ran her hands over the ground, as though she had dropped something. She didn’t want to stare at the guards. She tilted her head, watching Deshi from the corner of her eye. He trudged up the ramp and deposited his bag in the second cart, then turned and walked back down the dock. Another man bumped his shoulder and she saw him give a short nod. Deshi did not respond, but as he cleared the ramp, he paused and stretched, as though relieving the tension in his back. It was the signal.
She straightened back up to see the guards on the mining carts lying on the ground. She had not seen anyone attack them, but she knew it to be Chutzpa’s darts. She leapt to her feet and moved toward the unguarded bridge. She had covered half the distance when she heard a whimpering sound. A boy, no more than six years old, was sitting on the ground behind the guards, bound hand and foot. His terrified eyes watched her approach. There was no way he could run away. On an impulse, Tesha scooped him up in her arms and carried him to the lead cart.
With a boom and a whooshing sound, blue lightning sizzled from the upper levels of the pit. Barrels of torch oil exploded and flame rained down into the pit. Screams filled the air, some of surprise, some of pain, but many were the gleeful howls of the oppressed, scenting a chance at freedom. The workers rioted, scattering in every direction.
In the confusion, Tesha climbed into the lead cart with the boy, settled him on her lap and then threw the burlap over them both, huddling down in the cart with the bags. She shushed him as he tried to cry out, murmuring that she was rescuing him and he must stay very, very quiet. He stilled in her arms and pressed his face into her shirt.
Tesha heard footsteps on the dock and the clang of weapons striking the metal sides. The cars rocked with a heavy impact. Battles raged around her, but she dared not peek out from her sanctuary. The cart lurched, and then suddenly it was moving down the track and gaining speed fast. The sounds of the battle faded away as the cart zoomed along the rails and into the pitch black tunnel. The darkness was complete. Tesha could not see her hand in front of her face, not that she tried. She was busy bracing herself against the dips and surges, the cart tossing them around with the bags of salt. Alarmed, she knew she had no control over the destination or the swiftness of their travel. She chewed her lip. What if there were guards at the terminus of the tracks? What would she do then? Would there be any reason for guards at the other end? She didn’t know.
She searched out the boy’s ties and freed his hands and feet, then gathered him back into her arms.
“I’m Tesha,” she whispered. He did not answer. “You must do as I say when the cart stops. Stay still and quiet, okay?”
The cart slowed as it rumbled over some logs. With a bang and a lurch, the cart bumped into the stationary one ahead of her. They sat still and quiet in the cart, listening for sounds. She heard nothing. She lifted the corner of the canvas and peeked out the side. They were still in the tunnel, but a lighter blackness was ahead, the illumination brightening then dimming. The cart lurched and moved forward. They rolled into a station of sorts. The lead cart was being unloaded by a group of slaves, who piled the bags onto other carts. Only one guard was present in the chamber that she could see. Once the cart was loaded, the guard left with the team of loaders, walking up the broad hallway. The dock emptied. As soon as the last man disappeared, Tesha jumped out of the cart with the little boy, standing him on his feet and pulling him toward the tunnel.
She ran over to a lever that she guessed was the brake and released the empty carts. Ten of them zoomed out into the dark, hopefully to return with prisoners. She left the brake open, hoping that the constant flow of carts would provide a moving escape route. Smiling to herself, she took out her hammer and smashed it down on the lever, breaking it and jamming it open.
She returned to the boy as another cart zoomed into the station. Out jumped Deshi, covered in blood. Relief surged through Tesha. Spying her, Deshi grabbed her hand, and they ran up the ramp together to freedom.