Chapter 36

A pair of guards searched the entire lower level of Cada’s old shed. One of them tipped over a shovel just before declaring it all clear, and Noah held his breath, fearing the noise would wake the sleeping Rayneh. But the little girl continued her slumber. For some reason, the guards never checked the hay loft. Perhaps they were unaware of it. Noah let his breath out in a silent sigh of relief as he remembered Elam’s decision to pull the ladder up to the second floor.

Noah waited a long while after the guards departed. “They’re gone.” He peeked over the edge and carefully lowered the ladder. “We’d better get moving to where we can get out of the city while we still have the cover of night.”

Elam nodded and cradled his daughter close as Noah made his way down the rungs. Noah hoped that her dreams provided some peaceful respite from the pain and confusion of the day’s events.

The two men took turns carrying the sleeping child as they darted through alleys, hid behind trees, and snuck around buildings. Rayneh stirred occasionally but never fully awoke.

After arriving at the familiar home just before the deepest dark, Elam quietly slid the key into its slot and gently opened the door. Noah handed Rayneh to him before stealing one last glance down both directions of the street. He slipped inside the house behind Elam, closed the door, and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Kmani.” Elam spoke just above a whisper as he moved through the sitting room. “Kmani, it’s Elam. Are you still awake?” He paused and tilted his head as he listened for a response. He moved to the hallway and stopped. The door at the end cracked open and faint light seeped through the gap. “Kmani, it’s Elam.”

The elderly woman froze and stared down the hall, her eyes searching the darkness. She pulled a lantern around her rotund frame and held it up, illuminating her smile as she spotted her unexpected guests. “Elam. Noah. What are you doing here?” She increased the lamp’s brightness. “Putting that key we gave you to good use, I see.”

“Sorry for waking you, but we need to get out of the city.” Elam pulled the key from his pocket and handed it to her. He hugged her with his free arm. “I don’t think I’ll need this again.”

“Guards stopped by earlier looking for you and they searched the house. Here, let me take her.” Kmani held out her short arms and took Rayneh, who jostled a little before nestling up against her. With a tip of her head, she gestured back down the hall. “Downstairs.”

Noah stepped to the side, allowing Elam to move past him and open the entry between the sitting room and dining area. After Kmani walked by, Noah followed them to the stairway and closed the door behind him.

“How are you doing, Kmani?” Noah and Emzara had stopped over to comfort the grieving widow the day before Emzara left town, and he had been stunned at how calmly she seemed to be handling Zain’s murder. She told him that although it was painful, she was not surprised by it, given the city’s descent into all sorts of evil activities and the fact that her husband had long been at the forefront of the resistance against them.

“Each day is difficult,” she said as she reached the bottom of the stairs and handed him the lamp. Noah used the flame to light a second lantern near him on the wall. The cellar instantly seemed larger as the glow illuminated the space. The room served as a storehouse for their textile supplies as well as a cool environment in which to keep food preserved longer. He turned his attention back to Kmani.

“We’d been together for more than 700 years,” she said. “I’m grateful for the time the Creator gave us, but at the same time — and I don’t know how else to describe it — it seems like half of me is missing.” She tilted her head and frowned toward Elam, who sat on the floor against the wall, his head buried between his knees as he wept quietly. She covered Rayneh’s ear and looked up at Noah. Grimacing, her voice came out just above a whisper. “Kal?”

Noah pursed his lips. “Kal, Adira, and Tubal-Cain were all killed in the arena.” He closed his eyes before the tears escaped. “Tubal-Cain was gone before they brought me out, so I don’t know how it happened.”

“The king stabbed him for refusing to worship Nachash, but he didn’t die right away.” Elam wiped his eyes and took a deep breath. “He killed a wild beast that was meant for Adira before succumbing to his wound. We were forced to watch it all through one of the gates.”

A knot formed in Noah’s midsection as the terrors of the arena flooded his mind again. His bottom lip quivered as he thought about Tubal-Cain being killed by his own father. “That’s the second time he’s taken the life of my best friend.” Self-pity nearly engulfed him, but, glancing at Rayneh, he suppressed it. Yes, another dear friend was lost to him, but the little girl would grow up without her mother, and Elam would never see his wife again — at least not in this world. How would I feel if that happened to Em? He cast a sympathetic look at Elam.

“Come now.” Kmani tapped Elam. “There’ll be plenty of time for that later, and you’re right to do it. But not now. Those guards may return at any moment, and you need to get your little girl out of here.” She caught Noah’s attention and gestured to a large shelf unit holding all sorts and colors of fabric. “Behind that.”

Noah nodded. “Do we need to move the whole unit?”

Kmani shook her head. “No, the bottom half of the middle section pulls out, but it’s heavy. Just pull some of the material out first. I can repack it later.”

“You aren’t coming with us?” Noah hung the lantern on a hook near the shelves. “Aren’t you in danger here?”

She smiled. “I think Ashur prefers to let me suffer in my grief for Zain. Besides, if he wanted to kill me, I’d already be dead.” She adjusted her hold on Rayneh. “Don’t you worry about me. Zain made arrangements in case something like this ever happened. I’ll head to my son’s place in a month or so.”

“I’m sorry it’s all come to this.”

Her eyes glistened in the low light. “So am I.”

Noah grabbed a pile of folded linens from the large bin before him and set them on a table to his side. He repeated the action two more times before Elam joined in the work. With half the container emptied, the two men pulled it away from the wall.

Elam snatched the lantern and held it in the recently vacated space, revealing a dark drape hanging from the back of the shelving unit. “It’s behind this?”

“Yes,” Kmani said. “Just push it to the side.”

Elam slid the curtain to the side and then ran his hand along the wall, searching for the small hollow that served as a handle. Once he found it, he slipped a finger behind the little opening and pulled back. A door, lower than Noah’s waist, swung open, exposing a couple of steps down to a hidden tunnel that Zain had dug out shortly after building the house nearly a century earlier.

“And this will take us under the wall?” Noah asked.

Kmani nodded. “Yes, take the lantern with you. There’s an abandoned shack up against the woods about 200 cubits past the wall. When you reach the end of the tunnel, just look for the door above your head. It’s built into the floor of the shed and hidden behind some debris in the corner. Before you open it, listen to make sure all is still.”

Elam kissed the old woman on the forehead. “Thank you for everything.”

She teared up afresh. “I know you’re overwhelmed by all that’s happened, but be strong for your daughter.” She rubbed his shoulder. “I’ll miss you all very much.”

Blinking back tears, Elam said, “I love you. You and your husband were wonderful mentors to me. I hope we’ll see you again.” He turned and crawled backward into the opening. “Don’t worry, Noah, the tunnel is taller once you get inside.”

Noah hugged Kmani. “May the Creator keep you safe.”

“And you as well.” Kmani gently handed Rayneh to Elam. “Be careful, and get as far away from here as possible.”

Noah waited for her to move out of the way before following Elam into the tunnel, carefully holding the lantern off the ground as he ducked under the low opening. After a few steps, the ceiling allowed him to stand, although not to his full height. “Noah, take this.” Kmani reached down and handed an empty waterskin to him.

“Thank you.” Noah mustered a smile that tried to convey half a millennia of gratitude. “Oh, I almost forgot.” He pulled two gold pikkas from a small pouch. “Please make sure that a young man named Pav at the shipyard gets these.”

Kmani nodded and a tear dripped off her cheek. “I will. Farewell.” She sniffed and closed the door.

Noah held the light aloft and studied the tunnel before him. A handful of scraggly roots poked through the dirt ceiling above. Wooden beams stretched from the floor to the top every five to six cubits, and a crossbeam connected them along the ceiling. A few streaks of water appeared on the clay that formed much of both sides up to Noah’s shoulders. He walked past Elam. “Let’s go.”

Keeping his head down, Noah led the way through the tunnel. After approximately 60 cubits, the passageway veered left. Just beyond the turn, a tree root had forced its way through a section of the wall, spilling enough dirt to block nearly half of their route.

“We must be under the forest,” Elam said. “That means we’re past the wall.”

“I believe so. It shouldn’t be too much farther. Stay quiet until we’re sure no one is in the shed.”

A few uneventful moments later, they neared the end of the tunnel. Noah dimmed the light and stopped before the ladder set into the left wall. Glancing up, he spotted the hatch. He put a finger to his lips, reminding Elam to be silent.

Rayneh wriggled in Elam’s arms, trying to get comfortable. He stroked her head and held her close. After a long silence, he spoke in a whisper. “Noah, if something happens to me. I want you and Emzara to raise Rayneh as your own.”

Noah smiled and touched the little girl’s cheek. “We’d be honored. But don’t talk like that. We’re going to make it.”

“You think it’s clear up there?”

Noah shrugged. “Well, let’s find out. I’ll go up first.” Noah carefully slid a latch that unlocked the door above him and then slowly cracked it open. He climbed the ladder and peeked through the gap. With no sign of intruders, Noah finished his ascent, which led him to a small area behind a wall of crates. A gap between the crates and the far wall opened up to the rest of the shack. He squeezed through the breach. Confident that they were alone, he retraced his steps back to the tunnel exit. “It’s all clear.” Noah stooped low, set the lamp on the floor, and took Rayneh from her father.

Elam climbed up the ladder and closed the door. “It’s safe?”

“I think so. I’ll take her for a while.” Noah nodded to the far wall. “You can get past the crates over there.”

After retrieving the lantern, Elam followed Noah’s directions, and they soon reached the front door. “Where do we go from here?”

“North, through the woods. We need to avoid the main roads at least until we’re a long ways from the city. And keep the light dim.”

“Good idea.” Elam took a deep breath. “Are you ready?”

Noah nodded and then closed his eyes. “Creator, please protect us. We thank You for helping us get this far and pray that You’ll lead us safely through the rest of the night.”

Elam patted Noah on the shoulder and then opened the door. The men stepped out into a glade, hurried across the clearing, and entered the forest. They walked through patches of woods intersected by swaths of fields. When the lights of Iri Geshem could no longer be seen, they slowed their pace a little.

They reached a road marked by deep wagon wheel grooves. “If I’m not mistaken,” Noah said as he pointed left, “this road leads west to Kadzen.”

“That’s the first town on the river, right?” Elam rubbed his tired eyes.

“Yeah.” As the threat of death seemed less imminent, the stress of the day’s events started to take its toll. Noah stretched his neck and shoulders. “We could go that way and take the river road until we find a boat heading north. But for now, I think we should stay off the roads. After the sun rises, maybe we can find the old trail along the eastern edge of the forest. It’ll be a little out of the way, but we should be able to move faster. And I really doubt that troops will be sent that far to find us.”

“They probably think we’re still in the city. I’m sure glad Zain built that tunnel.” Elam yawned. “Let’s go with your plan, but I’d like to rest a little first.”

Noah motioned to the forest across the road. “Let’s find a place in there to hide.”

They scampered across the path and down a short hill into the woods. A small stream babbled before them. Noah leapt over it and then filled the waterskin. Both men drank from it before Noah topped it off again and slung it over his shoulder.

The forest offered little resistance due to its sparse undergrowth. While this allowed them to move steadily, it also afforded them very few places to hide. As the eastern sky developed a faint glow, signaling the coming dawn, Noah pointed to a grove of large trees where the brush grew thicker. “That looks like a good place.”

Elam found a level piece of ground near one of the trees and reclined. After taking Rayneh, he adjusted his wrap to cover her tiny frame. “I’m glad you’re still resting, sweet one. We’ll get through this together.”

Noah set the lamp, bag of food, and water on the ground. Reclining against a tree a few cubits from Elam, he wrestled with all that transpired in the past day. He remained silent as Elam sniffled, giving his friend some privacy as he grieved an unimaginable loss. Iri Geshem’s addiction to violence had now claimed the lives of so many people that Noah loved. Yet, even though the vivid images of brutality remained fresh, his focus stayed elsewhere: the peace and boldness he possessed in the midst of the most terrifying moment of his life. The Creator protected me and gave me the courage to warn the people.

Settling his head on his crossed forearms that rested on his knees, Noah closed his eyes to pray. He thanked the Most High for watching over him in the arena and asked Him to protect Emzara, Laleel, and Garun as they traveled the river. God, please comfort Elam as well. Noah’s prayer continued until he nodded off. His head jerked up before he let it down on his arms again. His thoughts drifted to Emzara and their unborn child, and then sleep overtook him.

“On your feet!” A sharp voice rang out. It seemed distant at first, but Noah quickly realized it did not originate in a dream. “Up. Now.”

Noah opened his eyes and his heart sank. A spear was pointed directly at his face only a fingertip away. Why did I fall asleep? He blinked hard and his eyes adjusted to the bright morning light. Elam? Noah looked over to see two guards standing over his friend with spears aimed at him. Noah slowly raised a hand. “I’m getting up.” As he carefully climbed to his feet, he held out both hands. “We’re unarmed.”

“What about him?” The guard pushed his spear closer to Elam.

“He’s only carrying his daughter,” Noah said. “Please don’t harm them.”

The guard gestured to the man on his right. “Get them up.”

As a soldier bound Noah’s hands behind his back, two others prodded Elam to his feet.

“Sir, what about the girl?”

“Let her father carry her, but bind him around the waist,” the man in front of Noah said. “We’ll let the captain decide their fate.”

Only then did Noah realize why their accents sounded strange. The half dozen soldiers wore red and black uniforms bearing the unmistakable emblems of the famed Nodite army.