CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The moment Ethan and Jared walked into the cave’s candlelit heart, Nyla could sense something was wrong and panic shot through her body. Ethan’s angular jaw was set and his long stride determined. His fists hung clenched at his sides and fire burned in his dark eyes. He looked dangerous, but his intensity didn’t scare Nyla it only made her want to reach out to him.

“What is it? Is everything okay?”

“Ethan is just a little put off by his summons to donate to the physical perfection of the next generation of conformists,” Jared joked.

“What! I thought that didn’t happen until after graduation. How could they summon him now? How much time do we have? We can’t let this happen. We can leave tonight.”

Nyla didn’t mean to sound hysterical, but feared she had. She didn’t know why the thought of Ethan fathering unknown numbers of children with unknown women, whom he would never meet, should bother her so much, but it did.

Ethan put his arms around Nyla and pulled her close and rested his chin on the top of her head. Her reaction was just the response he wanted and needed. He was relieved to see he wasn’t the only one who thought the mandatory donation policy was wrong. Knowing Nyla cared so much made his anger dissipate and he only wanted to comfort her.

“Don’t worry. I’m not scheduled until the day after tomorrow and we’ll be long gone by then,” he whispered into her ear as he continued to hold her tight.

Nyla opened her eyes and could see Claire and Jared watching them with amusement, but neither said anything to break Ethan’s hold. She was sure Ethan’s action looked odd to their friends, but she was glad they said nothing, knowing it would only make him uncomfortable. And, Nyla enjoyed the feel of Ethan’s embrace and was in no hurry to end the contact.

When Ethan released Nyla, he walked over to the flame. His friends gathered around him, but he refused to look any of them in the eye, afraid his feelings could still be read. He buried his emotions the only way he knew howby taking charge.

“Okay, let’s go over the plan again and make sure we’re ready.”

They would take Nyla’s car as far as they could since it wouldn’t be missed by anyone. The vehicle had a tracking chip, like all automobiles, but Ethan had checked and figured out how he could remove it quickly with few tools.

“The street-monitor drones return to their charging stations at ten o’clock and our families should be in bed by then, so pick us up at the road at ten-thirty. Leave your chips under your pillow so no alarms will sound when we cross into Texas or when we’re out of range.”

“We won’t be late. Claire and I have the details and timing all worked out,” Nyla promised.

“Jared and I will probably be the first to be missed since our chores won’t get done if we’re gone. But, we should have about an eight-hour head start, maybe more depending on how quickly the authorities are notified, which should allow us to drive as far as we can, ditch the car and find a place to hide and wait for the following night to attempt the border crossing.”

The friends stood shoulder to shoulder around the candle flame, thinking about the adventure to come. For a few moments no one spoke, each deep in their own thoughts.

“We gathered up tools, flashlights and a couple makeshift packs,” Jared finally said, breaking the silence.

“Nyla and I have been stockpiling water bottles and food and we have blankets in the trunk of her car in case things don’t go according to plan,” Claire added.

“I’ve put together a map using the information Carlos has been sending through Crystal. He also sent instructions on where and when to attempt the crossing.” Nyla could see relief in Ethan’s eyes as she and the others reported on what they had done to prepare. No matter how much responsibility she felt for the success of the mission, she knew Ethan placed even more burden on himself.

“Is there anything else Carlos wrote that might be of use?” Ethan asked.

Nyla hoped Crystal’s mother’s translation of the notes from Spanish to English was accurate since there was so little room for error in the plan. Crystal’s family had played a critical role by having a means of receiving messages from relatives in Mexico. Nyla had no idea how they managed to smuggle written notes across the border and she never asked, assuming the method was most certainly illegal.

“Well, the map will be our primary guide and there are a few other details. The borders are monitored with helicopters, unmanned dirigibles and random patrols. There’s an alarm system that’s triggered if a microchip crosses the electronic barrier, which won’t be a problem since we’re leaving our chips behind. Several decades ago, a two thousand-mile-long fence was constructed along the border, but it’s fallen into disrepair and isn’t much of an obstacle. Carlos discovered gaps in the system that constantly migrate along the border. He’s calculated where the gaps will be and how long they’ll be open. Timing and location are crucial to the plan’s success.”

“If we’re all clear on what to do we’d better get out of here,” Ethan stated.

As Nyla watched Ethan snuff out the candle and flick on his flashlight a wave of panic hit her, making her feel nauseous. If they made a mistake they might not just be captured, they could be killed. In fact, there was very little doubt in her mind that Ethan and Jared would be executed if caught. The authorities had zero tolerance for males who broke the law.

Claire snatched the flashlight out of Ethan’s hand and started toward the cave’s mouth. Nyla knew her friend was anxious to leave since Claire had always been a bit claustrophobic and no huge fan of the dark. Like Claire, Nyla wanted to get out of the cave and start putting the past behind them, but doubts plagued her. She grabbed Ethan and Jared by the arm. Both stopped and turned to look at her.

“If we get caught, Claire and I will be sent to the Facility, but you two probably won’t fare so well,” Nyla whispered.

“We know. They won’t be bringing us back here alive,” Ethan stated as Jared nodded in agreement.

Nyla fought the urge to vomit. The realization of just how much was at stake hit her like a sucker punch to the gut. She was unable to move and had to fight to breathe. She could feel darkness closing in around her. Just as Nyla felt her knees give way, Ethan’s arm slid around her waist, bracing her up. In the growing darkness, she couldn’t imagine how he knew she was about to collapse, but somehow he did.

“Now’s no time for cold feet. We’ll make it. It’s going to take more than an army of computer geeks to bring us down.”

“Don’t worry Nyla,” Jared added. “Ethan has recently informed me he possesses superior genes, so that should deliver us all to freedom.”

Ethan punched Jared as they jogged to catch up to Claire. By the time they emerged into the sunlight, Nyla’s confidence had returned and she pushed all the doubts out of her head. She knew this was the last time they would be together at the cave, but felt no sadness. The cavern had served its purpose. If the plan failed, they would never see each other again. Either way, this was goodbye to the only life they had ever known.