87 Below

Chapter 24: Ambition

The whirling of military helicopters can be heard overhead. Its booming blades slice through the silent forest as the resistance cowers below. As it passes, everyone exhales reluctantly. OF course, the helicopter can't hear them, but that doesn't make them less afraid. There had been several airborne vehicles scouting the area for the runaways. It had become so common over the span of the past three days that the travelers had developed a routine: stay quiet, stay still, and cling to the trees. If it had been raining, their footprints would have left zig-zag patterns in the mud as they bounced from trunk to trunk.

Adira had been leading the group while Atlas heal up from Joseph's prior assault. As she stepped carefully over branches, the masses shuffled after her, everyone struggling to take even one more step. It had been hard to find food for the large group. Many days, they would eat nothing. They had lost at least twenty of the newly freed men to starvation and exhaustion. At any other time, these fallen would have been buried, but nobody had the strength to give them their proper farewells.

"We will stop here for the night," Adira announced as they came to a heavily shaded area. A small stream could be heard through the dense silence as bodies practically collapsed on the cool dirt, the afternoon sun draining them. Atlas moved next to Adira and rubbed his tired eyes. They kept a consistent routine, walking for half the night and the early morning, to rest during peak day. This kept the Georgia heat at bay and the military from discovering their location. Everyone had agreed that they needed to get as far away from the lab as possible before formulating a new plan, but as Colin approached Atlas, the time had come to act again.

"We need to discuss our next move."

Atlas nodded at the older man, as Adira, Hope and several other older men joined them. They plopped near a thick oak tree.

"We can't continue walking much further. We've lost men already to famine. I think our first step should be food," Colin continued.

"We should strike them while they are still weak. Make them pay," Atlas mumbled to himself, still feeling the strain of their loss. Hope seemed to be the only one that heard him as she gently touched his knee. She only nodded to Colin's suggestion.

Adira contemplated the issue at hand before chiming in, "I agree, but what will we eat? We can't stay in one place for too long. The helicopters are coming more frequently. We need to follow another path before they find us. We can't plant any crops or stop to hunt enough food for all of these people," she directed their gaze to the already sleeping people around the camp, her palm outstretched, "I'm not sure we can support this many people and stay hidden. Maybe it's best to split up."

"No," Atlas snapped quickly. He paused momentarily to mind his tone, "No splitting up. That's not a mistake I am willing to make again." Adira sighed, nodding slowly, "Then what do you propose we do?" She questioned Atlas with a steady look. She looked like a concerned counselor, waiting for her patient's reply.

"The railroads," he said quietly," Are they still active?" Adira and Colin share a glance. Atlas couldn't quite read the pair, but he assumed they did not like his idea in the slightest.

"They are active, but the chances of finding an entrance are slim to none," Colin replied.

"I can take you there," a skinny man approached them, limping till he reached their circle. The bags under his eyes, the deathly thin frame, and his dead eyes told Atlas he had been one of the prisoners. They all had the same eerie feel to them, like they were on the brink of death, but with a hopeful mind.

"I was in the physical experiment trials. The guards set to watch me would often talk about missions to find the entrances. I'm not the brightest berry in the bunch, but I was born in Savannah. I know the area well and I pieced together where one might me. It's a stretch, but it will be the best lead we have," Atlas observed the man. His fiery red hair was dull compared to Hope's vibrant locks. His hard-set face, however, was glowing as he talked about the information he had acquired. He was serious and stern, he believed what he was saying was true.

"So you don't actually know where one is?" Adira questioned. The man shot a glare in her direction. "I'm certain I know where one might be," venom dripped from his voice, "They talked about an abandoned mine that they suspected had been a part of a "secret illegal operation". The only illegal operations are those involving the Resistance and men in general."

"Can you take us there?" Hope leaned forward, hanging on to the man's words with a fervent determination.

"Not so fast," Atlas chimed in, "If this is a suspected hideaway, won't it be crawling with guards? How do we even know we can find it if they can't?" The underground railroad had been adopted by the Resistance to maneuver amongst the United States. Rumors circulated of its re-emergence, but no one knew where to find it. This helped keep SCUM from finding the offenders.

"We don't, but I overheard y'all talking and I think it's worth a shot," the man sounded exhausted as he defended his stance, "We can use that to safely travel North. There are more trees to hide in there and I'm sure we can find food by hunting or looting." The group contemplated the possibility of discovering the railroad. Atlas could feel his stomach tighten at the mere mention of food. He had sustained himself on random plant leaves as he passed by. He had opted not to take the small portioned meals for two days now given that there was not enough for everyone. He swallowed his spit to substantiate his hunger temporarily and nodded at the man slowly, "It can't hurt to try. We will only lose more men if we don't change our course fast. If we find the path it will take us a little under a week to reach north Georgia, but it will give us a leg up on those bastards. It would be impossible to track from there and can lay low for a little bit and hunt. Regain our strength a bit."

Atlas scanned the faces of those present. Their tired eyes screamed to be shut. Certain that they would all collapse soon in sleep, he questioned them quickly, "Are we in agreement then? We find the railroad and follow it towards Atlanta, heading further north. If we go undetected, we can evade them for a while."

"For now we rest," Colin said, "We can ask the group tomorrow and head in the direction of the mine he," he gestured to the unnamed informant, "talked about. We need to scope out the area and monitor the military presence before acting on a whim."

It wasn't long before the leaders had all retired for the night, their aching feet screaming at them as they kissed the cold unforgiving earth goodnight.