Shadows

Chapter #6

I've been running for over an hour now. There's nowhere to hide. The hoverbarges haven't given up the chase yet.
J, you still there? Peter asks.
Yeah.
Lyanne says to get your butt in gear, they're broadcasting the chase everywhere.
What?
They're going to make an  example of you on national television.
Okay, what else?
There are some pretty crazy stories about why you're carrying Adaline.
Like what?
Now, apparently we're cannibals.
You can tell everyone she got shot, okay?
Oh geese, where?
Right leg, pretty deep, she passed out about fifteen minutes ago.
Find cover and  we'll send a medic.
Good.
Suddenly I see it, a mountain in the distance. It'll take a few days to reach but it's the perfect place to loose them.
Peter, there's a mountain. I think we should head there.
That would be nice. That would be Mount Noir.
Mount black?
It's famous for it's unpredictable and usually unpleasant weather.
Oh joy.
But that would mean you're in section 8 or 9.
Can you send out a tracker?
No, um....
Um what?
The Storm might track the tracker back to the Sanctuary and...
And?
Mount Noir is the base for the Warpers.
#####
Night is falling and it's getting colder. It's also getting harder to run because I haven't eaten all day. I can't stop though, the hoverbarges can go for weeks on solar power but burning calories the way I am, I don't think I'll last that long.
Adaline moans and I can tell she's going to wake up soon. I stop. I shift her weight on my shoulder and look around for somewhere to hide.
Nope. Oh well, I keep running.
The trees are becoming thicker now and I know we'll find a place to stay the night here. The Storm seems to know this too because they start shooting even faster.
I hear a, "Wha'," from Adaline and I look down. Her eyelids flutter and I can tell that she's going to wake up soon.
I almost collapse because there's a high-pitched whine that turns into what feels like there's thousands of wasps inside of my head. Just as suddenly as it started it dulls to a faint hum.
You have entered Warper territory, as an Implanter you are welcome here. Follow the directions I give you and you'll escape the hoverbarges. A strange voice from inside my head says.
Who are you? I ask.
A fellow Implanter, fed up with the way things are.
But I'm not-
Right. I turn and run to the right.
After running for a few minutes the voice tells me to turn right again. A few more turns then it tells me to stop.
What do I do now? I ask.
If you're a true Implanter you'll know.
What does that even mean!
The voice doesn't answer me. So I look around but all I see is trees. Birch, oak, pine, willow, poplar... wait!
The willow is the sign for the Chip because it was supposed to 'heal' the human race and the hawthorn is the appointed sign of the Warpers because they're supposedly a thorn in society's side.
I walk between the 2 trees and a tall, blond girl with a Warper tattoo jumps down from a nearby maple. She walks over with a smug look on her face and says, "Hey there newbie. What's with the chick?"
Another Warper jumps out of a tree, this time a brown haired guy.
"Brianna! I told you to wait for the damn signal!" Says the guy, who I can tell is the one who told me where to go.
"Screw the signal! Actually, screw you too Chase!"
"You're insane! And highly unprofessional! Last time, you jumped on the guy, licked his face, and called him chicken!"
"I was hungry!"
"Enough! Let's just get back to work." He says turning to me. I guessed he realized that no matter how hard he argued, he wasn't going to win that argument. "Name?"
I was too shocked to say anything.
"Oh, the strong and silent type! I like it, gimme!" Says Brianna, rushing towards me. I jump to the side just in time. She falls flat on her face.
"Ow! Oh I see, playing hard to get are we? Well then, game on." She says, standing up and brushing herself off.
"My name's Jeremy." I tell the sane member off whatever this is.
"Okay, age?" He asks.
"Seventeen."
"Okay. Description, height: 6'2" approximately, weight: 120?" I shrug. " Okay, we'll put unknown. Build: muscular, eyes: green?  Yeah, they're green. Hair: dirty blond."
"Status: getting wheeled by Brianna." She interrupts.
"I really need to file a partner reassignment." He mutters.
"Well," she says turning to me. "It looks like a position as my partner just opened. You're going to have to get rid of the girl though."
I tighten my grip on Adaline and step back from Brianna.
Her partner shakes his head and says, "Oh geese, she's been shot!"
"Yeah." I say.
Chase walks around a tree and grabs a backpack that I didn't even see. He pulls out a streacher and hands one end to Brianna who pouts. I lay Adaline on it and their eyes widen and they look at each other.
"What?" I ask.
"Nothing." They answer at the same time.
"Come on, just follow us." Says Chase, starting to walk. I follow them for a little while before they come to a giant, gnarled, old oak tree.
"Just a second." He says as they put down the streacher. He takes a key out of the pocket of his cargo shorts and puts it in a knot in the tree.
"Um, what are you-"
"Don't speak." Says Brianna, smooshing my lips with her finger.
Chase takes the key out and they pick up the streacher again. They walk to  a place where the roots are worn bare by how many people have walked on them. They walk to the edge of the area and jump. As they go through the seemingly solid roots Brianna winks at me.
My jaw drops and I walk over to where they stood before. I put my foot onto where they jumped and it goes right through the wood. I pull my foot out and it seems fine. Back in, gone. Back out, fine.
It must be a hologram! I take a deep breath and jump off the edge.
§§§§§
A.N.
Any character resemblance to anyone living or dead, is purely coincidental, unless you're 023_sophie in which case, I stole your name and personality. Oops.