Found (Book 1 of the Haven's Army Trilogy) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 10

After it was dark out, I told Katie to get some rest. She looked exhausted from being kept up overnight treating different ailments.

I clambered up the mainmast. It had become one of my favorite spots. I felt on top of Haven and knew I had the higher ground. Literally. It made me feel safe, though it shouldn't have.

I looked up into the pitch-black sky. It looked empty with nothing in it. It had always been that way and yet it felt wrong. As was with the daytime. The light had to come from somewhere but there was no source.

I pulled my eyes away from the sky and looked into the churning sea. It looked black in the night. As my eyes flitted down to the water, though, something caught my eye.

Land.

I turned around. There was another one, another island. I could barely see them in the dark but they were there all right.

I thought back to the maps. We were heading west, generally. To the south must be The Hunt and to the north, The Hospital.

This would be vital information.

I slid down the ropes and ran the short distance to the captain's cabin, which Naomi slept in even though it doubled as a council room and it held all our weapons.

I knocked on the door and entered without permission.

When I walked in, Naomi sat up and pulled her blanket up her chest.

"What in..." she stopped and took a deep breath. "What are you doing here, Charlotte?"

"We're passing them," I said excitedly. "The Hospital and The Hunt."

She nodded. "We're almost there. Now leave."

I nodded and left. I went into the bunker room to check on everyone.

When I peeked in, Katie was still awake.

I walked up to her bed. It was right under mine. (We had been organized according to shifts.)

"Katie." She looked at me. "We're passing The Hospital."

She smiled. Then she ripped her covers and jumped out of bed. She ran out to the deck. I walked after her.

When I got there, she was gazing at the island.

"I had a family, you know," she said. "Most left theirs to go to medical school but I lived so close, they allowed me to stay at home. See that's it. The big white building."

I followed her finger. My eyebrows raised. "You were not kidding when you said big."

She smiled sadly.

"How did you get to The Shadow anyway?" I asked. "Sorry I shouldn't have..."

"No it's alright. I'll tell you.

"You see, Mae was kind of...quiet. Like she is now. She would often be mistaken and the operations would go wrong. The healing instructors pulled her aside one night and yelled at her. She couldn't take it. She ran to the edge of the island. I followed. She jumped. Of course, we can't swim so that wasn't a brilliant idea on her part.

"Well I jumped in after her, hoping I could possibly help at all. We drowned, beside the dying part.

"We got lucky. Percy and Lloyd had looked up to Dennis and when Dennis told them he was running off to lead a revolution, they wanted to come. He refused so they built their own rowboat and left themselves. They found us in the water and pulled us aboard to bring us with them."

"You really did get lucky," I told her. I thought for a second. "Wait, so not everyone came on accident?"

"Actually, twenty people came here on purpose."

"And how many people are in the group?"

"Before you got here? Thirty three."

"That's a lot! That's only thirteen people that didn't mean to find it. How did that work out?"

"How'd you do that MATH?" She looked shocked.

"Book," I explained. "My question?"

"Oh yes, well...Okay so Naomi started the whole thing four years ago. She recruited her friends, Hazel, Annie, and Rachel. She needed some male leaders so she went to The Shore. She picked up Dennis and he told Lloyd and Percy. Percy dared Lloyd to leave and he couldn't turn it down."

"Wait but Lloyd is one of the leaders. Didn't they take him?"

"No one but the original leaders know who the other second councilor was before Lloyd and Percy got there two weeks later. Rumor has it he was from The Shadow."

"Wait," I said. "Four years ago?"

"Yes...?"

"That's when The Shadow was bombed."

She looked shocked.

"Did the leader die?" I asked.

"Yes I believe so..."

"I think I know who it was!" I said excitedly.

"It could have been anyone."

I nodded. "Good point. Never mind."

"You're right about it though."

I sighed. "Hi, Nathan."

"Hello."

"Wait, who was it?" Katie asked.

Nathan stepped out of the shadows. "Nathaniel. My twin brother."