Salvage

Fifteen - Part 1

November 20

Still no signal. Why haven't the kids activated their goddamn trackers? We are all mobilized and ready to move, the entire team is ready. All we need is a location. We have our analysts tracking any sort of movement but these scum are good. They've found some way to move large groups without detection.

I swear these kids are going to give me another damn ulcer.

Bright light shafted into Aurora's eyes as she burst through the tiny locked hatch, fingers cramped from trying to pick it.

She heaved herself upwards, peering around swiftly to ascertain her surroundings, even as she reached a hand down to clasp with Adam's, helping him scramble up. It was hot. Burning. The sun was at its zenith, and she could immediately feel her tender, pale flesh start to warm. Quickly she turned up the collar of her shirt, doing her best to cover as much skin as possible. The heat was radiating up from a dry, dusty surface. She was glad she wore thick boots, as she could feel the warmth even through the soles. A stream of curses passed through her mind when Adam stumbled free of the hole, and she saw they must have taken his shoes. Damn, why hadn't they taken a guard's boots? His feet were already scarred, strangely blackened and toughened around the toes and soles, as if they'd been through some ancient trauma. Aurora tightened her lips grimly. Hopefully that would help him withstand the heat, but he would be slow.

Adam helped Chinook up, and the girl cried out softly in the intense heat and light. Aurora ignored her, and continued scanning the horizon. Before them, a wide, seemingly endless desert, no man made structures rising from the reddish sands and tufted dead underbrush. The sky was pale blue, broken occasionally with high, wispy clouds that did nothing to protect from the glare of the sun. She twisted her neck around to scan behind them. The tunnel had continued straight for quite a while before rising straight up steeply, leading to this strange little locked hatch. She could see maybe half a mile behind them, a huge rocky hill jutting upwards. She'd bet anything that it hid the underground fortress or whatever they'd been in. Squinting, she spotted the slightest glinting flash of sun against metal. Looked like maybe some kind of jeep, starting out from that direction.

"We have to go," Aurora repeated again. She felt like it was her mantra, right now. It had to be. "Come on. No time. Close that hatch."

Adam stared at her, eyes dark and unreadable, then nodded and turned to close the broken hatch. Aurora scanned the little protected clearing they were in. The hatch had been strategically placed behind a small cluster of boulders and brush that protected it from view. Maybe whoever had planned this escape route had planted some sort of supplies, too.

She pushed aside a few rocks and brush, checking out some likely hiding spots. With a quiet groan of relief, she spotted a black duffel bag hiding in a little cavern under the boulder. Carefully she tugged it free, cautious of any snakes or critters that would have set up residence around it. Nothing seemed about to bite her hand off, so she quickly unzipped the bag.

Sure enough. Emergency rations, a backpack, canteens of hot water, but at least it was drinkable. There were even some wide brimmed sun hats and white bandannas. Aurora quickly stuffed as much of it as she could into a backpack, and shoved the duffel bag back behind the rocks. She turned to find Chinook and Adam crouching in the shade as best they could, peering back towards the compound in stark fear.

With a sigh, Aurora tossed some bandannas at them. "Tie those around your feet, quickly. We have to run as far as we can, find a place that's safe with shade to hole up, and do something about that tracker of yours, Adam. Is it working yet? Do either of you know where we are?"

Adam snapped into action, and helped Chinook, getting the idea and binding their feet with the bandannas as securely as he could. Then he helped the other girl to her feet, and they looked at Aurora expectantly.