Population Zero

Chapter 26

William Van Whittle shot up beside me. "Are you KIDDING me?" He shouted wrapping the sheet around his nude body. He grabbed his pants and quickly slid them on as we both rushed outside just catching a glimpse of Sophia traversing through the field and vanishing into the brush. In the distance I heard a faint neighing.  "Maribella." I mumbled.
"What? You mean the horse? Oh, no. I am an old man." William shook his head furiously. I ran towards Maribella and to my great surprise I climbed straight onto her back and took the reigns. "Let's go. Now" I said reaching my hand out to the old man. He clutched my hand nervously and we managed to get him (rather clumsily) onto the back of Maribella.

"Hyah!" I shouted and the horse complied. We took off in the direction of Sophia. "She's heading to the adult compound!" I shouted, not sure if the old man could hear me or not. He gripped my sides so hard it made it difficult to breathe but I tried to maintain focus. Sweat dripped down my brow and threatened to blind me. In the back of my mind I mulled over Sophia's strange response to William's revelations, Mother Camila and the females, and finally to my friends back at the youth compound. So much had changed. What on earth was Sophia thinking?

We reached the adult compound and quickly spotted the abandoned ATV near a large shrub with a shivering Sophia cowering beside it. With some difficulty I helped William down off Maribella and he was visibly shaken himself. "Sophia!" I whispered sharply. "Sophia!" Her head jerked toward Maribella and her eyes widened in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"Shh!" She pushed her slender finger against her lips and shushed me loudly. "I came to see Van Whittle's brother. Now hush!" She creeped out from behind the brush and her eyes fell upon a group of males walking past not noticing her at all. William was still trying to regain his composure. "She wants to see my brother?" He asked nearly out of breath. "Well, why didn't she just say so!"

William knew exactly how to get to his brothers office and thankfully spared Sophia the sights and sounds of the village. We quietly creeped over to where Sophia was without being spotted. "Follow me quickly. Keep your head down and look at no one." We both nodded. We walked briskly about 500 yards to a familiar building. Sophia's long golden hair threatened to expose her. She attempted to wrap it around her face and walk with her head down in between the two of us. Thankfully the males were so busy bustling around with work and lost thoughts to even look up and notice the beauty linking my arm. William's hand reached out for the door but before he pulled it open he said, "My brother isn't a saint. We've had our differences. But he isn't the man Mother Camila has painted him out to be." He looked straight into Sophia's watery eyes and she nodded back. He opened the door and the three of us walked straight in. We were quickly stopped by Jason. "What are YOU doing here?" He stared hard at William. The two men stared each other down in a comical fashion. Jason in his pristinely pressed suit, tie and crew cut. Him with long grown out blondish curls, with a scruffy beard and dressed in a shawl. He spoke and his voice boomed with a power only a man as ridiculous yet confident as he could possess. "Where is my brother?"

Jason, apparently taken aback by his conviction, eyes widened perhaps in fear, quickly pulled out his telepad and began to call Van Whittle. "Sir. There is someone here who needs to speak with you." Van Whittle's voice rang out from the speaker, "Who?" he asked curtly. "It's your brother." A silence followed. "Sir?"

"I'll be there in a moment." Van Whittle replied. The line disconnected and Jason dropped his telepad to his side. He studied William's face. He then turned to me. A flash of recognition shot across his eyes as he realized who I was. His eyes then trailed over to Sophia. A look of horror cast over his face and body and he stiffened. He quickly dropped to his knees, face buried in his hands and his body began to tremble. "Why have you come?" he cried out. Van Whittle quickly walked over towards us, buttoning his lower button on his jacket as he did. He saw Jason down on his knees and his eyes darted suspiciously over towards his brother. He glossed over me and his eyes narrowed in on Sophia who had been standing silently in a state of shock all her own. "Sophia." he said simply. "Why, I haven't seen you since you were a toddler."

"Wait. Sophia, you know Van Whittle?" I asked surprised. Sophia's eyes darted away from mine. "Well, yes." She responded. "He is...the father." My eyes sharp turned to Van Whittle. Then to William. Everyone nodded. Jason had risen up to his feet, eyes widened and watery. I stood there silent as a stone for a moment considering the fact that everyone knew this but me. "Lucas. You are even more brave and cunning then we realized. It's too bad Mother Camila saw right through you."