Chapter Nine
2249 Words
Chapter Nine
Robyn signaled the door open as soon as Jack buzzed. He stepped inside as Robyn slid her head covering on, “Sorry to disturb the newlyweds so early…”
“Like you said,” Owen interrupted, “we are a part of the revolution and all that entails.”
Jack walked up to Owen and offered his hand to shake it, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dored.”
“When did you figure me out?” Owen questioned as Jack shook his hand enthusiastically.
As Owen finally pulled his hand from Jack’s, Jack answered, “Last night we ran a check on the status of the search for Robyn and found out she was traveling with you.”
Owen looked at him critically, “Then you don’t just have access to the standard information.”
“Why?” Robyn asked as she tied off the head covering.
Owen glanced at her and then back at Jack, “Because the king isn’t going to release that kind of information publically.”
Ignoring the comment, Jack stated, “I had heard a lot about you and was sorry to hear about what the king did to you?”
Acknowledging the change of subject as necessity for now, Owen asked, “Which one?”
“Good point,” Jack shrugged then walked to the door. “If you wish to return to Europe, we will do everything in our power to help you.”
“I don’t know where I want to go. The only thing I want from Europe is to know about my mother.”
Jack nodded his understanding as the door opened, “When we get to Cameron, we will find out what we can.”
“How?”
“It’s a surprise,” Jack spoke allowing one of his all-encompassing face smiles to shine as he stepped out of the room with the couple right behind him.
He led them quickly down the hallway and stairs. As they stepped outside, Robyn tried to ignore the heat beating through her covering and asked, “How far away is Cameron?”
“It’s about 75 miles, but in my craft it will take us about ten minutes to get there.”
Robyn looked at the machine and recognized it as a fifty-year-old helicraft that was barely being held together. She hesitantly asked, “Are you sure this thing will last ten minutes?”
Jack laughed and motioned for them to get inside the back part of the craft, “We have to be careful. Unfortunately, not all of Arizona, Cameron included, is lenient on the laws of the king. That was why we chose Cameron, or at least your Grandma did. Hide where they wouldn’t expect it.”
“My grandma?”
“Don’t worry I will explain everything when we arrive, but for now you must hold off on your questions. There is always a risk of someone listening in and there is too much at stake for me to give in to curiosity.” Jack closed the door behind them. Robyn took her seat as Jack climbed into a front seat and started the engine. When it gained full power, Jack expertly operated the craft and it began to lift straight up. Upon reaching the proper height, Jack pushed a button and the craft shot forward to Robyn’s surprise as she jerked into the back of her seat.
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As the craft landed, Jack called out, “I have to park a little ways out from our destination, to keep from arousing suspicion.” He glanced back at Robyn, “Don’t worry, it won’t be a long walk in the heat.”
Robyn looked out the window at the blowing sand, “Well at least there is some good in me having to wear this thing.”
Jack opened a compartment and handed Owen a pair of goggles and a piece of cloth to wrap around his nose and mouth. Everyone climbed out of the craft and Jack quickly reminded Owen, “Remember she is your property.” While the couple looked around, Jack completed his tasks on buttoning up the craft. After he sealed the last vent, he called out, “Let’s go,” then led them north.
Owen followed close behind making sure to look back for Robyn. He spotted her shaking her head, not sure if she was shaking her head to stop him from looking back to arouse suspicion or laughing at his worry, but he did not care. Turning back to look ahead, he spotted Jack getting farther and farther away whenever he looked back at Robyn. He turned and saw Robyn falling behind. His heart raced as he looked in front and behind as each person got farther from him. Giving up, he turned around and headed back towards Robyn. He quickly picked her up, and he turned around in the direction he thought he had come from.
“Why did you come back? You lost Jack.”
“I am not letting you out of my sight.”
“What will we do now?”
“Stay put. Jack should find us.” Owen looked around trying to see any distance in front of him, “How can anyone see where… Wait a minute.” Looking in the bottom corner of his goggles, he spoke, “Robyn, press the button on my goggles right above my right cheek.”
Robyn felt around the goggles where he said and quickly pressed in the button she found, “What is it?”
Smiling, Owen watched as a red flashing light appeared out of the corner of his left eye. “The goggles have a transmitter in them.”
Robyn moved her face so it was closer to his body to protect from the whipping sand, “Do you see his transmitter?”
Slowly turning, Owen spotted the flashing light, “I found him.” Owen quickly turned until the light was right in front of him and began to walk in that direction. The light began to flash faster and faster, with each step. “I think he is close. Robyn, push the button again.”
Robyn felt his face and then the goggles and as soon as she found the button, she pushed it in. Jack suddenly appeared in front of them, and when they were within a talking distance, Owen yelled, “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE TRANSMITTER?”
Without a word, Jack pulled out a gun and shot Owen in the chest. As he fell backwards, another shot was fired and he felt Robyn go limp as his back hit the stand.
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Owen’s head jerked awake.
Trying to familiarize himself with his surroundings Owen looked around the craft and over at his wife. “You fell asleep,” she said taking his hand when she saw the fear in his face.
Jack landed his craft and as he began to shut everything down, he stated, “I have to park a little ways out from our destination, to keep from arousing suspicion.” He looked at Robyn, “Don’t worry, it won’t be a long walk in the heat.”
Owen looked around the ship in terror and then outside. He breathed a little sigh when he spotted the calm weather. “At least we can see them coming.”
“What?” Robyn inquired.
When Jack wasn’t looking, Owen slid his gun into Robyn’s skirt belt, “Just in case.”
“Are you okay?”
“Just being cautious.”
“Did something happen?” Robyn whispered as Jack opened the door.
Owen shook his head and followed Jack out of the craft.
Owen started to offer his hand to Robyn as she approached the door, “Remember, she is your property,” Jack stated. Owen dropped his hand and Robyn climbed out of the craft.
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Owen looked back at Robyn and she shook her head. Robyn walked up as close as she dared, “If someone is watching us they will wonder about your looking back.”
“I don’t care. I don’t want to lose you.”
“If I fall I will try to make some sort of noise.”
“Oh, I see that happening if you faint from exhaustion.”
Jack laughed, “If there is someone watching us, I bet they are getting a kick out of watching you talk to yourself, since they can’t see Cynthia’s lips. Don’t worry we are almost there.”
Jack walked about ten more feet then quickly stopped. Not seeing his halt, Owen ran into him and Jack grabbed a hold of him before they both went tumbling over the edge. Looking down the cliff at the mine, Owen turned to make sure that Robyn had stopped. “Where is she?”
Jack looked back and tried to calm Owen, “I’m sure she is fine. We will just go back the way we came and we will find her.”
Taking a few deep breaths, he nodded and followed Jack as they retraced their footsteps.
When Owen spotted her, he rushed to her side and almost slid past her in the sand. He reached under her head covering searching for a pulse. “She is still breathing,” he stated then lifted her into his arms.
“You can’t hold her like that. Sling her over your shoulder.”
“What?”
“Just do it.”
Owen placed her on her feet and quickly slid his shoulder into her stomach. As he lifted her off the ground again, Jack turned and led them back towards the cliff. “So, how do we get down there?”
Jack smiled as he walked to a certain spot and the section of the cliff they stood on began to lower. A section on the side of the cliff lifted to reveal an opening to the cliff and the piece they stood on began to roll inside, “What is going on?”
“We are going inside,” Jack stated.
Owen looked at his shockingly, serious face. With Jack’s head turned, he slid his arm around Robyn’s waist to feel the gun tucked inside her skirt unwilling to take chances. As soon as the conveyor belt slid them far enough in, the opening closed. “I’m sorry for being pushy, it’s just that we don’t know who is watching,” Jack stated as the wall in front of them began to slide open and the floor moved them towards it.
“I understand, but you have to understand that we are at the point where we don’t know who we can trust.”
“I know and I don’t blame you for being cautious. At least now you can ask me questions.”
“Where are we?” Owen asked as he pulled Robyn off his shoulder and repositioned her to cradle in his arms.
Expecting the question, Jack unwrapped the scarf from her head as he gave his prepared answer, “We are in an abandoned uranium mine. It was used centuries ago, but at that time they were unable to mine safely; it killed many of my ancestors. There was enough of an objection that it was abandoned.”
Owen looked behind them as the floor moved them through the opening, “Is it in use now?”
“Only by us. We converted it into our headquarters.”
“Yes, but they have developed ways to safely extract things like uranium.”
“There isn’t enough of a demand for uranium,” Jack muttered with a wave of his hand. “Besides the cost to transform this mine into a safe place isn’t worth it.”
“I didn’t see anything outside that showed the mine transferred; is it safe to be down here?”
Jack motioned towards the closing door, “That thick steel runs all the way around the headquarters and not only keeps the satellites from reading us, but keeps the poison out as well.”
“If it blocks you from the satellites, how do you communicate down here?”
“You are full of questions. We don’t communicate down here to the outside. It is too much of a risk. There is a communication center, but it is only for extreme emergency.”
“So, how do you communicate then?”
The belt stopped and as another wall that imitated the surrounding rock slid open, Jack answered, “All the messages are sent to Al, and she takes care of it from there.” The belt stopped just inside the second opening that branched off to three different hallways. As the opening slid close, Jack continued, “I will explain it all to you later, but let’s take care of your wife first.”
Owen nodded as he instinctively pulled Robyn tighter to him and followed Jack down the hallway to the right.
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