* * *
The manwho’d captured us in his net went by the name Reuben. After cutting us down, he led us to the gates of their compound. Nestled in the middle of steep mountains was an open pasture. They’d fenced off the entire area to protect acres of farmland, and they grew herbs and vegetables inside a long greenhouse. Built against the greenhouse was a covered patio with long tables, providing an incredible view. There were a few barns, but the entire facility was underground. A hatch inside the greenhouse led below, which was where they rushed Adam.
Visitors were prohibited from going below, so Keystone remained topside. We finally got a minute to sit down and catch our breath. Mostly we marveled at the compound. We enjoyed miles of blue sky and listened to cows mooing in the distance where they grazed near a pond. This place had everything. Crops, sheep, pigs, horses. Hell, it even had turkeys. Someone brought us buckets of water, and when the sun began to set, Viktor arranged for us to sleep in the greenhouse overnight. He had returned to escort us into the camp, leaving Christian behind to take care of the lion.
I finished the last of my minestrone soup. “Eve, you need to eat.”
She stared at her half-eaten bowl from across the wooden table. “Is Adam okay? I want to see him.”
Viktor scooted beside her and patted her hand. “They are looking after him. But what help can you be if you are weak from hunger? Willpower alone does not make us strong. Even if you are not hungry, eat what you can.”
Eve reluctantly lifted her spoon.
A man in a straw hat emerged from the oversized barn and closed the door. A woman in overalls helped him before they headed toward the greenhouse, their gait weary but smiles wide.
Reuben set a basket of fresh bread in front of us before sitting next to me. It wasn’t quite dim enough for lights, but he lit a candle anyhow and set it in the middle.
Reuben gestured to my arms. “A little sunshine will remedy that. Nothing like fresh air and hard work.”
I held out my pale arm. “You don’t like my moon tan?”
He chuckled and shook his head. Reuben was an affable guy, and it made me feel easier about leaving the kids here.
Steam rose from the breadbasket, and Reuben pushed it toward Eve. “This came fresh out of the oven. Everything on the table came from our land. We’re self-sustaining. Did you know that, Eve? We grow our own food, and you’ll help with that.”
“Oh boy. Chores,” she muttered.
“Sometimes,” he said, pushing away his smile and giving her a serious answer. “But first we need to find out what you’re good at. That way we can give you a job doing what you love. Doesn’t that sound nice?”
She shrugged. “I guess. Where’s Adam?”
“He’s fine. Just fine. I checked on him myself. You can’t see him just yet, but I think by tomorrow evening they should be ready to release him.”
“Release him from where?”
“Medical.”
“You have a hospital?”
“We built a whole world down there,” he said, tapping his finger on the table. “Up here, it looks like farmland. We grow crops and livestock. But down below? We have artificial light that looks like the sun. We have to keep the chickens underground though. They get their own room.”
“Why?”
“Something was gobbling them up at night. They outgrew their chicken coop, so we’re building more. Not enough hands on deck, especially with all the work we had to do over the winter. Are you good with building?”
“I don’t know. What about the turkeys?”
“The turkeys can stay up here and take their chances. They’re too loud.” He rocked with laughter and winked at me.
Viktor helped himself to a slice of warm bread. “It is a good thing that you do here. I am very impressed. The conditions they came from…” Viktor shook his head in disgust.
Reuben nodded, his eyes trained on Eve. “You know, when they first assigned me this job, I didn’t want to come. Who wants to live in the middle of nowhere? Seems boring, right? But I fell in love with it. Did you know we have a movie room with a big screen? Leather seats, surround sound…”
Eve grabbed the heel of the bread and ate it without butter. “Candy?”
“We make homemade candy, but everyone likes the popcorn best. There’s lots of stuff to do. Rock climbing, game rooms, swimming, a library. Over the years, kids like you made suggestions on how to make this place more like a home. Some of them never left. They turned eighteen and applied to work as a farmer or teacher. We have a lot of shepherds to keep you kids safe.”
She jerked her head back. “Don’t you mean guards?”
