Bear wiped away grit, then placed himself over the hole, swinging his legs down first. It was exhilarating and intimidating all at once, but with the chance Oxley was watching, it made the journey downwards a little less daunting. With more room thanhe thought, he slipped through, noting he would be able to pull himself back up later, but for now, he needed to search the cove, as it was bigger than expected.
Two small archways veered off in different directions, and the water from the bay barely lined the ground on which he stood.
Looking to the left tunnel first, he strained his ears for any voices or noises, but all that was heard was the gentle lapping of water against rocks. The same for the tunnel on the right. Whichever way he chose, it seemed he was close to the edge of the island. He hoped it didn’t face the front, as that part was covered the most by the beacon.
A light breeze whistled through the left tunnel, so Bear took that as a sign to follow the air. Slipping off his footwear and rolling up his pyjama bottoms in case the water deepened, he slowly made his way along the dark walkway, feeling the solidness of the rock with his hand as the ground slanted downwards.
The hiss of the bay grew louder and the scent of brine stronger, then the glow of moonlight flickered over the wall, sneaking in between stacked boulders.
Bear tried to count them, but there were too many, but he could see the opening at the top, and whether the rocks had been purposely placed or had fallen, it didn’t matter, because he knew he could lift one at a time to create another hole.
Testing the mound with his bare foot first, then pressing his palm into each boulder, he began the climb to where the light twinkled. If he had his bearings correct, he should be facing land, not that he would see the mainland in such darkness. He would somehow need to be down there during daylight to get an idea, but that would be tricky.
The top boulder was loosely resting upon two others, so that one was easy to shift, but Bear didn’t want to toss it or replaceit on the pile, so he carefully took it with him to the bottom and made another step with it there.
Up and down he went for a while until he’d made a hole big enough to crawl through, which meant both Raven and Wynter would easily fit as well.
Spits of salty water met his dry lips, and the taste couldn’t be any more inviting, nor the whoosh of fresh air cooling his cheeks that had him inhale deeply, appreciating freedom.
Tonight is a good night.His silent words were for Oxley, just in case.
It had been a long, tedious quest, but with so much precious to him at stake, it had been worth all the stress of getting caught and lack of sleep.
With the escape route complete, Bear covered the hole a little, not knowing if it would be spotted come morning from the outside, then made his way back to his cell, the smile firm in his heart from the warmth of Oxley’s company.
Raven whispered as soon as Bear slipped into bed. ‘Can’t sleep.’
Bear laced his fingers through the bars to touch Raven’s. ‘Think of the light. It’s there.’ And as Rav’s fingers lightly pressed on his, he knew his friend had received the message loud and clear. They had a way out.
As soon asthe wake-up alarm went off, Bear checked that the bottom of his trainers were dry. People washed their footwear in the sink from time to time, so it wouldn’t be too much of a problem if he left some damp footprints, but then he’d be made to waste time drying the floor, and he wanted to stick to his routine and act as normal as possible so no eyes were on him at all.
It had been hard enough getting some sleep, as the excitement of escaping coursed through him, leaving Scarlen behind, not so much, especially with her entering the Zone twice. He was sure it was her father’s doing. It just didn’t make sense why the general would be so cruel to his daughter.
All throughout his morning shower, Bear pondered over taking Scarlen with him, as it hurt to think of not seeing her again. It had started to fascinate him how drawn he was to her, and sometimes it felt like a twisted joke to link him to such a person.
Over and over, it rattled him. Could there be a place for them after all? What if he made it happen? Took her away with him and had the general forever hunt him down. In some part, the thought made him smile, but what life would it be for Scarlen? If only he could speak to her about her secret. Maybe then real plans could be made instead of dreams. He could ask if she was happy at home. Perhaps he could ask that anyway, but she would need to reply as herself not, Scarlen Smithson.
‘You’re quiet today,’ said Raven as they sat down for breakfast.
‘Just got a lot on my mind.’
Varklee came over, stamping one foot up onto the chair by Bear’s side. ‘What’s the story in House Rebel?’
Bear and Raven shared a look.
‘Don’t know what you mean,’ replied Raven, scooping some porridge into his mouth.
Varklee huffed dramatically as he sat, his spoon aloft. ‘I’ve got me some plans for Judd. Just waiting to hear your own.’ He waggled his spoon. ‘Don’t want to step on anyone’s paw paws, if you catch my drift.’
Bear had always known how he was going to get his family out of the escape hole in his cell, and the time was close, so he shared his idea as though it had recently come to mind. ‘FuckJudd,’ he whispered. ‘We’re going to burn this whole fucking shithole to the ground.’
‘Now that’s my kind of language.’ Varklee lightly clapped his spoon into his palm. ‘When might this little festivity take place?’
‘Soon,’ said Bear, checking no one was listening. ‘I need a few more days to get my head in the game.’ He tapped his temple, acting as if he were still in need of sedation, which he knew Varklee would fully understand.
‘I’ll start spreading the word among the Flames. We’ll be ready.’ Varklee sniffed, twisting his nose to one side. ‘You want me to leave Judd for you?’
Tempting, but Bear would have too much to focus on during the riot to add in a bloody death, and that was exactly what it would be if he got his hands on the man who killed Ox. ‘I’ll think about it.’
