Moey was hailed by Dream in the predawn hours while he slept.
“Yes? What is it?” Moey asked in a daze.
“A patrol will likely intersect the current route of your sons,” reported Dream.
“Oh shit! How long?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“I took the initiative to try to reach them on the headset, but there was no response. It is possible that the sound amplitude is not sufficient to reach them through the waterproof lining of the packs. Given that, and the urgency of time, I suggest we deploy Saginaw to make direct contact.” “Yes! Do it!”
Within minutes, Saginaw streaked across the lake and was overhead, looking down on the boys. Then, it went into a freefall, like a raptor diving for its prey, and pulled up just ahead of the boys as they ran along in the twilight. Saginaw emitted a series of flashing red lights as the boys approached. They slowed and approached the hovering birdlike creature cautiously.
“Pa?” called out Jojo.
“Boys! There is a patrol headed toward you. You did not answer your headset. They will be there very soon. Go off trail to the east, and make sure you see them pass. Wait until it’s clear. Go! Now! Jojo, put on that headset! Go!” The boys scrambled off the trail and to the east to get out of sight. But it was a very open area, not offering much cover. Come on, Jojo! Put that bloody thing on! Moey thought.
But the boys were busy increasing their distance from the trail.
Jojo had no time to get the device from Buddy’s pack. As the Eden patrol came into view on Moey’s screen, he could see that they were close. If he could have talked to Jojo, he would have told them to drop immediately and remain still. The morning light was still dim, and they would probably be fine. But at this point, all Moey could do was hope that the patrol was only looking ahead as they ran along.
When the patrol passed the boys and were starting to move away, Moey felt some relief. The Eden patrol of four trotted along, enjoying the emergence of the new day, which was casting its long shadows and causing droplets to glisten across the sparse grasses and low-lying bushes. The lake had a thin mist hanging, awaiting the sun, which would burst through and liberate it from its state of limbo.
One of the runners processed something odd in his mind. It was a subconscious nudge about a state of disorder. He turned his head as he passed over a patch of the trail that looked very disturbed. Then, he noticed that the disturbance continued off the trail and up the slope to the east. The runner, who was at the back of his group, slowed and craned his neck to the left, looking for something though not sure what. That was when he detected motion in the far distance. His acute vision saw the tiny figures in motion, now well behind them and moving away.
“Hey! Hey!” he shouted out to his team. They all slowed and then stopped.
“Come on! Take your shit so we can go get some eats!” one of them barked.
“Hurry up!” shouted another.
“Hey! I see runners over there! They left the trail right back there. You guys didn’t even notice!”
“Where?”
He pointed. They all struggled to see anything, not all of them having the gift of perfect vision. “I don’t see anything.”
“I see it!” one of the others said.
“Let’s check it out!” the squad leader ordered.
“Oh shit!” another complained.
“Hey! No one is out here. We are the only patrol coming through. It’s wrong, so we need to check it out. Let’s move.”
“No! No!” Moey watched the scene unfold from his high vantage point, and he was horrified. “Dream! Try to contact Buddy again. He has the headset!”
“Hailing.”
After a short time, Moey could hear the loud sounds of someone fumbling with the headset. Then, he heard Buddy’s voice.
“You take it,” Moey heard Buddy say. Then the loud sounds of fumbling erupted again.
“Pa, it’s Jojo.” He was breathing heavily.
“Keep moving! Move faster! They saw you! They are coming after you! Get back to the road so you can pick up the pace!”
“Okay!” panted Jojo. Moey could hear him directing his brothers.
“Jojo! Wear the headset for now. I will try to find a way to fool them. I will let you know. You guys are fresh, so for now, open up the distance as much as you can!” Moey told himself to calm down, but his heart was beating out of his chest.
It was unfortunate that the boys were being pursued by a squad comprised of elite runners in their own right. Most other squads along the eastern shore were considerably slower and more senior. The eastern shore was a place that tended to employ marginal career soldiers who had enough seniority to get themselves out of the extreme border outposts, but they would never end up in the coveted city postings as elite guards or educators.
For one thing, elite positions went to those with a combination of smarts and physical talents. Many of the eastern shore soldiers were not lacking intellectually, but they were simply slow runners or were weak in other soldiering skills, such as targeting. This understanding factored into Moey’s route planning.
But there were young soldiers like Jojo, who were the best of the best. They were posted on the eastern shore, while the less competent went to the far reaches of Eden to cut their teeth. The boys were now being pursued by three young soldiers, each only a year older than Jojo, and their squad leader, who was ten years older but kept pace with the younger men without a problem. The boys didn’t yet know it, but they were very familiar with their pursuers.
These soldiers were top-ten finishers in the major festival contests. But none could match the three brothers, who soon returned to the main trail and were opening up distance with each footfall. Still, the opening gap was slow to develop, as the pursuers were both capable and determined. Moey remained riveted to the scene for as long as he could.
“Saginaw must return to base for a one-hour charge.
You will lose visual contact for one hour and nineteen minutes,”
Dream reported.
“Okay, wait. Let me inform Jojo. Jojo!”
“Pa!”
“I can’t see you for the next ten miles, okay? The bird has to recharge. Don’t let up. You currently have a two-mile gap. You started with only a one-mile gap. Keep it up. I will be back soon.”
“Okay, Pa! Don’t worry! We can do it.”
“Good! Son, I love you all. Tell them! See you soon!”
Then, he lost sight as Saginaw made a high-speed line toward its home base.
Marina sat with Christopher and Jacob in the Chair’s private study.
“Father, I have not seen the boys for an entire day.
Sometimes, they stay over at friends’ houses and forget to tell me, but I found this note: Mother, we have gone to find Pa. We will get Jojo to help us. Please don’t worry. We will be back soon.
Love, Buddy. I’m so worried. They could be killed by our own soldiers,” said Marina “It doesn’t say where they are headed,” observed Christopher.
“I know. You think they’re headed to Victory? I have not had any contact with Mo so far.”
“If they are going to Jojo, it makes sense that they would head north to Victory,” inserted Jacob.
“Bobby!” called Christopher. Bobby entered within an instant. “My grandsons are all on the run … maybe somewhere near the east shore. Any news?”
“Leader, I just got word. There could be a chase in that area. A squad is running very late. I was just coming to tell you,” reported Bobby.
“No!” exclaimed Marina.
“Bobby! It’s them! I want you to make sure Jojo and Buddy are not hurt. As for the other one, do as you please.”
“How dare you?!” barked Marina.
Christopher looked at her as if to say, Yes, I’m a bad person, but I can’t help myself.
Marina really adored Ajay, who was like a son.
“Bobby, I want you to personally take charge of bringing those boys back safely.”
“Yes, Leader!” Bobby spun and ran out, not wanting to waste precious time. He headed to the boathouse, and he directed his men to get him a four-person canoe—the fastest vessel they had—along with three other paddlers. Bobby himself would be the fourth. With that settled for the moment, Christopher moved on to another subject.
“Let’s allow Bobby to do his job. There’s no need to worry about the boys. We will sort it out quickly.”
Marina’s heart sank as she suddenly lost all hope. Is Moey’s plan already a failure? she wondered. Just like that?
“Let us talk about the ceremonies. Jacob, what do we have?”
“Everything is scheduled for fifteen days hence,” Jacob began. “You will deliver a speech on the afternoon of the fourteenth day at the fairground, and all citizens are invited.
Your speech will cover your legacy and that of your forefathers, the founders of Eden. You will talk about the progress made during your time … particularly technological. This is to remind people and set the record.”
“If you want to make technology the centerpiece, while the man who developed essentially all the technology is wanted for treason, it might draw a negative response,” Marina stated.
She did this unemotionally, because she believed that it would play out this way. But she also thought it appropriate to mention it, as long they were “setting the record.” Christopher took it as a jab, his glare indicating as much.
“Let me think about it some more,” Jacob intervened, diffusing the tension. “Moving on. Following the speech, Chris will declare a twelve-credit gift from the Chair to each citizen of Eden. The children will receive six credits.”
“What? That’s a lot. Do we have enough to pay that?”
Marina asked, concerned. Now, she was starting to smell something.
“Of course, dear. This is no trouble at all. We hold all the grazing land in the east and all the agriculture. They are called ‘public holdings,’ which is to say that they belong to everyone, but of course, it really belongs to us. Let’s move on,” urged Christopher, wanting to hear Jacob’s confident, soothing voice shower him with a sense of order and timing, which he himself had no capacity to deal with.
“That will end things on a very high note, after which you will once again acknowledge Marina as your successor, in front of the entire rabble. That’s all for the day before.” Jacob carried on. “The next morning will be a procession from the Big House down to the dock. There will be five barges rowing out to the spot so that we can accommodate the entire council and various friends and family members.”
“What about the drug? Will you use it? Does it even work?” Marina queried.
“Uhm.” Christopher was thrown off.
“Of course, he will,” Jacob interjected. “And it does work, I’m sure. We only believe that in rare cases it might not work perfectly.”
Marina knew perfectly well that Jacob had no idea what he was talking about. She was well aware of the problem, as Moey was the real expert on the subject. She was just trying to assess whether Moey’s suspicions, which had now infected her own thoughts, were true.
Moey reacquired the boys on schedule. Their lead had grown significantly.
“There is another squad coming from the opposite direction, running toward the boys now. They are five miles apart. Based on current speeds, they will intersect in fifteen minutes.”
Moey was still getting used to the concept of minutes and hours, but he knew that two runners heading in opposite directions at full speed would close a five-mile distance very quickly.
“Give me a recommendation on where they should leave the trail. I don’t want them to lose the advantage by running in difficult terrain. We want to minimize the excursion.”
“Calculating,” Dream responded. She was doing a lot more than Moey could yet comprehend, as the computer analyzed detailed 3D images of the entire landscape and simulated thousands of possibilities within seconds. “I have a solution.” A route appeared, overlaid on the real-time image.
“Can Jojo see it? Let me talk to him now!”
“Transmitting.”
“Jojo!”
“Pa. Are they close to us?!” He was panting heavily, indicating their desperate level of effort.
“Jojo! Slow down a little. You will be running for a long time. Conserve. And make sure you drink and eat at regular intervals. You have opened up a wide lead.” Moey continued, “But there is a squad coming toward you. You see the image on your headset?”
“Yes! What is it?”
“That is your map. The red line starts at your current position. As you move, it will get shorter. And then you see where it turns to the left?”
“I see it!”
“You turn off at exactly that point. It will drop you down closer to the lake. That is the fastest way that you can go around them without being seen. Then, you see where it takes you back to the trail?”
“Yah! Pa, I got it!”
“Dream, what should their speed be?” Moey inquired.
“They have slowed down to an appropriate speed. They should maintain this pace. Once they depart the main trail, their speed will reduce based on the terrain. I have accounted for this. When they return to the trail, they will have safely passed the oncoming subjects.”
“Good!”
“Okay, Jojo! You’re good. We will be fine. As long as I can see you and you can hear me, we will get through it. Don’t worry. Keep this pace. Stay relaxed. Eat! Drink!”
“Yah. Hey, guys, we will turn off soon. I will let you know when.”
“Jojo, try to tell them that we will be fine. Relax and conserve.”
“Okay, Pa!”
“Talk to you soon!” Moey ended. “Dream, watch and alert me if they miss any turns. What is the next challenge?”
“There is a checkpoint in nine miles.”
“After this, they could have six or seven men pursuing them. I’m sure they will send one or two with the information.
But it won’t help them.” Moey continued thinking out loud. “So, they will need to go around the next checkpoint again without losing their advantage. So, figure out that part, and give Jojo the image after they get through this current problem.”
“Calculating.”
“Then, we have another problem—fresh legs. They will send a new squad, while my boys already have twenty, twentyfive miles on their legs. Shit!” Moey thought to himself silently.
“The route to bypass the checkpoint is prepared. I have looked ahead. There are currently no other squads on the trail between this checkpoint and the border checkpoint.”
“There will be. They just haven’t sent them out yet.
How far to the border checkpoint?”
“Seventy-two miles from their current position.”
“Wow! That’s going to be tough. When they pass this checkpoint, how much of a lead will they have?”
“Calculating. The most probable result is between three point eight and four point two miles.”
“So, four miles.”
“Correct.”
The boys sped along, anticipating the upcoming maneuver.
“When?” shouted out Buddy, who was right on the heels of Jojo.
“Not yet! Just relax! Getting close!” informed Jojo.
“Drink and eat now! When you’re done, that’s when we will turn off. Okay?”
The boys all pulled up their bags to take sips. The bags were about half-empty. They didn’t realize how far they would need to go, so they didn’t worry about the fact that this water would never sustain them all the way to their destination. Next, they dug into their packs with efficient movements, as if their actions were completely detached from the rhythm of their swiftly moving feet. They had small, sweet, starchy pellets that had been developed by Moey and restricted from the public, available to military running patrols only.
Moey had formulated them and tried various ingredients to achieve the best balance between energy density and the ability to eat them on the run. The boys had plenty of these, so energy would not be a problem as long as they followed the regimen carefully, using a few at a time but frequently. So far, they had been too frightened and distracted to follow the regimen, and they were getting dangerously close to crashing as they ate double doses to make up their shortfall.
When they had finished their replenishment, Jojo raised his left arm, signaling that he was going to turn left. He noted that the image on his headset had zoomed in dramatically and matched every detail of the actual surroundings, which made the instructions very easy to follow. Jojo veered left, headed over a slight rise, and then descended a hill, stepping lightly and carefully in his new, advanced running shoes, which were unlike any available to the military.
They dropped down to a gully below that appeared to be a dry creek bed running parallel to the trail high above and over the natural berm. It was rocky but flat. They had to slow down a bit. Jojo heard Moey’s voice coming through on the headset.
“Don’t talk. Stay silent. You guys are right on course.
When you are back on the trail, we will talk,” Moey instructed.
Shortly thereafter, in keeping with the instructions, the boys started scaling their way back up the hill toward the trail. When they were back on the trail, Moey gave them the next instructions regarding the checkpoint, and the new map appeared.
“It’s a long way after that. I’m trying to find a water source. If I can get you guys refilled and you maintain your lead, even if you slow down, I don’t think they can catch you, because for the last thirty miles, you will be in the dark and in the mountains. You can see at night with the headset. The boys just need to stay close to you.”
It comforted Jojo greatly to have his father seemingly alongside them throughout this ordeal.
“Is everyone still feeling strong?”
“Are you guys feeling strong? Pa wants to know.”
“Yah!” called out Ajay first.
“Pa! We are okay!” called out Buddy.
Minutes after the boys had rejoined the trail, the two squads collided well behind them, and the chasing squad was suddenly baffled. The soldiers yelled frantically as the pursuers tried to convey the situation to the other soldiers. It burned a few minutes of precious time. Just as Moey had predicted, the squads joined, and they sent one runner back toward the main base by the lake. Meanwhile, Bobby and his crew were steaming their way across the lake to that very same base in search of answers.
Later, the boys once again detoured, this time off trail to the right, to circumvent the checkpoint.
“Their lead has fallen short of predictions. It is because the pursuing group is faster than my assumptions. Their lead is three point four miles at the checkpoint.”
“Got it,” responded Moey. Twenty minutes later, he watched the seven soldiers sprinting to the checkpoint. No one there was prepared for this, so the three soldiers who had doubled back and had not run as far as the others continued on.
The men with the fresh legs lost over a mile while they got their food and water together and then set out in a desperate hurry.
“Dream, what’s the water situation?”
“No viable sources close to the most direct route. If they detour, the pursuers will arrive at the checkpoint before the boys.”
“That is bad. What if they cross the border in a different direction … not on the trails?”
“At night, it will dangerous, as the only option is through mountain terrain and thick forest. They could hide in the mountains, sleep overnight, and resume tomorrow,” suggested Dream.
“By then, Eden could spread soldiers along the border, and they would have lost the element of surprise. No, I would rather they keep the advantage. But they need water.” Moey thought to himself. “Can Saginaw carry water?”
“Calculating. If Saginaw is fully charged and using a standard water bag, the maximum water payload from the closest point of the lake to where the boys will be is three point one pounds. That will leave enough power to still survey through most of the night.”
“Okay. We will call Marina. After Saginaw is charged, it will pick up the bag at my house.”
“Confirmed.”
“But they will need more water, so I want Saginaw to collect the bag, come back to charge again, and then return with another bag of water.”
“Confirmed.”
As afternoon shadows settled over the land, the boys had been without any water for two hours. Despite their continued hard effort, the patrol was pressing them from behind and had closed the gap to about two point five miles.
Moey’s tension grew with each passing minute as he tried again unsuccessfully to reach Marina on the headset.
“Shit! Shit! Jojo!”
“Pa!”
“Can you guys hold on for another ten miles without water?”
“I … I think so. But, Pa, we really need it. I can’t eat without the water. Getting tired. Please hurry.”
Jojo’s every word cut Moey like a knife. I’m letting them down. He felt tears of frustration flowing, and he felt anger. If I just let the boys be caught, no one would harm them. Maybe it’s for the best. If I run them too much without water and food, it could be dangerous.
“Okay, son! Hang on. You guys chant to each other. Okay? We will make it. Together!”
“Yes, Pa. We can do it.”
If anyone can, it is you three, Moey said to himself. “Try Marina again.”
“Transmitting.”
“Hello? Darling, are you home?”
“Yes. I need to tell you some things.”
“No, listen first. I need your help. Very soon, Saginaw will come and land in my shop area. Make sure everyone is out of there immediately. You need to get the big water bag from my office on the shelf and set it out on the edge of the planter.
You know which bag?”
“Yes. Yes. What’s wrong?”
“The boys need water fast.”
“Should I fill it?”
“No. Leave it empty. Okay?”
“Dream, send Saginaw now at full speed. Get the bag first, then charge. Cut the charge time down. Saginaw can come back again later. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“Moey!” Marina shouted. “Can I do anything else?”
“No. First, clear the shop, and lay out the bag. Then, come back. We will talk more.”
“Okay, going now.”
“Dream, can they get the water in five miles?”
“Four point seven.”
“I’ll take it!”
Moments later, Marina was back on the line. “Okay, darling, no one was there. I checked every room. The bag is sitting there on the wall of the planter.”
“Thanks, darling. Honestly, I’m a nervous wreck. I can’t imagine trying to do this without the technology. But even so, it’s still tough to evade our military. You father really has it locked down.”
“Did you talk to the boys?”
“Constantly. I don’t think you can right now—not until Saginaw is back over here. But, tonight, you can talk to them and encourage them. I’m really worried about the water. It was an unknown, and it turns out there is none along the way.”
“Well, what I wanted to tell you was that my father gave Bobby orders that if they are caught, Buddy and Jojo are not to be touched.” Marina paused.
“What about Ajay?” asked Moey.
“He basically said that he doesn’t care what they do to Ajay. I was so angry. I wanted to kill him.”
“Well, let’s just let him kill himself,” Moey replied “Uh, yah … about that. I think you might be right. I mean about Father.”
“What did he say?” Moey waited, puzzled.
Christopher sat in the dining room eating at a large table. Jacob was seated at the other end.
“What can she say? What can she do? Nothing,” reassured Jacob. “Believe me. She will be relieved that she does not have to take up such a burden. She is not hard enough, nor am I. That is why we need you. Everyone needs you.”
“That’s exactly what I said to Moey. Maybe you’re right. Maybe she will be glad. But as long as her precious Moey is a fugitive, it hangs a dark cloud over us. Where is he? How could he have just vanished?”
“It’s not as hard as you think,” answered Jacob knowingly. “Especially for a clever man such as him. It’s easy to picture. The boys are streaking toward the border to join their poor dad, who is already in Victory. Vlad is not to be trusted any longer.”
“That’s the first thing I will deal with,” Christopher declared. “I mean, when I return from the dead. Vlad will pay for his treachery with his blood!”
“But, Jake, why do I need to go through with this? Why not just declare the whole program of death over and done with?” Christopher looked pained and bothered. He had never completely gotten over the trauma of already drowning once before, at the hands of Utah.
“It will be too obvious. You will be considered a coward … seen as only doing it to save your own skin. Skirting tradition that everyone has been convinced of for centuries is the way that nations remain viable,” Jacob explained and not for the first time. “You need to declare that the drug is ineffective. It doesn’t work, which is partly true, as we know. Moey is to blame. It is his invention. Therefore, the entire process is inhumane. You suffered its wrath firsthand … the horror.”
“Alright,” Christopher capitulated reluctantly. “How are you going to be sure that I don’t actually drown? It has to look convincing.”
“Okay. Let’s go through it again,” Jacob said patiently. “When you come into the preparation room, the … ah … Fish House, you will get the drink. It will be missing the active ingredient. It is your responsibility to become drowsy and then sleep without stirring. You can’t move a muscle. You can’t scratch your nose nor your balls nor blink an eye. You are supposed to be totally unconscious even as you enter the bloody water.”
“Yes, of course,” Christopher dismissed. “What about the stone? And the air? What about the air?”
“Okay. The master of deck will tie the rope to your ankles. He will do it securely. But Bobby will be there. Only he knows what’s going on. He will have adjusted the ropes where they secure the stone. He will not fail to get it right, I’m sure. He practiced it himself in the water. Damn near drowned himself.
“Now, you are the Chair. You have special privileges, of course. One is that you wear your own ceremonial robe, not these things they throw on the commoners. There will be a knife in there at the ready in case there is a problem with the ropes.
“Then, very importantly, there will be an airbag. It will hold several good breaths. For this one, you can thank Moey.
It’s the least he could do for running off with his sons. But I want you to practice with the bag underwater in your private pool. I will tie some ropes around your legs. You will go under and then use the bag, breathe, relax, hold your breath, and calmly remove the bindings. Once you can do that, then we are ready.”
Just then, a guard entered. “Leader! The courier has returned with a report from the commander.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“As of midday today, Eden elite squads are closing in on the subjects. We expect to apprehend them before they can cross the border. If they do cross before being apprehended, we will await your instruction.”
“Continue the pursuit until they are apprehended!” barked Christopher. “No matter the cost. They must be apprehended and brought to me. But safely!”
“Leader!” The guard saluted, exited, and then picked up speed as he bolted toward shore, where canoes were standing by to carry the message back.
Just as two canoes set out at a full speed to complete the eight-mile crossing in over an hour, Saginaw streaked across high above the lake, clutching its life-saving cargo. As Saginaw approached the far shore, it dove at a steep angle toward the water just offshore and released one talon from the handle of the bag, allowing the tall, narrow bag to hang open slightly.
Saginaw plunged the open end into the water and let it fill. Then, the clever drone hoisted the bag from the water, clutching the other handle before the weight pulled it down out of reach. Once fully airborne, Saginaw started its sluggish but deliberate course high overhead and on an intersecting course with the boys.
By the time Saginaw arrived, the boys were in trouble.
None was thinking straight, as their minds were in a glucoseand water-deprived fog. Somehow, their legs had not fully seized, but there were constant spasms. The three boys were still moving at a respectable pace and not losing much ground, as their pursuers were also experiencing fatigue. Moey was relieved to once again have eyes on the boys and to be able to communicate with them.
“Jojo, water incoming! You guys take it down to a brisk walk, distribute the water to your own bags, and leave the big bag empty for Saginaw to retrieve more water for you later.”
“Uhh.” Jojo wasn’t even talking at his point. Moey saw Jojo take the bag from Saginaw as they walked along briskly.
“Okay, boys! Drink, drink, walk for a while, but not for long. Get some pellets in you. Feel the energy come back. Just a little at a time. Don’t overdo it. Small amounts as you go.
Okay?”
“Uhh, ya. Pa. Okay.”
Moey just watched their every movement, trying to gauge whether they would be able to come back from the deficit. He knew that he could never have done what they were doing—not at his age. But the boys were different. Anything was possible at their age. He saw them pick it up to a run again.
They were all together. No one lagging, listing, nor limping in any way—just pure, efficient movement. Perhaps they were a little slow, but they needed time to recover and to process the water and the calories.
“Pa, I feel so much better. I felt the energy immediately.
I was totally empty.”
“How about the other guys?” He heard them calling back and forth. “Pa, they’re okay.”
“That’s great, Jojo. Okay, keep pushing it. Time to hold that lead.” Moey looked at the map again. “Dream, where are we?”
“The lead is now three thousand yards and holding at this pace.”
“Oh. That’s close. How much farther?”
“Two point seven miles to the next checkpoint. Fiftyfive miles to the border.” “Jojo, about two miles to the detour around the checkpoint. Keep your eyes open. They will lose some ground getting the new squad up and going. And they are probably wondering if they have lost you completely, since they haven’t seen you. But you know the protocol. There will be an assumption of escape, and they will be running toward the border at full speed. Fresh legs.”
This time, the boys followed the cues from Jojo and veered off to the right, headed up a gradual rise, and entered a forested area. It was a small detour, like the one before, costing them a hundred yards of their lead. The boys were back on the main trail in no time. Minutes later, four angry, determined military runners blasted out from the checkpoint, looking for justice, glory, and fame. But they still wondered if they were chasing ghosts. A couple of hours later, they knew that the ghosts were real, as they caught a glimpse of the boys on a long, straight section through an open meadow.
The lead had been shaved to one thousand yards by this time, as the boys were in a gradual decline, despite having consumed adequate water and calories. Now, the issue was just pure fatigue. No competition called for one hundred miles of running, and the boys had never attempted such a thing. But just as the Eden soldiers were suddenly energized and picked up their pace, smelling a victory, black clouds and rain showers subtracted light from the dim sunset, plunging everyone into darkness.
Everyone except for Jojo. His headset gave him perfect vision at night, and his brothers stayed with him, following his comments about upcoming obstacles. Their pace did suffer a slowdown, but it was only slight. Meanwhile, the Eden soldiers became even more excited, assuming that the boys would falter even faster in the darkness. They forged ahead with anticipation, but in reality, they had slowed down significantly more than the boys had. Moey, who by this point had gnawed his fingernails to nothing, was suddenly relieved. But he wasn’t comfortable. Anything could happen. If anyone twisted an ankle, for example, it was over.
“Dream, now that they have a growing lead, bring back Saginaw, do a quick charge, and get Buddy and Ajay their own headsets so they can all see.”
“Yes, Moey. Immediately.” Before she had even finished the words, Drake rolled into the command center, took two charged headsets, and left the room in a hurry. Drake rolled into the dock and placed the headsets into one of UV2’s watertight compartments. As he closed the compartment, the motors below could be heard opening valves, and the rushing water drowned out all other sounds. Drake attached himself to the UV as the water rose around them and filled the room quickly. The UV and Drake sped in a direct course to intercept Saginaw and surfaced about one third of the way across the lake just as Saginaw dove in to land. Saginaw immediately clicked into a charging port that had been designed specifically for this purpose, while Drake removed the headsets and handed them to Saginaw in an exchange that seemed perfectly coordinated.
It had in fact been perfectly coordinated by Dream— every step of it. After only minutes of rapid charging, Saginaw exploded skyward and bolted northeast. Shortly thereafter, Saginaw dropped down and hovered above the trail and just ahead of the boys. Of course, Jojo knew about the incoming package, and when he saw Saginaw’s red blinking lights, he slowed, putting his arms up to signal to Buddy and Ajay. Within seconds, Buddy and Ajay had put on the headsets, which immediately came to life. They howled with excitement. The sensation of seeing the bright, clear view ahead of them kicked their adrenaline into high gear. Now, the boys spread themselves out and picked up the pace a few notches.
“Ajay, you first. How is it?” asked Moey.
“It is so cool, Pa! I can hear you, and I can see everything!”
“Now, when you guys talk, you can hear each other, and you can hear me. This should help you. I know you boys are so tired, but just try to forget about that. This rain is refreshing.
You now have the advantage. Less than forty miles now. In about five miles, you start to hit the mountains. Walk up the steep parts. Don’t worry about the soldiers; I will watch them all night.”
“Wahoo!” They all heard Buddy shout out.
“You will hit one last checkpoint in thirty-five miles and maybe a patrol coming at you. I will let you know.”
With renewed confidence, given their new capabilities, the boys now built up a lead with every step, while the Eden squad slowed and struggled as darkness closed its final curtain.
Late in the night, it was now raining in Eden. The next courier brought no new information—only assurances that, given the conditions and the darkness, the boys had little chance of outrunning the pursuit.
Christopher was disappointed and showed it, lashing out and demanding results. The cowering messengers backed their way out carefully and ran back to the lake to convey the news of disappointment and the threats that had been made.
Realizing that there was not much he could do by venturing out personally at this point, Bobby stayed across the lake, handling communication and issuing orders to the outbound squads.
By the time the boys reached the highest ground and started to descend toward the final checkpoint, they were a full hour ahead of their pursuers. Before dawn, they reached the Victory checkpoint, completely exhausted and drained from the cold rain that had continued to fall all night. There were dozens of Victory soldiers there in their full battle gear, anticipating a problem.
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