When Moey saw that the boys were in safe hands, he relaxed. He was exhausted. He sent Saginaw home for a long recharge and went to his quarters and collapsed. An hour later, when the Eden squad arrived, wondering how to proceed, they saw that they would not be proceeding. There were angry words exchanged and demands made for the return of the boys.
“Which boys?” responded the Victory warriors, looking very menacing. The Eden patrol retreated toward home.
“Men! Hold up!” ordered the squad leader. “We are going around them.”
“We are?” questioned one of the exhausted soldiers, soaked and defeated.
“Yes! We are! Now, follow me!”
There was a collective groan, but the others knew not to risk insubordination. Their commander, Bronson, was not one to cross. He was a career soldier and was sworn to duty.
While others looked ahead, planning to raise families in Eden someday, Bronson saw his future as rising through the command structure and returning to Eden the honorable way— as a hero and a legend. At that moment, his men could only wonder, as they had many times before, how they’d had the misfortune of falling under Bronson’s command.
He was not a squad leader but a junior commander. He had decided on pursuit only because of the urgent nature of the mission. The squad headed west, making a wide arc around the checkpoint before turning north to enter Victory territory. This new development went completely unnoticed—without Saginaw’s watchful eyes and Dream’s comprehensive analysis.
The boys had wanted to simply collapse and rest, thinking that they had reached their destination. But Vlad’s orders were clear. The boys were to proceed to Victory immediately under armed escort in case there was a scrabble at the border. Fortunately, it was downhill, and the rain had stopped. After a while, the sunlight started to illuminate the eastern mountain ridges as they continued their descent.
Unlike the torturous journey the day before, they were able to stop, rest, and eat. It was a short respite, and they were barely able to stand after sitting. But they got themselves up, and pushed ahead. By midday, they had reached the river just opposite the island and were ferried across. There was a small crowd gathered and it comprised mainly soldiers. But then, they saw Vlad smiling warmly, and they felt as if they were home.
By the time the boys collapsed in cots in a cabin close to Vlad’s compound, Bronson’s squad had penetrated deep into Victory territory and was approaching the river some miles north of the town. The squad came upon a Victory lookout position, which had a panoramic view of the river and the valley below. There were four soldiers there, based on what they could observe. Bronson and his team were above and behind the lookout position, and he silently signaled to his squad to retreat. Once behind the small ridge above the lookout, Bronson laid out his plan.
“We have the element of surprise. We are going to take out these savages before they know what hit ’em.”
“But, Commander, why don’t we just go around them?
We can go downriver, and they will never see us,” one of the men protested.
“Don’t question me. Someone will see us eventually.
You think we can just walk into Victory dressed like this?”
Bronson tugged at his blue and gray uniform, which was in sharp contrast to the simpler, earth-tone uniforms of the Victorians. No one had an answer. But at that moment, Bronson’s three subordinates realized that their chances of survival were slim.
Each of them now thought Bronson to be a completely suicidal madman. But individually, and with no opportunity to conspire, they were duty-bound to proceed as ordered.
“We will each take a man. I will tell you who when we get eyes on them again. Finish your man as soon as possible, and help another if there is a struggle. If we can do this, we will be able to get to Victory. We have a chance to be heroes.”
There was a glint in his eye, but it failed to inspire. There was only fear, anxiety, and doubt. In Eden, not a man under forty had ever seen any real military conflict, and even the old-timers hadn’t seen much. Under the current Chair, Eden’s military had evolved to nothing more than a tool of oppression focused only on internal issues. “C’mon, you pussies! This is your chance to see real action. You are all soldiers! Or are you? Maybe you are just pussies. Well, if you are, then you’re dead men. You better strap it on right now. Because this ain’t goin’ away. We are doing this. Okay?!”
“Sir!” they barked in unison as if watching it all from afar.
“Don’t make a mess of it. We need these uniforms. Got it?”
The squad crept down from above the lookout. Three of the guards were just lying back, napping. One was out near the edge on a bench. He was the one who was on watch, presumably. Bronson pointed to himself and then to the onduty soldier. He then pointed to each of his men and then to their respective targets. They crept in close.
Bronson moved first, swiftly and silently, with the others right behind him, as they fell upon their prey, three of whom were sleeping. Bronson’s knife finished the on-duty lookout swiftly. There was no cause for the watch to be on alert, as far as they knew.
The other men attacked the men whom they were responsible for taking down, but not in perfect unison. The last Eden soldier hesitated as he approached his target, and the Victory soldier was shaken into consciousness by the sound of his comrades dying. His reflexes reacted, and the Eden soldier lost his chance. Even worse, the Victory soldier was quick to draw his knife, and he mounted a challenge.
The Eden soldier hesitated once again; the poor soldier had never been meant for real battle. The Victory soldier lunged and penetrated his abdomen, just below the ribs, delivering what was no doubt a fatal wound. Bronson jumped on the back of the attacker who had just gutted his man and killed him with several vicious thrusts of his knife. The other soldiers were stunned. “Jug!” one of them cried to his already still friend.
“Shit!” spat Bronson. “Jug! You passive fool! Why didn’t you just do it?” Bronson had nurtured Jug into a good soldier, but he couldn’t change his nature, which was nonviolent.
“Guys! Let’s move everyone fast. And no visible blood. They can’t be found!”
“Commander, what are we doing here? We are all going to die!” one of the soldiers blurted.
This drew a ferocious slap from the muscular commander, who then spat in disgust. “Snap out of it! You’re a soldier! Act like it! We are sworn to defend! We have been ordered to apprehend the three boys!”
The other two remaining soldiers cowered, ready to comply.
“Pick the best three uniforms. Let’s get changed.”
Buddy awoke with a shock. It was late at night, but he had no idea how late. It took him a moment to recall where he was. Then, he breathed deeply. He recalled entering the cabin.
After that, nothing. He grabbed the water jug on the table near his cot and drank deeply, gasping as air and water competed for passage.
He looked over and saw his brothers, still snoring and looking ragged. He shook Jojo harshly. Jojo bolted up, confused and ready to fight. He then relaxed as Buddy came into focus.
Jojo grabbed the jug from Buddy and drank.
“Wake him up,” Jojo instructed Buddy. Ajay awoke calmly, his mild disposition prevailing even in the most trying circumstances.
“We need to let Pa know we are okay,” Buddy said. Jojo stood up abruptly and spun, looking for his pack. He rifled through it and withdrew the headset. “We’re lucky they didn’t go through our stuff. Check yours,” Jojo told the others.
“Mine’s here,” said Ajay.
“Mine too,” confirmed Buddy Jojo jerked his chin up at the two younger boys as he put on his headset and gestured for them to do the same.
“Pa?” There was a pause.
“Jojo, I will awake your father.” They heard Dream’s familiar voice. Moments later, they heard their father talking in the background as he put his headset on.
“Boys? Are you okay? Where are you?” Moey asked.
“We are good. We made it,” answered Jojo. “We came straight to the village. Then, we fell asleep right away.”
“Did you see Vlad?”
“Yah. But we hardly talked to anybody. We just crashed.
Man, I am sore. But I feel good,” Jojo declared.
“Me too,” said Ajay.
“Not me,” said Buddy, and they all laughed. It was a sign that everyone was fine.
“Oh, Pa! One thing Vlad said,” Buddy exclaimed. “He said we only have two days to recover before the games.”
“That’s right! The Games! The festival! That’s great, boys. You can join their games this time. Get rested,” Moey advised. “You have about five days. Then, I need you to follow the course we planned. I need to get out of this place. I will be there to meet you at the entrance to the other shelter. Remember: you need to bring some digging tools. And no matter what, the Victorians are not to follow. I have made this point clear to Vlad.”
“Yah, yah. We know, Pa. Don’t worry. First, we have some Victorian ass to kick over here,” said Jojo. The boys all smiled at each other. “I think we just out-trained them for sure.”
“Pa, what time is it?” asked Ajay.
“It will be light soon. As your coach, I want you guys to drink a lot of water and get some energy in. Then, do a long stretch. As soon as it’s light enough, go for an easy run. There is a great trail right along the river heading west.”
“Yes, sir!” exclaimed Buddy.
“Last thing. We only talk late at night while in Victory. Keep those headsets well hidden. This is very important!” Moey emphasized.
“Yes, Pa. Got it. Don’t worry,” reassured Jojo.
“I love you, boys. You are very brave. I have a lot to be proud of. You stick together no matter what. Be careful of those girls. Don’t lose your heads.” Buddy and Ajay looked at each other, wide-eyed.
“The girls!” Buddy shouted. They all laughed.
Prior to yesterday, the girls had no idea what was going on. No one did, except Vlad, his wife, and a few others, who had been sworn to secrecy. But word traveled like wildfire through the village that the three legendary brothers, the competitive foes of Victory, were in fact there in the village.
There was intense intrigue and curiosity throughout the village. But none approached the degree of intrigue and curiosity of two young ladies named Della and Elona. They had not been friends before last year. But connecting with the two brothers in Eden had forged a close bond between them. At the break of dawn, Della waited outside of Elona’s house, as they had important plans to go and re-stake their claims before any other interlopers might use their charms on the boys.
As they jogged down the river toward the cave, their excitement grew. Then, the unthinkable happened. They saw three men approaching them in the opposite direction. It would never have occurred to them that these could be the Eden boys.
But as they neared, the girls noticed familiarities. Something about their movements, their running style, and their ease triggered the subconscious realization long before they made a positive identification. Della hooted and picked up speed, as did Elona.
As the younger boys were realizing their fantasies, Jojo felt happy for them. But he also felt sad that he was now alone.
His budding romance with Nan had been cut short by his sudden deployment. And, now, they were fugitives. The reunion was boisterous and relaxed, as if they had seen one another just yesterday. Whatever else might have been on the cards romantically for the girls was now put aside in their minds. The girls hugged Jojo as well and noted the imbalance. It was one that needed an immediate remedy.
They all jogged back toward the town center and then on to Vlad’s compound, where they were intercepted by a concerned squad of military runners, who were apparently supposed to be watching the boys for their own safety.
Bronson and his men had crossed the lake in a remote place. They did not want to face any soldiers, fearing that any interaction would reveal their identities. They stayed out of town until nightfall and then walked the streets late into the night, learning the layout. There was some nightlife in Victory, and they were able to blend in easily. They saw many soldiers, who took little notice of them. They had no idea where to look for the boys initially.
But Bronson cleverly asked young children basic questions that could not be asked of adults. They learned the whereabouts of Vlad’s residence. Now, they were down by the river, not far from Vlad’s compound. They saw some older children, who were presumably on their way to school.
“Hey! You kids! Did you hear anything about the boys from Eden?” Bronson asked.
“Yah. Didn’t you? You’re in the army, right?” one of the older boys shot back.
“We just came in. We were out on patrol,” Bronson explained.
“My dad says they will compete in the games. Everyone is gonna go watch,” another boy shared.
“Wow! That’s exciting,” said Bronson warmly. “Do you know where they are staying?”
“No,” replied the older boy.
“Okay, thanks,” said Bronson.
As the Eden soldiers walked away, they conversed about their next moves. “It’s safer for us to split up, but I don’t trust you two pussies to see this through. And I need you. I can’t handle taking the three of them out of here by myself. We need to stay small and watch what’s going on. Let’s hang out near Vlad’s area and see if anything happens.”
“Commander, I won’t run off. And I’m not a pussy.”
“Me neither. I just killed a guy. I’m committed now. No turning back.”
“That’s good to hear, boys. This is the most important mission ever to face Eden soldiers. If we don’t get those boys back to Eden and restore order, our whole society could collapse. Then, these Victorians will march in and take over. It’s important!”
“Yes, sir.”
“Okay then. I guess we will split up, after all. I will watch Vlad’s compound. You watch the market area near the river.
And you go upriver a little more, near that island. That looks busy too. You can ask the kids questions, but no adults. Got it?”
“Sir!” they responded in unison.
“I will find out what they are using for currency and get some. Meet back here at high noon, and we will get something decent to eat. I’m starving. I know you boys are too.”
They split up and went to their assigned areas. After a while, Bronson saw the boys with the two girls coming up to Vlad’s compound and turning left onto a lane just before it.
There were four soldiers escorting them.
“I need to go clean up. I really stink,” admitted Jojo.
“You guys all stink,” declared Elona. They all laughed. “We will take you guys to the army bath house right down the road. Then, we will get you breakfast at army headquarters. Those are the orders,” the squad leader explained. “Girls, you can come along. But not to the bath house.” They all laughed again. “After that, Vlad wants to see you. So, go ahead. Get your stuff.”
The boys went into their cabin and came out with their waist packs. Then, they all headed past Vlad’s compound and then went into another fenced compound that had various buildings. This was the army headquarters.
Bronson watched their every move carefully. He knew the boys by sight and knew their relationship to the Chair. He hadn’t been briefed that they should not be harmed. He considered them traitors, like their father, and harbored resentment and anger toward them. He considered taking justice into his own hands as an option and maybe the one he preferred. Traitors were sentenced to death under the Chair’s standing orders.
If returning them to Eden was not an option, he had another idea in mind. Bronson waited impatiently. High noon had passed. Those idiots! Where are they? More time came and went. Those traitorous bastards! They’ve taken off! Bronson cursed himself for being deceived. I should have known.
Bronson had watched while his fugitives, their friends, and the escorts had returned and entered the compound. They were still in there and presumably up to no good.
“How do you feel, Jojo? And Buddy, right? And, of course, Ajay the fish.” They all smiled. Vlad continued, “I thought for sure you would still be sleeping when they told me you had gone missing. Do me a favor: always let me know where you are, and I will have guards with you. You will recall the man Hector and what happened.” All of them acknowledged their understanding. “As much as we try to keep things safe, we never know everything. I also worry that agents from Eden could slip in unnoticed. So, let’s play it safe. I assured your father.”
“Yes, sir,” responded Jojo on their behalf. Just then, Vlad’s wife, Eva, and their daughter, Mia, returned from shopping.
“What a surprise!” exclaimed Eva, beaming. Mia was awestruck and a little thrown by the presence of Della and Elona. They were all friends, but Mia now felt like an outsider.
She knew about the brief romance in Eden and was jealous.
How she wished she had been older. And when she’d heard that they would not be going this year, when she was finally ready, she’d been devastated. But now, here they were. She snapped out of her brief hesitation and turned on the charm. “Hi! I’m Mia.”
“This is my daughter. She has been so looking forward to meeting you,” Eva added.
Mia blushed and thought to herself. Okay, Mother. I can handle this myself.
“Hello, girls!” Eva greeted Della and Elona.
“Hi,” the girls responded.
“I have an idea. Since you boys are in good hands, you can probably learn more from the girls about the games than I can tell you. You all talk it over and decide which races you would like to do. And by the way, you don’t have to do any races if you prefer not to. Just let me know by tonight so I can arrange it. Tomorrow, you can go survey the courses. I will get Zak and Davan to take you. Sound good?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you. We will race!” declared Jojo. Vlad laughed, and they all joined in.
“That’s what I like to hear,” Vlad responded with a big smile. “So, have fun, and stay safe. Let my guards stay with you.
Okay?”
With that, Vlad and Eva went off with the groceries, heading into the other part of the house that extended off the expansive cave.
“Hi, Mia. I’m Jojo.” They shook hands. Mia thought she felt a spark as their hands touched, and it nearly made her jump.
“I’m Buddy.”
“I’m Ajay.”
“Mia, why don’t you hang out with us? It will be fun,”
Elona offered.
“Sure!” With that, Mia looked at Jojo, who had already been staring right through her when she’d turned to look at him. She blushed. Now, she was confused. Just as her dream was coming true, and Zak had finally taken notice of her and was starting to show his affection, she was suddenly looking at an equally worthy prize, made all the more interesting by his win over Zak in Eden.
“Okay, let me start,” said Mia nervously, breaking off the stare. “We added a race this year. It has swimming and running together, just like you guys do it. We wanted to go to Eden and win this time, so we started the new event.”
“Wow! That’s great,” said Ajay.
“Yah, but it’s way less distance than the Half Moon,” said Della.
“We also have a really hard swim. It goes upriver, then you turn around and come flying back with the current. It’s so much fun. But it’s really hard,” explained Elona, looking right at Ajay the whole time.
“How about running only?” asked Buddy.
“Oh, you guys will like it! It’s all mountains,” explained Mia. “And it’s really long. It takes all day.”
“Mia came in second, even though she was barely sixteen last year,” praised Elona. Mia looked at Jojo to see his reaction, and his eyes were wide, showing that he was impressed. After further discussion, they were all ready for some fun.
“We need to go train a little, before sundown. But we have some time to show you guys some things,” said Della.
“Let’s take them to the island!” demanded Elona.
“Okay. Let me tell my father,” said Mia. “Pa?” she called out as she ran across the big hall to find her parents.
As the group left the compound, under the watchful eye of the guards, Bronson was still there, watching and simmering over the abandonment by his squad. Not long after the group had passed, he started to tail them. Then, he saw a detachment running in toward Vlad’s compound. He backed off of the main road between two roadside food hawker stalls, and that is when he saw his two soldiers. Hands bound and lashed together, they were held by soldiers in the middle of the pack. Cowardly bastards did try and run, and they got caught! Dumbasses!
Bronson thought to himself. Wearing Victorian uniforms with traces of blood. They are dead men. Bronson retreated further. I need new clothes.
Late that night, Jojo, Buddy, and Ajay carefully updated their father with all the good news. But, then, Moey alerted them. “Boys, Saginaw’s images showed Victory soldiers killed and stripped. I believe there could be Eden soldiers posing as Victorian guards. Be careful.”
“Vlad warned us to stay with his guards. Does he know about the soldiers?” asked Jojo.
“I don’t know,” answered Moey. “See if you can find out.”
“Yes, Pa.”
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