Finding Sage (The Rogue Book 1) (6 page)

10.

            
 
“Stay quiet and keep your head down.” That’s what Silas’ father always told him.  That’s the way he had tried to live his entire life, and when he broke that rule, that was when he got himself into trouble.  Now he was undoubtedly wanted.  The United Nations knew he existed.  That was a problem.  A big problem.

              Silas and Lilly were somewhere in the Midwest, though Silas wasn’t sure exactly where, trying to figure out what they were going to do next.  Being wanted meant you couldn’t easily get a job, which meant you couldn’t easily get money.  Without money you couldn’t buy food, shelter, or clothing, not to mention weapons.  Silas felt helpless, and was frustrated that he hadn’t refused to take Lilly with him.  He didn’t like being slowed down, and he didn’t like having to constantly worry about her safety.

              “Where are we?” Lilly asked.

              “I don’t know,” he said quietly. 

              “Where are we going?”

              Silas paused.

              “I’m not sure.” 

              In the old and smelly clothes they had while imprisoned, Silas and Lilly weren’t hard to spot.  The first thing they needed to do was find a place to get clothes, and then they needed to find a place they could shower.  This presented a problem, because they had no money.  Then Silas had an epiphany.  He grabbed Lilly’s hand and took a few backstreets.  While he didn’t know exactly where they were, he could tell that this was a fairly large city, which meant it was likely to have welfare centers. 

              Before long, they were behind a line of bushes facing the back of a thrift store.  Silas was about to make a move for some of the donations at the back when he saw two people come out the back door.  One was an employee in a blue polo and khaki pants.  The other was a U.N. soldier.  Silas couldn’t pick up what they were saying, only that the soldier was angry.  The voices were steadily raised and the soldier shoved the employee up against the wall.  Silas caught a brief sentence, but not from his ears.

              “If you miss the quota again next month I will shut you down!”

              When Silas listened closer, he heard the other man respond.

              “If you would pocket less, then I could do that . . .”

              The soldier’s anger grew and he tightened his grip on the man’s throat.  Silas couldn’t hear what he said next, but he released the employee and they both walked back into the store.

“What was that about?” asked Lilly.

Silas looked at her closely.  Her fiery red hair was a tangled mess and her big blue eyes looked up at him in curiosity.  It occurred to him that he envied few things more than the ignorance of a child. 

“When people have power, they become corrupted by it.”

She looked at him, confused, not understanding what he was saying.  She seemed to accept the fact that Silas was not going to tell her anything else, because she said nothing else about it.

“Stay here,” said Silas.

Silas walked out of the bushes and through the parking lot as though he was a regular customer.  As he approached the wall of the store, he crouched down and peeked around the corner.  He saw no one.  There were boxes of donations that had not yet been brought into the stockroom.  This was his best chance.  He could feel the minds of people inside of the store, but was careful not to go too deep.  He was afraid of losing consciousness and winding up in prison again.  He quickly grabbed a few changes of clothes for himself and a few for Lilly.  After rummaging through the boxes, he came across some canned food.  He grabbed a few cans of soup, a couple of vegetables, and two cans that had no label.  He crouched and sprinted back to the bushes where Lilly was supposed to be waiting for him . . . only she wasn’t there.

“Lilly?” he whispered quietly. 

He looked frantically around the bushes but could find her nowhere.

“Oh no,” he muttered under his breath. 

His problems were soon compounded.  He felt the muzzle of an AK-47 push against his lower back.  He had become so distracted by losing track of Lilly that he had completely overlooked the presence of someone following him.

“Don’t move,” a deep, husky voice said behind him. 

He didn’t, but soon heard a loud clink sound and a thud as the man behind him hit the ground.  He turned around and saw Lilly standing with a shovel.  He looked at the man and back to her.  One thought entered his mind:
How in the world could she have done that?
  He cocked his head and looked her in the eyes.

“How did you do that?” he asked.

“I saw him coming, I grabbed a shovel, and I hit him with it.”  She shrugged innocently.

He examined Lilly closely.  Her delicate face and small stature indicated that she was about five to seven years old.  However, there was something in her that indicated a maturity beyond that, and yet he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.  She had the ignorance of a child, yet the reasoning of an adult.  This puzzled him, but the longer he stood there thinking about it, the more they were putting themselves in danger.

“Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Lilly followed Silas as he ran out of the parking lot.  They walked briskly down the street until they found a gas station, and rushed inside.  The bell rang behind them as they entered, and every eye turned to them.  The man behind the counter was eying them especially carefully.  Panic-stricken, thoughts immediately started swimming through Silas’ head.  Had Internal Affairs told the public about him?  Had they told the public about Lilly? 

Since escaping, Silas had intentionally blocked himself from monitoring his surroundings as much as possible.  It was a difficult task, like constantly telling yourself not to breathe.  If he didn’t remain concentrated on the task, his mind would take all it could gather.  As a result, he was afraid that he would take on more than he could handle. 

He tried to remain calm, to concentrate, but the anxiousness and paranoia got the best of him. Sensations came pouring into his brain.  He could feel the minds of all three customers in the store, the man behind the counter, the young woman pumping gas outside, and the dog sniffing around the back of the building.  He could feel the apprehension of the single mother looking for a candy bar, the unsettling fear of the entrepreneur who had come in to pay for gas, and the parenting concerns of the attendant.  He took a deep breath, trying to release himself from sensory overload. 

He brought Lilly into the restroom with him, locked the door, and handed her the clothes.

“Change,” he said.

She looked at him in horror.

“I’m going to turn my back to you.  Change.  We can’t be separated.”

He turned his back and started to change, intent on not making this anymore awkward than it had to be.  That proved difficult when he heard Lilly’s voice behind him.

“Who are you?”

He did not expect such an open-ended question.

“What?”

“Who are you?”

He finished changing into new clothes before answering, partially to avoid the awkwardness and partially because he didn’t know how he was supposed to answer that question.

“My name is Silas.  Your name is Lilly.  I thought we covered this already.”

“That’s your name.  You haven’t told me who you are or why you saved me.”

This girl was definitely smarter than she should be.  He sighed, thinking about how he could most accurately answer this question.

“I’m someone that has abilities.  People tried to take advantage of me, so I started looking out for myself.  I saved you because you were like me.”

He still didn’t turn around to face Lilly.  He knew her bright blue eyes must be looking at him in curiosity, but he couldn’t turn to face her.  His confession was glaring his conscience in the eye.  Did he really only save her because she reminded him of himself?  Was he really that self-centered?  Months before that realization wouldn’t have bothered him, but now it made him uncomfortable, though he wasn’t sure why.

As he shook the clothes out that he was changing into, some change fell out of the pants pockets onto the floor.  He stuck his hands into the pockets and found a few wadded-up dollar bills. 

They finished changing and went back out into the convenience store.  Silas bought a couple of small bags, a loaf of bread, and a bar of soap with their money.  He paid and put the food and clothes into the bags. 

Silas couldn’t believe his own luck.  What were the chances that of all of the clothes he could have grabbed, the ones he chose just happened to have money left in the pockets? 

And you just happened to come in right before that soldier was going to blow my brains out?

No. I didn’t plan that
, Eli’s voice echoed through his head.

So it was just a coincidence?

I never said that.

“Come on, Lilly,” Silas said.

“Where are we going?” Lilly asked.

“To find the hippie.”

11.

“Sage is your
friend
?”

Alice stood in disbelief, her jaw practically hanging open all on its own.  Her search had taken a miraculous new turn, and her dreams were revived with newly found life and hope.

              “Yep.  Sage and I have been good buds for years.  Why are you guys looking for him?”

Rodge shifted uncomfortably as Alice made a snap decision to trust this odd new stranger.

“I’m tired of running.  I want to be safe.  I want a place where people like me can live in harmony without fear and without interference from everyone else.”

Alice cringed after she had finished speaking, realizing how awkward and corny she sounded.  Eli cocked his head to the side a little bit and his bug-like green eyes bulged slightly.

“What do ya mean by people like you?”

Alice hesitated a little bit before answering. 

“Isn’t it obvious?”

He raised an eyebrow, refusing to vocalize the truth himself.  He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to say what she meant.

“I’m a rogue.”

“Prove it,” replied Eli.

“What?”

“Prove to me that you’re a rogue.  Ya don’t look weird.  Yer not doin’ anythin’ outta the ordinary.  Prove to me that you’re a rogue.”

“You don’t know what you’re asking—”

“Listen here woman; I haven’t aged a day in over five hundred years.  I personally watched Jackson Knight melt the Statue of Liberty.  I’ve seen a lot of weird stuff.  I’ve also seen enough to make me suspicious.  Show me what you’ve got.”

His words rang in her ears.  Fear came over her as she realized what she had to do.  She had sworn never to do it again; never to use her ability.  It horrified her, and she was deathly afraid of alienating Rodge.  She would have to be firm, to show that she would not be taken advantage of.

“You ever call me ‘woman’ again, and I’ll make you feel every one of those five hundred years. Got it?”

Eli showed no fear.  On the contrary, a smirk crawled up the right side of his face. 

“Stop stalling.”

She scowled at him, simultaneously feeling all of the fear that she had of herself and her own ability creeping back into her mind, causing her hands and knees to shake.  She turned to her left and saw a small plant.  It had a thick green stalk and sprouted out at the top to form five green leaves.  They were the approximate shape of poison ivy leaves, but the plant itself was too large to be poison ivy.  Still shaking, she pulled back her ebony black sleeves and knelt down, facing the plant.  She briefly looked back at Eli, who gave her a stone-cold look, still clearly expecting her to put her ability on display for all to see.  She exhaled slowly in resignation and looked back to the plant.  She slowly reached her arms out and grasped the plant at the bottom of the stalk, right next to the ground.  Her heartbeat pounded in her ears and she could feel sweat trickling down her temples.  The first hint of energy reached her fingertips and produced a tingling sensation.  She fastened her grip in response, clutching the plant as tightly as she could and closing her eyes. It was thrilling as well as repulsive.  Life poured into her, refreshing her with every moment.  It was like inhaling a drug, with a more exhilarating high than the strongest hallucinogen.

After a couple of minutes, she released her grip and looked down at the plant.  It was shriveled and black, the leaves fragile figures of ash.  She stood up and inhaled a breath of fresh air, feeling much stronger physically, but dead emotionally.  The thrill of the moment had faded away. Only guilt and shame remained. 
Killer,
a voice whispered in her mind.

She hung her head, ashamed of what she was capable of.  Her hands were shaking in fear.  She was afraid; afraid of herself. 

Eli had only two words.

“Whoa, man.”

              “Don’t let go of my hand.  No matter what.”

              Lilly nodded her head without a word.  Silas continued to be amazed by this little girl.  He knew that she had to be a rogue; otherwise she never would have been in custody.  He never could have guessed what he was now seeing in her, however.  Physically she appeared to be no older than seven years old.  Mentally he couldn’t be sure.  But he suspected she was as advanced as he was. 

              They stood on a large hill among the meadow of lilies, looking back at the forest that led back to the prison, which before held them so securely. Lilly tightened her grip on Silas’ hand.  He looked down at her.  Behind her long and tangled fiery-red locks, her sapphire-blue eyes were glistening with tears.  She was not making eye contact, but was looking intently at the woods.  Silas continued looking at her, filled with sympathy.  But as he raised his head to look at the horizon, seeing the woods behind the prison, he also felt something else that he wasn’t used to - awkwardness.  Then, without a word, she let go of his hand and embraced him in a full hug.  Silas did not expect this at all, but after a couple of seconds of feeling petrified, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders, returning her expression of trust and security in the best way that he knew how.  Then he realized the danger that was inherent in where they were.

              “Lilly, we need to get moving.”

              She silently nodded her head, letting a sniff escape and wiped the tears from her eyes.  Silas took her hand again and they both crouched and Silas led them away from the meadow through the woods to the location that Eli and Silas last spoke.  After a moment or two of pausing to reflect, he walked into the woods.

              “What are you doing?”

              Silas looked at Lilly perplexed, not understanding what she meant.

              “I told you, we’re going to find the Eli.”

              “He went
that
way.”

              Lilly pointed to the direction where Silas was facing, where he now saw a clearly marked dirt path.  He followed it, still grasping Lilly’s hand, and they walked on silently. 

              Silas and Lilly had an interesting relationship.  It had only been about three days since they escaped from that rotten prison, and Silas was no doubt Lilly’s first hint of protection since prior to her imprisonment.  How she got there or what her life was like before he had no idea, and he hadn’t asked her in order to find out.  Regardless, she had clung to him very quickly.  Despite this, most of their time traveling together was spent in silence.  This was due largely to Silas’ own lack of ability to communicate with other people, and the initial awkwardness between them, which he was now overcoming.  He was a little out of touch, since he hadn’t had a friend in five years.

              After about a half hour of walking, the path ended in an endless ocean of trees.  A dead end.  Or at least it seemed that way.  With no other leads, they continued in the same direction, often needing to walk over fallen limbs and trek through thorn-bushes and wild vines.  They came to a stone bridge overlooking a small river.  The normal sounds of nature that they had tuned out in the past hour now resonated fully in conjunction with the sound of water moving downstream.  A smirk emerged from the corner of Silas’ mouth—something that hadn’t happened for a very long time.  This was a new sight for Lilly and she also couldn’t help but smile. 

              After crossing the bridge, they finally came to the end of the forest and into a corn field.  The corn stalks were much taller than Silas would have imagined, easily being three or four feet above his head.  He had always pictured running or walking through fields as being sort of nostalgic or magical in a way, but this was far from it.  The corn stalks had been planted extremely close together, and it seemed that every time he succeeded in pushing corn back, more corn met him swiftly and painfully in the face.  His frustration caused him to beat through the corn faster and faster and harder and harder until suddenly there was no more corn and he fell face-first in the dirt and grass, catching a mouthful of it in the process. 

              As he spit the dirt and grass out of his mouth, he heard a giggle behind him.  He smirked a bit and looked behind him.

              “I told you not to let go of my hand,” he said with a smile.

              She shrugged sheepishly before taking his hand again.  They both looked and saw that what they had discovered was not the end of the cornfield, but a path through it.  They continued walking on the path until they came to the top of a hill.  They could see to the bottom of the hill, where a group of kids were sitting around a fire.  Among the kids they saw Eli.  His bug-size green eyes were still undeniably unique.  He was dressed in skinny jeans and a tie-dye t-shirt, with a beanie cap to complete the outfit.  Especially given the cold weather, this made him stand out.  He, along with the kids that he was with, was facing two people: a girl with jet-black hair in grey sweatpants and a black long-sleeve shirt, and a nerdy-looking brunette young man with shaggy hair in jeans and a sweater.  The girl was kneeling down with her hands grasping a plant.  As they watched with curiosity, they saw the plant die before their very eyes.  Lilly gasped, but no one seemed to hear. 

              “Let’s go down there and talk to them,” Silas said. 

              The instant after he spoke, he felt Lilly’s hand being pulled out of his own.  He turned to his right, meeting a fist square in his jaw.  Out of instinct, he jumped to his feet, ready for a fight.  There were two men, both in sleek black suits with masks.  They carried no guns but had sword sheaths in an “X” shape on their backs. 

He had never been able to discover their names, but he knew they were specialized soldiers within the Rogue Division.  He’d heard the stories.  They were more ruthless than soldiers and less moral than bounty hunters.  They hunted rogues for sport, and brought them back alive if they were having a particularly good day, even though the U.N.’s rogues often were assigned to the same unit. 

              “Let her go.”

              They spoke no words.  The one with free hands drew his two katanas, ready to quickly dispose of his unarmed victim. 

              “You’re going to regret this.”

              Silas glared his opponents down and reached out with his mind.  He regretted it, but he knew blood would be spilled once again.

              Alice regained her composure, stood upright, and looked Eli square in the eye. 

              “Now.  Tell me about Sage.”

              A smile slowly crept up the right side of Eli’s face.  It then quickly faded as he looked up at the forest to see several black figures descending quickly upon them.  They were in black suits, reminiscent of ninjas that children were told of.  They donned black masks that concealed all but their eyes, bearing swords as well as various small axes and knives on their belts.  He had seen them before.  And he knew what to do. 

              “RUN!”

              The entire group erupted into panic as the black figures ran down the bank into the camp.  They wasted no words, but immediately drew their weapons and attacked.  The unfortunate few adolescents that had not heard Eli’s warning were the first to fall as swords pierced through their chests without warning.  Others were intent on fighting.  Some intent on fighting back called their powers into action.  Fire flew and lit some of the attackers on fire.  Bodies of a few flew into the trees.  Eli himself was determined to fight, although he continued to warn his surrogate children. 

              “RUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Eli screamed again.

                Eli drew his sword, meeting the attackers as they came. His blade and his attacker’s met a few brief times and he quickly deposed his enemy with a slice of his stomach.  He then turned to the next two; beheading one and disposing of the other with a thrust through the chest.  As Eli continued fighting, he realized that this was not a typical raid.  As the attackers kept coming, he realized that the numbers of them were practically endless.  They never traveled in groups this large.  Something wasn’t right.

             
Left hook, right hook; he blocks both.  I kick him in the chest to knock him back, draw my sword and clutch it with both hands.  I thrust my blade through the chest and he dies, blood oozing from the blade protruding from his chest cavity.  Then I feel pain as a blade enters my own body from my back and I can see the blade sticking out from my own chest.  The figure in front of me changes and I realize: I have killed one of my own.

              Silas shoved the dead soldier’s blade through the living soldier.  The bodies of both dead attackers dropped with a singular thud.  Silas looked to his left and saw Lilly.  She was sitting on the ground with her hands around her knees, sobbing violently.  Her eyes were wide with fear and tears ran down her cheeks like blood from an open wound.  Silas took a step toward her, but she recoiled.  Silas hesitated for a moment, and then understood why.  His knuckles were white from clutching the sword so tightly.  He was breathing heavily and blood from the sword ran down the blade, onto the handle, and onto his hand.  He tried to steady his hand and reached it out to her, trying his best to slow his breathing.