Road to Clover (The Breanna Raven Series) (14 page)

The room looks unfamiliar as I open my eyes. Miss Kiki is looking up at someone, and I follow her gaze. Miss
Carter is standing beside the bed. She puts her forefinger to her lips and signals for me to follow her. Without waking up Chloe and Sarah, I manage to get out of bed. I kiss their reddened cheeks, and I tell Miss Kiki to stay with them. She puts her head right back down like a good girl.

I step out of the room to find Miss
Carter and Shawn standing in the hallway. Both of them have a look of concern. My heart is sinking to my stomach. Something must be wrong with Agni.

“Breanna, we have bad news.” Miss
Carter says, but she stops.

I look at them
waiting for them to say something more, but they’re avoiding eye contact.

“
Mr. Dory has been captured.” Shawn hesitates before continuing. “So have my brother and Agni.”

What!
Agni is captured? How do they know? I stare at the radio in Shawn’s hand. Agni must have given the key word.

“Do you know how?” I ask him.

Shawn and Miss Carter look to one another quickly. Neither one of them is trying to give up the information.

I
firmly repeat, “Do you know how they were caught?”

Shawn
sighs and says, “I’m afraid I gave them away.”

“What
do you mean you gave them away?” I look at him suspiciously.

“
Some guy by the name of Red Soldier 14 called on the radio around midnight.”

“
You spoke to him?” I blow out in frustration and ask, “What did you say?”

“I told him where
they were going.”

“
And why would you do that?” I ask incredulously.

Miss
Carter cuts in quickly, “That soldier said that he was Agni’s friend.”

“Seriously? You really thought someone with a name like that would be Agni’s friend?” I
snatch the radio from out of Shawn’s hand.

“I took the man at his word
, Breanna. I had no reason not to believe him.” Shawn is clearly aggravated with himself for what he’s done, but it doesn’t mean anything to me.

“How exactly did the conversation go?”

“The guy was calling for you and Agni, but mostly Agni. I asked him who he was, and he told me. He asked me if I knew you two, and I told him yes. He said that he was a friend. He was concerned about you guys, and he asked where you two were. I told him.”

“Oh my God,” I
roar. He just put all of our lives in danger. Does he even realize what he’s done?

“After that, he cut radio contact.”

“So, how do you know he has them?”

“Agni started calling your name on the radio about an hour later, and he was yelling out the word red. It wasn’t long afterwards that Red Soldier 14 came back on the radio. He
radioed some guy and said they were in custody.”

I try with every atom in my being not to
choke this guy, but I have to keep my cool. I can’t lose it. The one thing that is hanging in my mind is that Red Soldier 14 knows where I am, and he might be right outside any minute. That means my sister is in danger, too.

I quickly ask him, “How long ago did you speak to him?”

“No more than ten minutes ago.” Shawn answers. “We have to get you out of here, Breanna. They might be coming for you next.”

Don’t I know it!
I run right back into the bedroom, and without slowing down one bit, I shake Chloe and Sarah awake. They’re moaning their disapproval, but I don’t care. I make them get up. It doesn’t matter if they’re awake or not, we have to get out of that house. We have to get out of that subdivision fast. I make them put on their shoes without socks before taking them downstairs. When I get there, all of the adults are standing in the foyer arguing. Shawn and Miss Carter are trying to convince the Darby’s they have to leave their home. The Darby family is not convinced, and they don’t want to leave. They think they’ll be safe.

Shawn knows
the reality, and so does Miss Carter. They’ve both seen the damage of what the Enlightened can do. I don’t have time to make their case for them. Chloe and Sarah are more important.

Right before I hit the
front door, I realize there is one more kid in the house. I stop right in my tracks. I run right back up the steps, and I end up opening two doors before I find him. Tony is stretched out on top of the covers, and that kid is snoring. I shake him awake and literally drag him out of bed. I can’t find his shoes, and there’s no time to really look. I come back to the hallway with him in tow, and to my surprise, Chloe is back on the second floor. She’s rubbing her eyes and heading back towards the bedroom. I yank her back, and I coral them both to the first floor.

Miss
Carter is holding Sarah’s hand. I push Tony to Shawn. I have my sister, and I figure Miss Kiki knows to go where I go.

“
We’re leaving now!” I yell.

Mrs.
Darby is trying to stop us from taking Tony, but Shawn is already out the door with him. Mrs. Darby is screaming for us to bring him back, but Mr. Darby is blocking her from coming out the door. It’s clear what he’s about. Mr. Darby is protecting his own. He slams the door closed, shutting his wife inside with him.

When we’re about to head up to Miss
Carter’s house, we hear helicopters. It will not be safe to hide in her home. It’s too close to the Darby’s house, and those machines are moving fast.

Shawn and Tony have disappeared already. I have no idea where they went.
I see a clear path, and I run right across the street in between two houses. I’m holding my sister’s hand tight. I look back once I get in the back yard thinking I don’t see Sarah and Miss Carter. They are still standing in the middle of the road. Miss Carter can’t get Sarah under control. All of a sudden, a spotlight flashes on them. The helicopter seems to be coming in for a landing right in the street. I hear a voice giving orders through a bullhorn.

When Miss Carter lifts her hands in the air, Sarah takes off like a jet
. She’s running in my direction. Right when she gets in between the houses, bullets ring out. Miss Carter takes several shots and she hits the ground like a thud.

The only thing that makes me move
after that is the fact that Sarah sprints right by me. Chloe takes off after her. I follow them. I end up catching them, but I don’t run by them. I stay with them. We don’t look back. We’re going between houses. We’re hiding in the shadows. We’re trying to get as far away as possible. Eventually, we get to the back of the subdivision.

We are all exhausted. I look from one end of the brick wall to the next, and I don’t see
an exit. It’s so dark. This stupid subdivision is built like mine. One way in, one way out. We have to get out of there. If the Enlightened decides to search the entire place, we’re as good as caught.

All of a sudden, I see Shawn and Tony running. They spot us, as well, and they run over to me
and the girls.

Shawn asks breathlessly, “Is there a way we can get out of here?”

My lungs are about to explode. All I can say is, “Front entrance only.”

Tony yells, “I know a way out!”

Shawn and I cover his mouth and shush him at the same time. He pushes our hands out of his face, and he starts walking up the wall.

All of sudden, that kid stops and gets on his knees. He starts disappearing
head first under the wall. That hole he’s going in is big enough for all us to get through one at a time.

Once we’re all on the other side, I ask him, “How did you know that was there?”

Tony proudly announces, “I come over here on the weekends and play hide and seek with my friends. We all go through that hole and play out here.”

“You saved us, kid.” Shawn says
as he pats his shoulder.

“Thank you, Tony.”
I say kindly.

We start
walking, and I have one destination in mind actually. It’s not too far away. We start walking, keeping behind other subdivisions. More helicopters have showed up back at Bouvardia Cove, and they are hovering over one area. I imagine they must be at the Darby’s house, and I wonder why they aren’t searching the surrounding area for me. I decide not to worry about it. I have to get the kids to shelter.

It’s not long before we reach Eremurus Cove, my home. It still looks
like a mess outside of the gate. We reach the front entrance, and we climb over the cars. I nearly land on my face because I’m trying to favor my swollen hand. Shawn tries to help me, but I push him away.

We walk up
the dark road of Heather Lane and head directly to my house. I move the fake rock out of the garden, get the extra house key, and unlock the door. Miss Kiki and Chloe run in. Tony and Sarah aren’t so eager, but I assure them I’ll take them home first thing in the morning. Shawn is the last to enter, and he locks up. He starts closing blinds at the front of the house. Once he’s done, he comes into the kitchen.

I tell him
with anger in my voice, “There’s a spare bedroom upstairs. You can sleep there or wherever there’s a sofa. There are blankets and pillows in spare room, as well.”

“Breanna, I’m sorry about your friend.
Your friend isn’t the only one that was taken.”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” I
remark. “Do you mind if Tony sleeps with you?”

Shawn nods with defeat. I know he
feels bad about what he’s done, but his feelings aren’t going to make what’s wrong right.

Before I go upstairs, I get the radio off of the console. I lost the other one
in one of those bedrooms back in the Darby house. I can’t even remember which one.

I take the girls and put
them in my parents’ bed upstairs. It’s big enough for all of us including Miss Kiki, and they easily fall back asleep. Me on the other hand, I go to the master bathroom and sink to the floor.

My mind is solely on Agni and his welfare
. I shudder to think that he might be dead, and it bothers me that I might not be able to do anything to truly save him. But I have to try. I have to do something.

The morning rain is only a sprinkle, and the sun is barely breaking through the cloudy sky.
I’m the only one awake. I’m standing on the back deck. I have the radio in my hands. It’s on, and I’m waiting for 6 a.m.

I didn’t get any rest last night.
My mind never let me shut down. Agni is in trouble. King is in trouble. Mr. Dory and Collin are in the same predicament.

It’s because of me
. The blame I put on Shawn last night was misplaced. It’s all mine to bear. This all started in the very house I’m at right now. I chose to leave when it wasn’t necessary to do so. Now, I have to try and save Agni. I’ve waited long enough. It’s time to act.

I press the button
on the radio and say, “Red Soldier 14, this is Breanna Raven.”

The static
plays back.

Right when I’m about
to repeat the call, he answers, “Raven Three, I had a feeling I would be hearing from you again.”

“What did you do with Agni?”

“What did you do with the card and key?”

This guy doesn’t have
the card? I wonder if Agni hid it before he was taken.

“I want you to release my friend, and I want you to release Collin, Mr. Dory, and King. I want all of them released.”

“You want. You want. You want. Do you really believe I’m just going to hand them over?”

Of course, I don’t believe it, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. I think about what I’m going to say
next. I know what I want to say, but I have to be careful.

I offer, “I’ll give you the key for all of them.”

“That’s not an equal-” Before he can complete his sentence, I hear Agni screaming in the background. He’s telling me not to do it.

“Agni!” I yell his name. “Agni, are you okay! Agni! I want to speak to Agni!”

There’s no answer. I put the radio to my forehead, and I’m praying. What do I do? What can I do to save them all?

“Red Soldier
14, I’ll give you the key! I’ll give you the key!”

His voice comes back calm, “I want both items.”

I’m not so calm. My voice is shaky, “Fine, you can have them both, but you release my friends first!”

“
State your location, and we’ll make the trade.”

I’m about to say where I am, but
Shawn grabs my hand and shakes his head. He says firmly, “Consider the kids, Breanna. You’ll put them in danger if you tell them where you are.”

He’s right
. The Enlightened will come down hard and fast on this house, and the kids will be the ultimate victims. I can’t let that happen. I have to get away from my sister. I have to get away from the cove entirely to make that trade.

“Raven
Three, state your location.”

“I will call you back
later with a location.” I turn off the radio. There is no more negotiation for right now.

Shawn stares at me and asks
, “What card and key was he talking about?”

I exhale. I don’t want to tell him, but
seeing how his brother is captured because of what we stole, I have no choice but to tell him the truth. “Agni and I found a key and a card at a crash site south of Allium Center. We hid the key.”

“What about the card?”

“I think Agni still has it, or he’s hid it somewhere in Titan City.”

“What are they for?” Shawn folds his arms over his chest.

“That’s all I know it belongs to the Enlightened.”

We stare at each other
down, but I break eye contact first. He stops me when I try to go around him.

“
They’re going to take those items away from you, and they’re going to kill you, Breanna. They’re going to kill all of them.”

“I
have no choice. I have to go get the key and try to save my friends, which includes your brother.”

“I’m going with you
.”

I accept his help. There isn’t much I can say to stop him
, anyway. His brother is with Agni and is in no less trouble.

I go upstairs and
get the kids up. I tell them to go ahead and use the bathroom. I go back downstairs to make sandwiches, and I break open a can of dog food for Miss Kiki. It’s not long before everyone is full, and I pull Chloe into the living room to speak with her away from everyone else.

She can tell something isn’t right, and she asks,
“Breanna, what’s wrong?”

I smile. I have to tell her the truth, and it’s killing me
. I say to her, “Chloe, I love you very much. You know that, right?”

“Yes, and I love you, too.” She says with a cute smile.

“There’s something we need to talk about. It’s very serious.”

“Okay,” she says.

I clear my throat and shift in my seat to face her fully before starting. “When I went looking for you a few days ago, Agni and King were with me, but they didn’t come back. Agni and King are in Titan City, and now, they’re in trouble.”

“What happened to them?” Chloe is sincerely worried.

“Those soldiers we were running from last night. They took them.” That’s the only way I can put it without confusing her, and I continue slowly, “I have to help them, and that means I have to leave to do it.”

“Can I go with you?”

I can’t answer her.

She looks up at me with tears in her eyes and remarks, “Breanna, I don’t want you to go.”

“I know, and I don’t want to, either. But Agni might get hurt if I don’t help him, Chloe.”

“If I can’t go with you, where
am I staying?”

I have an idea, but I’m not sure.
I make up something. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine, and Miss Kiki will be with you.”

Chloe hugs me and asks, “Will I see you again?”

“Of course, you will. I’ll come back for you just like I did this time.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

My heart is breaking all over again, but I see no other choice. Agni would do this for me, and he wouldn’t hesitate.

I tell her to go upstairs and pack some clothes. I find two more backpacks from
my previous high school years in my closet, and Shawn and I pack food for the upcoming trip. I put whatever food and dog food in plastic bags for the woman I plan on leaving Chloe and Miss Kiki with.

Before we
set out, I take the wallet size picture of my family portrait out of the utility drawer. It’s the last one my family took together. I stuff it in my pants pocket before heading for the front door.

Once
outside the house, I hide the key back under the fake rock. I glance at Agni’s house. He’ll be home soon. I’m going to get him back.

With that last thought,
the first place we go to is Tony’s house. I knock on the door. No one answers. I guess his entire family is gone. Tony pouts, but I try to reassure him not to worry. My words do no good to soothe his hurt. He misses his family so much.

We leave his house, crossing front lawns and driveways
. The bags are getting really heavy in my good hand, and my shoulder is hurting fiercely. Shawn notices, and he takes them from out of my grasp.

Finally, we reach Sarah’s house. I knock on the door, and
I hear shuffling inside. I see the curtains move out of the way from the side window, and Mrs. Sabeen sees me. She looks down and sees her daughter. All of a sudden, the door is being unlocked and it’s flung open. Sarah and Mrs. Sabeen are hugging one another. She’s kissing her daughter and crying. I know how that feels. She stands and thanks me and Shawn over and over again.

I ask her if I can speak to her away from the kids. They go running up to Sarah’s room
, including Miss Kiki. Mrs. Sabeen leads us to her living room, and we all sit down.

“Breanna, how can I ever thank you? I thought my baby was gone.”

I calmly remark, hoping she’ll agree to do what I ask, “There is one way.”

“Sure, anything,” she states.

“Can you watch my sister, my dog, and Tony until I return?” I try not to shed any tears, but I’m not doing a good job.

Mrs.
Sabeen looks me in the eyes, and she must see my pain. She answers softly, “Yes, I will. When will you be back?”

“I don’t know.”

She understands and nods. “They can stay here for as long as they want. I’ll do all I can to take care of them.”

“If you need more food, you can find some in my house in the pantry. Help yourself to whatever you need. The key will be under the hideaway rock in the front garden.”

Mrs.
Sabeen smiles at me.

I have nothing else to say to her. I grab the picture
from my pants pocket and go to the bottom of the steps. I’m about to call for my sister, but she’s already at the top of the steps with Miss Kiki beside her.

Chloe comes down
with the dog, and they stop on the second step to the last one. I pet Miss Kiki behind her ears, and she touches me with her dirty wrapped paw. I thank her for being at my side and being so brave.

Then I turn my attention to Chloe. She’s looking
down at her tiny hands, and I wait for her to look me in the eyes. When she does, I touch the bottom of her soft chin.  She wraps her arms around my neck, and she squeezes as hard as she can. We stay like that for a while. I’m not going to make her let me go. I decide to wait until she’s ready.

When she
finally does releases me, I don’t want her to. But I know we can’t stay there forever and so does she. I say to her, “Clover, I love you. Don’t you ever forget that.”

“I love you, too, Breanna.
You come back home safe.”

“
You know I will.”

I take one last look at the family picture and
hand it to her. When I turn, she grabs me again and starts crying for me not to leave. I get out of her grasp. Mrs. Sabeen comes over and holds her in place.

I run as fast as I can
out of the house. I will never make it if Chloe’s with me physically, but I will have a chance with her in my heart.

Shawn and I get to the front gate, and
I stop to take in a deep breath and to consider the enormity of the journey ahead. It hurts to move on without the very person I looked for all that time, and it hurts me even more that my friend is in danger because of me. I have to wipe away my tears as Shawn and I stand there. I can’t go until I find the strength.

I tell myself the road leads to Agni this time. I’m still very afraid, but at least, I’m not alone
. Will we make it? I’m not so sure. The odds are definitely against us. But I’m willing to take this chance…for Agni.