In Hope Of Release

Chapters 6-10

Six

Chase

Well, here we are. I look to my right; Dani’s asleep in the passenger seat and Alex in the back. The wheels of the jeep crunch as we hit the gravel track, winding our way through the valley. Geeps Creek, I grinned to myself, it’s where I grew up. The so called summer camp had been an amazing place of mysteries and secrets. It was the main training facility for SARC and a life saver for me! I cringed, thinking about my life before I’d been chosen to attend the training camp.

We came to a curve in the track. To the untrained eye the track hasn’t been used in years and here this bend the plant life has completely taken hold. The track is impenetrable.

“Did we take a wrong turn?” I jumped at Dani’s sleepy voice. She’s watching me with her large green eyes.

“No,” I murmur slipping off my seatbelt and slipping out the car. “First lesson, never take things as they are. Expect the unexpected, there’s a way out of everything.” Her eyebrows fused together and she was quickly out the jeep and at my side.

“Let me guess, this is the secret entrance to Geeps Creak?” She reaches out and touches the bark of a nearby tree. “And there should be a button or keypad in one of the trees or rocks here…am I right?” She steps to the densest part of the trees feeling the plant life with her hands. She’s right and I don’t know how she guessed, it’d taken me three years of training to finally work it out. “Here it is!” She calls and I arrive at her side. She’s found the key pad and I step forward typing in the twenty digit code.

“Well done,” I murmured catching a grin before it was smothered by a shrug of the shoulder.

The trees move away allowing us to access the rest of the track. I glanced over at Dani after a while; she’d been silent since we’d hopped back into the jeep.

“Nervous?” I questioned, reaching forward to find my ID card. She doesn’t move as she answers.

“No,” there’s a quiver in her voice and I pick up on her fears.

“It’ll be OK you know.”

“I know I’ll be.” She replies viciously. “I’m not weak you know!” Suddenly I realise, she saw being nervous as a weakness. Shaking my head I lightly reached over and touched her hand.

“Being nervous only shows two things Dani,” with a pause I watched her. Steadily her eyes met mine. “That you’re human and brave, because even though you’re nervous and feeling out of place your still here.” Silence fell once more as we rounded another corner. There stood the guard, he came to the window and I gave him my ID card.

“Who are these?” He gestured to Dani and Alex who was still asleep in the back.

“This is Danielle and Alex Woods, Danielle is a new recruit and Alex her brother which she cares for.” He nods thoughtfully as I show him Dani’s recruitment letter.

“Right, you’re through…good to see you Chase.” He nods, I know him from one of my training classes.

“You too Luke,” nodding, I grimace as he leans through the window.

“Hey Danielle, if your ever in the need of company give me a note in me pigeon hole.” Looking over at Dani I grind my teeth; she’s smiling a flirty smile and flicking her hair.

“Sure, I’ll think about it.” With her words I put my foot on the accelerator and we head off through the now wide open gate.

* * *

“Wow!” Alex exclaims as he jumps from the jeep. “This is fully awesome!” We’re standing in the middle of camp and to our left a grenade prac is in process. Kids of the age of about twelve are throwing the highly explosive grenades into garbage bins and watching them explode. I watch Dani’s expression fall to one of confusion to on of concern.