The Departure Protocol

Chapter 17

By the time Wared and Shea got out of the truck and snuck out of the recycling facility, they were bruised and sore, each step painful. Shea quickly located the old vehicle Arty had left behind for them and within minutes, they kicked up a dust cloud behind them as they raced away from the populated areas.

For the first half hour, they drove in silence. Shea pushed the vehicle to its limits, eager to put as much distance as possible between them and any Protectorate forces that might be on their trail. It wasn't until the city had disappeared behind them that she slowed down.

"So tell me, what's so special about the Outlook?" she said and glanced over at Wared. "What was your brother doing there?"

"The Outlook?"

"Yeah, I found him below the trail that leads there. He fell on the way back."

Wared rubbed his eyes and sighed as he looked out at the desert terrain that disappeared behind them. "It's a memorial," he finally said.

"A memorial? What for?"

"His wife and daughter. They died up there several years ago in a terrible accident."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"There's nothing he could have done, of course, but he was heartbroken. He's returned there at least once a year since but it seems like it was more frequently this past year. I think he really missed them."

Shea looked out her side window and sighed. "I can understand. I've lost family too."

"I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?"

"Not in the same way. They're still alive."

"They're alive?" Wared furrowed his brow. "So how are they lost then?"

Shea looked over at Wared as a tear streamed down her cheek. She opened her mouth to say something but hesitated and wiped the tear away with her sleeve "It doesn't matter. They're as good as dead to me anyway."

Wared opened his mouth to ask another question but changed his mind. It was clear that Shea didn't want to talk about it and he didn't want to force the issue. Instead, they continued on in silence until they pulled into the trail head parking lot leading to the Outlook. She parked in the sparsely populated lot and shut down the engine.

"This is where I found him. It's also the end of the road for us. The rest of the way is on foot. Come on," Shea said, excited the car and slammed the door shut. She took off at a brisk pace i

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Wared sighed and let her lead the way. They left the parking lot and the trail behind. Within a few minutes, the cars had disappeared in the distance behind them. The terrain ahead of them sloped downward at a shallow angle. It was uneven and dotted with depressions and small bushes about the size of a human head. Small lizard-like creatures just a few inches long rushed away from them as they traversed the terrain. Both of the suns were setting on opposite horizons, generating a reddish glow in all directions. Wared could feel the heat of the day dissipate as a cool breeze played with his hair. He couldn't help but notice that Shea's hair was tossed around in the wind as well.

"What is this place?" he whispered, only realizing as the words came out of his mouth that he was whispering.

"For now, I call it home," Shea said as she continued into the dark opening of the cave. It was ten feet across and about as tall. Within seconds they were enveloped completely by darkness. "Put your hand on my shoulder. I don't want you to get lost."