Retrieving Rory

Tilting her canteen to the darkening sky, Alina emptied the last drops of water, barely quenching her thirst. It was that time again. Her supplies were running low and she needed to find a spring to replenish her water canteens. Occasionally she would join passersby; they were an easy way to replenish without venturing too far from the trail her father had mapped out before he passed five years ago. It had been nearly ten since the government started bombing its own people in an attempt to gain the control they desired. Her father had been among the first batch of eager radicals, as the government labeled them, determined to stop their tyrannical government. He was a skilled pilot for the country's military before everything went to hell. It was his plan that gave The Rebellion such an edge. He helped take out all the power grids in the country. It was not only the most but the only large organized attack the rebels ever had. Her father realized two years into the war that it was the radio transmissions leaving the Suits and the Rads, code-names given by the rebels to each side, at a stalemate. Remove the power source for the radio towers, remove the radio transmissions. Two years in was his epiphany but it took another three years to execute. Her father was adamant that no radio transmissions could discuss the plan and only a select few could know. This meant the information spread by foot. A coordinated, silent attack that her father died executing but it worked. Radio transmissions are still down, five years later. Anytime the government tries to rebuild, the remaining rebels are there to halt it.

The attack left Alina, her little sister Rory and her mother alone for a while. The Rebellion started slowing down after, almost to invisibility. About three years after, their mother fell ill. Alina and Rory stayed by their mother’s side until she passed but it put them in harm’s way. They had no idea that a new camp had been erected not too far off the path they were so accustomed to taking. Shortly after putting their mother to rest, a couple of Suits found them. They didn’t know they were Suits at first though. Alina had hesitated upon seeing them, thinking them to be fellow Rads. They tried to escape, and right as Alina thought they were free, they grabbed Rory. That was two years ago. Now Alina keeps on the path with a few adjustment; allowing her to scope out the camp, trying to find a way in; a way out; a way to save her sister. She’s careful enough to not get caught but close enough to observe. There was no way to know at the time Suits had erected a new detainment camp in the area but Alina remains guilt ridden. The camps are how the remaining government has a hold still. Initially they were only meant as detainment camps but word of mouth says they have turned into towns and cities. Suits brainwashing the inhabitants of each that the newly erected pocket civilizations are the only places they're safe. The only civilization left for them.

On her trek to the nearby spring, she heard voices. She pulled her bow from over her shoulder and positioned herself on a nearby hill between a boulder and a bush for cover. She loaded an arrow and waited. Her father, knowing that ammo would eventually become scarce, made sure that his daughters would be skilled in a lasting weapon, one they could make themselves if need be. Just as her knees were starting to ache, a group appeared. Even though her senses had refined over the years in her detection of whether they were Suits or Rads, she never assumed. That was the lesson she had to learn the day her sister was taken from her. She observed the group for an hour before she approached cautiously, weapon in hand. She knew that they too would be weary of her. The Suits had started infiltrating Rad groups in the last few years, steering them in the direction of camps unknowingly. They had attempted before but had only in recent years been successful. On approach, they didn’t notice her immediately which allowed her an opportunity to observe them closer. There were two children, about four and eight, and four adults. She could immediately identify which ones were the parents. They all had similar features and identical sandy blonde hair. The other two were males, one about thirty with dark brown hair and the other about her age with black hair. The latter was the one to notice her first. He too had a bow and immediately armed himself with it.

“Who are you!?,” he called out, alerting the others to her presence.

“Alina. I assume you aren’t all Suits.” She replied. She needed to join them to see if they had any supplies that could be of use but that didn’t mean that she didn’t wish that this part could be skipped. It was always so tedious; two groups alone, trying to find immediate trust in one another.

Eventually bows were put away. They realized that Alina was alone and they could take her if need be. They all worked together to put a temporary shelter for the night, made dinner, chose patrols, and turned in. Alina managed to get some supplies and was able to refill her canteens. She learned that the black haired man’s name was Koda and was her age, give or take a month. They had first patrol and were trading war stories. They both were 11 when the war started. His parents died during the power grid attack and he had a younger sister that was in the same detainment camp she believed her sister to be in. Except that he had been in it too and escaped. It blew her mind. She had been walking all around this camp for two years and couldn’t find a way to get her sister out but this guy just walked out!

“I didn’t just walk out.” He assured her, “I got lucky with timing was all. They have been expanding it for the last six months. When the expansion started, I found a weak spot in the fence. My sister was supposed to make it out with me but they grabbed her right before. I’ve been waiting for them to finish expanding.”

“If expanding is what got you out then why would you wait for them to finish?” she asked.

“After my escape, they tightened their security. But they don’t realize what they’re expanding on.”

“And what is that exactly?”

“Tunnels my family built before the war.”

From there, Koda told her his plan, how the dark brown haired man, she now knew as Alex, would get caught on purpose. How Koda would go through the tunnels until he came to an unfinished one right below a new bunk house that had been built for the new detainees. He planned on finishing the tunnel and having Alex find his sister and bring her to the tunnel a week from tomorrow.

“I’ll help you.” Alina said as he concluded his plan. She pulled a picture out from her inner jacket pocket. It was a small family photo, one taken right before her father’s death. Rory was only 12 in the picture. Her features were only slightly more defined the last time Alina saw her and she wore the same heart shaped locket she had worn since their mother had given it to Rory when she was five. She wondered if she would still recognize her. Koda pulled out a picture of his sister Rose as well. She’s two years older than Rory and Koda’s spitting image.

Morning came and the packing begun. The family continued on their way and Koda showed the pictures to Alex. They hiked for a day while Alex stared at the pictures, etching them into his memory. They found the opening of the tunnels and had to slide in on their stomachs, pulling themselves forward with their elbows. His family made the outward appearance a fox hole so none would be the wiser. When they finally made it inside, Alina was in awe. Koda said they were elaborate but she didn’t think they would be so large. There were strategically placed glowing rocks allowing for minimal visibility. Apparently it was supposed to be a fallout shelter before the war but they never finished.

Alex quickly secured his belongings and said his goodbyes with promises to find their sisters and meet them at the end of the tunnel. With Alex gone, Alina and Koda headed towards the tunnel he knew would lead them to the camp. Thankfully, there were still tools from when his family had built the tunnels initially. Alina grabbed a shovel and Koda, a pick-ax. Soon they arrived and Koda signaled for her to dig and in which direction. She was impressed, they were underground with no sunlight and he knew exactly where they were.

It took days. They would periodically go above ground so that she wouldn’t go insane from the lack of sunlight. Koda would go too even though he seemed just fine with utter darkness. Then one day they hit a rock and Koda rejoiced. It a boulder left within the camp that Koda was aiming for. They had one day left so they had to stop and reposition so that the tunnel didn’t collapse and the boulder along with it. The boulder was small and Koda planned on turning it into a door with the properly placed beams. Alina didn’t care what they had to do, she would see Rory soon. She would finally be reunited with her sister.

As night fell, Koda walked her through step by step on how they would leverage the boulder to open and allow Alex and their sisters to slide through the opening.

“On three. One. Two. Thrreee!” Koda grunted as they pulled the lever down allowing the other end to push open the boulder.

Once it was locked in place, allowing just enough space for them to squeeze through, Koda sung a bird’s song and then waited. Soon Alex popped his head in.

“I got a few more than anticipated.” He said.

Koda begun to protest and Alina stopped him, “As long as everyone moves quickly and quietly without drawing attention.

They had to back up to let everyone in. She could only count about 12 in the dark space. All the bodies were blocking the little glow that the rocks provided. Koda instructed everyone to move further through the tunnel so he could close it off. Alina, Koda and Alex worked to resealed underneath the boulder as quickly as possible. They then directed everyone to the large open area in the tunnel where Alex had stashed his belongings. There Koda could immediately identify his sister Rose but Alina still couldn’t find Rory. Enraged she started yelling at Alex.

“YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO FIND MY SISTER TOO! WHERE IS SHE!? She exclaimed, pounding on his chest. She had failed Rory yet again. They had closed off the tunnel too soon. They had to go back. As Alina started heading back to open the tunnel back up, someone grabbed her arm. It was Rose; she really was the spitting image of her brother.

“You’re Rory’s sister.” Rose simply stated it as fact and then reached into a concealed pocket in her shirt that was meant to hide belongings that those in the camps wanted to keep. She pulled Rory’s heart-shaped locket out of it. Alina was confused.

“Why?.. How?”

“I’m sorry. She loved you very much,” was all Rose said before turning back to Koda for a hug.

Alina had been too late. She opened the locket and there was the picture of them so young and innocent. She squeezed it tightly as tears started to fall.