The Saga Continues. Since we alternate every week, you start here with Chapter 11, then it’s off to Mary’s site with Chapter 12 of “Escaping Humanity”!!!  

For those that have missed this from the beginning, you can find the complete story description and chapter listing HERE.

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“I’ve been able to see it for miles. It’s lit up like a Christmas tree. I hope the military never obtains a mutant like me.” Chantalle held onto the reins, staring toward what looked like a small farming community. A handful of houses, a small plane and some planted fields.

From any angle but the one they currently stood at she wouldn’t be able to see anything but trees. Right where she was there was a break in the trees where vehicles could enter, other than that it was silent.

“God help us if thye ever do,” Neil said quietly. The tension in his voice tingled with excitement and nervousness. “We’re already being watched. We’ll have to take care. If we do anything wrong we will be attacked first, questioned later.

She didn’t need to be told they were being watched. Despite their extreme care and quiet, she could see the auras of the men in the trees. Native Americans from what she could tell, their ties to the land were so strong. “I’ll be careful. I can see them. Hopefully they’ll recognize you before they attack.”

“I don’t exactly look like I did. I wouldn’t hang my hopes on that.” Weeks ago it would have worried her, his comment would have been so laced with self-loathing and fear. Now there was a bit of humor mixed in. She wasn’t sure if it was her months of influence or just being close to home that did it.

With a deep bracing breath she moved forward, “You said I’m to ask for Night Hawk, right? James.”

“Yes.”

“And he’s Charlotte’s brother. He will recognize you if the others don’t.”

“Exactly.”

If it wasn’t for the fact that they could be in danger, she might have found it amusing. For every step she took closer to the compound, the closer the auras in the trees came. Then, out of nowhere they stopped. She gasped in surprise, her eyes darting through the trees as the men retreated. “They’re retreating. Why are they retreating?”

“I’m not sure. That is not standard procedure. I heard no signal.”

“No. You didn’t. It was telepathic,” she whispered. “There’s a telepath heading our way.”

“Lucas.”

Another brother of Charlotte’s an indirect twin of James, at least that’s how she’d come to refer to the two men’s association. It made her a little more relaxed, and she moved closer even as she felt the brush of Lucas’ mind.

You have nothing to fear from me.

“I know. You mean me absolutely no harm. Thank you for calling off the SWAT team. I really didn’t want them to shoot first and ask questions later.”

“At least you’re more likely to live with a well placed arrow as opposed to a bullet,” Lucas chuckled as they got close enough. He looked up at the horse, his eyes softening at the sight of the man on it. “Neil. Thank the Spirits. We thought for sure you were dead. Only Charlotte was convinced you weren’t.”

“I thought I might be for a while,” Neil said quietly. His voice caught and he cleared his throat, “Charlotte. She didn’t think I was dead? Really?”

“Really. Everyone will be thrilled that you are in fact alive.” Lucas held up a hand, clasping it with Neil’s as he got off the horse. “On top of our renewed hope for Mom and Dad, this has been a good day.”

“Renewed hope? But how?” Neil grasped Lucas’ shoulder, “James saw them die. How can there be renewed hope?”

“We think Mom sent a message to Aunt Abigail. Come, we’ll go into the tunnels so you can see Charlotte. The rest of the news can wait.” Lucas smiled at Chantalle, “One of the men will take your horse to the stables. The Chief will want to meet you in person. I’ve alerted him to your arrival.”

Chantalle nodded, “I look forward to meeting him. Neil has told me so much about all of you. Should I wait up here so you can take Neil to his wife if that’s better.”

“No. You’re welcome down in the tunnels. Ravenhawk will be waiting for you down there.” Lucas set Neil’s hand on his arm, guiding him toward the nearest house.

For a while they were all quiet. The only sound came from Lucas’ occasional warning of how many steps down they were taking. By the time they got to the tunnel, Chance was waiting for them.

Chance moved forward, “Neil. Thank the Spirits.” He embraced him before pulling back. “We haven’t told Charlotte. Lucas said you were coming, but we didn’t want to get her hopes up. Do you need medical care first?”

“No. These wounds are old and healed physically.” Neil smiled, “Chantalle has made sure our trip went smoother than I would have thought. We ran into no one. The few times there were any troops within a few miles she got us some place safe to hide.”

“Chantalle?” Chance turned his attention to her. For a moment Chantalle had to force her way through the shield of defensiveness in his aura. Underneath it she could see his genuine gratitude, but getting to that was tough. “Thank you. For bringing him back to us safe. I’m Chance.”

It was almost enough to put her on the defensive, but she wasn’t that sort of person. She was a people person, and had cracked tougher walls than this just by being herself. Chantalle shook his hand with a warm smile. With a bit of effort she focused on the warmth she found lingering under the grays and blacks of his mistrust and pain, “Nice to meet you. Lucas, why don’t you go ahead and take Neil to his wife? I think I’ll be all right in your Chief’s capable hands.”

Lucas smiled, “I will. Thank you, Chantalle.”

Chance waited until they’d made their way down the tunnels before gesturing into the tunnels. “Right this way. I don’t know how much Neil has told you about us.”

“We’ve had a few months together so I know quite a bit.” Chantalle shrugged, “I’m a people person I can’t be quiet. Plus he was so depressed and scared. I had to keep him moving forward. Thank you for letting me enter without any trouble.”

“Lucas says you’re very open for him, and that we have no reason to mistrust you. I take his word on it. So thank you for bringing Neil back to us.” After that his walls eased a little bit, but he still tried to keep guarded. He probably didn’t realize nothing was protected from her mutation.

“He saved my life once. It only seemed right that I help him get home to his wife.” Chantalle kept her focus on the tunnel walls for a moment. It was a welcome distraction from the dichotomy of who he was. Not to mention the fact that she couldn’t avoid how attractive she found him. It was an honest enough thought, but it had been so long since she’d been with anyone that she had to put those thoughts away before she attacked the poor guy without warning. “He was so talented, I hate to see him lose his ability to perform surgery. So much tragedy came out of this.”

“Too much. Here, let’s get you something to eat.” Chance led her into a small kitchen. Several crock pots lined the counter, “We try to keep a steady stream of hot food ready. Many people come in and out throughout the day. Not everyone bothers to put a kitchen in their unit down here, it’s easier to have some community food at the ready.”

“With a community food mentality, shouldn’t you have a bigger kitchen than this?” Her cheeks grew warm, “Sorry. It just seems a bit cramped.”

“It is. We plan a larger cafeteria sort of room in our new wing. It’s not slated for completion for another month, though. We take our lessons as they come.” Chance helped himself to some chili before holding out a chair for her. Once he sat, he studied her for a moment. “Lucas says you are from New York City.”

“I came from there after the war, yes. I’m from England originally.” She spun her spoon in her chili. If he asked her about her family she just might fall into a place she didn’t like going. A place she hadn’t been since she’d stumbled on Neil and got a traveling companion to distract her from her own worries.

“So you were on Broadway when the attack started?”

“Literally.” Chantalle rubbed her arms as the memory shivered through her. “I was on stage, in the middle of a show. We didn’t hear the sirens, but the stage manager halted the performance. Said the military was attacking mutants, and the mutants were fighting back. It was an all out war across the island. By the time the first concussion of a blast shook the theater the screams were deafening.”

Chance’s hand rested on her arm, pulling her out of the depths of her own intense study of her chili. For the first time since she’d met him his guard was down. Concern and warmth poured toward her in soothing and peaceful waves. “I remember the battle. It was the first and the worst.”

Somehow the colors of his aura melted into a watercolor of confusion. It was then that she realized she was crying. “It’s horrible to watch people die,” she whispered.

“I know.”

“No. You don’t.” She wiped at her tears, focusing back on the chili. Counting beans to distract herself. “You see them die. Their shells, their surface. I see it all. Their pain, their fear, their entire life dim and fade into black.”

Beyond the screams that day she’d had to watch so many deaths. Good friends trapped under the rubble. Sudden deaths, long and lingering death. It was now at the point where she was sure she could see the grim reaper coming long before it happened.

She cleared her throat, “Sorry. Can we talk about something else? I haven’t been around people in so long the last thing I want to do is blubber like a baby in front of all of them.”

“Of course. How about we get you a unit to stay in? You can have a hot shower, even listen to some music or watch some TV.”

“Music?” That made her straighten up, “What sort of music?”

Chance smiled, “I’m sure if it’s not in our database it won’t take any time to find whatever you want. We have the world’s best computer geek here.”

“A hot shower and music. I think if you proposed right now I’d say yes just for offering me those two things. Throw in some dance shoes and there’d be no doubt.”

He quirked a brow, “I’m afraid we don’t have any of those. But I’ll keep that in mind.”

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Indie Ink Challenge has asked us to no longer include our story in their weekly challenge for many reasons. For just as many reasons we’ll no longer participate in Indie Ink Challenge at all. We will probably continue the story, but it will take some time to work out a new posting schedule and format. From now on you can follow the story through the twitter hashtag of #EscapingHumanity. Thank for those of you who have been reading, we h0pe you continue to return for it.