24: The One

Peering nervously over the ravine’s edge, Xi motioned Ivan forward. “Come on. I’ll help you down.”

Ivan laughed, clutching his side and wincing as he did. “I’m sorry, but even wounded I’ll do better on my own.” He grasped the rope and began walking backwards over the side, Xi hurrying to catch up. “You’re a novice at this, while I know what I’m doing. If I descend quickly, it’ll hurt but it’ll be over.”

“Good, then maybe you can catch me when I fall,” she said, glancing below.

Ivan dropped rapidly, leaving Xi on her own. Swallowing, she started taking larger leaps in her descent. Despite her anxiety, it took very little time. When she reached the end, Al caught her, tugging the rope to let those above know it was free. Xi detached her equipment and rushed to Ivan to check his injuries. Al continued monitoring those descending. Betty, however, discovered a cavern entrance. If they’d come down at any other location, they’d have missed it entirely. They’d landed at a slight outcropping. Both the landing and the cavern openings were recessed, so they weren’t visible even from a short distance away.

The cavern was black. Because the entrance was recessed, little light permeated the cave. Feeling her way along the wall, she considered the odds of finding anything hidden behind the inky blackness. ‘Xi, need your help. Your job of navigator ain’t finished yet!‘

Xi didn’t respond, obviously still busy, so Betty continued. Leaving the safety of the solid wall, she walked directly across, trying to gauge the cavern’s width. She got about twelve feet across when she ran into something solid.

“Good day, Beta. As the procurer, I assume you’ve brought others with you?”

Betty gasped, stumbling back several feet, almost falling on her butt.

“Who ... who are you?”

“I have no specific name, though I’ve been nicknamed ‘the taxi’, as I’m to take you to your destination.”

Betty moved forward, grasping the surface. Instead of the cool, rough feel of stone, she felt a smooth metallic finish with a distinctive warmth and responsiveness, much like pores in human skin. As she ran her hand along the small craft, the object before her began to glow, lines along the surface illuminating. The Taxi was an oblong squat shape consisting of a dull, non-reflective material she’d never encountered before.

“How do you know who I am?”

“I communicate with your ... internal assistants. Again, how many did you bring with you?”

“Uh, there are thirteen of us.”

“Excellent, almost a full house. This is delightful news. We’ve been waiting years for this. It’s been, what, over a century?”

“Uh, we’re in a bit of a rush. We’re being hunted.”

“Ahh. I’m prepared to assist. Gather everyone here. As soon as they’re ready we can depart. Normally I’d advise leaving your climbing gear, but since everyone is present, there’s no need to return.”

“Betty?” Xi called, fumbling in the dark. She came around the corner to see the taxi and halted mid-step. “What’s that?”

“It’s our ride outta here,” Betty said. “Get the others. How many remain?”

“The last two are descending now.”

“Good, then let’s get everyone else loaded.”

“Pleased to meet you, Xi,” the Taxi said.

“Uh ... hello?”

“Quit dawdling,” Betty shouted. “We can talk later. The longer we remain, the more likely someone will get shot.”

That shook Xi out of her daze. She turned and hurried back before shouting into the distance. “We’re ready to go. We found it!”

Betty continued examining the strange craft, searching for an entrance. “You speak with an odd accent. Where’d you pick it up?”

“Alas, I only encounter humans every few decades. Most of my English was learned during the 1920s, so I maintain some of each generation’s phrasings.”

“They’re on their way,” Xi announced, returning with Ivan and Zita.

“Can you open your door?” Betty asked.

“Assuredly,” it answered as the side before her simply drew back on itself with no visible seams.

“Come on, get them in. I—”

Three gunshots, muted by the distance, interrupted Betty’s words. Everyone jumped. The threesome hurried forward. Zita helped Ivan in as Xi and Betty ran out. They passed Eli, Etta and Theo on the way and pointed out where to go and shouted what to expect. Ivan and Kaci came next.

“Al, get your ass outta there!” Betty yelled when they caught sight of him standing on the rock outcropping, glancing up. Two more shots resounded outside.

“Listen to your spouse,” Gary said, giving him a push. “We’ll handle it from here.”

“I can’t leave her,” Al protested. “I promised Ivan.”

“Protect yourself,” Delilah said. “We’ll wait for her. Besides, you’re not helping. If you get injured, you’ll only delay us all.”

Betty ran forward, grabbed Al to pull him away. He resisted, shaking her off. “No, there’s more to it than that.”

As Xi rushed for Al, Delilah held her back.

“Remain under cover. Aside from Ivan, no one’s been injured yet. So far, Mui’s sheltered by the cliff face. The soldiers can’t get a bead on her.” A short automatic burst riddled the cliff face. Falling rock fragments rattled against the rock outcropping. The gunfire paused, and Al jumped back out, exposing himself on the rock ledge.

“Mui, now! It’s your best opportunity.”

Above him, a single Delta Force member dangled from Al’s group’s rope, though they’d tossed down another two lines. The one man held his sidearm in one hand as he pushed off the rock face, swinging towards Mui. Heeding Al’s advice, she exposed herself, climbing rapidly down and across. However, the soldier only swung about ten feet when his line snapped. His movements, twisting to bring his gun to bear on Mui, caused him to topple over, his head descending as his feet flew over his head. He crashed to the ground, another fifty feet below the group’s temporary refuge.