The Soul-The Host Fanfiction

Chapter 19: Discovered

Chapter 19 Discovered

We reached the cave with the cars around sunrise. We all piled into the jeep. I drove, Ian sat in the passenger seat, and everyone else rode in the back. We all wore sunglasses, as much to protct our eyes from the sharp rays of sunlight glaring off of the sand as to conceal the humans' tell-tale, nonreflective eyes--an idea we had gotten from Matt. That's the only good thing we've gotten from him. I thought, then instantly felt guilty.

The sun was getting high in the sky as we approached Russell's hideout. They were the closest, just a few hours away, so we decided to go there first.

In the distance I could see the glare of sunlight off of something shiny. "Do you see that?" I asked Ian, pointing.

He leaned forward, squinting in the direction I had indicated. "Yeah." he agreed after a moment.

"What do you think it is?" I continued. By now Jared, Mel, and Jeb were also leaning forward, squinting into the sun, trying to make out the shape on the horizon.

We continued toward it, across the sand. I kept struggling to make out the object. Suddenly, the blur leapt into focus.

I slammed my foot down on the brake.

The jeep jolted to a stop. "Wanda?" Ian asked. "What's wrong?"

Sitting on the sand, the sun gleaming off of its sleek silver sides, was a helicopter. "Seekers." I whispered. They all gasped.

"How do you know?" Jeb asked warily.

"It's a helicopter." I explained. "Not just any helicopter. It's silver. That means Seekers."

We sat there in a tense silence for a few moments. "What should I do, Jeb?" I asked finally.

"Well, I don't think we can turn around. If we can see them, then they can see us. They'd think it was suspicious if we drove away suddenly, right Wanda?"

I nodded."Souls are naturally social. They would go up and talk to them."

Jared sighed. "Then I guess that's what we're going to have to do." Jeb nodded his agreement.

I took a deep breath and gently pressed the accelerator. The jeep began rolling across the desert toward the helicopter again.

As we got closer I began to be able to make out the shapes of five Seekers. I swallowed. "I'm going to get out and talk to them. You guys stay in the jeep unless they tell you to get out." I instructed. "And keep your sunglasses on." I added. No one objected to my plan, though I could tell Ian didn't like it by the way his shoulders tensed up.

I stopped about ten feet away from the helicopter. A friendly, comfortable distance, but not close enough for the Seekers to have a conversation with the humans in the jeep. Then I unbuckled my seatbelt, opened my door, and hopped lightly to the ground.

The Seekers turned to face me, looking curious and a bit worried. I planned what I was going to say to them.

Before I could speak, one of the Seekers, a young man with dark hair, stepped forward. "Is there a problem, miss?" he asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Seeker. My friends and I were driving out to the trailhead to go for a hike and we saw your helicopter. We were concerned." I gave him a gentle smile. The words didn't sound too false coming out of my mouth. It was true enough. I was concerned about why they were there, just not in the way they thought. And suddenly I realized that these Seekers were uncomfortably close to Russell's hideout, and Seekers didn't just take a field trip to the desert in a helicopter for no reason. They were looking for something. Someone. My heart jumped into my throat.

The Seeker didn't seem to notice, but his reply confirmed my suspicions. "Actually, Miss, I wouldn't suggest that." he paused, looked around, then lowered his voice before continuing. "Some souls have gone missing around here recently."

"Oh!" I exclaimed, my voice full of horror. "Thank you very much, Seeker." I breathed, trying to keep my voice even. "I hope you find them." I added, then I turned and walked back to the jeep, my legs shaking as I tried to supredd the memory of silver blood smeared across a table. I was thankful for the sunglasses that covered the tears filling my eyes, making the ground in front of me a blur.

I got in the jeep, turned it around, and began driving toward the road. Once we were out of sight of the Seekers, Jared voiced what I knew all three of the humans were wondering. "What were they looking for?"

I took a deep breath. "Some, um.." I stuttered, unwilling to say it. Because that would mean it was true. Finally, the words spilled from my mouth all in a rush. "Some souls have been going missing around here."

It was silent for a moment. Finally, Ian spoke up, and I knew that he had seen the tears that had long since ceased to be concealed by my sunglasses. "Jared, Jeb, do you think we could swap? I think Wanda needs a break."

"Sure thing." Jeb said. Wordlessly, I brought the car to a stop, then put it in park and got out. Melanie sat on the right, I scooted across to the middle, and Ian followed. Jared put the jeep back into drive and we began moving forward across the sand again.

Ian said nothing, just wrapped his arm across my shoulders, perhaps remembering those three silent, dark days in the game room as I was trying so hard not to.

Jared inhaled sharply. "That doesn't necessarily mean..." he trailed off. No one answered him.

We rode for several minutes in tense silence. When we reached the rock pile where the nicer cars were hidden, Jared pulled the jeep forward into the darkness.

We all got out and stretched our legs. "I reckon we'll stay right here 'til nighttime. We'd better not get on the road during the day, 'specially with Seekers watchin' the area. Probably ought to take a nap; we're in for a long night, I think."

Jared and Mealnie dug out some bedrolls hidden behind a dark cloth at the back of the cave. We unrolled them and layed down with our back to the cave's mouth, where the jeep blocked out most of the sunlight.

I curled up next to Ian. He kissed my hair and whispered right in my ear. "I'm so sorry, Wanda. Are you okay?" I nodded but couldn't find my voice. Ian gave me a worried look but said no more. Despite how early it was, I fell asleep quickly, inhaling the warm desert air.