I woke up to the jostling of the tree it was dark out and there was a full moon. I tensed and crouched down blending into the tree. Finally, the person emerged. It was Evergreen. “Lucky” she whispered. I emerged suddenly and jumped down to the lower branch. She almost lost her grip.
“Yes?” I said. I couldn’t be mean to Evergreen there was something about her that was just so familiar. It might have been her eyes the same shade as mine or her hair that was only a shade more red. I relaxed.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah” I replied.
“No you aren’t.” She said. I was about to disagree but I realized she was right so I looked down and played with my arm.
“Why do you keep touching your arm?” I was about to lie but what came out completely surprised me.
“A tracking device.” I said.
“What! why?” Instead of lying like I should have done, like a smart person would have done. I blurted out everything all that I had heard E. Johnson and Mrs. Adams say. Everything.
“What are you going to do?” Is all Evergreen asked.
“I don’t know.” I replied, she rested a hand on my arm.
“I am so sorry”
“For what?”
“I really gave you the cold shoulder when you first came”
“That’s okay aren’t all girls that way?” I asked. She laughed.
“What?” I said “aren’t they?” I added. That just made her laugh even harder. I scowled. When her laughing started to slow I said.
“Are you done yet?” Then it started up again even stronger. I sighed, got up and climbed higher trying to hide that I was laughing too.
“Well I guess we should probably get heading back to the dorm.” Evergreen said.
“I’m not going back there” I said.
“I thought you might say that” Evergreen replied and hoisted up my bag and two blankets.
“Thanks.What’s the second blanket for?” I asked
“For me of course, if you sleep out here I do too.” Evergreen said as if it were obvious. “So what are you going to do?” She asked as we settled into our tree beds. “You are too young to run away they will just find you and drag you back, you don’t have anywhere you can go even if you could. If you go back to your house they will just go and find you. There’s also tracker what about that?” She pointed out. I knew she was right I had been thinking about that for quite a while now.
“I know.” I said. Abruptly and idea popped into my head. “Wait…Evergreen I am going to need you to help me. Do you have any idea where some easily acquirable food is?” I asked.
“Sure do, why?” I smiled. Game on. I gave her instructions to grab me some food and water. I also told her to wake Redfern I knew I would need her expertise too. Once she left I waited for them to arrive. Finally I heard soft footsteps and soon Redfern and Evergreen were in the tree with me. Evergreen handed me the food and water three weeks worth if I ate sparingly and was extremely careful with it.
“Thanks, I really appreciate you doing this,” I whispered packing them away into my bag.
“You’re young enough to be my daughter, if you were, I’d want someone to do this for you.” She said. “Here take this,” It was the rest of my belongings. She knew I wouldn’t be coming back. Not if I could help it anyways.
“Thanks” I said. I stuffed those into my bag too. Luckily my bag was a backpack instead of the duffel.
“Funny thing they thought they were training me to become a CIA agent when really they were training me for escape.” I said. I still had a wad of cash in my bag that would come in handy I would use it carefully only for the necessities.
“One problem, the tracker” Evergreen pointed out.
“I have it covered.” I said looking down at the stream below me. I rustled through my backpack and found the first aid kit and my pocket knife. I sterilized it, then I slid on some rubber gloves, set some tweezers on my lap, and started work. I slit the place where they had placed the tracker. They were smart it was just out of place of all the major arteries. The pain was excruciating but I knew I had to do it.
I gasped and then stuck the tweezers in it found the tracker and I pulled it out almost losing consciousness but I was determined. I smiled as I pulled out the same sealing concoction they had used out of my pocket. I really would make a terrific professional pick pocket. I smeared it on. The pain, and the wound disappeared. It seemed as if it had evaporated into thin air. I gave the tracker to Evergreen.
“When I give you the signal which you will drop it into the stream, but only when I give the signal. Whatever you do don’t get caught! Either get to the dorm or make sure they don’t catch you. Either of you” I said. “Redfern I hear you are good with wires and electrical things so I will need you.” I said turning to her. The fence surrounding the place was just ahead. Near the fence there was a shed to the right of it that had motorbikes and quads. I used to ride dirt bikes all the time back home. I knew they had one of the bike I needed, a 2008 KTM 250 XC. 100 miles per hour? Who could beat that. I knew just how to drive it too.
“Redfern take a look at that fence is there any way you can open it from here?” I asked. “Yes. I can stop the electric current that’s on it and open it up easy peesy.” Redfern replied. “Awesome, I’ll give you a single, but if I set off an alarm, do it then,” I said.
“Okay,” Redfern replied. She positioned herself and waited. I walked over to the shed. I looked around. There was a small window, I would barely be able to fit through it, and I was pretty tiny. I jumped up and hoisted myself through it, opening it with ease. I then slid in. The first thing I did was disable the alarm. Then I turned on the light. There it was the most beautiful dirt bike I had ever seen. I unlocked the doors. I walked the bike up in front of the door. I hopped on, cracked open the door, and gave Redfern the signal. The bike rumbled to life with a roar, then within seconds I was off. It was exhilarating. Redfern jumped away from the gate as I zipped through the tiny crack that had just opened. Once I was through and it was closing again I gave Evergreen her signal. I barely saw her drop the tracker into the water before I accelerated, my back pack over my shoulder, the helmet on my head. Soon the farm was just a speck in the distance, then gone from sight. I didn’t slow down. I kept going down the long dirt road, dust kicking up behind me sixty miles per hour seventy miles per hour seventy five. I watched as the speedometer inched its way up. Eighty. I kept it there rejoicing in the freedom I felt.
CHAPTER EIGHT