Eden Book 1 (Eden Series)

  Deep behind enemy lines and long into the night, Noah runs at full speed and, for the first time in his life, in full retreat. Bullets and tracer fire whizz overhead, lighting his path through the darkness of the Afghan jungle. In a fireman’s carry, he brings his fallen comrade and First Lieutenant, James Mackey, better known amongst the Phantom Nine as Big Mac. The lieutenant had been shot moments before, the bullet entering his lower back and exiting his left thigh. Big Mac had served with the elite squadron since its inception, and he was its longest tenured soldier as well as Noah’s closest friend.

  Lieutenant Mackey received the nomination after Noah offered a challenge to the recruits one day in St Athan, Wales, at the British Special Forces training facility. The objective was simple, Noah said, standing before the soldiers on a padded floor in the middle of a white circle, three meters in diameter. Anyone who could throw Noah out of the ring would serve in his squadron. It sounded easy, but it proved to be more difficult than any of them could have imagined; every soldier, including James, failed on his first try. However, Big Mac was the only recruit to ask for a second round. After so many failed attempts, it seemed an exercise in futility, but Noah allowed him one more try. Though not a large man by any means, standing under two meters and thirteen and a half stones, Noah was lightning quick and much stronger than his size would suggest. Most of the time, he would use the recruits’ over-aggressiveness and momentum to toss them effortlessly out the ring. And if someone was foolish enough to try brute force, he would quickly beat that out of them. Noah was merciless and unafraid to use holds that caused intense suffering.

  On Mac’s first attempt, he decided to bull rush his much-smaller opponent and, with his superior reach and hands like meat hooks, figured he could hold on and allow his inertia to carry both him and Noah out of the ring. The plan went accordingly, but he overlooked one minor, and extremely painful, detail and because of it, let go of his hold and was catapulted out of the circle.

  Which is why it was surprising that, on his second try, he did exactly the same thing he had done the first time. He knew that Noah would lock and twist his arm and bend it in the opposite direction. Big Mac had to do what no one before him would do: Even though the pain was excruciating, he refused to let go, and he and Noah flew together out of the ring. Noah was no worse for wear, but Mac was left writhing in pain with a dislocated elbow. Painful yet effective, First Lieutenant James Mackey won the admiration of everyone there that day, no one more than the man who injured him.

  With Noah nearing the medevac location, his fallen friend stretched across his back, he sees the rescue choppers descending. Under a hail of fire and mortar shells, his progress comes to a screeching halt when a mortar round impacts nearby. The explosion throws Noah and Big Mac to the ground, leaving the captain dazed, his head ringing. He fades in and out momentarily and when he comes to, he finds himself lying flat on his belly. He looks up to see that the choppers have landed and are laying down a hell storm of cover fire. When he turns his head to the right, he sees Big Mac staring back at him. Although his eyes are open, the fire within them has been extinguished. Noah slowly pulls himself to his knees and crawls over to his friend; to his horror, he sees Mac ripped in half, his bottom section nowhere to be found. His entrails are strewn in all directions and Noah is soaked in his blood. He stands, and while still woozy, grabs what’s left of his lieutenant and carries him to the chopper.

  A wall of water nips at Noah’s heels, as he fights to outpace the crashing tide. Loose sand stings his face and he feels the charging roar and rumbling earth in the pit of his stomach. Jeremy has finally wakened, but is too weak to move or speak, as he’s tossed from side to side as if on the back of a wild mustang. Mere breaths away from being crushed or drowned under the pressing weight of the salted hammer, he spots Max coming into view. When Max sees them, he is quick to smile, but his grin flips when he sees the tidal wave barreling toward them.

  “Go back, Max! RUN!”

  Heeding his own words, Noah runs till the very end and, at the last possible moment, he leaps into the air while simultaneously being enveloped by the wave. Noah and Jeremy tumble in a series of rolls and flips and the sheer force of the wave loosens the harness that holds them together. They are swiftly swept off the hill but, luckily, land on a hard ledge jutting out from the mountain like a narrow plank. The impact separates the two, and Jeremy is thrown out of the harness headfirst, tumbling toward the edge. In a wild lunge, Noah grabs Jeremy’s right wrist in midair. The weight of the fall drags Noah, lying on his stomach, toward the ledge as he tightens his death grip on Jeremy, kicking and screaming for his life. Noah hooks his left foot against a gnarled root sticking out from the mountain and, with his left hand, squeezes the corner of the ledge to keep from teetering over. The helpless man dangles precariously over a 200-meter precipice.

  To complicate matters further, the runoff from the tidal wave pours down in sheets, causing Noah’s hold on the man to slip. “Grab on to my arm with your free hand!” Noah shouts at Jeremy. “Do it NOW!”

  Jeremy screams something unintelligible, but he makes three attempts before finally latching on to Noah’s forearm, digging his nails into it with his body now half turned toward the mountain. Noah grimaces. “Okay, now using your foot, push yourself up and climb over me. I won’t let go of you until you have a solid hold.”

  Using his good leg, Jeremy pushes himself up to Noah’s eye level. Disoriented and unfocused, he releases his grip on Noah’s forearm, but instead of reaching for his shoulder, he raises his hand into a fist and attempts a left cross. Reacting instinctively, Noah lets go of Jeremy’s wrist and uses his free hand to block the strike. The melee is brief. Unbalanced, Jeremy falls backward, his arms flailing wildly. Noah tries to catch the falling man, but his hand is wet and he cannot grab hold of him. He watches helplessly as Jeremy slips through his fingers.

  Noah doesn’t move for a long while. He lies there, catching his breath, exhausted, his muscles on fire. Finally, he musters what strength he has left to pull away from the ledge and unfasten the empty harness. He throws it hard against the side of the mountain before huddling against the rock to avoid the stream of water rushing from above.

  He allows his mind to ponder the events that had just unfolded. Was Jeremy crazy with fever and not aware of his actions, or was there something sinister at work? He recalls the look in the man’s eyes; what he took for fear could have easily been rage. He was in a vulnerable position and if Jeremy intended to do him harm, that would have been the time to do so. But to what end? And why?

  Noah’s head is heavy with the burden of how to explain to the others. He considers the possibility that there is a reason for all of this madness, but he shouts to the devil that it better be a bloody good one.

  All of that will have to wait. At the moment, all that matters is how in the hell he is going to get himself out of this mess. He sits on a rocky strip stuck precariously against a jagged cliff of loose rock under what appears to be a never ending waterfall, courtesy of the massive tsunami. While weighing his options, of which there are none, out of nowhere a rope falls from the sky, dangling five meters from him, past the stone plank and just out of reach from the brunt of the falling water. He can only assume that Max has come to his rescue and, while the rope serves as a perfect escape, it’s far from his reach; he must make a leap of faith that the other end is tethered properly.

  Noah walks to edge of the plank and looks up to where the rope was thrown from. In doing so, he can’t help but notice a sky of brilliant pink and gold leaf in the late afternoon sun. The sky is in stark contrast to the flooded beach, a black misty pool, roiling like a cauldron. He moves toward the mountain, and pulls his climbing gloves from his pocket. Turning on a dime, he runs at full speed, launching himself off the ledge and toward the line, catching it with both hands. The rope swings, pendulum style, and before it swings back, Noah is already climbing to safety. When he is able to place his feet on the side of the mountain, it??
?s only a few moments before he reaches the source of the lifeline. He is greeted by a startled Max, smiling at him like Christmas morning.

  “You’re alive! I can’t believe it.” He pauses. “Where’s Jer?”

  Noah takes off his gloves dejectedly. “I lost him,” he admits. He begins gathering the rope, end over end, wrapping it around his arm and releases the anchor mounts. He takes the gathered rope and drapes it diagonally across his shoulder.

  Max remains silent for a long time before saying, “Aw man… that’s terrible....”

  “It is terrible. However, I’m glad you were able to escape, or I would have most likely perished as well. I was literally between a rock and a hard place down there. Which begs the question, how did you know where I was? Or for that matter, that I was still alive?”

  Max seems nervous and avoids eye contact. “I didn’t,” he admits. “It was just... wishful thinking, I guess.”

  An obvious lie. “You guess?” Noah looks at him suspiciously. “Were you guessing when you threw the rope over, too?”

  “Ummm, I don’t know.... Like I said, it was just wishful thinking.” Max still avoiding eye contact.

  Noah lets him off the hook with a sharp pat on his shoulder and a friendly wink. “It’s okay Max, just thank your genie for me, will you?”

  He laughs nervously. “Yeah, will do,” he says, as the color slowly comes back to his face.

  *************

  Evelyn and the others are camped on a flat landing far above the calamity below. She has done her best to quell their fears by preoccupying them with constructing an adequate shelter for the night. Now they huddle together around a large fire. With evening coming, the temperature is cooler than on Crescent Beach, and the survivors wear several layers of clothing as they wait for the others. Luna stews the salvaged greens to warm their stomachs, but the mood is bleak, as they worry about the fate of the missing.

  Already burdened by the news of Tom’s death, they stare into the fire, unaware of what has befallen Noah, Jeremy, and the twins. Over an hour has passed since Evelyn asked Hiroshi and Jacob to go back down the path in search of their lost companions, and with the sun starting to fade, her anxiety grows. Her nervous energy takes her away from the others and she decides to walk toward the rocky slope that leads further down the hillside. After a few minutes of staring into the growing darkness, she sees a beam of light from below.

  “Oh, thank heavens!” she proclaims, rushing toward the glimmer of hope.

  Her hopes are dashed when she sees Mia in between Hiroshi and Jacob, all three looking sullen, with no sign of anyone else in their group. Evelyn puts on a brave face and when they come together she wraps her arms around Mia and holds her close.

  “I was worried sick about you; tell me what happened.”

  “Ummm, it’s all really kind of embarrassing, actually.”

  Evelyn senses she is uncomfortable and escorts her a few steps away from the search party. “It’s okay, please tell me what happened. Are you alright?”

  “Yes, I’m fine, thank you…. It’s so stupid, but... I had to go to the loo, and before I knew it, I was lost. Fortunately I was able to find the path again and when I did, I ran into Jacob. I’m really sorry Evelyn, I didn’t mean for you to worry,” Mia whines.

  Evelyn doesn’t buy what she’s selling, but doesn’t show it. “I’m just happy you’re okay. Your brother went after you when we realized you were missing and he hasn’t returned. We’re worried to bits. This can’t happen again; if you need to break from the group, you need to tell someone. Do you understand?”

  Mia nods meekly. “Yes, I’m really sorry.... I’m freezing, and I have to get to the fire.” She breaks off abruptly and runs toward the campsite, as Evelyn watches in disbelief.

  “How odd,” she says aloud to no one.

  She looks to Hiroshi. “May I have a word with you?”

  “Of course,” he replies.

  Jacob senses their need for privacy. “I’ll see you guys up there,” he tells them and casually moves farther up the hill.

  Before Evelyn can say anything, Hiroshi begins, “I already know what you’re thinking and I can’t offer any insight to her story. It was actually Jacob who found her, when we were coming back to the camp; but prior to that, we had scoured the entire area and she was nowhere to be found. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, she was standing on the path practically waiting for us. When I asked her where she had been this whole time, she just said she was lost.” He pauses and sighs. “There is, however, something else you should know.”

  “Go on.”

  He hangs his head and she can see the anguish etched in his face. “The path below is flooded, and as we were making our way down we could go no farther. I didn’t want to put us at any additional risk, so I made the call to turn back. I am sorry.”

  “I see.” Evelyn’s eyes search for answers that aren’t there. “I understand, Hiroshi, you don’t need to apologize.”

  Hiroshi offers a weak smile. “Noah is a resourceful man…. I’m sure he found a way out.”

  “Thank you… yes, he is resourceful, that one.” Before she can finish her statement, she sees another flash of light coming from the dark below, and her heart soars. “It’s them!”

  Hiroshi turns, but by then Evelyn has begun running through the gloom. To her overwhelming joy, she recognizes Noah, just a blur of a man, but she knows it is him. Her heart quickens, and a few steps closer, she sees Max trailing listlessly behind. Just paces away, she looks into her husband’s eyes and becomes painfully aware that something is terribly wrong. And that’s when it hits her: Jeremy, oh God. Not him. Not now. When she heard the news that Tom had died, she bit her lip so hard it bled. Thomas Murphy was such a jolly fellow; his infectious laugh had warmed and comforted his fellow travelers, even Josette. And now Jeremy is gone too.

  She throws herself at her husband and he pulls her in tight. “I really thought I lost you, today,” she whispers in his ear.

  “You nearly did,” he replies, resting his chin on her shoulder. “I had a stroke of good luck, in the form of Max here.”

  She pulls away from Noah and hugs Max like he’s family. “I am so glad to see you. Are you hurt? Your sister is with us; she’s fine.”

  Max tilts his head to the sky. “Mia? Phew. That’s awesome... man,” he nods his head. “Cool.”

  Something about his reaction seems phony. Evelyn gives him a long look, before asking, “So what is this talk of good fortune?”

  “Oh, that,” Max tries to play it off. “It’s not a big deal, really. I just climbed to higher ground when the waves came in, and I threw out the rope hoping Noah would be able to get to it. Fortunately, he did.” He shrugs.

  “Just like that?” Evelyn questions.

  “Yeah. Just like that,” Noah deadpans from behind.

  They continue up the hill toward their shelter where they are greeted by the sound of claps and cheers. Smothered in hugs, there is an overwhelming sense of joy among them, but it is short lived when Noah breaks the news that Jeremy fell victim to the tsunami. He makes no mention of the scuffle that happened prior to his fall and deftly diverts their attention to the fact that Max saved his life. The ploy works to perfection as the others swarm around the young hero, smiling from ear to ear. Noah slips away from the camp, heading toward the summit 200 meters above.

  Evelyn notices her husband leave but doesn’t follow, knowing he needs time to be alone. She fears the demons of war have come back and she can only imagine the pain and frustration he must be feeling, blaming himself for losing a man on his watch. She listens to Max, as he recounts to the others the rescue attempt, rolling her eyes at the implausibility of his story. Chockfull of holes, the story doesn’t begin to resemble the truth. She is certain of one thing though: Whatever forces saved her husband, she knows beyond a shadow of doubt that they involved Mia. She watches the enigmatic girl from the corner of her eye, as she stares beyond the dancing flames, paying no attention to her brot
her’s theatrics.

  Some time has passed since Noah left the campsite, and Evelyn decides to go find him. When she does, he is standing with his back to her, along a flattened ridge near the summit. The view in front of her leaves her speechless and she says nothing for a long while, as she takes in the spectacle. Below them, lush forests of gold and green bask in the warm glow of the vanishing sun. Straight ahead, an endless procession of giant mountaintops span across like an ocean of violet and rose-capped peaks for as far as the eye can see. The sky is a marble of cerulean, indigo, and fuchsia that belies the turmoil raging below.

  Noah hasn’t moved since she came upon him but she knows he’s aware of her presence. She breaks the silence. “So there was an incident with Mia that I am certain is tied to your rescue.” He doesn’t respond but she does notice a slight nod. “During our race to the top, she disappeared. For hours. It wasn’t until shortly before you returned that she came back with Jacob and Hiroshi who said they found her on the very path that they had just walked down. When I pressed her for an explanation she had the audacity to tell me she got lost while going to the loo. The loo!”

  Evelyn shakes her head. “But that’s not what’s bothering me. What struck me as most peculiar was when I informed her that Max set off after her and hadn’t returned — she didn’t even flinch. It was as if she knew she had no reason to worry, while I stood there worried sick about you.”

  She bites down hard trying to stifle her tears, her husband standing frozen, silent. Taking a deep breath, she stares at the heavens trying to find the strength. “Noah, I know you are hurting right now and Lord knows you have every reason to. But I really thought I lost you today and when I did I never felt so alone in my life. I don’t really understand what’s happening and why everything has gone to hell, but if we’re going to make it through this I need you more than anyone, because I can’t do this without you.” Her voice cracks and tears begin to fall from her face.