Chapter 9

Kira

I walked down the long, poorly lit corridor of the main compound. The place itself was nothing special — it held our barracks and mess hall. On the top floor was where my office resided, with a large view over the quarry, so I could keep an eye on all of our merchandise. The bottom level was where we held The Dungeon, the place where we kept our prisoners and slaves. I took a left and headed down the steps to reach it. The place is far from pleasant. No matter how many times you come down here, you never get used to the smell. As I rounded the corner to head down the next corridor, I heard loud voices coming from all the way at the end. Ahead of me, Lieutenant Orion stood in front of the cell where Jebediah was talking with one of our captives.

"What's the status update, Lieutenant?" The Lieutenant gave me a salute.

"So far, the interrogation has been unsuccessful. Sarah refuses to give us any information." I looked over to where Sarah was sitting and could tell that the woman was barely holding on. The blood from her missing hand had soaked through the cloth we had given her to close the wound. Her skin had turned a pale white shade, and her hair was an absolute mess. She didn't have much longer to live. I opened the door to the jail cell and walked in.

"Sarah, you're dying. There isn't much time left. You need to give us the information now before it's too late." Jebediah said, desperation clear in his wild eyes. He moved in closer, getting into her face. "Where is your Book of Light?" Sarah didn't even flinch. Her eyes were permanently fixed on a single spot on the wall in front of her. It was like watching a shell of a person. Jebediah exploded in a fit of rage and started kicking her until she lay sprawled out on the floor. I rushed in and pulled him off.

"Get a hold of yourself. If you kill her before we get the information we need, you'll be sure to follow." Jebediah yanked his arm away from me and brushed the dirt from his clothes.

"Go ahead and let me join her then. I've been at this for hours, and I'm no closer to finding where she's keeping her Book of Light."

"What's so special about this Book of Light?" Jebediah gave me a look as if he was trying to decide whether I was serious.

"The Book of Light is a personalized religious item passed down from family member to family member. As they study it over the years, they leave notes and comments for the next generation. Over time, however, they developed a way to embed secret information about the location of a prophesied New Promised Land. If you want to find your runaway slaves, we need one of these books."

"And why would my slaves be running to this New Promised Land?"

"Interestingly enough, everyone trying to reach it must first pass through our territory. It's why my ancestors settled here — to intercept the Light Keepers coming through and extract their secrets. Since Jasper passed through your compound, the New Promised Land is likely where they're heading. It's rumored to be the last safe haven on Earth."

"Ah. That might explain why we've had such difficulty tracking down certain slaves in the past." I looked over to where Sarah lay motionless on the floor and let out a deep sigh. "I think I have an idea." I bent down and checked on her. That dimwit had knocked her completely unconscious. My eyes scanned her clothing until I noticed something bulging around her rib cage. I reached out and patted her down until my hand brushed against what felt like leather. I pulled the item from beneath her shirt and stood up. I walked over to Jebediah and handed it to him. "You have 24 hours to decipher this. Don't disappoint me." I paused by the Lieutenant on my way out. "Meet me at the sparring grounds. I need to blow off some steam." The Lieutenant nodded, and I continued walking.