All Chapters of Eternal Cage: King of Ash: Chapter 81
- Chapter 84
84 chapters
Chapter Eighty one
Six months passed in the blink of an eye. Just like that.The cabin sat at the edge of a frozen lake in northern British Columbia, so far from anything that the nearest town was a three-hour snowmobile ride through trees that all looked the same. We'd found it through resistance contacts, a place so remote that even satellites had trouble spotting it through the canopy.Winter had settled in deep by the time we arrived. Snow up to the windows. Temperatures that made your breath freeze before it left your mouth. The kind of cold that got into your bones and stayed there.We'd spent the first month just surviving. Chopping wood. Melting snow for water. Learning how to live without stores or roads or any of the things normal people took for granted.The kids adapted faster than any of us.Maja took to the cold like she'd been born in it. She'd go outside in weather that would kill a normal person, build snow forts, make snow angels, come back in with cheeks red and eyes bright."She's par
Chapter Eighty two
We didn't sleep after that call.The cabin went from quiet to something else real fast. Caiman was already at the door looking through the crack at the trees. Borealis had his tablet out typing away trying to trace where the call came from. Elena stood in the middle of the room with her arms crossed just watching me.Kenji hadn't moved from the window. He still had Leo in his arms staring out at the dark."We need to move," Caiman said. "Now. Tonight."I shook my head. "Moving at night through those woods with the kids? We wouldn't make it a mile.""We can't stay here.""I know." I looked at Borealis. "What did you find?"He held up the tablet. "The call bounced through three relays. Satellites and corporate servers. They're not even trying to hide anymore.""Where did it come from?"He zoomed in on the map. "Washington D.C. A building owned by something called the Phoenix Group."Elena stepped closer. "Phoenix?""New name, same people?" Borealis scrolled through files. "They've been
Chapter Eighty three
We moved through the woods for three days before we found a place to stop.It was an old hunting cabin more beat down than the last one. The roof was half caved in and the windows were busted out. But it had walls and it had cover and right now that was enough for us.Caiman went in first. His big frame filled the doorway as he checked every corner. When he came back out he just nodded once and we moved the kids inside.Leo was asleep on Kenji's back. The kid had stopped asking where we were going. He just held on and closed his eyes and trusted that Kenji would keep him safe. Maja walked beside Elena with her small hand wrapped tight around Elena's fingers. Lars stayed close to me not touching but near enough that I could feel him there like a shadow.We got them settled in the back room. It was the one with the least broken windows. Elena spread out blankets she'd carried for two days. Maja lay down first and Lars curled up next to her. Leo didn't want to let go of Kenji's neck.Ken
Chapter Eighty four
The cabin we found after running from the cave was worse than the last one. The roof was leaking. The door didn't close properly. Wind came through the it like they weren't even there. But it was far enough from everything. The satellite trucks couldn't find us and for now that was a huge deal for us Borealis had been staring at his tablet for fourteen hours.I knew because I counted. I walked past him several times but his eyes didn't move. They were fixated on the screen. His face was serious. His fingers kept scrolling and scrolling.Kenji noticed. He came and stood next to me by the window.Kenji kept his voice low. "How long?""Fourteen hours. Maybe more."His jaw tightened. "He's going to burn out.""He's looking for something."Elena came out of the back room where the kids were sleeping. She walked over to Borealis and put her hand on his shoulder."Borealis."He didn't look up.She said his name again. Louder. Squeezed his shoulder.He flinched. Looked up. His eyes were red