Last Wild Boy by Hugh MacDonald

gone…refused to go to the homelands…so many dead and dying. I hoped to ride out the craziness. The rangers found me on the outside, murderous traitors that they are…hurt bad…scaped back inside here through nnel …cave-in blocked the way back out… I miss you, Cheryl, and our children. I miss the old world with all its flaws.
    Nora turned the page, but there was nothing more. The rest of the book was empty. She closed it and placed it carefully on the table next to the bed, then looked down again at the sleeping Adam. His breathing was starting to sound rough and irregular, like his lungs were congested. His nose was running. She picked him up and kissed his forehead. The air in here must be bad, she thought to herself. I’d better get him out of here. But still she didn’t move.
    Nora knew she should have left Adam hours ago, placed him in some safe spot and said her goodbyes like she’d promised Alice. Alice. She’d be absolutely beside herself with worry by now. Maybe she’d even be out searching for her.
    But even though Nora knew all of these things, knew that she couldn’t stay here in this place with Adam, she still couldn’t bring herself to leave. Or to leave him.
    As she gazed down into Adam’s peaceful face, willing herself to do what she knew she had to — put him down, head back to the summer house, and call in an anonymous tip revealing his whereabouts — she thought she saw something move near the small opening that she’d entered through. It’s probably just some dirt falling down from where I packed it in the hole, she thought to herself.
    But then she heard the sound of muffled voices. Insider voices.
    â€œSacred Mother!” she whispered. She jumped to her feet and backed away from the opening, holding Adam close.
    â€œLooks like there could be something down here,” said one of the voices, getting closer.
    â€œIt’s probably just some animal burrow,” said another. “A fox den or something.”
    â€œI suppose we should still check it out, though. Orders were to leave no stone unturned.”
    â€œI’m not digging down there if there’s a chance there’s something alive in there.”
    â€œFine. We’ll just gas it out for now. Come back to check on it later if we have time before the shift ends.”
    As Nora’s frightened eyes focused on the opening, she saw a heavy leather military boot jut down through the packed dirt. It quickly disappeared back up through the hole it had made. Nora heard some rustling from above ground, and a thin metal nozzle was thrust inside the opening. A cloud of gas burst out from it, spreading fast.
    Nora didn’t hesitate. She grabbed a woollen blanket off the cot and turned and blew out the lamp, first noting the location of the door. Then she raced into the hallway and closed the door tightly behind her. She dropped the blanket to the ground and shoved it into the narrow gap under the door, trying to keep the gas from spreading. She’d heard of this gas before; the guards used it to prevent animals and vermin from entering Aahimsa. It was extremely toxic to humans, as well, especially in a small space like this.
    Nora’s heart was on the point of bursting. She held Adam’s face close against her chest, trying to keep him from breath ing the toxic air, as she made her way away from the door. She hoped he couldn’t sense her terror. When she reached the end of the hallway, out of danger from the gas fumes, she sat down and cradled Adam in her lap. While she sat she could think of nothing other than getting out of that basement and getting Adam away from danger.
    She knew now what she’d been suspecting all along, though she hadn’t been able to admit it to herself. She couldn’t leave Adam, couldn’t let them terminate him — murder him. No matter what the cost. But she couldn’t hide him in Aahimsa, either.