Humayre: The Chronicles of Ronin Wilder
Chapter 22

Soft white powder gripped around Ronin’s calves. The crisp air stung the tip of his nose and caused his eyes to water. The tears froze almost instantly. He moved his weight back and forth to loosen the snow around his legs. Swiping his claws across the pine tree in front of him he examined his handiwork. The sky was covered with clouds and the moonlight was dim. It didn’t matter, Ronin could see perfectly at night. The pine tree revealed four deep cuts. He was satisfied.

The wind gusted across his face. The scent of cinderblock let Ronin know he was close. Visually there was no way to know which way was which. Without his incredibly keen sense of smell he never would have found his way through the thick pine tree forest. Wolves howled out. The sound was chilling. He knew there was no danger though because Ronin was down wind and they were at least a couple miles away. The forest was alive with sounds. Snow falling from overburdened branches, rabbits hoping about, owls calling out, they were all comforting, they let Ronin know he wasn’t alone.

To keep his bearings Ronin trudged through the snow and stopped at an especially thick pine tree. With an open hand he slashed across the trunk of the tree. With the wind blowing towards BrightWood, there would be no way to use his nose to find his way back. Hence the idea of marking the tree’s. The sound of crunching snow froze Ronin in his tracks. It was coming from something big.

More crunches. They sounded like heavy footsteps. The noise was coming from the direction of Ronin’s tracks which led deep into the forest. He took cover behind a tree and watched. Three shapes revealed themselves. Spinning out of sight he leaned his back up against the rough bark of a tree. Ronin’s heart raced out of control. He was trapped. If he ran, they would see him. If he stayed put, his tracks would lead them right to him. This was it. They were going to catch him and then he would be expelled. He sucked in a deep breath. The frigid air burned his lungs. There was nothing left to do. He stepped from behind the tree and revealed himself.

“Ronin!” shouted Kevin.

Ronin put his hands on his beanie covered head and exhaled into night sky. He wanted to drop to his knees but the thought of wet pants held him upright. Never had he been so relieved in his life.

“Bro. What the heck man.” Mike clicked his flashlight off and stuffed it into his front coat pocket.

Grace ran up, her feet crunching through the calf-high snow, and enveloped Ronin in the softest best smelling hug he’d ever experienced in his life. Her straight hair pressed against his face. It smelled like berries. He never wanted her to let go. Releasing her warm embrace she stepped away from him. She held her flashlight up and shined it into his face.

“That was really lame.” Grace smiled as though she knew he did it to protect them. “And very honorable.”

Kevin walked up to Ronin. Mike and Grace both stepped back as though they knew the friends needed a moment.

“You think I’d actually let you go off by yourself to do something so stupid?” Kevin smiled.

Ronin reached his fist out, Kevin bumped it with his own. They nodded to each other.

“You guys scared the monkey out of me,” said Ronin. “How’d you guys know I left early?” He scrunched his eyebrows. “And how’d you find me?”

“Kevin saw you take off,” said Mike. “You had a pretty good lead on us but we found where you entered the forest. From there it was easy. All we had to do was follow your footprints.” He unwrapped the rope hanging from his shoulder and held it up. “And didn’t you need this?” He shook his head. “You didn’t think that through now did ya?”

They all laughed.

“So where are we?” asked Kevin. “We’ve been following your tracks for miles. Everything looks the same around here. Nothing but trees and snow. Are we lost?”

“The hospital is about a mile that way.” Ronin pointed behind him.

“How can you tell?” asked Grace.

“I can smell it.” He waved for them to follow. “Let’s go. We need to hurry so we can get back before daybreak.”

They trudged through the snow for a good thirty minutes when Ronin stopped in his tracks and held his arms out. “Stop.”

They all stopped and looked around. To their eyes nothing had changed. No sign of the hospital and nothing but pine trees and snow.

“You don’t see that?” asked Ronin.

“See what?” asked Kevin.

“Right there,” said Ronin pointing to a spot in the snow about ten feet in front of them.

“Bro. I think you’re seeing things.”

“That’s weird,” said Ronin.

“What is it?” asked Grace. They were all looking at Ronin like he was a little crazy.

“Stay here,” said Ronin. He walked ten feet forward and stopped at a red laser running between two trees. He followed the beam to the tree to his right. From that tree another red laser fired across the snow to another tree. It continued that way on both sides of him for as far as he could see. The red beams hung two feet from the ground.

“There’s some kind of laser alarm here,” said Ronin. “I guess I can see it and you can’t for some reason.”

“Well,” said Kevin. “At least we know we’re in the right place.”

“Good thing you saw that,” said Grace. “We would’ve been caught for sure.”

“Come to me guys,” said Ronin. “We’re really close to the hospital.” He drew an X in the snow. “Don’t go past the X.”

They all stopped at the X.

“Okay,” said Ronin. “Just in front of the x is the laser. Take a huge step over. But do it slow. I’ll tell you guys if you are too close.”

They all got over the laser and continued through the dense pine tree forest until they came to a huge cinderblock wall.

They huddled together. Each had a look of uncertainty on their face, except Ronin. He looked excited. “Okay. Here’s the plan.” Ronin looked to his friends. “I am going to climb up the west side wall. You guys are going to stand watch. I need someone on the north, south and west walls. I won’t be able to see anyone coming as I’m climbing the hospital wall so I’ll need you guys to warn me if someone comes.”

“How are you going to climb that building? It’s at least four stories high,” said Grace. “It’s impossible. You have seen the building right? It’s like pure concrete of something. There’s nothing to grab on to.”

With a devilish smile Ronin held up his hands and extended his claws. “With these.”

“Fine,” she said. “Not that I think that’s going to work. But just for arguments sake, let’s suppose it does. You get to the top of the building. What then? How are you going to get in?”

“Bro. This is kinda sounding like you’re winging it.”

“Guys,” said Ronin. “Do you trust me?”

They all nodded without pause.

“Okay. Then trust that I got this figured out. The top of the building is a helicopter landing pad. They take emergency cases through the top. There is a door there. That’s how I’m getting in.”

“Um. I think you forgot something?” Kevin adjusted his beanie. Ronin raised an eyebrow. Kevin continued, “The wall around the hospital. How are we supposed to be lookouts? Unless you want us inside the walls with you. But then we will be caught for sure. There’s nowhere for us to hide inside there.”

“Yes, but there are huge pine tree’s surrounding the outer walls,” said Ronin.

“I don’t get it,” said Mike.

“You guys are going to watch from the pine trees,” said Ronin. “That’s what the rope is for. I’m going to climb the tree and tie the rope off so you guys can climb up and sit on a branch overlooking the wall.”

“Um,” said Kevin. “We only have one rope.”

“I know,” said Ronin. “I wanted to travel light. We will reuse the rope to get each of you into a tree.”

“So then how are we getting down?” asked Grace. It was obvious by her face she wasn’t liking the plan.

“When I get back I’ll toss the rope up to you guys so you can climb down,” said Ronin. “I’ll have to take the rope with me, just in case I can’t climb back down the hospital without help.”

“Okay then,” said Kevin, shrugging his shoulders. “Let’s get on with it, shall we. The more I think about it the less likely I am to go through with it. You know what they say, ignorance is bliss. Let’s do it.”

Mike, Grace and Kevin were each situated high up in a pine tree. The cinder block wall before Ronin looked hard. He scratched his claws across its surface. Not a mark. This might be harder than he thought. He held his hands out and splayed his fingers. As he pulled his right hand back he extended his claws. He slapped the wall about three feet above his head. The claws pierced deep into the rock like material. He pulled himself up. The claws were holding. He slapped his left hand onto the wall. They too held. It was working just as he hoped.

He perched at the top of the wall and looked down. Squatting low, he surveyed the area. The west side of the building was clear. He paused and waited for any sounds. Nothing. The north and south side must be clear too. A ten foot drop. Leg breaking height. He would have to hit and roll. The thin layer of snow didn’t help matters. He couldn’t see what he might be falling onto. Taking in a breath then holding it, he jumped. As he hit the ground he bent his knees absorbing the impact. He crumpled and rolled. His BrightWood coat was covered in snow and his beanie had flown off. The crisp air chilled his ears. He found his beanie and ran across the walkway to the wall of the hospital.

As Ronin looked up he realized four stories might have been a miscalculation. It was at least five. Not wanting to waste a moment he used the same technique he used to climb the outer wall. The strain was almost unbearable. Sweat beaded above his upper lip and trickled down his side burns. Only half way up and his muscles were already trembling. Leaning back, to put more weight on his legs, he prayed that his claws would hold. They did. He began his ascent once more. A hoot. It came from the north side. He froze as he watched the north corner of the building.

Footsteps followed by a shadow. Someone was coming. Ronin’s shoulders burned. His fingers ached and his legs shook with exhaustion. The small of his back was soaked with perspiration. A figure appeared from around the corner. He was wearing a black suit and tie. Ronin held still, not daring to breathe. The man stopped right below Ronin. The man leaned against the wall and pulled something out of his pocket. The crinkling of paper sounded below Ronin. The smell of something sweet ignited Ronin’s senses. Honey, nuts, raisins, the man was eating a granola bar of some sort.

The agony was too much. The sweat was now running down Ronin’s forehead and onto his eyebrows. One drip escaped his eyebrow. The salt stung his eyes. The need to wipe his face almost overpowered his common sense. It took all his focus to keep from moving. The man below him put the wrapper in his pocket and walked towards the south entrance.

Two hoots. It meant it was all clear. Ronin rubbed his forehead on his shoulder. His eyes still stung but he had to push on. Once again he started his ascent. After five grueling minutes the end was within his grasp. He burst over the railing and fell to the floor. He’d made it to the top of the building. The exhaustion was almost absolute but he didn’t have time to rest. Fear pushed him forward, made him go beyond what he thought his limits were. The fear was greater than any he’d known. It wasn’t for himself but rather his friends. They were risking everything for him. He couldn’t let them down.

A giant circle with an X through the middle was painted on the rooftop. A metal door caught his eye. He bolted across the helicopter landing pad. After calming his heaving lungs he rested his ear on the cool metal straining to hear any noise. It was silent. The silver handle stared up at him. This was the moment of truth. If it was locked, the game was over. If it was open but connected to an alarm system, the game was over. Everything hinged on that one moment. Over many hours of contemplation he reasoned that the door would be neither locked nor connected to an alarm. He was betting everything on it.

The handle turned. Ronin exhaled in relief. One more obstacle. Was it connected to an alarm? He slowly pushed the door open. The lights were off inside the entrance. Waiting for any sound Ronin flashed back to a memory of his parents. It was of his eighth birthday party. They were all so happy. Laughter filled the room. The cake. It was shaped like a soccer ball. The chocolate frosting, he could almost taste it. He snapped back into the moment. Relief flooded through his body. No alarm.

The memory galvanized his resolve. His parents were good. He was going to prove it, even if it was just for himself. The door closed behind him. The stairway was pitch black. His night vision had limits. In order to work, there had to be some semblance of light, even if it wasn’t visible to the normal human eye. With zero light his eyes couldn’t adjust. He was as blind as a bat. The flashlights. Ronin cursed himself for not taking one from his friends.

With no light there would be no way to find the records room. He felt around the walls. No switches of any sort. Just as he thought all was lost, an idea came to him. He closed his eyes even though he couldn’t see, it helped him focus. The smells came alive for him. Alcohol, plastics, various foods, every scent in the building found his nostrils. He knew what he didn’t want. He pushed out the food. He pushed out the smell of the room he’d woken up in after the Awakening.

Paper and ink. The scent was strong, concentrated. It was exactly what he was looking for. The scent came alive in his mind. It pulled him. Led him. As he followed his nose he was careful not to trip down the stairs. His hands hit something solid. It was warmer than the wall. The smell of wood revealed its’ secret. He felt for a handle. A noise reverberated through the stairwell. The sound of a handle turning followed by a door opening. Light crawled up the stairs and illuminated the door before Ronin. Footsteps. Someone was coming up the stairs. As quietly as he could, he turned the handle and made his way inside the room.

In the far corner a nightlight was plugged into the wall. The fat little bear glowed yellow. It gave off just enough light for Ronin to see as though it were the middle of the day. The wall to his right wasn’t a wall at all. It was a huge filing cabinet that stretched from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall. It was at least twenty feet in length and ten feet tall. This has to be it. In his excitement he’d forgotten about the person in the stairway.

The doorhandle leading to the room Ronin was standing in wiggled. A voice called out.

“What file did you want again?” asked a man’s voice.

The file room was huge. Problem was, the only thing in the room was the giant filing cabinet. There was literally nowhere to hide.

“Sarah Jackson,” said a woman’s voice, it was muted and further away.

Searching his mind, and the room, Ronin had no idea what to do. He knew he had only moments before the door opened and he was caught. An idea, a stupid one but the only thing that popped into his head. He ran to the door. He grabbed the handle with two hands and held it as tight as he could.

The handle wanted to wiggle but Ronin strengthened his grip. It tried to move up and then down. Ronin resisted with all his might. The force against Ronin hands ceased.

“The doors locked!” shouted the man, only inches from Ronin.

“That’s strange,” said the woman. There was a pause. “Okay, I think they have a master key in the security room.”

The man on the other side of the door groaned. His footsteps grew quite as he made his way down the stairs.

Ronin released the handle and ran to the filing cabinet. Looking up and down he exhaled in frustration. There had to be at least five hundred drawers and there were no distinguishing marks on any of them. He was missing something. The drawers had to be marked. The handles. They were thick and stuck out quite a bit. He bent down and looked under a handle. Engraved in the metal was a date. Nineteen sixty, it read.

Racking his brain for what it might mean, he hazard a guess. Calculating that his parents had to be sixteen when they went to BrightWood, he counted down the years. Nineteen eighty four was when they were sixteen. Frantically he searched under every handle until he found nineteen eighty four. He pulled the drawer open. The files were in alphabetical order. His parent’s files were the last of the bunch. He pulled two manila folders out. The anticipation of what he might find was maddening. He couldn’t get the folder opened fast enough.

One sheet of paper. It was his fathers. All it had was his name and date of birth. All other spots to fill in were left blank. Shaking his head in confusion Ronin opened his mother’s file. It was the same. Something wasn’t right. Wondering if maybe they didn’t keep extensive records back then, he grabbed another folder. Some guy named Sam Burns. He opened the file. It was filled with information. The entire history of Sam up until he was sixteen was contained within the folder. It wasn’t just extensive, it seemed all encompassing and absolute. Making sure it wasn’t an anomaly he looked through every other folder in the drawer. They were all the same, incredibly extensive records. Ronin put the files back, including his parents. Resting his back against the cabinet he slumped to the floor. It felt like the air had been taken from his lungs. All of it had been for nothing. He risked everything and was no closer to finding out the truth. There was only one thing left to do. He was going to have to steal the letter from Mr. Westone’s office.

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