Prologue
2016
The old jeep rattled up the steep dirt road, each rut adding a new clatter to join the symphony already in progress. It sounded like it was never going to make it all the way to the top.
“Are you sure this thing is safe?” the passenger yelled over the increasing din. He was a young, light-haired man, and the darkness of night hid his slight frame and a face scrunched into an expression of perpetual anger.
“Not a problem,” replied the driver softly, refusing to acknowledge the shaking and noise. This man was also young, but with a short, sturdy frame and softer eyes than his companion.
They drove on a few more minutes before the passenger spoke again. “You know, you’ll never get away. No one ever escapes. You know that.”
“That’s why I have you on the inside, making sure they’ll never find me, right?” He took his eyes off the road and turned to see his passenger’s response, but his passenger just shrugged his shoulders.
“I can do what I can, but you know no one has ever run and lived longer than a year. That’s just how it is.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought you weren’t planning on helping me at all. But remember, you need me. Without me...” The driver’s voice trailed off, then he turned his eyes to the road again. In the dark, with just the parking lights on, it was impossible to see any of the deep ruts and holes which were tossing the jeep from side to side. But whereas the passenger tensed with each new jolt, the driver relaxed into them, as if this were some kind of amusement park ride.
“I know, I know. Without you we get nothing,” came the reply, but the words were forced and unsure. He had an entirely different plan in mind.
The road topped the grade and the jeep abruptly swung to the side of the road and came to a stop.
“Here?” asked the passenger, but there was no response, only a terrific pain at the back of his head, followed by swirls of darkness, then nothing at all.
“Yes, but this is just the beginning,” answered the driver, as if the man slumped beside him could still hear his words. “And you don’t need to go any further, do you? You see, I really do need you on the inside. Now don’t go anywhere,” he said with a short laugh as he swung open his door. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
