Chapter Twelve

Hilltop didn't get back until late. He entered the camp and sat down silently. We didn't dare light a fire; the glow of the flames would be seen for miles around. I was grateful for the food the villagers had given us at least. No one had to go out and hunt or gather any.

"Everything is ready," Hilltop broke the solemn silence. We all looked up eagerly as he leaned forward to talk. "We will go rescue your father tomorrow."

"And Indaw!" Mya interjected. "I don't care if he told me not to. I can't leave him in the wretched place, especially since he would rescue me if our situations were reversed."

"Who did you meet today?" I asked. Hilltop raised an eyebrow.

"I think you know," he said.

"Was it Sergeant Sonji? I didn't read this far in the book." I guessed. Hilltop gave me a 'no duh' look.

"Go to sleep, Sarae." I rolled my eyes and lay down on my bed of leaves, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the crook of my arm. Man, I had no idea I was so tired! For once since I had come here, I didn't have nightmares. I didn't dream at all actually. I was at peace, and I could actually feel myself recharging.

I woke up to Nick shaking me awake.

"Sarae!" he whispered. "Wake up!" I was painfully reminded of James waking me up in a similar fashion to go see the elephants. I shoved the thought away; I'd get back home soon enough and would find him and Haru unharmed and safe.

"What?" I asked. Nick hesitated, so I said, "Nick, spit it out!"

"I saw Kya Lei!" he blurted out. I jumped up from my bed.

"What?" I exclaimed. Nick nodded.

"Mya and I saw him a while ago. Hold told us about the labor camp. And he told us to forget about freeing Indaw and my father. He said it was hopeless."

"I know for a fact that we can free both of them," I said sternly. "Don't for a minute believe what he said! Kya Lei doesn't know a thing he's talking about!" Nick gave me a relieved smile.

"I knew you would react like that. I just needed some reassurance. I'm scared for him, Sarae." he sighed. He walked over to Miss Pretty and looked around for something to brush her with. He paused when he saw me staring at him. "I don't think I can sleep anymore. I'll just take care of Hannibal and Miss Pretty; it will keep me distracted."

"I'll get more water," I said, and grabbed a flask as I walked away.

I found a clear stream pretty fast. Gently, I dipped the flask into the water. It was rushing pretty fast, and I didn't want to lose it. I filled it and walked through the trees, getting back to the camp. By the time I got back everyone was awake.

"We must go," Hilltop said. He started walking briskly away. I put away the flask and rushed after him.

"Are we going to rescue my father?" Nick asked. Hilltop didn't say anything, just kept walking.

"Hilltop?" Mya asked. He shook his head and put a finger to his lips. I nodded and slipped after him silently. Hilltop led us for a ways before he scampered up a tree. The old man kept surprising me with his spry movements. I dashed up after him, Mya and Nick hot on my heels. By the time we made it to the top I was panting slightly. This spot let us see into the graveyard where the two men from yesterday and Sergeant Sonji were burying the dead. There were only two men today, one barefoot and one with boots. Where was Nick's father? Had he gotten better and been sent out to work in the forest, or…or…The other possibility was unthinkable.

"Him first!" Sonji said, pointing at a corpse. He took two bamboo crosses out of the cart and walked over to a blank patch of thick muddy dirt. "Bury here," he said, dropping a cross where he wanted the body buried. "Speedo! Quick! Major Riku say we taking too long to bury dead." He dropped the second cross about fifty feet away from the first. It was evident English wasn't his first language, but he managed well enough to order the two prisoners.

The men started digging, but without Nick's father, they were much, much slower, even with Sonji berating them. I kept thinking Hilltop would tell us to get down and head back to camp any second, but he didn't. Obviously Nick's father wasn't here. I wondered what the old monk was up to.

"Deep enough!" Sonji said.

The men climbed out of the shallow hole, their faces expressionless and followed Sonji back to the cart that held the dead men. The man's face became visible as they lifted him out. Nick moaned next to me, and I let out a gasp. It was Nick's father.

Tears pooled in my eyes. I couldn't imagine how hard this was for Nick; I had never met his father, but I knew it would hurt beyond measure if I lost my own father. My mind had gone blank. Why had Hilltop brought him here? To let us pay our last respects to Jackson Freestone? I didn't understand the monk, and I didn't think I wanted to. Maybe that's what Kya Lei had meant by it was pointless.....

They lowered Nick's father into the hole. Without looking at him, I put my arms around Nick. He clutched my arms as if they were a lifeline. I felt tears hit my arms repeatedly, but I didn't look. That wasn't for me to see.

The men buried Jackson quickly. "Go!" Sonji said to the other men. "I cover this one! Go dig next hole!" Sonji checked quickly on the prisoners, before he got down on his knees and put the bamboo cross over the grave, so gently that I think he would have gotten into trouble if anyone saw him. His lips moved, as if in a blessing, but I couldn't hear the words. Then he began to scoop the dirt into the grave. When he was done, he moved away to help the other men with the last corpse. They finished it rapidly, and were off. This dead man didn't get a blessing.

"We have to go see him now," Hilltop said, climbing down.

"I've seen enough," Nick whispered, letting go of my arms. I withdrew from him and climbed down too.

"No, we have to. Come." I wondered then if Hilltop had gone insane, but I followed him anyway. I really thought he was insane when he handed me a shovel and said, "Dig."

"Hilltop, you've gone insane," I said, but began to dig.

"I am not insane. Jackson Freestone is breathing through the bamboo cross." I couldn't believe my ears. When I got what he was saying, I grinned.

"You're a wickedly, crafty old monk, aren't you?" I grinned.

"What?" Nick asked in disbelief. Mya had gotten it too, and had grabbed a shovel to help me.

"He's alive," I said. "We just have to get him out!" And we did; Jackson Freestone was alive and breathing. He looked like he could be dead though. He was emaciated and had a sickly pallor to his skin. Large bruises covered his body. Nick's father opened his eyes as soon as we shoveled the dirt off him, and they had a rebellious spark in them that I saw so often in his son.

"Thank you!" he said, stretching. We helped him as he painfully got out of his 'grave', and both Father and son embraced, Nick looking like God himself had appeared before him. Jackson looked at me then. His eyebrows pulled together in the middle.

"Who's this?" he asked blankly.

"This is Sarae," Mya said. "She fell through a like around World War III and ended up here. She's from the future," She turned to me and gave me a critical once over. "Which I still don't believe."

"Hey, so long as you trust me," I replied. She smiled.

"I do."

"Good."Nick's father still looked confused, but he shrugged,

"You can tell me on the way when we pick up Indaw. Now let's get out of here!"