Chapter 24:
(Caleb POV)
- 2 weeks later -
Isabella has kept me at arms length every time we have met. When we were in town she would act nice and maybe hold my hand, but the moment we were behind closed doors it was back to business. She even refused to call me Caleb now. She would only refer to me as Lieutenant and I hated every moment of it.
Every time we talked about it, I tried to talk her out of it, tried to convince her that we shouldn't do this on our own. The conversation kept playing out the same way each time though. I'd always start by begging her to tell someone, "Isabella, please we have to tell someone." She would shake her head and tell me, "Lieutenant, the more people that know, the more likely that we will get caught when we go there. Not to mention the more people that might get hurt." There was nothing that I could say to argue with that.
One time I tried to convince her that we might be able to ignore them "What if I don't come to the meeting? Maybe he will stop looking for you guys? I mean I won't be there to lead him back here so..." I didn't even believe me as I said that. She looked at me, "Did you give up on finding this place after you lost it the first time?" I shook my head, "What are the odds that he would, especially when he knows that it exists?" I sighed, "He'll never stop looking for this place. But, maybe you can cover the entrances make them impossible to enter?" She shook her head again, "I don't want to trap the people in the community here. Besides, I used to use vines to alert me if someone was coming through and maybe I would be able to block off the path for a while, but again, they know that we are here now. They can climb over the mountain or search for another way through or even make their own way through." I knew she was right and I knew that this attack was inevitable.
I looked at her, "What happens if we fail?" She shook her head, "We can't fail." I let out a long breath, "But if we do. What happens to them then, because we are the only 2 people in Encanto that know about this." She took a sharp inhale, "There is a plan in place that does not concern you, Lieutenant. Now back to the plan," she said.
Now I was standing in front of the mirror fixing my tie getting ready for the plan tonight. In a few hours everything was going to change and a part of me wished that this wasn't the reality we were living in. I looked at my duffle bag and made sure that everything I needed was going to be inside. I looked at the picture of my parents and thought about packing it away but, decided against it. I would come back to them. I had to.
(Isabella POV)
Everything was set for tonight. The entire town would be at Daniela's party and Caleb wasn't scheduled to work tomorrow so our disappearance wouldn't be on anyone's radar for a few days. I looked at my bag and made sure that I had everything I needed inside for when we snuck away. When I was satisfied I used a vine to take it out of the room and hide it just outside Casita. I looked myself over in the mirror as I straightened out my dress and finished up my hair. I had a bunch of small braids that were connecting in the center of my head with different plants.
I made my way downstairs as the party was just starting and began making my way around the room when I saw Caleb walking in. He was in a suit and he stashed a bag in a potted plan. I knew that was what he was going to need when we went away. I made my way over to him and took his arm. I whispered, "Lieutenant" and he nodded his head before saying loud enough for other people to hear, "May I have this dance?" I nodded my head and we made our way out on the dance floor.
We began to dance around as other members of town came out as well. I kept my eyes set on Caleb as he occasionally brought me in closer. I whispered, "We are going to leave when they announce her gift. At that moment no one is going to be paying attention to us." He nodded his head, "Alright do you have your bag?" I nodded my head, "Everything is set." He spun me around before pulling me in close again.
I took a shaky breath as I looked up at him. No, I had to focus. I couldn't afford not to focus. Still, I wished that this wasn't our actual reality. I wished that we could go back to the day before I found out. We danced at the festival all night and kissed and I spent the night at the shack. Caleb cleared his throat and gestured his head to the pillars in the room that were beginning to grow vines and flowers. My breath hitched but Caleb just looked at me, "Do you want to stop?" I shook my head and we continued to dance. The song came to an end and I could see different members of my family looking over at us. They were actually smiling towards us and I don't know why I was so focused on it. "Another dance?" Caleb asked and I nodded my head. Staying on the dance floor was the best way for everyone to know that we were here before the gift ceremony, especially if they know that we were here together.
(Caleb POV)
We began to dance to the third song when someone tapped on my shoulder, "May I cut in?" I looked to Isabella who just politely smiled and nodded her head. I know she didn't want to make a scene, but a part of me wished she would have said something. I nodded my head and looked at the man from town, "Alright." I walked off the dance floor and watched from the sidelines of the crowd. Someone came over and tapped me on the shoulder.
I turned and saw her Mama, "You know she would rather be dancing with you, right?" I shrugged, "I think she just likes to dance." Her Mama smiled, "She does like to dance, she always has, but she never dances with the same person twice in one night before you, I mean besides..." She trailed off and I looked at her, "Mariano. Isabella told me about that." She nodded her head knowingly, "Did she now?" She went to walk away but added, "She has been a lot happier since you got here. Thank you." The guilt that was building up in my chest by the fact that she had no idea what was actually going on or how Isabella could barely stand me at the moment.
The song came to an end and Isabella came over to me, "They are going to make the announcement soon. I have to stand with my family as soon as that is done we are going to go." I nodded my head and took her hand as we walked over to her family. I wasn't going to stand with them, but I was going to be close by. Her family saw me walking her over and I just smiled as we got there, "I will see you later." She nodded her head and smiled back at me, "Can't wait." I walked away and stood amongst the crowd as Daniela Madrigal made her way up the stairs to a door.
She touched a candle and then touched the doorknob and suddenly the room was filed with light and magic. Her parents, Abuela and herself went into the room and when they came out it was announced that there was a new gift. Fireworks were going off and the entire town seemed to enter an intense celebration. I made eye contact with Isabella and she nodded her head and we began to make our way out. I grabbed my bag and went out the door. I met up with Isabella who had her bag over her shoulder, "Ready to go?" I asked. She nodded her head letting out a breath, "Let's go."
We began making our way through the jungle to the cavern, when Isabella stopped for a moment, "Wait here. I'll be back in a moment." I nodded my head and looked in my bag before taking our my cloak. I took off my tie and jacket before putting on my cloak over my shirt. I heard a rustle in the leaves behind me and turn around to see Isabella.
(Isabella POV)
I went behind the trees and pulled out my change of clothes that I had stashed away a few weeks ago. I had a dark navy blue shirt and as I pulled my arm through the sleeve and it reached my wrists. I was also wearing dark black pants that I had stolen from Camilo from a few years ago. I let go of all the flowers that were in my hair and let it fall to the ground before using a vine to pull my hair back into a low ponytail.
I was making my way back to where I left Caleb when I saw Caleb pulling his shirt over his head through the trees. I turned away for a minute trying to give him the privacy before I made my way way towards him. I could see him looking at me when I asked, "Are you ready?" He nodded his head. I looked back at Encanto and let out a long breath before looking at him, "Let's go." He nodded his head and we began making our way to where he was meeting the General.
I looked at the trees and back at Caleb, "Why are these trees marked?" His eyes widened, "I did that to find my way back." I let out a short exhale, "If we fail and they catch us, this can lead them right to my family." I began to grow more and more trees in the area before looking at him, "Ok, that's a start. Maybe we ca try to mark more trees on the way?" I said and he nodded his head, "Yeah we will figure it out." I nodded my head and we began to make our way towards the spot.
After a while longer Caleb stopped and looked at me, "You better hide now, the meeting spot is a little bit up that way." I nodded my head, "Alright, give me your bag and I'll go a little bit to the left. Meet me there and we will follow them." He nodded his head and I went off to hide. I didn't go that far away and kept Caleb in my eye line through the trees. When he stopped I started to climb up a tree and hid amongst the leaves in the darkness of the night. I used a vine and wrapped it around my waist to keep me secure.
I saw a rustling in the trees coming from the far right. I then saw a group of grown men make their way into view. Caleb was standing in front of them with a stoic look on his face. The man in the center came in front of him, he looked eerily familiar. He smiled as he looked at Caleb, "Lieutenant." Caleb looked at him, "General." I held my breath as I watched the meeting that was going on between the two of them. "Have you found out anything more about the people in Encanto?" I shook my head, "They have no military or army. They have no way to stop our forces when you arrive." I hated the fact that, that was actually true.
The General nodded his head, "Then everything can go as planned in 2 months." Caleb nodded his head, "Then you can come back with us." What? I thought. Caleb looked at him, "Sir, if I disappear suddenly I worry that it will alert the people inside the community." The General's gaze narrowed, "You mean the criminals in the mountain range." He nodded his head, "Of course sir. I don't want to alert any of them by suddenly disappearing." The General nodded his head, "How long until you can extract yourself?" Caleb thought it over, "At least a week, a month would be better." The General nodded his head, "Alright you have a week. I expect you to be here in a week. You clearly need to get back to training." He nodded his head, "Yes sir."
The General put his hand on Caleb's shoulder, "Lieutenant, you will finally make your parents proud." The General looked at the other two men next to him, "Lets head out. Be back in a week, Lieutenant." Caleb just nodded his head as he watched them go away. I waited a moment as I watched them head out of view and the trees rustling further away before I came down and went over to Caleb. He looked at me, "What are you doing here? I was supposed to find you, what if they saw you?" I shook my head, "I was hidden in the tree up there, and they are out of view. I waited until they were. No one is going to see us."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that..."