Greenhaus Part 1: A Storm Brews by Bryan Reckelhoff Read Free Book Online Page B

lookout, but eventually Ella detoured. The Rangers could still have been on patrol and though she was incensed, she was not going to hand what was left of her life to them. She may have been shot down by Elders Stone and Ashe, but her spirit remained strong in its resolve to seek revenge.              
    Ella approached a ravine she had passed many times. She had stared into it and wanted to explore it, but never had the time. The banks were steep and rocky, so Ella descended cautiously, sliding on her back as her feet and hands held her weight.
    To help keep herself sane during her extended time in isolation, Ella often thought of ways to seek the retribu tion she was owed. Every idea, however brilliant it may have seemed, ran into a roadblock somewhere in the conceptual stages, causing her to begin to wonder if her Elders ran into the same types of problems and if that could be the reason the camp hadn’t attacked.
    She would love to bring down one of the massive coils, but that would require a coordinated effort with other Masked camps or a great deal of firepower, something she did not have in her arsenal. The explosives and weapons were guarded and doled out by the Elders; they surely were not giving any to a teen-aged short fuse like Ella.
    Breaking through the glass would force the Oppressors into the same world that plagued the Masked. The toxic air rushing in would choke them and sting their lungs the s ame way it did when she removed her mask. The color and life within would fade and match the nearly empty landscape she was doomed to suffer. But the glass was double paned and thick, again requiring firepower she did not have access to. As such, she thought of other ways to collect the debt she was owed as she shimmied down the white rocky bank that was covered in the same dusty grime as the rest of her world.
    She thought about attacking Rangers on patrol, using the bayonet taped around the end of her gun to stab and cut through their protective rubber suits, but surely the lot of them would overwhelm her with force. Nothing legitimate came to her weary mind, staying up for the better part of three days had sapped her of her ability to think clearly. Maybe that had something do to with her fiery encounter with the Elders or maybe the rage was draining her, but either way she was tired. And though revenge was at the forefront of her mind, sleep is what she really needed.
    Ella reached the bottom of the ravine and noticed water collected in small pools. The sky was dark and loud, the puddles would soon grow. She wandered and explored the area a bit more, sloshing through puddles until the ravine came to a dead end. A giant rusty valve sat atop the equally aged metal door that guarded the way through to the other side. It didn’t budge, and Ella didn’t have the time or the energy to fight it.
    A series of concrete tunnels were situated on either side of the ravine. She moved closer to inspect them with caution, fea rful they could be inhabited. Earth was mounded around the opening of the first tunnel, which was at one time blocked by an old steel gate, but was now attached by just one of the hinges, otherwise dangling. Someone in the past three centuries had discovered this before her, but it showed no signs of occupation at this point. Its original purpose was unknown to her, though she could tell it took great skill and a tremendous amount of labor to lay all the rock and concrete that formed the ravine. For now, Ella would utilize the tunnel to catch a quick nap.
    Before entering, she examined the entrance and noticed that just behind its opening, the tunnel was partially collapsed. A quick yank brought the gate crashing loudly to concrete. If anyone was inside, her cover was surely blown, so she called out to the darkness, “Hellllllooo, anybody there?”
    Other than a slight echo, there was no reply or the sort of shuffling that would occur by a startled occupant, so Ella assumed it was safe. After