Awake (Book 3)

Fourteen

            “Leaving here isn’t an option.”

            That was the one thing Jessica remained insistent upon, when the four of us plus Roy gathered in the living room to discuss next moves. I had remained silent thus far, but my opinion was of the opposite nature. The only way to end everything was to seek out the threat and extinguish it. That was what I knew to be true. Training at the camp did no good if we never put the skills to use.

            “They know where we are, now,” Roy said, pacing the floor. “If they took Rex that means Angel knows where we are, right?”

            Any mention of my sister sent chills racing down my spine, tingling through my entire body. I pulled my knees into my chest and wrapped my arms around them, as if I could make myself smaller and smaller until I disappeared. My anxiety passed unnoticed.  While Roy paced, Blake stood off to the side twirling a dagger between his fingers, a menacing stance as he sunk into deep thought. Jessica stood in front of the TV, in the center, and August rubbed his chin contemplatively as they considered Roy’s words. One of the windows in the room was open, allowing a mild breeze to swirl in and cool the muggy July atmosphere. The cleansing air reached me where I sat in the far corner of the room, in a chair, away from everybody else. As it was, they seemed to think clearer when I wasn’t in direct line of sight.

            August folded his arms over his chest, addressing the rest of the group. “The camp will go on lockdown. Everybody needs to be ready for the next attack, because it’s a matter of when now, not if. I’ll be honest; I have no idea in hell what Angel plans to do, but we need to be ready to fight back at a moment’s notice. Roy, can you go inform the rest of the camp?”

            The boy nodded and scurried from the room. Blake sheathed his knife and propped his shoulder against the wall. “They aren’t ready,” he said.

            August rubbed his face, looking tired. “I know.”

            “We need to find Angel and neutralize her before she comes and massacres our guys.”

            “I know, Blake. I realize the consequences of the situation. However, given how things are, we don’t exactly have a lot of options.”

            “But—”

            “Let me go.”

            All three heads swiveled my way, taken aback, obviously having forgotten I was in the room. I was good at that.

            “What are you talking about?” Jessica questioned, eyes narrowing as if she knew where my thoughts were headed.

            Still in my folded-up position, I said, “I’m the only person in this entire world who can go up against her. Everybody else is unnecessary collateral damage. Let me go.”

            “No. No way, Ellie. Everybody stays here; we’re better together.”

            “That’s not true.”

            “Ellie—”

            They watched me rise, watched me approach them with perfect calm and long, deliberate strides. “Your heart is beating faster,” I deadpanned. “The blood is rushing through your veins. You say you’re not afraid but I can feel fear, Jessica. I feel the fear inside of you, and the anger, and the loneliness. I feel these things because it’s my fuel. Because I was made to locate weak spots and annihilate the enemy.”