The Elite (Editting)

Chapter 17: The Explosion

"Gabriel, can we please slow down? We've been running for hours, the guards can't be anywhere near close," I complained. My complaint was only half-hearted as I was out of breath.

Gabriel checked over our shoulders and slowed down to a sprint as we neared a cave. "Sure. This is where we sleep, for tonight at least." He ducked into the cave and I followed right behind him.

"Gabriel, are you sure they can't find us here?" I asked.

"First you wanted to stop, now you're having second thoughts about stopping," Gabriel fumed. "Yes, Donatella, I'm sure."

I removed the heavy bag from my shoulder and walked quietly to Gabriel's side. His head was hung and his breathing was slow and shallow. Had his shoulders not been going up and down with each breath, I would have thought he was dead.

Gabriel didn't lift his head as he spoke, "What do you want?"

I was taken aback by his attitude and cowered back before answering, "What's wrong, Gabriel?"

"What's wrong, Donatella? You want to know what's wrong?" Gabriel asked, his voice rising in volume with every word. "What's wrong is you! Is this 'adventure' not what you expected? Did you expect to be home by dinner?"

"What are you talking about? I didn't ask for this!" I jumped up from Gabriel's side and stormed to the opposite side of the cave.

"You're right, you're right, I'm sorry. You didn't ask, per say but you needed it. It was your destiny and you just had to pick me, out of all the other nameless saps on Olympus. I just had to come down here to Earth and deal with you; a self-centered, egotistical brat!"

I listened to Gabriel's words and tried to keep the tears from falling. I felt my lip beginning to tremor, a tell-tale sign that the waterworks were coming. "You know what Gabriel, you're right. Why did you have to pick my out of the other cases? Why did I have to pick you, of all people, to come find me? Because I didn't know, I didn't know you'd be such a jerk!" I yelled at Gabriel. I couldn't hold the tears back anymore; they burst forth from my eyes with no end in sight.

"See? That's what I'm talking about. You're sitting over there bawling your eyes out while I have to figure out where we need to go and how to get there!"

"Well I'm sorry we can't all be as selfless as you are!" I wiped at my eyes and unrolled a sleeping bag from one of the packs Gabriel had dropped at the mouth of the cave and dragged it back to my side of the cave. I zipped myself in to the sleeping bag and turned to lie on my left side so I didn't have to see Gabriel's face. I found a smooth rock and rested my head on it, praying that sleep came soon.