✓𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐱𝐨𝐧³ | 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥

6.8

I noticed a black bracelet around Hornsby's ankle, "Wait. What is that?" I pointed at it. Everyone looked down at it, including Hornsby, who told us, "It's a radio-frequency monitor. It'll set an alarm off if I leave this place." My dad lowered to see if he could get it off, but it was no use, "You're gonna have to cut off my foot. You gonna carry me?"

Carol huffed, pushing him to the door, "You better be ready to run fast. Go."

"Wait." Hornsby stopped for a second, "I need to do something first."

He then stepped out of the cell and an alarm blared. We ran quick down the same corridor, turning right and down another. Behind us were more soldiers in the distance, readying their guns and aiming at us. 

"This way! Come on!" Hornsby pointed to the right before we were all shot at. We all ran to the right down a corridor, but since my dad was at the back and getting shot at he was forced to go left.

"Dad!" I yelled after him, watching him load his gun and fire back at the soldiers.

"Go! I'll figure it out!" He shouted back, gesturing me to go.

"No! Not without you!" I replied loudly, trying to resist Carol's tugging on my arm before we ran out the door to safety. Hornsby led us through a couple of unguarded gates, a weakness in the security that he knew about, and it wasn't long until we were travelling through high grass for cover until it was safe to come out into the open.

The Commonwealth looked like a giant prison rather than a community from the outside. Finally being outside the walls felt relieving, but being around Hornsby, who was a major chatterbox, didn't make it feel that great. He kept trying to talk to Carol, but she wasn't buying it. Neither was I, but when he kept mentioning my dad, I started to be infuriated.

"Anyway, I hope Dixon's okay." Hornsby said.

I turned around, lifting my bow up and aiming at him. Hornsby didn't expect it, nearly walking into the tip of my arrow before he realised and stopped instantly. "I know what you're tryin' to do, and I ain't buyin' it."

He laughed nervously once Carol raised her gun as well from behind, "I'm just making conversation."

"Where are we going, Lance?" Carol questioned, in a demanding tone. "I'm done with your mind games."

"I'm not lyin-"

"Sayin' you give a shit about what happens to my dad really gives it away." I angrily interrupted. "You're gonna have to do better than that, Lancey."

The man scoffed, "I was just locked in a cell and forced to feed my colleague piece by piece to Pamela's rotter son. I might not be moving at full speed here!"

"Oh please, I've been through worse. Try again."

An engine rumbled in the distance, catching us off guard like deers in the headlights. We all lowered down. Carol moved to the treeline behind some rocks.

I dragged Hornsby by the collar, who was on the ground, over to Carol so we wouldn't be seen.

"I know how we can lose them. Come on."

Hornsby led us to a cave entrance after a couple of hours of walking. It was dark, which was good as we had more cover, but it make me more nervous since the man we were following could easily run away into the night once we aren't looking. At first I didn't want to go into the mysterious cave, but there was no other choice.

Last time we went into a cave it fucking blew up.

"This was an infrastructure repair project dating back from the early days of the Commonwealth." Hornsby told us whilst we walked inside the tunnel, where the floor was covered in water and there was rotting wood around us that we avoided. "After a series of cave-ins, it was considered too unstable."