Try Learn Destroy (Book One- Try)

TEN He's Not Really A Pessimist?

Harlem is at the entrance, just as promised at midday. He looks strong and fearless. Harlem looks like a leader. I exhale in an attempt to calm down. I’m not wearing a wig or glasses. Just the red jacket. My heart is pounding, I’m all jittery. Harlem appears to be too, looking over his shoulder constantly. He almost looks as if he is ready to take on an ambush. I ought to actually approach him. Biting the bullet, I shrug off my cloak of darkness from lurking in the shadows.

"Hello Harlem." I greet. He gasps, turning to face me, alarmed merely by the sound of my voice.

"I sent you back." Harlem glares at me.

"I escaped, then followed Hawk here." I lie with a shrug.

"Was this all a hoax?" asks Harlem

"No." I insist.

"Then what information do you wish to share Finch?" Hawk’s older brother asks, putting emphasis on my abandoned alias.

"The Hord has entered Karichuri. A member fired a knife into the attic of Hawk’s log cabin. It had a note stabbed on the tip. Addressed to me, Darcy, not Finch." I explain. Harlem leans closer to listen. "The note told me something…" I begin, feeling drained thinking of Cyrus being with Maroon.

Harlem calls for help. I must be about to faint. I begin to shake, he could easily kill Cyrus. I heard Hawk say in his sleep of hybrids and instant death and life reversal. If that’s true then who knows what sort of state my best friend will be in when I come to him. I begin to freak out, struggling against strong hands frantically, desperate to aid my friend.

"Let me go! Cyrus! They have Cyrus!" I yelp, in psychological agony.

"Darcy, calm down. We’ll find him. We’ll break him out. I’ll get my team…" Harlem begins to assure.

"No!" I howl.

"What? Why? You just said that you wanted my help!" Harlem exclaims, baffled.

"I do Harlem but I cannot have the entire force of the Resistance fall upon the Hord right after the message was delivered." I panic. Harlem blinks, not refusing my point nor contradicting it. Almost as f he is in a mental stalemate.

"Who knows of this?" Harlem asks.

"Just you, me and the Hord." I sigh.

"So you haven’t told my bother?" Harlem blinks, more confused then he was prior, sarcasm beginning to emerge also.

"Harlem, he doesn’t know. You don’t want him to get hurt. I don’t want him to get hurt. We both care enough about your brother to leave him clueless. This sort of mission appears to be way out of his comfort zone also." I argue. Harlem shrugs.

"You really care about my little brother?" Harlem asks, protectively.

"Yes." I insist.

"Fine I’ll help you." Harlem relents, appearing to agree to my terms.

"But other than being your only protection inforcer, what is in it for me?" Harlem asks, keen for a reward for putting up with me. Fortunately, I thought of an answer before meeting him. I grin at the thought of his reaction.

"Harlem, if we get close enough into Evertrent and cause enough panic, and you find her, you can kill Nancy." I vow, holding out my hand, to close the deal. For the first time ever I know that I have seen Harlem Hughes smile, he shakes my hand.

"I’m in." Harlem smirks, darkly.

"Good." I smile.

"If we leave now we could arrive by mid evening." Hawk’s older brother states.