Permafrost [COMPLETED]

Griffin

"What if Bradley is doing this to wipe us all out? He knows we're all gonna go out before the winter hits and so in turn, he'll have a clear shot at our heads when he finds us all."

"Can you stop being depressing? I'm trying to think."

I lean over the table, it's surface covered in various pieces of paper and several mugs full of watered down coffee.

I place the end of the pen between my teeth and concentrate on the details we have so far.

"We know he's processing the brains but for what?" I mumble to myself, scratching out the previous 3 words I had written.

"We know he sending them places all over the world." Marcus fumbles with the end of his shirt as he sits up on the table, his legs swinging back and forth.

Since yesterday, Levi still hasn't returned and we're all worried to where he could have gone.

After finding out what happened to Marcus and his brain, we're all uptight and uneasy about what else Bradley's done to the rest of this town.

We all seem to think he's trying to wipe out the entirety of BrookWall but we don't know why.

I grew up here and only about 2 years ago when Bradley got promoted did things start to get weird.

If we don't figure out what he's up to, he could kill us all.

"There you are."

I look up to see Levi climbing through the window and I watch Riley come up to hug him.

"Where have you been?" My sister inquired, placing her hand on his arm, examining his body for what I presume is any signs of cuts or bruises.

He looks fine. Clean almost.

I watch Lena eye him carefully, not knowing if his little episode is over yet, keeping her distance for the time being.

She wraps her arms around her body and continues to watch him, her eyebrows furrowing when he delivers his next words.

"I'm okay, guys. Really."

There's a small glitch in his eyes that makes his believable sentence almost true.

Something's wrong.

"Hey, Levi, c'mere." I wave him over and he walks over immediately, watching as the girls go back to the couch.

I place my hand on his shoulder. "You okay, man?"

I'm trying to get him to tell me a little more than what he thinks he's hiding.

He lets out a sigh.

"I just needed to clear my head. I feel like I'm going mad and- and snapping at Lena, exploding on everyone, that was not something that I thought I was ever going to do."

He blinks rapidly as he speaks, as if trying to comprehend what came over him, desperately searching his brain for answers that he can't quite complete.

"Where did you go?" I question, taking my hand off his shoulder, letting it fall back to my side.

"RES Corp. But-" he quiets me before I can react, "but you can't tell anyone."

His tone is sharp but quiet and that almost makes it worse.

"What did you do?" I whisper and he shakes his head, his hair moving with him.

"I'll tell you later, I promise."

"Levi." I repeat because it's the only thing coming out of my mouth.

He looks at me and silently pleads for me to let it go, hoping I will.

I hope I will, too.

He places his arm around my shoulders and turns me toward the table I had forgotten about.

"What are you working on?" He asks, back to full volume, as if the conversation that we just had was erased.

"Um," I try to remember back to what I was thinking before Levi arrived so suddenly. I remembered Marcus was sitting on the desk. Where did he go?

We both turn around, Levi's arm slipping from my shoulder as we stare at the faces gathered around the small area.

"What?" Levi asks but then I see Marcus sitting next to Katie and he catches my eyes, asking me without moving his lips if I'm alright.

I nod once, turning back around, my head swirling in and out of sanity.

"We were trying to figure out what Bradley is doing with the brains." I say quietly looking over the notes I had, Levi following along with his eyes, running his pointer finger over the pencil marks.

This close to him, I could see small, scattered freckles across his cheeks and nose, the round slope of his lips diagonal to hazel eyes as they scanned the notes I had written.

He glanced up at me and I immediately looked down, the tips of my ears white hot but luckily covered by my shaggy hair.

Why did that embarrass me? He caught me looking at him? So?

I was over analyzing the situation in head, again and again, trying to understand why what just happened, happened. Oh no, Levi's mouth was moving.

"What?" I blurt, disoriented for a second as a breathless laugh leaves his lips.

"I said, what's your plan? I mean, after this is all put together? Do you have a survival guide?"

I hadn't actually thought about that.

"I guess we figure out what he's doing and shut it down."

"Hmm, yeah, but don't you think it would be better if we totally ambushed him? We need to throw him off guard."

"What are you thinking?"

At this time, Luke and Cade come over, interrupting whatever Levi was just about to tell me.

"Are we doing one more single supply run before all of us go out?" Luke asks cautiously, Levi raising a single eyebrow.

"That's actually a good idea."

"I want to go." Katie says appearing beside Cade, her silver blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. "I'm ready."

"Katie, I don't think-"

I'm cut off by the new kid. "I'll go with her."

"Okay, first of all Dylan, this isn't a gamble. Both of you need to go with someone who knows what they're doing."

"Why don't you take 'em." Cade suggests and Levi glances around at everyone, his whiskey eyes meeting mine for a half second.

Levi smacks his lips, giving in. "I guess." He wipes his hands on his pants. "We'll leave early, okay? I'll get everyone up."

The six of us disperse, Levi turning to walk away but I grab his arm.

"Wait, what were you gonna say? You're not gonna sacrifice yourself are you?"

He looks at me over shoulder and then looks at my hand touching his long sleeve.

"Are you that concerned about me?" He wets his lips. "Don't worry." He winks.

I drop my hand and he continues walking back to the couch, my insides twisting into a pretzel.

What the hell just happened?