To Be A Runner

Chapter 51: Siege

"Okay, okay, I got it," Sam hisses. "I said I got it! Janine, do you have any idea when we might have cameras back?"

"I'm not entirely sure but constantly asking me is guaranteed to make it quicker," She replies coldly, and I sigh.

We haven't even left the Township yet and something has already gone wrong. It's something not even I thought would happen. We've lost our cameras, and we don't know what has caused them to go out on us. Because of this we had to make some changes to the original plan, much to Janine's dismay, but it was only a small change.

But still with no cameras Sam won't be able to warn us about any upcoming trouble that might appear. I swallow down the fear rising in my throat, and stare ahead at the gates.

This could go wrong on so many ways. I counted about eleven in my head last night. Surprisingly doing that was the only thing that got me to go to sleep. But I think the evidence of worry and very few hours shows on my face, because Caleb saw me earlier this morning and suggested that maybe I should stay back at the base with weapons instead of running.

But I can't do that. Can't ruin Janine's perfectly orchestrated plan that she's already had to change once because of this unforeseen mishap.

"You know we've got..." He starts, but then simply sighs, "Runner Three?"

"Runner Three, Simon, here," Said man says with grin that's just on the border on obnoxious.

"Runner Four, Runner Six, Runner Seven?"

"Runner Four, Jody, here!" She says, and I can tell she's jittery with nerves.

"Runner Six, Maggie Doen, here."

"Runner Seven, Evan Doble, here."

"I think you forgot Runner Five," Jody comments, casting a glance to me, and I merrily shrug in reply. I was so worried I got Milo and Willis's names mixed up just fifteen minutes ago, so who's to blame him?

"I'd never forget Runner Five," Sam says, almost sounding defensive. "I just knew she wouldn't be late. But I'd never forget Five."

"Because she's your favorite?" She casts another look at me, but this time a sly grim accompanies it.

Oh, my God. It's like we're the OTP of Abel.

"I-no," He sputters, sounding absolutely mortified, and I'm not sure whether or not I should be offended. "I don't-I don't have favorites."

"Can we please get back to the mission?" Janine hisses, and I can picture Sam flinching back.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry. You guys are running interference for Five, keeping the zoms off, being my eyes out there because we have no cameras, Janine."

"Don't waste your energy blaming me, Mr. Yao. Something out there has taken down our cameras down. We need to figure out what."

"Yeah, only we have no time now because New Canton is planning their attack right now, and we have one secret weapon," He replies, and I cringe at knowing what he'll say next. "Because of the extra tech we've sewn into your headset, they'll think you're one of their runners, Five. We need every little bit of confusion we can muster, so we need you to go out there and-"

"Yeah, we know, Sam," Simon replies with an eye roll.

"You say it every time." Maggie runs her hand through her curly blonde hair.

"Let's run."

And run we do, out the already opened gates and out towards New Canton territory. It's just like routine-just like a regular run-that's what I tell myself to keep my nerves down. Each step, each breath I tell myself that. I tell myself it will all be okay even if I know that might just be a lie.