Existing (under editing)

Chapter 33*

Within days I was out of the make shift infirmary, giving my thanks to Sophie-Ann for her fruitful hospitality. Mitsugi had managed to get Hunter and Pepper in and settled in with thanks from Albert translating for them. Although it had been a struggle, they had managed.

I'd been so thrilled to see them both, while I had found it hard to walk around to meet them, hidden away in the shack it had only made it more worth it.

Pepper had sneezed vigorously as the old dog leaped up to hug me with his paws. I was cautious where he touched me, not wanting to let him know I was hurt. Hunter had doubled in size, but still small in contrast to how large his mother had been. His black man and white coat had grown thick and appeared less fluffy but he was still as clumsy and disorientated as he had been before, his larger paws just making it harder on him. Morin had perched up on the tin roof as we sat inside catching up. I had explained the situation of what had happened with the raids and how citizens where still trapped within the walls of the Eastern sector. I didn't talk inclusively that I had been a part of the raids and such themselves as not to worry Pepper but it felt good to be reminded of home with his constant sneezing.

Everyone within thoughts days had prepared for the final raid that I was excluded from. Lucas and Ember had insisted I stay back with the rest of the elderly and children to support the base. I had to be one of the men on the door as they wanted to send as many people with them. I watched as most of our rebellions population assembled in the court yards. Ember and her right hand men assigned groups and handed out weaponry and night vision goggles they had trained a lot of people in over the weeks we had been here. I watched as families said their last goodbyes. I gave Ember and Lucas final hugs and Mitsugi and Jake hi fives as I walked past into the armoury ready with Chiaki, Mesuji's cousin, and Vince, Sophie-Ann's elderly husband, to man the door together. Everyone would be going out in the dead of the night. Everyone else left her was encouraged to bunker in the large bank safe and to close it if any trouble was heard. Buzzers had even handed out but an extra setting or two had been added.one had been if we were attacked we could signal thoughts outing the raid, and one was to tell us go into immediate lockdown. I stood back as Chiaki held the door open, people filed out, and group after group until there was no one but the silence in the air as the door was closed and locked.

We all took a breath. The air felt tight and suspenseful around me, almost constricting. We had no idea what they would be in for out there. We sat there for a few hours. We had known that this operation would be a lengthy amount of time. I retired from door duty when Chiaki insisted with her brothers parrot on her shoulder I go check on the others and quickly check in with Pepper, Hunter and Morin who we had hidden the shack under a tarp in case of enemy attack. I limped my way to the bank vault. Two older men stood at the door as it sat ajar. Ready to close at any threat. Others patrolled the facility while the people that were left behind huddled in the heavy metal plated vault.

I detoured to my room, gating up my green jacket pausing when I saw my father's journal. Remembering the stitching and sub that had been hidden in the covering. I hadn't attempted to read it yet. Only just started learning with the book Lucas had brought back for me, but I knew I my heart how prestos the information it contained was. Weather it would be just to me or even something bigger. But I wouldn't know. I pushed it deeper into my back pack. I had packed Lucas and my own stuff the other night when I had returned to my own bed. Weather Lucas would leave or not with me after this was all over, there was the likely chance everyone would relocate, so I thought it would be helpful if it was already ready for him. But even the slightest thought or he and ember had caused my heart to jump with worry as they battles out there on the streets of the Eastern sector. My patience was beginning to wear thin.

People past me as we walked through the halls, armed with some sort of weaponry. Touched the knife in my belt, careful not to let it touch my tender hip. Many ignored me, mostly elderly or unfit for battle, only one or two gave a returned nod. No one stopped to question me as me as I freely walked the compound. They all worried too for the people that had gone out into the night under the leadership of Ember and her men.

The echo of my chunky boots following me, they felt heavy on my feet, especially when I moved my leg where n=my hip had been hurt. I was finding it a little hard now. Not being able to see to move freely but I continued to make my way out. As worry started to take full hold of me I tried to speed up my lagging limp, needing to get out of this place into the air. The trapped sort of feeling. I needed to breathe. Fresh air to clear my head.

I found the secluded door, desperate now, I forced it open. I was out. I took a deep breath. Eyes closed as I shut the door leaning back on it. The shack would be around two bends. I would check on my friends, take a breather, and then have to return inside to my real duties. I took some steps forward, listening for the sound of the crickets in the night, chirping very slowly as the autumn air was chilled and cold.

A bag came over my head and everything went dark. I screamed and kicked, hoping someone would hear me. My leg went numb as my sudden movement of my leg had surged a pain through my ligaments, making me cringe and bite down on my lip as they dragged me away. A button broke of my jacket as the people, four of them, each grabbing a limb, carrying me away. I cried and cried. Tears started to well at the hurt in my shoulders and knees as they practically dragged me. My leg had tensed up and given up responding as the pain was excruciatingly working it's around the swelling area causing me to black in and out of consciousness.

After a while they hoisted me onto a truck. Others lay with me. Maybe around ten to twenty, I couldn't be sure. Every sound was muffled from the bag and I had found it nearly imposable to breath. All of us had been bond by our hands so we couldn't stop ourselves from rolling. I felt the whole car stop then descend into the ground further and further. From how much time it had taken we mustn't have go ten more than halfway through either Sector north or south. That means where ever they were taking us had not been in the Est. they had simply just held people there. I panicked, imagining how long it will be until Ember and Lucas realised that it had not been there true location. We had been ripped from the back of the truck once we had stopped, a man had to carry me as my leg had become immobile and his patience had run out as he had dragged me. He thumped me done onto a chair. I sobbed and shook as they tied me down. I felt others in chairs besides me, my hands shacking as they were shackled to the arms of the chair.

"Check there tags." Someone said. Al along the line of chairs I heard the grabbing of skin then the beep. Someone spun my wrist around and pressed a cold surface to the inside of my arm. I gave a little cry.

"Shut up girl." the person said. The a little beep sounded and it was lifted. "Hey Paz, can you check this is!"

I sobbed; I had no idea what was happening.

"Get the boss." someone said.

I waited as they were silent waiting. The bag was still on my head and the sobbing had slowed in my chest, allowing me to gather myself and assess the situation.

The people stirred as a voice echoed from another room coming closer and closer. The bag was ripped off my head. And a mad man shouted at me; spit flying from his mouth as he grabbed my hair, yanking my head up so he could get a good look at me. "Who are you?!"

He had greasy orange hair pulled to the sides with its length for his gender it was unusual. His bulbous noise jumped from his face and his eyes whereas blood shot as anything. His face was scruffy and I could see the dirt stuck in his paws that's how close he eyed me off. She grabbed my hair harder and I let out a cry. "Answer me girl!"

"I don't know!" I cried.

"Listen!" he gestured to a gun like scanner that must have been what they had used on me earlier, he held it to my face. On it read 'PERSON UNKNOWN'.

"Why do you not have a tracker? Where do you come from? How did you get in?!"

I shook in terror, stammering, unable to answer him. He slammed my head down as he let go, casing my head to bounce on my neck. I just sat there and sobbed as he turned to his men.

"Take her to the cages. We can interrogate her when she calms down." The man said and they untied me, dragged me out of the room into another with actual cages. They thrower me in and locked to door then shut me in the room. Leaving me in complete darkness.

I cried and cried. "Lucas." I whispered crumbling to the ground, making sure I landed on my good hip. "Please save me." And then I blacked out.