Cridex

Chapter Twenty Four

The door opened noisly, and Imogen ran towards me, huffing and panting, out of breath. "Go- go... call... Camden- and... Jonas," She heaved out.

I frowned but got up from my perch on the bed, walking to Camden and Jonas's room. I knocked, and this time Jonas answered the door. "Ellery?" He looked at me.

"Yeah. Imogen wants to tell us all something. Can you call Camden and meet at our room?" I asked, and Jonas nodded, closing the door. I walked back to our room, and shortly after, the two boys arrived. After a brief greeting, the three of us looked towards Imogen, who was alight with excitement.

"So, what's this big news you have to tell us?" I questioned.

Imogen turned her shining eyes towards me. "There- there are rumors," Her lips stretched out into a grin. "Rumors of a band of cyborg rebels." I gasped, and Jonas and Camden's eyes widened. "Yes," Imogen nodded. "A band of rebel cyborgs, set right in the city."

Camden leaned forward. "We need to take action, then. Perhaps we could join the rebels," he suggested, and Imogen nodded.

Jonas frowned. "How did you come across this information, Imogen? How do we know that it isn't faulty? I don't want this to something that leads us into a trap," He explained. "We need to be sure that we are sure of everything. This is a matter of life and death."

Imogen rolled her eyes. "Stop being so pessimistic, Jonas," She scolded. "Of course I know that it's dangerous, and I know that the information's safe. I heard from it in passing, but I saw that the speaker had circuitry under her skin."

"So, we take action?" I questioned.

"Yes," Imogen nodded. "That would certainly be ideal. We need to escape this place as quickly as possible, and we need to help the cyborgs. Why not run to the rebels? Surely they are in large numbers and they can help us."

Camden shook his head. "Do you know the location?"

"Yes," Imogen breathed out, nodding again. "I also happened to hear exactly what streets to turn on, and exactly which alleys to go through," she grinned at us. "I think we should leave at midnight, too. We'll be hidden under the cover of darkness, and the household will be asleep."

I nodded, agreeing. Jonas still looked skeptical about our plan, but he eventually agreed. "Pack light," I advised, shoving an extra coat into a makeshift bag made out of shirts tied together. "It's five to ten," I whispered, staring at the clock on the wall. "Should we sleep or stay up?"

"Sleep," Imogen yawned.

"Stay up," Jonas argued, shaking his head.

"Shut up," Camden added, all of us chuckling at his statement. "I think you should sleep, Jonas, it's better to get some rest than none at all." Jonas just shook his head. Camden shrugged. "I'm going back to our room. Meet each other in the hallway at twenty minutes before midnight."

I watched as they swept out of the room, leaving us in shadows, and climbed up onto my bed, closing my eyes.

***

"Ellery, wake up," Imogen's face came into view.

I groaned, rubbing my eyes. "It's time already? I don't think it was two hours, Imogen."

She rolled her eyes. "It is, and you'd better get up, or else we'll be late. The boys are already getting ready, I'm ready, and yet you're still in your bed."

"Fine," I muttered, sliding out blearily, tugging a shirt over myself.

"No, idiot, you can't wear white! It'll stand out," Imogen hissed, then tossed me a black shirt. "Don't you know that?" I raised and eyebrow and shook my head, slightly amused at her panicking state- not that she would ever admit it. I traded the white shirt for the black one and tugged on sweatpants.