For The Truth

Chapter 16- The Ripple Effect

"Vanessa!" I scream, even though I know she can't hear me, even though I know it's hopeless. Even though I know she's dead.

It should have been me, I think. It should have been me! I repeat more violently.

Then the familiar thousands of scenarios flash before my eyes. The ghostly silhouettes flit about, as if teasing me. I watch as one of them morphs into another copy of me. It runs over to the body on the floor, only to be shot for real this time.

Well, I guess I probably shouldn't do that.

I slink back along the wall. If I can just find an exit, I'll be able to slip out amidst the chaos.

My audience is in total disarray. Half of the patrons are charging toward Vanessa, and the other half are barreling my way. Time to go.

I turn and bolt for the glowing exit sign. As I pass through the double doors, two strong hands grab me and pull me to the side. A hand is clapped over my mouth. I struggle fiercely until a switchblade is pressed against my throat.

"Don't. Move," a voice barely breathes. Not even a second later a dozen soldiers race through the hall and into the meeting room where I just was.

The hands release me. I turn to face my aggressor.

"Bil?" I ask, slightly surprised. He grins. "Wha-"

"You wouldn't stop squirming. Now, follow me." My mind skips back to when I found out that the Gifted never actually existed. Bil was one of them. Can I trust him?

I've got nothing else to lose, so I might as well follow. He leads me through a maze of hallways until we come to a tunnel.

"The police will have this place surrounded. You'll have to be careful once you break the surface. Once you're out, meet me at the old Gifted headquarters. We'll have to split up so it'll be less suspicious. Ready?" Bil questions as he pulls the lever to open the gate.

"Just one thing. Did you know about all of this?"

Bil scowls. "All of what?"

"How the Gifted weren't actually real. The Boss's plan. The numerous attempts to trick me into arrest. Any of it?"

A dark look flits across his face. "No. We're kept in the dark about a lot of things, Maxx, so I never really questioned it." His eyes shine with pain as he says, "I'm sorry."

I nod. At this point, I can only hope he's telling the truth. He does seem sincere, but he can be a very good liar.

"Ready," I tell him.

"Then good luck," he returns, gesturing to the tunnel's opening.

As my feet scrape along the metal plates adorning the passageway's floor, I note that it's the same one I passed through earlier. That means I know where it'll come out. Perfect.

Immediately after my head breaks the surface I start to scan for any form of life. Nothing catches my attention, so I slowly raise myself out of the tunnel. It's a good thing it opened where it did, because I'm pretty sure its existence was forgotten about a long time ago.

I ignore the pain in my ankle and jog back to the Gifted headquarters, encountering nothing except the usual traffic.

I'm slightly out of breath when I arrive, but it's nothing compared to Bil. He's doubled over and wheezing. His face is fifty shades of purple. I can't help but laugh when I see it.

"What, did you have to run a marathon to get here?" I joke. Bil glares at me.

"Something...like...that," he gasps in between breaths. "Soldiers...caught up...to me."