Evolution - The Oasis Project Book 3

One - Ira

The bullet cartridge hit the concrete floor and bounced from point to base, then back again. I didn't register the clinks until it rolled, catching a golden glint in the sun. I reached out with a trembling arm but Yulian snatched the cartridge up and returned it to the magazine in my other hand.

"Go to bed," he said in English. He put the gun back together and to my surprise, handed it back to me. I only started taking it apart again, which made Yulian groan.

It had been more than half a day since we arrived back at the radioactive prison - the sun was now streaming through the high windows on the other side of the common room. We'd cleared the space to lay the unconscious mutants from Alaska on the floor, covering them with a few green blankets each. The door was open so that we'd be easily seen and heard at the first sign of things going south.

I'd done everything I could, turned the place upside down by this point. I took first watch alone, which was interrupted by Thierry wanting help unbolting Linkin's bed and transporting it downstairs. He would have done it all by himself if it wasn't for doctor's orders for his injured leg.

"Ira," Yulian said when I mindlessly put the gun back together again. It was the only thing keeping me awake after falling asleep on him multiple times during the second watch.

"Yulian, I said no," I snapped, making him jump like a startled bird and look at me with concern in his hazel eyes. "I told you, I want to be here when they wake up. I'm not sleeping until I talk to all of them."

"Eat something."

"Fine."

Yulian pushed himself off the ground and walked towards the kitchen, peeling back his sleeve to examine the bandages around his forearm and probably wondering when he could get rid of them. I stood up and walked around the five unconscious bodies, tapping my gun in anxiety. They laid out of ranking order, hands and feet bound together in case they tried anything against us. Mato and Anaba had their long hair flowing loose across the floor, Trevor's charcoal-coloured hand was balled up even in deep sleep, and when I passed Alessia, I felt a chill. Yes, her body temperature was much lower than normal, but the short woman reminded me of criminals who'd kill you in your sleep if you weren't careful.

I sighed when I got to Linkin's bed, placed one body's width away from everyone else. She was lying on her side and her dark hair had fallen across her face. I gulped painfully as I sat on the edge of the small bed, laying a hand on Linkin's shoulder. "I'm so sorry," I told her for the hundredth time, even though I knew that it was falling on deaf ears. I swore when tears pricked behind my eyes and stood up just in time to see Yulian bringing back a plated sandwich.

"When things get a little quieter, I'll bake some cookies," Yulian said when I complimented his sandwich like a robot. I didn't have the energy to be surprised that he could make a decent meal.

"Is there even an oven in a prison?"

He faltered and blinked. "Probably not. I don't know. Hey, do we know if Linkin's equipment will get here soon?"

I drew in a sharp breath, ready to snap at him, but stopped myself. Yulian didn't know that the person Asmar wanted was dead. I wished that Linkin could wake up so I could tell them both.

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Yulian and I were sitting on plastic chairs by the time Stuart came downstairs with bed hair and wearing an oversized grey hoodie. He seemed to instantly wake up without a caffeine kick when he saw me watching over the Oasis recruits. "Ira, why are you still here?"

"Don't ask her about this," Yulian said. "She gets annoying."

"Annoying or annoyed?" Stuart smiled. I rolled my eyes and looked at one of Mato's shoes that were poking out from underneath the blankets.

"Both?" Yulian answered with uncertainty.

"Shut up, Yulian," I yapped at him, proving his point. Yulian shrugged and stood up, grinning at the fact that there was another conscious person in the vicinity now. I heard him tell bits of a bad joke about breakfast in the afternoon as they made their way to the kitchen. I sighed; it was like everything was getting back to normal, except it wasn't.

When Yulian and Stuart came back, they were laughing while stirring their coffees, which made an incessant noise that I wished would stop. I raised my eyebrows when they sat down with me, though somewhere within me I was happy they were getting to know each other and getting along. Stuart pulled me closer to him and I was happy to lean against his shoulder while they continued chatting and avoiding telling me to go to bed.

"What is your worst memory of Ira?" Yulian asked, checking that I was listening with a grin on his face.

"Oh no." Stuart laughed and looked at me. "Is this enough to make you sleep?"

"Not a chance," I replied, not knowing if this was irritating or entertaining. "Go on. What's your worst memory of Ira?"

"Probably when Ira punched me in the face and held me at knifepoint?"

"Wow." Yulian's eyes went wide. He looked like he could laugh and cry all at once. "You get the best."

"I did-" I began.

"What's yours?" Stuart talked over me but flashed me an apologetic smile. It was impossible to be angry with him.

"Let me think..."

I let Yulian ponder his worst memories of me while my gaze returned to the unconscious bodies. Stuart had told everyone that they were fine physically, and what knocked them out seemed to be from harmless hypnotic suggestion. I felt sick looking at them, remembering the time that Emma hypnotized me, remembering the recruits who weren't so lucky. Maybe everyone was right; there was no telling when they would wake up, and I should get some rest.

"It is-"

I cut off Yulian's confession by standing up, holding a hand to my spinning head. "I think I might..." Taking a deep breath, I took one last look at the recruits, noticing Stuart and Yulian's approving nods at my decision.

It was then that I heard a gigantic gasp for breath. Two gasps, fused as one. Mato and Anaba opened their dark eyes at the same time, sitting bolt upright.