Imperfect Freedom

Nineteen

"Who the hell are you?" Sorrel asks the moment I walk in the room. He is clearly awake because he sits up in the brown-sheeted bed he sits on. His hair is dusty brown and is slicked up like a porcupine. His eyes scan over me when I walk in. I shrug and grin. 

"I'm your worst nightmare." I tell him and Elle giggles behind me. She moves around and Sorrel stares at her for a moment. 

"Electra." He says, frowning. "What are you doing here?" 

I frown at Elle as she shrugs and replies, "Maedana wanted to see you. Check you're okay. Besides, I figured we better forgive each other if we want everyone to get off our backs." 

Sorrel frowns. "Whatever. So this is the chick we last recruited." 

I feel left out of the conversation and confused, so I say something. "Did you just call me a chick? What are you, a creepy old guy?"

Sorrel shrugs and grins. "Would you prefer the term babe?"

I twist my lips into a scowl. "Just Mae will do." 

He nods, still smirking. "Alright. Mae it is, babe." 

I clench my teeth, but before I can reply, Elle buts in. 

"Yeah, this is Mae. We recruited her a few months ago." 

He smiles at me. "Wow. She's grown up so fast." 

I don't know what he means, but his tone is filled with sarcasm and he says it like he's offending me. 

But before I can lunge out at him, he continue talking. 

"So you got stuck with her?" He asks Elle and I look at her, my face filling with confusion. She remains steel faced. 

"I didn't get stuck with her, she's my friend. And you know, for a person who disobeyed the CD and tried to let out an important prisoner, you sure seem to be pretty casual at the moment." 

He shrugs. "I'm not worried. And besides, letting out Hayley was not exactly a major crime. I was doing them a favour. Imagine what would happen if Aril discovered her daughter was missing? The CD would be screwed."

"So it's true." I ask, making them both look at me with confusion. "What you told me the night before last night, Elle. Aril has a daughter." 

Elle nods and grins. "Yup. Her names Hayley and Sorrel loves her."

Sorrel frowns angrily, and red creeps into his cheeks. "I do not!" He says and for a moment I think he is going to punch Elle, but instead he just crosses his arms. 

"You so do-" Elle starts teasingly, but she is cut off by a siren sound. We all look towards the door and I frown. 

"All above already? But we only just got down here." 

Sorrel shakes his head. "That's not the all above siren."

I turn and look at him, confusion no doubt splayed across my face. "Then what is it?"

This time Elle answers. "If I were to guess? I reckon that Hayley ragged us out."

I turn back to look at the doorway, fear suddenly overtaking me. "You mean to say-" 

Elle nods. "I mean to say that Aril has found the CD. And we are in big trouble."

Then the lights cut out and we were all in darkness. 

-*-*-

When I wake I am filled with a sense of dread. My throat is rough and sore and my cheeks are feeling dry as though they've had their share of tears, which they have.