This Is Not The End.

Chapter 14

As soon as Kai reached the ground, he threw up the food supplement from breakfast. It was gross going down, I couldn't look at what it was like when he'd forced it back up.

"What the fuck, man!" he shouted, doubled over and groaning, "D'you wanna give some warning before you do that?"

Beck, coming down from his power high, shrugged at him, "I thought you knew – I mean, this girl is a Snuff, isn't she?"

"What?" I jumped down at the mention of me, regretting my decision as pain shot through my legs. I didn't break anything.

"Hang on, how can you tell?" Jack frowned, looking up from making sure Kai was okay.

"You're tagged," Beck said, "All the SWORD kids are. I don't know, it's something in your blood, I guess, but we have something back at base which we use to come find you,"

"You have a base?"

"You've been following us?"

"That was disgusting, man!"

"We don't follow you," Cara explained, fiddling with the hem of her jacket, "We're not trusted. We're a supply run team,"

"It's usually my brother Sam with me, instead of Cara," Beck said, "But he's taking his gun exam instead,"

It was too much. My brain throbbed with every word either of them said: SWORD was trying to kill us, Ariadne had lied to us, we'd been tagged and tracked since we left... I couldn't wrap my head around it. I didn't want to wrap my head around it. I needed to believe that I was going to help those kids back at the facility, the ones like me especially, the powerless, but-

Wait, was I powerless?

Beck stared at me; one eyebrow arched to bait my response. I didn't have a response, not one he'd like.

Realising I'd zoned out, I shook my head to clear my thoughts, not that my mind had ever been clear. Some shitty music was still playing, somewhere in there.

"Now what?" Jack asked. We all positioned ourselves, so we didn't have to look at the street of undead insides.

"You come with us," Beck shrugged, his sunglasses back to holding his hair away from his face. His eyes reminded me of the Oral-B toothpaste logo, although I didn't know how I even remembered what that looked like. He was that sort of person, I guess – toothpaste-y.

Jack adjusted the straps of his rucksack, "But what about Washington?"

"Let me guess," he rolled his eyes secretly to Cara, "They've got a new trial for the vaccine and they need a Sun, a Flame, and a Snuff to give blood?"

"Hold on a minute, mate," Kai composed himself and drew to full height, "What've you got against Suns?"

I pushed him back with my elbow, "Stand down, Sunshine. You can have a go later,"

Jack latched onto Beck's point, though, and he folded his arms defensively, "We've never been told anything about a vaccine. We were headed to Washington to plan a route to help save the other kids in our facility, but-"

"-I don't know how recently you've been on that motorway, but it's hell up there," I finished for him, taking the spotlight, "We decided our route is fucked anyway, so we're heading to Washington to survive,"

Beck gave a laugh which he quickly hid into a cough after Cara kicked him in the shin, "I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but Washington's overrun; one of the worst places hit in North America. SWORD's trying to kill you,"

My blood churned every damn time he called me 'sweetheart'. He couldn't have been much older than us, maybe eighteen at a stretch, and he'd soon learn to stop if he didn't take the hint. It could be the chance for me to test the extent of my newfound power if I figured out what the hell it was. That could be my problem.

"Why would SWORD want to kill us?" Jack arched an eyebrow, "I don't know about these two, but I'm one of their best subjects,"

"You're too powerful," Kai muttered, realisation hitting like a truck, "We're too defiant,"

"What?"

It made sense. I hated it with every fibre of my being, but I understood. We were fucked right from the get-go, and anger boiled in my veins as I saw how I'd ignored it this whole time.

I swore loudly and more vibrantly than a child's colouring book.

"And, let me guess," Beck smirked, "They told you that you're only immune, right?"

I didn't want to nod, but I felt my head bob 'yes' anyway. He laughed and slung his arm around my shoulders.

"Oh, sweetheart, I am about to blow your mind," he grinned. I punched him in the ribs and he only let out a surprised chuckle, backing off with his arms raised, "When you want to learn your true powers, hit me up,"

Prick.

Cara shifted nervously and typed something into a phone not dissimilar to mine. "Beck, c'mon, it's getting late,"

He took the bag from Cara and chucked the machete which hung at his belt into it, zipping it shut and slinging it over his shoulder – of course, he couldn't use two straps.

"Let's go then," he said, beckoning to us to follow, "Anyone want anything from town?"

The only way in was through the Infected remains, so I told him to go to hell.

"Where are we going?" Kai asked, walking slightly slowly with Jack and me at his sides.

"Where'd you think?" Beck let Cara hold his hand as we started heading into the darker forest, "SWORD can't get you anymore, you're with us now,"

"And who's 'us'?" Jack scoffed, "You and her?"

Beck grinned, "Nah, man. The Resistance,"