The group exited the compound through the hole in the fence and headed out for the spot where William waited, found him singing 'itsy, bitsy spider', grabbed him and rushed as far away as possible.
Finally, about a half an hour later, they stopped running and Sam considered it a good time and place to set up camp. After they'd all sat around the campfire, Tom told them how he'd found Angie and about their plan to bust them out.
"Well, I must admit I'm quite impressed," Sam said. "I didn't expect you to save us so quickly and undetected. That was some great plan, Angie."
"Actually, Tom was the brains of the operation," Jerry said. "Angie was the muscle, strangely enough."
"Really?" Sam asked. He'd sounded a bit rude, but the idea of Angie being Tom's bodyguard was amusing. "So, you've been training..." He stopped, seeing the nasty look on Tom's face. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because you piss me off. Bad!" Tom answered unexpectedly belligerent. He held Sam's gaze for a few more seconds then looked away.
Sam rolled his eyes. "What is it this time?"
"I'm sick of you considering the rest of us idiots," Tom answered loudly. "You act as if you're the only one who can make decisions. As if we're just a bunch of morons you're doing a favor."
"Shut up!" Sam snapped.
"No, I won't shut up!" Tom stared at Sam now, his fists clenched. "This is the second time I've saved your ass, and you still think you're flawless."
"I got captured saving your butt, so don't you give me this crap!" Sam yelled back. "You ran out on the rest of us and you're expecting me to thank you?"
Tom scrambled to his feet and Sam mirrored his move. They stood inches apart, staring each other down.
"I didn't run out on you," Tom said in a dangerous voice. "I got William out of there on your orders."
"The order was meant for Jim and Jerry who can't fight, not you!" It was so bloody obvious. How could Tom not see this?
"Oh, I'm sorry, I guess you forgot to mention which slave you wanted to obey you."
"See? I don't treat you like idiots. You just can't understand the most basic of instructions. You jumped at the chance to run away, you abandoning coward!"
"You freaking psychopath!" Tom yelled.
Sam had no answer to this. At least, not a verbal one. He stared at Tom for a few seconds, rage bubbling in the pit of his stomach, then, he made up his mind. He charged towards Tom. His twin seemed to have read his mind because he charged forward as well.
Before they could reach each other, Kyle came between them and grabbed their collars. The frown on his face looked positively alarming.
"I don't know what's wrong with you two, but unless you apologize to each other and make up, I'm going to beat the shit out of both of you," he said, his voice dangerously calm.
"Kyle!" Jerry said outraged.
"No, it's time someone knocked some sense into them." Kyle shook them a little to make sure he had their attention then looked from Tom to Sam expectantly.
Tom held his gaze for a few seconds, then sighed deeply and lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry for calling you a psycho," he mumbled.
All faces turned to Sam. He couldn't take his eyes of his twin and rage still swept him, his knuckles itching to connect with Tom's face. He shouldn't be forced to apologize when he had nothing to feel sorry for. He shouldn't be taking this. He was the leader.
"Kyle, I order you to let me go!"
"You're ordering me?" Kyle asked, raising his eyebrow and tightening his grip on Sam's collar. "I'd like to see you make me."
"I am your leader—"
"You are my brat brother, and I am very aware that because of a genetic anomaly, I am capable of killing you with my bare hands. So you'd better think again before ordering me around," Kyle said in a matter-of-fact voice that didn't convince anyone.
Sam shuddered, and for the first time in his life was genuinely scared of his brother. He didn't know what effects the toxic water had on Kyle. So far, Sam supposed it made him quiet, but if Kyle could feel the most insignificant fraction of the rage Sam felt, he'd better not get him angry. At all.
"Kyle, that's enough." Angie put her hand on Kyle's forearm. "Let Sam go."
Kyle tilted his head frowning slightly, but released Sam. Tom wheeled around stalked through the trees, disappearing out of sight. Jerry and Jimmy both shook their heads and turned towards their tents. Jim looked very disappointed as he moved out of sight. Kyle threw Sam one last dirty look and headed for his own tent.
"Thanks, Angie," Sam mumbled. "I'm really glad to have you here." He knew it was wrong, that it shouldn't be true, but at the moment, it was. And her taking his side made him feel less guilty about the whole thing.
*
Angie wondered around a little, looking for Tom, but he seemed to have vanished off the face of the Earth. She searched deeper into the forest and finally found him in a little clearing, sitting on a fallen log, his face in his hands. For a moment, she just watched him, wondering if his anger had vanished and he was ready to be reasonable.
She'd never seen Tom and Sam get at each other like that and it scared her a little. But what scared her more was Tom's viciousness.
"You can come out. I know you're there," Tom said, not raising his head.
Angie flinched, but stepped out into the open and sat next to him on the log, far enough so they wouldn't touch.
"What were you thinking while watching me? That I'm the psycho of the day? Or maybe that I really am a coward?"
Angie considered him a little. She knew she should tell him he wasn't, but her mouth wouldn't let the words out. "You and Sam shouldn't fight," she said instead.
"Yeah, should, would, could. You think he's right."
"He's never steered us wrong before."
"Figures." Tom pushed off the log and started pacing.
Angie watched him for a while, feeling queasier with each step he took. She didn't like how things were going. The joy of seeing Tom again, seeing them all again was quickly evaporating. Everything had been less complicated while she'd been on her own.
"I don't think you're a coward." Tom didn't answer, so she pressed on. "You jumped into a moving vehicle and almost high-jacked it."
The corner of Tom's mouth twitched upwards, but he stayed quiet, pacing on.
"Wanna tell me what's up?" She finally asked, unable to watch him pacing one more minute.
Tom stopped and looked at her. "I feel disconnected from you."
Her mouth fell open. "What do you mean?"
"I mean right now you're still hung up on the fight, on Sam and me and who is right or wrong."
"Still? It just happened. Of course I'm thinking about it!"
"I'm not." Tom stopped in front of her. "Sam and I disagreed. I was right, Sam was wrong and we'll probably no longer talk until he apologizes."
"What makes you so sure you're right?" Angie asked, standing and putting her hands on her hips. Tom waved her away and it only made her want to punch him.
"I am. Anyway, I'm all over that. There's something else bugging me right now."
Angie knew she should ask what that was, but she was still angry at him for being such a jerk. He didn't elaborate either, just stared at her, his head tilted slightly. A shiver ran up her spine and she wished he would look away.
"You're not even asking. We're more disconnected than I thought. Are you mad at me?"
"No," Angie answered instantly, though she wasn't sure that was true.
"Then why are you so cold?"
"I'm not. Look, I think you and Sam should talk, work this out..."
He marched to her and took her face in his hands. "Enough about Sam. I'm burning up."
"You are?" Angie put her hand on his forehead, but his temperature seemed normal.
Tom took her hand and kissed her wrist. "So disconnected..."
Ah, crap, he was being romantic. At a time like this. She thought back to that evening when they'd come so close to kissing, how energized and hot she'd felt. All of that had fizzled now. Apparently not for him.
"Tom, look..." She didn't get to finish the statement, let him know that the moment was gone.
He pushed her back against a tree and his mouth was over hers, kissing her greedily, passionately. And she just stood there like a block of ice, her eyes wide open, unable to react in any way. And much later than it should have, heat ran through her, warming every corner of her being, making her body hum with life.
The pressure of his lips, the heat of his hands on her waist, it finally broke through the worry, the awkwardness, and she was right back there, on top of Tom, close to imploding.
Before her body decided to move, to wrap its arms around his neck, return his kiss, Tom pulled back and everything seemed to shut down again. He looked at her for a few moments, head once again tilted, then whipped around and walked back towards camp.
He didn't say a word and she couldn't blame him, because she'd just stood there like a rock, hadn't made a move, hadn't kissed him back. She'd completely ruined their first kiss. And now that he was gone, her lips felt swollen and a pleasant current ran across them. It had been wonderful. His energy, the pressure, the feel of him... Her numbness seeped out of her, leaving room to heat and raw passion and she wished Tom was still there and that she could show him how a kiss could taste.
But she'd missed her chance. She'd really messed up this time.
No, you can make this up. All she had to do was find Tom, turn him around, and kiss him, even if it had to be in front of everyone.
Her mind made up, she hurried towards camp. Tom was with his back to her, but on his knees, fiddling with his tent. So much for turning him around. She couldn't actually surprise-kiss him in that position.
He finished with his tent and looked over his shoulder at her. Angie was glad, yet frustrated he had the sunglasses on.
"You don't have to look at me like that." He twisted and dropped on his butt. "I got the message."
Oh, God, it was getting steadily worse. "What message?" Why did her voice have to come out so cold?
"That this," he pointed from him to her, "is a big fat no-no. Got it."
"Maybe it's not."
He looked at her for a moment as though judging her words. "Yeah, it is." And he turned his back on her.
Angie balled her fists."Fine. Don't come near me again." And she stomped away, her heart aching and head pounding.