"How are we going to do that when we don't even know who the Boss is?" Darwin asked.
"We need to bait him. I'm almost positive that they can't resist a chase for us," I said like it was the most obvious thing ever.
"How the hell do we bait him?" Trent asked with pure confusion.
"We cause a ruckus. We get spotted here and there. Make some enemies. Become even more wanted. Honestly I thought you were smarter than that, Trent," Nile said.
"I think it sounds dangerous. The whole living country is after us-,"
"And the dead," I mumbled but Morgan kept talking.
"I don't think know is a good time to draw attention to ourselves," Morgan said.
"I'm in. Anyone else?" Ashley asked. Miranda and Van raised their hands.
"I agree with Morgan. This is too dangerous. What if while we are trying to out smart them, they out smart us? What if one of us dies? What if Astrix dies?" Kyle asked and a shiver went through me.
"Kyle has a point. I know the CIA. You can't out smart them. They can do things some may think impossible," Darwin said.
"Come on! This might be our only chance to be safe for a while. Do you guys really want to lurk around in the middle of the night trying to find food? Trying to avoid dogs?" Ashley asked. She was leaned against the table and was talking with great intensity.
"Hard pass," Nile said and shook his head.
"Then we know what we have to do. We have to do this," Ashley said and I smiled at her. She winked at me and then turned her attention back to the meeting.
"We are making ourselves huge targets to become safe. Yeah, that makes sense," Kyle said and rolled his eyes. But Darwin and Trent were nodding slowly to signify they were in.
We all stared at Kyle until he finally sighed and glared into my eyes.
"Fine. But if you get hurt-," Kyle started but I interrupted him, not wanting to hear the rest of his sentence.
"Okay. When do we make our first move?" I asked and immediately everyone was more intent, ready for the first mission. Everyone, but Kyle.
*
*
*
*
*
"Astrix, you need some sleep. You need to be ready for tomorrow," Kyle said. His eyes were red and he definitely wasn't looking forward to the next day. I sighed.
"I have the horrible feeling that something is going to happen. Something is right around the corner and is just out of reach. Just far enough away that I can't see what it is. Just like the hospital," I said slowly.
"I know we aren't getting out of this one with everyone still intact. I know someone is going to get killed. I'm not sure who, but it's going to happen. We just have to be ready," Kyle said and he sat on the floor by me.
"If we don't do this, nobody will get killed. Maybe it's not too late to-,"
"We are ready for anything right now. We are ready to die if that's what it takes. We need to get the CIA and the rest of the world off of our tails," Kyle said.
"I'm ready to die too. If it comes to that," I said and rested my head on Kyle's shoulder.
"It won't come to that. I won't let it," Kyle said and I looked up at him.
"I thought the old Kyle was gone," I said with a small, sad, smile.
"Eh, he comes back for a visit every now and then," Kyle joked and I laughed lightly.
"Everyone has changed. You, Miranda, Morgan, and Cory. You all aren't who you used to be," I said, finally voicing what I had been thinking about for the last week.
"You're not the same person either," Kyle said and I lifted my head off of his shoulder and looked into his eyes.
"That person was left under a pile of rubble four months ago," I said and Kyle had sadness in his eyes from the memory.
"I went crazy after that. Ask Miranda. I almost died several times. I didn't care anymore. I didn't have any control over what I did. I yelled at everyone, especially Cory. I broke so much stuff and," Kyle stopped to take a breath. "I felt broken past repair."
"But you don't act like you were broken," I said. There were tears in his eyes. I had never seen Kyle that broken. I had never realized how broken he was until that moment.
"That's because you're alive. I didn't know who I was saving from those dogs and after I saved you I still didn't know who you were. I had an odd sense of deja vu but I didn't recognize you. It's like my brain wouldn't accept that you were alive, even when I had seen you. But when I found out it was you, I-," Kyle didn't get to finish because I pressed my lips against his and wrapped my arms around his neck. At first he was shocked then his hands went to my hair.
"That's why I didn't seem broken."
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AWWWWWW. I ship it :) Like hardcore. But I like Astrix and Nile too... I NEED TO STOP MAKING AMAZING CHARACTERS!!