'Well, if it isn't the very person I've been hoping to see.'
My body freezes at the sound of Louisa/ Lola/ Zach's mum/ I don't even know what to call her anymore's voice.
Evil Incarnate comes to mind.
'Put down the gun or we'll shoot you in the head,' Evil Incarnate orders.
I place my hand on the gun and force Cas to lower it. Cas frowns next to me as her gaze drifts over Evil Incarnate and the several armed Techies behind her.
'I was just trying to convince Albert here to let me in. I didn't realise Klein was entertaining.' She peers in behind us and chuckles dryly. 'I see Klein's methods of persuading you to stay here didn't work. I'm not going to lie, I'm not sad to see him go. In fact, from what I've heard, he had it coming.'
Albert standing to the side follows her gaze and focuses on Klein's body behind us. His eyes widen. 'You killed him...' He raises his gun.
A loud shot makes me and Cas jump while Albert drops to the floor.
'He also had it coming. There's a few more of his accomplices who could probably do with being left in a room with you too.' Evil Incarnate smiles. The smile doesn't look right. It's deranged like her.
I shake my head, my whole body trembles. 'You were aware of what he was doing? What his friends-'
'Ethel and Roman told me.'
'How could you let them get away-'
'I'm not the law of the country and frankly, we're too busy trying to survive ourselves to help people who don't want it. These people allowed themselves to be sucked in by a pervert.'
Cas slips her hand in mine. No, it's not her hand. It's cold and metallic. It's the gun.
'Now, Kit, let's not make this more difficult than it needs to be. Come with us, no one needs to get hurt,' Evil Incarnate says.
I'm starting to think this is going to be a recurring feature in my life; being imprisoned by psychopaths, me escaping only to be caught again.
How can I break the cycle?
'No.' I say, raising the gun.
Behind Evil Incarnate, several of the Techies step closer and raise their weapons.
They're definitely Techies. They look more equipped and organised than any of the guards I've encountered since crossing the wall.
Evil Incarnate holds her hand up to stop the Techies from using their guns. 'Stay back. I need to have a talk with Kit alone.'
The Techies retreat backwards out of earshot; their guns remain pointed at me.
'I'm not going anywhere unless it's to drag your dead body to hell myself,' Cas spits out.
Evil Incarnate looks unimpressed. 'We don't have time for teenage dramatics. Kit, if you refuse to come with me, I'll burn this place down, I'll burn down the settlement who gave you refuge and I'll continue to destroy anyone who gets in my way. You can choose to come back with me and save lives or you can choose to keep running and in the process destroy everyone you come into contact with.'
I should feel angry. I should feel hate. All I feel is a crippling exhaustion.
I'm drained.
I have no energy left to fight with. Cas was right, I do have people who care about me, I have people I care about and I don't want to lose that. I don't want to lose them.
I point the gun at my head but I don't really plan on killing myself, it's a bluff to get the only thing I think possible right now. 'If I kill myself I won't be of any use.'
'That's where you're wrong.' Evil Incarnate narrows her eyes.
'No, I'm not. You told me once I'd still be useful when I was dead but at the time I forgot what Ben had told me. Your next step is to use me as a donor, to see if you can transplant my resistance into others using living tissue. You can't do that if I'm dead, you could do it if you kept my body alive, but there's no way you could keep my body functioning from now until you reached your lab. If I shoot myself right here there is no way for you to carry out the next stages.'
Evil Incarnate remains quiet for a second. 'What do you want, Kit? And don't ask for me to let you go. That isn't go to happen until I've finished with our research.'
'I want you to ensure Cas, Zach and Raz are safe. Get them out of here and drop them off at the nearest town then leave them alone. Leave their community alone and I'll come with you. I won't run. I won't resist.'
'Fine,' Evil Incarnate says. 'Where are they being kept?'
'Cas is here. Zach and Raz are being kept in a hut along a path at the top of the village,' I say, still pressing the gun against my head.
'We've already got Zach. We saw him being brought here; it is the reason I came over.'
My stomach drops. If Cas hadn't been here what would Zach have seen? Would Klein's plan have worked?
Cas's hand slips into my free one. She squeezes it gently. She heard what Klein said. Is she thinking the same?
Evil Incarnate gestures to a Techie guard who approaches and she mutters something. He leads several of them into the village.
'You can put the gun down now,' she says.
'I'm holding onto it until Zach is safe,' I say, lowering it.
'If you try anything I will have Zach shot.'
'I know,' I sigh.
'They'll bring Raz to the truck. Follow me.' Evil Incarnate turns and starts to walk.
Cas continues to hold my free hand while I clench the gun in my other. We follow Evil Incarnate while the other Techies position themselves behind us, ensuring we don't attempt an escape.
People are gathered outside their houses. A low hum of nervous conversation filling the air.
'We'll figure out a way to get you free,' Cas whispers.
I shake my head wearily. 'No more. I don't want any more deaths on my conscience, especially those I care about.'
Cas squeezes my hand but doesn't say anything as we continue to walk. Up ahead, Zach is being restrained by two Techie guards. He's shouting, struggling against them as they hold him against the truck.
'Enough, Zach,' Evil Incarnate orders loudly as we near.
'Mum?' Zach swivels round, facing his mum then his eyes widen when he sees me behind her.
Evil Incarnate turns to me. 'You can see he's safe so hand over the gun now.'
A Techie approaches me and I shake my head. 'I'm not handing it over until you drop them at the nearest town.'
Evil Incarnate huffs and waves her hand to make the Techie guards stand back.
Zach frowns. 'Kit, what's going on?'
My throat closes up at the prospect of never seeing him again. I love him. I love him more than life itself. I want him to hold me. I want him to make everything better. He can't.
Zach was right. We were stupid to think this could ever work.
'Kit managed to make a deal for our freedom,' Cas says sombrely from beside. She lets go of my hand, climbs into the back of the truck and sits on a bench positioned against one of the inside walls of the vehicle.
Looking away from Zach's questioning eyes, I slide in next to Cas and ignore my heart being crushed into dust.
Raised voices draw my attention to the outside.
'You can't take them,' Olivia says, striding towards the truck.
A man stands by her side. Several others flank them, guns held high but they don't look as confident or as dangerous as the Techies.
They look like amateurs.
'Yes, we can,' Evil Incarnate says confidently.
'She killed Klein. She needs to be punished appropriately,' Olivia snaps.
'She was defending herself from a serial rapist. I would have done the same in her position,' Evil Incarnate says.
Olivia shakes her head and splitters, 'Klein isn't...wasn't a-'
'He was and there are others. Klein told me Kit wasn't here but he tried to make a deal with me. He told me if he found her he would return her but if she was pregnant he wanted to keep the baby. Seeing as he lied about her being here that tells me he intended to keep her until she got pregnant.'
Bile rises up my throat at the thought of what Klein had planned. Olivia shakes her head, her mouth opens and closes.
I hate Olivia.
She ignored what was going on. I don't care how manipulative and clever Klein was, she must have seen some signs of what he was doing, but she ignored them.
'They're coming with us and there's nothing you can do to stop us.' Evil Incarnate ushers Zach and Raz, who arrived moments earlier with two Techies guarding him, into the back of the van with me and Cas.
I curse myself for feeling grateful to Evil Incarnate for saving us. She plans on keeping me captive and testing on me. Except, if I had to chose, I would rather a lifetime locked in a box being poked with needles than a second with Klein.
'Klein may still have succeeded,' A man says who stands beside Olivia, who looks at him in disgust.
'Klein is gone along with any paternity claim and right now, I think you have bigger problems to worry about,' Evil Incarnate says firmly as she climbs into the back with us. She gestures at the remaining two Techies to close the doors.
The doors slam shut, closing out any further conversation and engulfing us in darkness.
A loud hum fills the air, everything starts to vibrate around us and we're being jostled about. A light switches on in Louisa's hand and she shines it at me.
'Is Klein responsible for the marks around your neck?'
'Yes,' I say flatly. I can't stop myself from looking at Zach, who is staring at me with narrowed eyes.
'Is there any possibility you could be pregnant?' Louisa asks.
I avert my eyes from Zach's hardened expression and my throat feels raw. Was Klein right? Would Zach reject me if Klein had continued and finished what he intended? I already feel dirty from Klein's hands touching me whilst his words have coated me in an invisible layer of filth.
'Ask your questions later,' Cas snaps. She takes my free hand and squeezes it, and I give her a grateful grimace. Cas holds my hands tightly and I close my eyes, holding back the tears as I grip the gun I'm still holding, prepared to use it if Evil Incarnate goes back on her word.
I don't dare look at Zach. There's so many emotions swirling through me; I'm not sure I'd be able to stop them all pouring out.
I don't want to do that in front of Louisa because she'll use them against me. I don't want to do it when there's no point.
This really is the end.
The vehicle thrums underneath us and we bounce around gently, the sensation is strangely soothing. It hits me that this is the first time I've ridden in a vehicle with an engine, if it even has an engine. I wouldn't know.
It's fitting I suppose, a Techie vehicle taking me to my Techie destination. The place which created me, where I was always meant to be. Part of me wonders why I ever fought it.
The truck stops abruptly. The door swings open.
'We're at the town. Time to get out.'
Zach and Raz step out. I remain seated while Cas stands.
I grab her arm before she leaves and whisper, 'Thank you, Cas. For everything.'
Cas's mouth tightens as she nods. She hugs me tightly. 'I was just starting to think you were alright too.'
I smile weakly. 'Tell Haiden I'm sorry about Roman.'
'You've got nothing to be sorry for.' Cas releases me and exits the truck.
Zach turns waiting for me to exit but the Techies start to close the door. Zach looks perplexed until the realisation of what is happening dawns on him. He steps back towards the truck and I shake my head. He frowns, his eyes dart between me and his mum, Evil Incarnate.
'No,' Zach growls, grabbing the truck door which prevents The Techie from closing it. 'I will not let you-'
Evil Incarnate steps out and closes the truck doors behind her, blocking out Zach and his words.
Muffled shouts penetrate the walls. I drop the gun I'm still holding on the floor, curl into the corner of the truck and close my eyes.
The voices quieten on the outside of the truck until eventually, they stop.
The doors reopen; I keep my eyes closed. I don't want to see the look of satisfaction on Evil Incarnate's face as she reveals in the knowledge that she's won. I don't want to see Zach's face as he stands in the road preparing for a life of freedom without me. I don't want to say another goodbye to Zach because this time it will completely destroy me. Actually, it already has.
I've finally given up.
The doors close, someone knocks on the inside of the vehicle and it rumbles beneath us. My closed eyes don't stop the tears from falling and giving up doesn't stop my insides from hurting. At least this time, I'm not blindly hoping I'll be able to escape.
I'm finally accepting my place in this world.