"Wait." My foot paused over the stairs.
"Go ahead, I wouldn’t want you to have to wake Stephan up. In the morning, I will have to let him know you went down there." He tried to warn me, but I was already flying down the stairs to the jail room.
They kept the lights on during night time. There was one soldier sitting at a desk by the start of the jail cells. He looked at me with confusion when he saw me, but stayed put when he saw the look on my face.
When I got to Evelyn’s brothers cell, tension tightened in my shoulders. It was now or never. Hearing my footsteps, he opened his eyes and just looked at me. He said nothing and did nothing.
"Play along," I whispered, not giving him a heads up about what was going on. "Help!" I yelled, waking up the other inmates.
The guard at the desk came running over. He looked at me and back into Evelyn's brother's cell frantically, trying to see what was going on. As hard as I could, I bashed his face into the iron bar. He dropped to the floor like a fly. I bent down and snatched the keys and gun from his pocket and holster.
"What key?" I asked, looking at the young man.
"Red one." His tone was bland.
I flinched after I opened the cell gate. An alarm went off. "Take the gun and take me hostage," I demanded, pushing the gun into his hands.
My plan wasn’t really thought out. All the inmates were going crazy and guards were running down the stairs, headed in our direction. He did not hesitate, immediately twisting my arm behind my back and pointing the gun at my head.
What did I get myself into? I did not know how deep his hate ran for his sister. For all I know, when we get out of here, he would really pull the trigger. My heart was beating so fast it hurt.
"I'll blow her brains out! Stay back!" He twisted my arm up further making me groan in pain. The soldiers all came to a halt but had their weapons aimed ready to fire. My eyes watered at the intense pain in my shoulder. I bit my lip, holding back profanities. "Backup." The young man warned.
"Rugter." A soldier warned. "You don’t want to do this. That is your sister you have in your arms."
Rugter laughed without humor. "This is a traitor, not my sister. Now step back!" Spit flew out of his mouth when he yelled. The soldiers marched backwards at the same time. I shook as we begin walking forwards. Rugter turned us after we passed all the cells so that our back was facing the window. "Shoot the glass," He ordered the soldiers.
One of them shot at the glass, but it did not break. The glass was bullet proof. That is not good. I was getting so nervous my knees got shaky. It was hard to stand still. The pain on my shoulder was becoming unbearable. He was hurting me.
"You are trapped." Someone shouted from the back of the formation.
Rugter did not seem worried at all. He walked backwards and made us go behind the desk where the soldier was posted at earlier. He loosened his hold on my shoulder. "Bend down and open the drawer."
The cold, metal gun stayed pressed to the back of my head as I bent down to open the drawer. There was a lot of papers and folders. I moved the papers around, searching for something, but not knowing what. I paused when I reached the bottom of the drawer. There was a grenade. How did he know it was in here?
"Pick it up," Rugter ordered, retightening his hold on my arm.
I lifted the grenade with shaky hands.
A soldier took a few steps forward. “You don’t want to do that.” I sensed fear in his voice. I recognized him as Kyle, the young man who opened my car door earlier in the evening. He wore a wedding ring on his left hand. Did he have a wife? Children? If Rugter planned on killing all of these people, he was no better than Stephan or Evelyn. I regretted my decision instantly. A fault in my almost flawless personality was: I never thought things out. Whenever I had an urge, or an idea per say, I always acted on it. Many times in life, it has gotten me into trouble.
“Now this is what’s going to happen. You all are going to go all the way down to the other end of the jail. If you do not listen, I will blow us all up.” Rugter’s voice was menacing.
None of them moved. His plan was not working. Rugter dropped my arm but kept the gun on the back of my head. I closed my eyes. He took the grenade from my hands.
My heart was beating hard and my ears were ringing. I could no longer hear what was going on around us. My breathing started coming in short pants. I was having a panic attack. The world around me began to sway. Adam’s voice entered my mind. Breathe in. Breathe out. I repeated that to myself for a few minutes
By the time I opened my eyes, the soldiers were slowly backing away, but keeping their eyes on us. Rugter shoved me forward roughly. When we reached the stairs, he made me walk side by side with him. He pointed the gun into my side.
“When I say run, run.” He whispered harshly in my ear.
“What?”
“Run!” I heard something clink down the stairs and he yanked on my arm. Before we made it five steps up the stairs, there was a strong force in the air. My feet lifted off the ground and I flew forward. Bashing the side of my face on the door, I groaned. I was in immense pain. Everywhere. The ringing in my ears earlier was nothing compared to the ringing I heard now. I opened my eyes, but the world was spinning all around me. I tried to move my arm, but it felt heavy.
I was swooped off of my feet. I did not even try and see who picked me up. I just let my heavy head fall back. Everywhere hurt. My head hurt. My body felt like it was broken everywhere. Cool air slid across my burning skin. We were outside.
The person carrying me was running now. My body bounced with every step the person took. I cried out in pain.
“Sorry.” That was Seth’s voice.
We were caught. It was over now. A tear escaped from my eye. It was all over. I started my mission a half hour ago and I had already failed. Was I going to be locked in a jail cell for the rest of my life like Rugter? He killed all those people. He was worse than I really thought he was. I thought he was only in there for associating with rebels, but he had the heart to kill. Who was he to take the life of another human being?
Fury filled me. My eyes popped open and I slowly became aware of everything going on around me. Seth was running. My limp body bounced up and down in his arms. There was shouting everywhere. Gun shots rang out into the night. Smoke filled the air. We were in a war zone. The night sky was full of twinkling stars. It was beautiful. I wanted to go up there with the stars and bask a delicate glow on Earth.
Seth was running to the end of the iron gates. Beyond the gates, there was a forest. I couldn’t seem to escape the trees. Why was he running away with me in his arms? I lifted my heavy arm and dropped it over his shoulder.
Seth looked down at me. His eyes were unreadable. He came to a halt when we reached the gate. Seth gently set me on my feet, catching me when my knees gave out. I was surprised he didn’t let me fall like last time.
He said something. His mouth was moving, but I could not hear him. I attempted to read his lips, but that was a fail. Seth pulled a gun out and I froze. He was going to shoot me. His copper hair fell into his face when he looked down at me. I couldn’t read the emotion in his eyes. He pressed his lips together and looked behind him. Over the roar in my ears, I could hear the gun shots. They were nonstop. How many people were dying right now because I wanted to set Rugter free? What have I done?
Guilt ate at me and I looked down. Seth put his hand under my chin and made me look up at him.
“Take the gun.” His voice sounded far away.
I shook my head. I just wanted it all to end.
Seth put the gun in my hands and pointed it at himself. “Shoot me. Shoot me so I can go back. They can’t know I helped you escape.”
I opened and closed my mouth. That was not what I expected him to say after he pulled a gun out. The gun felt like a million pounds in my hand. “I can’t.” I whispered.
“Yes, Evelyn, you can. I have seen you kill. I know things are different now that your memories are lost, but the girl you were is
still in there. You are still in there. Shoot me.” He sounded desperate. The gun shots were getting closer now.
I shook my head back and forth, making the pain in my body worse.
Seth wrapped his hand around mine. Before I was able to stop him, he pushed on the trigger. The blast from the gun made my hand jerk. He fell to his knees, putting pressure on his stomach.
“What did you do?” I screamed, dropping to my knees. The gun fell to the soft grass.
Seth groaned, dropping his head. “Run now, Evelyn.”
I laid my hand over his bloody hand. “Why did you help me escape? How did you know I helped Rugter?” My voice broke.
Why didn’t he turn me in? He was supposed to be one of the bad guys.
“I saw the determination on your face when you were walking towards the basement. I just had a feeling. Go now. They are coming.” Seth’s voice held urgency.
I don’t know what overcame me. Maybe it was the adrenalin pumping through my veins, maybe it was the fact that I just shot him, or maybe I was just losing my mind. I lifted Seth’s face with my bloody hands and pressed my lips against his cheek. A surprised noise rumbled in his throat. I pulled back. “Thank you.” I breathed.
I looked towards the building and saw soldiers running in our direction, their guns aimed right at us. A bullet whizzed past my head. I gave Seth a fleeting look and run over to the iron gate. This was going to hurt. I pulled myself over and jumped off. Pain shot up my feet. Half jogging, half running I made it into the safety of the trees.
I don’t know when I came to think being in the forest was safe, but I could not ignore the comfort it provided me in that moment. I tenderly touched the side of my face and flinched. It was swollen and in pain. I didn’t even make it a few minutes into the forest before someone’s hand wrapped around my arm.
“Don’t scream.” It was Adam’s voice.
What was he doing here? I kept my mouth clamped shut. Everywhere I went, I ran into trouble. Adam dragged me through the forest, not saying a word. I heard a dog bark in the distance.
He muttered curse words. “Hound dogs. We need to hurry up and reach the creek.”
I cried out in pain when he made us start running. I didn’t know how much more abuse my body was going to be able to take. I don’t know why I was following Adam. Seth told me to go to Rugter.
“Wait, Evelyn’s brother.” I caught my mistake. “I mean my brother. I need to find him.”
Adam yanked my arm hard when he felt me slowing down. “Don’t act like you care about his well-being. I don’t know what you’re plotting, but we will find out.”
Plotting? I attempt to save Rugter and now I am plotting something? I was panting by the time we reached the lake. The ringing in my ears finally went down. The barking of the dogs was getting closer. The freezing water made me teeth start chattering the moment we stepped foot in it. I slipped on a rock but caught my balance.
We swam across the creek. The dress was sticking to my body. I was so cold my skin got itchy. When we got out of the water, I saw people waiting by the trees. We were caught. Adam saw them too, but his footsteps didn’t falter. He was heading straight towards them.
“Hurry.” A female voice said. I recognized her voice. She was the girl who was with Adam that first night I tried escaping.
When we reached them, Adam shoved me forwards. The girl, about the same height as me, wrapped something around my wrists binding them together. She tied something to my bound wrists and yanked. I was the prisoner now.
After a few minutes of running, we broke out from the trees. We were right by a freeway. A van was parked, engine on. I got ushered into the very back of the van. Adam took the passenger seat making me sit in the back with the girl. She gave me a dirty look and stared straight forward.
The driver started speeding away down the freeway, dodging abandoned cars. I was silent. I left Rugter. I abandoned him. Who knew what The Unit would do to him now? And Seth… why had he saved me? Did he know the rebels were in the woods? Did he know I would end up with them? Everything in my life was going too fast. My life was spiraling out of control.
I sniffled.
“Oh, God. The princess is about to cry.” The girl scooted away from me like I contained a disease.
I bit my lip, hard. I needed to learn how to control my emotions. I needed to learn how to keep everything in. Things were different here. I needed to be strong, not weak.
“Play nice, Chantel.” Adam warned, from the front seat.
My brown hair was plastered to my face, my teeth were chattering so hard that it rattled my brain, and I knew my lips were blue. I have never been so cold in my entire life.
Everyone was quiet for the rest of the ride. We drove until the sun came up. I kept looking behind us, expecting to see SUVs on our trail catching up, but none ever came. I couldn’t get Seth out of my head. What if he died? The gun was in close range when he made me shoot him in the stomach. I would be a murderer just like Evelyn. I was no better than her.
He was going to die the way Sanchez died. Blood spilling out of his mouth and dropping to the floor. It was my fault. All this was my fault. Guilt weighed heavily on my heart. I was a ruiner. I tried to do good and instead I hurt people. How can one human being cause so much damage?
Chapter Seven
We drove for a long time. I could feel the sun beating against my face through the window. My eyes were closed, blocking out this thing I called my life. My dress was damp and sticking to my skin.
Adam spoke. "Is she sleeping?"
I felt Chantel peer at me. I kept my breathing even and moved slightly.
"Yes," She answered shifting away from me.
"From the looks of it, Evelyn broke her brother out. I do not know why she would do something like that, but I don't trust her reasoning. Seth said she has been different sense the bombing. More quiet and soft, but all it takes is her getting her memory back for her to flip into the monster that she was again."
My ears perked at Seth's name. Was he in the rebellion? If he was a part of the rebels, what was he doing being Stephane's wing man and in The Unit? That was a dangerous game to be playing.
"A grenade went off in the jail cells. Some of the soldiers were wounded while others were killed."
My stomach plummeted. Lives were lost because of me.
"All those gunshots you guys were hearing, that was the people rebelling. They heard the alarm go off. They knew a prisoner escaped. They were running over to see if it was their wife's, husbands, kids, or anyone they knew. We know the consequences for escaped prisoners..." Adam trailed off.
A guy spoke up. "How odd that she broke her brother out the day we were heading in."
Were they going to break him out?
"It was a good thing she picked today. Her plan had less of a death rate than ours." Adam replied. He sounded exhausted. Stressed.
Chantel got pissed. "Who cares if her plan had less of a death rate? She is one of them. She represents everything The Unit is. We have seen first handed what she has done. She's a person's worst nightmare."
It got quiet after Chantel’s rant. The road got bumpy. We were off of the freeway now. I peeked an eye open to see we were on a one lane road headed straight for the country.
Adam fiddled with a radio. I froze when I heard Stephan’s voice.
"Many lives were lost today and we all are mourning the loss that our country has faced. Soldiers died on the front of the line as well as citizens. Together we will find peace, tranquility. And I am going to need your help. My daughter was taken hostage by the rebels. The rebels broke Rugter out of prison today. Both are missing. Around all open cities, you will have pictures of Evelyn and Rugter and suspected people in the rebels. We will come together as one and find peace, but I am going to need your help. We can't do this without you, the people."
Stephan went on to name the fallen soldiers and citizens. My mind kept replaying what he said. He said the rebels took me hostage, which they did, givi
ng to the fact that my arms are tied up. He doesn't know that, though. I shot Seth to make it look like he tried to stop me. Seth probably told him bits and pieces of the story. This wasn't adding up.
Chantel screamed. I jumped up so high my head hit the roof of the van.
"He's dead." She started sobbing. Chantel grabbed onto her thick, curly brown hair and started rocking back and forth. She attempted to speak, but her words were incoherent. Adam was swearing up at the front seat. He slammed his fists onto the dashboard. A young man in the middle seat of the van covered his face with his hands. The driver pulled over to the side of the road.
I looked around, confused. Who had died? I did not listen to the names. I was too lost in thought. Was it a citizen that they cared deeply about? This was all my fault...
Chantel randomly turned to me and wrapped her hands around my throat. She began to choke me. Her brown eyes peered into my blue eyes. "You were the last one to see him. What happened?"
I pried her fingers off of my throat and shoved her backwards. I bent over, coughing and gasping for air. For such a tiny girl, she was extremely strong. "Who?" I gasped.
"Seth!" she screeched, voice breaking.
I looked at Adam and back to her. "I don't know what is going on?"
But I had a feeling I did know. Seth was dead. All because he made me shoot him. I wasn't righting Evelyn's wrongs. I was making everything worse.
"We need to stay calm." The driver turned around and looked every single one of us in our eyes. He seemed older. Pushing his thirties. His eyes were as green as freshly watered grass. He had dark eyebrows that made the color in his eyes more intense. I could tell he was composing his face, trying to keep it together. He was hanging off of a loose thread.
“Evelyn.” Adam said my name like it was a statement.
I looked at him, holding back my own tears. I was a killer. I was a monster. Self-loathe filled me.
Revolutionary Love (The Revolution Series Book 1) Page 6