"Am not."
"Are to." He pokes me playfully in the ribs. "Owen will be here soon. Everything will work out. And we'll find Jared well before midnight tomorrow night." The words he's saying are meant to be inspiring but I can't help dwelling on the before midnight tomorrow night part because anything after that will be too late and we both know it.
Twenty-three hours is all we have left before Jared turns eighteen and his choice is made final. And in the meantime, the whole world is slowly crashing down, the fate of everything resting in our hands, and all we have is a naive hope that Zoe will spill the beans on Blondie before our time's up.
Obviously, we're all insane.
"You're biting your lip again," Will teases. I try to smile and fail. "Hey." He tilts my chin up to look me in the eye. "It's all going to work out."
Jared said that once before to and look how well that turned out, I think to myself.
"How do you know?" I ask. It’s rhetorical. There is no real answer to this question.
"Because it has to," Will says simply. He tucks my hair behind my ear looking at me in a way he shouldn't. Before I can say anything about it a rope flies over the top of the wall from the other side, nearly smacking me in the face. Startled, I jump back and Will laughs. He grabs ahold of the rope giving it a tug. "See, I told you Owen would come through." Bracing his feet against the wall Will begins to climb, or more accurately, runs up the side of the wall. He's so fast and once he reaches the top he beckons for the rest of us to follow.
Luca goes next. He's nearly as fast as Will.
"Your turn." Eric holds out the rope for me to take.
"Okay." I take the rope and place my feet on the wall. This will be easy. It'll be just like gym class, I tell myself. I take a deep breath and climb up thankful we have a rope this time and that I'm not required to scale the wall like a ninja like last time. Will grabs my hand when I'm near the top helping me the rest of the way. In the time it takes me to swing my leg over the edge of the wall Eric has already sailed past me. He just might be faster than Will.
Will is the last one to come down. Instead of using the rope like the rest of us, he wraps it up and secures it at his waist. Then with a devil may care smile; he does a backflip over the side landing in a perfect crouch.
"Show off," Owen whispers and Will takes a bow.
Sticking to the shadows, we fall in line behind Owen as he leads us across the courtyard. Just as the five of us creep around the corner of a building my phone chirps loudly not once or twice but three times signaling incoming text messages.
Four heads whip around.
I freeze like a deer caught in headlights.
With a half grin and fast hands Will removes my phone from my back pocket. "Typically, when you're sneaking into a place you're not supposed to be it's customary to put your phone on silent." After turning the ringer off he hands it back.
"Sorry." I'm about to slip my phone back into my pocket when it vibrates in my hand and I nearly drop it. Cursing under my breath I look at the screen. "It's Kat. If I don't text her back she won't stop."
Opening my messages I read to myself.
Where r u?
Did you seriously leave w/out Adam & I?
R u at The Compound?
If ur there w/o me I’m gonna b so mad at u.
I reply back quickly. Sorry. Not safe 4 u & Adam 2 b here. Txt u later.
"We can go now," I say to the four sets of eyes staring at me.
Owen peeks around the corner of the building currently keeping us from view. Deeming the coast clear he waves us forward. We head toward where the old church used to stand before The Fallen burnt it to the ground. In its place, a new church has risen.
Owen walks to the front door of the church. Once there he waves us over one at a time. Inside, the floor is covered in drop cloths and painting supplies. Above us, plastic sheeting hangs from various high wooden beams.
"This way." Moving aside a sheet of plastic, Owen leads us into a nearly finished hallway. Halfway down he stops in front of a large wooden door done in a cherry finish with symbols carved all around the doorframe. He punches in a code in the security keypad above the handle. When the light turns green he opens the door and we follow him down a set of stone stairs.
The basement level smells faintly musty and there's a layer of dust on the framed paintings hanging on the wall. This must be part of the original church left untouched by the fire, I think to myself while getting caught up in looking at the art. Most of the paintings are biblical in nature and one in particular of an angel with a sword in his hand and glorious white wings sprouting from his back holds my interest.
"Hanna." I look over to see Will motioning for me to re-join them. They're all standing in front of a closed door while Owen fishes around in his jacket pocket.
"Sorry."
I make it back to the group just as Owen pulls out a long skeleton key. It gleams in the light casting bright reflections. He slips it into the lock and with a twist of his wrist the door swings open.
"She's in there." Owen steps aside letting Eric and Will in first. Luca and I follow behind them with Owen bringing up the rear. He closes the door behind us with a soft click.
Metal bars spanning from floor to ceiling divide the room in half with Zoe safely locked away on one side and us standing on the other. This is not the kind of room I ever imagined would be in a church, a jailhouse maybe, but definitely not a church. I step closer to the bars after noticing small carvings etched into the metal to get a better look. I think maybe it's words though the only one I can read is Zoe's name and it repeats dozens of times over every bar.
"What is this?" I ask aloud to no one in particular. I run my finger over the words.
"It's to keep her bound," Luca answers.
The sound of the cell door being opened redirects my attention and I watch as Owen removes a thin shiny onyx band from his pocket and snaps it around Zoe's wrist. The symbols carved into the surface glow with a soft bluish white light before fading out.
Backing out of the cell, Owen re-locks Zoe's cell door. "We should be good to go whenever you guys are ready for me to wake her up."
"Is that the suppression device?" I ask, indicating the band around Zoe's wrist. "It looks so small and insignificant. What's to keep her from ripping it off or scratching out the symbols carved into it?"
"Trust me, it’s durable and incorruptible. The only way it can ever be removed is if Thomas himself removes it," Owen assures us all. "So, are we ready?"
Neither Eric nor Will answers. They both stare straight ahead at Zoe with a look that's both haunting and tortured.
Shrugging his shoulders at their lack of response, Owen starts without their go ahead. He clasps his hands together and closes his eyes. As mumbled words move past his lips a soft purple haze begins to glow around Zoe's body, covering her from head to toe. It wavers then begins to gather in on itself, coalescing into a ball over her chest. For a moment it hovers there suspended above her, and then quick as lightning it shoots into Owen's hands where he crushes it.
Zoe's eyes begin to flutter.
She's waking up.
***
"Well, well, well, looks like the gangs all here." Rolling onto her side, Zoe props her head up with her hand. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" There's enough sarcasm in her voice to fill the room.
Face-hardened, all emotions hidden, Eric approaches her cell. "I need you to tell me where Blondie would be keeping Jared."
"Really?" She pushes herself up to sit on the edge of the cot. Crossing her legs, one over the other she studies the band around her wrist. "And why would I do that? What's in it for me?" She twists her arm side to side. "And what is this wretched thing around my wrist?"
"It's a suppression device made just for you. Now answer my question." Whatever haunted look Eric had in his eye before Zoe awoke is gone and in its place is something harder and colder.
"Take it off and maybe I'll think about it," she says in a swe
et condescending sort of way. She holds her wrist out giving it a shake.
"It's never coming off, so I suggest you learn to love it," Eric answers. He's pretending this whole situation doesn't bother him, but his shoulders are held tense and his voice is noticeably controlled. And if I can tell, so can she. "For the third time, where is Blondie holding Jared?"
Zoe smiles, pretends to zip her mouth shut, then taps at the band on her wrist.
Will takes ahold of Eric's arm, leading him off into the corner for a private talk. Heads together they whisper back and forth to one another. Eric whispers something causing Will's face to pale. Will shakes his head against whatever Eric's said to him.
"Anything but that," Will says loud enough for me to hear. Eric shushes him and leans in even closer. He whispers things I can't hear for several minutes before Will reluctantly nods his consent though he doesn't exactly seem happy to agree.
"Whispering about me over there dear brothers?" Zoe calls out.
Will hangs back while Eric approaches her cell once again. "No more games Zoe. Tell me what I need to know."
"And if I don't?" She's enjoying this and it makes me both sick and angry. She really is no better than Blondie.
"Then you'll leave me no choice but to take it from you," Eric says, the threat clear in his voice.
"Yeah right. You'd never have the balls to go through with it." Now she's the one pretending ‘cause there's a hint of fear in her eyes. I wonder how Eric plans on getting the information needed and why it has Zoe pretending she's not afraid.
"What happened to you?" Eric asks, voice so low it's almost a whisper.
"I grew up and opened my eyes wide enough to see the world for what it truly is and what it could be. You guys could too, once you get rid of her." She nods her head in my direction. "You know she's the one who got Sam killed right? If Stupid Whore over there hadn't been in the alley, or minded her own business, Sam wouldn't have tried to run and Jasper wouldn't have accidentally stabbed him when he tried to restrain him."
"Did he accidentally stab Logan too?" Eric asks. "Or should we blame Hanna for that also?"
For the first time Zoe almost seems at a loss for words. Almost. "Well, she did hesitate." She winks at me then rolls her eyes at Eric. "It's war Eric. Sometimes death, though sad," She pouts her lips for a moment as she brushes away nonexistent tears. "Is inevitable.” It takes every bit of will power I have, and even then, I have to dig deep, to not reach through those bars and strangle her. Never in my life have I met someone so evil, with the exception of Blondie of course. “Unfortunately for you Eric, Logan happened to be one of those poor souls destined to die in the name of something better. But if you join Jasper and I in bringing about a new world her death won't have to be in vain. With Jasper, we'll never have to hide who we are from the world because we can take it and make it our own. No longer will we have to bow down and serve humanity; humanity will bow down and serve us. We'll be like Gods Eric and everything will be ours for the taking.”
"Do you even get how delusional you are?" Will spits out before Eric can say anything.
"You know what I'm saying is right Will. Being twins you and I we think alike." Zoe trails a finger along the bars, keeping her eyes trained on Will. "Think of all the things you could have if you joined with us. Think of all the things you could get rid of. Like say a certain pesky boyfriend standing between you and a certain someone." She flicks her eyes to me then focuses back on Will. "A pesky boyfriend who will no longer be needed once his task is complete, if you catch my drift."
My jaw wants to drop to the floor and my fists wants to meet her face as I listen to the words coming out of her mouth. She doesn't know Will at all. He would never join her much less get rid of Jared in the hopes of being with me.
"We may be twins Zoe, but I am nothing like you and I would rather die a hundred deaths than join you."
She shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. "Suit yourself. Though I have a feeling being dead won't be nearly as much fun as it would be to play with Jasper and I."
Having heard enough I slam my hands against the bars holding her captive. "You make me sick you know that. Do you really not care if your brothers live or die or if the world as we know it comes to an end? Are you so deluded to really believe The Fallen taking over will be a good thing because it won't be? Not for the innocent people who will suffer at their hands and not for you who so stupidly believes Blondie gives a damn about you. Wake up Zoe and stop kidding yourself. Blondie's a liar and once he's done with you, you'll be just as expendable as you perceive Jared to be."
Zoe snarls like some rabid animal then grabs my wrist yanking me hard into the bars. My head slams into the cold metal separating her from me as stars dance around my vision. For a girl who supposedly has her abilities suppressed she still has a strong grip, which she further proves when she wraps a hand around my throat. Squeezing tight she gets in my face, her teeth clenched shut, her eyes narrowed and volatile. "I told you before his name is Jasper. And you are wrong. Jasper loves me and when all is said and done it will be he and I that rule this world and you will be nothing but insects waiting to be crushed under our boots. And I will crush you Hanna." She says my name like it's some disgusting thing in her mouth she's spitting out. Her eyes dart around the room, her hand squeezing tighter around my throat. "I’ll crush all of you."
"Let her go Zoe," Will demands.
"If you want her, you can have her." She shoves me hard to the side, knocking me into Will. Released from her grip I suck in air and immediately start coughing. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me to the back of the room. I can already feel myself healing from the damage she's caused, but Will lends a healing hand to help speed up my recovery anyway.
"Are you okay?" His eyes look at me with concern; the rest of his body is poised to strike against his sister. I nod and he lets me go to re-join Eric. Once he's beside him they share a look communicating something unspoken.
Eric pulls out a knife from inside his jacket. "This is your last warning Zoe. Tell me what I want to know or I swear, I will take it from you."
"No you won't." She straightens her back, holding herself tall. She juts her chin out, eyes steadily locked onto Eric. He lowers the knife to the palm of his hand. Her eyes flick to the blade and for just a moment her bravado cracks showing real fear in the possibility that he just might. "You wouldn't dare. You know what could happen to me if you do."
"I know," Eric replies.
"You're not going to let him do this to me are you Will?" There's a slight tremble to her hands though her voice for the moment is still steady. Ignoring her, Will stays silent. "Will?"
"Owen, open the door." Knife in hand, Eric enters the small space of Zoe's cell. Fear washes over her face. She takes a few steps back until falling onto her butt when she backs into the cot. "Last chance Zoe. I don't want to do this to you, but I will if I have to."
Outside the cell, Will grips the bars so hard his knuckles are turning white. His whole body stiffens and I get the feeling he's warring with himself over whether or not he should let this happen.
I move a little closer to Luca. "What exactly is Eric going to do to her?"
"He's going to enter her mind." Flashbacks of Blondie doing the same thing to me to get to Sam's memories rushes through my head and I shutter. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. The feel of someone else in your mind, ripping through every thought and every memory you've ever had is not something I ever want to experience again. A small, a very, very, very small part of me almost feels a little bad for her. Almost. "And if he does," Luca continues. "There's a chance things could get a little scrambled and she'll either go completely insane or become catatonic, forever locked inside herself with no way out."
"Oh." As bad as it was having Blondie inside my head at least he never left me insane or stuck as a vegetable. Hearing this I feel like I should be appalled or at least feel sorry for her in some way, but I just can't bring myself to feel anything at all for
her other than anger. Besides, she brought all this on herself by aligning with the side of evil. And it's not like she's innocent in all this either. She's done her fair share of mind control and manipulations on Jared, on me, on unsuspecting people at The Iron Knife, and on those she called family. She forced Eric to stand still while Blondie murdered Logan right in front of him and in my book that's unforgivable. She deserves a taste of her own medicine so she can see what it's like to have someone else messing around inside your head. And if things get a little scrambled like Luca said during the process, well, then maybe she deserves that too.
Eric drags the sharp edge of the blade across the underside of both his hands then tucks the knife into the waist of his pants. His hands fill with enough blood it starts to drip onto the floor. Zoe's eyes widen. Terrified, she scoots herself backwards onto the cot until her back hits the wall. He climbs onto the cot after her. Resting on his knees, he brings his hands to the sides of her face.
"Stop! Stop!" Zoe screams. "I'll tell you everything you want to know, I swear."
"Then let's hear it." Eric lowers his hands and she begins to cry. Distancing himself from her, he wipes the blood in his hands off on the front of his jeans.
On the other side of the cell Will rests his forehead on the bars, his grip relaxing now that Eric doesn't have to go through with violating Zoe's mind. Despite the fact that she's betrayed them multiple times both Eric and Will still love her, and they probably always will, no matter how much that love destroys them.
"We're waiting Zoe," Eric prompts.
Tears run profusely down her face. She doesn't want Eric meddling around in her brain, but she doesn't want to betray Blondie either. Too bad she didn't have loyalty like that for her family or for Sam because maybe if she did we wouldn't all be in this huge mess right now and Sam might still be alive.
Losing patience with Zoe, Eric pulls his knife back out.
"Okay, okay." Zoe tucks herself into a ball, holding her knees tightly to her chest. "Blondie is keeping him in these underground tunnels under the town. They access them through the basement of one of the abandoned factories."
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