Chained - Everything you know is a lie...

by Susanne Valenti

Chapter Twenty Three

  Hunter took us out of the guarded compound to a building full of apartments. It was a lot more like the kind of living arrangements that I had been used to in the city though it was much more spacious.

  "There's power on in this block, so you can have showers and lights but it's a bit sparse on fixtures," he said as he opened the door for us.

  There was one bedroom which was devoid of any furniture but Hunter gave us all roll mats and sleeping bags so that we could make our own beds. We set about sorting out our sleeping arrangements and Hunter produced some dried noodles and vegetables and made us all a stir fry.

  We spent dinner laughing at Hunter's stories, many of which involved him teaching Coal and Alicia various ways to get into trouble and them doing it with varying levels of success. He was somewhere between a mentor and big brother to them and watching the easy way they acted together made me ache for the familiarity of my own family and Taylor.

  Eventually, long after the sun had gone down, Hunter left and we lay down to sleep. I looked at the window. The shutters had been moved into place hours ago, locking us in and everything else out. It was strangely comforting. I had lived my whole life in rooms without real windows and the shutters made it a little easier to sleep somehow.

  I rolled onto my back and sighed as I tried to fall asleep. A hand found mine in the darkness and our fingertips brushed against each other. A jolt ran up my arm at the contact, but I left my hand in place. Eventually I drifted off listening to the sound of Coal's breathing, deep and slow in sleep.

  A pounding on the door brought me to my senses. It was still pitch black in the room but, as I squinted about, the shutters outside the windows opened mechanically, letting in the light of the dawn which was just cresting the trees. The pounding sounded again from the front door and I stumbled up to open it.

  I spent several moments feeling for the scanner to click the door open in my dazed state before I remembered there wouldn't be one. It then took me an embarrassingly long time to work out how the lock on the door unbolted manually.

  After much rattling, an irritated kick and a bit of swearing, I managed to swing the door open. Hunter towered over me in the doorway with his characteristic grin slapped across his face.

  "It's not normal to be that cheery at this time of the morning," I muttered.

  "It's not normal for the majority of a person's hair to point upwards but who am I to judge?" He winked. I ran a hand through the tangle as I stepped back to let him in.

  "I thought first light was a turn of phrase not an actual time." I scowled as I searched the cupboards for some form of caffeine. I could hear the others stirring in the bedroom.

  "Clearly." He raised an eyebrow which seemed to judge my shorts and vest-top make do pyjamas. I frowned at him.

  "You realise I didn't exactly get time to pack when I left the city."

  "Obviously." He smiled and picked at his fingernails in a superior way - I don't even know how you can make doing that look superior but he did.

  "I've borrowed a few things and it seemed a bit much to ask for night wear too-"

  "Uh-hu." How could a noise sound judgemental? I found some coffee and set the kettle boiling. "Two sugars," Hunter added.

  "Besides, you don't look too peachy yourself." I eyed his spotless tank top and camouflage pants and huffed at my entirely inaccurate insult.

  To my utter frustration, Hunter was laughing. I slammed an extra coffee mug onto the counter hard enough that it should have cracked and when it didn't I was even more annoyed. I spun on my heel and opened my mouth, ready to shout something, just as Coal walked out of the bedroom.

  "Leave her alone Hunter." He smiled and slapped the huge man on the back. "What's he done to you?" he asked me.

  "I... he... I don't know." I slammed my hands down on the table in exasperation.

  "Don't sweat it, it's a special talent of his." He walked around the table towards me and laid a hand on top of mine. "Deep breath." I did as I was told and my rage evaporated, though it may have had more to do with standing so close to Coal than it had to do with any breathing exercises.

  "She's not one of your little projects," Coal berated him.

  Hunter spread his hands before him to protest his innocence.

  "It's habit," Hunter said.

  "What is?" I asked.

  "Baiting people. It's a kind of training that he likes to use. It's supposed to help teach you how to keep a clear head under difficult circumstances," Coal explained.

  "Why would I need that?" I narrowed my eyes at Hunter. Maybe I'd been hasty in deciding I liked him.

  "Sometimes, in a fight, a distraction can cost you dearly. Keeping a clear head can be very important." Hunter smiled. "Sorry."

  I rolled my eyes. "It's fine. It might not be a bad idea for me to have some advantages in a fight."

  "I thought they trained you for SubWar?" Coal asked.

  "She can shoot and throw knives almost like a pro," Laurie said walking into the room. "But in a fist fight, she'd lose to a five year old."

  "I'm not that bad," I protested.

  "Seriously, if you're ever out of ammo and knives - just run," she advised me.

  "Are you really that bad?" Alicia arrived looking irritatingly perfect.

  "No," I snapped. "I'm getting changed." I stormed into the bedroom and rooted around until I found my SubWar pants and boots and a clean white tank top. I pulled a brush through my hair and took a breath before re-emerging in the living area.

  "Sorry if I upset you," Laurie said, holding my eye. "But if we're heading into a fight it's only fair that we all know each other's strengths and weaknesses."

  "It's okay, I know I'm not great in a fist fight," I sighed.

  "Maybe I can give you some lessons when we get back," Coal offered.

  "Or maybe, as someone who actually knows how to train people, I could." Hunter gave Coal a look that I couldn't work out.

  "Or maybe I could!" Alicia gushed. "Seriously people, can we talk about something relevant to the mission. I'll give Maya some extra knives later, problem solved." I smiled at Alicia's forthright manner.

  "Thanks," I muttered and she flashed me a smile back.

  "So what's the plan?" Laurie asked.

  "Simple. Breakfast, then we hit the road," Hunter said as he produced a bag filled with fresh croissants and a jar of strawberry jam.