They Are Monsters (Deathless Trilogy, #2)

Chapter Nine: Isla's Army

My stomach rises up in my throat as I stand in front of these women, all staring at me with hopeful eyes and lab equipment. They expect me to be their leader? I shrink into myself. It's enough pressure just to be the last Deathless here, but to be the last Deathless and a leader? I don't know if I can.

First thing's first, I tell myself. "Where are we?"

"We're in the run-off shafts. The estate is protected against any natural disaster, including floods. If water levels should ever get high enough, they'll run down here and leak back into the underground water reserve," Nina explains.

"And you girls stole all of that?" I raise my chin toward the case of chemical samples.

Some girls look down in shame, but most just smile. "With all their technology, it's amazing what they don't see," one of the girls says. I haven't met her yet, but her hair is like a golden lion's mane around her thin face.

"Even the chemical case?" I ask, smiling in disbelief.

The lioness smiles and turns to Nina, who begins laughing.

"They threw it out, so we brought it down through a drain from the yard when they were all gone to unload equipment from the trains. I can't believe it still works," Nina says.

"How many of you are there?" I ask.

Nina turns back and counts. "34," she says. Some army. "35 including you."

"Is this all of the Comforters?"

"No... that's why we have to meet down here. We can't trust everyone. A lot of them believe the crap Cooper says."

"So... what do you want from me exactly?" I try to hold back my skepticism, but I don't even convince myself. I can tell that some of the girls sense it to, as that faraway look leaves their eyes and they lower the instruments they were carrying.

Nina is temporarily speechless and looks around at all the girls before looking back at me, with an expression that asks, "Are you an idiot? Isn't it obvious?"

"I just told you," she says. "We want to take Cooper and this whole operation down, and we need someone to lead us. I would if I knew more about the science behind everything, but I don't. I know how to fight, but I don't know how to fight off the drones. I don't know how to use any of these chemicals. But you do, and you showed all of us at the party how brave you are."

"I can't do that stuff anymore," I mutter.

"Don't pretend like you can't or you don't have time for us or whatever, because we know what you did at the bunker. You can do that again, and we want to be your army. We weren't scientists, but we were survivors. We know how to kill. We are good soldiers."

I look at Celia. She's a good soldier? Her bony shoulders are arched like support beams to her ears, and she turns the glass beaker around with her spidery fingers. Without her poofy dress, I can see her actual size, and I feel like if I coughed in her direction, she'd fall over.

Nina continues, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "You were meant to come here, and lead us out."

With all their short sleeves, I can see that no one has the controls on their arms. They are all human. There's no false belief, no manipulation, not like Nate. These girls really believe in me, like Declan and my mom. Like Daniel. The guilt burns inside me. I shouldn't have said what I did, I crossed the line.

I decide not to let anyone else down, and to keep the promise I made to Jane before I lost my nerve. "Okay," I concede, even if I have no faith in myself. At least they do. "Sorry it took me so long to answer, of course, I'll lead you."