Relentless (Book 3)

Chapter 1: Cory - The First Day

I had my head buried in my hands as we drove away. I'd just left my two best friends in the capital to be tortured by prison guards while they awaited public execution. Bethany was going to be distraught. Not to mention furious. I just hoped she could forgive me.

The events of the past few days were replaying in my mind as I sat in silence in the backseat. The morning we were supposed to leave, Benjamin caught up to me after I dropped Sophie at her friend's house. He was the reason I was late getting to the meeting spot that morning. The memory of that conversation was vivid in my mind. I was on the way to our meeting point when I felt a hand grip my shoulder tight. I turned around and saw Benjamin. I panicked and began trying to think of ways to get to the meeting point without him following me there.

I had never seen him look so broken. The closest I'd come to seeing him look so devastated was when Bethany almost died on our way to the Outskirts. And now she was leaving him behind in the very place she almost died trying to reach. His words came out in shuddering gasps. "Thank God you haven't left yet. Bethany left me a note. She said she was leaving today. I thought I was too late."

"You are too late." I replied. The little bit of hope he had in eyes vanished. "I promised Bethany I would make sure you stayed here, safe."

Tears streamed down his face. "Cory, you can't let her go alone. I can't protect her if I'm stuck here. I'm helpless here. But if I go back with her, she will have a fighting chance with those guards." I shook my head sadly in response and he started to panic. Between gasps if air, he begged me to help him. "I'll die if we don't get her back, Cory. I need to be there for her. I need to protect her. What happens if she is alone there and they break her down? What happens if there isn't enough left of her to bring back?" His body shook. "Why does she get a choice? Why don't I get to choose my own path like she does? You're forcing me into helplessness."

His words were wearing down my resolve. He stared at me. "What if they push her body past it's breaking point by mistake? What if she dies in that prison because no one is there to share the guards' wrath? What if one of them goes too far with the torture and ends her life early? What if I could've been there to stop it? What if we don't even a chance to rescue her on her execution date, because she is already dead?"

He was right. I couldn't bear the thought of Bethany accidentally being killed because she was alone there. Because she was the guards only target. Because Benjamin wasn't there as another target to give her break between the torture. I ran my fingers through my hair. "Damn it." Benjamin stared at me, his eyes pleading. He'd convinced me. "It's not going to be a comfortable ride. If Bethany knows you're coming with us, she won't leave tonight. You're going to have to ride in the storage compartment with all of our supplies."

He nodded eagerly, his eyes back to their usual brightness. "I'll do anything." So I snuck him in with our supplies while the others waited in the vehicle while I told them I wanted to grab a blanket. Then, during the ride here I refused to let anyone else get food or drink from the storage compartment. Whenever I would get supplies, I would check on Benjamin, his body hunched over uncomfortably, hiding among our supplies.

The next memory I had was even more vivid. Bethany being drugged and falling to the ground. Then, the guard asked where "the boy" was. I spoke up before Jackson or Rose could tell them that Benjamin was dead or that we couldn't find him.

"The girl thought we killed him." I said. "But we didn't. We have him locked up in the trunk." Jackson and Rose both shot a shocked glance my way, but the guard didn't notice. He was too preoccupied with getting his hands on Benjamin. I had a lot of explaining to do on the way back home. The guard pulled another tranquilizer from his pocket.

"That might not be necessary." I said. "He came with us willingly. We didn't even have to tie him up. He's in love with the girl."

"Just hand the fugitive over. I will do as I see fit."