"You WHAT?" Ziof stood up.
"Just let me explain!" Emilia grabbed his arms.
He shook her off. "All this time- you've been just buttering her up for them to come back? Huh?!"
Emilia flinched while Ezeriah gasped. Jaxton quickly stood up and hide Ezeriah behind him.
"N-no! Nothing like that at all! I swear!" Emilia began backing up.
"Jax, you gotta gun?" Ziof kept his brewing dark eyes trained on Emilia.
Emilia's heart was racing, and the words for an explanation weren't forming fast enough.
Ziof spotted a gun in her pocket and yanked it from its holster, then pointed it right at Emilia's temple. "So you carry a gun? What for?"
"Just let me explain!" She shouted.
"Explain what? You betrayed us all?" Ziof yelled back.
"Z, let's just hear her out. There's more of us." Yelun stood up slowly, blocking Emilia from Ziof. "We've got the Telia on our side."
"You've got five seconds to start explaining," Ziof demanded.
"Lavern and I didn't like what they were doing so we left! We left! We ran off, and we've been living here in hide out ever since. I swear!" Emilia sputtered as hot tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Oh, so all of a sudden you guys didn't like what they were doing? You had to have known something!" Ziof shouted.
"We did! We did! But we were just young scientists starting out- it began as an internship! Before we knew it, we were in too deep, and there no escaping. We had to go off the grid! The gun was just for protection, I started carrying after we discovered how much danger she is in! They are looking for her! We... just want to help... help keep her safe," Her voice broke off.
Footsteps echoed down the hall and then within seconds, Li, Deyja and Lavern emerged.
"W-what's going on?" Li slowly walked in.
"Why is there a gun pointed at my wife?" Lavern asked alarmed but leveled.
"You two helped do this to Ezeriah, huh? What methods did you use? Torture? Awake dissection? How'd you all do it, sick bastards?" Ziof sneered.
Lavern raised his hands over his head. "We left there when we realized what they truly were doing. We didn't want any part of it. They said they were creating ways to help others. It was a lie. I found the true plans, so a colleague, Emilia and I tried to stop them. We threatened to publish their plans... they killed him. Executed in front of all of us scientists. We were forced to continue to work for them, but after our daughter was threatened, we packed up and ran away. Us finding you guys was completely random, we swear! And all we want is to help!"
It was silent for several moments.
All Jaxton could think about was the executions he had witnessed in order to install fear.
"Put the gun down," Jaxton ordered.
Ziof frowned.
"Just do it." Jaxton continued before Ziof could speak. "I believe him."
"Me too," Yelun said firmly.
"Me too," Li and Deyja mumbled still in shock at the scene.
It was silent again. Ziof had been betrayed many times before, but this bite to his core. He wanted to think they were innocent, but the odds did seem... well, odd.
"I believe them too," Ezeriah came up from behind Jaxton.
They all looked at her in surprise.
YOU ARE READING
The Seal
Science Fiction"I should've died two thousand years ago." Ezeriah glanced up at him as he busily worked on his wounds. His lips were busted and his cheek was seeping blood at an alarming rate. He swallowed hard. " I'm glad you didn't." "Look at the mess we're in...
