To Be A Warrior

Chapter 69: CONTROL

I lay my head on Sam's shoulder, a little giggle leaving my lips as I stay seated in his lap, half listening to Peter and Sam as they talk. I'm so giddy over what's happened today, over everything we've learned, but it's drained me. I think I'm on the verge of delirium with how I'm acting.

"Oh, yeah. it's nice, this accommodation block. It's comfy, like you said," Sam says. "It feels like we never get to sit around and chat anymore, at least not in a room built for it. The Rec building's been taken over by the kids and teens in Abel and well, everywhere is only useful if you have a small group or you don't plan on being too loud. But uh, I think I could get used to oil rig life. Hey, I suppose with Sage as leader of the UK, we'll be doing like, embassies and stuff here all the time."

"Nicole would love that," I murmur. "I'm surprised she didn't join Peter when he agreed to temporarily stay in Banktown. This type of order and structure would have suited her. God, she was so upset when Janine told her she couldn't come to this peace conference."

"But someone's got to stay at Abel and make sure everything's in order while Janine and Jody are here, and while Nicole has been hostile towards you in the past," Sam grits out those last words menacingly, "she's been a very big help to the township."

"I know, I know. I trust her to keep that place afloat. She'll never admit it, but she likes you guys, and me too, since she hasn't tried to kill me in awhile. But just because we know she's needed in Abel doesn't mean she's happy about having to stay there."

Peter stands and stretches, letting out a quiet yawn. "You and Five stay up, Sam. I'm heading to bed. From the sound through Jody's door, she was snoring about five seconds after her head hit the pillow. Pneumatic drill combined with blocked drains."

He tries to imitate it, and I snort at the horrendous sound that leaves his mouth.

"Remember when we were all sleeping in tents, and she never believed us when we said she snores?" Sam asks.

His jaw drops. "The tents! Oh God, when I was Runner Three, she was Four and Alice was-" He cuts himself off with a cringe. "Sorry."

Sam shakes his head. "No, no, no. It's nice to remember her. She did a brilliant Jody's snore too." A sad laugh leaves his lips, before his eyes land on me. "I guess you don't know much about Alice, since I don't talk about her much. She had a little sister too, you know. Frances. Never met her, obviously, but she never met Nikki."

"Yeah, we sent her Frances' diaries a long while back, didn't we?" I chuckle softly. "So we all just had little sisters we lost contact with," I say, and I feel guilty that I was the only one who found my sister again.

"I guess so. And, during the beginning, you were either in America or Mullins, depending on the time, yeah?"

"Yep."

"You know, you've told me about Anna, but you've never really told me anything about Mullins, and we don't visit them often. I mean, I've never seen what it looks like. Hey, how about I make us a cocoa, and you can start-"

There's a banging on the door, causing me, Sam and Peter to snap our gazes towards it.

"Open up. It's urgent."

Sam's face contorts in confusion as I climb off of him and we both stand. "Amelia?"

"Don't open it," Peter says quickly, and a second later the door opens to a smirking blonde. I see Peter's jaw clench.

"It's already open, actually. Oh, hello. Good to see you, Five."

"Is it? Why?" I ask, but she ignores me.

"Sam, Peter, I need you to come with me right now."

Sam laughs in disbelief. "It's-it's eleven at night, Amelia. There's a peace conference tomorrow. A peace conference you're speaking at, actually."