The Intruders

Chapter Seven

THE CLOCK STRIKES half eleven.

I have my knives in my jeans, my jacket, one strategically placed against my hipbone. A gun tucked into my belt line, flares on the inside of my jacket. Small make your own bags of salve tucked into my bra.

"I don't think we can fit anymore in even if we tried." I say to Lyton. He laughs.

"I'm just hoping you have everything you need." He says, and I nod. "Gun, knives, salve, what else?" He ponders. "Bullets!" He exclaims and rushes off, I hear his pounding down the stairs.

He returns a moment later, shoving the box of ammo into my back pocket. He fingers the necklace hanging off me.

"I'll get it returned to you." I promise him, and he smiles and nods.

"You need it much more than me right now." He pulls me into a hug, and I squeeze tightly, being careful to not accidentally stab him with one of my many knives.

Someone clears their throat at the door. I turn to see Mikko. His hair tied back behind his head, a machete hanging off his hip, banjo strapped to his back, axe in hand.

"You ready?" He asks, and I nod. We leave Lyton's room, heading to the stairs.

I nip into R's room, and grab the sweater I found after Cassie and I woke up. At least he might feel more at home with it.

They head downstairs first, and I follow last. Everyone is in the main room. Cassie's head hung, leaning against Luka's leg, who rubs her back. My brother stood in front of the door, probably going to refuse to let me go. My father, arms crossed watching as we walk downstairs.

Lyton joins Luka, and Mikko swoops Cassie's face in his hands.

I head to my father first.

"I'll see you soon?" I ask. He nods, and surprisingly pulls me towards him. I wince expecting a smack, but instead feel the warmth of his chest, his arms curling around my shoulders, and I hug him back.

"I'm sorry for everything." He whispers.

"You've apologised enough." I tell him back, into his chest.

"I will never apologise enough. I just didn't want to lose you. It worked with Sam, and Elara." His voices breaks over my darling sister's name. "I don't want to lose you now."

"You're not going to lose me." I tell him.

"You're your mother." He says, kissing my forehead.

"You're not going to lose me." I repeat. "When I'm back, we can work on us." I say, pulling away.

He nods, his eyes drooping.

"There's one last thing I should tell you about." He mentions.

"Go on." I reply.

"There are files on each Survivor in the Resistance building." He says. "They know everything, your every move, every family secret." He looks at me like he knows, he knows what runs in our veins what his family was. "She knows, she requests a new one every night, like they're bedtime stories for her."

"What do you want me to do?" I ask him.

"Get them, destroy them. She hasn't got copies of them, and her memory isn't as incredible as she would hope. Anything in them could lead to any of your demises. But if she doesn't have them to study anymore, then-"

"There is nothing she can do." I say and he nods. "Where are they?"

"Underground offices."

"Okay." I nod.

"You can't miss the record room."

My eyes flash to the record room in the Old City's Resistance building. I can imagine that Saxet's is more high tech, futuristic, modern. Glass doors with combination locks rather than key holes. I wonder if Veronica has a file on herself.

"I'll find it." I tell him. "Thank you."

He nods, letting me go, and turning to Luka.

"Don't die." He says.

"A man of many words." I reply, he pulls me close for a hug. "I won't die. I'm invincible."

"We hope." He laughs. "Can't wait to get my face punched in."

"Why?" I laugh.

"R's go to activity involving me." He giggles. "He's given me enough time to let my face recover."

"Just punch him back he's not as tough as he looks." I pull away.

"I'll just wear a blonde wig and call myself Mavis then." Luka says; his face then turns very serious. "Good luck."

I nod. "I'll be home before you know it."

I give Cassie a snuggle and she groans, still not recovered from last night. I kiss her fluffy hair and move to the guard blocking the door.

"I still don't think you should go." Sam says.

"Sadly, you have no choice." I reply.

"What if I don't move?"

"There's a back door." I reply. He shakes a sad laugh away, pulling me close.

"Just do me a favour, something mom and Elara couldn't do."

"The females in our family do have a tendency of doing similar things." I remark.

"Serious Mavis," He comments and I smile against his shoulder.

"Just come home." He says and I nod. He pulls away stepping away from the door. I turn to Mikko and he walks over, joining me, standing by my side.

I take one last look around my home. Around the faces of those I love the most. I take a mental photograph in my mind, the place I belong, the ones who want me to come back home.

As I leave the house, words echo throughout my brain.

Run Mavis, Run.

-

As we head Saxet's gate, we ready ourselves. Stopping a few hundred feet away from the gates.

"You grab R, okay? You make sure he's fine, not a scratch on his body, you make sure it's really him. And then when Veronica gives the signal you leave with him. I don't care what you have to do, knock him out-cold if that's what it takes, but you and him leave. I stay." I tell him and he nods.

"Will do."

"Good." I reply. "And when you get home, keep an eye on him, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week until I return. He'll try to get out, he'll try to come after me."

"That sounds like him." Mikko comments. "I'll keep him in chains if I have to."

"Thank you." I say. "I'll be as home as soon as I can."

"You better, cause babysitting that beast will be fucking difficult." Mikko laughs. I snuggle into R's sweater in my hands.

We wait until we see the black car turn the corner and head to the gates. I grab Mikko's hand squeezing tightly.

"This is my good hand Sterling, don't break it." He comments, but I keep my grip as tight as I can.

My heart pounds with each turn of the wheel, and I hear the gates squeal as they open, dragging against the concrete.

Mikko and I catch each other's eyes.

"Last chance to back out." He says.

"Not a fucking chance." I reply.

I turn back to the gates as the black car swings in, and the door opens.