Revolution (Book 3 of POE Chronicles)

Chapter 21 Nothing is as it seems

"What's going on?" Grace and Casey caught up to us, who were mid-way between me and Aulia's point of entry. I turned back and shouted for Diego to help Viktor restrained the only intruder we managed to capture and for lack of a better way, lifted myself up by my shoes to have a look over the fence, which was now surrounded by the defensive electric wall. My headache was starting to take over and I willed myself to focus.

I almost lost the grip on my shoes when a speared flew right at me; however, the electricity field incinerated the weapon into dust, and I managed to catch myself and only wobbled a little. I didn't miss the flickering of the barrier right after it destroyed the spear, and I knew that whatever protection we had would be short-lived. The masses of people had gotten a lot closer and I couldn't see where Ivan was, but then I heard his scream.

He was lying on the ground to my left, surrounded by a group of attackers who were pointing weapons at him. He was pulled up in a foetal position, letting out agonizing screams and cradling his right legs which seemed bloody and torn. I should count himself lucky that he wasn't hurt more from the activation of the barrier; it could have easily cut off someone's limbs.

"Abigail." Bradly's voice rung from behind and I turned around to see that he had come forward and helped tie up the intruder I dragged to this side of the wall. They had ripped his goggles and face mask off, revealing the face of a man who appeared to be in his late twenties with dark hair and grey-blue eyes. However, what was striking was the scar extending from his right ear to the corner of his mouth.

"Carter?" Bradly's incredulous cried can be heard throughout the entire campus and I heard gasps coming from a number of students around, who had now semi-abandoned their posts and were watching us with interest.

"Bradly." The man whose name was apparently Carter answered with a smirk, seemingly at ease with his situation as a captive. He looked around and tried to catch everyone's eyes, and paused when he saw me. "The Academy hadn't changed much at all. You guys are still as fresh and naïve as always. But I am impressed with you, Abigail Beckett. Your act was unexpected."

I was only half-hearing his speech, my mind more focused on Ivan's situation. He was still wrapped in his pain, and I tried to get through to him, but the intensity of it was cutting me off every time. It was difficult enough to get through the barrier, and I was genuinely running out of strength to keep trying.

"Are you part of the Apocalypse?" Bradly asked, losing his cool rapidly as he pointed an accusing finger at Carter. Diego was looking both enlightened and distressed, and at that moment I realised that Carter must have been an old student here, an earlier spy sent in by the Apocalypse or got converted to their side afterwards. For Diego's sake, I hope it was the latter.

Throwing their conversation aside for the moment, I shouted for everyone to get back to their posts and gestured for Bradly and Viktor to take this guy back towards the Academy. We couldn't get in right now, but it would be better if we keep the distraction as far away as we could. And the top one priority should be getting Ivan back. But as soon as the barrier was off, we might be facing a full frontal attack.

"I can go out and get him. It will be a quick in and out." Diego offered as soon as the three men were out of earshot. I shook my head, telling Grace to use her X-ray vision to keep an eye on the situation as I give my poor head a rest. I could sense the desperation from Diego about Carter, and I could tell that the outsiders were getting ready to move Ivan. My heart was torn between whether or not I should save one man and put the rest of the school in jeopardy. But the screams from Ivan was heart wrenching.