The Silver Death

chapter fourteen - him again

Instead of rising early, Edward lets us all sleep in. I'm the first to wake up. When I go outside, Edward is brewing coffee over the fire. I sit on the rock next to him. My throat hurts really bad, like yesterday, and I need something to calm it down. Besides, the caffeine would help me focus on something other than the man and the boy. They visited my dreams last night, appearing every time I turned a corner, but disappearing as soon as I blink.

"Hungry?"

"Sort of." I look hopefully at the coffee. "Do you have any hot chocolate?"

"Uh...yeah? It's in the truck, by the door, but... if you're careful you won't wake anyone up." I nod and go back to the van, stepping over Patrick's peaceful, sleeping form. I rummage around in the boxes by the door and finally find it. I grin, holding it up. "Mochas!" I exclaim.

"Mochas are for the weak. Plain black coffee is the best," he replies, but still pours us both a cup and gives me a spoon to stir in my hot chocolate. We sit in silence for a bit, sipping our coffee, until he gently nudges me. "So..."

"So what?" I ask innocently, but I know what he means.

"I saw you and Matthew cuddling last night."

I roll my eyes. "You're rude."

"When are you going to ask him out?"

"I was cold, alright? It...didn't mean anything!" I know the words are untrue as soon as I say them.

"Do you want him to ask you?"

I can feel my face getting hotter by the second. "Stop it!"

He sighs, still halfway laughing. "Fine. But this conversation is not over."

I help him make oatmeal for breakfast, halfway present and halfway mulling over what Edward said. Vale and Fox enter first. Vale seems to be back to his normal quiet and grouchy self. Then Matthew, Alli and Patrick. Everyone eats, a tension in the air. Today is the day we rescue Avery, I realize. I still don't know the plan. It sounds like Patrick and Alli do, which makes me both jealous and nervous, until I realize that Edward probably didn't tell us because he doesn't trust us enough yet. I shake my head and help everyone break camp, then get back into the van. I'm nervous, and open my Harry Potter book and stare at the same page for half an hour, thoughts of the nameless people I killed racing my mind. I'm jolted back into consciousness when the van eases to a stop and turns off. Edward opens the back, a grim expression on his face. Matthew stands beside him. I realize Matthew was driving. I was so nervous I didn't even think to look for him. "Gas masks on. Then I'll tell you the plan."

I'm still adjusting my mask when he starts into the plan. "I want Hazel and Alli with me. We'll be the ones rescuing her. Fox and Matthew will be causing the distraction. We'll be blowing up several of their helicopters and air equipment. And then Vale and Patrick will stay back and guard, letting us know if anything goes wrong."

Right away there are several objections. Vale wants to be with Fox. Patrick doesn't want to do guard duty and tries to get me stuck in his position. Fox thinks Matthew should stay back because of his concussion. I stay quiet. Edward gets angry, the flame I described last night in full blaze.

"Alright, fine!" He shouts, and everyone falls silent. "Hazel, Alli and I are still going to rescue Avery. No changing that. However, I'm going to allow Patrick and Matthew to switch places. Vale and Matthew still have consciousness problems. Fox and Patrick will cover as guards, and set these explosives off. Hazel and I will dress in guard uniforms and pretend to be carrying Alli in as a prisoner. There, we will take her to where they're guarding Avery.

"Vale and Matthew will take over for the camera shift, so no one can see us and they can let us know if someone is coming. Then, after we get her, they'll radio Fox and Patrick. All good?"

Finally everyone has reached an agreement. Edward hands us guard uniforms to dress in, retrieved from a previous encounter with them, he says, and radios. My name tag says Ella Waylan in big blocky letters. I frown. The people in the gas station didn't have name tags. I shove the radio in my pocket. Edward tells Vale and Matthew to get in the front. The rest of us sit in the back, all too scared to talk.

We drive for a long time. I pick at the sleeve of my uniform, .22 rifle shouldered but my .9 hidden underneath my uniform pants. And of course Dad's knife hidden up my sleeve.

We finally stop. I hold my breath. I can hear Vale talking to someone in the front. A few strangers open the door, dressed in the same uniforms as us, looking at Edward and I holding Alli's skinny arms, and then we are on our way. Vale parks us, and we exit. I look up at a massive building, but only for a second, as Edward gently prods me in the shoulder, moving me along.

Fox and Patrick, and Vale and Matthew part with us after we go into the lobby and check in. They go down one hallway, while we go down another. I'm too scared to really notice anything. Edward is tense; I can see it in his jawline, the way his grip is a bit too tight on Alli. I am, too.

We walk for a bit longer, then Edward looks around. "Vale should have gotten the camera shift now. We're good." There's a rumble. We all look around. Edward continues, "And that's Patrick and Fox blowing stuff up. Come on, we don't have much time." He leads us down another hallway, down a flight of stairs, and then to a door where Edward must scan a card. I saw him nick it from a guard as he walked past us. The light flashes green and we are let inside.

I am not prepared for what is inside.

The room smells of filth and body odor. Everywhere I look I see emaciated bodies in cells, too weak to move. I feel as if I am going to be sick. Edward continues down the way, looking for Avery. Finally, he stops. "Avery?" he whispers.

"Edward?" I hear a faint reply. I look into the cell and see the same woman who was with Matthew in the gas station, except gaunter, paler and dirtier. Edward nods. "Avery, we're getting you out of here." He fumbles with the keycard, finally unlocking her cell and shoving the door open. Avery bursts out of the cell, first embracing Edward and then Alli, all three of them crying. Feeling awkward, I look around sadly, wishing we could save everyone in this room.

And that's when I see him.

He looks so much gaunter now, his previously round cheeks gone, his cheekbones showing. He's filthy and his hair is greasy. But everything else about him is the same - button nose, round eyes, that hazelnut color I remember precisely. His skin is still the color of caramel.

He's the boy I shot in the gas station.