The Survivors

Chapter 6

This is how you find the League: not at all. You were found by the League.

If you were valuable, they took you. If you would fight. That was the first thought I could grasp as the car raced down the freeway, straight into the heart of Los Angeles. 

The HQ was buried two stories below a plastic bottle factory that was still halfway through its operation.

The car turned into a building that looked like a parking garage. But nothing was left of the once lively city. Her it was lifeless and cold. 

"The factory belongs to Peter Hinderson. He has supported the League from the beginning. Hope you get to meet him." Cate said, while I tied my long black hair in a braid. Her voice was full of pride, but I didn't care, because the nausea from the whole car ride was still in my stomach.

We walked towards the silver elevator at the other end of the parking garage after we had taken all the stuff out of the trunk. Cate pressed some ID card against a black sensor and the elevator came up. We must have triggered some kind of motion detector when we entered the elevator, because a string of tiny light bulbs hanging on both walls flared up. There was some graffiti on the wall and water dripped on the floor and formed a small puddle.

"I know it's not very nice, but... okay nobody likes it here, but after a few in and out, you get used to it." This place was the absolute opposite of luxury, but for me it already felt like home.

When we reached a large metal door, Cate held her ID card to the sensor again. This time it beeped three times before it turned green and the door opened with a hiss. Cate took my hand and put on a smile. "Welcome to HQ, Lilli. Before I show you around, there are some people I want you to meet." 

"Okay." I murmured. On the walls of the long corridor hung a few pictures, but nothing else. "Some of them were former military." Cate explained. "We have over three hundred active agents. They either work here at the HQ, train the children or are responsible for the technical area."

"And how many children?"

"When you're added to that twenty-five. Each team has a minder. You and three other kids are on my team and eventually you'll be sent out on missions." That reassured me a little, because knowing that Cate was by my side was a liberating feeling.

"You just have to know that not all kids are from a camp like you. Vida and Jude, two of whom you are about to meet were brought here when the big rally started. Nico, the third from my team has rather an interesting story." I didn't ask. I think if I'm supposed to know, I'll be told. 

"And what are they?" Cate looked at me confused and her mouth opened slightly. "Colors, I mean."

"Oh. Nico is green. In technical matters he is unbeatable. Vida is blue. Jude is yellow. We are the only team with mixed colors. You're the only red on here now." All right. Only a orange is missing to complete the whole range. We're the goddamn Rainbow Group.

"So, I'm gonna introduce you to the team." She brought me into the atrium, a big round room where some people played cards or stared at the TV as if spellbound. The first thing I noticed was that the adults and children were separated. While the agents played cards and laughed, the children were more likely to sit in the back of the room and be ignored by the agents. 

Cate directed me to a table where three teenagers were sitting talking.

"Hey guys." She said and immediately the girl jumped up and fell around her neck. She was really pretty and what shocked me most was her bright blue hair.