The little girl with the eyes and the doll must live here permanently. When we hit the backyard, I’m momentarily floored by the fact that there’s a swing set with a slide and sandbox out here. When the house is silent he runs us out of the library, down a long corridor that leads to the kitchen and out the back door.

Lots and lots of moving, running, frantic bodies, none of which I want to come in contact with right now. There are vehicles, flashlights and torches but mostly there’s bodies. There’s the sound of shouting wafting in through the door that’s been left open and I can see lights scattering around the huge front lawn. It sounds like most of the people have moved outside. “We’ll go out the back way,” Sam says, checking to see if the hall is clear. Less like wetting myself and more like kicking a little ass. When I take hold of my ASP in my shaking hand, my brain and body still coming down from the gun in my face, I feel better. Not waiting for us to get out, he runs across the room to a large cabinet and unlocks it quickly. When she’s gone, Sam swings the door to the cage open. She pauses in the doorway, her face cut in half by the light in the room and the shadow beyond it. Maybe it’s foolish, maybe it’s tempting fate, but I call out to her. She turns to leave as Sam is unlocking our door. “Alive?”Īli looks at him, a sad smile on her lips. “You’re letting us leave?” Ryan asks hopefully. Once they’re out, take them to their boat at the old pier. I’m not the only one who will be coming for them, I just got here first. “Sam,” she says, turning to face him, her entire demeanor changing. Then suddenly she nods curtly as though coming to an agreement with me, an agreement I know nothing about. She stares at me the longest, her face blank. We stand statue still, all very aware of the gun hanging heavy and dark at her side. “That’s Helios.”Īli looks to Trent who shrugs, unconcerned.Īli stares at each of us in turn. I nod quickly, though it’s more like shaking. “A warrior like you,” Ali finishes for me, the gun lowering again.

The gun is back in my face in an instant. Whatever softness was building in her leaks away. Her eyes dart from me to Ryan, to Trent and back again. “The Hive has his daughter and he’ll never leave her.” “What is he waiting for?” she asks, her tone giving nothing away. Her fingers flex slightly on the handle of the gun. He showed us a map, told us he helped you plant a garden here and that he had an open invitation to join whenever he wanted but he won’t because he’s waiting.”Īli takes a deep breath. That they were liars and traitors and he was right. “He said we never should ask The Hive for anything. “Crenshaw is the one who told us about you originally,” I continue, hoping to hit home again with his name. God, Heaven and divine retribution – that’s all Colony talk.”

Backs Against the Wall by Tracey Ward