A Good Way To D.A.I

Chapter 3: D.A.I. Headquarters

I jerked upright like a mannequin on puppet strings except it was because there was something hard digging into my back like a relentless pain that can't be shaken away. "Ow," I muttered darkly as I rubbed my sore back.

"Amelia, you've finally decided to join the living," Zoe's annoying and boyish voice intoned beside my ear a little too loudly.

I shot him a glare that was meant to shoot laser beams through his skull, until I saw Ethan who was still lying on the ground unconscious.

"What did you do to my friend? And how the heck do you know my name?" I narrowed my eyes at Zoe. My hands were already searching the ground for purchase. For a stone or rock, even soil would do. The plan was to incapacitate Zoe while I tried to drag Ethan's body away. If he's too heavy, I'll try to wake him up before we take Ben's body. The last plan I had up my sleeve is to use Ethan's body as a distraction while I make a break with Ben's dead body.

Gosh what is with my obsession with the word "body"?

Zoe sighed but he raised his arms up in a peaceful gesture. "Look for the final time Amelia. I swear I am not going to harm you and your boyfriend. Whatever you think the D.A.I. are we're not like that-"

"He's not my boyfriend," I retorted.

"Okay, you and your not-so-boyfriend-friend. I'll apologise when he's awake. I admit I was lying okay? I'm part of the D.A.I. and I was on an assignment until I overheard the both of you talking. I know what you guys are doing. I can help."

"So you're in D.A.I. then!" I shrieked in anger. "You're one of those people with the governments backing them just so they can go around taking away dead bodies like they mean nothing!" In my fit of anger, I grabbed a handful of the loose soil and grass.

"Woah hold up. I think you have a very misconstrued image of the D.A.I., now keep quiet!" Zoe clamped my mouth shut with his hand before I could even throw the dirt into his eyes. I have no idea how he could move that quickly from there to here. I panicked and fought against his grip. How is such a wimpy teenager so strong? God dammit. I'm a karate blackbelt and I can't seem to break his hold. "Look, I don't mean you guys any harm kay? I apologise for previously. I wanted to scare you guys for a bit and I went overboard," he spoke softly beside my ear.

"Now listen because we're in real danger. They'll be coming for your friend if you don't do what I say. They'll take him and use his body as a trial run for their sickening experiments. Trust me for this one time and then you can do whatever you want later. I promise I'm only here to help." I nodded in fear but my mind is already running through the exits. But no matter how I tried to construct my escape plan, I knew it would all fail because of Zoe's speed.

"Good. I'll let you go now and then let's can wake the other boy. We need to hide before they find us." Zoe released his grip before putting a finger on his lips as I pushed myself away from him. Zoe beckoned me over. "Can you wake him up? I'll try to find a place for us to hide."

Never in my life have I imagined myself allying with the D.A.I.. We crouched low in the far bushes as we watched, the cemetery now sprawled like a chessboard below us. As I shifted to make myself comfortable, Ben's cold feet brushed against my arm. Resisting the urge to shriek, I shivered. It's just Ben, Amelia. Just Ben and his icy cold and very dead feet.

"Amelia? You cold?" Ethan spoke quietly. "Need my jacket?"

I shook my head vigorously to tell him it's not the damp earth that's making me shiver, but our beloved Ben. He shrugged off his jacket and placed it over my shoulders despite my protests and hurried gestures towards Ben's dead body. That goon! Which part of me looks cold when I'm sweating?