𝐈𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝

Chapter Nine: A Small Goodbye

Hi everyone! I just wanted to say thank you so much for reading my book. It means so much to me that you guys are reading. I am sorry I haven't had the chance to update this week but here's another chapter for you. I will try to update about 2-3 times a week going forward. Enjoy! 

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"Okay, so this place is all the way in Carson City? Nevada?" Charlie asked as he paced back and forth, obviously fazed by the long distance separating us from our siblings.

"Yeah, dumbass. Carson," Dylan replied. I narrowed my eyes at him and he gave me a sarcastic smile.

"How can we be sure that they are actually there? They could be anywhere," Charlie questioned. I could tell he very much doubted Jack and Dylan's information.

"If they were in Cali then they were definitely picked up by Monarch" Jack said.

"Okay, so what's our plan? How do we get them out? I'm assuming they won't just hand over Connor and Bianca if we ask them nicely," I said, looking to Dylan and Jack since they knew the most. Somehow, Dylan and I managed to agree to work together, mainly due to Jack's willing cooperation and Raine's eagerness to get Connor back. Not that I wasn't eager to get Connor back - I was - but Dylan kidnapped and shot me. To say that I didn't trust him would be a major understatement. But at the end of the day I would do anything for Connor, and if that meant traveling across the country with a walking safety hazard then I would do it. I guessed that Dylan and Jack felt the same way about Tommy or Thomas or whoever they wanted to get out of the Monarch compound since Dylan was abandoning his mission for him and agreeing to work with me and a group of tennis players he met all of thirty minutes ago.

"Well you never know, princess. Maybe if you give 'em a pretty smile and a wink we'll get them back and be on our merry way," Dylan smirked at me from across the table. I rolled my eyes which only caused his smirk to widen until Raine glared at him from across the table.

"Well from what I know, and from what Dylan's told me, the main compound is armed and guarded around the clock. The doors that lead to the holding cells, where your friends will most likely be, are safe locked and require an ID to get through, which means that we need to get into the control room and open the doors from inside. And assuming we somehow do all of that without getting shot or screwing up, we still need to get past the guards that will be waiting for us at the holding cells," Jack explained with his hands on his hips.

"Okay, so how are we going to do it?" I looked back at Jack and then to Dylan. But just before anyone could say anything a loud thud sounded from behind the group in the bedroom. I whipped around to face the noise, before looking back at the two boys and then turning to Raine.

"Watch them for me and make sure they don't do anything stupid?" I asked her, nodding my head towards Dylan and Jack. "I'm going to go check on that noise. I'll be back." Raine nodded and Dylan rolled his eyes. With that, I started towards the bedroom. Once I opened the door, I saw Matt, Mary, and Ashleigh hovering over a couple of backpacks talking in hushed voices.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

Ashleigh, Mary, and Matt all looked up from their bags with guilty and dejected expressions. I glanced between the three of them and started to put the pieces together.

"You guys are leaving?"

I couldn't hide the flash of hurt that found its way into my eyes and I could tell that they noticed.

"Nora, we were going to tell you. But, we can't stay here," Matt looked back at me apologetically.

"We're going to walk back to the school to see if we can find anything along the way before we reach the rest of the kids. You should come with us, Nora. We could find people who can help us," Mary pleaded. I glanced between the three and then shook my head, turning my gaze down to my feet.

"I can't. I'm sorry, I-I just can't. I need to find my brother and I need to know who these people are and what they want with me. I'm sorry." I sighed.

"I know, I'm sorry Nora," Ashleigh said, wrapping his arms around me in a small hug. "It's okay. You'll figure everything out. I know you will.

"Thank you," I said, "for everything."

Mary nodded and pulled me into a hug. I took turns hugging each of them, before they turned to go back out to the main room to say goodbye to everyone else, leaving me alone in the bedroom. I looked over to see Raine wrapping her arms around Ashleigh, Matt picking up Sam in a giant bear hug, and Charlie hugging Mary. I saw Fed and Vee shaking hands and exchanging a few words. Why is Fed saying goodbye? Isn't he going with them? I furrowed her brow and walked back outside into the living room. I stopped by Fed who looked over at me when he noticed me approaching him.

"You're not leaving with them?" I asked softly.

"I I couldn't leave you behind with these two, mija," Fed joked. He pointed to Charlie and Sam who stood behind us. I smiled. Fed placed a hand on my shoulder and I could see a small grin etched onto his face.

"Thank you, Fed."

The five of us who were staying looked back over at Ashleigh, Matt, Mary, and Vee who were standing by the door, ready to leave the yellow house and head back to the academy.

"Good luck guys. We'll leave you both vans since we have the two back at the boarding school. Fed, you make sure you take care of them alright. I hope to see you guys again soon. We're going to miss you." Ashleigh said as he opened the door behind him and waited for the others to step out of the doorway and head to the van.

"Will do," Fed said, nodding his head.

"Goodbye, Ashleigh. We're going to miss you." Raine called. I gave him a small smile, and Charlie and Sam waved goodbye. I saw Ashleigh smile before stepping onto the pavement and closing the door behind him. The five of us paused in silence by the door for a few seconds before Charlie headed back to the table where Dylan and Jack were standing by.

"Okay, so how do we get them out?" Charlie asked, stopping at the table to face Dylan and Jack.