Eliot Strange and the Prince of the Resistance

56) 2 AM

I try to lay down and rest before my 2 AM appointment, but it is impossible. I cut off the light, so no one can watch me. I pretend to sleep. I close the blinds, so it is so dark that no one can watch if I move around.

Tick Tick Tick. The clock on the wall is barely moving. I am so anxious I'm about to come out of my body. I change clothes and put on jeans and my running shoes. There may be running later. My feet are praying - no running later, please.

Tick Tick Tick. Is Torin being tortured? I get up and sneak to the window to look across the street where I think he might be. No lights on. Maybe, I pray, they are letting him sleep tonight. I will him to be ok. I pray some more.

Tick Tick Tick. There is a light knock on the door. I look at the clock. It is quarter after 1. Did the rescue get moved up?

I creep over to the door. The hall is dark so there's no risk that whoever, if anyone, is watching will know I am at the door.

I slowly open the door, and damn, talk about a surprise, it is Gus. He puts a finger over his lips and gently pulls me out the door.

"I'm early, sorry," he whispers. "You ready?'

"For what?"

"We gotta get you and the prince out of here."

"What?"

"Didn't you get the note?"

He knows about the note. Have Carli and Jack been captured too? Is he trying to test me for the professor and my mama. See where my loyalties lie?

Gus senses my doubt and says, "Eliot, we don't have time for this. You have to go. Dad and Jack are getting Torin. Carli is getting a car. Sorry, the time changed, but Torin was gonna lose another finger, if we didn't move the time up."

"Finger?"

"Yes, the General is waiting for me to bring him another finger. To send to Torin's mum. Well, not really send, that would take days. But, send a photo. Anyway, we gotta go."

Torin has lost a finger. Was that the blood I saw? I was eating popcorn and watching a movie while Torin was being tortured.

"Did you cut his finger off, Gus?"

He looks ashamed, but shakes his head. "Not me," he says, "but I was there."

"You didn't try to help him?"

Gus shakes his head. "No, can't blow my cover or the plan. We got to go. Get the prince out of here."

So, Gus stood by while Ned was beaten. He watched while Torin was tortured and lost a finger. What kind of person is he?  And, I kissed him. For hours. What kind of person am I? I look at Gus with what I hope he knows is complete disgust.

He looks away, says nothing.

I don't know if I can trust Gus, but really what choice do I have? He may be Torin's only hope.

I follow him out.

We skip the front staircase, and Gus takes me down a back way that I didn't even know existed. The stairs are barely wide enough for two people to navigate. They are dark, and I almost trip, but Gus catches me before I tumble down them and wake the whole place up.

When we get to the bottom floor, we stop and listen. Nothing. No one here. We don't see a soul until we get to the back door and almost run into the guard.