The System

Chapter 30

Now we could be one step from being caught and two steps from death. It is a bit of a depressing thought but it is unfortunately true. I don't know why but I count.
"One step, two steps," no death yet but confused faces stare at me.
"What are you doing?" Fingers asks with Claire over his shoulders.
"Three steps, four steps."
Every step on the floor makes a little click followed by a small clack.
"Seriously you are creeping me out," Fingers chuckles.
"I'm counting. Eight steps, nine steps," I focus on the end o the hall.
I wonder if we will make it.
"Why?" Heath sighs.
"I'm counting till..." I drain of almost losing count but also not wanting to say it out loud.
"What?"
"Eleven steps, twelve steps," I take a a breath. "Until we get caught. Thirteens steps, fourteen steps."
"That's depressing," Fingers mumbles.
"And negative!" Cronon exclaims. "Just think positive or don't spread that thought!"
Then I hear someone join into my mumbles.
"Sixteen steps, seventeen steps," it's Heath. "Eighteen steps, nineteen steps, twenty steps."
Are voices align and each word echoes through the hallway.
"You'll get us caught!" Cronon hisses.
"Don't bring that negativity here, Cronon," Finger chuckles. "Twenty three steps, twenty four steps."
Our voices mosh into a chorus of singers.
"Twenty five steps, twenty six steps."
Cronon sighs, "Twenty seven steps, twenty eight steps."
Fingers chuckles at then we all frown. We stare at the wall. I look down at the map. Turn that corner and we reach more cells. We need to free the other rebels.
"Thirty steps, fourth steps."
The guys' low voices harmonies with mine. We get to the end of the corridor.
"Fifty steps."
We all take a breath. The words calm us. We made it further than the two steps. Then one by one we turn the corner.
"Fifty one steps."
Just as the map says, in front of us is the cells.
"Fifty two."
"Go away!" people yell to us thinking we are guards. "You're all under control!"
Fingers laughs.
"Oi!" Heath exclaims.
We take unison steps closer.
"Fifty six."
"It's Heath!" One guy yells.
I keep muttering the steps under my breath. It's calming.
"Who's is there?" Heath yells.
"We have: Thomak Kris, Josh Lith, Kayla Sbit, Stephanie Silver and Harat Tinks."
The last two names are fimiliar. Then I hear a shout.
"Who's done there?" It's a guard.
"We were just taking this girl to the professor," Hearh replies gesturing to the girl on Fingers' shoulder. "They started yelling and we made sure they knew who's boss."
"Which professor?"
Heath seems stunned. I didn't tell them the name.
"Gein!" I yell.
"Oh," he mutters. "And the girl?"
I freeze. We didn't think that far.
"Hannah McCloud," Fingers yells.
"Then be careful."
He turns around and leaves. The cell breaks into mummers. They think the body laying over Fingers' shoulder is me. They all know my name.
As soon as the guard is out of sight we continue talking, "Was that, Thomak Kris, Josh Lith, Kayla Sbit, Stephanie Silver and Harat Tinks?"
"Yeah," Harat mumbles.
I remember now. He was the guy with Claire who explained what we were doing to the System.
"Thomak!" Fingers yells excitedly.
"Fingers!" Replies, who I assume is, Thomak.
His hair is almost white and his muscular arms are as big as his head. They clearly know each other and must be pretty close.
"Fingers?" I sweet soothing voice calls.
"Steph?" He chokes.
"It's you!" She squeals.
A girl slips out from the shadows and runs up to the bars. I know this girl too. She was at my ceremony, wearing a fluro pink dress and said I was a try hard.
"You?!" I hiss.
"Who are you?" She retorts. "I don't care. I just want to see Fingers."
She leans forward and kisses him. He grins.
"You are the girl on fluro!" I gasp.
"What?" She says. "I thought I made it clear I didn't want it talk."
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
"Go away and let me talk to him," she points at Fingers.
I notice even the rebel suit she wears has more cleavage than any other girl. It's a one piece with a zip down the middle. She has large hoop earrings and her platinum blond hair is up in a ponytail. She is clean and fresh.
I'm kind of the opposite. I have dirt sneered over my face and I am wearing a guys suit that is way to big for me. My hair splashes all over the place like spilt paint and I feel the grot on my skin.
"You won the best dresses couple," I murmur.
"We don't talk about our lives before the ROBINS," she hisses. "Who are you any way? Some random who got caught up in a war?"
"Aren't we all?" Fingers mumbles.
I nod. We are.
"No but really. Who are you?"
I look at Cronon. What do I answer?
Cronon speaks before me, "Hannah McCloud."
She stops station at Fingers and swings around.
"What?" She mutters stunned. "What's she doing here! She will kill us!"
"Why do you think they thought it was fine to see who they thought was Hannah on my shoulders?" Fingers asks.
Harat jumps in, "So who is she?"
"She is my friend," I answer. "She is Claire."
"What happened to her?" Thomak asks curiously.
"They beat her," Fingers doesn't continue.
I nod at him graciously.
"We better get you out of there," Heath exclaims.
I look around and see a key card swip and look at Heath. A key card lay in a pocket. Fingers has one too. Cronon and me as well.
"So how do we do this?" Fingers asks.
As thy discuss how to get them out in ways like, break the glass, make a distraction like the last or fake a fire alarm. I stand by the card holder and cough. They don't look around. I roll my eyes and press the pull the card out the pocket. I swipe it down the lock and the glass door slides open. The stop talking an watch the door slide open.
"Let's keep moving," I say, walking away.
They keep there eyes on me as I walk further down the corridor, still counting.
"Sixty one, sixty two, sixty three."
Fingers is the first one to catch up. He joins me in coining.
"Sixty four, sixty five."
Each voice joins as we reach re next corner. We unlock another group of prisoners.
"Eighty nine, ninety."
Each cell joins us in our hypnotising chant. It grows louder an louder with each step.
"One hundred and ten."
We walk and speak as one. Our echoes fill the corridor and it's like magic. My heart almost burst with the fire raging inside of me. I love it.
Then troubles starts.