The Only-Live-Once Society | Book 2

Chapter Eleven

Elijah and I weave our way through the woods alone, going around the back of the pavilion we're sure Vince is in whilst our teammates converge on our opponents.

When I first arrived last year, it was somewhere Elijah briefly took me. I fell through a hole in the floor, which led us to a series of underground tunnels. It was cool.

That's how we're going to get the box.

"So..." he says quietly as we walk.

"So?"

"What do you think we're meant to be learning right now?"

We're ambling through bushes, trying to make our feet lighter so the leaves underneath don't crunch so loud. The trees are just about filtering moonlight through the branches. I'm thankful it's winter so there's very little leaves on them - the more this exercise goes on, the more I realise I don't like the dark.

I shrug, "Maybr teamwork? Maybe that even with a gun we still need a strategy. To prove that a gun isn't really an asset?"

"Yeah." Elijah says, but he doesn't sound convinced.

"What do you think it's for?"

"Honestly? I think Stan has done it just to pit me against Vince."

The wind has picked up and the chill feels like it's touching my bones. We increase the pace. I hug my gun to me, hoping for it to give me some warmth.

Elijah asks, "Do you want my jumper?"

"No." I say. "You'll freeze."

There will come a time when Elijah or Vince or Stan won't be around to save me. I have to start relying on myself. I need to bring my own anorak and jumpers. I need to be my own backup.

My voice is low as I say, "I don't think that's why we're doing this exercise by the way. I think Stan has used it to wind you up, but I don't think it's the why."

"Yeah," Elijah mutters. "I suppose."

I look at him in the dark. There is something about Elijah that makes the world seem to spin. He is a beacon of light in my otherwise dark world. He makes me feel like I'm going to burst into flames at any given point, and at the same time he is where I feel at home. He is where I am most comfortable. He is the very best of me.

I have been staring at him too long.

"What?"

"I love you." I blurt out.

Elijah laughs and pulls me into his side, kissing the top of my head. "I love you."

We reach the entrance of one of the tunnels we burst through last year and pause, looking at each other. Our chests are rising and falling quicker then I would have thought. We must have been walking faster then I realised. We adjust our backpacks and guns, get comfortable to head in.

"Ready?" He finally asks me.

I nod at him. "I've got your back."

He laughs. "Amelia, you've always had my back. I don't doubt that for a second."

We enter the tunnel. There is no light at all, I raise my hand in front of my face and can't see it. Now I really need my torch. I pull it out and I turn it on. We look around. It's an empty concrete tunnel with no sound or light. It's something straight out of a horror film. I press inwards.

"Maybe this isn't the best idea," Elijah says, breathlessly.

I almost laugh. "Are you sacred?"

"No. I just have good sense."

I head in deeper.

"For God's sake, Amelia," he says.

"You don't have to come with me," I say.

"Of course I do."

This plan is pretty crazy. We have no idea if there's any protection out here, we could be being tracked by one of the many people that are after me and have no idea. But it doesn't stop me. I could have a thousand fears, not facing them won't protect me. Running away from my problems won't solve anything. Leaving Elijah to protect him, didn't protect him. Sacrificing myself made everything worse.

I'm growing. I'm learning. I won't turn back, not in life or on this mission.

We reach a turning in the tunnel and I can hear footsteps above us. We must be directly under the floorboards of the pavilion. We have reached our destination.

Elijah signals for me to turn the light off, so I do.

We walk slowly, making sure to make as little noise as possible. I pull my gun around my body, holding my finger over the trigger. Elijah clears the space in front of us exactly like they do in films, holding the gun in front of him, sweeping corners. It's pretty sexy.

Light is filtering through the floorboards to illuminate the tunnels. Suddenly a chorus of shouts break out, causing us both to jump. I hear puffs of air as paintballs go flying, and splats as they land on their targets. Our team has charged, our opponents break out of the pavilion, footsteps roaring above us - until there is nothing but silence.

Elijah lifts a floorboard a fraction and looks out. Then he raises his gun through the gap and lets out a shot. "What the!" Someone shouts, I can't see who. There's a clatter to the floor which I imagine is their gun and a stamping towards the door.

Elijah turns back to me, grinning. "It's empty."

He lifts the floorboard and jumps out, then he turns to me and pulls me up with him. The box is in the middle of the room, so he grabs it and we turn back to head into the tunnels again. Just as I'm entering the hole a shot rings out, and Elijah sprawls forward, landing to the left where the hole in the floor is.

I don't turn to see who it is, I grab the box from Elijah and sprint into the darkness. I'm almost certain it's Vince.

"Amelia," I hear Vince call.

He's followed me into the tunnels. I don't dare turn my torch on. Instead I saddle up to the wall, I reach out a hand to trace it, allowing it to lead me around. I hope I'm following the route back out.

I quieten my breath, take slow steady steps. I know Vince is doing the same as I can't hear him. My heart is pounding, adrenaline is flooding my system. We might win this, all I have to do is escape Vince.

My confidence wavers when I realise I've been walking for a lot longer then on my way in. I look behind me, but I can see nothing. I resolve to keep going forward, and I can feel the tunnel widening. This must be the end.

Then I step into a room, the ceilings far taller than should be possible, at the top is a glass roof filtering moonlight through. There's a dripping of water somewhere close by, slow and methodical. It's eery. I'm at the top of a hill that allows me to see the room in full.

In the middle there's a steel table covered in dust, surrounded by four chairs, also covered in dust. Chains and rope dangle from the walls. There's one surgical chair and a tiny table with medical equipment next to it. It gives me pause for thought; what is this room?

I look around. At least ten different tunnels lead here. And even though the room is far bigger then the tunnels, much lighter and easier to see, I suddenly feel claustrophobic.

That's when I hear the voices.