Rebel

Chapter Twenty Eight

We walked outside, the cool night's air filling my lungs. I hopped on my hoverboard, swaying slightly under the shift of weight until the board adjusted. I waited for everyone to get on their boards before speaking. "Alright everyone, this is it. I'm gonna have Dario go first, then Bailey, then Jace, then Alexsandra, Harvey, Olwyn, and I'll be in the back." People moved into their correct spots in line as I said their name, "Got it?"

"Sage?" Jace said, almost timidly, "Can I go right before you?" When he saw the skeptical look on my face he shifted on his board and said, "Please?"

I sighed, "Alright fine. You'll go right after Olwyn and Alexsandra will go after Bailey."

"Thanks Sage." Jace said with more sincerity then I've never seen him use before. I nodded and moved behind him.

"Let's go, people." I said, forcing my voice to remain calm, "Dario, are you ready to go?"

Dario looked back at me from the front of the line, "Yup. Let's do this."

Before I could mentally brace myself, the line was moving. I followed Jace up into the sky, my board aiming for a point just above the wall. At the last second, I looked back at the shrinking compound. I could see the window of my room, the lights that Alexsandra installed blaring brightly. I was leaving, and now there's no going back. Goodbye sanctuary. I thought, Goodbye training, and goodbye Cathleen.

I made to look forward again, but then something caught my eye. A ridiculously tall, broad shouldered figure was standing on the grounds, surrounded by the forms of several guards. So found us! I thought, panic started to flood my veins, She must not have left yet! I turned back to yell the news at the others, but then something hard came out of nowhere and rammed into the side of my head.

I cried out and tipped backwards with the force of the blow. I lost my footing, and fell off the board, tumbling to the ground. My gut twisted with the motion, and I couldn't keep a yell of fright out of my throat, though my jaw hurt with the strain. Just before I hit the ground however, my wrists were yanked up by the pull of my hoverbands. There was a sickening pop from my left shoulder and unbearable pain shot through my arm. I cried out and closed my eyes, not daring to look at my arm. Before I could orient myself, a pair of extremely strong arms grabbed me and yanked me out of the air. I yelled and struggled to get out of their grip, but my arm felt like it was on fire and I knew it was useless.

"Well, well, well." Came the terribly familiar voice of Cathleen Morsie, "Trying to run now are we? Did you really think you could get away from me? The only question is why you would dare run away in the first place. Even after all I did for you."

"For us?" I panted. Sweat was sticking my shirt to my back and my head was throbbing. The pain from my arm was bordering on unbearable and I couldn't move my fingers. In fact, I couldn't move my whole left arm. "You mean for yourself. We were just your toys of war."

Morsie scowled, the look emphasizing the surgically altered features of her face. "You're a liar. You just made up that story to get the others to follow you to the ends of the earth. And now you'll be punished."

"Sage!" came a voice from above me. I glanced up to Alexsandra flying full speed towards me, the others now far behind.

"Get them!" Morsie said through gritted teeth. That's when I figured out who had hit me out of the sky. Jace zoomed up towards them at full speed, his fists clenched.

"Run!" I yelled with as much strength as I could, "He's a traitor and he's coming for-- AAAAH!"

I cut off as the guard holding me grabbed my dislocated arm and pulled it behind my back. I cried out, the pain making white spots dance in my vision and forced tears into my eyes. I stared up at Alexsandra who had stopped moving and was staring with horror back at me. I gathered the rest of my energy and mouthed the word Run!

Olwyn reached Alexsandra and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her backwards, towards freedom. She shook her off, still staring at me. I could make out the glint of a tear running down her cheek. "Go." I croaked, my energy draining by the second. Jace was gaining, only a few yards away from her, when she whirled around and flew full speed over the gates.

I watched with mounting relief as the forms of my friends shrank into the distance, flying towards the horizon. Jace stopped before long, and flew back, a scowl on his face. He landed in front of Morsie and dipped his head respectfully, "I'm sorry, Mistress. I couldn't catch them."

"It's no matter." Morsie said, turning towards me, "We cut off the head, now we wait for the body to die."

I glared at her swimming form, feeling dizzy, "It doesn't matter." I panted, "Your puppets are gone. You have nothing left."

Morsie grinned at me, stepping closer so I had to tilt my head up to look her in the eyes, "You fool." she said, "Did you really think that you're all I got? You and your little group of rebels are just the tip of the iceberg. Sadly you won't be around to meet the rest of the group." She suddenly jumped at me, backhanding me across the face. The lights flashed again, and my legs gave out, all my weight in the hands of the guard holding me. "Take her away." Morsie said, turning away, "I think a week in the simulation room will teach her a thing or two about loyalty."

The guard pulled me towards the compound, my legs struggling to keep up. Eventually I gave up, settling with dragging my legs to make the move as difficult for the guard as possible. Evidently it worked.

"Would you cut that out?" The guard said through clenched teeth, kicking my feet so they were pushed forward.

"I'd rather not." I muttered, my voice weak and probably dripping with pain.

"Fine then." The guard said, adjusting his hold on me so he was only using one hand, "Guess we're doing this the hard way."

Before I could ask what the hard way is, something terribly hard hit me across the head. The last thing I remember was excruciating pain shooting through my whole body before everything went black and the world was lost.