The Uprisen

Chapter 31

Seeing everyone together at the airport was the first sign that something is very wrong.  Aside from the situation, everyone's attitudes seems off.  

Since she waited for Felicity's flight to board before hers, she was the last one to arrive at the party in Kansas.  Except it didn't feel like a party considering.

Cameron and Joseph keep glancing at each other out of concern, but also in secrecy.  Alexa looks like she just got back from the war in Afghanistan: shell-shocked and terrified.  Jake's worried for Alexa, though he's trying to stay strong for everyone.  Quinn looks like he's seen some things, but he's the calmest person there.  Spencer seems the most agitated.

"Hey," Spencer says, hugging Mallory.  "I'm glad you're finally here.  We need to get going."

"What's going on?  You didn't really say much over the phone," she says.

Spencer rubs his forehead, troubled by whatever is bothering him.  "The last I talked to her was around noon.  A few minutes after I called her, she called me back but she never answered.  I waited to see if it was just a butt-dial, but i heard running.  Devin found her."

Mallory's heart drops.  "Have you heard anything else?"

He hesitates.  "We need to find her."

 He's hiding something, she thinks.

"Why weren't you guys together?" Cameron asks in a concerned tone.  Since the last time she's seen him, everything about him has changed.  He's got better posture, more muscular, on edge, and overall more serious.

"We were given two places that might have the book, so we split up and took one each.  It was stupid.  We should've stayed together," Spencer says sadly.

Jake pats him on the shoulder.  "Hey, whatever happened, it's not your fault.  Okay?"

Spencer looks at Jake hopefully, but he doesn't buy it.  He's under the impression that anything bad that happens to Mallory is his fault.

"Come on, we're only fifteen minutes out," Spencer insists.

In order to fit everyone, they have to rent out an SUV.  Jake drives with Spencer giving him directions in the next seat.

In the middle, Quinn, Mallory, and Joseph squeeze next to each other, leaving Alexa in the very back.

"So, how were everyone's trips?" Joseph asks.Mallory notices Jake glance back to Alexa and Quinn.

"We survived," Jake said.

"We found the second book," Cameron says distantly.  "And we survived."

"Max is dead," Mallory says nonchalantly.

Jake glances back.  "Did you or Felicity—"

"I did it.  She was at the motel."

Spencer turns around from the front.  "So you went off on your own too?"

Mallory shrugs.  "Yeah, I guess I did."

He looks at her sadly, then turns around again.

The rest of the car ride is silent.  Everyone finally has a chance to sit down and relax, except for Spencer apparently.  However, this is the first time in weeks that they've all been remotely close to each other, and no one really has anything to say.  Mallory wonders how many people had to die, how many close calls they all had to have to get to this point.  The bunch of people who normally couldn't shut up around each other finally has nothing to say.

As they pull up to the motel, a thought occurs to Mallory: it's dark outside and they're supposed to find her sister in this town as soon as possible.