Aer II

36

   'Okay so we're here, then in the mountains is our main compound,' Rob draws circles on the map 'Josh has eyes everywhere, there's lookouts in the mountains, in the trees, everywhere'.
'Well, we're not planning on sneaking in,' Daisy says.
Rob frowns 'what do you mean?'.
'You're one of the leaders, so they're not gonna attack you, we're gonna pretend to be cult kids recruited by you,' Nix says.

'So why are we returning?' Rob asks.
'Tell the truth, the Imramm was attacked,' Daisy says.
Rob scoffs 'Josh won't like that'.
'Why?'.
'Because then I'm too weak to be considered a leader and weakness deserves punishment,' Rob says 'and I'm not being punished for you people'.
'Okay, well how about you've put someone else in command for now because you wanted to make sure Arawn arrived safely?' Nix suggests.
'That could actually work,' Rob says.

There's a loud knock on the door. Daisy answers it to two men dressed in white cloaks, they grab her and more men start to fill the room, grabbing Nix and Rob.

  They're dragged out to the streets where a small crowd has gathered. Daisy catches James standing at the front of the crowd, he avoids eye contact with her.

They're shoved onto their knees, their hands tied behind them. Aoife stands with a man in front of them. He's ugly, thin and has long mousy hair tied into a plait. He has a long beard, that hides is sunken in face. He wears no top, revealing strange symbols craved into his skin. He has rosary beads around his thin hand. He smiles at them, his smile sends shivers down Daisy's spine and with his smile she knows he's Josh.

'Thank you my friend,' he helps Rob up, Rob stands by Aoife. Daisy's heart sinks, she should've known better.
'So Daisy and Nix am I right?' Josh smiles again 'I have heard so much about you both. It is a shame we're meeting like this, it really is. I quite admire your willpower and your determination. Taking out my horde, stealing our Chosen one, attacking my home on the island and then burning down the Imramm with my horde inside. You see I am always watching, my people are everywhere. They were in the bunker, they were on the island, they were in the Imramm and they are in this town. And you both fell straight into my hands, it's almost perfect'.

Josh turns to Aoife 'I shall take them off you, I sincerely appreciate you telling me about this, our Prophet has told me that your trails will become free from the Cleansed Ones, they have done their job in guiding you to salvation'.
'Thank you,' Aoife says 'my people appreciate it'.
'Oh, oh, sorry what was that? 'My' people,' he laughs 'these are no one's people, these are the Prophet's people now, that's the choice you made when you told me about these Sinners'.

'My mistake,' Aoife says 'but-'.
A loud gunshot rings through the air as Aoife's head explodes into a red cloud.
'But, but, but,' Josh laughs 'stupid bitch'.

Daisy looks around at the people staring in fear. James has disappeared. Each person's face is filled with shock and disbelief. It becomes clear to Daisy that Aoife didn't tell anyone about this, she informed Josh herself, so he'd clear the trails for her and because of that every single person here is now under rule of the cult. And that realisation is beginning to set in every person gathered around.

Someone pulls Daisy up and throws her into the back of a truck. Nix is thrown in beside her. The engines start and they begin to drive away from the town.

'What did I say?' Nix whispers, she can hear the anger in his voice 'what did I say?'.
'He's just trying to save himself,' Daisy says.
'It was all a fucking trap,' he hisses 'I warned you Daisy'.

'We can get out of this Nix,' she says.
'How? How the fuck can we get out of this?'.
'We can jump out,' she says.
He looks at her as if she's stupid.

'There's no vehicles behind us, nobody in the driver's seat can see us,' she says 'we jump out and untie our hands and we hide out'.
'Okay,' he sighs 'I don't see any other option'.

They both jump out at the same time. Daisy hits the ground hard and rolls off the ground, she crashes down a hill and slaps into a tree. An intense, sharp pain travels up her back. She wiggles her hands behind her back, the rope has become loose. She uses all of her strength to pull the rope apart and eventually she's able to get a hand out. She throws away the rope and stands up.

She runs over to where Nix is trying to to stand up.
'Hey,' she kneels down beside him and unties his rope 'wasn't so bad was it?'.
He rolls his eyes 'now what do we do?'.

'There has to be shelter around here somewhere,' she says 'let's just keep going further into the valley'.
'I really hope your right about it this time'.