Amidst Our Broken World

Chapter 14 - The Tracker

Sorry for the plot hole here, I didn't know how the heck they got lighting in the basement which was UNDERGROUND in that scene, so I'm just gonna B.S. and say there was somehow moonlight that reached below ground😃👍

As we descended down the staircase, I realized we were headed somewhere I had never been before. We were going past both the scientists' research floor as well as the subjects' quarters. Eleven stopped at where the winding steps ended in front of the door, pulling out a key card from her pocket and tapping it against the lock.

Registering at the last moment that the automatically closing door would lock itself eventually, I scrambled down the stairs after her and managed to catch the door in time. Thankfully, she didn't hear me.

I shut the door quietly behind me and made my way through the dark basement. The only illumination on the floor seemed to be the moonlight that seeped inside from a few gaps between the wings of the engine fans. There was steam and large machinery everywhere as I was guessing this was where the entire building's water system, air conditioning, and other maintenance facilities were located. The sound of the engines covered up the sound of Eleven's steps.

For about half a minute, I wandered my way through the basement, desperate for any sound that might hint at human interaction. I was walking towards a wall when I heard it:

"...this will lead you out beyond the lab fence to the woods." It was Peter's voice.

A smaller and more timid voice replied, "But you're too big."

"I'm not going with you, Eleven."

I poked my head out slightly to see the orderly crouching down to talk to the girl. They were standing in front of an air duct.

"I meant what I said when I called this place a prison. And everyone here is a prisoner, not just you. Not just your brothers and sisters, but the guards, too, the nurses...

"Me."

Then I watched as Peter turned his head to one side and pulled the blonde locks that obscured the side of his neck away. I couldn't see clearly from afar, but I assumed it was some scar at first.

"Here," he said as he placed Eleven's hand on the spot. "Can you feel it?"

The girl nodded. "Your papa calls it Soteria. It weakens me. It tracks me. Even if there were another way out, he will find me. And if he finds me, he will find you."

My premonition was wrong. It wasn't a scar. It was something much worse. Pity welled up from inside my chest and threatened to unleash itself through tears. Poor Peter was nothing shy of a tribute stuck in an arena with no escape other than death. And I could never comprehend just how terrible having a Soteria inserted against my will was.

"What if I make it go away?" A determined look appeared on the tiny girl's face. "You helped me. I'll help you."

I stood there watching, perplexed for a moment. What did she mean "make it go away"? How could she remove it without surgical equipment or whatever devices were required for getting rid of trackers? Unless...

"Remember," Peter looked deep into her nervous eyes. "You can't hurt me more than they already have."

She's going to rip it out of him with her powers.

The girl focused intently on the little bump that I was now able to make out in the darkness. She strained for a few seconds against his flesh until a metallic "plink!" echoed in the room. 

"Huh," He picked up the tiny bead that had been imbedded in his neck only moments ago. "Who knew something so small could cause so much trouble?"

"Thank you." He smiled.

As he turned back to look at the girl, I spotted the gushing wound on his neck. No. What if he bleeds out? A neck wound is fatal especially if a vital artery has been severed. He can't possibly die like this--

"Peter!" I blurted out uncontrollably. It was impossible to withhold my concern in the spur of the moment.

Both heads automatically turned to me.