Project Castaway (Sequel to Project 14)

Chapter 5

We thought up a plan to get Cassandra out of the Shadows hell. It felt just like back with the Experiments. I let out a small sigh and ran a hand through my hair. "But what about your sister? What if something happens to her?" I asked after we finished.

Lily chuckled. "Brenda? She knows what to do. I taught her once I got out."

"Listen, I'd hate to ask, but how did you find Brenda?"

"It was hard. She was out with a group in Colony 7. The Shadows have pipes going all throughout the Colonies and Convoy Americas. I got out somewhere in Tennessee. What Colony is Cassandra a part of?"

"She is part of 14."

Lilly nodded and looked back down at the map. "Best bet is that she is somewhere around 14 and 13." A wave of worry washed over me. "Are you alright?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

Lilly rested her hand on my shoulder. "We'll get her back, don't worry." She let out a small smile. "Tomorrow," she said. "Tomorrow we'll head out and find Cassandra."

Someone came into the room. Travis and I sat at opposite sides of the room. "Cassandra Roosevelt," someone said. "May I have a word with you?"

I got up and followed this guy out into the hallway. The bright lights made me squint and they hurt my eyes. He led me back to my room. "Hey!" Someone yelled. "What the hell do you think you think you're doing with my prisoner?"

The young man stopped. "She doesn't deserve this punishment, El. She's had enough. You can keep the boy."

Ellery went back down the hall. I looked at the man and then back over my shoulder. "What the hell was that?" He stopped by my door. His messy black hung over his eyes. "And who are you?"

"My name's not important now. Get your things. I'm getting you out of here."

I opened my door and saw my bag. It still lies in the same place as I left it. I grabbed whatever I needed and went back to the hall. "There! They are down there!" Two guards ran towards us.

I heard the man tell me to run. I did as he said, just then running into someone. It was a male with muscular arms and he wrapped his arms around my waist and caused me to put my back to his chest. I was thrashing and kicking. The young man managed to escape the two guards. Before he could reach me, someone shot him. I let out a gasp.

"Enough!" Ellery appeared from behind the two guards. She looked to the man on the floor. "Poor, poor Hunter," she clicked her tongue. "Always trying to save someone, aren't we?"

"Go to hell." He whispered and Ellery chuckled.

"Already been there." Ellery looked over to me. "Geez, you look terrible. What a shame a beautiful face," she walked over to me, "had to go to waste." Ellery rested her hand on my cheek and I spat in her face.

I refused to show fear in my voice. "Everything is a set up. All you want is me. You've been waiting for me since I got out of the Experiments."

"Ding, ding, ding!" She clapped. "Good, now you're thinking on your own."

"Just tell me you did nothing to Junior." I whispered.

"Junior? He was here once. Slipped by in the middle of the night," she sighed. "That boy was smart. I should've killed him when I had the chance. Don't know what happened to the kid."

"Here's something you didn't know." I said and smirked. "Junior taught me things. He especially taught me how to fight on my own."

I elbowed the guard holding me straight into the stomach. He released me, but instantly grabbed a hold of me again. "Damn shame. My guards have been taught well on reaction time." I let out a shaky sigh. "Put her back in her room. She's had enough punishment. We'll change her Thursday."

The guard opened the door to my room and tossed me in. I heard Ellery say something and she came into my room. She grabbed my backpack. I watched her dump everything on the bed. I stood up and grabbed everything that fell out.

"You're a bitch." I whispered and sat back down on the floor.

Ellery didn't say anything and left. The guards closed the door as tears began to fall. I clutched on to my backpack and cried into it. Could Junior still be alive? He has to be.

We were right on the southern border of Colony 13. It felt odd being home. I have been away for so long. I couldn't quite bring it all together. "There should be entry point nearby." Lily said as she scanned the ground with her flashlight.

I looked off towards the dark Colony. The lights were out and there were no signs of life. The place I once called home is gone. It's destroyed by one of the other Colony's.

"Hey, I found something." Lily waved me over.

"Finally after three days of nonstop traveling," I chuckled.

There was a ladder leading down to a drain pipe. "Gosh," Lily whispered. "This doesn't bring back happy memories." I kept close to the walls and looked inside the rooms. That's when I found someone leaning up against a bed and covered in blood. That's gotta be her.