Fracted (Book #2)

Chapter 44: Confrontations

"Wait, what is this?" Benjamin is confused after seeing Eiffel's ID.
"I read her thoughts yesterday--she's plannning to kill me."
"Maybe it's just a misunderstanding."
"Really? Check the ID again."
I looked at the word genocide and experiments. It looks legit to me.
"What're you planning to do?" He asked.
"I don't know! I don't want to kill the woman I love," I panicked. "but I don't want her to kill me first."
"That's tough--but you have to confront her somehow."
"I know," I sighed. "thanks for the small advice."
"No prob--but hurry, she might target the ones close to you; Patrick and Jason."
Even though the three of us weren't that close enough, they've come a long way to be loyal. So they're actually worth protecting.

We gathered up for supper at around late seven. Patrick and Jason sat across me and Eiffel at the long rectangular table while Benjamin sat far away from us on the very right with Hunter and the other men.
I didn't have the appetite to eat poached eggs and deer meat tonight, but I took a few bites and waited for Eiffel to finish. The men's overlapping conversations ruptured my eardrums as I waited. Long time has passed...and finally the supper concluded.
"We need to talk," I whispered to Eiffel's ear when all of us were departing from the tables.
"What for?" She asked curiously.
"Just come with me."
"Alright then--Jason, can you take care of my plate for me, please?"
"Certainly," he said politely.
"Come on, quick!"
I had a tight grab on her forearm, it must've hurt her. As we reached the darkness in the woods, I began to loosen up.
"Jess, you're hurting me!" She tried shaking off my hand. "Jess, what's wrong with you today? Stop!" She yelled.
After that, we stopped walking and stood behind a banyan tree.
"Jess, what's wrong? Is something bothering you?" She asked nicely while gently rubbing her arm.
"Is something bothering you?" I retorted.
"What's that supposed to mean--? I thought we were okay yesterday, I thought you were gonna wait for me--for us."
"It's not about that," My volume increased. "What's this, Eiffel?"
I reached down my pocket and held the ID infront of her face. She did not say a single word.
"Answer me!" I shouted, throwing off her attention to the ID that I viciously threw on the ground.
"I-I..." Her voice trembled in fear. She was almost in tears. "I'm so sorry, I--"
"Your sorries mean nothing to me, just answer the darn question!"
"I work...in a facility where..." She sobbed loudly. "where we experiment on people like you. It's a secret organization no one knew about unless André spreads the word about you guys."
Now she's actually crying.
"So you knew André before all this? How could you--?! And just so you know André already did spread the word about us. Thanks a lot for your help, really."
"Listen, remember that time in the airport with George?" She brought it up like it links to what's happening right now.
"Your dad, yeah." I was still frowning.
"He's not my dad, all of it was just an act. My parents are dead long ago."
"What about Sky?"
"Sky is real, don't worry. And I'm sorry for faking. I really am." She wiped her tears.
"How do I know I can still trust you?"
"Well I'm telling you everything, aren't I?"
"True--So you're not gonna to kill me anymore?"
"Hmm? Oh, how'd you know about that?"
"Part-Reader now, surprise!" I waved my hands jokingly.
"Oh--the thing you heard inside my head, it was a second thought. I can't believe you can scan through second thoughts too. Not a lot of Readers can do that right away, you know. Also, you know I can't kill anybody...it's obvious if you just take a glimpse."
"Looks can be deceiving, right?"
"Right."
"And you don't even look like a Junior Innate Hunter to me so there's that." Eiffel chuckled and we shook hands as friends.
"One more thing," she added. "no hard feelings but, all the lovey-dubby stuff was all fake. Hope we can still be friends. Is that okay with you?"
Benjamin's loud voice was heard from a great distance.
"Everybody, listen up! I have an announcement to make so please gather up on the tables!"
I didn't want to finish our conversation yet, so I climbed up the tree and watched from afar.
"Hold that thought," I shouted from above. She raised her thumb high and I could see her smile glisten in the slight darkness beneath the other trees.
I noticed every person that surrounded the table where Benjamin stood and shouted the announcement. "I am abrogating the Innate-hunting rule!" He yelled broadly, causing each and every man gasp in shock. Murmurs have scattered instantaneously.
"Silence!" Hunter yelled, but he wasn't as loud as his step-dad.
Hunter fell back on the ground similar to tripping on an untied shoelace when a projectile hits his head. But he's okay, hopefully. Benjamin didn't mind and continued speaking.
"The truth is, believe me it's happened a lot, that you guys misunderstood my plan from the very beginning. I...was just hunting for an Innate, but you people just started thinking that the entire Innate race is the number one enemy. You people wrong! Wrong, I say!"
"Jess, what's happening up there?" Eiffel asked.
"Hold on," I shouted without looking down.
"Lies!" A couple men shouted back at Benjamin. "You're just saying that because you're one of them, aren't you?"
"N-No, I'm...not!" From all the stuttering, I could tell from a distance that he's petrified by the number of men glaring at him.
"This man is malicious scoundrel!" They shouted angrily with more power. "Get him!"
I took a short peek before I climbed down like a spider-monkey. Benjamin leaped down the table and helped Hunter to his feet. Three gunshots pierced the air and they ran towards the woods. Towards us. But where could Patrick and Jason be right now?
In a matter of seconds, Benjamin's and Hunter's screams were heard nearby.
"Oh my gosh, what happened up there?" Eiffel asked.
"Benjamin--we have to help him, let's go!" I hurried.
"Wait, what happened?"
I drag her along with me as I ran towards where Benjamin and Hunter were heading.
"Can you please tell me what's goin' on? What happened over there?"
"He just revoked the Innate-hunting rule, and now his men are after him. They suspected he's one of us--which is true--and now they're gonna kill him."
"That's bad news, but where are we heading?"
It's difficult to talk while running because every breath you use for talking is getting taken away by the energy used for running.
"Towards where they're going," I panted. "We have to help Hunter and Benjamin escape this island."
"Why does Hunter have to come anyway? That little brat's gonna get get us killed."
"What can he do? Shoot us? The kid's nothing but weapons, inagine if we take them all away from him."
"What if he knows how to fight and he intends to kill us?"
I didn't have the time to answer, a huge weight came over me. I felt cold metal press against my arms and legs. I'm sure what had hit me acquires arms and legs too.
"It's one of your men," The voice sounded familiar. Hunter's. "go ahead and finish him!"
I scrambled up to my feet and shook off all the dirt.
"Woah, woah, woah! It's Jess and Eiffel, don't shoot us!" I felt a sudden panic in my spine.
Benjamin lowered the gun that I didn't know he had.
"These two are coming with us," He says to Hunter. "they seem resourceful for our escape."
"What--no, absolutely not!" Hunter shouted in disagreement. "They can't come with us. We barely even know who they are."
"Easy, child, they're trustworthy. I've been watching their every move since they came."
"Just don't screw this up for everyone."
"Alright, so I guess we're helping," I said to Eiffel, winking an eye even though she didn't see much.
When we heard another batch of gunshots, we sprinted to what we think is the very edge of the island.
"I can't see!" Eiffel pointed out.
"I have glow-sticks!" Hunter pulls out a pack and snapped all them in one twist. "Clip 'em to your shirts, can't see a darn thing either."
He tossed one to me and Eiffel and I immediately tucked it in my vest. Neon green lights have lead our way to the the other side, who knows where we will end up?