Runaway Lover // Andy Leo

Chapter Twenty-Two

Andy's P.O.V

I roll over, my head thumping. I groan and outstretch an arm toward Sam, wanting her comfort. My arm drops onto the bed, and I open an eye in confusion. The bed beside me is empty, the covers folded back.

"Sam?" My voice is low and throaty from sleep as I call out. I sit up, propping myself back on my arms. "Sam!" I call out again, but only my echoes answer. I fling away the sheets and climb out of bed, picking up my pair of disregarded jeans from yesterday and a fresh t-shirt. Changing quickly, I take a look in the bathroom for her before deciding that she probably went for an early breakfast.

I put on my boots before trudging down the hall toward the cafeteria, feeling more sluggish than usual. My head thrums as I enter the area, the bright lights and buzz in the atmosphere causing only more pain. I see everyone sat at a table in the far corner and go over, apologising to the few people that I bump into along the way.

I slump down into one of the seats, feeling even more groggy than before. I sit next to Dave, who exhanges looks with Benn across the table.

"What happened to you last night?" Benn asks, chuckling to himself. I ignore him and look around for Sam.

"Have you seen Sam?" My brain takes a while to process all of the faces at the table, but I know that Sam isn't here, along with Taddie. "Or Taddie?" I groan and sit up a little, my head pounding.

"Not since yesterday." Megan replies before chomping down on some of the food that her and Brandon share. "Maybe they ran off together." She wiggles her eyebrows, and I shoot her what I hope is a glare - though I can't really tell with my head spinning so badly.

"Are you okay? You look like shit, mate." Dave hits my shoulder in a friendly gesture, but the act makes me want to throw up.

"I feel like shit." I grumble, and shake my head as Megan offers some of her food. I sit back and listen to them go on about different things, all the while my mind somewhere else entirely. I only zone back in when the door to the room slams open, and everyone within a 50 meter range turns to see what it is.

The doors to the room slam against the wall as someone I recognise to be one of the lower ranked members of us runs through the door. His face is panicked and red from running, and he pauses for a second, scanning the room. Our eyes meet and he starts running again, straight toward our table. I use the time to sit up from my space in the depths of the chair.

"This was dropped outside." He thrusts the object into my arms before running back through the doors. The object in my hands sends a shiver down my spine.

I look up toward everyone at the table and see that they all have the same look on their faces. I grip the object tightly and stand up, making my way to the meeting room with a surprisingly clear mind.

Everyone follows me through and take their usual seats at the table that stands in the middle of the room. Dave closes the door behind him, and I hesitate at the gesture.

"Shouldn't Sam and Taddie be here?" I look around, trying to wage the looks on all of their faces. Dave's hand hovers over the doorknob, before he finally shrugs and sits down.

"We can tell them what is it when we see them. If it's from the Empire it can't wait." I nod, not sure whether to be relieved or scared that Dave had also recognised the object in my hands; another messaging system from the Empire, just like the one that almost blew Sam up a week and a half ago.

I too sit down, rolling the object over in my hands in an attempt to find the print reader like on the last one. It takes me a while to find it, and activate the system before I place it in the middle of the table. I feel my entire body tense up as the blue image is projected above the small object.

The Raven stands looking proudly at the camera. I glare at the projection of it.
"Good morning, Mr. Leo!" He opens his arms out wide, and I can already tell that something isn't right. "How are you feeling today? Not too groggy, I hope. It can be a side effect of the drugs we gave you, though." He grins menacingly, and everyone turns to stare at me. I shrug, nudging them off, and keep my attention on the projection. "Of course you know as well as I do that I didn't send this to ask you how you're feeling - though the fun is there. I'm here to end this war." The image of the Raven disappears. We all sit quiet until another image is projected upward - an image that makes my face drain white.

Sam's body hangs limp from the chains that connect her to the ceiling. I stare at the image, praying that it isn't real - even though I know that it's far too real. Her face as an array of bruises, and the white Empire jumpsuit that she wears is stained red.

The image cuts again, and comes back with Taddie struggling against restraints, a deep gash running along his forehead. "We want this war no more than you. Surrender your cause and they live."

The projection diappears, leaving us all staring at where it once was. We stay silent, and my brain swirls with the information that we just wintessed. I stand, my hands shaking with rage.

"You are not actually considdering that, are you?" I glance over to Megan, giving her the most serious look I can without crying.

"You're fucking mental! You can't give everything up just like that!" Dave stands after slamming his hand down on the table. The image of Sam and Taddie flash through my mind.

"We can't leave them there!" I growl, not even bothering to look up.

"We won't! But running in there to surrender is not the right idea. Andy?" I look up as requested, seething. "Don't give everything up. Don't be rash. We'll get them back." Everyone looks at me, waiting for a response.

"Fine." I grab the VMS and storm from the room.