Aurore

17- Emotions Run High

Surprisingly, there was very little people down there. When I was down there, there were more people. But we only ran into one person, who I...well...you know. Ruby wasn't happy with me, and refused to talk to me.
"Ruby," I began. "We have to talk to each other. We're a team."
She said nothing. We'd found the light switch, so a really dim light shone through the floor. It was just barely enough to see each other in.
"Ruby, you don't understand!" I tried to explain. "Another second and he would have killed you!" The man we ran into tried to kill her, and succeeded in shooting her in the upper arm. She held it tightly, probably trying to stop the pain.
"No, he wouldn't have-" She began.
I cut her off. "No, you passed out and he had the gun on you. I shot him right before he pulled the trigger. I didn't know the guy. I'd rather have him die than you."
She had nothing to say and I knew she didn't know what to say, but she remained angry. I shrugged and continued.
"We're almost there," I said as we turned a corner.
At the end of the hallway, we found the safe that the Agensie's explosives were tucked away in. I was immediately concerned.
"It's open." She said.
"I know," I said.
I pulled the door further open before stepping inside. As I popped my head through the door, I saw the boy that we'd saved from Stewart.
"What are you doing?" I asked him. He froze, terrified.
"Chill," I said as I walked into the room.
"Ruby, notify Ryan and Kyle that we found it." I called. They had been distracting the guards while we found the explosives.
"Got it." She said coldly.
"I'm not doing anything." The boy said. "Don't hurt me."
"I'm not gonna hurt you." I said calmly. "Why would I? We were the ones who saved you earlier!"
"You were?" he asked. I nodded.
The young boy stepped forward and hugged me. "Thank you."
I lightly hugged him back. He was probably about 9, maybe 10.
"You wanna get out of here?"
He looked at me blankly.
"Out of the Agensie," I clarified.
He nodded vigorously.
"Then stick with us. We're getting out," I said. He smiled and looked to Ruby, who was standing in the doorway.
I carefully dug through the explosives and found what I needed. C4.
I grabbed four bricks and the handle that would trigger it.
"Okay. Let's get to the door." I said.
The boy followed me.
"What's your name?" I asked him.
"Simon."
"Okay, Simon, come one." I told him. He followed willingly.
"How'd you get into the safe?" I asked.
"I dunno. I just figured out the code to get in." He shrugged.
That doesn't just happen. He must have been a genius.
"Okay." Ruby closed the safe and we were back down the hallway. I gave Simon my gun to protect us as we walked.
We walked to the other side of the facility and found the door that would be our ticket out.
I heard rustling, like people walking.
I set the C4 down and readied myself for combat.
"Jase?" I heard Ryan's voice.
"Oh, good." I breathed.
As they joined us, I set the C4 into position.
"Okay, everyone back." I ordered. Everyone stepped back around the corner, except me. I stood about twenty feet from the door.
"Wait! What's that?" Simon asked, pointing to my ankle.
I looked down and remembered my tracker.
"Ugh! My tracker!" I exclaimed.
"As soon as we get it off it'll alert Stewart's men."
Ryan knelt to examine it.
"We'll take it off after we blow the door. It'll give us time to run."
I nodded. As everyone gathered around the corner, I readied myself to press the trigger. I pressed the trigger and turned to run to the corner, but it exploded too early. I flew through the air and slammed up against the wall and fell to the ground.
I coughed as I tried to stand but my vision was blurry. Ryan grabbed my arm and helped me sit up against the wall.
"Take care of him Kyle. I'm getting the tracker off."
Kyle began asking me questions to make sure I could see and didn't have a concussion. I answered the questions correctly, at least I think I did. My head throbbed and my leg pulsated. I must've done something to my leg.
"Kyle?" Ryan said as he held the tracker that was still attached to my ankle.
They whispered to each other. Kyle seemed very against what Ryan said. Finally, they stepped forward and Ryan said, "We'll have to shoot the tracker off. It's too strong to get it off any other way."
I shrugged. "Okay."
"But Jason-" Kyle began but I cut him off.
"If we don't I'm putting everyone else in danger. Just shoot it off."
"It could shatter your ankle." Ryan said.
"Just do it." I told him.
Ryan sighed. "Okay." Kyle came next to me so I could squeeze his hand once Ryan shot it.
Ryan stood and pointed the gun to my foot.
I squeezed my eyes shut and waited.
BOOM!
I instantly felt pain. I clenched my jaw in pain. I opened my eyes to see my bloodied ankle.
Ryan carefully removed the tracker and said, " It didn't shatter the bone. The metal was strong enough that all the power was absorbed by it and not your foot. You'll be fine after a while."
I nodded. "Let's go."
Kyle helped me up. I dug through his backpack and found some painkillers that we'd stolen. The strongest kind. It would completely numb my leg.
After popping it in my mouth, I said, "Let's go. I'll stay in the back to make sure no one falls behind."
With that, we took off down the tunnel we'd revealed with the door.
As we ran I realized, we were a rag-tag team, and unlikely to succeed. My mind was clouded with negativity. Then I remembered. We had a crazy smart man leading us--Ryan. Two Specials--Kyle and I.  A strategy enthusiast--Ruby. And lastly, a boy genius--Simon. With that, I was convinced that we would succeed.
The tunnel had a constant incline; we were miles underground and after about two miles, I could tell everyone was running out of steam.
"Come on guys!" I encouraged.
"We can't just keep running." Ruby complained. "Once we get above ground, it'll be light and they'll be able to see us."
I nodded. "Okay. We'll walk." I pulled my gun from its concealed position and said, "I'll walk a ways behind you and alert you if someone comes."
I turned, but Kyle said, "Wait." I stopped.
"I'm coming with you." Kyle said. I nodded in subservience and allowed him to walk next to me.
"Crazy how this is all happening, huh?" Kyle said. I shrugged in reply. The medication I had taken for my leg made my vision blurry and I felt loopy.
"I mean, just a few weeks ago we were planning this. It didn't seem real until it started happening. Just a few months ago, you were thought to be dead. It's crazy."
I nodded. "Just a few months ago I lost almost everything I loved."
Kyle was silent for a few minutes but then said, "I'm sorry about Shasta. I don't think she should have done that. And Sabrina. I'm sorry about her too."
"It's not your fault. I only blame myself." I said dully.
"What happened with those two wasn't your fault." He said softly.
"Yea, well, life sucks. I better get used to it." I said.
As we turned, I heard yelling in the distance. "The guards." I said.
Kyle didn't answer but immediately switched on his earbud.
"Guards are coming." Kyle said.
"Roger that, Kyle. We are on the move. Get back here!" Ryan ordered.
"On our way." He said.
"Let's go." I said. We hurried down the tunnel, hoping to find Ruby.
I was exhausted, and I knew Kyle was too.
"One sec, Kyle." I panted.
We stopped running.
"We gotta keep going-" Kyle argued.
"Wait." I dug through my backpack and found the syringe.
"What are you doing?" Kyle asked me.
"There's no way we have enough energy to run uphill for this long."
"And?"
I loaded a needle onto the syringe.
"I got it from the lab. It's an experimental drug, but so far the tests have worked."
"You want to put that in me?!" Kyle screeched.
"It boosts energy by 90%" I argued.
"If it kills me, Jason, it'll be on your head." He said, annoyed.
I nodded and without another word, I inserted the needle into his arm.
I heard the soldiers coming near, and knew I didn't have much time. Without bothering to change the needle, I put the serum into the syringe and shoved it into my arm, cringing.
I pulled it from my skin and threw the syringe and needle aside.
"Let's go." I said as I slung my backpack on my back.
We took off again down the tunnel.
We caught up to the group, and the first person I saw was Ruby.
"Ruby!" I called.
I held the syringe in my hand that I'd gotten from my bag. I walked up to her and grabbed her hand and inserted it into her arm.
"Hey!" She exclaimed.
"You'll thank me later." I said. After giving everyone the serum, we were on the run again. I knew we were near ground level.
As we turned the final corner, I saw the door to the tunnel.
"Come on!!" I exclaimed. Ryan, Kyle, and I struggled to open the door, but succeeded.
Ruby slipped through first, then Simon, then Kyle, Ryan, and lastly, me.
We closed the door again and turned. It was night, so it was dark. Thankfully.
I pulled my compass from my pocket.
"We're heading north." I said as I pointed. Everyone began to run in that direction.
"Wait!" I heard a feeble voice shout to us. I knew who it was.
Everyone looked to me to decide what to do. Stop? Ignore it? I nodded to them.
"Who's there?" asked Kyle.
Shasta came out of the bushes, frightened.
As soon as I saw the movement of the bush, I held my gun up, ready to shoot.
"What do you want?" I asked crossly.
"Please. Take me with you! Please, they're gonna kill me...they're gonna..."
I turned to Kyle while she mumbled.
"Well?" I asked. "What do we do?"
"It's your decision, bro." Kyle said.
"Shoot her." I said.
"What? No!"
"Why not?" I argued. "She may be a spy. The Agensie may be using her to find us!"
"I doubt that, Jason."
"I'd rather shoot her and avoid the problem altogether."
"She's your best friend, Jase."
"Correction. WAS."
"Jason." Kyle's tone had changed and he was serious then.
"Fine." I said as I put my gun down. "But if she shows any signs, ANY, we're getting rid of her."
Kyle patted me on the back and went to tell Shasta. I didn't give him much time, before I said, "Okay. Let's get a move on. We have a long ways to go."