Six (Countdown book 1)

Chapter 11

We ran down the stairs and into the courtyard. Everyone else was running in at the same time as us. Everyone except Ben, who was probably still in his office. We almost ran into each other as we all converged at the centre of the court. 

"What happened to you two?" Andy asked us, stopping just in time so that she wouldn't run into Tony. I glanced at Tony. His eye was bruised and swollen, and his nose was split, bleeding from the middle and out of the nostrils. 

"It doesn't matter." he said. "What's the plan?" 

"We need to get out of here." Wyatt said, taking charge. 

"We can't." I said bluntly. "They're too close." I heard the unmistakable sound of the winch for the drawbridge being let down. I realised that I was the only one who wasn't wearing any armour. I had my bow and arrows, and, of course, my knife, but no armour or anything. Wyatt seemed to notice this too. 

"Go and get some armour." he told me. "We'll hold here." I didn't have time to reply. I ran off towards the stairs, and climbed them two at a time. It was so late the lights had been turned off, but I navigated the complicated passages with ease. "You quite like action, don't you?" I asked, as the small ball of white light that seemed to follow me around appeared beside me as I got to the bedrooms floor. 

I charged into my room, and found my armour in the wardrobe. I grabbed it quickly, pulling it on the way I'd been trained to. I'd long since learned the quickest way to get it all on. We had records and competitions, and my record for putting on full body armour was one minute and three seconds. When I'd finished getting ready, I slung my bow and arrows back over my shoulders.

I made it about halfway to the courtyard and then I had one thought. The cure. 

I ran back up the stairs as fast as I could. In seconds, I was back outside the lab that had taken me nearly an hour of confusion to reach on my first night. I took a deep breath, and pulled on the handle. Locked. I pulled the gravity around the lock, and tried again. I was surprised when the door didn't open. I tried to bend the gravity around the lock again, to no prevail. 

Eventually, I got impatient with trying. I stood back a step, then, with all my force, kicked the door hard with the sole of my trainer. The door shook in it's frame, but didn't budge. I kicked it again, and managed to dent it. I took a few more steps back, then turned slightly side on, so that my shoulder was facing the door.

This is going to hurt, I thought. Then I charged at the door. 

The whole thing gave way as I hit it. After me kicking it, apparently it wasn't in the best shape. I staggered into the room, struggling not to knock anything over. I could see the whiteboard of formula, and I began to run towards it. Then, I heard the unmistakable click of the safety being taken off a gun. 

"Don't move, Eli." a voice behind me said. I froze, raising my hands in the air. "I don't want to have to shoot you." 

"Ben." I breathed, turning slowly to face the old man. "You're the traitor." he gave a curt nod, a devious smile lighting up his aged features. 

"Well done. Maybe I should give you an applause." he said, taking a step towards me. I realised only later that I should have acted then, maybe used my powers of gravity and light against him, but curiosity stopped me. 

"Why?" I asked, unable to hide the hurt in my voice. 

"I was the traitor all along." Ben explained leisurely. "I work with the Hunters, you see. I've been in deep, deep cover. Fifteen years of it. They were looking to find the Cure, and it took me all this time. Well, a little less than that. I worked out the last of the formula two months ago, Eli. But well done to you for getting it, even though I kept messing it up. I needed to keep you distracted for a while so that the Hunters could plan their attack, get the necessary equipment. I knew they were going to attack tonight, so I thought I'd give you some compensation. I gave you the last of the formula."