The Burning Girl

Chapter 15 - A N N A

We carry on running through the sewers hearing the faint sound of someone chasing us. I'm smiling to myself that we got away with it. Our first mission! We can only see ahead of us because of the flashing of Cass' torch moving sporadically. We manage to lose the people chasing us, by taking a series of side tunnels and then linking back into the main shaft when Alto says it's safe for us to move on. I can only assume he's got some sort of map with our positions on it, telling him our locations.

We finally make it back to the corridor that leads back to the van; and safety I might add. Arran goes first climbing up the ladder with Cass bringing up the rear. We climb back out of the manhole in a quiet street called Moon's Hill. We replace the cover as quietly as we can, so as not to alert anyone of our presence. We then make our way down the street until the lights of the van flicker on. The quiet grumble of the van springing to life is the loudest thing at this time of night. It slowly crawls towards us and Arran yanks the side door open, the ringing of it sliding calming my sense of panic. We pile into the back, before Alto promptly steps on the gas and we are thrown back in our seats as he laughs good naturedly.

It takes a couple of hours to get back to base, and by that time the pale fingers of sunlight are stretching up into the sky. Arran is asleep next to me, his head lolling against my shoulder. I slept for a while but woke up when Alto started singing badly along to the radio.

"I'm gonna swing, from the chandelier, from the chandelier! I'm gonna live like tomorrow doesn't exist, like it doesn't exist!"

"Dude," I grumble "Stop. It sounds like you're slowly killing a cat."

He snorts loudly but carries on anyway.

"I'm gonna fly like a fire across the night! Feel my tears as they dry," he looks at my expression.

"Two words, shut up." I deadpan.

"Yeesh," he laughs but finally stops.

We pull into the long track that leads back to the base. Arran sits up, rubbing his eyes and blinking into the light.

"Aww he's awake," Cass coos at him, pinching his cheeks.

"Shove off," Arran says batting her hands away, but smiling.

We pull up in front of the farm house, and jump out of the van. We walk in through the side door and make our way back up to the ops room. Tom stands there waiting for us, somehow knowing we had arrived. He forces a smile on his face and holds out his hand to Arran. He gives over the USB stick, which Tom puts in a safe behind a painting, looking very pleased with himself.

Talk about clichè, I think.

He spins back round and stands in front of us, eyes glowering.

"When I asked you to be back by 7, I mean 7. I'm running a tight ship here and I. Don't. Need. You. Messing. It. Up." He says all this, punctuating each word by stabbing his finger into Alto's chest.

"Cut it out chief," Alto says sarcastically, his fists clenching.

I really don't like this Tom guy. He seems like a complete jerk. I mean who has a massive tattoo instead of hair?Who does that?! Oh wait, him. One look from him could make a person's skin crawl, but not mine. I glare at him, pointing all my hatred and confusion at being here at him, like a laser making sure it bores into him. He just looks me over with a cruel twist to his smile.

If only you knew what I could do to you jerk, I silently promise him.

He just has this cloud of bad juju hanging over him that instantly makes me hate him. Maybe it's his eyes, they are as hard and grey as two prices of flint. If I punched his face I swear it would come away bleeding because of his razor eyes.

"You're dismissed," He growls, pointing to the door.

We all take a sigh of relief and trail out the door and downstairs. We make our way back to our quarters, but for the first time, without blind folds.

~~~

AN

Are they now being trusted? What was that mission about? Why the USB stick?

Keep reading to find out!

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lots of love Tolly 💕