Breaking out of Eden.

Friendly Fire

The elevator opened.

How could it all look so normal, so clean when this place was hiding such a huge secret? This was the Crossroads. Well, I mean that it doesn't exist, when the Serpent had someone that they had undercover and they didn't need any more that person was found guilty of treason and they disappeared. Poof! Just like that. Why didn't I see it before, it’s so obvious now I think about it.

There used to be another opposition, it was called Solomon's People. They fought for many of the reasons we fight but one of their people was found for treason and shortly after Solomon's People collapsed, their members left Eden.

How long have Mary and Able been working for the Serpent? And what did they tell them so that they are not needed anymore?

"Matt" he looked at me and shook his head "Not here, not in the open" I nodded, that made sense. You never know who could be listening; in places like these even the walls have ears.

I walked slowly to the room and collapsed onto my bed, letting the tears that had, until now had been unshed roll down my face. Mary and Able, my surrogate parents. I remember meting them all those years ago.

It was raining, many things are hazy about that day but I remember it was raining. I was in shock it had just happened; the world was changing to quickly for my thirteen year old brain to handle. If you can imagine being told at that age that you many never see your family again. Its life changing. That was the day I stopped being a child.

My two penfriends, Adam and Becka, lived in the states and as luck would have it. The family I was visiting lived in the same street as the Hopes. So when my family started to forget I went to the only people I could Mary and Able Hope. The reason I didn't forget is because the younger you are the longer it takes to forget.

I was treated like family and from that day Mary and Able became my parents. Shortly after that day we joined Exodus and the rest is history.

That had all been a lie; they had worked for the Serpent this whole time. Now it all made sense. How they got onto the council. How it was almost like they knew what we had planned and why our important plans always failed. May and Able had been working for the Serpent from the start.

"We need to find them and find them fast." Matt stated and he turned Joe "There's a computer in here do you think you can hack into the data base and find out what room Mary and Able are in."

Joe was already at the computer "Well, if I can get past their firewall, then yes.” I looked him "Can you?"

"No" I resisted the urge to scream

"Well then what are we going to do?" Everyone looked to Matt and he looked thoughtful for a moment. 

"Downstairs the receptionists thought we were friends of Mary and Able's right? So that would mean that we are on the same floor as them."

I nodded

  "But we'll still have to check every room on this floor and what happens if someone opens the door? We'll be caught faster that you can say Genesis." argued Cain

Then I remembered something "No we don't need to check every room on the floor. Whenever we stayed at a hotel Able would insist that we stayed in the room closest to the fire escape and I saw a do not disturb sign on that door, so if Matt is right then Mary and Able are in room 69."

Everyone stared at me gobsmacked "What?" I said getting defensive “I have my moments." They snapped out of it and we began to plan

***

"Ok, is everybody clear on the plan? We go in get what we need then leave. No wasting time or giving Mary and Able time to do anything they might regret." We nodded for some reason I didn't think that it was going to be that simple.

We snuck down the hallway and stopped outside room 69. Cain bent down and shoed why he never got caught during a butlery, the lock was picked in seconds and we were in.

It all broke out so quickly as soon as we stepped in Mary and Able were on their feet; Joe and Maia pulled out their guns and trained it on the Hopes. They looked scared, defeated. That was when I really believed they had done it.

Mary looked at me with pleading eyes "Valery, you know we would never do something like this."

I shook my head disgusted "There is no way I'm going to believe you now." I sighed suddenly tied of all this " I just....I just want to know why."

I saw may things on Marys face but I didn't see regret. She looked at the ground "I can't answer that. We didn't have a choice."

"Of course you had a choice! You could have gone into hiding or just said no"

"Now look here" ah, so Able had found his voice " You don't know  it’s like. What they can do-"

That's when I lost my temper

"That's the whole point of Exodus! to get rid of the Serpent. Don't tell me I have no idea what they can do. In case you you've forgotten I had family here. Cousin’s auntie and uncle. Tell me, what happened to them Oh that's right my cousins were murdered and the rest of them don't know who I am."

"But Valery"

"No! But nothing I have been living with what the Serpent can do since I was thirteen years old." I felt the tears start to fall and I hurriedly wiped them away “I don't even know if my parents are alive and before you say anything you are not my parents, and that's why I fight. Exodus is about freedom. We fight till we're free or we die trying. I thought you believed that to"

I suddenly realised that everyone was silent and that Mary was crying. I looked at them, the people I had called my parents and I felt nothing.

"What does the Serpent know about Exodus?"

Able looked up from comforting Mary “They have names, numbers and places."

Matts head snapped up. His voice was dangerously low “who's names"

Able sighed "Everyone's .... Except Adam, Becka and Valery"

That made my blood boil "O so it was OK to send everyone else to their deaths as long as your family were safe. That’s not mercy, that's guilt. Do you feel guilty? Because you should. How many people have you killed without a second thought?"

"You don't -"

"I swear to God Able if you finish that sentence with the word understand..."  I left the threat hanging.

Matt and Cain seemed to have a silent argument, and then Matt turned to Mary, his face hard "Did you give them out faces, addresses?"

"No" Matt seemed to relax, Joe and Maia lowered their guard a bit and Mary and Able saw their chance. Time seemed to slow down. Able reached for a knife on the bed wile Mary jumped for a button hidden on the desk. I did the only thing I could.

I pulled out my gun and fired two shots, my aim hit true. I felt nothing except a slight wondering of how it felt to die.

I had finally found out why I truly wanted Eden to fall. Somewhere out there was my family, my real family and one day I would find them again. That is why I fight and when Eden falls I'll go home but until then I will lay down my life for Exodus.