The car jostled as it speed down the road with its prisoners secured in the back. Astoria assumed whatever was going on wasn't normal; however, the reactions of Alex and Alan made her wonder if it was. Was their underground group lager than she assumed? Why hadn't she been told if she was considered to be an active part of the team? Was this a test?
"Names?" one of the masked men asked.
"Anthony," Alan answered.
His hands, that were secured together with some painfully tight looking cuffs were yanked forward. Alan slid off his seat, kneeling in front of the man who showed no mercy as he pulled Alan even closer.
"Is that so?" he asked.
Alan nodded, fear clear in his eyes.
"Hey!" Someone from from the front shouted. "Knock it off. You know the fucking rules."
Alan's body tumbled back as he was ruthlessly shoved away.
"Mind your own fucking business!" The first one said.
Astoria went to help Alan, but Alex's hand latched onto her elbow. "Don't."
"You," a third man said as the first two continued to argue. "Got something to say?"
Alex shook his head quickly. "No, sir."
"What's your name?"
"William," Alex muttered, looking at his hands.
Alan had crawled back into his seat and all Astoria wanted to do was make sure he wasn't hurt, but Alex's word of warning was clear. They didn't know these people; this wasn't part of the plan. The three of them were in danger. Astoria only hoped the others were safe.
"And you?" The expressionless face turned to Astoria.
"Tori," she replied, staring directly into the black eye protectors on the mask.
Unlike Alan and Alex, she could've given her real name if she wanted to. No one save for her parents and those in the bunker knew she was alive. But something was encouraging her to keep it a secret.
The car shuddered to a stop, causing everyone to slide forward.
"There's another one out there!" the driver shouted.
The back doors slammed open and several of the masked men, more appropriately named soldiers, dashed out onto the street and began shouting orders at one another. As they listened to the commotion going on outside, Alex helped her back into her seat and shared a few hushed words with Alan.
The communications radio located in the front buzzed to life and the static words of the soldier on the other line asked for backup.
More soldiers ran out.
Were they going to be saved?
The minutes ticked on until the noise abruptly stopped.
"Green Leader, what's going on out there?"
Static clung to the other end, reverberating through the transport vehicle like Copeland's shouting had done through the bunker just last night.
"Green Leader?"
"Enemy subdued. We're bringing him in now."
Astoria did everything to keep her face expressionless; however, on the inside her heart was breaking for the last bit of hope she had.
A man was hoisted into the vehicle with the help of two soldiers. He was bleeding from several gashes along his arms and perhaps underneath his shirt as well. The sight of his reddish blonde hair made Astoria gasp; that was what she'd seen.
Hands were suddenly gripping her shirt and pulling her to her feet. "Know him, filthy little traitor?"
"Let her go!" Alex shouted as he got to his feet. "None of us know him."
A swift kick to the leg sent him to his seat and Astoria was hauled towards the newest prisoner.
In a mix of complete chaos the man's head was yanked back and Astoria found herself staring into a pair of baby blue eyes.
Neither of them moved as they were forced to take each other in. He saw the differences; she saw the similarities. He no longer had blonde hair like the photo in her locket; she no longer had blue eyes. He no longer looked happy; she no longer looked like his baby.
"I don't know her," he muttered, coughing as he did so.
She was being escorted back to her seat when she noticed just how badly he was bleeding. "Wait. He's hurt."
"Get back to your seat."
Astoria shook her head. "Don't you want us alive? To find out where we've been? To know exactly how easy it is to kill you?" She could feel the eyes on her. Alex and Alan would no doubt be thinking she was crazy, wondering what the hell she was doing. She wasn't really sure, but God forbid she sees her father for the first time in person just to lose him.
"Yeah. We know how to kill you. Hell, we can turn you into humans, leaving you just a vulnerable as us," she sneered. "And he's got the formula tucked away in not only his head, but the heads of as many humans as he can give it to; he knows each and every one of them and where they are. We're building an army, you know, so if you want to stop us, you're going to need all of us."
And in the few moments of silence that followed afterwards, Astoria came to the realization that she'd either done the stupidest or the bravest thing in her life.
The cuffs around her wrists fell to the floor as the Green Leader, marked by a green streak along his uniform, undid them. "Get her the medkit."
"Sir?"
"I said get her the damn medkit, now," he ordered.
The kit was thrust into her hands as the Green Leader took her face roughly in his hand. "You better keep him alive, missy, or you'll be next."
"Then I'll be living forever," she replied, pulling her jaw out of his grip.
"Get him on the floor," she said to the two still supporting the swaying body of her father. "I can't work on him like that!"
The two soldiers were quick to lower him to the ground and back away as if Astoria was dangerous, and perhaps she was.
As the car zoomed across the deserted road, Astoria focused on the only thing she could: the joy of finally having one of her real parents with her.
