The Insiders

Chapter 21

Chapter 21-Sharlene

I cover my mouth before I scream. I quickly get up and run deep into the forest. I don't care where I'm going, I just need to leave. I can't be anywhere near there now that they know my secret. If my uncle knows my parents will know soon if they don't already.

My uncle. Uncle Damien. Damien, the one with the darkest brown hair I've ever seen, pale skin and his toned body. He led the charge to headquarters. I should've seen it coming. He and my dad are masters in strategy. I haven't seen or heard from my uncle in years though. I honestly never thought about him too much. He took care of me a few times while my parents were trying to get rid of my dads PTSD but that hasn't been for years. I slowly come to a walk. I think I'm far enough away from the camp. I look around to try and figure out where I am, but it's too dark. I don't know where I am. I don't know anything anymore. I thought I did, but I don't. I know nothing. I begin to pull at my hair but it hurts too much. I'm quick to punch the closest palm tree. Too quick. That hurt. I cradle my throbbing hand. That was stupid. I need a plan. I can't just stand in the middle of the forest, or they'll find me. I have to get back to headquarters. I begin to walk again. This time focused on my surroundings. I hear a few monkeys in trees and a few bugs.

'Where is she?' I hear in my head. I begin to run. If I can hear a thought, somebody's close. I don't see anybody though. Suddenly a very strong wind sends my hair flying in front of my face. Every single piece. Only one thing can make a wind that strong.

"Steve." I whisper as loudly as I can. I turn to my left and begin to jog.

"Steve." I repeat louder. I reach the edge of the island. Right in front of me is a rock ledge. The rock ledge Coren and I sit on! I continue walking along beside the wall. Finally, I can see the stairs leading down to the passage way and right in front of it stands Steve, in black as always.

I bolt to him. He opens his arms up for a hug but I quickly punch him in the stomach. We both cry out in pain. That was the hand I used to punch the tree. I really need to stop punching things. He looks at me in such a confused way.

'She knows.' I hear him tell himself.

"Yes I know! I know everything!" No, actually I know basically nothing.

"Sh," He says as he approaches me but I don't look at him. "We're not alone out here." He looks around the clearing into the trees. I turn back to him. He's already descending the stairs. I quickly follow behind. We silently proceed down the passage way. I need to get all my thoughts and questions together before we reach the building, but before I know it Steve's pushing the cabinet back over the passage way.

"Now you may yell." He says calmly. Too calm. It catches me off guard and makes me stutter my first sentence.

" M-my-You-They- How?" Steve slowly goes over and leans on the wing of a jet. How did the jets get back in here? Not now. I have bigger questions. But what question first?

"Do you need me to ask a question first?" He asks. I nod. He's too nice for me to hate him even though I need to.

" Where did you go?" He asks gently

"I went to their camp." I reply coldly.

" By 'their' you mean the outsiders?"

"Yes and by that I mean my family! The outsiders are my family! My uncle lead the charge last night! My sort of boyfriend is a soldier! I was beat up. I was almost killed!" Steve stays silent. I try to catch my breath, but it's hard.

"There's a few things I need to tell you too," I add calmly. He looks shocked at my sudden change in mood.

" There's two teams out there that I know of. They both know that we're on the island now. The ones who came last night stole the list and a formula. I need to know what those are."

"Sharlene." Steve begs.

"No I need to know now!" I scream at him. He knows he needs to tell me,I can see it in his eyes.

"The formula was being worked on by Kim. We knew that eventually the outsiders would come to get us, so we invented a device."

"But it was a formula, not a device."

"The formula goes inside the device. The device was a ring. A ring that when held up to the eyes of an outsider would do nothing but when held up to the eyes of an insider something happens."

"What happens?"

"Their eyes turn red. The iris part of it at least." I stay silent. I don't know what else to say.

"The list. Well the list was more important." He puts his head in his hands and begins to pull at his hair.

"It was a list of all your names. Not powers. Your names were in order of least value to greatest value."

"I know, and they know too." I say very quietly.

"I also know that I'm near the top of the list." I add.

"Yes, you are a top lister as we called them." He laughs a little.

"Who's we?" The smile leaves his face as fast as it got there.

"Kim and I." He stares at the blank wall in front of him. Sudden anger and sadness courses through my veins as I remember who killed her.

"Why would you even have a list like that?" I shout at him.

" To arrange your groups! I didn't just put your group of friends together! I didn't play match maker for Amy and Bryce! It was a ratio of powers. You and Thomas as the top listers. Bryce and Coren in the middle and Amy as a weaker power. All the groups were made that way. We needed the list to make them balanced." Steve slowly begins to calm down. I approach the wing of the jet and sit down. We sit in silence. I wish I knew what he was thinking. Wait...

'What do we do now?' Steve thinks. He's thinking the same question I've been asking myself forever.

"We need to leave. Fast." I tell him.

"Yeah," He sighs. "I know."

"No I'm serious. We need to leave tonight if possible. They're coming. They're coming because of me! Because I left here!" I put my head in my hands. I don't cry but I want to. I want to so badly. I feel like it's taking every bit of me not to. Steve places his hand on my back.

"It's not your-"

"Don't." I interrupt him. "Don't even think that." He can't think it. I'll hear it and then I'll have to cry.

"Do you want me to walk you back to your room or Coren's?" He asks. I stare at him in shock.

"How do you-"

"Last night I went to check on you and Amy, but only Amy and Bryce were there. So, I just assumed you were with him. Sorry." He explains. I begin to smile like an idiot remembering to way Coren held me that night.

"It's okay. I was actually." I feel myself blush in embarrassment.

"Do you want to go back there?" I nod. He offers his hand to help me off of the wing. I accept it but drop it as soon as I'm on my own two feet. We begin to walk towards the door to the hall.

'She's going to be okay.' I hear. I wonder why he won't tell me that out loud? Does he know I heard him? Or does he think it's a lie? I'm going to go with the second one because I agree with it.