UNPROTECTED

Part Nine

Connor's POV 

Lifting from my slumber, a warm smell erupted in my nose. It was a woody smell as though I had walked into one of the tree houses. 

But I wasn't anywhere that I recognized. 

I was on a cold, metallic floor with a simple blanket enshrouding me in an almost-warmth. The light shining on me was artificially made and the door seemed to be hidden or camouflaged into the identical walls. 

"You're awake." Marcus was in the room with me; what baffled me the most was that he was actually clean with original grey clothing on - not his usual bark brown jacket, muddy jumper and leafy green scarf with scruffy jeans. This outfit was fully grey with a tight-fitted grey jumper and loosened fleece and grey jogging bottoms along with a pair of squeaking trainers. 

"And?" I croaked - I realised that I was still in the same clothes as before. 

"She wants to see you." From the way he said it, I felt no need to ask who - I just felt as though she had authority. "First, you need to change - she provides the tops, trousers and, if you want, coats and fleeces." I nodded as he lead me through into a cosier space filled with different shapes and sizes of all different types of clothing and shoes. 

With Marcus leaving me in peace, I picked my clothing: baggy, black walking trousers, grey t-shirt, black, sturdy trainers and a black hoodie. Black seemed to best fit my mood right now... 

The woman who had spoken to me whilst I was between consciousness was standing in front of me, nodding. "You scrub up well. For a Drew who has lived with his father all his life." Why did everyone always judge me because of my last name? "Marcus was telling me how you stood up for him when Jude tried to force him to leave. Very brave - for an average person. My name is Pearilia and I shall be watching you carefully." 

"Hi. I'm Connor, although you probably know that-" 

"Mhm." She raised an eyebrow. 

"Some of our...friends, were taken by the Ministry - could you help us get them back?" Pearilia looked at me as though I shouldn't have been suggesting things like that. 

"I was coming on to that. Here's the plan..." 

It turned out that we had been underground the whole time, utilizing oxygen from the tree houses directly above us. 

As I stepped out and stuffed my oxygen-bit up my nostril, I had to protect my self from the bitter wind. Two entrances lead from the underground hideout of the Reformation - one inside the arena and the other outside. I had bagged the outside entrance. Fabulous. 

"You know the plan?" Marcus hurried along beside me as I nodded and briskly walked on until I reached the exit of the Ministry's jail cells. I jangled the tiny bag with exactly five oxygen-bits inside. 

Before we could discuss this anymore, I knocked as hard as I could on the rusting door. 

It slowly creaked open as me and Marcus pulled our balaclavas over our faces. 

Punching the man who stepped outside of the door, we stepped over his body and locked him outside where he was sure to not last more than two minutes. The rest was easy. 

Our 'friends' were already being prepped to leave and had been allowed to sit in a claustrophobic room with one another and to ponder over the facts that they were going to die. 

Marcus broke down the door of their cell with a huge red 'key'. 

Nothing could describe how absent they all looked. 

Ryan was staring at nothing, looking guilty. Maria, curled up on the bench. Louisa, leaning on Ryan's shoulder, dried tears stained her cheeks. Delia, battered and bruised, biting her lip. 

But Alina looked the worst of all. No expression crossed her face - she didn't even look up with the rest of them. Dried blood painted her forehead and lips with half of her clothes ripped. I felt sorry for her. 

At the sight of us, Delia jumped up and hugged us both, stiffly. She knew we were rescuing them, somehow. 

"Come." I told Alina as she still sat there whilst Marcus was helping the others out. 

"I........I..I can't." 

"'Course you can." I helped her stand up as the muscles in her arms tensed at my touch. 

"I don't need your help or sympathy." But she did. 

With Alina collapsing, I whispered at Marcus to come back and help me help her. 

Delia placed a solitary hand on my shoulder as I lifted her sister up and away from this place, after placing an oxygen-bit on her nose.

What seemed strange to me about this rescue, was that nobody had really tried to stop us...