UNPROTECTED

Part Eighteen

Alina's POV 

The stress levels inside the sanction room where quite obviously rising and becoming more and more obvious in the way that everyone was holding themselves. No word had come from Ryan through the walkie talkie that he had been handed, but nobody dared to even whisper through the airways in case the Ministry intercepted it and hunted him down. 

"It's done." A crackly voice said from the device that Pearilia held - Connor sighed and began breathing again. We had the all clear to begin our part of this fight for freedom.  

After a few officials had hauled themselves through the hatch, it was my turn and i grabbed the thing closest to me: Connor's hand. It was awkward. Like, really awkward. I felt his gaze as I let go and climbed the ladder towards the hatch. I had to keep reminding myself that Connor was a Drew, unreliable, untrustworthy and guilty - but somehow, my mind was overlooking the bad things his family had done and were focusing on all of the good things that he himself had done. 

He had given us all hope. He had given us a plan. He had saved me twice. He had apologized that day for the fumes that his motorbike was giving off. He had been there. He had been reliable, trustworthy and just. He was nothing at all like the image I had painted in my head in the past. 

Holding myself upright, I recognized the instant whiff of the environment around me - I had crawled out into a treehouse, the rough bark of the tree making one wall and tall, wooden planks forming another. The feeling of clean oxygen instantly pushed my worries away and I felt at home, with nothing to loose. 

The next to appear from the hatch was my sister, Delia, who was clutching the bags of oxygen-bits. She was barely recognizable underneath the balaclava adorning her head - the only thing that gave it away was the piercing blue eyes that resembled mine and Louisa's so clearly. Nodding to one another, we helped each other make our way down to the ground with Marcus and the rest of our team in tow. 

With Connor the last to emerge, he gave the signal for the first bomb to be let off; and it was. 

Almost the second that he had given the order, a bright orange ball of flame was released from the Ministers building along with the unmistakable stench of smoke that made my eyes itch and water uncontrollably.  

Soon, Ryan made a reappearance, looking brash and immensely pleased with himself.

With the hackers working their magic down below us, the walkie-talkies came to life, informing us of what was happening - we didn't want to alert them that there were Reformers in the arena or else they would hunt us down and slaughter us. 

"They will not surrender, Sir." A voice penetrated our silence, forcing me to stiffen in anxiousness. 

"Delia?" Connor whispered over to my sister, whose eyes said what her mouth couldn't: no matter how brave a front she put on, she was still as petrified as the rest of us. "I think you'd better go and deliver those oxygen-bits." 

Taking a deep breath, she embraced Marcus and myself, not daring to tear Louisa away from Ryan. Who knew what state either of us would be in the next time we met? 

It was definitely game on now. No turning back for our team.