Kalani looked at him. "Your just gonna let me be killed?! She shouted. Sawyer looked around frantically hoping no one was looking. He turned back to her.
"Keep your voice down Kal! Sawyer hissed. "And I never said anything about letting you be killed." He whispered using the horses body as covering from the many guards. Kalani glared at him and contemplated knocking him out.
"Then why did you take me here?" She hissed. Sawyer looked at her.
"I need your help." He said after a moment. Kalani scoffed.
"Why would I help you? You are the reason my parents are dead Sawyer." He mind flashed back to her mothers agonized cries and her fathers hand reaching out to her as they were taken away from her. And there was nothing she could do but watch. She still has nightmares about her parents literally getting beaten to death. They didn't deserve it, and Sawyer definitely didn't deserve her help.
"Because if you help me, You'll have a chance to be escape." Sawyer said looking into her brown eyes. She looked back at his dark eyes and noticed the familiar spark in them that meant he was about to do something majorly stupid. Kal raised an eyebrow.
"How?" She asked. Kalani didn't understand how helping him was gonna allow her to escape and be free again. Although being free is kind of an overstatement. There was no such thing as free in a barren wasteland with raiders and morphed animals.
"You have to kill my father." He said. Kalani looked at him. Horror filled her face. She wanted to kill him but Sawyer making her do it was just wrong.
"What?! I'm not going to kill your father!" She hissed. Sawyer looked at her.
"That's the only way we are going to escape Kyros Delphi. If he dies the whole camp will go into a panic, making time for us to run." Sawyer whispered. Kalani looked at the boy who used to be her best friend. How could he want her to do something like that? And we? If she was going to run it would be by herself and herself only. "Think of it as payback for what happened to your parents." He added. Kalani didn't hesitate. She swept her leg behind him hitting the back of his knee making him buckle. Once he was on his knees she pushed him down and pinned him down to the ground setting her knees on his hips. Kal pressed her arm firmly against his neck and looked down at him. His horse immediately hid them from view as she pressed down harder on his neck. Sawyer didn't move and just smirked up at her even though his face was turning red. "Someone got stronger." He said his voice slightly altered from her arm pressing on his vocal cords. Kalani glared at him.
"When you've been in a wasteland for seven months you have no choice but to get stronger." She said being a smartass. In a quick movement Sawyer pushed her off of him and ended up on top of her. He grinned and held her wrists to the ground.
"So will you help me or not." He asked. Kalani looked at him and her heart suddenly lurched. She missed him. But she would never say it allowed nor show it in anyway. She reluctantly nodded her head. Sawyer got off of her and helped her up. "That's my girl." He said. Kalani glared at him. "I'm not your girl ." He smirked and mounted his horse. Sawyer then whistled and a grey spotted horse trotted over. Once the horse saw her he lifted his head into the air and whinnied happily. Kal's eyes sparked and she looked at the horse a grin stretched out on her face.
"Asher." She whispered walking over to him. Asher whinnied happily and nuzzled her. She hugged his sturdy neck blinking back tears. Sawyer looked at her.
"I made sure they wouldn't kill him." He said softly. Kalani looked up at him and saw a flicker of the boy she used to know. She looked away quickly and mounted Asher. Sawyer started urging his horse forward before stopping abruptly. "Oh I almost forgot." He told Kal to hold her arms out and he cuffed her. She groaned looking at the silver cuffs. "Your still a prisoner. "He said matter of factly. Kalani glared at him as he urged his horse into a trot. Asher followed steadily. She can feel the muscles in his body contracting and expanding with each step. She knew he wanted to run. And so did she. If she escaped. She would make sure Asher went with her.
Sawyer went directly up to the front gates and tied a rope onto Asher's neck. Asher huffed disapprovingly. Two men looked at him. "What are you doing Payne?" One of them asked. Kal watched Sawyer sit up.
"I am escorting Kalani Jacobs to the B chamber." He said making his voice sound a lot like his fathers. Kalani almost gasped aloud but held it in. The B chamber was the same chamber her parents were killed in. And it was outside of Kyros Delphi. The gates suddenly lurched open and Sawyer urged his horse into a trot. Once Asher saw the open space his body started quivering. He really wanted to run. Kal leaned down and whispered into his ear. "Be patient. We'll run soon boy." The gates closed behind them and Sawyer didn't looked back at her until they were well away from the camp. He stopped his horse and dismounted. Sawyer untied the rope around Asher's neck. Then he uncuffed Kal before taking his backpack off and handing it to her.
"Run. Take Asher and go as fast as you can away from here." Kalani looked down at him completely confused.
"But I thou-" He cut her off.
"If you kill my father the rest of the camp will be on a manhunt for us." He said. Kal gave the pack back to him. "Your coming with me." She said. Sawyer shook his head.
"Kal I cant. Ill get in trouble." He said. Kalani glared at him.
"You'll get in trouble for letting me escape!" She yelled. He looked back at the camp.
"I don't deserve to go with you. I turned your parents in. I'm just like my father." Kalani looked down at him.
"This isn't about you getting in trouble is it?" She asked. Sawyer shook his head once. She thought for a long moment before extending her hand out to him. He looked at it uneasily.
"Come on. I may not forgive you but I cant let you stay at that camp." She said. Sawyer reluctantly grabbed her hand and she hoisted him up and behind her. He reached over and smacked his horses flank making it gallop back the way they came. Sawyer then wrapped his arms around Kal's waist and Asher bursted into a gallop further away from the camp.
In a tree line behind them, a hooded figure was silently watching them the whole time. When they started off into the barren wasteland, the figure caught Sawyers horse and followed them a little ways off, being careful not to be spotted.