The Hunted

Who I Was

It was after one o'clock in the morning when we left the Place of Worship in pairs. Farris and I left first, exiting through the basement door and staying close to the bushes the lined the outer edge of the building. There were two Guardians standing a few feet away, talking in low voices, the scent of their cigarettes being carried to us by the light breeze.

I crept behind Farris to the edge of the building, looking down towards the emergency exit to where Rose and Derek were supposed to be emerging after Farris and I were safely across the street and into the park. The Guardians had the block shut down, including the park. We would be less exposed cutting through there, though. The Elders had placed part of the park under forest protection, meaning that half of it was still covered with trees. It was for the health of the city, they had said.

Like they actually cared about our health.

Farris grabbed my arm, pulling me across the street and to the chain fence that ran around the park. He pulled me down with him behind a parked car as a light ran over the area we had just crossed. I sucked in my breath, clenching my hand into a fist until the light passed by. Farris kept a tight grip on my arm as we both waited for the shouts that never came.

"Come on," I whispered, crouching so I could see through the car windows.

The Guardians had turned their attention away from our direction. It was most likely just a routine sweep. Farris and I moved away from the car and jogged along the park fence, keeping our eyes open for any Guardians who could be lurking behind the trash bins and the garden sheds.

Farris pulled out the makeshift lock pick he had spent hours working on the night before and jammed it into the lock. I pulled my gun out of its holster, watching the area behind him as he worked to get the lock open.

Shots rang out from the direction of the Place of Worship. Farris and I both froze, our heads snapping in that direction. I took off towards the shots, Farris right behind me, whispering for me to stop. I skidded to a stop behind a car, pressing myself against it as I looked through the window.

Two bodies lay on the ground in the middle of the lawn. I couldn't see who they were from where I was. I crept around to the corner of the car, Farris reaching me at that point. He had his gun in hand, ready to pull the trigger.

"You can't do anything for them, Isabelle," he hissed. "We need to keep going. Any life we lose puts us at risk once we're in the prison!"

I waved him off, my eyes locked on the swarm of Guardians moving towards the bodies.

"Who is it?" Derek whispered as he and Rose crouched down beside me.

"I don't know," I muttered, squinting at them. "Where did you come from?"

"From behind a trash bin a little ways up the street."

I nodded, looking at Farris. "We keep moving and pray that our brothers are okay."

"Right," he said softly. His face was calm, but I could see the fear in his eyes. It was never an easy thing to leave your squad behind, but sometimes it was necessary.

I moved away from the car, staying crouched down to avoid being spotted by the Guardians. The four of us moved quietly, hiding behind anything that we could.

We were all on edge when we reached the park gate. Farris quickly slipped the pick into the lock while the three of us flanked him, on wide alert now. Now we knew what the risks truly were.

The lock clicked open and we all waited to see if any alarms had been triggered. The park was silent except for a dog barking a few houses away. I turned and followed Farris inside the park, Rose and Derek following us. We jogged across the concrete sidewalks to the wooded area.