My mouth drops at the sight of Jexton. My heart begins to pound; as I have just been caught trying to escape. I cannot find the words to say. I look up and around him to make sure guards weren't behind him. "Look—I'm here to help. C'mon." he holds his hand out and I back away, shaking my head.
"C'mon, Farrah. I know you're scared and don't trust me anymore, but you have to again. We're gonna get out of here. There's not much time. It's almost dark and the Consilium lock the gates at 8," he looks down at his watch, then shows it to me, though I can't see it. "It's quarter to 7. If we want to get out of here, we need to go. Right now." my heart threatens to jump out of my chest.
Both halves of my brain argue like the devil and angel on a pair of shoulders about whether or not to trust this boy again after what he had done to me just a few short hours before. I question if he's telling the truth. I hesitate. I want to say something, but my brain won't let me talk.
"Please, Farrah. I rethought it all. I regret it, everything. I'm sorry—I am. I was wrong, okay? I want to help you! I want to help the world. Just please, please come with me." Jexton speaks so fast that the words fall from his lips attached at the ends.
He's begging me. He is begging me.
"How do you expect me to trust you after what you did to me?" I ask sternly. Jexton rolls his eyes and shifts his weight. "Why do girls have to be so stubborn?" he asks under his breath and I try not to smile.
"I'm not being stubborn, Jexton. If that's even your real name. You betrayed me, and now you expect me to trust you again? When you could be just saying all of this just so you can take me out and kill me?" He sighs and rubs his face as I speak. "It's exactly like what you told me. Your dad set you up to lure people in, imprison them and then kill them. I know what's going on."
"Look, I understand how you feel. But I want to help you. I know where to go. I know what to do. I have the answers you need. . ." he twists his body to the right and looks up at the sky. "if you want to do this we need to go now. Please just trust me." he lifts his arm and holds out his hand. I can tell he is becoming annoyed at my defensiveness. My body stiffens, trying to process his profound words.
After minutes of watching him hold his hand out, I finally have the courage to move forward, but only a few steps. I stop when I'm within about five feet of him. He lowers his arm and slowly steps forward as well. I eye him and hesitate at first to speak or move. "Promise?" I ask with a small voice and Jexton nods. "Okay."
I find the courage to step forward again- close enough to touch him- and he takes my hand in his. He pulls me out of the room and we run to the gate. It is closed, but Jexton seems to know how to escape. I'm not so sure I can trust him yet, but he is my only hope on getting out of here. If being safe meant that I'd have to be imprisoned, I won't do it.
"Jexton!" a deep voice yells and Jexton flinches whilst gasping. "After them!" the deep voice, whom I guessed belonged to Jexton's father, yells. "Run, Farrah! C'mon!" Jexton yells. When he finally gets the gate open, he grabs my hand and we run. I am a bit too slow, and soon he releases my hand and begins to move faster than me.
We both stop and look back when we believe we are a safe distance away from the gate, and turn around. The Consilium soldiers had stopped at the gate, and were watching us. I raise my hand to my face and gasp as tears fall. I'm outside. . .with no mask.
My father's letter had not described how long the disease takes to kill its victim. I have no idea how long I have to live as of right now. Am I going to die before I complete my mission? Questions fill and irritate my head as I begin to sob.
But if I'm going to die, at least I'll know I did it trying to save the world.
"Jexton, if you stay out there with the prisoner, don't you ever come back." Jexton's father yells. "But just so you know, we're sending the military to the CDC."
"You have no idea, dad. That was my plan from the start," Jexton yells back. "and her name is Farrah." he jumps to turn around and we begin to run simultaneously.
YOU ARE READING
Us Against The World
Pertualangan" We stand there for a few more minutes just pointing our guns and staring at each other. My arms begin to hurt, but I know that I cannot let my guard down. I know that eventually I will die; but I don't want it to be like this. If anything, Jexton...
