-The Banditos-

-Chapter Eight-

The following day, nothing really happens. I take a look around the camp and find a few old musical instruments which seems strange. A Banditos gives me a new bandana which smells better than the one I was using and for lunch we have a can of baked beans - because nothing screams apocalypse like a tin can of baked beans.

The peace could have only lasted so long, I suppose.

Me, Seth and some of the other Banditos from DEMA gather around the fire again.

"You seen Chloe, Seth?" I ask.

As if on cue, Esme runs out saying to one of the Banditos, "Nico was just seen. He was dragging someone behind him." Me and Seth look at each other, dread building up inside me.

"Did you see who he had?" I ask her.

"Not fully. Long, brown hair? Kinda short."

"Shit..." I mutter.

It's Chloe. Nico has Chloe and is taking her back to DEMA. I stand up and grab my backpack from behind the log I was on and sling it across my shoulder.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah." Seth says, grabbing my arm and stopping me as I start walking off, "What are you doing?"

"Going for an evening stroll. What do you think?" I say. I'm not leaving Chloe. She's basically all I've got now, and I don't want to go off and live a normal life if my best friend isn't there with me.

Seth stares me down for a second then lets go of me, grabbing his bag too, "I'm coming then."

"What?"

"I'm coming too. She's my friend, and I've already lost Jemma. I don't want to loose her as well." Then the tables turn and I end up staring him down.

"Okay then." I say. I'd prefer not to go alone anyway. Who knows what will happen when we get there, "Esme, what's the fastest way to DEMA and into the towers? Don't want to get stuck in tea time traffic, now."

She looks skeptically at us, as if questioning why we'd be so eager to go back to DEMA and then answers, "Probably to get caught by Nico. You'll go straight to the prison whilst they decide your fate. And the prison is in the towers."

"Perfect." I say, throwing my bag back down. I speak with fake confidence. On the inside my heart races at the thought of being caught by Nico and the thought of going into the towers. But if we find Chloe, it'll be worth it, "You have any idea why Nico snapped and went after Chloe?"

"This stuff happens sometimes. Nico manages to get in and take one of us." She shivers, "It's...terrifying really. You never know who he'll take next."

"And you didn't tell us this because..." Seth interjects.

"We didn't want to scare you on the first day. But I guess fate had its own way of telling you."

"Well, Seth." I say, mockingly holding out a hand, "Shall we?" He bats my hand away and walks past me.

Again, I'm speaking with confidence I don't feel.

Me and Seth stand on the edge of the hill we climbed up to first get here.

"You sure you want to do this?" I ask him, "I mean, you're going back to the place you've spent your whole life trying to escape." He sighs.

"Maybe...but as the leader of the Banditos I feel it's my duty to make sure no one gets left behind."

"Or you're developing a fat crush on Chloe." He rolls his eyes.

"Totally." He starts to slide down the hill. I follow, wondering how long it'll take Nico to reach us.

We start making our way up the river and back to DEMA. This time i actually get to admire the ravine instead of running for my life, though the constant dread of building up inside me that we're actually just waiting for Nico to catch us. That being said he may still be on his way back with Chloe.