The Hunt

[42] The Arena And Its Walls

"Ready?" Brandon called from the pilot seat, making Amelia and Sarah yell back in hoots and shouts. I, on the other hand, just nodded, processing our plan through.

From what we've been talking about the past few minutes, it sounds easy. Not easy but at least simpler and less intense than it'll probably be.

However, we definitely had the upper hand. We were safe in an aircraft that'll most likely be our protector against the fire. If we made it to the arena in time before it completely burned down, we'll be able to get the eminents.

I didn't want to be too hopeful because I was scared I'd get disappointed. But... a little hope never hurts anyone, does it?

"Vela, please be safe," Sarah whispered to herself, making my heart wrench harshly in my chest. I, too, hoped Vela would be safe. She was a young one and it was too soon for her to be put in such horrifying situations.

I clenched my jaw, remembering one of the most powerful moments between Hector and I.

The guy who held the needle in his hand, pulled back to look at his work on my collarbone. He wiped the extra ink off my skin and nodded sternly for me, indicating he was done.

"Thank you." I cleared my throat, my eyes meeting Hector's from the corner of the room.

"Well," Hector pushed himself off the wall, "guess I'll go now. Have fun without me." He waved in a firm manner before he made his way to the door. He turned to look at me again. 'Good luck, traitor,' he mouthed, throwing one last glance towards me.

He knew it'd be the last day I remember him as the bad Hector. Because after that, I was injected and who knows what else happened before I woke up in the hold.

But it's over now. He's gone. For good.

I can't keep dwelling on my mistakes. I can't keep repeating the same scripts over and over again. He's gone.

I sighed dramatically, running a hand over my face.

The Hunt was going to be gone too. For good.

"It's crazy, isn't it?" Sarah came up to me, Amelia by her side.

"Oh you don't even know the half of it," I muttered, shaking my head.

"It affected you, right?" she suddenly asked and my eyebrows knitted together in confusion. She noticed and added, "Nick's death."

I nodded but remained silent, not wanting to open a newly healed wound.

Amelia stared at my face, sensing the heaviness in the air that clung tightly to each one of us. She inhaled sharply and clapped her hands, plastering on a tight smile. "Instead of talking about the past, why don't we talk about what's soon to come? For example, the freaking jungle that's about to blow up."

I gave a soft smile at her choice of words. "Agreed."

I don't know for how long we sat talking to each other because soon, the arena came into view and we all ran up to the nearest window, our eyes never blinking.

Brandon was done redirecting the hovercraft so he stood next to me, as stiff as a board.

The arena was way bigger than I thought it was. Huge steel walls encircled it, blocking out its insides. Water surrounded it from every corner, lightly reflecting the rays of the ablaze jungle whose flames arose higher than its walls.

"I'm going back to the front seat, you help them up into here, okay?" Brandon said, not leaving me enough time to respond as he was already off to the pilot seat again.

We had all agreed on this. I reminded myself, walking over to the electric doors that slowly beeped open, allowing in a draught of strong winds and heat.

My hair flew back while I clung to the side, watching as we rose above the walls and lowered into the arena, low enough for sweat to start forming on my forehead from the fire that swiftly bit at the bottom of the aircraft.

My entire body screamed at me to back up but I stayed put. I wasn't going to cower away now, I'm already too far in.

My eyes burned with each glance I took down at the fire, tears welling up in them. My hearing was muffled, my heart was terribly malfunctioning and my hands grew clammy. All this and I was just standing by.

My stomach wasn't doing a very good job at keeping me calm either. It was churning within me and all I wanted to do was drop down and curl up in a ball.

You're too far in, Felicity.

I took in a breath, renewing my grasp on the edges of the open sliding doors.

Amelia sat in the front, close to Brandon as she worked over the boards beside her to track the eminents while Sarah kept an eye out of the window to see if she'd spot one of them.

Each one of us held onto our roles, completely allowing ourselves to be sucked out of the temptation to recede.

Even though the thought of it seemed alluring, we had to keep up our promise. Our loyalty.

These people were family. And family don't betray each other.

Even if they weren't the most loyal to me throughout my life, I'm not stooping to their level. Because me being a low rank doesn't lower my amity.

"They're not that far away, just go forward," Amy said, making Brandon nod and do as told.

"Got them," Sarah called out, running to my side.

My eyes followed her stale gaze and landed on our targets as they froze at the booming sound the aircraft made when it stopped and hovered over them.

"Miss us?" Amelia yelled, a smirk worming its way to her face when she came into their sight.