The Scattered | Risen Book III

Chapter Thirty

Forever Gone
Ryder Slade

I came running towards the cave, the others following me closely behind. I saw the entrance, it was hidden by overgrowth and unnoticeable if you didn't know where it was. I ducked beneath a patch of vines and leaves and went to walk into the cave entrance when I was met with a barrel in my face. Holding the gun was Jorge.

"Drop it!" Jorge barked.

I dropped my weapon and glanced behind me, I saw that Cassi and the the others were still outside the overgrowth, Karma, East and Sarah held guns to there heads from the trees.

"We didn't get a call, what happened?" Jorge asked looking at me in question, he glanced over at Cassi.

"Batteries died" Seth spoke up.

"Listen, have you heard from Jeff" I pleaded. Jorge shook his head.

"Okay, because we found his flintlock on our way back, it was next to a patch of blood and a total of three set of prints. We think he was captured."

"Jeff? Carter? Beat by one guy. As if" Jorge remarked.

"What if it was Ex" I suggested. Jorge lowered his weapon and nodded. 

"Sarah check them" East ordered. 

"Jorge, you don't understand, if they were chipped it would've been a few hours ago. We need to leave right now" I spoke. Jorge nodded, he seemed taken aback by me giving orders again, he probably was used to depressed, mopey me from just yesterday.

East nodded seeming to hear what I was saying. "Sarah, check the new ones. Ebow, Seth get inside and tell the others what's going now. Pack your things, we're out of here in two minutes" East ordered.

"When did you find Dante and Cassi?" Jorge whispered to me. I smiled.

"They found Ebow, then we found Ebow. Thanks for not shooting me instantly by the way" I smiled resting my hand on Jorge's shoulder. 

"No worries" Jorge nodded. Then he took off into the cave, probably to start grabbing his stuff.

Sarah finished with Beatrice and James. I walked over to Beatrice.

"Get inside with the other kids" I ordered to her. She looked over at Cassi and Dante, Dante nodded causing Beatrice to roll her eyes and push past me.

Sarah then moved on to Dante and Cassi, checking their eyes and backs of necks.

"They're clear" Sarah smiled giving Cassi a hug.

"I'd offer you something but the soup sucks and we ran out of beer years ago" East laughed to Dante and James, only earning a half grin out of Dante.

Jorge was carrying Elliot under his arm out of the cave.

"Let's get our asses in gear folks!" Elliot shouted to us holding a pistol in his other hand that Jorge wasn't carrying.

I heard the mechanical buzz in the air first, then the stomps of boots on mud, they were distant, but becoming louder every second.

"Shit" Karma mumbled from nearby, a tranquilizer dart impaled her neck, the dart coming from up in the trees. East ran over to catch Karma as she dropped and he managed to pick her up.

I looked up at the trees and saw a man jump down from them, he was wielding a double sided knife, surely enough it was Ex Talon.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen, surrender in the name of Shay Bentley" Ex ordered spinning his knife around to taunt us, he stopped in a battle position waiting for one of us to challenge him.