Twisted Web of Truths

Chapter Thirteen

They used various ways to get to these so-called place. And it's still not close to wherever the Elites are taking them. At this point, the Elites have all the advantages. They could eliminate both of them without even knowing. Yet somehow, his parents trust them.

Elite-One is driving with Cole sitting beside her and Ethan at the back. They just got off a private jet to a pretty big city and two cars were waiting for them outside the hangar. Elite-Four and the other agents are behind them in their car.

Even though the window is closed, Ethan could smell the fresh air, the coffee that's brewing somewhere in a café, and the aftermath of rain. Humid yet it feels fresh with a hint of earth. He could never get used to this.

"You're unusually quiet." Elite-One remarks. Her eyes neither straying to his nor Cole's.

He looks over the window instead of answering. He knew that question is for both of them but none of them wanted to answer. It wasn't long before they stopped. Ethan thought, finally, this is it. The 'safe house'.

But no.

It's a barn by the looks of it. There's nothing but hay bales and tools. And a lot of space. He realized what it's for.

"Why is there a barn in the middle of the city?" Kent's voice echoes around the high ceiling.

The Elites chose not to answer. Ethan swiftly caught his bag that is thrown from Elite-One.

"We're leaving on foot from here." Elite-Four nods towards the exit of the barn. And they began to move again.

The air is hot, barely any wind around. He doesn't even know where he is. They're not even on a road anymore. They were maybe around two hours away from the barn. From this point. He doesn't even know how long the walk is. The Elites have been quiet this whole time, not looking out of breath.

The director of the CIA kept quiet. Ethan kinda underestimated him, seeing as he's fitter than a huffing Joey Barnes. But worse of all, his brother is ignoring him. He stays up front, speed-walking as if the sight of his face is enough to meter up his disgust level.

He feels lonely.

Every passing time is as uneventful as it is. Unsurprisingly, he has high endurance for walking under the sun for more than two hours. Elite-Four signals everyone to stop and they all sigh in relief. He chugs down his water bottle.

"How far do we have to go from here?" Kent raises a brow, wiping his sweaty forehead.

"We'll reach the place approximately by noon," Elite-One says.

Noon is, like, an hour away. Or so he thought. They began to walk again and Elite-One falls in step with him. He casts a glance at her, knowing she has motives behind it. She shakes her head almost imperceptibly. Was that a no?

They soon come across hills—or maybe mountains, he couldn't be sure—filled with tall trees and haunting presence to the point where no sunlight touched the ground. The Elites wasted no time walking towards it. He shivers at the sudden cold wind blowing at his skin.

He felt the difference as soon as he steps over a certain ground; the sunlight was shielded by leaves. It almost felt like it was sundown when in reality, it was just a few minutes till noon. He follows the Elites aimlessly, feeling as if he's just passed down the same cluster of trees until...

"We're here."

He never thought he'd hear those words. The place they're supposed to stay looks tiny. In front of him sat a house—more like a cabin. A scary log cabin in the middle of the woods. Terrifying.

Elite-One slid the key in and opened the door. And the cabin just looks bigger inside. To his left, a small kitchen and the other the lounge area, complete with a not-too-bad sofa. Across them on either side are rooms with another hallway leading to the left.

Elite-One ushers them both towards a room at the end of the hallway on the right. "This is yours. The bathroom's down the other hallway but not available right now. So hold down the need to piss, alright?"

She left before he could utter a response. Ethan drops his bag down onto his supposed room. The room he's bunking in with Cole. He can't escape him, can he? He wanted to fix things with him but he knows it's not nearly possible. Two seconds later, Cole came in, totally ignoring his existence.

There were two separate beds, thank god for that. There are two of everything. Ethan chose the left side seeing as his brother occupied the right side. The silence stretched tight between them. He opens his mouth but before he gets a word out, Cole stomps towards the door, slammed it with enough force to shake the cabin. It was futile. The only thing he could do is give him space.

The door opens to reveal Elite-Four. "Outside. Now."

Ethan snorts. Typical. He follows him anyway. It's strange to see the Elites in normal clothes under the broad daylight. Instead of the usual ponytail, Elite-One sports a bun, still with the same neatness and Elite-Four looks slightly younger than he ever thought.

"You're all getting water." Elite-One states.

He didn't even get a chance to groan out in misery when Elite-Four shoves two buckets towards him. Huffing and puffing, the group managed to get their work done faster and they spent the rest of their time doing necessities. He showered for the first time that day. Then, Elite-Four took Cole and Joey Barnes out to go hunting whilst still under daylight.

He was left with Aiden Kent and the now disappeared Elite-One. The director sat on the sofa, tapping his foot. It was clear that the man felt distressed at the new location but is too tired to complain. When Elite-Four came back with dead birds on each of their hands, it was the first time they had a proper meal that day.

It's crazy how this cabin works. He thought it'd be like a normal safe house in the suburban area. Elite-One gave him and his brother a short tour around the cabin a while ago. There are fruit trees and a small farm at the bottom of the hill, sheltered by some weird looking building, a clearing where they trained, and everything they need to survive in the wilderness.

This place is literally off the grid. He checked his phone earlier and there is no internet, no service. No surprise there. He isn't sure if he could contact his parents or not. He had to admit, he's intimidated to ask even though the idea of asking Elite-One isn't that scary.

"What for?" Cole asks when each of them is handed extra blankets that night after dinner.

"It gets cold at night. Ever had frostbites?" Elite-One tilts her head in question.

Cole shakes his head hesitantly before murmuring his thanks. He heads towards his assigned room with Ethan when Elite-Four's voice stops him.

"We want to talk to you about something."

"O-okay?"

Kent began. "You are here with us because you need time to remember everything you've seen. But, there are other things we'd like to do. For example, psychical tests to see how much strength, agility, and other skills you have—of course, with your permission."

His parents specifically said no experiments but in the end, it'd be his choice isn't it? They've kept things from him, vital information that was supposed to be told the moment they have a hold on. Now that they're not here, they won't decide for him. He's deciding for himself.

He shrugs. "Sure."

What's the harm?