Project Jamboree

Chapter Twenty

Ruby's PoV

I didn't know what I'd expected when I asked Grams if anyone had visited.

She told me that Vida, Chubs, Zu, and Liam had been over. It was funny how she'd described them.

Vida apparently had quiet the vocabulary, Chubs was a genius, Suzume was super sweet, and Liam was a well mannered southern boy.

All of that I already knew.

Speaking to my parents wasn't even the hardest part. The hardest part came a few minutes later when a knock sounded on the door.

Grams walked over to see who it was.

She turned around, and I half expected her to tell me it was Vida demanding to be let in, or Chubs telling the doctors how to do their jobs, or Zu with flowers, or Liam just being concerned.

"One looks like a taller version of that southern boy," Grams told me, "And his girlfriend. Red hair."

I immediately shouted, "Let them in!"

"Are you sure?" My mother asked, sitting beside me as I dried my eyed.

I nodded rapidly. The door opened.

I heard a voice ask, "Oh, sorry. Um, we're looking for Ruby Daly?"

Something like hope fluttered in my stomach. I knew that voice.

"I'm in here," I told them.

I saw two beaten up faces walk in. They were none other than Cole James Stewart and Natasha Gray.

Natasha's PoV

Likely knowing what to say, Ruby mumbled and tripped over her words, "I- you- Sawtooth- Jamboree- they-" She finally organized her thoughts, "They said you were dead. We saw pictures- I thought you were dead."

Sorry to disappoint, I signed.

Ruby let out a nervous laugh, "How did you- We thought you died after the barricade in LA."

I sighed, I got taken to the Project Jamboree facility in Camp Sawtooth. They figured I was useful. And my dad helped out a little.

"Why aren't you talking?" Ruby asked somewhat nervously.

Cole explained for me, telling her what I'd told him as I tried to ward off the horrible memories.

Ruby turned to Cole, "And you and Liam? I told you that Sawtooth Op was a bad idea, you shouldn't have-"

Cole cut Ruby off, "Natasha's alive. We couldn't get any other reds out. Got caught."

"We've got Clancy to thank for that," Ruby said, "Sorry your older brother's such a psychopath."

Where is he? I asked, I wish he was dead, but that's unlikely. He's a cockroach.

"He'll be at the press conference tomorrow," Ruby told us, "You can stay in here for tonight, I guess."

Ruby's parents and grandmother had vanished at some point in the conversation. There was a chair and a couch leftover in the room, with Ruby on the hospital bed.

I'll take the floor. Cole can have the couch, I signed.

Cole's response was to shove me into the couch and sit down next to me, knowing that was the only way to get me to sit down.

Even then, I flinched as he sat, reflexes kicking in. The PSFs has only shoved us when they were about to hit us.

I saw the look of regret on his face as I flinched and sighed. I fell asleep right there.