Us or Them
Chapter Three
Thank God for Eli who suggested the moment we found this cave that we have an exit strategy and that we practice at least once a week. Everyone moved to his or her designated area, me included. After I pack all of the things in my small backpack, I run down the dark tunnels in the cave, the light from my lantern bouncing around with every step I take. No one down here. I turn on my heels and run down the next tunnel looking for anyone that might be trapped or lost.
*Boom* The ground shakes and I stumble into the cave wall. Ugh, what now? I turn around to get back to the main cave and run smack into Eli.
"What the.."
"Lux, what're you doing?"
Indignant I say, "What am I doing? What're you doing?"
"I was just coming to see if you were okay. And also to tell you that everyone's freaking out." Eli says.
"Well stop talking to me so I can go help." I say pushing past him. As soon as I cross the threshold into the main cave, *Boom*. This time I actually fell straight to the ground. I stayed there until the shaking finally stopped. I jump up and call for everyone to drop whatever they're doing and get to the Evac. Room.
"Lux!" I turn at the sound of my name to an exhausted Harlan running toward me. "Lux, Thomas left."
"What? How did he get loose on your watch Harlan?" I practically yell.
"He blind sided me and went for the surface. I ran out into the desert to get him but he saw a cop car passing by on the street and stopped it." I stood there and listened, feeling my eyes grow wider with every word. "I couldn't hear what he said but I saw him yelling and pointing toward our cave."
"So Thomas is the source of the banging and the shaking. He betrayed us, and led them here." Harlan nodded still trying to catch his breath. *Boom* "Help me get everyone out of here before they make the roof collapse on us." He nodded and we ran to the Evac. room where everyone was getting sorted into the different cars.
"Lux! We're ready to go!" Eli shouts.
"Okay, two leaders to every van. Eli and I will take the lead; you guys follow us to the next location. Try to stay behind the car in front of you. Let's go!" In pairs all twenty-eight leaders get into their cars. Eli takes the wheel and we lead our family out of our crumbling home.
"They might be waiting to attack us as soon as we exit so be ready to put your driving skills to the test." Eli says into the walkie-talkie.
After about ten minutes of driving we finally shoot out of the end of the tunnel. I grip my gun tighter in anticipation of the war we expected to drive into but there was no one, or thing, insight. We keep driving, avoiding saying anything as to not jinx our good luck. After about twenty minutes of petal to the metal driving, "Well….That was a lot easier than we thought." Brandon's voice says through the walkie-talkie.
"I guess those last few months of not trusting Thomas paid off."
"What do you mean Heath?" I answered through the walkie-talkie.
"I'm pretty sure no one ever told him that there was a back way out of our cave. I don't even think he knew that we had an escape plan HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Everyone in my car erupts in laughter along with Heath, but I can't help but feel sorry for Thomas. He's probably under the knife being prepared for alien insertion as we speak…well laugh. I pull out the map from my bag of the places that we last heard still had humans.
"Okay well Chandler is the closest city that we last heard had survivors we should try there." Eli suggested knowing that I'm not too good at maps.
"Well it looks like we'd have to go through Phoenix to get there." I say double checking to make sure I was right in saying that.
"Is there a problem with that?"
"Well Phoenix is the most populated city in Arizona. There will be so many more chances for us to be seen. Is there maybe a back way or something?" I ask.
"You tell me, you're the one with the map so pressed up against her face that I've been wondering if I should give you two some privacy." Quickly I pull the map away from my face and try to calm down before the blood rushes to my ears.
"Man your ears are brighter than the sun right now!" Eli says making my ears feel even more hot.
"How about you set your eyes on the road huh?" I snap. I casually glance in the side view mirror and notice that non of the other cars that came with us are behind us! It's only our car and the dirt road.
"Eli pull over!" I said trying to keep myself from stomping on the brakes from the passenger seat.
"What is it?" He asks pulling over.
"Where are they?" I ask getting out of the car before it completely stops. One foot on the ground and the police sirens go off. I feel like my foot is cemented to the ground with fear and confusion.
"Lux get in!" Eli says pulling my body into the car by my left arm. The car kick starts off the ground sending gravel and sand everywhichway.
"Wh….I don't understand! What's happening?" Little Lucy asks from the back of the van.
"Confused?" A voice from the walkie-talkie asks.
"Who the hell is this?" I shout into the walkie. "Thomas?"
"It's John." My heart tears at this simple statement. "I'm sorry Lux." This simple statement infuriates me. "YOU'RE SORRY? THAT'S IT! WHY DID YOU DO THIS JOHN? I TRUSTED YOU! WE ALL DID!" I scream into the walkie hoping that if I let it all out, the sharp knife of betrayal will simply come out of my back.
"I was tired of this life of hiding and scraping for food, of darkness." John says without a single ounce of remorse in his voice. "So, I struck a deal with the police. They said that I could stay human and that they would set me up in a house and let me live out my life like normal if I…"
"If you put a bullet in our heads." I spit into the walkie.
"if I turn you in." John corrected me.
"Same difference. You are a rutting fool if you think you can trust those life sucking leaches!"
"No you're the fools if you think you could actually…." Eli took the walkie from my hands and through it out the window.
"What are you doing! What about the others?" Eli ignores my death glares and reaches over me to buckle my seatbelt.
"They're gone Lux. I need to get us out of here and I can't do that with that bastard's voice in this van." I stop trying to wipe away the tears and let them soak my t-shirt. Picking up my gun I lean out the window and shoot the front tire of the police car that's closest to us. This car swerves into the cop car on its left causing a road block.
"How are we supposed to get away from them? Even with the road block we're still on a never ending two lane road." I say looking out the window at the mess I made behind us.
"You really are bad at studying maps huh?" With that Eli pulls us off the road and into the desert. "A little bit farther and we'll reach this road." He said pointing at the map.
"You pointed to a river!"
"Will you just let me drive woman!" UGH! Seriously the most infuriating man I've ever met!
"Lux?" I turn around.
"Yes Lucy?"
"Where are the others?" Lucy asks head hanging down as though her six year old mind already knew the answer. Looking around, everyone has their heads hung low, betrayal thick in the air.
" I think you know little Lucy. Right now we just need to focus on getting away from the aliens."
"Oookay." Lucy draws out. I squeeze her shoulder just as the van hits a huge bump.
"My bad!" Eli says swerving the car left and right trying to avoid the boulders randomly scattered about. I look out the window behind us to see if anyone, well anything, is following us.
"See any aliens on our trail?"
"No they aren't coming after us." I turn around to grab the binoculars.
"It looks like all of the cop cars were damaged in the accident I caused. I don't think they'll be able to come after us."
"That's great but…where do we go now?" Little Lucy asked.
"Good question."