Chapter 6

MAXPOV

I cried into Fang's shoulder for what felt like forever. Finally I pulled myself together and called the flock over for a family meeting.

"Alright guys," I said once everyone had gathered round and stopped asking if I was ok. To the flocks amusement I was still sitting on Fang's lap. I could feel his gaze boring holes into the back of my head.

"Can we trust them Angle?" Everyone turned to look at our youngest flock member.

"Yip, I've gone through all of their heads and they don't want to hurt us. They're experiments just like us. They've been sent to find us, but by who I don't know." I frowned.

"Why can't you find out honey?" I asked her gently. I usually didn't approve of Angle reading peoples minds, but this could be a life or death situation and we needed to know if we could trust them.

" Don't worry Max," Angle said obviously having read my mind.

"We can trust them. I can't find out who sent them because they don't know themselves. They were on their way to a place that escaped experiments can go that is safe, when they meet another experiment. They were told to meet us here, before caring on to the place they were originally going." She stifled a yawn. We'd had a hard day and the younger kids where tired. I decided to trust Roo and his group. At least for now. Through out our entire family meeting no one had talked except Angle and me. This was surprising considering everyone except for Fang usually had a lot to say. As if right on queue Nudge started babbling.

"So are we staying here tonight and trusting Roo and Edge and Robin and H or are we going somewhere else coz I'm hungry and tired and if we have to go then can we go soon so we can…" Gazzy slammed his hand over Nudge's mouth.

"Thanks Gaz, my ears where about to start bleeding," Iggy joked.

"But Nudge is right. It's late and I still want something to eat before we go to sleep, so what will it be faithful leader stay or go?"

"Stay. From what we've learnt from Angle I think it's safe to say we can trust them. But keep your guard up, just in case. We'll go introduce then set up camp for the night." We stood up and made our way over to where Roo and the others where sitting. As we drew closer they stood up.

"Now back to business. Would you like to speak first or would you prefer we did?" Roo joked. He had his hand up under his mouth, pretending to hold a microphone. What the joker.

"Oh, oh can we go first please Max please, please?" Nudge begged jumping up and down in front of me. Fang answered before I could. It was the first thing he had said sense my 'brake down'.

"Yea Nudge we'll go first," Fang said he voice was cold and had a steel edge to it.

"You give us one reason to suspect your working for Itex, just one and we're gone." Roo's group took a step back in shock.

"Work for Itex. Never. Working for them would be worse than death. We would never work for them, not after everything they have put us through," Edge shouted.

"Good, because we have decided to trust you. Nudge introductions please," I could tell that if she didn't talk soon, she was literally going to burst and we would all be talked to death.

"Well obviously I'm Nudge coz that's what max just called me. I'm called Nudge coz I absolutely, positively love to talk. That's Angle and that's the gasman or Gazzy. Don't ask just stay upwind." Nudge made a face and waved her hand back and forwards in front of face, in an 'oh that stinks' motion.

"The really tall one is Iggy. He's blind and the dark, silent or who is usually silent except for when he is talking to Max or when he just told you, that if we have any reason to suspect you're working for Itex, we're out of here is Fang. He's also second in command. Then there is Max who is the leader but you already seam to know that." Roo nodded.

"Nice to meat you all. How about we set up camp, catch some zzzzzz's and talk some more in the morning. Don't know bout you guys but I'm exhausted."

"Sounds good," I agreed.

"Angle, you come with Fang and me. We'll get water and some fish for dinner. Nudge, Gazzy, Edge and Robin you're on firewood. Get heaps of it and get some green wood as well, to keep the mosquitoes away. Iggy get everything set up for cooking the fish. Roo, you and H make a fire pit and pull over some logs to sit on round the fire." No one questioned my orders and everyone immediately left to do their assigned jobs. I caught Fang's eye as we left the campsite in search of a lake or river.

"Max about before," he began but I interrupted him.

"Later fang." He gave me a 'we'll talk later' look. What had I got myself into?

A/N

Sorry it's taken me so long to update but we've had family up for the holidays so I've been really busy. The next chapter will be up in the next week or so. Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter so now fell free to review.

-C.j