10. Trust
Wanda's POV
We arrive at dawn, and as we expected, Jared comes running towards our car. He's carrying a gun. He has probably been waiting for us all night. After we used Reader's phone to call Jared and tell him that we were on our way, he has called back every hour to check up on us. But we had to throw the phone away after a while, in case it got tracked.
Ian has been staring out the window the whole time, hasn't said a word, hasn't moved a muscle. I can see right through him. He is scared. Scared of me.
"Finally, you guys. Jesus, I've been worried sick," Jared says after he's opened the door on my side. He lights inside the car with a flashlight, and he stops at once when he sees Reader. "Who are you?"
Reader turns in his seat to face Jared, and just then, his eyes reflects as the light hit them. Jared points his gun at him immediately.
"What the hell?" Jared shouts when he figures out that it's a Seeker.
"I've been asking myself the same question all along," Ian shoots in.
"You brought a Seeker?"
"Two Seekers, actually. Wanda is not here anymore," Ian says and walks out of the car. Jared looks down at me in confusion, but keeps his gun pointed at Reader.
"It's not true," Melanie says. "But Ian thinks so."
"Why?"
"Long story. And Reader is with us. Where can we park the car?" Melanie asks and gaze at the gun Jared is holding. He lowers it slowly, still with his eyes pinned on Reader.
"Brandt, you can park the car behind that shed," Jared says and points his finger over to some place to the left. "And... Reader... can just come out of the car."
"As you wish," Reader says resigned and walks out of the car. The rest of us follow, while Brandt takes a seat behind the wheel and drives the car away. Ian is keeping a far distance from me.
"Why are you here?" Jared asks and looks suspicious at Reader.
"I brought your people back," Reader says.
"And now you want to go home and tell all the other Seekers where we are? Is that right?"
"Well, no-"
"Good, because we're not gonna let you. You are either staying or dying. Your choice," Jared says through clenched teeth.
Reader hesitates for a moment while gazing down at the gun once in a while. "Then I guess I'll stay."
"What about her?" Ian asks and points his head towards me. He crosses his arms, waiting for an answer. But nobody answers him.
Jared just looks at him sadly. It's a good thing it's still dark outside, because then we wouldn't have to see how beaten up Ian looks. Jared doesn't even know what has happened to any of us yet. He doesn't know that Jeb is dead.
Brandt finally comes back, and Jared starts leading us into the woods, with his gun discretely pointed at Reader. Ian is limping beside Jared the whole time, and looks behind himself once in a while whenever he thinks he hears a sound. Other times, he looks at me, waiting for me to attack him or something. Ian almost fall over once in a while, and Jared had to catch him one time.
"Ian, are you all right?" Jared asks while helping him up.
"Yeah," Ian groans. Brandt walks over to him and let him lay his arm around his shoulder for support. "Thanks."
Even in the darkness, I know that Jared frowns. Ian is not all right. But he doesn't want to admit it around me or Reader, no matter how obvious he makes it.
We walk for about an hour before I can see the cabins. It's morning, and the sun is peeking at us from behind the trees.
We are so far into the woods that it's no use in fearing that the Seekers will find us. The cabins are well camouflaged, and hidden under the trees. It must be so great to live like this. While living in the caves, there was not much time we spent outdoors. But here you can spend the day outside all day long.
A small stream is floating across the set of all together nine cabins. Cold, fresh water. Looks much more refreshing than the lukewarm, muddy water we drank in the caves.
We walk into one of the cabins, the largest one. Inside, there are dozens of humans waiting for us. I wave at Burns who stands in the corner talking to Lucina's kids.
Nate walks over to us with a big smile on his face. "I'm glad you made it out!" He cheers and give Ian a friendly punch in the shoulder, but Ian flinch away and let out a low groan. Nate looks a little taken aback at Ian, but when he really sees Ian, his eyes widen in shock. Jared does the same, along with the rest of the crowd. Some let out a low sigh, others whisper to each other. Ian pulls uncomfortable back and walks out the door. I'm about to follow him, but then I remember that he hates me. So Melanie follows him instead.
"Guess the Seekers aren't as kind as they want people to think," Nate mumbles. Then he turns to us again and looks at each of us and frowns. "Where is Jeb? And Sunny? And who is that?" He asks and points at Reader, who is almost hiding behind me.
"It's a Seeker!" A young girl behind him says and gasps, and the crowds reactions start over.
"What the hell?" Nate says and takes out a gun from his jacket and points it at Reader. Reader just rolls his eyes, but is clever enough to keep his mouth shut.
"They say he is with us, but I don't know..." Jared says.
"He is a Native, just like me and Burns," I say. "And he has said so himself; he is not a Seeker anymore."
"And you believe him?" Nate asks.
"I've seen it myself. He beat up another Seeker to protect Ian."
"It's a trick, Wanda. He might be a soul like you, Sunny and Burns, but he is still a Seeker. They can't be trusted."
"Where is Jeb and Sunny?" Someone shoots in, and I turn my head over to the voice. Lily comes out of the crowd and waits for an answer.
Ian's POV
I keep walking out into the woods, with the sun warming my back. Melanie is still following me, but I need to get away. I want to lay down somewhere and die, but she is not going to let me do that. So after another minute of walking, I finally sit down on a tree that has fallen over.
My legs hurts badly after the walking. I should have just found some place to sit right outside the cabins, but I wanted to get away from those people. Everyone I love is gone. Kyle, Wanda... Of course there is Melanie, Jamie and Jared, and they are great. But it's not enough. I need Wanda.
Melanie climbs up beside me and let her feet dangle above the ground.
"Don't worry about them, Ian. They are just a little taken aback, that's all," she says.
"That's an understatement," I mumble and look down. Then suddenly, a drop of water falls down on my hand, and I realize that I'm crying.
"What's wrong?" Melanie asks. I can feel her gazing at me, probably with concerned eyes.
"Why didn't we bring Wanda along?" I ask. Melanie is about to say something, but I cut her off. "That girl back there is not Wanda. She is a Seeker. I've seen it! She came into my cell and revealed herself."
Melanie is quiet for a while, and I'm hoping that she is considering the possibility that I'm right. But then she sights and takes my hand. It's a friendly gesture, a comforting gesture. "I know you won't believe me when I tell you that the girl back there is Wanda."
I just shake my head.
"They gave Wanda her body back after an attempt of fooling you to believe it was her while a Seeker took over it. And when she got her body back, it was so they could force her to give out information, while she was watching you..." Her voice cracks at the end, and she doesn't finish the sentence. But I know what she means.
It's weird. I haven't considered that possibility, just because there's no way the Seekers did that. I mean, they are all evil. They want the worst for everyone. And I though the worst for Wanda would be being sent away to another planet. But maybe the worst for Wanda would be watching me being killed slowly?
It makes sense. I can remember Wanda kneeling beside me in that room. But I pushed her away. And I remember calling her a monster. She wasn't there to hurt me, she was there to protect me.
"Oh, no," I sigh as I realize everything, and lay my head in my hands. "Oh, crap. She must be devastated."
Melanie sighs relieved beside me and jumps off the tree trunk. "I'm sure she'll be fine after you kiss her. Now let's go back."