Chapter 11

MAX:

Well, I could jump and down for joy—my flock really was coming for me. And with Angel's mind reading/controlling ability, I was good to go…wasn't I?

I looked at Sam and he was concentrating on something very hard. I wondered what it was. It was just the way his eyes were tightly shut and his brows furrowed in concentration…there was something I didn't know, something big, and I needed to figure it out. He was turned away from me, but I could see his reflection and I could see that his eyes were squeezed shut and shoulders were hunched over like he was in pain, somehow. It didn't make sense.

But with the concentration in his features, I could tell he was having a conversation with someone, and judging by his position, whatever was being said was having a toll on him. But who would do that? I wondered.

I wondered why his mind reading abilities were different from Angel's…Angel…Oh! How could I be so blind? Of course! Angel was talking to him—there was no other solution. Whatever she was saying was hurting him. Way to go! I wanted to shout, but I didn't.

Instead I focused on Sam. He was whispering so quietly that no noise could be heard, but his lips were moving. I could read them a little and got the gist of what they were saying.

Sam was telling them to get lost and Angel, being my brave and sweet little baby, was fighting him, telling him that they never would give up.

Good girl! I thought, but I didn't think she could hear me. I wondered why….The only way I could think of was that Sam was blocking her, maybe? There couldn't be any other explanation, at least none that I could come up with. Hmm…

I wondered if I distracted Sam, if she could come into my mind. I didn't think there was a chance with that. I didn't know anything about Sam, so I didn't know what topic of interests he had. I mean, I don't speak his language or anything. What could he be interested in? Cars, sports, money, video games…?

Of course I didn't know much about any of these. I knew that money gets you food and shelter, cars get you places (though Nudge would know more), sports are for people who have nothing better to do, and video games excite people who want to fight but can't. So I know pretty much squat about these topics, but there had to be something that I could talk to him knowledgeable about.

Max?

Angel?! I asked, yelling in excitement in my mind that she had gotten through.

I don't have much time, but where are you?

I don't know. I'm in a car, heading north, that's all I know from the signs.

We'll find you.

I know you will, baby. I don't worry about that for a second. And once you do, we'll get free and get away from them, won't we?

Max… she voice said, sounding distant. We'll…find you…SOON! She yelled the last word as our communication broke.

Angel?

Nothing. Sam. Grr.

I wanted to punch something. I should've told her I would've found her, that I could've gotten out of it, that I would've found them and we all would get away all right.

"You couldn't have said anything better to her, Max," Sam said quietly.

"Why'd you allow her to come through?" I said through my teeth. "I thought you were against us."

"I'm not," he said, not defensively, but with authority. "I thought you would want to make sure she was all right, and then I had to block her again. The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can go back, if you choose."

"Why wouldn't I choose?" I asked in a growl.

"There are some things that you don't know, but as soon as we complete what we were assigned, I'll let you know. If you know now, it wouldn't be good."

"Why?" I snarled. "Because I'd rip your brain and skull out?"

He smiled a small smile at that. "No. It would be hard for you to focus on what we need to get done."

I wanted to punch and then beat the living daylights out of someone, and Sam was very tempting, just sitting there…

He laughed out loud. "In time, Max, your patients will be rewarded. Just hang tight until then."

"When have I ever had a reward from the School?"

He frowned. "I suppose you're right, looking at it from the only sense you can, but I am not the School. I am just a person, not the people in the place that hurt you. I didn't even know of your existence until after Jeb escaped with you all. Only then was I sent out to watch and observe."

"Why were you sent to watch us?" I asked, switching gears, asking in a soft voice, trying to figure out the answers in any way I could.

He looked wary at me. "I was sent to watch you as a backup plan. If there was ever a time that you needed a "human" friend, I would be there."

"But you aren't all the way human."

"I know," he sighed. "I'm not. But that doesn't mean that I am not trying to pass as a human, because I need to. I need to in order to get what I need to get done finished. I can pass as a human without any detection from any kind of people or experiments out there. That's why you could never sense a difference in me. In some ways I am more equipped to deal with humans, as in stay invisible, than you are."

I stared at him. But there was something I had to know.

"Remember in Virginia, when I had to run from the teachers who had tasers?"

He nodded.

"I was wondering what you were trying to do when you tried to get me to follow you."

"I was trying to get you out of harms way, but if you want the truth, as I know you do, I was going to show you another way out of the school that they never knew about. There was an underground tunnel, as I think one of your flock found, that led outside."

I stared at him, but then shook my head. There was no use believing him when he was just lying to me, trying to confuse me. It made things more complicated trying to believe him when clearly he was not one to believe.

His eyes, grave as the dead, watched me. It was sad. He was really putting on a good show, trying to get me to believe him, and for what? What would that accomplish? My trust? Nope. I would never trust this guy for the rest of my existence, however short or long it might be.

I stared at him, and something weird happened, and I couldn't place my finger on it, but I wasn't going to dread on it, or even think about it for that matter.

He jumped up slightly like he had an electric shock go through him and I didn't understand what his problem was. Why in the heck did he just jump up in the air for no reason? was what I was wondering, but I didn't voice it because I didn't have to. He could hear me without me voicing it.

"Something touched me and it felt shocking, is all," he answered, not looking at me, looking stunned and wary.

I watched him from the corner of my eye and saw that he blushed slightly and looked strait ahead.

"How long?" he asked Anne.

I gritted my teeth.

"Another ten minutes. It starts in a half hour."

"Good."

He turned to me. "Enough time to say one more thing. Max, look at me."

I unwillingly looked at him and saw that his expression was soft. "Max, whatever happens, nothing will happen, but know that you can trust me. I would never betray your trust. I don't care what you think of me; you can think of me as the worst person on Earth, and I do deserve that title, but just know that I will always be there whenever you need or want me to be."

I stared at him in silence, and then said, "I'll never believe you."

He sighed. "I know, and I know I deserve that. I don't care because whatever you believe about me is justified. But I will always be here. All you have to do is call me."

"I don't have a cell phone," I said in disgust.

"Just call me in your mind. I will hear you."

I felt like I wanted to rip his throat out, but I kept my temper under control. "If I ever call you, it will be to kill you."

I knew I wouldn't kill him because that isn't my style. I don't kill without a thought. But if the time came, when he betrayed us, because he would, would I be able to end him once and for all. Ari had been a horrible event for me because he was just a little kid when I knew him at the School. I was jealous of him, yes, but I ended up killing him. He came back alive, but I was filled with relief when he came back, but now that he is gone forever, I feel horrible each time I think of him and think that he was only seven years old.

Would I—could I—kill Sam when the time came when he would betray us? Would I learn from mistake and not kill him? Or would I have no choice but to kill him, to keep my flock safe, to keep us out of danger.

I didn't know the answer, but I didn't want to find out, but I knew as we came closer to the destination that I hoped wasn't going to be painful, it would come to a choice in the end. Which would I choose?