*Recap:

It seemed incredible to be free again and oddly, no one caught us. Were they that careless about nine "wild" humans inside the same building? I guess they were convinced that a dozen guards could handle us, but they were evidently mistaken.

"They've taken our vehicles," said Doc and I noticed that Rob and Nate were grinning cunningly.

"Then we'll just have to steal a couple," said Nate and I couldn't help but smile as we jog towards the parking lot.

Refuge

"Take the exit," Fords instructed to Nate, who was driving.

We had stolen two cars and Rob was driving the other one behind us. Fords was directing where his and my father's "hideout" was, and all I could picture was a cave somewhere in a forest. Maybe they were more creative than that?

And they were. We parked in front of a house, me thinking of how unsafe the location is, though they explained that hiding in plain sight was just as safe as hiding in a volcano. Well, they didn't need to hide because both of them were souls and they were the only ones who leave the place. I'm still not entirely sure if there were humans living in the house. Plus, it wasn't the house that was creative about their hideaway, but what was hidden inside.

"Uh, you sure you've been living here for the past how many years?" Ian inquired, staring quizzically at the absolutely empty space before us. There was no furniture, no cryotanks, not one vestige of anyone living here. But I knew there was something else beyond.

My father chuckled and Fords grinned cunningly, the rest of us clueless.

"On every wall there is a concealed entry," Doc suddenly answered, coming from the northern hall. "I was inspecting the house and found a narrow crevice on the wall. I pushed it hard enough to reveal a bathroom?" he finished as a question, though in amusement.

"Yes, that's right," Fords said and led us to the halls with the camouflaged doors. Sure enough, when he firmly pushed part of the dusky wall, a vertical rectangle slid back and slithered aside, baring a stairway.

"I'm guessing you did a lot of renovation," commented Blake, "It must have been hard not to seem suspicious. What did they think when you asked them to hide all the rooms?"

"Were they even suspicious?" Rachel inserted.

"A little, I should say," replied Fords, "We simply gave the idea that we were much more original in remodeling this house."

"It certainly is original," muttered someone else.

We reached the top of the staircase and before me was a miscellaneous-filled living room. Well, I thought it was a living room.

The other two doors leading out of this room, but on the same floor, were normal ones and they led to two bedrooms.

Half an hour later I had toured most of the house, discovering one other stairway leading to one bedroom, a loft, two bedrooms on the first floor, and an open kitchen. Though, there was one more door I hadn't entered.

The door slid open after I pushed it and turned on the light switch. Suddenly, I was in the operation room again.

I walked towards the cabinets, where all the utensils and medications were located, then towards the bed. This is where my father saves humans, I thought.

"Noah loathes this room," a voice sounded from the entryway and I twisted around to see Fords.

"But this is where he gets to save lives."

"Indeed, however, this room also reminds him of the hundreds of lives he's taken from humans. Thus he is compensating for doing so."

"He's a good person, even if he did do the insertions. Most souls are good." My voice lowered at the last words. I do believe that millions of souls have hearts and that they've grown to love our planet. I just hope that they would give people a chance to let us live on our own in our world.

"Your father also hates being in this room because of you," Fords uttered and I frowned. "He worries that at any day you could be trapped in a room like this and be gone from this world once you get out. He's afraid that he will lose his real daughter."

"He won't," I stated convincingly.

"No one knows the future, child. Not that I am a pessimist, but I am only saying that no one - not even a brave one like you- can guarantee the future of survivors. You are still greatly outnumbered, and for every sympathetic soul there is equates to more unconcerned ones."

"Speaking of survivors, where are the people you've saved?"

A reticent half smile emerged from his lips and I repressed a groan. I knew he wasn't going to tell me anything.

"Unfortunately, you will have to wait until you meet them yourself."

Then he left.

I sighed and sat on top of a wooden table, hearing muffled voices outside the door. I rested my head against the wall and tried dispelling my anxiety. Within the caves I felt safe, but I don't just want to be secure while hiding. I want to be able to expose myself to the outside without having to fuss every day whether I might get captured or not. In the parking lot, right after we exited the police department, I felt free again. Though, I will never truly be free unless someone or something saves Earth.

"Thinking about something?" someone asked from my right, making me jump. I smiled at Jamie as he sat opposite me on the work surface. Slowly, my smiled diminished and I nodded.

"Something I'm having trouble not thinking about," I replied, resting my head again.

"You're tired. You should sleep in one of the bedrooms."

He started to get up to walk towards me, but I motioned for him not to. I didn't want to move yet.

"Just talk to me, Jamie," I requested, my eyes closed. "Talk about anything to get my mind off things."

So he did. For a few minutes I felt normal and calm. He told me about soccer and how aggressive human players were before television was replaced with predictable Soap Operas, which I utterly hate. He made me laugh and smile, which I loved about him. After our laughter died, he mentioned the idea of us. We hadn't discussed it since the night he kissed me.

"Jamie, you know I love you," I began explaining then he shook his head.

"You don't have to love me more than that right now," he said. "I'm not rushing things. . .and this isn't really the right time to discuss this. Sorry for mentioning it."

"It's fine. Just…I don't know."

"I'll leave you for a while. It's past midnight, you must be tired. Don't stay up late, all right?"

I smiled while I nodded and he beamed before leaving. I sighed yet again. After a few seconds of silence, I drifted off to sleep.

It seemed like hours passed when I heard my name being hollered.

"Nilah!" I opened my eyes, my hand automatically rubbing my sore neck from sleeping on a table.

Through the doorway I noticed Daryl rushing near me.

"What's wrong?" I asked him as I noticed how grim his face looked.

"Nilah," Daryl began, "it's Jamie…"

"What happened to him?" I sat upright and waited for his response, growing nervous every second.

"He's - Your Seeker took him."