After breakfast the next morning, Tessa challenges the Second Mass to a game of soccer. I, of course can't play, but I do my best to cheer the Second on from the sidelines.
About halfway through the game, Jimmy gets the ball, but it's stolen from him just as he's about to try and score. The ball's taken down the field, almost to our goal when Hal gets it and gives it to Jimmy. I smile, that's just like Hal. Instead of taking it for himself, he gives it away to someone else. Jimmy swerves around some opponents, but they're following close on his heels. I see Ben waving his arms and saying he's open. I frown when I see that Jimmy sees this too, but chooses to ignore him. Jimmy runs past him, but has the ball stolen from him by Tessa. If he would've passed the ball to Ben, that probably wouldn't have happened and we might've scored.
I've noticed lately that Jimmy avoids not just Ben, but all the de-harnessed kids. I frown even more, not liking at how prejudice he's become.
Tessa runs down the field and they score…again. Sanctuary: eight. Second Mass: zero. Lourdes runs after the ball and Ben approaches Hal, Matt and Jimmy. I see Jimmy back away from Ben as he looks at Ben's spikes. He starts to walk back to midfield and Ben comes up beside him. I see Ben say something and point, but Jimmy shrugs it off. Ben's face drops slightly and he stands still. I see Ben look to his left and I follow what he's looking at. It's Clayton and the other fighters that escorted us here. They talk for a minute and then leave down the path to the road. I take this time to stand up and call Jimmy over. He reluctantly runs over.
"We were just about to start the play," he says, breathless and slightly agitated.
"I saw what you did with Ben; how you treated him differently," I say glaring at him. He doesn't say anything, but looks at his feet since he knows that I'm upset with him.
"What do you want me to say?" he asks.
"Two words; I'm sorry, but not to me; to Ben and then start treating him for what he is. A victim from the skitters," I say and he nods.
"I'm disappointed in you. I thought that you would be one of the most understanding, considering what we are, how we're different as well," I whisper so I can be sure that no one else can hear. There's no one even close, but it's good to be extra careful. He nods again and whispers that he's sorry.
"Good, but it's not me you should be apologizing to. But for right now let's beat these guys," I say.
"Are you sure it's a good idea for you to play?" he says as we walk out into the field.
"Yeah, I'll just play goalie," I say since it doesn't involve running. I jog/ walk over to the goal and switch with Lourdes, who doesn't object since she knows she's not very good at it. I see Hal give me a look and I mouth, "I'll be fine." I know my limits and when it's time for me to stop, I'll stop. I manage to block the next two balls, but the third one just slips past my fingers and goes through the goal. I feel the throbbing from my wound get more intense and I know that I have to stop. Trying to block that last one really hurt it. As everyone is going back to midfield I walk up to Hal.
"Ok, your turn to be goalie," I say, clutching my stomach. He gives me a worried look.
"Don't worry; I didn't push myself too far. That's why I'm stopping now," I say.
"Ok, just take it easy," he says and runs in the opposite direction to the goal. I sit back down where I was before and watch the rest of the game play out. Jimmy actually passes the ball to Ben now but I can see that he's still reluctant to do so. I sigh; I can't change his mind, only he can do that and it'll take some time. Jimmy's stubborn when he wants to be, but I know he'll come around.
After lunch I decide to go for a walk. I walk around the house, passing guards and eventually coming across the barn. I walk past the door, but something on the ground glints in the sun. I bend down to pick it up and find it's a silver lock. It must have been in the door, but why would someone open it, drop it on the ground and then not bother to relock it. I pocket the lock and, since I can't help my curiosity, I go into the barn. I close the door behind me and walk up the stairs. I come to an open room that was probably once used for storage. I scan the room and to my right find a man lying unconscious on the ground. I hurry over to him and take his pulse. It's strong. I turn his head to see who he is and find its Tessa's father. Ok, this is strange. Then I see something else. A cord of rope laying out on the ground a few meters away. I see two imprints on the ground in front of the rope. It doesn't look like the imprint any type of shoes make though. I kneel next to them. They're rather deep, so it was probably a man and he was probably bound with the rope. That's when I see the imprints next to my knees and it connects. The imprints were from a man kneeling with his hands tied. That's when I hear footsteps upstairs and for some reason, I have the urge to run. I don't know why I do, but I've always been told to trust your instincts, so I run. Back down the stairs and through the door. That's when I see a figure running away from the farm at a sprint. I follow the person, thinking it must be the man that was captured, and probably for good reason. I sprint, even though my side protests, and when the person slows down, so do I, hiding behind some bush. I slip the hair band off my wrist and quickly pull up my hair so it's out of my eyes. He's (he really is a he) reaches up and grabs an apple off a tree and I decide to make my move. I grab the small knife from my ankle and stealthy creep out of the trees, but I step on a twig. He turns and puts his gun on me. I put my hands up and am surprised by who it is.
"Pope?" I say.
"Yeah Princess, I'm back," he says lowering his gun, and I recognize that last bit he said from a movie.
"Don't call me princess," I say. That's when I see something on the ground behind him. I point behind him. He turns around and sees the two bodies of our fighter escort. He kneels next to them, looking at their wounds.
"Well it looks like these two won't be getting back to the Second Mass anytime soon," he says.
"It was Clayton wasn't it?" I ask. He looks at me surprised.
"Very good, princess. How'd you know?" he asks.
"Don't call me princess. And something had been bugging me ever since Clayton proposes his offer to the Second. Why would you take all the children here, but not the rest of the civilians? I mean people like Sarah and Uncle Scott, people that can't fight. Wouldn't it have made more sense to let all of the civilians go ahead and keep the fighters there to wait for the Third," I say.
"Sorry princess, I've sort of been out of the loop for a while. Want to run that by me again?" he says.
"Yeah, but not here," I say, looking at the bodies. He stands up.
"Civilization, you've got to love it," he says sarcastically. I pretend not to hear him (just like he ignored me when I asked him to not call me princess) and follow him deeper into the woods, filling him in on what happened after Clayton arrived. He's silent for a second before he says something, but not the thing I want to hear.
"You know you should probably be getting back before someone notices you're gone," he says.
"That's it? I know that you know what's really going on, tell me," I say.
"Well since you asked so nicely, Clayton made a deal with the skitters. He gives them kids, they leave him alone," he says. "Now you better go on back to warn everybody."
"And you?" I say. "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know, move on," he says.
"You know, it could be of some help having an extra gun. Especially one that Clayton won't expect to be there," I hint to him. He stops and turns to face me.
"And why would I do that? Why should I risk my life for a bunch of kids?" he asks.
"Let me put it another way. The men that tied you up, beat you and tried to kill you. You'd be able to get revenge on them. How about that?" I ask. He thinks for a minute.
"I like your style princess," he says. "Fine I'll do it. You go warn them and I'll catch up with you later, once you've left." He turns and starts walking.
I hear him shout over his shoulder though, "You better hurry, it's a fifteen minute walk back."
I look at my watch and realize I've been gone for thirty minutes.
"Shit," I murmur and take off running. It'd be better not to give Clayton any reason to be suspicious.