Acacia and I share a dreaded stare.

"What do you see exactly Joe?" She asks, sitting back in anticipation. Joella frowns.

"I-I can't tell. Are the lights not off? What aren't you telling me? How come I can only see shadows?" Her voice turns hysterical at the end. A pit settles at the bottom of my stomach, as I raises and wave my hand before Joella's face. Just as I suspected, she continues staring forward, as though she can't even see my hand.

"Joella, I think you have head trauma," I say with a steady voice, lowering my hand.

"Head trauma?" She questions, raising a hand to her mass of blonde ringlets. "I don't have a headache."

"Head Trauma can cause nurmerous amounts of varying damage, depending on how serious your injury was," Sam speaks up. "You were out for a very long time Joella. For all we know, your organs could be failing."

"What?" Joella asks incredulously. "So you're saying I could be blind forever?"

"I'm not saying anything," Sam defends himself. "Just that we can't be sure of the extent of your injuries until you're taken in for a medical examination."

I watch as a shot of despair fills my cousins features as the impact of how her life is going to change hits her. The normal sparkle in her eye diminishes, leaving me with only one thought. I've failed. I've failed another one of my cousins.

"On the bright side," Acacia speaks up, her voice with a ring of false perkiness, "We figured out the cure. All we need to do is get out of here and we've done it," She tells Joella. "We'll have won."

Joella lets out a sigh, before straightening up. "Tell me everything."

And so we do, each of us explaining bits and pieces until the whole picture is complete. Her face hardens at the events that occured to Lauren, and softens in sympathy to me when we explain Ally.

"And that's when you woke up," Dez finishes.

For a moment, Joella's face is thoughtful, before she stands up. A spike of alarm shoots through me as I reach for her hand, wincing as pain run up my other arm.

"What are you doing?" My voice comes out slightly higher than normal. "Joella you need to rest!"

My cousin turns to look in the vicinity of my voice, her eyes not quite landing on me though. "If your description of Ally is apt, we need to go. Even if Ally was fine right now, there's no way I'm wasteing another moment in here while Lauren dies. I don't care if I have to fight my way out of here with my teeth. I'm going, and you aren't going to change that."

"She's right," Acacia looks up. "We've wasted too much time. Lauren's gone. She would want us to make a move and rescue Ally."

"That's not what I meant!" Joella protests at the same time Zach yells, "Lauren is not dead, and will not die on my watch!" To Acacia.

Everyone raises their voices, trying to get a word in. I open my mouth to join the argument, only to realize I don't know which side I stand on. I don't want Ally to die. But could I really sacrifice my cousin to do that?

"Everybody Shut-up!"

The bickering immediatly turns to stone cold silence as we all look at Acacia expectantly. Her face is twisted into a scowl, and her hair flies around her face, adding to her look of wrath.

"Listen here," She scowls at each of us in turn. "Lauren is as good as dead. Now, we are getting out of here, and we are going to administer that cure to Ally if it's the last thing I do."

I know she's right. But having her say it outloud, having her admit it, makes everything seem final. I cast a pitiful glance at my unconscious cousin. Her skin's as pale as milk, her features dull and devoid of life. Her subtle breathing has diminished to the point that I'm not sure it's there anymore.

"I won't leave her behind," Zach says firmly. "Never."

"Then I leave you here to die with her," Acacia's voice is steely, and sends a shiver down my spine. When I meet her eyes, they aren't hers, but rather a cold detached stranger. "It's your choice."

Before any of us can reason with her, she pulls what I recognize as one of the needles we used to sew Lauren up with, and she bolts to the other side of the cage, jamming it into one of the lock. It's almost impossible to pick a lock with a needle - the metal is just to thin. But my cousin does it before I can even blink. I guess that's why we work for Impossible Mission Forces.

"Acacia!" I yell after her as she flings the door open and bolts into the shadows. Her dissolving footsteps are my only answer.

Trish runs over to the door first, staring at the locks. As I drag myself closer, I realize what she's staring at.

There must be a dozen different locks lining the door frame at least, but each one had a twisted piece of medical supplies shoved in it. One even had a bit of the bloody scalpel sticking out, twisted beyond recognition. The truth sinks in. When Acacia left my side during the operation, and sometime after, she hadn't been collecting her thoughts. She had been picking the locks.

My stomach twists upside down as I fight down a wave of nausea. The way my cousin looked at me... that wasn't my cousin. I don't know what she's planning, but she's going to regret it.

"We have to go after her," I murmer. "Once they find out she's out, it won't be long before they send guards. This could be are only chance to escapse."

"You'd leave Lauren?" Zach's voice is accusing and incredulous. I take a deep breath, before nodding once.

"We have to. Acacia's right. We have to save Ally."

"That thief over your own cousin?" Zach screams at me. "I thought Lauren was your family!"

"Don't use my words against me, Goode," I scowl at him. "Ally's just as much my family now too. And Lauren would want us to save her. Stay here if you wish, but I'm going."

"And how are you planning on doing that?" Elliot finally speaks up from his corner. "Last I checked you couldn't even stand properly."

I grit my teeth, but know he's right. I look over to Dez. "Go look in those bins," I gesture to the ones just outside the cage. "Get me something to use as a crutch. "A piece of wood, a gun, anything. Make it snappy."

"Austin maybe we should-"

"I said," I growl at my bestfriend. "Make. It. Snappy."

Dez gulps, but complies. I divert my attention to Trish.

"De La Rosa. Keep Joella with you at all times. The two of you are going to go with Sam and Dez to signal for help. IMF should have this area under constant surveillance. Do something to catch their eye. Elliot? Go with them. Make sure they make it to their goal even if you don't," I warn.

"And what about you?" Zach speaks up, contempt in his voice. "What are you going to do?"

I give a sick, twisted smile as Dez returns with a M16 and I pull myself to my feet, leaning heavily on the gun.

"Me?" I mutter darkly. "I'm going after my cousin."

Hey guys, sorry for the short chapter. It's more or less just a set up for the next one, which will be the big finale sort of thing. Everything is finally wrapping up! Anyways, thank you sooooooooo much for all of your reviews. I'll try to update soon, but no promises.

Thanks again!