Hi guys! Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
So I think there's going to be one more chapter after this and then maybe an epilogue. I'm not sure yet. If you want an epilogue, you can tell me in a review, and I'll definitely take that into consideration. And to answer somebody's review (I can't remember who at the moment) Seneca is a name from another book, The Hunger Games, actually. I am way too lazy to think of my own names. So, I just want to remind you guys that I love anybody who has stuck with this story through hiatus's and everything, and you're all amazing and I love you so so so so so so much! I'm always looking for book and TV show suggestions, so please hit me up with those. (Anybody excited for the Supernatural episode tomorrow? I am!)
I'll try to update when I can, but I'm not sure when that'll be. The next chapter has to cover a lot. A lot of action, a lot of mental things, and a lot of fluff because I'm a sucker for fluff.
Well, with that said, read and review!
I think it's time. Jeb has been pulling all of us out more and more frequently lately, and we all come back a little more prepared to escape. He's talking to us all, explaining how everything is going to go down in exact detail. It's a little unnerving to know how much we're putting at risk, but at the same time, I've never been so excited in my life.
This week has also been particularly good because there are fewer Erasers than normal. Apparently, the closer they get to their expiration dates, the slower they get. If they put any Erasers against us bird kids now, the Erasers would be toast.
We only see Erasers when Jeb's taking us through the hall now, and they always seem fatigued and weighed down by invisible bounds. It really is the end for them.
Well, except for Ari. He's the only Eraser I've seen so far that isn't slower than a slug. He still marches through the halls, an air of haughtiness around him at all times. That aura has actually been a little stronger lately. He knows all of the other Erasers are dying, and that he's the last of a long dead generation. And he loves that fact.
This arrogance has made him even more annoying than usual. Since he's the only Eraser than can handle us at the moment (even though any of us could take him down if he didn't put us in a damn crate every time he had to take us somewhere) he takes us everywhere. And all he does when he's near us is talk about how he's the strongest and that someday he'll be the one to kill us all, and all that jazz that he loves to talk about.
In fact, I'm having my ear talked off when I hear something I haven't heard in God knows how long.
Max.
I stifle a scream and quickly tune out Ari's rant about how he's going to duct tape my wings to my back and drop me off the empire state building. The voice is back, and while it's annoying and more trouble than its worth, it's always been right.
Um, hi, I think back hesitantly. This is probably the first time I haven't been rude to it automatically. This whole prospect of escape has really been a changer to my attitude.
You have to be careful tonight.
No shit, I think back, the sassiness coming out almost instinctually. Maybe the escape thing isn't working. I really am sarcastic and rude at heart.
They suspect something, the voice tells me, not an escape, but they're still going to be on high alert. Be careful.
I'm about to make another snarky comment, but then the voice speaks in my mind again. I'm counting on you, Max. Then the voice is gone and I'm left with Ari again, still talking about the various ways to kill me.
That's the first time the voice has ever said anything like that. It's never had actual emotions, actual wants. It's always just told me the facts and moved on. I'm not sure what it is, but maybe it's something that's closer to human than I thought.
I'm dumped in the room after another minute of hearing Ari's wonderful voice. The flock stares at me expectantly. They know that the escape is tonight. And they know that Jeb just talked to me for the last time before the plan goes into action. They just want to know what he told me.
Angel's thirst for knowledge is quenched as soon as I enter the room. She's read my mind already, and she sits back with a small smile on her face. She probably already knows about the voice too.
I smile at her before I open my mouth to tell the rest of the flock. "Jeb told me he'll flash the lights in this room twice before he opens the door and we make our run for it. There will already be a helicopter outside for us."
They nod, satisfied with that, until I clear my throat and regain their attention. "And the voice told me that expect something from us tonight. Not an escape, but something, so we have to be really careful."
They're a little more scared after I tell them that, but they nod and go back to whatever they were doing anyways. They're my little troopers no matter what.
I sit next to Fang and let him wrap an arm around my shoulder. Under the pretense of kissing my cheek, he whispers, "New update on Project GIANT."
I look at him, a slight smile on my face. Project Get Nudge and Iggy Together started last week, when I caught them cuddling in the middle of the night. Maybe it isn't the best way to spend our time, and maybe we shouldn't be meddling, but it's just so damn fun. Plus, it's really easy when there's a mind reader on our team.
"What is it?" I whisper back, keeping my voice especially low because a certain blind bird kid has especially good hearing and is only six feet to my left.
"Gazzy caught them kissing when he got back from that maze thing we all had to do this morning," Fang informs me, his signature smirk on his face.
The experiment Fang mentioned was a huge maze that we had to run through. We had to use our sense of direction and speed and strength to climb walls, crawl under barbed wire and dodge things. It was kind of fun, until they started shocking us when we slowed down and sent bloodhounds in after us. Iggy and Nudge were the only two they didn't take in.
"You're shitting me," I say, a smile building on my face.
He just shakes his head.
This is too good to pass up. They're still denying their relationship, so that means we can all have some fun.
"Oh, Iggy!" I call, making the blonde boy's head pop up. "I have a quick question for you."
He turns his head towards me before answering. "What's up?"
I have to take a deep breath to contain my laughter before continuing. This is too much fun already. "How did you pass the time this morning when we were all gone?" Now Nudge is looking up too. "I know Gazzy came back right after our little maze adventure, but Angel had to go through something for her mind powers, and Fang had to go to some camouflage," I look at Fang for confirmation. They were trying to give him some weird chameleon powers, "experiment. And I had to speak with Jeb. So what did you do for those hours?"
Iggy's face has flushed a scarlet red, and Nudge's face is beginning to catch up.
"There isn't much to do in here," I continue, pretending to be genuinely interested. "So just how did you pass the time?"
Iggy just shrugs.
I purse my lips, as if I'm thinking. Then I can't help it anymore and burst into laughter, making lip smacking sounds in between fits of giggles. And that's when Iggy gets it.
"Gazzy!" he nearly shouts, "You told them?"
The Gasman just shrugs sheepishly. "I had to follow the rules of Project GIANT."
Iggy lets out a deep sigh. "When are we going to hear the end of this?"
My laugh is close to a cackle at this point, I just can't hold it in. "I'll tell this story on your wedding day."
We joke around for a little while, and Iggy's face stays the same color as a tomato the entire time. But then we start to hear the commotion outside, and we know we have to be serious. This is it. This might be the last chance we have to get out of here, and I sure as hell am not letting it go to waste.
"It's starting," Angel says, her eyes focusing on the door. "All of the whitecoats are going to watch now."
We nod, all traces of the joking gone. "We have to wait for the lights to flash now," I remind them, my hands already balled into fists. I see my flock tensing up as well, everybody either laser focused on the lights or the door.
I don't know how long we sit there, but it's at least an hour before the lights flash twice. I take a deep breath, and then the door slides open. Jeb is standing at the other side, a wide eyed, slightly scared and slightly exhilarated look on his face. "Let's go," he breathes, already moving to run down the hallway.
We all follow silently. The flock's footsteps and breathing are silent, but Jeb sounds like a damn tractor. I swear, every step he takes is as loud as a door slamming.
But that doesn't seem to set off any alarms, and we make it to the door pretty quickly, meeting nothing to oppose us. That doesn't mean I don't have a mini-heart attack every time we pass a door. Every time I expect one to open and a whitecoat to walk out and sound the alarm.
But then I see a door, and outside is a long stretch of desert. Even further in the distance is a helicopter that my eyes can see but is probably invisible to Jeb's eyes.
We're almost there, only one more corner to turn, until I stop dead, pulling everybody behind me. Of course we can't just slip out into the night and run for it. Of course not. My life is not that easy.
Standing in front of the door is Ari, the one Eraser that isn't dying tonight. The one Eraser the most likely dreams of killing me in various ways every night. Of fucking course.
So the voice was right about them being suspicious. Jeb told me there have never been any watchmen before, so there probably won't be any tonight. But he was wrong, because they're suspecting something. The voice came through yet again.
I know I can take him down, though. The real worry is that he's going to sound the alarm and send a blizzard of armed whitecoats on us. So we have to take him down quietly.
I'm about to jump him Jeb walks out and says, "Hello, Ari."
I forgot that they still trust Jeb here. He's still Ari's boss. Maybe he can get him to just walk away.
"Shouldn't you be watching the show, Jeb?" Ari questions almost snidely. His tone of voice isn't exactly rude, but it isn't respectful either. It's strange to hear an Eraser speak without respect towards a whitecoat.
"Shouldn't you?" Jeb answers immediately and I remember then where I got my snappy comebacks from.
"No," Ari's voice is smooth, as if he's rehearsed this conversation in his mind. "The Director put me on watch just in case anybody tries anything."
Jeb nods, as if that makes sense and he agrees, even though I see the agitated look in his eyes. "Aren't you going to patrol the halls, then?"
Ari takes a long, hard look at Jeb. "I already did. I'll go back around later." He pauses for a second. "Why are you here, Jeb?"
Jeb shrugs. That's when I know that I did not inherit my ability to talk my way out of anything from Jeb. That power evolved somewhere along the way. I know because Jeb is failing out there, miserably.
So I decide it's my turn.
I jump out from the corner, my fist slamming into Ari's face before he can even comprehend what's going on.
"I know you were full of bullshit," Ari snarls at Jeb before I punch him again, this time in the stomach.
I know I can win this fight. I've beaten Ari before, in the training sessions they make us do. We can all beat Ari. I know his weaknesses from all of the times we've fought. Unfortunately, that means he knows all of mine, too.
That's why he's able to catch my side with a powerful roundhouse kick. I take a deep breath for second, and then pull back my arm to punch him again. But I have to stop dead before my fist can hit its target.
Ari has pulled a gun out of his pants and has it trained directly in between my eyes.
"Not so fast, Maximum."
