I used the simple bunker showers to wash out the home made dye and towel dried my newly red hair. I hurriedly dressed back in the black dress as I felt vulnerable to kidnapping the entire time that I was in the bathroom. I felt an immediate rush of relief as I slid Bellamy's jacket back around me and wrapped myself up in it's safety. I stood with my eyes closed for a few moments as I held the jacket tightly and took some deep breaths to relax my rapid heartbeat.
As I reflected on my earlier conversation with Jasper I knew in my gut that my dependence on this jacket probably wasn't healthy, but I couldn't fathom parting myself from it just yet. I was in the process of the relaxation exercise that I used to guide Octavia through when the intrusive images of Monty burst through and I snapped my eyes open with gasp. It had been helpful to keep busy earlier with Jasper but now that I was alone I had no defence against my fear. I quickly snatched my things and strode back toward the dorms.
I power walked through the halls and I became aware that I was losing control as panic took over. My heart was hammering in my chest and I felt my hands shaking. Visions of Monty screaming for help flashed through my mind too quickly to fully comprehend. I reminded myself that I just needed to get to Jasper, he would be able to calm me. The hallways seemed to grow longer and I felt disoriented as I tried to navigate them. The narrative in my mind unexpectedly changed and the screaming quietened slightly only to be overlaid with Bellamy's voice.
"You have to find Monty." I shook my head violently in an attempt to dislodge the sound, but it got louder and I covered my ears in desperation. "Come on Indigo, what are you doing? We don't let anyone come for our people! Find him, rescue him, do whatever it takes."
I couldn't tell if my sanity had finally snapped, or if my conscience had taken on Bellamy's voice but it was unbearable to hear. As the words repeated in an inescapable loop, I became convinced that he truly would be upset with me if he were here. My anxiety accused me of losing the strength that I had possessed in camp and berated me for letting Monty down by simply waiting for Maya to find him. I started to convince myself that she was involved in his disappearance and that I would never see Monty again if I didn't act now.
I found myself in a hallway that I didn't recognise with no concept of how I got there. I could hear footsteps approaching and tucked myself into a small alcove to hide. I watched as one of the medical assistants from the unit approached a door and they checked over both shoulders before lifting their pass to the scanner to open the door. I felt a red haze overpowering my vision and without thinking leapt forward to seize them. I grasped their coat to drag them backwards before slamming their face into the wall as forcefully as I could, causing them to collapse. I snatched the pass from around their neck and waved it in front of the scanner. The moment that the door opened I rushed through and slammed it behind me.
As I was met with another unfamiliar area I started to panic and broke into a wild run through the halls with only a subconscious awareness of where I was going. I stumbled around a corner and recognised the elevator that Monty had used to transport me from quarantine. I reached the doors and repeatedly hit the button in a fluster as I became aware of hurried footsteps echoing from behind me. I swore under my breath as I watched the screen above the elevator progressing through the floors at an agonising rate and aggressively probed at the button with clammy hands. It finally chimed to announce it's arrival and I leapt to stand in front of the doors nervously. I was prepared to jump in at the first available opportunity but as the doors parted I was met with a swarm of guards. They descended over me like a tidal wave to tackle me to the floor and I felt a sharp pain in my side that I knew well by now.
- O - O - O - O - O -
I slowly became aware of a strange thrumming sound and the rattling of something metal. My body was weak and it seemed that I was tightly compressed. I blinked slowly in an attempt to force myself to wake up and immediately noticed my head spinning from the effort. I could feel something cold and hard digging into my skin, and as my surroundings came into view I was struck with the realisation that I was in a cage. My entire body flooded with adrenaline as my mind processed this terrifying information and everything came rapidly into sharp focus.
I sat up in the cage that was barely big enough for the movement and glanced down at myself to discover that I had been stripped of my usual clothes. My skin was barely covered by some kind of surgical gown and I gulped as I analysed the need for this. I dragged my head up and was startled by the sight of Monty who was staring back at me from the other side of the bars. I threaded my fingers through the tightly gridded cage and he grasped my hand in return. As my eyes roamed his form, it was clear that we mirrored each other and I registered that he was contained in a cage next to mine.
"Monty!" I gasped as I studied him in a mixture of relief and terror. Although I was pleased to find that he was alive, I quickly assessed that we may not be for much longer. "What happened? Where's Harper?" I breathed in a fluster and he seemed heartbroken as he met my eyes.
"She's behind me, next cage along. She's in really bad shape." He confirmed and I fidgeted within the tight containment in an attempt to view behind him. I glimpsed blonde hair just over his shoulder, but was unable to manoeuvre myself into a position where I could communicate with her. "This is fucked up Indie. They've moved us from storage to here and they're getting ready to do something with us." He rambled in a panic stricken manner and the fear was evident in his wide eyes. I felt my stomach fill with dread at his words and I was unnerved by the stark contrast to his usual calm demeanor. "What the hell are you doing here?" He quizzed as he seemed to suddenly realise that my arrival here was strange.
"I was searching for you." I breathed as I squeezed his fingers to reassure myself and his eyes filled with tears.
I scanned the small room and noticed there were only around a dozen cages in here. As I peered out of the front of the cage containing me, I clocked a barbaric operating table that was fully fitted with restraints and my stomach lurched at the discovery. On further inspection, I identified several monitors on the far wall with a trolley full of assorted medical tools that more closely resembled torture instruments.
The door swung open to reveal the friendly female doctor who had tried to reassure me when we volunteered for blood transfusions, followed by a large male doctor that I didn't recognise. She approached the cages and examined us each in turn with a threatening expression. I glared back at her with murderous fury and she smirked as she moved back toward Monty. I battled to contain the anxiety that threatened to leap out of my chest and worried that I might prompt her to harm him if I antagonised her. I held my breath as she passed him to stand in front of the cage that Monty had described as containing Harper.
"This one." She spoke firmly and the male doctor obediently started to unlock the cage.
Monty rattled the door to his cage aggressively but it made little difference as they lifted Harper out. Now that she was in my field of vision it was clear that she was weak and exhausted; her face was bloody and I could identify multiple wounds on her body just at a glance. I could tell that she had already endured several procedures and I felt fury coursing through my veins as they lifted her almost completely limp body up onto the operating table. It was obvious that she had no remaining energy to fight them and I understood in this decision that they were no longer sympathetic about their treatment of us. The reassurances of the medical unit were nowhere to be found and I was disgusted to witness that they were willing to operate on someone in such a state.
"Stop it!" I barked as my words escaped without my permission but my voice earned no reaction from the doctors. "Are you fuckers too scared to deal with someone who can fight back?! Take me! I'm still full of life, I'm a much better specimen." I yelled as I desperately stomped on the cage to create as much noise as possible.
They continued to work as if they couldn't even hear me and easily secured Harper into the restraints. They busied themselves with preparing tools and covered her body to the neck with an operating sheet. I could hardly breathe through the rage that threatened to destroy me and I was becoming frantic in my efforts to stop them. I knew that there was little chance of escape at this point and instead I focused on keeping us alive for long enough that Jasper could find us. The female doctor picked up a scalpel and cut into Harper's hip in a long exaggerated motion. This cut earned a horrifying scream that burned into my memory and I flinched as I felt the colour draining from my face.
"Please stop, she's too weak." Monty begged as he sagged against the care door in exhausted distress. I couldn't stand the hurt that seeped into his words and I watched the agonised expression on his tear stained face with a heartbroken familiarity. I understood his feelings for her better than anyone and I recognised that being forced to witness this was as torturous for him as it would be if Bellamy was on that table for me.
"Don't...don't...not again." Harper could barely manage a whisper through her panicked breaths and yet the doctors still behaved as if she were nothing more than a science experiment. I wracked my brain for ideas as I analysed Harper's weak form and calculated that she was unlikely to survive many more of these procedures. I peeked at Monty through tearful eyes and struggled not to crumble at the idea that he would eventually take her place.
I knew that I could not endure anyone harming him and I decided that if I had to sacrifice myself here to protect him, it would be worth it. I had already tried reasoning with them. The only logical solution that remained in my scattered mind was to get under their skin and to motivate them to hurt me instead. I heard the sound of a drill whirring and Monty frantically cried out at them to stop. The horror of the situation hit me at all once and I went berserk under the pressure. I snatched the cage door with both hands and began slamming it manically against the lock, shrieking like a banshee as I unleashed the overpowering fury that poured out from my core.
"You sadistic fucking bitch, I'll kill you! When I get out of here you're dead! I'll tear you apart, you sick, lying bastards!" I swore in a raving manner and when this failed to earn a reaction, I fell backward to repeatedly kick the cage door with all of the force that I could muster. Once it became clear that I had no intention of stopping, the doctor switched off the drill to sharply turn on the spot and faced me with a thunderous expression of annoyance.
"Sedate the loud one." She ordered with frustration evident in her posture as I continued to lash out. The male doctor rolled his eyes before he approached the cage and my movements became even more frantic. I hadn't anticipated this outcome and I descended into chaotic panic as I made every effort to stop them from being able to inject me.
"Fuck you, I'm not scared of you! I'm a murderer, I'll kill you in ways you can't even begin to imagine!" I roared as I glared over at her in disgust.
I didn't even feel the injection through the extreme adrenaline that was pumping through me. The door to the room burst open with a deafening slam but I couldn't focus on the blurred figures that hurried inside. I remained conscious for long enough to notice the female doctor leap away from the opening table in shock before my eyes were forced closed.
- O - O - O - O - O -
When I next regained consciousness I recognised the dorms surrounding me and realised that I was lying on the floor. I slowly sat up to notice that I was hidden protectively behind a crowd of our people who were behaving as if they were recovering from some kind of attack. I brought my hands to my head to combat the disorientation of the movement and was taken aback when Monty rushed into my sight to grab my shoulders.
"Thank god you're okay!" He breathed with furrowed brows and I studied him in confusion. "I wish I could give you a gentler wake up but we don't have time. Get dressed and ready for a fight, we'll catch you up when we can." He handed me a pile of clothes and I glanced down at my body to find that I was still wearing the surgical gown. I raised my brows in shock as I realised that I hadn't imagined the time we'd spent beside each other in cages and it only intensified my confusion. I carefully struggled to my feet and quickly changed back into my dress and boots. Although I felt immediately better to be in a full item of clothing again, I couldn't deny the continued sense that I was exposed with my arms uncovered and I scanned the area in concern for my jacket. I couldn't find it anywhere within the tight corner of the room that I had woken in and my eyes were drawn to Monty in the crowd. I took a deep breath and approached him for answers.
"Good, you're done. We need to be ready to fight our way out of here." He seemed frazzled as he addressed me in a firm tone and I peeked at the fearful faces that surrounded us with a feeling of dread.
"Monty, what the hell is going on? Last time I saw you we were in cages?" I breathed as I met his eyes with a feeling of urgency that I didn't understand. I surveyed the room and felt an unease at the way the group huddled together. Although I was unsure what was happening, I knew that I had missed something important and I could sense the tension in the air.
"Jasper convinced President Wallace to release us from the cages and sent us back to get our people ready to leave. The problem is that he's not in charge any more, his crazy son Cage has taken over and it turns out that he's the one who's been running the experiments this whole time. So instead of walking out together like we were promised, they locked us in here and the guards come with Dr Singh every four hours to take someone else. We tried linking together to stop them but they just tackle us until they can separate someone. They already took Del and Max." He explained with an exhausted expression. I glimpsed over his shoulder to discover that the double doors to the dorms were closed and I rubbed my head in a gesture of stress.
"Okay, this isn't over yet. Linking together is too defensive, we need to fight back, hard. We can create weapons with things in this room, we did it at camp. We need to overwhelm them." I ordered as I assessed our surroundings for inspiration and focused on the fire of determination that lit in my stomach.
"You're so alike." Monty smiled fondly at me with his cryptic statement but before I could question who exactly he was comparing me to, Jasper stepped into my view with an abundance of relief in his warm face.
"You look like you're missing something." He crooned as he handed me the heavy fabric of Bellamy's jacket. I sighed in relief and smiled thankfully as I slipped it on. "I remembered to grab it on the way out of the lab." He announced with pride and I finished adjusting the jacket with a familiar wave of comfort. "But Indie, I have to tell you something." He added and I noticed that his body language became nervous as he shuffled on the spot. I gulped and raised a brow at him in anticipation. "Looks like you'll be giving that back pretty soon...He's here." Jasper spoke in a slow, significant manner and I frowned back at him in bewilderment.
"Who's here?" I asked as my stomach dropped and I rapidly rescanned the faces of everyone in the room. I knew that he couldn't possibly mean Bellamy but I felt my heartbeat quicken at the implication.
"Bellamy! He's disguised as one of the guards. He told us to fight harder, we just have to keep them busy until he can get us out of here." Jasper asserted and I felt as if the rest of the room crumbled around us. I could sense Monty's concerned observation as I processed what I'd just heard and I felt myself staring open mouthed at Jasper. I found it hard to force words out as I fought for control of my own frantic mind and my tongue tied itself in knots as I tried to articulate the storm of my thoughts.
"Jasper, w-what are you talking about...that's i-impossible."
"Indie, I know this is hard for you to understand." Monty put a hand on my arm to draw my attention to him and his eyes were filled with understanding. I could hardly hear him through the pounding of my heartbeat in my ears and I battled to remain focused on his explanation. "But I've questioned Jasper repeatedly about this. He already thought he saw Bellamy through the door earlier and now he's had a conversation with him, that confirms it.. Bellamy is here and he needs our help. You already said the same thing he did, that we need to fight." Monty attempted to pull me from the building madness that whirled inside my mind and I couldn't comprehend the words that I was hearing.
"You don't have to process this right now, I just need you to hold it together." Jasper stepped closer to position himself at Monty's side and pleaded in an attempt to reach me. "We need you Indie, we need your instincts. They're going to come back and take another one of us, we have to stop them. They're not just taking blood from us anymore, they're killing us." Jasper clarified and his words finally pulled me from my internal crisis. I pushed the information about Bellamy to the back of my mind. I refused to believe it so that I could cling to what remained of my sanity and forced my focus back into the room.
"The bunk beds are metal, see if you can take them apart at all." I commanded as my analysing nature was drawn to them and I continued to search for other items that we could use as weapons. I felt the boys move beside me and when I glanced back they were both smiling at the suggestion.
"There's our girl." Monty muttered proudly and squeezed my arm warmly. I felt my arms shaking even under his grip as I battled to hold myself together and the anxiety pounded against the mental wall I had raised to protect myself.
"He also gave me this." Jasper pulled a gun from the back of his trousers and I raised my brows at him in surprise. "If you guys can overwhelm them, I've got a shot at taking someone out." He elaborated and I was glad for Bellamy's considerate thinking. I glossed over the acknowledgement of how we had attained the gun and instead considered the best use of it.
"It has to be the doctor, take the head off the snake." I growled with more aggression than intended. "She seems to be leading the procedures, losing her would slow them down at least." I explained as I reigned in my tone and tried to present a logical case.
"Alright, good plan." Monty agreed and I was relieved that I was still able to contribute. "Let's arm up. We don't have long." He ordered as he spurred us into action and we parted in different directions.
We busied ourselves with deconstructing everything in the room that we could and managed to release several poles to use as weapons. I slid my hands under the mattress of my bunk in search of the scissors that I had used to cut Jasper's hair and was relieved to find that they were still there. I was proud that I'd thought to hide them and I spent the last of our preparation time sharpening the blades into a weapon.
Jasper described the plan to the group and I listened with interest. The front row would link together in the same tactic as before to avoid suspicion; anyone with weapons would stand behind and keep them out of view. We were to wait for Dr Singh to choose someone and once the guards turned their backs on the group, we would ambush them. When Jasper had the opportunity to take a shot, he would shoot the doctor causing enough chaos for us to potentially overwhelm them. We banded into a tight unit as the time grew closer and I waited anxiously in the second row. Although I hadn't seen the first few collections, the way that Monty had described them to me sent chills down my spine and I could feel the terror levels in the room.
"Everyone! We stick to the plan, they're not taking anyone else out of this room without a fight!" Jasper yelled and I was proud to witness him inspire the others. The buzzer sounded near the doors and multiple people in the crowd around me flinched in reaction. "Get ready." He ordered and I nodded firmly as I steeled myself.
The doors opened to reveal an organised wall of guards with guns raised in front of them as they marched into the space and I couldn't deny that the sight was intimidating as the others around me fidgeted nervously.
"Disperse." They ordered as they closed in on us, before they suddenly parted to allow Dr Singh to saunter through carelessly. She reached the front row with a controlled interest sparkling in her eyes and I shuffled my position to ensure that she didn't notice me. She glimpsed between Jasper and Monty with a hunger that made my skin crawl and I felt my stomach lurch with terror. She finally settled her attention on Monty and pointed at him confidently.
"This one." She ordered, causing the guards to pull him from the barricade that we had created with practically no resistance. I battled every instinct in my body to attack as I reminded myself of the plan. I waited with shaking hands for the guards to turn their backs with him and as I stepped forward to fight, Jasper raised the gun in front of him.
"Hey! Get your hands off him!" He howled furiously. His vicious demand caused a guard to turn and raise his club in preparation to attack. The gun fired in what seemed to be an accident and I gasped in shock as the bullet struck the guard in his bulletproof vest .
The shock of the gun only stopped things momentarily, before the guard swung the club to easily disarm Jasper and all hell broke loose. Miller lunged forward to swing a metal pipe at the guard and his movement launched the group into battle. It was impossible to track what was happening amidst the chaos and I surged forward to tackle a guard to the floor, before another of our people stepped in to strike him with a pole.
In barely a matter of seconds most of our people were violently apprehended and I stepped back to frantically search the room for Monty as the guards herded us backwards. Dr Singh approached our huddled group again and surveyed us with an offended expression, as if she couldn't believe that we had the audacity to fight for our lives. I spotted Monty on his knees beside a guard on the other side of the room and was glad that he was at least still within my reach. Dr Singh glared down at Jasper, who was on his hands and knees.
"Take him instead." She ordered as she indicated to Jasper in a frustrated gesture.
"No!" I screamed, unable to hold back my emotions any longer and tried to battle my way through the crowd. "You can't take Jasper!" I snarled and I watched two guards seize him by his arms as I fought my way to a gap that was no longer protected.
"Search the rest, make sure there are no other weapons." Dr Singh stated as Jasper was dragged through the doors screaming. I burst out of the crowd and grabbed her before she could escape. I pulled the scissors from my pocket and plunged them into her gut as hard as I could. I twisted the blades maliciously as she fell away from me and I was forced to the ground face first in a painful restraint by the guards.
"Bring her too." Dr Singh wheezed from above me and I was hoisted back to my feet with my arms behind my back. The last remaining guard in the room supported her side and helped her to walk. As I was hauled along behind her I could hear Monty's desperate cries fading into the background as we exited the dorms. The doors slammed behind me and I came face to face with Jasper, who studied me in confusion.
"No, Indie! Let her go! You already have me!" He pleaded as he hysterically fought against them with a renewed spirit at the sight of me.
"She stabbed me!" Dr Singh spat as she indicated to the scissors that protruded from her gut and Jasper's eyes widened at the sight of the wound, which poured blood at an alarming rate. "As soon as we're in the lab I want her prepped. I'll start on her the second I'm stitched up." She ordered the guard at her side and I scoffed at her words.
"Does it hurt bitch?" I laughed darkly as I glared at her. I couldn't suppress the depraved enjoyment of her suffering and she turned her attention to me with a fury burning behind her eyes. "It's such a shame that we couldn't have more time together. I had such plans" I drawled and could feel Jasper watching me with panicked eyes as we waited for the elevator that would take us to our deaths. I was fearful but relieved that she'd decided to operate on me first, hoping that I'd bought enough time for rescue to come for Jasper.
"I usually struggle to harm you kids, but I'm going to enjoy harvesting you." She spat threateningly as she stared at me, before she appeared to gag and her hands grasped at her throat.
"Ugh, something's wrong." One of the guards holding me groaned as he started to choke and I inspected the area in confusion.
"Radiation! We need to get out of here." Dr Singh's voice cracked as she spoke. She panted as she grabbed the radio from the guard beside her. "Containment breach, level 5." She cried into it as the guards around us collapsed and left Jasper and I free to move. "Seal the whole floor." She struggled to get the words out as her skin burned up and bled. I watched her suffering with a sadistic smile and refused to break eye contact as she collapsed to her knees.
"Bellamy." Jasper breathed with a tone of amazement and I glanced over to see him staring at the ventilation fan at the end of the corridor with a grin.
"Come on, we don't know how much time that gave us. Let's get the others out." I ordered as I grabbed a pass from one of the guards and rushed to open the doors to the dorms. "Let's move, everyone out!" I urged those left trapped there into action and they flooded out of the space in a panic.
"Let's go! This is our chance!" Jasper called as he directed people down the hall and I remained at the doors to usher them out of the room. "Take the level! Monty, get the cameras! Miller, get their guns! Go!" Jasper ordered and I was pleased that he took control of the situation. I waited until the last person had been moved from dorms and ran around the corner to find Jasper standing at the elevator doors. I paused at his side to check whether he needed help and found Dr Singh lying inside the space, pleading for her life. I was quickly joined by Monty, Miller and Harper as we all glared down at her in disgust.
"I hope you know that you're incredibly special to us." Jasper spoke poignantly and I understood that this was something she must have said to him before. We all watched as she screamed in agony, burning up in the radiation until she finally died. I placed a hand on Jasper's shoulder and squeezed it supportively.
"We need to take a space that we can hold, somewhere we can defend until rescue comes." I advised firmly and Jasper nodded distractedly.
We followed him into the dining room and busied ourselves with barricading the entrances. I seized a handful of table knives and focused on sharpening them to a dangerous point. Once I'd finished I stowed them in every pocket that I could find and even hid some in my boots for an emergency. I hoped that no one would get close enough for me to use them, but after our last plan came so close to getting Jasper and I killed, I needed to be prepared.
"We took the level, but now we need to hold it. They will be coming and we need to be ready!" Jasper called over the chaos as we rushed around. I found Fox knocking down surveillance cameras from the ceiling and grabbed a pole to assist her, smashing any cameras that I could find into pieces. As she destroyed the last remaining one, I noticed Jasper and Monty speaking near the doors and marched over to them.
"Hey guys, anything specific you want me to do in this plan?" I investigated in the hopes that between them they had formulated tactics that were better considered than my last suggestion.
"You're a great shot, probably the best we have left. Get a gun from Miller. I'm counting on you to take down as many as you can." Jasper ordered and I nodded. I assisted in the final steps to build the barricade and assisted in a few other defensive ideas as we attempted to use every available moment to add to our arsenal. I noticed Harper setting out buckets of water and was about to question it when Monty stepped into the centre of the room.
"Alright listen up people! I'm sure you all remember the smoke grenades they used in camp to bring us here. There's a good chance that they'll use those again. If they do, we're ready. Grab the grenade and get it into any of the buckets of water. We have to be able to fight, we're only going to get one chance at this!" Monty announced and I smiled at him proudly.
We all settled into our assigned positions, ensuring that we were spread to cover the room as densely as possible as we waited for an attack that we knew would come. Monty watched the hallway cameras on a small screen for any sign of battle commencing and we all strained to remain strong.