Training the next morning was easier then usual, I felt happier in the knowledge of the up coming events and that Brinn and Zack seemed happy. But I couldn't rid myself of a jealous feeling…
I shook off these thoughts as we were directed into a classroom, and by the picture projection on the wall I saw that the rest of my group were going to find out about the mission. But that thought set me slightly on edge, if Logan found out about my job in this then surely he'd be seriously pissed off with the fact that I was really in charge of it all. I didn't even know if he cared about such things.
The mission was simple to all of us, we were to pair off as we pleased and play tag with Davis. She was spotted down in an area close to Manhattan, and when we found her we were instructed to dispose of her in a clean fashion. Everyone seemed cool about that, but I saw a slight annoyance on Logan's face as Sketch informed us that we had to report in every five hours. Was he up to something? An instinct told me that he was…but in any case proof is needed, so again I kept that to myself.
We were to start out late on Saturday afternoon, 10:00pm to be precise, and as we exited the briefing room I saw a smile break out onto Dennis' face. This was what he had been waiting for all his life, a chance to go outside. What I was worried about was whether he would want to return again after tasting the outside.
Sleeping that night was hard. There was excitement in the air, Dennis and Brinn wouldn't lie still in their beds as they tried to rest, but would turn over every hour. I rolled over onto my back, only to be prodded by Logan who was next to. He indicated to the back of the room, where Zack was crouching. I got up quietly and sat next to the boys, and between us we whispered.
"What's the matter?" I said, yawning hard. It was too early for me.
"It's the mission, Cindy, you do know that some of them," Zack nodded toward the three sleeping figures, "will try to escape during this mission, don't you?"
I paused before answering. Were they testing my loyalty?
"Yes…I had a feeling they'd try to, why are you telling me this?"
Logan shifted on his feet. He sighed and rubbed his chin.
"Cindy, if we want to escape, then we will all have to it together"
I tried to refrain from looking surprised, so instead I nodded in agreement.
The conversation continued on, the two of them plotted between the best way to evade the guards and placed patrols. I made an excuse to go back to bed, but thoughts ran through my mind. Who was I loyal to, Manticore or my family? I came to a decision, based upon what I knew of my group. I'd wait until we got out there, by then I expected that they wouldn't be able to run from Manticore, the plan would fall apart. I corrected myself afterward, I didn't expect, I hoped.
Training was quick on Saturday morning, the day was spent finalising the mission. Each one of us was carted into Sketch's office to be interviewed just so that he could route out any possible traitors before the plan backfired on him. In my interview, I stopped myself from doing in my family before they had committed to the plan. Though, I had promised to myself that I was loyal to them up to a certain extent. After that, Manticore was my family and I was loyal to it.
During the afternoon I tried to stay out of my families way, so I spent the day training hard and only took a break to eat. One question that remained unanswered was whether Jace was coming too. I decided to exercise my new right as group captain to ask Sketch whether I was to be in charge of her as well.
"Is mark 04 coming…that is an intelligent question soldier. Yes, I regret to inform you, she is. Handling her will not be the difficulty, I assure you that she is loyal to Manticore, and Manticore alone. But mark 04 will have more freedom then your group will, that is on special orders from the Chairwoman. Remember soldier that until you see mark 01's loyalty changing only then you take control of the group"
Finally the day arrived, it felt that our lives had been building up to this moment. We were loaded up with provisions, money and orders. Late afternoon we were driven down to the gates, where we were passed onto an unmarked bus where we boarded. The air was cold inside, and we all sat in groups of two just to keep warm. Jace was silent and stone-faced, but Dennis still sat next to her and held her hand. We watched the walls of Manticore disappear into the distance for the first time, I didn't know about the others, but I felt anguish as if a part of me had been torn away. So I forced my eyes to look through the window, to see the new landscapes that stretched out in front us. It was breathtaking once I shut Manticore into the back of my mind, but my orders rushed around my head, causing my pulse to race. I was in a state of panic, there were a lot of people depending upon me to do a duty, part of me wanted to do it quickly so that I could return to the safety and familiar rooms of Manticore. I allowed my imagination to walk through those corridors again, remembering where everything is and who everyone was. Now I felt lost in a bizarre and backwards world which had no safety…it was too frightening for me to think about. So I looked at Dennis, and analysed his expression to see what was going on in his mind. Whether he had thought about it as deeply as me I didn't know, but I could read what he was feeling now, and that was freedom and sense of excitement. It helped me relax knowing that the youngest of us was okay, and as I gazed at everyone else I saw to that they were relaxing. I took Brinn's hand and smiled at her. It was a false feeling though. I was scared. Scared in a way I didn't understand.
We remained silent all the way to Manhattan not sleeping at all, which, to our amusement, the drivers had to do every five hours to rest their eyes. Logan joked that he would do it for them, and the atmosphere on the small bus lightened slightly. I had a feeling in my breast as if I was ill, it took me a moment to realise it was anticipation I felt for what we would see.
I shook off these thoughts as we were directed into a classroom, and by the picture projection on the wall I saw that the rest of my group were going to find out about the mission. But that thought set me slightly on edge, if Logan found out about my job in this then surely he'd be seriously pissed off with the fact that I was really in charge of it all. I didn't even know if he cared about such things.
The mission was simple to all of us, we were to pair off as we pleased and play tag with Davis. She was spotted down in an area close to Manhattan, and when we found her we were instructed to dispose of her in a clean fashion. Everyone seemed cool about that, but I saw a slight annoyance on Logan's face as Sketch informed us that we had to report in every five hours. Was he up to something? An instinct told me that he was…but in any case proof is needed, so again I kept that to myself.
We were to start out late on Saturday afternoon, 10:00pm to be precise, and as we exited the briefing room I saw a smile break out onto Dennis' face. This was what he had been waiting for all his life, a chance to go outside. What I was worried about was whether he would want to return again after tasting the outside.
Sleeping that night was hard. There was excitement in the air, Dennis and Brinn wouldn't lie still in their beds as they tried to rest, but would turn over every hour. I rolled over onto my back, only to be prodded by Logan who was next to. He indicated to the back of the room, where Zack was crouching. I got up quietly and sat next to the boys, and between us we whispered.
"What's the matter?" I said, yawning hard. It was too early for me.
"It's the mission, Cindy, you do know that some of them," Zack nodded toward the three sleeping figures, "will try to escape during this mission, don't you?"
I paused before answering. Were they testing my loyalty?
"Yes…I had a feeling they'd try to, why are you telling me this?"
Logan shifted on his feet. He sighed and rubbed his chin.
"Cindy, if we want to escape, then we will all have to it together"
I tried to refrain from looking surprised, so instead I nodded in agreement.
The conversation continued on, the two of them plotted between the best way to evade the guards and placed patrols. I made an excuse to go back to bed, but thoughts ran through my mind. Who was I loyal to, Manticore or my family? I came to a decision, based upon what I knew of my group. I'd wait until we got out there, by then I expected that they wouldn't be able to run from Manticore, the plan would fall apart. I corrected myself afterward, I didn't expect, I hoped.
Training was quick on Saturday morning, the day was spent finalising the mission. Each one of us was carted into Sketch's office to be interviewed just so that he could route out any possible traitors before the plan backfired on him. In my interview, I stopped myself from doing in my family before they had committed to the plan. Though, I had promised to myself that I was loyal to them up to a certain extent. After that, Manticore was my family and I was loyal to it.
During the afternoon I tried to stay out of my families way, so I spent the day training hard and only took a break to eat. One question that remained unanswered was whether Jace was coming too. I decided to exercise my new right as group captain to ask Sketch whether I was to be in charge of her as well.
"Is mark 04 coming…that is an intelligent question soldier. Yes, I regret to inform you, she is. Handling her will not be the difficulty, I assure you that she is loyal to Manticore, and Manticore alone. But mark 04 will have more freedom then your group will, that is on special orders from the Chairwoman. Remember soldier that until you see mark 01's loyalty changing only then you take control of the group"
Finally the day arrived, it felt that our lives had been building up to this moment. We were loaded up with provisions, money and orders. Late afternoon we were driven down to the gates, where we were passed onto an unmarked bus where we boarded. The air was cold inside, and we all sat in groups of two just to keep warm. Jace was silent and stone-faced, but Dennis still sat next to her and held her hand. We watched the walls of Manticore disappear into the distance for the first time, I didn't know about the others, but I felt anguish as if a part of me had been torn away. So I forced my eyes to look through the window, to see the new landscapes that stretched out in front us. It was breathtaking once I shut Manticore into the back of my mind, but my orders rushed around my head, causing my pulse to race. I was in a state of panic, there were a lot of people depending upon me to do a duty, part of me wanted to do it quickly so that I could return to the safety and familiar rooms of Manticore. I allowed my imagination to walk through those corridors again, remembering where everything is and who everyone was. Now I felt lost in a bizarre and backwards world which had no safety…it was too frightening for me to think about. So I looked at Dennis, and analysed his expression to see what was going on in his mind. Whether he had thought about it as deeply as me I didn't know, but I could read what he was feeling now, and that was freedom and sense of excitement. It helped me relax knowing that the youngest of us was okay, and as I gazed at everyone else I saw to that they were relaxing. I took Brinn's hand and smiled at her. It was a false feeling though. I was scared. Scared in a way I didn't understand.
We remained silent all the way to Manhattan not sleeping at all, which, to our amusement, the drivers had to do every five hours to rest their eyes. Logan joked that he would do it for them, and the atmosphere on the small bus lightened slightly. I had a feeling in my breast as if I was ill, it took me a moment to realise it was anticipation I felt for what we would see.