Chapter 14
Apparently, I had fallen asleep in the forest, crying myself into a dreamless night.
Joan was taking Will for his morning walk when they found me slumped against a tree.
After they were sure I wasn't hurt, Joan gently shook me awake.
"C'mon Cleo, what're you doing out here?" She asked.
She looked at my red eyes and tear-streaked face, and noticed the paper clutched in my hand.
She gently took it from me, and unfolded it.
I heard her gasp when she read what was printed.
Will looked sharply in her direction.
"What the shuck is it, Joan?" He asked irritably.
I looked up at them.
"Gabe gave it to me last night. When he said good-bye. Before he left." I answered in a quiet, shaky voice.
Will looked down in my direction, then walked slowly to Joan.
"What the hell does it say, Joan? Read it to me." He asked firmly.
She glanced at him.
"It says I will always love you. But if you ever loved me, you need to let me go." She read, her voice trembling slightly.
Will froze, his face contorting in agony.
Then he whirled around and started walking back towards the camp.
Joan rushed up to him and grabbed his shoulder.
"Where the shuck you think you're going, slinthead?" She asked him.
He shrugged off her hand, and turned to face her.
"We need to find him. He's clearly in a bad mental state." He said, resuming his steady pace.
Joan rolled her eyes, and caught up to him, directing him away from a tree he'd been about to run into.
I decided it would be a good idea to wash my face with the water from the nearby stream.
I let the coldness of the water wash away my tears and clear my mind.
When I had finished, I got up and walked to the camp.
Once I reached camp, word must've spread, and Charlie ran up to me, embracing me in a bear hug.
For once, I didn't mind, and squeezed her back.
I was met by similar reactions from Bits, Alex, and even Mark.
But what I really wanted to do was find Will, I needed to talk to him.
He was with Joan and another Glader I didn't know the name of.
When he heard the sound of my footsteps, he dismissed them.
I sat down next to him, and he turned towards my direction.
"Cleo, I know what you're thinking. But Gabe said to not follow him." He said suddenly.
I glared at him.
"But he's not right, and we might be able to help him, and-" I started in a rush.
He held up his hand to silence me.
"I never said we weren't going to, but we can't bring all of us." He said sturdily.
I paused, then nodded slowly.
"Who's going?" I asked.
Will looked around, then leaned in towards me.
"I think it should be just us two. We're his closest friends by far." He said quietly.
I nodded again, then stood up.
"When, then?" I asked softly.
Will followed my movement with his eyes.
"Tonight."
I had gone to pack provisions, hopefully not needing as much as when we all went as a big group.
A shadow fell across the floor, and I turned to see Bits, Joan, and Charlie standing in the doorway of the tent.
Joan limped forwards.
"What're you doing now, Cleo?" She asked sarcastically.
I knew she must have overheard somehow, and I straightened up, my arms crossed defensively.
"I'm going, and there's no way you're going to stop me." I said firmly.
They looked at each other, then Charlie glanced at me.
"We know we can't stop you, that's why we're coming with you." She said sharply.
I shook my head immediately.
"You can't, I wouldn't want you to get hurt in case we come across some Cranks beyond the Gone." I said.
They looked at each other again, no doubtedly thinking that Gabe might be included in that category.
I sighed, then walked up to them.
"Fine. But only Joan." I said defiantly.
I sat back, glaring at them, daring them to say no.
Then Joan shrugged.
"We leave tonight, if I heard right." She said, her stormy gray eyes piercing me.
I nodded slowly.
Bits and Charlie didn't look happy, but they knew I wouldn't change my mind again.
I was turning back to the supplies, when we heard a commotion outside.
We all glanced at each other, then hurried out the tent.
Sonya and Harriet where leading two girls up the slope, holding their arms behind their back.
I looked at Charlie, who shrugged.
"They helped us get here." She said flatly.
Then the sunlight glinted off brown and green, and we leaned forwards with a gasp.
They had brought Evelyn and Marley as captives.
When the girls reached us, I saw that Sonya and Harriet had tied their hands together with a thick, rough rope.
I walked up to them as they came to a halt.
The two girls forced Evelyn and Marley to their knees.
I crossed my arms and glared at them.
"I should kill you for that little trick you did at the base of the mountain." I hissed at them.
Evelyn met my eyes, and I saw pain in them.
"Please, you don't understand." She said quietly.
I waved at the hundreds of people surrounding them.
"Elaborate, then." I said cooly.
They glanced at each other, then Marley looked at me.
"That guy who attacked us, Gabe. We know where he is." She said shakily.
I stared at them, my heart freezing in place. I strided up to her, and pulled her up by the neck of her shirt.
"Where?" I asked angrily.
She twisted her head around so that I was looking directly in her green eye.
"That band of Cranks we led. He showed up, and we never refuse a member, no matter who they are. But then they started to revolt against us, and he took over. We barely got out alive." She wheezed, her voice cracking on the last sentence.
I snapped my head up, and glanced at Will, and Joan, who was supporting him.
We made eye contact, and I nodded.
Mary had decided to treat the wounds of the two hostages.
But me, Will, and Joan were ready to leave by the next hour.
I said bye to Bits, Charlie, and Alex.
We set out just as the sun started sinking behind the horizon line.
Fortunately, we found Evelyn's car halfway down the mountain. I got to drive, because Will couldn't see klunk, and Joan's leg was no good.
It was strange at first, but then I got used to it.
We drove for what seemed to be hours, but was probably only thirty minutes.
Once we could see the warehouse in the distance, I parked the car and we got out.
I hefted my Launcher over my shoulder, and the others did too.
We trekked the twenty or so miles until we were standing on a sand dune about 100 meters away from the Crank base.
One thing I noticed right away that was different, was that there were four guards pacing the perimeter of the building.
We immediately slid behind the dune, laying on our stomachs and peeking over the crest.
Joan turned to look at me and Will.
"Great, now how are we going to get in?" She whispered.
I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could, we heard footsteps behind us.
"Well, well, well. What have we got us here?" Snarled a ragged, deep voice.
We slowly turned to see two Crank guards holding knives.
The Crank who'd spoken advanced.
"Get up." He commanded.
None of us moved.
"Get up!" He snarled wielding his long, sharp knife.
I glanced at Joan, and then we rose slowly, Joan helping Will to his feet.
The other guard nodded with satisfaction.
"Follow us, and no tricks." She said roughly.
We followed her, the other guard coming up behind us.
The woman guard led us to the warehouse, nodding at the pacing guards.
As we walked inside, the guards outside followed us in.
I heard them snickering and giggling behind us as the two first guards led us to a table.
Bent over the table, studying a ragged and torn map, was Gabe.