Our Sanctuary

Chapter 12

"This is still a bad plan," Willow mumbled, her eyes fixated on the figures that had yet to move from their positions on the roof.

"Yes, well," Ezekiel took a step closer to the building that was still a ways away and leaned forward to look through a bit of the greenery to the top of the building, "we didn't get much of a choice." He turned around to look at all of us again. "Just be ready. It should happen any second now."

Matteo held onto his bow tighter. "And what happens if they had more of them keeping tabs on the perimeter. She could be dead already and this was all just an even bigger waste of time."

Ezekiel opened his mouth to respond when gunshots suddenly went off. My heart rate picked up even more at the noise and my hand went right to one of the daggers at my side as I tried looking towards where the shots came from. After finding no way of looking through the thick trees, I then turned my eyes back onto Ezekiel to see him shifting his weapon more comfortably into his hands.

"It's time," he said, turning towards the building.

I looked up, following everyone's gaze, and watched as the Feymon took flight and flew themselves off the building in the direction of the noise. Their screeches were loud as they dive bombed out of sight threw a few trees quite a ways from us.

"Let's go!"

We took off at a sprint. My eyes shot back and forth from one side to the other as we neared the door, all while I prayed that Ashley could hold them off a little longer. Our boots were loud against the ground and I was grateful that all the Feymon on the roof decided to go check out the noise, otherwise, we probably would have immediately been acknowledged and attacked.

Then once we got halfway across, from the forest to the building's door, the sound of the gunshots stopped –just as fast as they had started– and my rhythm faltered ever so slightly.

She was gone.

There was no time to mourn her.

Ezekiel threw the door open as soon as we'd made it to the building and we ran through, the door closing behind us with a click. We took a few moments, looking around the garage for any movement, while our breathing slowly returned to normal. After finding no source of movement and seeing that it looked like the Feymon hadn't even entered this part of the compound yet, we relaxed slightly, –but only a little bit.

"Isn't it a little too quiet?" Willow asked while her brows furrowed.

Her eyes were intent on the ceiling, moving back and forth from one side to the other. I listened carefully, trying to find any other noises other than the sound of our breathing, but ended up with nothing. Had we been too late? Is everyone gone already? Is Zack...?

My insides turned uneasily and I tried pushing the negative thoughts from my mind, but no matter how hard I tried they were still right front and center.

Ezekiel shook his head at Willow's question. "The walls are made to trap sound in. It's easier that way especially when we're training with guns so not everyone has to hear the loud bang every time someone fires."

Ezekiel's words made me feel a bit better, but it didn't make the worried feeling at all from leaving me.

"Alright," Ezekiel looked between Matteo, Willow, and I, "you three stay here and get the bus ready. Xian and I will go find as many people as possible and send them down here to you." He glanced down at his watch. "It's nearing two thirty so leave at three. If there's no one here by then, then just leave. Get out of here and-"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "We should all go. You guys need us there with you."

Ezekiel let out an exasperated breath. "If this is about Zack, don't worry, he can take care of himself."

I could feel a blush start to creep up my neck but I kept my head high, not going to back down. "This is not just about him. Wyatt's also in there. We need to find him and make sure that he's safe."

Willow and Matteo both nodded their heads at what I said and then stared at Ezekiel, waiting for his reaction. I don't know if what I said had gotten him to change his mind or if it was because of the looks we had given him, either way, he rolled his eyes and let out another breath, this one more annoyed than the last angry one.

"Fine," he said. "You guys can go and check out level three while Xian and I go through level two. Meet back here at three on the dot, okay?" He watched as each of us nodded our heads again before he did the same. "Alright, then let's go."