My Last Breath (Book one of The Portal Series)

A Promised Punishment. CHAPTER FOURTY-TWO

Once we travel far enough we catch sight of two boulders in the forest, apparently a landmark Luke was told to look out for in his dream. We stop at the base of them, deciding we must remake our plan to accommodate our large group.

Instead of running in guns and blazing as they intended, Leddy suggests that Lynn and I purposely get caught as a distraction. The rest of the group will then invade, as the men will be focused on their lost prisoners. Leddy will plant bodies of the Hunters around the building, making a scene and building a trap for the men.

The concept is simple to comprehend but splitting up like this can be hazardous if something were to go wrong. I'm not deathly in danger, but being alone again is more terrifying than words can explain. Secondly, I'd rather have strength in numbers but with this one-against-five decision, I'm clearly not getting my way.

Coming to terms with the fact that we're unexpectly reunited, the twins work at equipping rest of us with their hefty assortment of unrecognizable weapons. They pull out countless sizes of knives from various parts of their bodies, insuring they've got enough to pass around.

I'm handed a dagger with a covering over the blade, perfect for replacing the one I snatched from my uncle's knife display. I'm instructed to hide it on my waistband; inside of my pants where I can cover the sheath with my shirt.

My eyes slide over to Leddy who's pulled out a handful of tiny glass bottles from the inside of her jacket. I notice one labeled with a black skull and crossbones and is written poisonous at the top. She puts it back but continues to scrounge through her pocket, eventually pulling out something different.

She hands one out to each of us, surprisingly finding that we all have enough to share. I examine mine, finding that it's small enough to fit the whole bottle in my mouth. The label is so tiney it takes me a second to read. Written in bold lettering on the bottle is a regeneration potion, supposedly strong enough to repair body tissue.

After I bid farewell to my cousin, sister, and Abe my stomach begins to turn bottom side up. With the memories of the Hunters base resurfacing, I'm reminded of my original fears. I possess a sense of loneliness, although I'm supposed to be accompanied by the others eventually.

I have this epiphany moment, understanding how quickly life can change as I glance over my shoulder to leave my family behind. I spin around, stalling our mission from continuing, "I don't want anything to go wrong, but if it does you have to know I wouldn't change my family for the world. When I was in there I wondered about you every day. I'm not the best at telling you, but I do appreciate you all."

My sister encourages me that our mission will go as planned and I will be fine but I'm skeptical. I'm unable to acknowledge the remark so I stay silent. She continues with attempts of persuasion, "Leddy will be sneaking behind you the whole time."

I shrug, feeling deep sadness washing over me. There's a possibility we have a flaw in our plan, or that we've underestimated the brains and brawns of our opponents. I refuse to give up hope, but any type of separation of the groups will be problematic.

Next, Lynn is walking up to Leddy. She gestures towards Luke, "Can you make sure he doesn't do anything stupid? I'd like to have him around."

"I'm the only person here who can keep him in line." Leddy chuckles.

Lynn nods, brushing back her light brown waved hair, "Just watch him for me, ok?"

Leddy rolls her eyes, "I will."

Once we step away, I'm given a stare of desperation from Jane. I take a long gaze, paying attention to her light blue eyes and freckles. Before I turn away for the last time I show her a soft smile only for her to respond with a shooing motion using her hand.