The End

Chapter 19

"Here you go." Ember smiled at me as she held out a silver chain with a bullet hanging from it.

"Thanks," I tell her, taking it. I look down at the necklace, running my finger over the clean bullet. "Really, Ember, thank you. You saved my life."

"Eh, it's nothing." Ember waved a hand. "We're a team now. We stick together."

I nodded my head as Ember turned and walked out of the room. I turned to the cracked mirror that hung on the wall as I clipped the necklace on.

I fix my hair. For some reason, this felt like it meant something. Well, something more than just getting shot at. I look down, taking the bullet in my hand.

Ember was trying to tell me something. Or maybe I was being delusional.

I shake away those thoughts, heading for the door. We were about to get back on the road, which I was not excited for.

I wince a little as I lean down to grab my bag. Before my hand could reach it, another shot forward. I look up to see Clay shouldering the bag and walking toward the door.

Okay.

"How is everything?" Meg's voice made me look over.

"Alright, I guess," I answered.

"Where'd you get that?" Meg pointed to the bullet hanging around my neck.

"Ember," I answer. "It's one of the bullets I was shot with."

"That's so cool."

"Or bad luck and they're trying to kill you." Matthew joked as he walked by.

"I don't think so," I say.

***

The sun was setting and we had made camp. A small fire blazed between us. John was asleep along with Ember and Meg. Matthew was staring into the fire. My eyes turn to the two Outsider brothers as I fiddle with the necklace.

Clay was sharpening a knife, eyes never leaving the blade. Tyler, on the other hand, had an arm around Ember, running his fingers up and down her arm as she slept.

It was quiet. Nothing strange was happening. The crickets were chirping, the stars shone down on us. Everything seemed...peaceful.

Peaceful–I had learned–was an oddity.

Out here it was a luxury, whereas in the compound, it was so regular it was almost boring. Speaking of the compound–I didn't know what to think anymore. From the things I've heard from other Outsiders to the story, Clay had told, my trust in my own leaders waned by the second.

Which is something I never thought I'd say, but here we are. I also never thought I'd be as close with a group of Outsiders as I had grown to be. Hell, I trust these people with my life.

They saved my life. This whole experience was throwing me for a loop. I couldn't figure out what I felt. I was so confused. Why was I doing this anymore? Did I even want to go back to the compound? Would I want to stay at HQ like everyone else?

I didn't know anymore. Everything I knew was turned upside down.

Why did any of this matter? What was it for?

I feel my eyes begin to grow heavy. I sink further to the ground, eyes closing as I rest my head against my jacket.

I felt the warm pull of sleep, beckoning me to the peaceful darkness. Right as I began to fall into it, I heard soft footsteps.

I open my eyes. Just enough to see a blurry image of what was right in front of me. I felt something fall across my shoulders and waist, pulling me into warmth. I turn my head slightly just in time to see Clay–now without a jacket–moving back to where he sat.

Then I realized he'd given me his jacket.

For the first time in a while, I fell asleep with a small smile on my face.

***

When I woke up it wasn't to the sun blaring down on me or by the sound of Undead stumbling toward us. It was by hushed voices. Voices so low, I couldn't make out what they were saying from where I lay.

I focus on the voices, straining to hear.

"I don't know, man. There's no way they know." Tyler whispered. "There's some messed up shit in here."

I heard a frustrated sigh. "What the hell do we do now?" It was Clay who had asked.

Honestly, that was odd. Clay always seemed to know exactly what to do. What was so bad that it had thrown him off his game?

Tyler didn't reply right away. "We could get the hell out while we can."

Clay–once again–let out an aggravated sigh. I could practically see him running a hand over his jaw as he thought it over. "Leave 'em stranded with nowhere to go and not one clue how to survive?"

"John's got 'em. He's one of the best."

"I don't know. That ain't fair."

"Don't tell me you've grown soft toward the people who kidnapped and tortured you and Dad. Killed him. What the hell happened?"

"They didn't kill him, they didn't have the knife in their hand. Like you said, they don't know half the shit that goes on." Clay scoffed. "I ain't got a soft spot for nobody."

"Sure," Tyler replied, highly skeptical of his brother's statement. "Well, what do you want to do?"

"Tell them the truth? Let them make their own decisions about it?" Clay suggested.

"Maybe."

It went silent for a few moments as I wondered what the hell they were talking about. I open my eyes a little to see the two brothers sitting by the firelight with folders and papers scattered around them.

The files we weren't supposed to mess with. The ones Richard gave us. The ones that were in John's bag.

This wasn't going to end well, was it?