Involuntary Victim - Book 3 in Jessie's Story

Chapter 8: Didn't Go As Planned

We all froze for a split second. Then we were up and sprinting after Frypan. We skidded to a stop right outside the door, I ripped the door open. Sonya sprinted in. 

"Newt? Jason?" She screamed, sprinting down the hall. There was chaos inside the building. Kids were crying and huddled against the wall, Right Arm nurses were doing their best to help clean then up, get them water and treat wounds. There were a few wrestling around not trusting the nurses. Sonya was pushing her way through, screaming for Newt and Jason. I lost Winston in the chaos. 

A group of nurses came running with an arm full of medical supplies and blankets. I stopped and looked round. Each kid they had rescued looked terrible. bruises, burn marks, scars, malnourished, the same haunted skittish eyes. I felt terrible for these kids. I didn't recognize any of them. I heard Sonya shriek. Pushing my way through I saw her launch herself at Jason. 

"Jason!" She sobbed, tears sliding down her face. 

"Sonya!" He cried in relief. Their wild reunion made them crash into the wall behind them. He had picked her up and she had her legs wrapped around him. She was crying and laughing at the same time. Newt and Thomas came shoving their way through. 

"Minho!" They cried. 

I pulled Thomas into a hug. 

"I'm sorry!" I had to clear my throat, my voice cracked and I could feel the emotions trying to push forward. I felt the shame of bailing, of falling apart, getting drunk and passing out. They went to get Jess while I broke. It wasn't fair. 

"Thomas...I- I'm sor-"

"Stop man." He cut me off before I could finish. "It's all good. Any of us would have..." Thomas slapped my back and then pulled away, clapping me on the shoulder. I turned to Newt. He had a big bloody cut on his forehead,  that had been wrapped up. He pulled me into a tight hug, I could feel his unspoken words. 

"You good mate?" 

"Good is relative. Got a wicked headache, but its fine." 

I pulled away, and looked around, still desperately trying to find Jessie in the sea of chaos. 

"NEWT!" blond hair blurred my vison and Sonya crashed into her brother. He wrapped his little sister up tight and held her as she sobbed. He whispered quietly to her, Jason shoved his way through. 

"Where's-"

"Over there." Thomas nodded to the back of the building. 

Before they could finish I was pushing my way through. I saw Gally sitting on a cot in the hall, his arm being stitched. I slowed down and he caught my eye. He nodded his head, in the direction of the back. 

Gally said quietly. "She's...she's just waking up." 

The way he said it made me pause, and my heart picked up its pace in fear and anxiety. I could feel my palms sweaty. My head kept turning, trying to see her, catch a glimpse, even though Gally just told me that she was in a separate room.

"What? What is it?" I asked, twisting my head back to him.

"I don't get it, man. Every WICKED  gun was back online, They were pointed right at us. They knew we were there and they just let us go in and take them...They let us go."

My mouth was dry, my chest heaved, it hurt, slamming into my ribs. I didn't want to be rude, but I just wanted Jessie. I nodded wildly, and kept looking, as I inched closer to the room. Gally just shook his head. 

"Go. The gas we used on the guards knocked her out, too, but it's off now. You should be there when she wakes up...Tess and Aris and Bucky are with her.""