Defect

[chapter 10]

Hey all! I know I should've updated this over the weekend like I had planned to, but stuff happened and I didn't finish the chapter till just now. Probably not smart that's I'm writing at 11 the night before I get up at 6 to take the PSAT (wish me luck!) but whatever this is more important right?

Anyways. Thanks for all the reads, votes, comments, and follows! People supporting my story is probably one of the most if not THE most important thing for me, so the fact that Defect has gotten even a little bit popular means so much to me! :)

Still, I know you guys are here for the stories, not my rambling, so without further ado: Chapter 10! Hope you guys like it, and don't forget to comment, vote, & follow!!!

Everything was calm for an instant, one perfect moment of hope and joy.

And then that moment ended, with a deafening crash as the door came crashing down.

"So," Tasha, the eldest Evo said as she strode in, barely winded after busting down a door, "this is where the rebel scum have been hiding."

"Run," Maddie ordered, her back to Tasha and eyes flickering to the back of the room. I followed her gaze and saw the faint outline of a door in the wooden wall. An escape route, I realized with a start. Of course they'd have a back door--I'd seen how paranoid they were, so I don't know why I was so surprised. Honestly, I didn't know why I hadn't thought to look for one before, either, but it was clear to me once I knew where to look.

The next little while was a bit of a blur for me. I bolted for the door, racing out along with everyone else, terror and horror etched onto our faces. I was about to bolt for the door outside, like all the others (and some people who had no connection to us but had known enough to get out while they could), when something occurred to me. The Moineau Initiative--I've got a list of all the places I've tried in my room. We have to find that file...

I only hesitated a minute before turning away, running frantically against the crowd to get back to the dorms. Aretha saw what I was doing and stepped out of the frenzy (or as much as she could, anyways), asking desperately, "Where are you doing?"

"I have to get something!" I called back, still moving as quickly as I could. She froze, trapped between the mob and me, before cursing and racing after me. "What are you doing?" I asked in disbelief as we turned around a corner, skidding to a stop in the hallway next to the door leading into my room.

"I just found someone who understands what I went through, what I've been going through, after all these years alone. No way in hell am I letting you go off alone and get yourself killed."

I shrugged, then opened the door and darted to me bed, starting to pull out papers and shove them into a back. I don't know how long it took for the fact that all my friends were in there to sink in, but I know it was too late to give a logical excuse for running in like a crazy person with some girl none of them had ever met, grabbing an escape bag, and turning towards the door.

"Wait," I said, turning back towards them, astonished. "What are all of you doing here?"

"Um. We finished early," Sofia said lamely, suddenly very interested in her hands. I looked around at them, all acting way too casual and a bit like guilty children, and the answer came to me.

"You guys were talking about me, weren't you?"

"No!" Alex exclaimed defensively.

"No offense to any of you," Aretha interrupted, "but we don't have time for this. Evos are going to come looking soon." That last part was just directed at me.

"You're right," I sighed. I glanced back at my friends, at all the potential for laughter and peace and happiness, at the chance for a normal relationship for the first time in my life. I looked at Aretha, at my shadowy past and violent future, fighting for what was right, and made the hardest decision of my life.

"Let's go."

"Wait!" Jax exclaimed, jumping up. "What do you mean, 'go'?"

"I mean go. Bye guys. It was fun, wish I had been a better friend, crossing my fingers you don't see my corpse on TV," I said, already rushing towards the door.

"Hey!" Alex, shoving his stuff in a bag as well. "I want in. Whatever's going on, whoever she is," he gestured at Aretha with one hand while holding his backpack in the other, "you shouldn't do this without us."

I glanced at Aretha, a silent conversation taking place. We thought the same way, which made it easy to guess what the other was thinking. It went something along the lines of, You can't possibly be considering this.

Why not? The Wrobel could use all the help it can get, especially after all this. Our numbers... Well, I paused, they're going to drop.

But still! I mean, them?!? They are going to be our fearless new recruits?

Who said anything about recruits being fearless?

They follow you blindly. That's not a good sign.

It's the best sign of friendship, and what more could you ask in this situation?

"Fine," she growled after a few moments of this. "You can all come. Bring what you need to survive, don't ask questions until we're safe, and try your best not to get us all killed."

After that motivational speech, she turned on her heel and strode out to keep watch. I turned to face my friends, wondering what I had just gotten us into.

"She's being a little over-dramatic, sorry. But she is right about taking what you need--with any luck, we won't be coming back here. Pack quickly, we need to leave in..." I glanced at my watch, shocked to discover only four minutes had passed since the door broke down. "A minute. Be ready."

When they joined us seconds later, each was carrying one backpack worth of supplies.

"Ready to run?" Aretha asked, glancing at me. Her face was perfectly calm, but her white knuckles and tapping foot betrayed her nerves and tension. Nonetheless, I knew we were both ready to escape from the shadow of those who had stolen any chance at normal lives from us and the rest of the humans.

"Always."

A few moments later, blinking in the cool night air and looking up at the sky from under the cover of trees we had just escaped into, I turned back for one last look at my bittersweet home. Slaves fled like rats from a sinking ship,, and I wondered how many lives would be lost in the crossfire, simply because they were there. How many people would die while we tried to save millions?

I wasn't sure if I'd ever know, if I'd ever want to, so instead I faced th dark, unknown future with my friends beside me.

"Alright, guys. Now the real work begins."