The Inception (Book #1 of The Inception Trilogy)

chapter twenty-four

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

HARRY ISN'T SURE WHAT to make of the entire situation. First with Shade and Buffy having been following them probably since yesterday, no doubt with orders from Micah. Harry isn't oblivious to that fact. He just hopes there's still a piece of the two men he used to know deep inside them. It'd be nice if all of his former friends--if you could even call them that--hadn't turned into power-hungry monsters.

Then there's the three people in the gas station. Two boys, one girl, all three of them arguing over how much food to take since they can't carry it all. The girl thinks it's too risky to come back for the rest of it, but the two boys disagree. That's basically the gist of what Harry has been listening to for the past half hour, not to mention the childish insults thrown in the mix. He supposes it shouldn't be too difficult to talk with them, but of course nothing is easy these days.

Especially not friendships.

He tried to listen extra hard for the click of a gun or the hiss of a knife, any weapons at all, but he hadn't picked up on such noises. Surely they aren't unarmed. No one is in this world. The question is, if one or more of them have a gun, will Harry be quick enough to counter the attack? He really doesn't want to put anyone in harm's way.

He tells Evelyn this.

As expected, she argues.

"You're not going in alone," she says firmly, then gestures to their small yet somehow steadily growing group. "Liana can stay here with the kids and, as much as I hate to say it, he can come with us." She jabs her thumb in Locke's direction.

Harry raises his eyebrows. "And them?" he asks, nodding to Shade and Buffy.

She crosses her arms, that glint in her eye saying she has a plan for them too and she's about to lay it on him. But Harry's ears pick up on another noise and he holds his hand up to make her pause. He frowns, creeping towards the tree line to peer over the hill. He hears the growl again, at first mistaking it for an animal, but then there's more that follow it. He narrows his eyes, skimming the trees around the gas station.

Movement.

"We're not the only ones that want to go in," he mutters.

"Is it a gang?" Evelyn questions.

Shade snags her attention when he says quietly, "Experiments."

Buffy adds, "A fair amount of them."

"How much is 'a fair amount'?" she demands.

Harry presses his lips together, trying to catch each shadow as it shifts towards the building and the three people still arguing. They have no idea of the ambush about to occur. It'll be brutal. "Eight," he tells her, then squints. "Maybe ten."

Locke barks a humorless laugh. "Screw that. I'm not going down there. Have fun running into your grave."

Evelyn whirls on him. "Not so big and bad when they're not tied up and caged, huh?"

"Don't kid yourself. You know this is a stupid idea."

"Not as stupid as letting you tag along. We're wasting precious supplies because of your big mouth."

"Stare at my mouth often, do you?"

"Could you maybe not make me want to vomit for once?"

"Please. Stop denying how attracted you are to me."

Shade leans over to Harry, his face scrunched in confusion. "Are they always like this?"

Harry shrugs. "Pretty much." He cuts in before they can continue their bickering. "I don't want anyone else getting hurt. I say we sit this one out, maybe wait for them to leave."