The Inception (Book #1 of The Inception Trilogy)

chapter thirty-one

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

HARRY HAD PLANNED TO leave immediately after he saw the small group safely inside the gate. He hadn't planned to watch the camp the rest of the day, throughout the night, and early the next morning. He hadn't planned to be as worried as he is. He hadn't planned to miss any of them as much as he does.

He tries to tell himself that he stuck around to make sure there was no trouble. Trouble as in Evelyn causing it or the camp refusing them. There hadn't been the slightest disturbance. Now the next day under the beaming sun, he almost wishes there was one. So he doesn't have to turn his back and walk away. He knows he made the right decision, but the right one isn't always the preferable one, is it?

He grits his teeth, then spins abruptly and rustles the shrubbery around him as he hurries away so he can't change his mind.

A sound other than the skittering leaves makes him pause not too long after he starts. Eyes narrowing, he concentrates, zeroing his ears in on the tiniest noise. A bee flying by. Two animals that sound similar to racoons fighting over territory. The wind swaying the trees.

Maybe it had been a trick of his mind; him wanting to hear something.

He glances back at the camp. The guards have not faltered during their patrol, the gate has not opened, and the building beyond stands tall and still and quiet. He forces his gaze back in front of him, picks up his pace once more.

His heels dig into the dirt.

No, he had heard something.

Whispering.

His senses tell him it's two experiments, though, they're quite a bit away. Not professional followers, and they've obviously never encountered Harry before, or they would've known to keep a further distance and their mouths closed. He figures playing the clueless card with work, so he keeps walking with a neutral expression. All he has to do is be quicker and stealthier.

It's not hard.

He makes a giant circle around them, looping around the same trees in different directions to throw them off balance. When he finally pinpoints their location, he uses his altered speed to pop behind them. They don't notice his presence until he grips one by the back of his shirt collar, tossing him up against a measly pine tree. Harry is fast to adjust, pressing his forearm against the experiment's throat while the other begins shouting at him.

"Don't hurt him! I swear, we mean no harm. Please let him go."

Harry ignores him, glaring into the terrified boy's eyes. He's from the freshest batch of experiments, the stench of his youth causing Harry's nose to naturally crinkle. "Micah already had me tagged, why send more?"

The boy's eyes widen. "We're not with Micah, I-I swear to you! We were just... we were..."

As the boy struggles for a lie, Harry pushes him harder into the tree, the wood creaking as little pieces break off. "Lies are pointless unless you want to be digging splinters out of your insides for the rest of your life."

The boy's eyes practically pop out. "N-no, please! Y-yes, Micah sent us but h-he didn't give us any details."

"We were told to mark your whereabouts and report back to him," the other boy pleas, though doesn't dare a step closer. "Please don't hurt us. We're just following orders. He threatened to have us all killed."

"All?" Harry inquires, raising an eyebrow as he continues to look at the boy in front of him, only releasing him enough to breathe.

He frantically nods. "There's about twenty of us. We're the most useless out of everyone else. We have a tendency to screw up and Micah tries to keep us out of the way, but he needs his men for something. He didn't tell us why, I swear. He only said to talk to Shade or Buffy and get your location so we can continue to trace you."