4522 {The Number Series}

36

The plan was shaky, like most things I did lately, and I was unsure of the future outcome. I knew two things for certain: I wanted to live and I wanted my personal file. 

We recruited Gina, the woman who had trained Archer and Jericho, to help us. Harold was too old to defend himself while I was practically useless despite Archer giving me training and still trying to teach me. With two people who had no fighting skills we required someone who had almost enough for everyone. That perfect person was Gina. Archer had heard rumors that she had killed people before, students to be exact back in the forest, but he had never seen such things. People had more than likely started the rumors due to her strict behavior and ability to freely punish. Unlike the rest of the group Archer had been apart of, Gina loved Archer. He was her star pupil back in the forest. But now she was here, working under Harold and Macallister. 

The stolen uniforms we had originally taken when we broke in through the outer gate was what we decided to wear. They put Jericho's stolen black Officer uniform on me, and pinned it everywhere since it was too large, because the student one would stand out like a sore thumb. A student would have no business being outside of the school halls and in a room of computers filled with important documents.

For the safety of The Third Party Macallister would not be going with us. Both people in charge in danger did not create good odds for those that they commanded. 

"Are you nervous?" I asked Archer as he helped me tighten my uniform as best as he could.

"A little. But this is the kind of thing I have training for." He sighed. "You're the one who is nervous."

I nodded. My stomach was flopping. I always found myself in trouble somehow, even when I thought I was being the best I could be, and if I did not find it then it would come and find me. The likely hood that this would go as planned was catastrophically low. I knew we still had to try. 

We met Gina, dressed in the same attire as the two of us, and met Harold at the bottom of his building. From a distance I could see a young Sage bouncing around the old man. Harold was shaking his head with his arms crossed. 

"Please," Sage whined as we walked up. "I know I can do it!"

"No," Harold said firmly. "This is not something someone your age needs to be involved in."

"But Remi and Archer did when they were," he sneered. 

"No, they did not. They were put somewhere safe until they were old enough. Just like you are safe here." Sage turned towards us. 

"I want to go with you to get more information, take on the Officers, and help you fight for freedom!" He was overly excited by this point. I looked at Archer who was looking back at me. Neither of us knew what to do about Sage, we could just agree on one thing, he was not to come with us. It was much too dangerous. 

"I think you should stay here," Archer said to him kindly. Gina stepped around us and grabbed Sage by his shoulder.

"Yes, he will." Her voice was commanding and she put him in the opposite direction of our group. Gina pulled out a walkie and radioed in to Macallister that Sage needed to be watched. Macallister did not seem thrilled with the idea of having to baby sit as I listened to his response. 

"The last thing we need is for any more children to be put into danger with us," Harold said. He was wearing a blue lab coat with a white shirt and black pants. He wore the uniform of a  computer engineer. The older man looked nervous as he fiddled with the lab coat he had not worn in years. Archer was stretching his arms out next to me continuously like he was getting ready for a work out.  He was there for protection, as was a Gina, but I hoped it would not come down to that.