Camp Driftwood

Chapter 20 - Divide

Chapter 20 – Divide

Evan was halfway around the side of the building when he heard Hale's muffled voice stop. His heart sank in his chest, and his eyes locked into the window, his way back into the bathroom. He was out of time. He ran forward, praying that Matthew would still be distracted, and give him an extra minute to get back inside.

He half-ran up the wall, grabbing hold of the windowsill and using it to pull himself as high as he could, before swinging his legs inside so that he was sitting on the frame. With one last quick glance, he dropped inside of the stall, before flushing the toilet for effect. His heart skipped a beat when the stall's door was pushed open, and Matthew stood there glaring at him.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, before his gaze rose slightly, "Why is that window open?"

"I needed some fresh air," Evan explained.

"I don't smell anything."

"I know, that's what the window is for. Do you mind if I was my hands?"

Matthew scowled slightly, before stalking back out of the bathroom. Evan let out the breath he'd been holding in as he walked over to the sink, turning on the tap and running water over his hands. Sneaking into Hale's office had provided more new questions than answers. The file and letter had both been written by Hale himself, but they were addressed to someone clearly above him in rank. Evan had always assumed that Hale was in charge, but this new information made it clear that even he answered to somebody.

He had absolutely no clue what 'Voluntas Caelestis' meant. The way that Hale wrote about them, it made them seem like a group, and one that he belonged to. And then there was 'the Four' that Hale was searching for... It was all too vague; random snippets of information that didn't make sense by themselves. And then, there was Kaylee's friend. Somehow, he fit into all of this too. Even Hale didn't know exactly how, but he was involved. Could that really have been him in those photos?

Evan pulled the photo out of his pocket, looking at it again. Ulises, or Henry, stared back at him. Hale had no idea that Evan would ever see that file, so why would it be a fake? The only logical assumption was that it was real, or at least, that Hale believed that it was real. Of all of the information that he had seen, he did understand one thing quite clearly. Hale had called this the American chapter of the Voluntas Caelestis.

The people that he knew were only one part of a larger group. What he'd first assumed was a small cult was now looking to be something much bigger. Something international. And they were doing research. Evan ran a hand through his hair, breathing deeply to steady his heartrate. He had a lot to fill Kaylee in on. Taking another few seconds to assert a charade of calm, he turned and walked back out into Camp Driftwood.

As soon as he exited the bathroom, he was stopped in his tracks by the stream of attendants walking by. He had to stop, looking among them for Kaylee or Judie as the crowd passed. Eventually, after the majority had walked by, Kaylee emerged from the building, smiling slightly when she saw Evan.

"Hale says we have half an hour of free time" she said casually, "After that we're cutting the grass above the orchard. How'd recon go?"

"I don't know," he muttered, walking alongside her, "It complicated things."

"Cabin?" she asked.

"Cabin."

---

The crowd from before had mostly dispersed, with different groups all talking among themselves. The spare time they had would pass quickly, and they would soon be put back to work. Camp Driftwood was a finely tuned machine, and they were the gears that kept it running. The pair walked in silence to the smaller building, before stepping onto the porch and walking inside.