Within These Walls

Chapter 38

The helicopter is shooting up by the time Norm hits the ground. Three more guards pour out of the truck and join the onslaught. Bullets spark off the helicopter's metal body as it turns in the air and flies to a safe distance.

Down below, Norm's body lies unmoving in the middle of the road. Confusion edges into the earlier panic. People look at one another for answers. Did the helicopter come here to rescue us? Is that why the guards are attacking it?

I already know the answer. Sam brought me to the research facility and warned me about the lockdown. He gave me a Blank-delaying antidote inside a case that would only open if I stepped outside the stress facility. He wanted us to try to escape.

"Sam sent that helicopter," Willow says, mirroring my own conclusion.

"It doesn't matter," Marcus says. "Even if the helicopter lands, the guards won't let anyone get on or off."

"So they can't help us?" asks a girl beside Willow.

Marcus curls his hand into a fist against the wall. His black eyebrows pull into a deeper frown. "They're making things worse for us."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Too much noise."

He's right. "They'll draw attention to our location," I say. "But if the helicopter leaves, the guards on the ground will find us."

"We're in trouble either way," Willow says dejectedly.

Marcus turns to the crowd and looks across the room. "That doorway leads outside, doesn't it?"

I follow his gaze and spot the wide opening behind us, showing a glimpse of the flat, dusty terrain at the back of the building.

"So we're not trapped," he continues. "We have two options. Hang around and wait for our heroes to figure out a way to save us. Or leave this place before it kills more of us."

"How do we get out?" I ask, hoping he has a better plan than just taking off.

He looks around at the crowd. "I'm sure you've heard by now that some of us were raised right here in this base. If you haven't, we don't have time to bring you up to speed. You'll just have to trust me when I say they've got a few trucks nearby. We attack and take their trucks."

A chorus of voices pick up around me, drowning one another out. "It's too dangerous!" someone says over the noise.

Marcus picks out the speaker from the crowd and addresses him. "Everything we've done up to this point has been dangerous. Why start being cowards now?"

"I'm with you, Captain," one of the bigger guys shouts.

A few others agree, but they're outnumbered. The voices pick up in volume as people shout back and forth at one another. Marcus walks into their midst and holds up his arms, gaining their attention. "Calm down. You with the orange hair. We're not arguing about who goes first in the buffet line, so keep the enthusiasm in check."

The overweight kid's face turns as red as his hair. "I'm not forcing anyone to come with me if they don't want to," Marcus says once the rest quiet down. "You get to choose if you want your prince to come rescue you or pick up the damned sword yourself and go fight."

He paces as he speaks, like a commander giving a speech to his soldiers. "Personally, I'm not counting on fairy tales. So if you're with me, get over here and stand with me."

The kids glance at one another. Some turn their seeking gazes to me, and I try very hard not to return their looks. I don't want to choose this for them. A boy I vaguely recognize raises his hand. "W-what if I don't want to fight?"