The Sleeper Cells: A Terrorism Story

Chapter 8: Ambush

With squirming thoughts and confused faces, we start to do what we can: think out loud.

"Do we tell the others?" Kennedy utters under a whisper.

"Do we? Maybe it's just talk. But really, who knows what conversations they've had in there," I tell her.

"Tonight has been... eventful. It's never going to end, is it? Can I just go to bed and relax?"

"Kennedy, I don't think we should relax until we're one-hundred percent safe. In reality, that's just them talking. I think we should let them be. Go to bed. Sleep. I'll stay up for watch." I give her a wide smile.

Kennedy goes to bed and leaves me in the dark room alone. I climb the steps up to the loft and stare out at the night sky. My breath fogging up the cold glass in the back door. I draw a swirly line through the fogged area before swiping it away.

Maybe it would be better if Rosemary wasn't here. She has caused a few problems. But on the other hand, she could tell the sleepers at a camp where we are. She could rat us out, and we could be dead in a second. I don't know; I don't think she hates us that much. What else have they talked about in there? My dad always told me, "one bad apple can spoil the entire batch." I firmly believe Rose can and will become a poison for this group. Unless we give her a harsh wake-up call, she could bring so much misfortune. I hope she's not brain washing Lindsey, but we all know that wouldn't be too hard.

Titus comes out of our room, "Alright, you can sleep now. It's my turn to watch."

We bump knuckles and I finally head to bed.

__________

The next morning, I wake up with the same questions I went to bed with. Beaming through the window, the sunlight heats my bare feet as I make my way down the wooden steps. Seeing everyone sitting in the living room, I'm guessing Rose decided to leave last night. She's the only person not here. Everyone's sitting across from Lindsey, not in an interview way, but in a way of a broken relationship. Disappointed with elbows on their knees. Their heads drooping lower than usual. Everyone affiliated Lindsey with Rosemary, and now this is just another strike on Lindsey. It's not her fault, but she's the only person to blame.

"She left didn't she?" I ask the group.

Kennedy looks up and nods at me. Owen seems to have a different look about him; different than the rest. He doesn't have the understanding we do. He didn't see the way she was about to derail our plans.

"What does this mean for us?" I ask Kris.

"It means she will either be a prisoner... or dead, and these Sleepers are going to want to know everything that she knows. We don't have long here. Let's spend today packing up. We need to be out by lunch," he answers.

"But to where?" Lindsey utters.

"Anywhere. Rose has really done us over now. She surrendered. She quit on us. She might lose her life, and cause us to lose all of ours, too. It's disgusting... After what we've seen and dealt with! Why? Just why?" Titus finally stops his rant, dropping his flaring arms to his side.

"This place was perfect," Kennedy says. Her eyes drop to the floor and she shakes her head.

"Guys, stop. She has to do what's best for her," Lindsey is defending her, "maybe this is best. We don't know that much. Yeah, Owen said all that... but what if he doesn't know anything? What if he made it all up?" Lindsey made quotation marks in the air with her fingers when she said his name.