The Sleeper Cells: A Terrorism Story

Chapter 10: The Sleepers

            

"Wait, what do we do?" I ask.

         "We fight even harder," Kris tells us. He doesn't even seem bothered.

         "Looks like we have a little extra to deal with now," Owen says, "that's all!" He nervously cracks a smile.

         "Then let's go quick. Time is running out. The quicker the better," Caspian says with his scratching voice.

         Kris slowly turns his eyes towards him. I can tell his mind is already running a million things, "hold on." Kris raises his hand. "We have to think this through. We can't just jump in guns blazing at the first opportunity."

         "Of course we can! We have to!" he throws his arms around, "what do you want to do? Just sit and wait like some idiots?" Caspian raises his voice and yells in the air, "Come on! We're waiting. Just drop us dead, one-by-one!"

         Kris puts his open hand on Caspian's chest, "calm down. We will do something in the next twenty-four hours."

         "We better."

         Oh no. I can see Caspian's immaturity already stabbing at Kris. Who is this guy? He obviously wants to be the leader, and he obviously wants his way. Kris thinks everything through, logically. Caspian seems to just hop around without any direction. He's sort of like a nasty flea that just will not go away. Just hopping around and occasionally taking advantage of someone. I wonder how Sage and Mika know him, so I step inside and casually ask them a few questions in the kitchen.

         "So, how do you know Caspian?" I ask Mika.

         "I don't know Caspian. I know a few things about how he tries to lead. He lived down the road. I think he kinda knows what to do, but for the most part, he's a firecracker with a short fuse. What direction? How big? You never know," she lets out a small burp and slides her soda on the counter, "Excuse me." Sage, Mika, and I let out a small laugh.

         "I know I said I didn't want to talk about it, but I will to you. Something about that girl in the living room who just sits there in a daze... she creeps me out." I neglected to tell her it's my girlfriend, and I don't think I will. "Anyways, it was Caspian's idea to kill those two. I know it's horrible, but they were evil. He planned it about thirty minutes before you guys showed up. The thing is, he planned it harsher. Had you all not showed up, Caspian would have done something crazy," Sage tells us.

         "Okay, we're making him sound insane. I don't think he's crazy. He is a good leader—well, an okay leader. He can keep us safe, I think. I'll stand by his decisions as long as they're not too out there. I think with us all being thrown into a life or death situation, he may be thinking on his toes too much," Mika says.

         "I see what you're saying," I tell them.

         "So what about your group?" Sage asks me as she spins her curly hair.

         "Tell me everything," Mika jokes, leaning forward over the counter.

         "Well," I take a second to think. Do I tell them about Lindsey? Do I tell them that I don't want to be with her but she needs me? "Um, I'm actually that girl's boyfriend. Lindsey is her name. She lost her parents and then almost got her neck sliced. So I guess you can say she's a little shaken up..."

         Sage and Mika lose the smile on their face.

         "I... I'm sorry," Mika says.