Beyond the Walls

Chapter 12

I bite down on my tongue. Determined to suppress the frustrated growl from escaping my lips. My boots, of course, echo obnoxiously against the linoleum floor. I'm forced to slow my pace as I make my way down the long main hallway of the Red Movement building, sticking to the shadows. My heart beats against my ribs so loud I fear it will awaken someone. But I keep going. At last, I reach the end of the hallway and skip the elevator, taking the stairs. They are darker, quieter.

I wind my way down the staircase, cautious at the turn of each corner, fully aware that I could bump into a guard at any moment. Although the fact that I have my sword now gives me back an advantage. When I arrive at the bottom, I skirt around the perimeter of the room, hugging the shadows. There, I wait.

Soon enough, a deep rumble echoes through the tunnels, the sound increasing in intensity as it approaches. The bright beam of the headlights burst through the darkness, followed by the rattle of the wheels as the train emerges from the tunnel and screeches to a halt at the platform. As soon as the doors hiss open, I leap in. I duck into the shadows of the seats and hold my breath. I only release the breath when the train, at last, jolts forward and begins rolling away from the platform. As it picks up speed, I allow myself to rise from the shadows and sit more comfortably on the seat. The train climbs a hill and arrives at the surface. Through the window, I watch the train round the perimeter of the Red Movement compound before clicking onto a new track. The train accelerates further still. As the crimson glow of the Red Movement begins to shrink away, I grin. I did it. By the time Edward Mallory realises that I am gone, it will be too late. I am already rushing back towards the Floodgates.

As the last of the Red Movement's glare disappears, I silently promise all those I left behind that I will return for them.

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My cheek smacks painfully against the plastic seat as the train lurches forward and I am jolted awake. The inside of my cheek stings and I prod the area with my tongue, tasting blood. I curse myself for falling asleep as I sit up and peer out the window. I had no way of knowing whether I was alone in this train. Anyone could have stumbled upon me. I tried to remain alert for as long as I could but sleep had other plans.

Outside, I can no longer see trees. The train must be descending beneath the lake; we are getting close to the Floodgates now. A thrill of excitement shoots through me and I smile again. As the train crosses beneath the lake, I pull my scabbard over my shoulders and slip the dagger into my belt.

Soon enough, the train hits its decelerate. As it slows, my bubble of excitement grows. The train jolts as it pulls into the platform and I jump to my feet when the doors hiss open. I step off the train and cross the platform to the door at the end, yanking it open. I fairly run up the stairs of the bunker beneath Segment Six and down the tunnel that leads into the familiar main underground network of the Floodgates. I find the trapdoor below the Southern Forest and shove it open. Reaching up on my toes, I grip the sides of the hole and bodily hoist myself up, falling ungracefully onto the grass. I stand and brush the dirt from my clothes. There, I look up. Above me is a canopy of trees, with gaps of grey, where the sky is bringing on the dawn. The familiar scent of the woods fills my nose as I breathe in; the sweet grass and musky soil. I orient myself in the direction of the Convex Sector and begin trekking back through the woods, taking the route I always have. By the time my boots begin to walk on cobbles instead of forest floor, dawn has well arrived. I weave my way through the backmost streets. People are already beginning their day. As I walk through the streets, I notice just how much more colour is bursting from the seams of the Convex Sector. Dust does not swirl in the wind, faces aren't so grim.

With Ajax as the leader, the Floodgates have improved already.

I also notice something else. As I press deeper into the Convex Sector, heads turn my way. My tell-tale red hair is, of course, easily recognisable.