Caught

Chapter Forty-Four

I could sense the fear in the air. I knew how Cole felt right now - looking right at his father, who had a gun pointed right at us. He was scared. Frozen. Confused.

"How could you?" Cole asked his father. "How could you do this to them?"

"It's for the greater good. The future," Mr. Garcia said.

"You're hurting them. They don't remember," Cole said. He was hurt, really hurt. His father just lied to him and took away the people Cole cared a lot about. "Mom-"

"Your mother is dead, stop trying to bring her back," The man spat. He focused the trigger on Cole's chest. "And soon you will be too."

He pulled the trigger but Cole and I moved out of the way just in time. Cole got to him from behind, grabbing the man's arms. I passed him a pair of handcuffs that fell from Mr. Garcia's pockets and he put them around he father's wrists. The man wouldn't be able to get back up now.

"This way," I tell Cole, heading to the end of a corridor. "I think your sister is downstairs. I'm pretty sure your dad called for backup so we have to do on the watch."

Cole stayed silent but followed.

"There!" I heard a voice say. Cole and I turned around to find a group of guards following us.

"Shoot, what now?" Cole asked as we turned a corner, trying to find a place to hide. "You know, I'm not really liking this date as much as I thought I would."

"I never expected you to agree to this," I muttered. Clearing my throat, I explained what I was thinking. "You go downstairs and get your sister, then go to the third floor and find Princess Sofia. I'll stay here and stop the guards."

"No, I can't leave you," Cole said.

"You won't be able to leave without me, you know," I told him. "Meet back in the entrance way. Or hide somewhere near there. Hide anywhere, actually. I'll find you either way."

"What if one of us gets caught?"

"If you get caught, I'm coming to get you. If I get caught, leave. Just leave," I said simply. "You aren't even supposed to be here in the first place. I just... I..." Why did I bring him here again? He believed what he heard about the Institute. There was no need to bring him here.

But he was broken and needed a missing piece. And we were out to get that missing piece.

"You could hear 'em, right?" I heard a guard say.

We reached the staircase. "Now, go! I'll be fine." I pushed him down the stairs gently and told him to be quick.

As soon as he left, I gulped. Hopefully no one follows him.

I run back into the hallway where the guards were last. No one was there, and there was no one in sight.

Or so I thought.

I turned around and yelped. Three guards were behind me.

I turned around again. Three more.

At this point, twelve guards surrounded me, most with guns pointed at me. "We don't want to hurt you," One of them said. "Just surrender."

"You know," I started. "It's really funny how it's twelve grown men against one teenager yet-" I conjured a ball of lightning from my hands. "-I'm the one that wins." The sparks spread in several directions, electrocuting those with guns.

Metal conducts electricity.

There were four left standing.

"I guess we're going to have to do this the old fashioned way," I shrugged. I got into a fighting stance, ready to pounce.