Chapter 30

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What just happened?

I opened my eyes but everything was spinning. A moan escaped my lips as I tried to stop the dizziness. "Shh." I heard someone sooth. 

Then the memories flooded back in.

I screamed. I kicked. I cried. The arms carrying me held me tightly as I yelled. I looked up at the owner of those arms.

Zach.

Fury flooded through by blood as I stopped screaming. "How could you do that to me!" I cried. Zach shook his head. "I am sorry but you're not hurt, that's all that matters." I laughed without humor. "I was nearly killed!" I bellowed. I brought a hand to my waist, where I was cut. No wound. And no wound on my chest either.

"Why did you do that to me?" I asked after I relaxed. Zach sighed. "I'm still part of the Enfirma. If I didn't, we both would be dead. But really, I wouldn't have saved you if it wasn't for Matt. He told me to keep you safe and I respect his decision. Even after you broke both our hearts." And like that, Zach dropped me on the cold, hard concrete floor. 

"Hey!" I screeched as Zach walked away from me. "I'm glad I never loved you." I thought out-loud. It made Zach stop in his tracks and turn around to look at me. I could see pain and desperation in his eyes. "We both know that you're lying, Krista." He snapped.

So he got me there.

I shot a dirty look at his back as I stood up and started walking in the direction Zach went. I quickly recognised my surroundings, it was the alleyway in section 7D.

I spotted the others soon after, huddled together behind the same stack of boxes. Hilary looked up at me and smiled. It quickly vanished as she realised something. "Where did you go?" She asked seriously. I spotted Zach resting against the opposite wall, staring into the distance. "Ask Zach. He'll be happy to say that I was nearly killed. And he stood back and watched."

Hilary's eyes widened. Her head turned to Zach. "Explain. Now."

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It hurts. Knowing someone you trusted, someone you cared about, someone you liked, goes and betrays you. It was wrong of me to hurt him so badly. And only now, I realise what I've done wrong.

Wait, what am I saying? I hate him. I really do. He watched me being tortured. He must've never loved me, because hearing him talking me in a horrible manner is killing me.

"She deserved it."

"I should've left her to die."

"I don't know how I ever loved her."

The words coming out of his mouth her like knives to the heart. All I could do is stare...

I couldn't take it anymore. I faced my palms out at Zach. "Say one word and I'm sending you 6 feet underground!"

Zach faced me with a devilish grin on his face. "Darling, you would never do anything like that to me." He sneered. I dropped my hands, but I wasn't finished. I ran over and jumped on him. I pinned him to the ground and sat on his stomach. He struggled underneath me but he won't be able to get me off, I made my body as heavy as concrete. I balled my hands up into fists and sent a punch to his face. I hit him, repeatedly, he deserved it.

The others tried pulling me off but only got me after I left Zach with a bloodied nose and a swollen eye. Serves him right.

"Krista!" Hilary growled at me. "Don't say anything! I had to watch my parents murder each other because of him!" I wailed. I burst out crying again. Hilary brought me into an awkward hug.

The tears didn't last very long before I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and was met by a fist to the face. I stepped back a few steps before Hilary balanced me.

Zach.

Surprise surprise.

Matt grabbed Zach's arms to hold me from hitting him again. "Stop it, the both of you. You're turning into animals!" Matt declared. "We have to get going anyway." He added. Zach relaxed and I turned to grab my backpack. "Wait, Krista."Hilary stopped me. "Heal you and Zach first." She ordered. I groaned and healed a swelling bruise under my left eye and then I went to Zach. He shot me a death glare as I placed a hand over his face, getting rid of the cuts and bruises. He didn't even bother with a thank you. We packed up after and we started walking out of the alleyway, guns in hand.

I asked a few of the soldiers to guide us around and ten minutes later, we were at the office. The guards outside looked at us suspiciously. I dug out my security pass in my belt, one that Emet created for us before we came. It is exactly how it would be, if it was real.

"We need to talk to the officer." I demanded to one of the soldiers. He was towering over me and strongly-built. I made sure I was confident, not cowardly. He grabbed my pass off me and checked it. He grunted and motioned us inside.

That was easy.

It was a hall-way painted a dark black and at the end of the hall was a room. We walked over and I noticed the solider I was talking to was following us. We reached the room and on the door was writing. 'Officer Rutt. Troop: Fortum.' I knocked on the door as the others waited a few steps away from me.

"Come in." A deep, husky voice commanded. It probably belonged to an old man. I opened the door and I was right, a fat, old man with a grey beard, sitting down at a desk was staring at me. I closed the door behind me and straightened up as I stated the military code for talking to a superior. I know what to do because I've studied the Ruler's army many times. "Officer Rutt. I am soldier Carr. Number 0212. Permission to speak." I stated. I lied about my whole identity in my statement but it sounded realistic.

"Permission granted Carr. What is it?" He grunted, obviously tired. "I have been assigned to guarding the Fortum. Along with four other soldiers. We were told to come here for briefing." The man studied me closely. "Who assigned you? Only I can decide on the soldiers to be put on my team." He said suspiciously.

Oh no.

I quickly surveyed the room, looking for something to help me out of this. The wall colour was a mix of khaki and a dark green. Nothing was on it except for a few military awards. I spotted a photo in the left corner of the wall. It was Rutt and another man, Johnson, shaking hands. Underneath was a message. 'Rutt and Johnson, newly assigned to leaders of the Fortum troop'.

"Officer Johnson, sir." I replied, happy of my lie. Rutt was in deep thought. "Okay then Carr. Bring in the rest of the soldiers." He ordered. I went to the door and opened it. The others were looking at me desperately. I motioned them to come in and they followed me. Once we were all in and the door was closed, Rutt started briefing the plan.

"Okay soldiers, listen up because I'm not repeating it. The Fortum is held in sector 10A, the heart of the city. It'll be the heaviest guarded building. The Fortum is held in the laboratories below the building. That's so we can fool intruders. But the laboratory is like a maze so only specific personnel can access it. You five will be assigned to guarding the laboratory door. We have no more soldiers positioned there. That's because word has spread that rebels are trying to get the Fortum. So more soldiers are positioned around the wall today. So Soldier Annot out there will take you there and give you better weapons. Now go."

We exited the small room and the big soldier, Annot, took us out of the building and started leading us through different streets.

And then we arrived, sector 10A. We were standing outside the building.

Time to get what we came here for.

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Teaser for chapter 31: The crew get inside the building but getting the Fortum might be harder than they would think. What stops them from having a successful mission?

Thx for reading!

HT12

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