7. Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Damon
"Arthur has finally left the facility."
I look up at Leighton and Jemison, giving them a brief nod of acknowledgment while my chest tightens.
It's time.
I'm not afraid for myself. I know without a doubt that everyone would be happy to see me dead. But death doesn't scare me—it's coming for all of us, it's just a matter of when.
It's these people I'm worried about. I could be leading them to their end. Whether that's a casket, prison, or into the hands of the people downstairs, I don't know. But regardless, it's a lot to have on your shoulders.
I have to give them credit though. If any of them wanted to back out, I wouldn't blame them. But they are willing to go.
Especially Grey and Ashwood.
That's the hold that Avery has on us. We'd all walk through fire and broken glass to save her. What a strange turn of events.
I glance over at Grey, perched down in the corner of my room, watching as he springs to his feet. There's no hesitation at all— he's ready to fight. Nearby, Theo kicks off from the wall, staring at me with silent questions.
"Alright," I start, giving them both a little nod. "Jemison, head back to the others. I need you to be our eyes and ears. Work with Byrone and Jillian, and keep the upstairs guards occupied. Leighton, you'll come with me."
Leighton murmurs his understanding back, reaching for a mask on my bed. I follow suit, motioning for the others to do the same.
We've had these outfits ready for months now. I had just hoped that we never needed to use them. For a while there, it seemed like we were in the clear. Months have passed since any experiments have been conducted. I thought we had scared Arthur and his team off. But it was a bittersweet short-lived victory.
We were so close last time. Just a few more minutes and we could have saved them. The downfall was finding out that they may have survived after all. It was our intrusion that escalated things. The doctors panicked, distracted by our unsuspecting attack. If we were faster, maybe we could have stopped it.
But we didn't.
And now those deaths still weigh heavily on me.
I won't let that happen again. That's why we need to be quicker this time with our approach. We can't give them the opportunity to hide and cover their tracks.
Grey covers his face with the mask, the last of his skin hidden. It's a nice change from the poor quality, gray material we are usually forced to wear—donned in black sweatpants, shirts, and hoodies. I meet Grey's eyes through the red skull mask, barely visible through the darkened sockets. I can see it in his eyes though, the fire and determination. Blood is going to be spilled. He's not my normal playful friend right now—this is the man who slaughtered his own father in cold blood.
Ashwood quickly shoves his own mask over his face, body tense. But it's easy to tell it's not from fear. Truthfully, I don't think anything rattles the guy. He's ruthless, cold—a true companion to Grey's darkness.
I guess that's what makes the three of us unique. People like Avery, they make mistakes. They end up in Lilydale because of their trauma, forced to fight for their lives. But us? Humanity doesn't exist in situations like this. It's revenge and retribution, the fuel to our souls.
They will be expecting us. The question is: what will happen once it's all over?
There's no plan B here. The only plan is A—and that stands for Avery. I don't care what happens afterwards. As long as we get Avery back safe, I'll fight Arthur and my father.
It's not a common reaction for them either. Arthur has been uncharacteristically quiet about it. Usually, he puts on a big song and dance about a disappearance. We knew immediately when others had been taken. But with Avery, he's said nothing.
Without a doubt, it's because he knows we're going after her. He tried so fucking hard to keep her from us, but there's nothing we won't do to stop him now. If he thought we were strong before, he better realize there's a category five hurricane coming.
I can only assume his silence is uncertainty. If he tells people she's dead—it will lead to too many questions if she comes back. Their public cover would be blown. The moment he makes an announcement, the facility is ready with the PR team. He's trying to keep this under wraps. But why? Why target Avery at all then?
Simple. He's trying to piss me off.
He knows that she means something to my society. It's a high-risk, high-reward situation—one which has been fueled by his ego. It was a stupid move, but he's desperate to exude power.
I'll make him regret that decision.
I lead them out of the room, down the corridor. It's eerily quiet and no one speaks a word. When we enter the main hallway near the library, Jemison disappears to find the others.
The remaining four of us head toward the stairwell, the key card poised between my fingers. I shoot a quick glance back at Grey, checking for his card as well. It's there, and when he notices me checking, he holds it up.
"They will probably know we are on the move," I say to the others, glancing through my mask to the little flashing red light in the corner. "It appears the cameras are still online. Move quickly."
"Here," Grey replies, reaching into his hoodie pocket. "I brought toys."
I smirk as he pulls out some hand-crafted knives, taking one from him. He looks down at one of them, his expression unreadable behind the mask before he grips the handle tightly in his palm.
Ashwood plucks one from his other hand, twirling it curiously. "I don't need a weapon. I am a weapon."
"Consider it a gift then," Grey murmurs, letting his hand fall to his side, the knife dangling toward the ground.
I swipe the card, punching in the code. "Leighton and I will head north. You guys head south. We're going in blind and with no way to contact each other, so just do the best you can. Once you find her, get her upstairs as soon as you can. I left my room unlocked."
Our footsteps echo down the stairwell, pace quickly gaining momentum. As soon as we reach the basement level, we immediately separate. I don't bother to glance back as Grey and Ashwood take off, my eyes focused on the corridor ahead. I listen closely for sounds, blade in my hand, as I move swiftly.
Leighton stays to my left, matching my movements as we make our way to the other side of Lilydale. It's been months since I've been this far, but I remember it well.
Little drops of water ricochet off the ground from leaking pipes, and my breathing slows when we reach the north end. I spot the familiar double doors ahead, motioning them to Leighton. He nods, repositioning his knife in his grip as we slow down.
This is it. Either there's people on the other side or it's empty.
I swallow, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of potential failure. There's no room for failure here.
"Deadman," Leighton whispers, pointing to the ceiling. "The lights are off."
Glancing up, my heart races as I notice he's correct—the cameras are offline. Byrone and Jillian must have somehow managed to get access. We're temporarily hidden. This is our only chance. They will have been alerted to the switch, probably already frantically trying to gain control again to find us.
Gripping the key card, I quickly swipe it, hitting the code into the pad. The light on the door flashes green, and I shove my weight against the metal, pushing it forward.
Bright lights blind us as we adjust to the new setting as we leave the dark corridors behind us. It reeks of chemicals and metal, and immediately, I know we've found it.
Except…
It's quiet.
I was waiting for guards and doctors at the door. The entrance is empty, silent.
Slowly, I walk in, glancing around. My eyes instantly spot a broken window along the wall, tape plastered over it to hold it together.
Approaching a desk, I head around to check underneath, finding no signs of life.
Leighton heads to the left, cautiously strolling down the hall as we stare at locked rooms.
"There's no one here," he whispers. "Maybe it's a decoy."
Ruffling through paperwork on the desk, I search through documents until I spot something.
"Here," I murmur, paper crinkling as I yank it toward my face. "Avery's name is on this."
He turns, eyebrows raised as he rushes over. "What does it say?"
"Not much," I grumble, shaking my head. "Just EEG results that I can't fucking decipher. Start checking the rooms."
Crossing the corridor to the nearest door, I swipe my card, shoving open the door.
Empty.
I go to the next room and repeat.
Still empty.
By the fourth room, I'm getting edgy, annoyed that no one is inside. When I swing open the next door, I'm suddenly taken aback by matted hair in the corner, a body hunched up in a ball.
Except, it's not Avery.
I lift the mask slightly, revealing my face, as green eyes peer over at me—slowly at first, before recognition dawns on them.
"Capello," I growl, surprised. "Fancy finding you here."
So—I was correct. She wasn't dead, after all.
She quickly scrambles to stand, relief rushing over her face. "Damon."
"Where's Avery?" I snap in frustration. It's not her fault, but it feels like I'm so close, yet so far.
Lifting her hand, she points to the other end of the corridor. "They took her that way."
My heart starts to race at her words. It's the only confirmation I need as I slam the mask back down.
Avery is here.
Flinging the key card at Leighton, I glare at him, my tone firm. "Get Capello back upstairs now. The code is 1109."
He nods, grabbing the card from me before I rush past him. Stepping out into the corridor, I look to my right, eyes scanning the closed doors.
Leighton and Capello appear behind me, my hand flying out to stop them before they can move past.
"Which room?" I ask angrily.
The small woman pauses, looking terrified at the thought of halting her escape. "I think the middle one," she squeaks back.
"Go."
I wait for them to disappear through the exit, door closing behind them. Once they are out of sight, I grip the handle of my knife, taking large strides to the closed door.
Jamming the tip of the blade into the top of the plastic access pad, I ram it down, dislodging the covering. I'm greeted with a bunch of wires, my fist grabbing them as I steadily drag the knife through them, severing the connection. The lights quickly turn off, and my hand grabs the handle, ripping open the door.
It's even brighter in here, the entire room white. But my eyes don't focus on that. They immediately fall to the ground, stomach clenching at Avery's curled up body, her long black hair scattered around her.
She's not moving and I fear the worst, feet darting forward before I can even dwell on it.
Dropping to my knees, I brush some hair away from her face, panic flooding through me.
Suddenly, her arm swings out toward my face, my own hand jarring forward as I manage to catch her wrist before her fist collides with my cheek.
Her eyes dart open—anger and pain staring back at me. It quickly vanishes, fear shining through her eyes. For a brief second, she also looks bewildered, a wall rising behind her eyes like she's preparing to endure more horrors. My fingers tighten around her wrist and I'm not sure if I'm holding onto her tightly for her benefit or for mine. I'm worried if I let her go, even for a second, she'll disappear.
"What is your obsession with hitting me?" I say coolly, relieved for once that she's trying to knock me out.
Avery's lips part in disbelief, eyes softening as her voice cracks. "Damon?"
"Obviously," I murmur, a smile creeping onto my face behind the mask. "We need to get out of here. Can you walk?"
Tears of relief well up in her eyes as she sits up, my hand still grasping her wrist.
"Yeah…"
As we gaze at each other, a loud alarm starts blaring somewhere outside of the room. My eyes glance up to a camera on the wall and I watch as the red light comes back to life, a darkness taking over me as murderous thoughts fill my mind. They're coming.
"Well then, let's go," I say, standing up as I help lift her from the ground. "Time to get you out of here."