Chapter 20 Emery
EMERY
The hot showers are greedily soaked up by everyone. Which is expected after all the cold ones we had to bear in the Under. I’m no exception. I wake earlier than most and thoroughly enjoy the heat and steam for as long as I can.
Cameron didn’t come back last night. It took me a long time to fall asleep, but I eventually did. The few hours I got don’t feel like much, but I doubt I’ll be able to get more rest, especially now that the others are rising from their cots and hurrying to the showers.
I make my way to the cafeteria, finding Cameron seated and eating a roll. The food here is so much better than what we had in the Under. It’s disturbing that we’re almost being rewarded for surviving such an awful first trial. I’m dreading what the second one will be.
Cameron gives me a gruff expression when I set down two cups of coffee. I push one toward him without bothering to see if he’s grateful or not. It’s just a kind gesture after how we left off last night.
He doesn’t say anything as we eat. His cup of coffee goes cold before Bree and Damian take a seat at our table.
“Good morning,” Bree chirps. After weeks of it being only me and Cameron, I’m shocked that the two of them are here.
Bree’s eyes are clear and she seems excited for the day to start.
Her limp is light for the wound she endured, so I’m hoping she found some pain meds in the infirmary.
I wish I had the same mindset as her. Mine is trapped between dying at Wraith’s or Cameron’s hand.
I force a tight smile. “Morning.”
Damian yawns, and it causes me to as well. “You guys ready to die today?”
Cameron’s eyes remain impassive. His arms are crossed tightly over his chest.
Bree sighs as she sets down her plate. “Can’t you be positive for like two seconds?” she mutters before taking a sip of her tea.
Damian lifts his chin at me like he’s trying to decide what he wants to do. I take a piece of bacon from my plate and hand it to him, since the early birds had already scavenged all of it. “Here. You might as well have something good to eat before you kick the bucket,” I jest.
He considers me before smiling and taking the offering. “See? Emery gets it.” He winks at me. I’m hoping it means we’re at a truce for now.
Bree shakes her head and laughs. “As long as I can eat in peace, I don’t care.”
Cameron huffs, drawing my attention. His eyes are half open and shooting daggers at Damian. “Wink again at her and I’ll cut your fucking eye out.” He sarcastically winks at Damian as he says the latter to further his point.
Damian flinches and looks down at his food swiftly. At least he knows to be afraid of Cameron. If it came down to it, I’m not sure if I could kill either one of them, but Cameron wouldn’t hesitate. He doesn’t care for anything but his usefulness to the Dark Forces.
“When do you think they’ll announce the second trial?” Bree changes the topic as she slides her plate to the side.
I look at Cameron since he’d be the only one who’d have a sliver of an idea.
He feels my eyes and glances up at me. “Depends on what the challenge is. Adams might announce it before lunch or minutes before the trial starts like last night.” He removes one of his black rings and spins it boredly on the table like a top spinner.
The vibrations that the ring makes send chills up my neck. “Will we get weapons this time other than combat knives?” I whisper, noticing that the tables closest to us can overhear and some are looking our way. It’s unfair that we have Mori to ask questions to. It only makes them angrier with us.
Cameron lifts a shoulder and lets his eyes find mine.
A flicker of an apology flashes over them before he looks down at the cold cup of coffee.
He brushes his finger over the edge of the mug.
“Usually in the second round we get rifles and handguns, but it changes every year, so don’t get your hopes up. ”
Our table becomes quiet, but after a few minutes Drill Sergeant Adams addresses the entire room. Dread follows this guy everywhere despite his wicked grin; all he ever has is bad news to share.
“Attention, Cadets. With only fifty of you remaining and no trackers detonated to enforce the finale of the first trial, we’re allowing you to select your teams for the second trial.
You will need five members per squad. If I were you, I’d select them wisely, because in this trial only four teams will reach the end.
No squadmate left behind. That means that every cadet on your squad must cross the line with you, dead or alive.
But all must be present in one way or another, or your team will be terminated.
” His voice booms through the cafeteria.
Only the sound of forks being set down and a few horrified gags disturb the silence among the cadets.
So they tore apart the goodwill and truces cadets had together in the first round, and now they expect us to put them back together? Cruel.
Adams grins maliciously. “Weapons will be handed out five minutes to midnight on sight. Have your squad organized and ready by then.” He steps down from the table and is trailed by a few of his right-hand soldiers as he leaves the room.
I bring my attention back to our table.
Damian stutters, “So that’s it? If one person dies, then the whole squad—”
Cameron puts his hand up to his neck and makes an explosion motion with his hand. “Goners, but only if you don’t drag their dead body with you to the checkpoint,” he replies mundanely.
Bree’s face has gone pale, and Damian seems speechless for once. The rest of the cadets must be on the same page because it’s quiet for several seconds before mayhem breaks loose.
The majority of people are trying to get their alliances tied down after they were brutally abolished yesterday.
It’s not surprising that Arnold and Wraith get the most people begging to join them.
They lost some of their buddies in our ambush yesterday, but they still have a strong group that can easily be split into two with added members.
Wraith’s eyes are focused on Cameron. A scathing darkness curls through that man’s gaze. Vengeance or maybe pride. Arnold seems less upset and more power hungry, satiated with the people at his feet.
A knot forms in my throat as Wraith gets up and walks toward us, ignoring all the cadets trying to speak with him. Bree inhales sharply and sinks into her seat. I straighten my shoulders and firm my fists beneath the table.
Cameron smirks as Wraith takes a seat next to him. The two of them side-by-side look like gladiators among commoners. Their shoulders are wide, and muscles feather through their jaws as they measure one another.
“You and the runt should join our squad,” Wraith says confidently, his eyes flicking to me as an afterthought. I level him a glare that is easily dismissed. Does he seriously think that we’d partner with them after everything he’s done? Not to mention the combat knife he lodged in Cameron’s back?
Asshole.
Cameron puts his foot up on the lip of the chair between Wraith’s legs and kicks it over. Wraith goes flying back and hits the ground. The entire cafeteria falls silent with the exception of the gasps from ass-kissers.
Wraith is on his feet in a matter of a second, fuming and approaching Cameron like he’s going to punch him.
Arnold stands from his table and starts stalking over here like a brawl is about to break out.
Shit, this is bad. Bree and Damian get up and take a few steps away from the table.
I remain seated, unsheathing one of the spare knives I kept just in case I needed it down here.
My grip tightens as Wraith casts me a wary glance.
“What do you have there, runt?” he snaps, slamming his good hand on the table and reaching for me. Cameron is faster—he grabs the back of Wraith’s head and cracks his forehead against the table.
Wraith groans as his body slumps off the side of the wood. Cameron grips his collar and pulls him up so he can see his eyes as he mutters, “Fuck off before I kill you with my bare hands.” Wraith’s eyes widen with fear at the pure disdain in Cameron’s voice.
Arnold takes his comrade’s side and sneers at us. “You’re all fucking dead.” He spits at Cameron’s feet before heading back to their table.
Cameron’s eyes are a flood of rage. He nods at me. “Let’s go.” I swallow the adrenaline that buzzes through my veins and rise to follow him out. The others watch us with narrowed eyes before resuming the frenzy of figuring out teams.
I tug on the back of Cameron’s jacket, drawing his attention from over his shoulder. “Shouldn’t we stay and get a team put together?” I wipe my sweaty palms off on my pants, trying to steady the roar of my heart. I’m not used to team missions. I can’t put my life and trust in others.
“It won’t matter who we end up with. I won’t let us die out there,” he murmurs, looking ahead as we make our way down the hall where the infirmary lies. Cameron leads us to a training room, just one more door down. My brow lifts. Why are we going in there?
The lights are dim in here, yet still I can see how unscathed and new this weapons room is.
It looks like it’s been untouched for many years, or the Dark Forces’s cleaning crew is just immaculate.
The dummies at the end of the range have only a few dings in them and the floor is void of the many stains and marks that the Under base held.
“Have you had this trial before?” I ask as I linger around the rifles.
There’s a silver ACE 32, modded like the one I saw in the Under, with white accents.
I’m drawn to it and decide to loosen up my aim since I’ll likely have to shoot to kill tonight.
It feels good to have a long-distance weapon again, but it’s going to give everyone else an edge too.
Cameron grabs two vests and slings one at me before I’m even aware he’s tossed it. I catch it and give him a disgruntled look.