burst forth. She buried her face in his chest.
“Is he dead?” she muttered, afraid of the answer.
“I don’t know.”
A flame of hope lit in Ellyssa’s heart. Fueled by determination, she stepped back and looked at Woody. His look of pain and suffering shamed her.
“I’m sorry, Woody. I should have never treated you that way.”
His breath still jagged and irregular, his grey eyes lingered on hers. “I understand. Believe me, I do.”
She took his hand. “I need you to tell me everything.”
Shaking his head, Woody straightened his shirt, the simple act appearing to calm him. “We don’t have time. They’re coming,” he said. “They’re coming. I ran… Following…” He flapped his hands around.
Ellyssa tried to grasp his fleeing thoughts, but his emotions and the flood of adrenaline rendered her gift useless. “Woody, I’ve never asked this before, but may I read you?”
Confusion mounted and added to the panic. “What?”
“Your thoughts are too frantic for me to understand.”
He looked from her to Mathew.
The doctor gave him a nod. “I’ll explain later. Let her do it.”
Bewildered, Woody glanced back at Ellyssa.
“Please.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know. You will, though. I need you to calm down and focus.”
Placing her hands on the sides of his head, Ellyssa exhaled, releasing every bit of her own emotions and tension. Woody’s thoughts flipped wildly for a moment; but as he relaxed, the images cleared and became readable.
Woody running, dodging branches, bracken, and bushes. In his flight, he got tangled in thistle. Stairs leading towards light. An old farmhouse, leveled by years of neglect. Rein, still alive, with a nameless guard holding an electroshock weapon. A man, beaten and bloodied, slumped in a chair. Broken figurines. Unwelcome company.
She gasped, dropping her hands. “Micah.”
“Who?” asked Mathew.
Woody’s brow knitted. “Yes. That’s the name of the blond boy. He said he was your brother?”
“Yes, I have brothers…and a sister,” Ellyssa said. “I’m sorry. There’s a lot you don’t know about me. The female who…tortured that male in the chair, is Detective Angela Petersen, the head of the
“You. Saw. Her. Mind?” asked Woody, emphasizing each word.
“Yes. Like I did yours, just now. I’ll explain everything to you, but not now.” Ellyssa paced in a small circle, hands behind her back. She stopped in front of Mathew. “Go get Tyler’s group and hide. I will join you soon.”
Woody grabbed her elbow. “Where’re you going?”
She pulled his hand away, holding it tight within hers. Her fear for the community, for her friends, had wakened her soldiering instincts, but keeping her emotions in check was hard.
“To the entrance,” she replied.
“Why?”
“Reconnaissance.”
“Are you crazy? If you read my mind, you saw what she is capable of,” Woody said, his voice fluctuating between disbelief and determination. “It’s not safe.”
“I have to go,” she said. “I will meet you at the evacuation point.”
“But…”
“I promise nothing will happen to me. I will be fine.” Ellyssa leveled her eyes with his. “This is what I am trained to do.”
“What about Jason?” Mathew asked.
She squeezed Woody’s fingers. “Meet me in his room, instead.”
“When?”
“I do not know. Wait for me. I will be there.” Ellyssa faced Mathew. “Get the others to safety.”
Reluctantly, Woody released her hand as the doctor pulled him away. “Come on. We need to hurry.”
“Be careful,” Woody said, his gaze lingering on her before he turned and walked toward Jason’s room.
Those two simple words touched Ellyssa. She blinked, keeping a tear at bay. “I promise.”
“I expect you to keep it.” Mathew’s voice floated from the darkness.
Ellyssa stood still for a moment, listening to their padding feet before she took off toward the hospital, the beam of her flashlight bouncing across the blackened walls. As she passed the room that had held the beginnings of her new life, her old life came to the forefront. Emotions squelched, shoes barely touching the floor, she moved silently, like a predator, to the entrance.
The access remained well-hidden. Sunlight oozed between the rocks that had been meticulously placed years ago. Light burned her eyes as she peeked through a gap. All seemed calm. Trees and long grass swayed in the wind, birds chirped, and the soft hum of insects punctuated the day. But off in the distance, right where the grass met the rocks leading to their hideout, vegetation and grass lay flattened, where Woody had trampled through the clearing.
There was no doubt in her mind that they would find their camp.
35
Perched for hours, unmoving, her breath controlled, Ellyssa watched the tree line listening for any indication of the detective. The cool snap of a twig. The soft whisper of clothing brushing branches. The rustling of leaves.
Deep down, she wanted to run into the forest and find Rein. Ellyssa knew such an impulsive act would put everyone at risk. Her soldier’s instincts told her to wait, for her own protection, for the community’s, and for Rein’s. She needed an indication of how many, and who, before she acted.
Detective Petersen would definitely be leading the search party, but Ellyssa wondered if Micah was with her. Would Father allow the possibility of his being injured? It wasn’t a secret that the Renegades were armed; Rein and Woody had had weapons when the detective captured them, but the detective would be blind to the number of people and the number of arms they would face.
Neither Rein nor Woody would ever conceive betraying their family.
No, the risk proved too great. Micah would not be included.
Relieved, Ellyssa sighed. If her brother had accompanied the search party, she would have had to fight, which would’ve exposed her newfound family. For survival purposes, it was best for the community to stay under the radar and remain hidden.
A soft hum carried on the wind; disembodied words joined together into a long, hushed murmur. Ellyssa calmed herself, bringing forth everything she’d learned. Her muscles twitched in preparation.
Forty-five meters away, five people filed out of the trees, one after another. Three women, with hair tied back into buns, and two men, with hair cropped short. All sported dark green camouflage with tan boots. Not the traditional uniform of the area police, but one necessary for blending in to the woods.
The five walked as if trying to be quiet, their postures slightly hunched, but their clothes scraped along plants and their boots padded on the ground. One female leaned over and whispered to a comrade. Ellyssa couldn’t hear what she said, but once again, the hum reached her.
Their lack of training had to be driving the detective mad.
As if her ears burned at that thought, Detective Petersen materialized from behind a bush. She walked with a detectable, but quieter, tread than her comrades. Her short hair was slicked back and held in place with an elastic band. Her face held a scowl as she glared at the first five.
After her, a male appeared. He was tall and lean, his features angular. Ellyssa recognized him from
