Page 114 of In Between Darkness
I don’t answer his question, just grab the knife and take a seat in the back of the van. A Moon student whistles up at the night sky, and the trees part as other students filter out, snatching the bodies and taking them back to camp. River sits down in the front next to Ryder and Influences the tree up as the van moves underneath it. Our bodies shake in the van as the trunk hits the ground, blocking the way once more. Another student loots the van and finds the hazmat suits, which were tucked underneath a seat with a removable cushion in the back. He hands some of them out.
“I hope yellow is your colour,” the girl with the blonde hair plaited down to her waist chuckles at me, and I take the suit with a smile.
“I don’t think this would be anyone’s colour.”
She laughs, and my heartbeat slows. She takes a seat next to me and holds out her hand.
“I’m Mikayla.”
Oh, so that’s Mikayla.
“Sorry if I was a bit much back there. I just didn’t know if we could trust you.”
“No, I totally understand.” I shake her hand. “I would’ve done the same thing.”
She smiles at me, and I can’t help but feel in awe of her. The way her dimples appear when she smiles and how her eyes sparkle. A pit forms in my stomach. I have never been the insecure type, but that’s because I have never had a reason tobe. She is so beautiful. Of course, she and Ryder have history. He is the most handsome man I have ever laid eyes on. They are probably made for each other. Ryder’s eyes catch mine in the rearview mirror, and I look away from his, my cheeks reddening.
“You like him?” Mikayla looks over at me, and I stare back perplexed. “Ryder?”
“Errmmm,” I blurt out, not really knowing how to answer her question. My eyes instantly go to the knives in holders on her legs and her belt, which hold up her green cargos.
“Been there, girl, just be careful with him.”
She looks at me, her green eyes flickering in the light of the moon up ahead. If I had a penny for all the times someone has told me to be careful with him, I’d be rich.
“I don’t think he’s-”
“Trust me, I have known him forever. He doesn’t have a heart, I’m sure of it.”
She rearranges her knives, which makes my mouth dry out.
“Just don’t say I didn’t warn you, kid.” She runs her finger from the tip of her blade to the handle before tucking it back into her belt. The rest of the ride is silent.
The car slows just before the facility, and Ryder turns to face the group. “Everyone ready?” he questions, and we all nod back at him.
“As we’ll ever be.” Mikayla smiles at him, and Ryder half smiles back at her.
I swallow the bile in my throat and step into my hazmat suit. It is a few sizes too big for me and smells like sanitiser. The rubber squeaks as I sit down with my knife attached to my belt. “Let’s go then.” Ryder winks at me, and Mikayla’s stare burns through the side of my head. My cheeks redden again. I just want the ground to swallow me up.
The tyres screech as the van stops outside the facility. Ryder jumps out first and slides open the door, letting us passengers out. He stops me just before I exit.
“Everything okay?” he asks, and I nod my head at him. “Because if you want, you can stay in the van.”
“I’ve seen what they’re doing in there. I need to help them.” My voice wavers as nerves take hold of me.
“Okay.” He pauses, and his eyes sparkle at mine through the screen in his hazmat suit. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He senses my worries, and they are calmed under his certainty.
“Come on.” He tilts his head in the direction of the door and walks over to it, placing a key card onto the right side of the mountain, like we saw the last guy do when we were staking out the place, and two metal doors slide open. There are two guards posted at the elevator and two more down the hall. My heart thumps louder in my chest. I know there are more.
Ryder gives me a nudge as if to tell me to act natural as we file into the building two by two, led by him. We disperse into the room like a colony of ants manoeuvring through the tunnels. The Moons march with purpose, like this is what they were born to do. He looks back at me and ushers me to tell him where to go. I stand frozen for a moment, taking in my surroundings. The marble floor. The white walls. The smell of antiseptic in the air. It’s all here. All just as I saw it. I go pale. Which means… those creatures may be down there.
I shake the feeling off and look towards the elevator I saw in my dream. Ryder senses my trepidation, and I feel his hand rest on my shoulder.
“Remember what I said,” he whispers to me. “I will die before I let anything happen to you.” His voice soothes my unrest, and for a moment, I believe him. But he hasn’t seen what I have.
Chapter Forty-Five
He signals the group in the direction of the elevator, and we march together, impostors hiding in plain sight. Another team of guards in hazmat suits walk past us. My muscles stiffen, and I hold my breath, trying not to make eye contact. They march out of the facility, none the wiser. Must be a changeover of shifts. I let out my breath as Ryder pushes the button to summon the elevator. The wait feels like a lifetime. Each ding a reminder of our trespassing. The doors open, and we all stand like sardines inside the metal box. I point down to the basement, signalling Ryder to click the button for the lowest floor in the facility. He nods and clicks the button. It lights up blue, and a robotic voice feeds into the box reading the number -‘sub level six’. We stand facing the hallway, waiting for the doors to shut in complete silence. The doors begin to close, but a petite man wearing a long white lab coat interrupts them.
