Page 120 of Between Earth and Eternity
Trouble on my left, trouble on my right
I’ve been facing trouble almost all my life
“Trouble,” Cage The Elephant
“What do you mean Alister knows? Knows what exactly?” I ask.
“We haven’t received all the details yet, but Vallen sent a message out on the emergency comms. Code red.”
I gulp, fear rising inside me like a tide.
“That means we are leaving Zenith. Now,” he says, pulling me to my feet.
“But we aren’t at the extraction point yet.”
“We’ll have to find another way. Here, take these.” He hands me a belt with alloy spheres tethered to it.
“Are these what I think they are?”
“Detonators, yes. Had some stored away for an emergency, and it looks like it was a good call.”
I don’t even know where to begin with the questions, but since we are short on time, I strap the belt on without another thought.
“Grab essentials only, and wake Ori. I’ll go make sure Laz got the message.” He sprints from the room, keeping his footfalls silent.
I rush into Ori’s room, pulling the covers off and shaking her violently. This isn’t the time for decency.
“Ori! Ori!” I whisper loudly. She stirs, still half asleep as she looks up at me.
“Skyler, what the—”
“We gotta go.”
“Go where?” She sits up, rubbing sleep from her eyes, hair a wild nest of tangles.
I open her closet and start throwing whatever is within hand’s reach into a bag.
“Sky? What is happening? Talk to me!” She stands, properly awake now.
I grab her by the shoulders. Here goes nothing. “Vallen, Laz, and Payson are part of a secret resistance working to overthrow Mannox Industries because what Alister Mannox promises is all a lie. Allister’s true plan will cost millions of lives on Earth. They refuse to let it happen, and now, I’m one of them. There’s an emergency, and we need to leave Zenith right now.”
She staggers back, eyes wide. Combined with her hair, she looks a bit deranged.
“Ori, did you hear what I said? We need to go.”
“But I . . . What do you mean?”
I know this isn’t fair, but we are out of time. I have no other options.
“Ori, do you trust me?”
Her eyes dilate, looking between me and her things haphazardly thrown in the bag.
“Sky, I don’t understand . . .”
“Do. You. Trust. Me?” I demand, cutting her off.
She takes a deep breath and exhales in resolve. “Lead the way.”
