Page 99 of Burn Like An Angel
“What do you suggest, Raine? Hand ourselves over to the authorities? Let them quietly execute us? I suppose you’ll be okay. They may ship you off to one of the other institutes and just kill us three.”
He slaps his folded stick down on the bed. “That’s not fair. We’re in this together.”
“Are we? I don’t remember you dealing contraband, killing the fucking warden or breaking out of the Z wing.”
“No,” he replies hotly. “I suppose I justaccidentallytagged along on this little trip, right? The same way Iaccidentallychose to go all in with the three of you. I do hope they let me off easy.”
Head bowing, I press the heels of my palms into my eye sockets. Escaping Harrowdean feels like a lifetime ago, yet the infinite nightmare has also passed in a terrifying flash. None of us can live like this much longer.
“I’m sorry,” I croak. “That wasn’t fair.”
“You’re damn right it wasn’t fair.”
“I said I’m sorry, alright?”
“Don’t turn on the people who love you most.” Hurt laces his words. “Not when they’re all you’ve got left.”
Regret swamps me, provoking a burst of honesty. “I just feel so powerless.”
The bed shifts as he shuffles to the end to sit with me. Raine bumps his shoulder into mine.
“You’re doing the best you can.”
“It sure doesn’t feel like it.”
“Look, I know you don’t trust these people. I don’t think any of us do. But we’re running very low on options right now. This could be our last play.”
“We can’t risk ending up back there, Raine.”
He whooshes out a sigh. “Bouncing from place to place, hoping we’re not spotted or tracked down, isn’t exactly a long-term plan either.”
Lifting my head, I look down at my mangled hand. It’s healing, a shiny, puckered scar forming. The discoloured skin reminds me of the horrors we escaped every day. And what I’ll do to keep my family from enduring them again.
“Footsteps,” Raine announces.
“Jesus, man. Your hearing really is creepy.”
“You’re starting to sound like Ripley.”
Right on cue, the woman in question storms into the room. Xander follows behind, a baseball cap tugged low to cover his ash-white hair. We decided he needs to be more inconspicuous, given how many supply runs he’s been making.
Ripley doesn’t even spare us a glance as she marches straight to the bathroom and slams the door shut, the lock snicking into place. Pulling several medication boxes from his hoodie, Xander tosses them on the bed.
“Well?” I prompt.
“We got everything.” He gestures to the boxes.
“Then… what’s the issue?”
“We need to get moving. There was a slight complication.”
“Slight?” Raine repeats apprehensively.
Xander runs a hand over his pale face. “Ripley was a bit agitated and got upset. The pharmacist took her into a side room. I wasn’t allowed in.”
Dread blooms in my gut. “Why?”
“Concern for her safety, I guess. We had to play along.”
