I bite the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to give a straight face. “Understood, boss.”
Chapter Twenty One
Kameron’s eyes begin to flutter, filling with recognition. His head is placed gently in my lap, keeping him out of the cold water.
“There you are,” I smile down at him. “You’re okay baby. I’m right here.” I brush his curls from his face. He slowly smiles up at me, gratitude pouring out of him.
“Thank you,” he mutters, groggily. I steadily help him back up on his feet, after getting up on my own. His balance is off centered and it takes a moment for him to find his strength. I watch him carefully, making sure he doesn’t lose his footing.
After a few minutes of collecting himself in silence, he looks over to me. “Are you ready?”
I give him a nod, hoisting my pack onto its position on my back again. “After you.” I follow behind him, taking note of the way he walks. Worry flutters through my mind as we inch closer and closer to the back gate. I don’t know what I would do if I lost him to his memories inside. I can’t do this on my own. I’m not trained like he is. I’ve never killed anyone.
We continue walking until we stand a few feet away from the metal fence. The top is lined with barbed wire, something we thankfully planned for. My fear has come and gone, but right now I need to get over it. So much more is at stake. I can’t let my worry take over.
Kameron pulls the heavy duty wire cutter from his back, and begins working out a small hole in the fence. I bounce on my heels with anticipation as I wait for him to finish. Last time I was here, I was a prisoner. Not only to the two men who controlled my life, but to my faith. My faith had been the strongest shackles to break through. Finding out who I could be without God altered me entirely.And now I’m walking back in.
I swallow a harsh gulp at that thought. My mind racing through every scenario I can think of, leaving me drowning inmy thoughts. It’s not until Kameron pulls back a chunk of the metal that I’m able to look away from the building.
“I’ll be right there with you, Lilith.” Kameron says, as if he could read my thoughts.
“Promise?” I squeak out.
He reaches for me, tugging at my wrist until I’m pressed against his body. “I promise.”
He lets go of me, pulling the hole open as far as he can, making room for me to enter. I squeeze through, waiting on the other side for him to follow after. Once he’s through, he gives me a mechanical nod before he starts walking. The look alone lets me know he has reverted back into who he was trained to be. He is here to complete a task, moving as a robot who knows nothing else. I rush myself to keep up with him as we duck between bushes of the garden outside. From here, we plan on climbing the lattice hanging off the side to reach one of the second story windows. Josiah let us know we only had about two hours to get it done. Each second that passes feels like an eternity though, knowing what’s about to come.
Kameron pushes me up, giving me a moment to find my grip on the wood. The worn material is jagged with splinters, and I feel each one that digs into my palm. The pain pulls me out of my thoughts, giving me something more tangible to focus on. I let the pain radiate through me as I continue to pull myself higher and higher. It’s not until I reach the window that I finally take the time to inspect the damage. The skin on my hands has been shredded, small specks of blood decorate the palm, using the lines in my skin as a string.
I shake off the pain as best I can, before I begin to push against the window. At first it doesn’t budge, and the anxiety fills me with nausea.Please fucking open,I think to myself as I push against the glass pain with as much strength as I can.
After the third shove, the painted over hinges finally give way. The sound has me wincing, ducking down in hopes no one sees me. I give it a few seconds, looking down at Kameron who gives me a reassuring nod, before I pop back up to the opening. I swing the window open, the smell immediately hitting me. It’s sterile.Cold.
Swinging one leg over the edge, I duck inside the building. Kameron follows shortly after. We both stand in silence, holding our breath to listen for any sounds of life. Nothing. I exhale a sigh of relief, getting a stern look from Kameron. “Don’t you dare let your guard down,” he whispers at me harshly.
I sink into myself slightly as he reprimands me. He has a point however. One I can’t take lightly. “Sorry.” I whisper back.
“Don’t be sorry baby. Be smarter.” he responds, reaching forward to rub my cheek. I find comfort in his touch and mull over his words. He has done things like this for so long, and it would be stupid of me to pick a fight over his words right now. He has my best interest at heart, I remind myself. I smile up to him, and nod towards the hallway, signaling for us to continue on.
He takes the lead this time, moving silently down the hall. He sticks his head into each room, scanning every inch for people. Thankfully we come up empty handed as we reach the end of the hall.
“Where to first?” He questions, glancing back at me.
“The East Wing,” I gulp. The one place no one has been allowed to. The one place they would keep Adam, if he hasn’t been murdered yet.
Kameron leans against the wall, pulling the map out of his back pocket. Pain rams into me as I see Adam’s handwriting sprawled across the crumpled piece of paper. He was a saint amongst the people. He didn’t deserve any of this.
“We need to turn left here. The hallway is almost completely straight, leaving us with very little coverage.” His eyes snap to mine as he folds up the paper. “You will stay behind me at all times. You will keep your gun drawn, and that finger on the trigger. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I rasp out, feeling butterflies flutter through me at the harshness of his words. Seeing him in command like this has brought all of my nasty thoughts to the surface. Kameron really has it all. I rub my thighs together, begging my body to ignore the ache building in me.
He notices and a devious look fills his eyes. “I’ll take care of that as soon as we’re done here.” His confidence seeps through each word, only intensifying the ache in me.
Before I can push him further, he turns back to the fork in front of us. Slowly, he takes his first step into the clearing, keeping his gun trained on the space in front of him. His dark clothes contrast heavily against the white walls.I forgot how hollow this place is.
I follow behind him as we begin to make our way down the hall, stopping every so often to listen. The silence is eerie, even for a place like this. From what I can remember, there was never a truly quiet moment when I was here. Whether it was the padding of patient’s footsteps, or the squeaking of med carts, it was never silent. The quiet now sends a chill through my body.
I sense it coming before it happens, stopping me in my tracks. I watch as Kameron takes two more steps before a door to his left swings open with blunt force. Three men who look like they belong in the military charge out of the room. Their Ak-47s swing through the air before all three land pointed at Kameron.
