I sit in the chair opposite Emilia, completely unable to keep my eyes away from her tight navy top. Heidi and her are chatting about God-knows-what before Anna sits beside them and instantly joins in.

Jordan is silent beside me, peering over the map on the table. It's the same one I was analysing three mornings ago before I got distracted by my feisty blonde. Myles suddenly appears beside me, slouching down in a chair.

"What's this about?" he asks and I shrug.

"Hopefully some sort of plan. Maybe Callum is ready to sort this shit out," I mutter and Sam nods, joining us at the table.

"I've been worrying about Kayla all night," he says and I shake my head.

"Kayla's smarter than we think," I tell them, somewhat lying in my attempt to calm them down. The last words of Jace have been running through my head ever since Emilia told me what happened between Bridget and Lyla. We've left someone untrustworthy behind, someone who may well be in alliance with my fucking older sister.

"Take care of Kayla."

It was one simple instruction. And by leaving her behind, I've done the complete opposite.

"I thought we were smart, but we never realised Lyla was a fucking snitch," Anna retorts from across the table.

"We don't know that for sure," Emilia tries and Anna shrugs, shaking her head.

"When will you learn?" Anna mutters. "We can't trust anyone."

"That's silly. Are you saying you don't trust Myles?" Heidi argues and Anna crosses her arms.

"I don't know who I trust," she admits and I grit my teeth, understanding her every word. It's been a tough six years, every single one eating into any kind of so-called trust we have for anything and everyone.

The door suddenly opens. The larger-than-life Callum storms inside with five men behind him, Poppy, Bridget and Lola sliding in at the end.

"Good, you're all here," Callum says, quickly grabbing the seat at the head of the table.

"Yes." Anna sits back in her chair. "We were on time."

"My apologies," Callum answers. He gestures towards my sister and Lola as they take a seat at the enormous table. "I asked Poppy, Bridget and Lola to be here seeing as they know you, plus Bridget and Lola have experience in the North."

"Fine with me," Anna replies.

"So you trust them?" Heidi snaps at the girl. Anna merely rolls her eyes and I grit my teeth at their ridiculous exchange. Why does it matter?

"Can we get on with this?" Jordan practically snaps at the girls. Heidi slumps back in her chair before nodding. Callum raises an eyebrow before turning his projector on. I'm almost taken aback when the familiar looking map shows up on the wall behind him, suddenly feeling like I'm back in the damn classroom at school.

"You all know I believe the best way forward is to tear down the walls," Callum starts, gesturing behind him. "Uniting us is most probably the best way to suppress any tyrannical rule."

"Potentially," Jordan agrees. "It could make it worse."

Callum shakes his head. "Judging by the state of the North and the South, I can't see that the leaders will be able to resist the pure population of people they've oppressed." 

"That's true," Emilia agrees, sitting back in her chair. "But what about the East and the West?"

"Exactly." Callum nods, pressing a button and zooming in on both the East and West sections of the map. "We have no idea."

"So, this so-called idea doesn't have a plan?" Anna questions, sitting forward and resting her elbows on the table.

"We have a partial plan," Callum tells us. "All we need is to find out exactly how the East and West work, whether they want the wall down or whether they'll be against it."

"I can imagine the Savages in the South will be against it," Myles pipes up and I nod in agreement with his words.

"Indeed." Callum nods. "That's why we also need to travel the length of the South and pick up as much support as we can along the way. There are people looking for a safe place to live. Plus, there may be others like us out there - different organisations."

"That's wishful thinking," Myles mutters and Callum shrugs.

"Maybe," he replies. "But we won't know unless we search."

"So," Emilia sits forward in her chair, "your plan is to tear down the walls and reunite England. And then what?"

Callum smiles, leaning forward on the table. "Then nothing. I'll help organise a new democracy, and disappear to live my life in the middle of the countryside like I did before the war."

"You don't want the power?" Heidi asks and Callum shakes his head.

"I want what's best for England."

"But you can't proceed with tearing down the walls until you know how the other sections will react," Jordan says and Callum nods.

"Correct."

"How the hell do you plan on doing that?" I ask. Callum sits back in his chair, crossing his arms and quickly scanning his eyes over all of us.

"I already have a group who have agreed to travel through the South," Callum tells us. "But to find out what's happening in the East and West, we will need a group of volunteers."

"Volunteers?" Sam's eyes nearly fall out of his head.

Callum nods. "People who are willing to go undercover to the different sectors. They'll find out everything we need to know within a few months."

"Months?" Emilia chokes on her words.

"It sounds like a lot-"

"What if the other sections are worse than here?" Heidi exclaims. "What if they get captured or killed?"

"I know it's a lot to ask," Callum admits.

"And how exactly do you plan on getting them into the East and West anyway?" I ask and Callum gestures to one of the guys behind him.

"This is Frank," he says. I look up at the blonde haired guy just as Anna stands up with a start. Her eyes are as wide as fucking saucers.

"I know you!"

"Anna," the relatively short guy replies, smiling at the brunette as she slowly sits back down, eyes darting from Frank to Callum.

"What the fuck?" she mutters.

"Frank is an Enforcer from the North," Callum tells us.

I instantly shoot out of my chair, fists clenched as Jordan follows suit. Emilia soon joins, the rest of the group all defensive and ready to fight as soon as we realise the enemy stands across the room. Directly in front of us. Damn you, Zac, for leaving your gun in your room.

"Whoa!" Callum holds his hands out towards us, trying to calm us down. "Frank has been working with us for well over a year now. Secretly," he tells us and I unclench my fists only slightly, eyes darting towards the other men with Frank.

"It's true," Frank tells us.

"He's been monitoring the wall and managed to obtain an override code to open the doors without a fingerprint," Callum adds.

"Either way... there's no way to open it from the South," Myles points out and Callum nods.

"True," he agrees. "Frank will be returning within the next few hours and his colleague Davies will let him back in."

"Davies is also working for you?" Anna scoffs, crossing her arms.

"Correct." Callum smiles. "He'll let Frank back into No Mans Land and they will travel back North together. No-one from up there will ever know."

"You underestimate my sister," I retort and Callum raises an eyebrow.

"Or does she underestimate us?"

"So, Frank and Davies," Anna starts, "are going to let people into the East and West?"

"Yes," Callum replies. Anna exhales sharply before nodding ever so slightly and looking over at the wall in the far corner.

"This is a truly wonderful plan," Emilia says somewhat sarcastically. "But it all means nothing unless you can find volunteers."

"I know," Callum answers. "I plan to make my community aware of this today, and allow them the option to step up should they wish."

"But you waited until you spoke with us?" Jordan laughs, sitting back in his chair.

"Because you hoped some of us would risk our lives instead?" Heidi adds, shaking her head and crossing her arms. She looks fearful, staring down at the wood in front of her.

"That's not the case," Callum replies. "However, I do imagine that some of you may wish to return North to check on your friends up there? After what Bridget told me this morning."

Emilia visibly inhales, her eyes widening before she glances across at me. I know full well from the short glance that she wants to go. Kayla's wellbeing is at the forefront of her mind.

"Even if it's only for a few days," Callum adds, looking directly at Emilia. She sinks down in the chair, her eyes back on me as I quickly look away. Fuck. I have no idea what to do. Callum's entire plan has thrown a spanner in the works.

Not that I know what the spanner will achieve. We came to London for help, and surprisingly, Callum may well be giving us that. It's not in the form we ever imagined... but it's an idea and that's better than anything we have. Which is nothing.

"Going North to check on Kayla may be a good idea," I finally agree in a low voice. I notice Poppy's eyes widening at my words and don't dare to look at her, knowing that I'll find only hurt and despair.

"I will go West." Lola's voice comes out loud and confident. She stands from her chair at the end of the room and glances around at all of us. "I lived there for a while before the war, and I was also granted a year there before I was wrenched to the South," she tells the room. My lips part at her revelation, completely shocked as I wonder how the fucking hell she managed that.

"Lola-"

"Bridget, it's okay," Lola cuts the blonde off, shaking her head. "I have family there."

"You can't tell them what we're doing here," Callum warns and Lola nods.

"I understand," she tells him. "I need to do this. If there's a chance that I can get home to them then you can't deny me that." I can already see the tears pooling in her eyes as she pleads with him. I may not know the girl, but I can tell from the emotion in her voice that she has unfinished business.

"Of course not," Callum agrees.

"I'm not just going to sit here, wondering what happened with Lyla," Bridget announces, standing up beside Lola. "I will return North with Zac."

"Me too." Emilia joins Bridget.

"And I," Jordan agrees, standing beside us.

"I'm not losing my brother again," Poppy exclaims, slamming her hand down on the table before rising. 

"Poppy-"

"You can argue with me all you want, Zac," Poppy snaps. "I'm coming with you."

"Pop-"

"Zac," Emilia cuts me off, her eyes filled with fire. "Let it go. She's your family."

"I want her safe," I snap.

"As she does with you," my wife retorts. I clamp my mouth shut, absolute rage filling every inch of me at the idea of my younger sister attempting to step back into harm's way.

"I'll go North," Heidi says softly.

Emilia turns to Anna, the girl still staring across the room at the blank wall. Her fingers tap against the table, clearly wrapped up in her own thoughts as the rest of us formulate a plan. I furrow my eyebrow at the sight, unsure what's troubling the brunette so much.

"Anna?" Emilia says softly, gently touching the girl on the shoulder. Anna begins to slowly nod, closing her eyes for five seconds before she slowly stands up. She turns her face towards Callum, determination filling her expression before she finally opens her mouth.

"I volunteer to go East," she announces. I feel my mouth drop open with shock before Emilia and Bridget lose their shit.

"What?"

"Anna!"

"You can't!"

"No!"

"I want to help," Anna says, drowning all of them out with her loud voice. "My brother died here. I've lost members of the rest of my family along the way." She gestures towards Jordan, clearly referencing our caring Claudia. "I'm done with this world. If I can do anything to help, I will."

"Me too," Sam suddenly pipes up. "I volunteer to go East or West. Whichever works best for you."

"Sam!" Emilia exclaims, her eyes almost falling out of her head as she looks between Anna and her best friend. "Anna!"

"You can't, Anna," Bridget pleads, grabbing onto the girl's hands and dropping to her knees. "We've only just reunited!"

"We'll reunite again." Anna promises Bridget before reaching over and grabbing hold of Emilia's hand too. "I've lost Kieran," she tells us and I let my eyes drop towards the floor. "I love all of you but sometimes... I just can't look at any of you without seeing him. Without being reminded of what I've lost," Anna admits. "I need some time."

"And I've made mistakes," Sam inputs, his eyes drifting towards the shocked looking Heidi. "I need to earn forgiveness and help with this as much as I can."

"Thank you," Callum exclaims loudly, a huge grin on his face. I grit my teeth at the sight, knowing that this is exactly what he wanted when he asked us here today. "That settles it then. Lola, you wish to go West, Anna to the East. Sam, we'll figure out where to send you once I have assessed who volunteers from our community."

"No," Emilia exclaims, her eyes wide with denial and fury as she grabs onto both Anna and Sam. "You can't!"

Callum turns, quickly swanning out of the room with his freaking men in tow, leaving nothing but a broken group left, one that has just agreed to split down the damn middle.

What the fuck just happened?

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THOUGHTS? Come on, I gotta know what you think of what just happened!!!

Do you think the group will split up?

Do you think Kayla is okay?

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