Colton

Scarron manor, Peter Hallons, my father and I sit around the table in the conference room. No one has spoken yet, tension growing by the second. Scarron was the one who wanted this blasted meeting so I don't understand why the bastard isn't talking.

"As much as I'd love to watch my life waste away as I sit around a table with you lot, we have rebels on the loose and a plan to form," I finally break the silence and all eyes drift to me.

"This has to be the last time we go into battle with the rebels, we don't have the weapons or the soldiers to get through anymore than one," my father speaks and we finally agree on something. "We barely have enough for one on that matter but it shall have to suffice," he huffs.

"I can lend you some of my troops or resources if you are in dire need," Peter suggests and I'm surprised that he has finally offered something useful.

"That would be very helpful, thank you, after last time... we lost a lot of people," my father says and I remember seeing all of those dying people scattered throughout the hallways of the facility.

I remember seeing Rose's reaction, her face drained of colour.

I need to find Rose after this and talk to her. I've been distant with her recently, I don't mean to be but I can't exactly help it either. Everything has been stressing me out more than it should, I just want to keep her safe.

"I say we call them here and propose a truce, whether they agree or not - we wipe them out," I suggest. It's all well and good having troops, resources, weapons but that all means nothing if we do not have a solid plan.

"They're stupid but I don't think that they're borderline brain-dead, they won't believe that we actually want a truce," Scarron scoffs and I roll my eyes.

Yes because he seems to have a much better idea.

"The lead commander is dead, our facility is practically falling apart, our government is on its knees... if we show our desperation, they'll believe us," I explain and Peter nods. "From our knowledge, they don't know about this alliance. If we can keep this a secret, they won't stand a chance," I say and meet my father's eyes.

I still have no leads on the involvement of my mother, my only hope of finding out is if I confront her myself. The only way I'll be able to do that is by going through my father.

"I trust you Colton, I believe that you will do what is best," my father nods and I look away.

"Then it's settled," Peter slaps his knee and begins to stand. "I'll prepare my troops and anything else that you will need," he says and my father thanks him.

"One week from today's date... we will end the rebels," I say and look at each of their faces. "I want Michael Hisan... he is mine to kill," I spit.

I promised a while ago that I would kill him after what he did to Rose. I would kill him and I didn't care who I had to become or what I had to lose.

"Then he is all yours," my father smirks and I can't help the smug grin that fights its way onto my face.

***

I am on my way back to my room when Marco stops me. He has been getting closer to Rose recently and to say that I am pissed off would be an understatement.

"Are you aware of your little girlfriends night-time outings?" he crosses his arms and a smirk tugs at his lips. Night-time outings?

"What do you want?" I avoid his question. I'll talk about this with Rose, I don't need to be hearing it from him. She'd tell me if she was going anywhere - she knows that it would be reckless not to.

"Rose is on some crazy hunt for something, she's been practically harassing the nurse all day for some location," as soon as he mentioned the nurse I knew exactly what he was going on about. We both agreed that she would stop trying to search for Maximus.

I run my hand over my face and take a deep breath.

"Where is she?" I huff and he averts his eyes from my gaze. He doesn't even know. "Absolute fool... so you could follow her and watch her every move but you couldn't figure out where she was going?" I say, absolutely dumbfounded by how stupid he is.

"Ask the nurse... I don't know," he shrugs and I have to refrain from re-modelling his face with my fist for both of our sakes.

I walk away from him and make my way towards the hospital wing. Rose and I have already discussed the matter of Maximus, she needs to give up - she promised me that she would. It was getting too dangerous.

I'm too worried to be angry. As soon as I find her, unscathed and perfectly fine, then I can be angry. 

I swear to the heavens this woman gives me more trouble than the rebels themselves.

***

Rose

"Where'd she go?" I hear a voice shout in the distance and hold my breath. My whole body is in pure agony. Every muscle, every bone screaming in pain. The hill wasn't the problem, it was the massive rock that broke my fall.

Black dots fill my vision and I beg myself to stay conscious, at least then I will have somewhat of a chance at fighting back. The left side of my face is warmed by the blood trickling down from the wound on my forehead. The rest of my body feels cold to the core.

More shots sound in the distance and I screw my eyes shut, imagining myself somewhere else. Imagining myself anywhere but here.

"Keep moving," I hear faintly and I release a shaky breath. They sound as though they are getting further away but they will have to turn around at some point and I just need to make sure that I am long gone before they do.

My head throbs relentlessly as I try to sit up, using the rock as support. The pain is so immense, I am practically gasping for air as I sit upright. I swallow the bile rising in my throat and force my legs to bare my weight.

My knees feel as though they are going to collapse on themselves as I manage to stand. I lift my bloodied hand to my head, applying pressure, trying to stop both the bleeding and the pain.

The world sways in the cold wind and I almost lose my footing. I need to go and now. But my body just wants to give up, to lay down on the floor and just wither away.

It's then I realise that I have to make my way all the way back up the hill without getting caught.

Laying on the ground and dying seems like a much more desirable way to go than tumbling back down that hill again.

But time is of the essence and time is currently thinning. They will soon realise that I am not deep in the woods and they will begin to make their way back.

Pure panic fuels my movements and forces my limbs to make their way up the hill. The muddy grass and bitter air make the exertion harder than necessary.

I can only hope that the darkness somewhat conceals me as I climb higher.

My breath clouds in front of me, coming out in short spurts. It's becoming harder to breathe, the damp air doing my lungs more harm than good. The pounding of my head only intensifies and the top of the hill seems only to be getting further away.

"Keep going," I mutter to myself, practically straining to get the words out.

I am going too slow. Crawling on all fours up a steep hill isn't too great for severely unfit people. You'd think that after everything I would have a very high stamina but it's quite the opposite.

My fingers are numb from the cold and are covered in a mixture of grass and mud from clawing at the ground, trying to keep my balance. My foot slips and I land on my stomach with a groan. I am never going to make it at this rate.

Taking a few deep breaths, I force myself to get back up and continue. Only pure dread is forcing me to keep going. Dread of what those people will do if they find me or even worse... if they find out who I am.

"Keep going," I repeat as my body screams at me to stop. I deny it and power through. The hilltop finally inching closer. "You can do this," my lungs have been set on fire, my head... my head hurts more than I could ever possibly fathom.

A gunshot sounds and I suppress a scream as the bullet lands in the grass to my left. No, no, no.

The hilltop is just inches away, mere seconds. "Come on!" I whisper-shout, tears forming in my eyes. I just want to give up... but I can't. I can't.

Another shot... just skimming my right leg. I thank the heavens for this person's terrible aim.

My body collapses onto the ground as soon as I reach the top, a bullet flying straight over my head. I don't even let myself comprehend what would have happened if I had reached the top a split second later.

I have to keep going. I don't have time to stop, I took too long getting up the hill to even stop to just take a breather.

I force my weak body off of the floor and set off in an attempted sprint. Key word: attempted. 

I'm far too exhausted to even make it to the end of the road before having to stop. Sick rises in my throat and I have to bend over a gutter to empty the contents of my stomach. Just great.

Taking more deep breaths, I stand upright and my vision goes blurry, my body swaying like a tree in a gentle breeze. I barely have any time to recover before someone grabs my arm and pulls me into a dark alleyway - their hand clamping over my mouth.

I scream and kick persistently before a voice cuts through my outburst. "It's me, love, you're okay," Colton says in a hushed manor and I slump against him in relief. He removes his hand slowly and I lean my head against his chest.

"Marco snitched on me," I huff and I feel his chest shake lightly, I'm glad he finds this funny. I swear to god I am going to murder Marco.

"I'm more than thankful he did seen as I found you throwing up into a drain," he says, his voice more serious now. "I thought we agreed that you would stop with this whole Maximus thing," Colton brings his hand to the back of my head and I sigh.

"What if he's hurt or dead... because of me. I asked him to come to the facility, I was the reason he was there so I need to find him," I ramble, the guilt pressing its way forward.

"Not if it's putting you in danger, if you're really that desperate to find him I'll get someone to but please... I can't lose you, my love, not because you think you owe him something," he says and I know he is right.

"How did the meeting go, you better not have left to come get me," I say and pull away so I can look into his eyes.

Colton opens his mouth to respond but more gunshots sound in the distance and we both quickly duck behind a broken wall.

He reaches behind him and pulls a gun from his waistband, turning off the safety. The sight makes my heart almost drop to the floor. I pray to whatever higher power that he does not have to use it and that we can make it safely back to the facility.