I can't wait to post the next chapter! We're getting back into the action! Oh! And Death Match reached over 4,000 reads! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! My present? A gif of Ezra. Enjoy (;

Cayson groaned in annoyance, throwing his feet up on the table. He had been locked in the room for what felt like hours. Cayson was so angry; why was Ezra out to get him? Why did Ezra despise him so much?

Cayson’s head shot towards the door as he heard some small clicks erupt from the knob. He rose from his chair and stepped forward, daring to investigate. The door was thrown open, causing Cayson to jump backwards in fear.

“Dammit Mason!” He yelled, taking a step backwards as he held a hand to his chest, attempting to catch his breath.

“Geez, we’ve been training you for this long and you still jump like a little girl?”

“How did you even get in here?” Cayson wondered, stepping backwards and sitting down on the edge of the table. Reaching into his pocket, Mason pulled out two bobby pins.

“Roxanne let me borrow these,” he smiled in victory, stepping further into the room. “I see you’ve yet again managed to get yourself locked in here.”

“It’s Ezra! He thinks I poisoned the food!”

“I know, Sean told me.”

“Where is Sean?” Cayson questioned.

“He’s trying to talk to Ezra about it. Ezra is convinced you poisoned everyone . . . And I mean convinced.” Cayson sighed, running a hand roughly over the back of his neck. “Did you know Ezra before we came here? I mean, no one hates someone that much without a solid reason.”

“No,” Cayson quickly responded. He knew exactly what Mason was attempting to do. He was trying to pry information from him about his past. It had been tried before, however, Cayson had never let it slip out.

“Are you sure? You never cut in front of him at the movies? Or tripped him or something?”

“No, I’m a hundred percent sure I’ve never met him before we came here,” Cayson reassured him. Mason sighed, his eyes landing on the cut on Cayson’s lip.

“Did they do that to you?” Mason questioned, storming forward.

“It’s fine.” Cayson was embarrassed. All that time he spent in training and he was still getting beat up. It reminded him to much of home.

“No, it’s not. Let me see,” Mason demanded.

“Dude, seriously, its fine-” Cayson was cut off my Mason setting his fingers under Cayson’s chin. Lifting his head up so Mason could clearly see the cut in the dim lighting of the room, he moved in closer. “Please don’t kiss me.” Mason rolled his eyes, releasing Cayson who was chuckling.

“Oh you think you’re so funny, don’t you?”

“Actually, I think I’m hilarious,” Cayson nodded with an innocent smile.

“Whelp, I’d love to stay here and talk about how hilarious you are but we’ve got better things to do,” Mason crossed his arms over his chest.

“Like?” Cayson questioned, rising from his chair.

“Like proving your innocent. Let’s go,” Mason charged toward the door.

“Wait, Ezra said I could leave?” Mason came to a halt, whirling around.

“Not exactly.”

“What do you mean not exactly? Mason, the guy hates me enough! I don’t think breaking out and setting him straight is exactly going to change that.”

“Well you can’t stay in here forever,” Mason shot back.

“It’s a lot safer in here than it is out there,” Cayson argued.

“Why are you fighting me on this? I’m just trying to keep you alive?” Cayson hung on his last words. Keep you alive. He always had joked on the idea of Ezra actually killing him, but he had never believed it. Now, that Mason had said it, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was actually true.

“What do you mean?” Mason sighed, he had wanted to avoid this.

“All I’m saying is I don’t trust Ezra. And having you here, alone, right down the hall from him and his shotgun isn’t exactly comforting.” Cayson bit his lip, only replying with a slow nod. “Now come on, just follow my lead.”

Cayson darted after Mason, who was storming down the hall.

“Sir, I just would like to tell you my honest opinion,” Cayson could hear Sean’s voice echoing down the hall. “He couldn’t have done this.”

“People are not who you think they are,” Ezra snapped back. “Friends can be enemies in disguise. Don’t forget that.” Mason appeared in the room first, joining Sean, standing in front of the table.

Cayson stepped forward and into the room, Ezra’s angry expression pointed towards him.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Ezra demanded, slamming his fist against the table. “Did you do this Sean? Don’t think that just because your-”

“I did it you douchebag,” Mason chipped in. Cayson practically sprinted to Mason’s side.

“Oh, and that’s not going to piss him off?” Cayson whispered to Mason.

“Excuse you. Just because you’re a hunter does not mean you're above me. I can take you out in a second.” For the first time since they had arrived, Cayson couldn’t help but question Mason’s tense face. Was he intimated? Scared? That didn’t help Cayson’s nerves . . . at all.

“I didn’t do it,” Cayson spoke up, forcing his gaze to Ezra. He was going to try a different approach. Cayson was more than sure calling Ezra a ‘douchebag’ wasn’t the best way to get on his good side.

“You claim. Why in the hell would you tell the truth if you did do it?” Ezra snapped in response, tapping his fingers impatiently against the white counter top.

“I care about my friends. I would never do anything to put them in harm’s way. I consider poisoning the food putting them in harm’s way-”

“This act might fool them but it doesn’t fool me,” Ezra sneered, sauntering around the countertop. “Lucky for you,” he continued once he stood in front of the three men. “I trust Sean’s judgment.”

“Meaning-”

“Meaning,” Ezra interrupted Mason, who was clenching his fist behind his back. “There is a small possibility you could be telling the truth.”

“That’s not what you think though, is it?” Cayson questioned.

“Of course not. I know you did it. I’m just going to give you a week to attempt to prove otherwise.” With that Ezra spun around, heading towards a small office in the back of the room.

“Why?” Cayson wondered as Ezra was reaching out for the handle. Ezra whirled around, eyebrow raised. “Why are you giving me a chance to prove I’m innocent?” Ezra smiled, a heart stopping, wicked, smile.

“So when I kill you, the residents will have peace of mind.”

“Peace of mind?” Sean asked, just as confused as Cayson.

“You seem to have the people here wrapped around your finger Mr. Winslow,” he paused, stomping towards Cayson. Soon, Ezra was in his face. “You seem to have them all fooled by your little charade. But I’m not. This is a game. A fight to the finish, a game of survival. And I’m going to make sure I knock your character right off the board.”