“I’ll probably get it in my eyes and blind myself out there,” I grumble.
He chuckles with his lips pressed over the cigarette. “At least remember to tuck your pink hair away then. You’re like a beacon.” I nod, even though he’s using his sassy voice again.
“Why are our arrangements different?” I whisper as I stand beside him. Cameron extinguishes his cigarette with his fingertips and drops it into one of his many pockets.
“Because I’m dangerous, and leaving the Under without my squad or lieutenant present is only permitted if I’m complying with Nolan’s regulations,” he says nonchalantly. His scarred eye is more noticeable with his attire.
“Great, and I’m stuck with those regulations why?” I retort, though I really don’t mind being with him. I’ll take my chances alone with Cameron than with the rest of the cadets.
Cameron smirks. “Baggage.”
I roll my eyes but can’t not smile at his comment.
Everyone is staring at us as we stand beside the drill sergeant. It only sets their hatred more. They think we’re getting treated better with transport. Maybe we are. We get to ride separately while they’re all forced to be together with all the meatheads. I’d rather walk than be forced to ride in a train car with Wraith and Arnold.
Adams addresses the rest of the cadets to prepare to board the train and has soldiers start leading them out toward a door in the back of the facility.
I make eye contact with Damian and Bree as they follow the line leading out. Wraith isn’t too far behind them. His eyes shift distrustfully to Cameron before a hardened look falls over his features. His broken arm is his own fault, but he doesn’t seemlike the type of person to own up to that. Somehow, I doubt it’s going to give him much trouble in the trials.
“Where does that back door go?” I ask, thinking that there must be a stairwell back there that leads up.
Cameron steps in front of me so I’m forced to look at him. “That door leads to the transport subway. It will take us out of the base and to the trucks waiting on the other side. We can’t have a hundred or so criminals walking through the military base upstairs without raising flags.” He chuckles and plants a hand on top of my head. I shrink under the weight of it and glance up at him as he messes up my hair.
I swat his hand off my head, but before I can move away from him, he snags his arm around my shoulder. My face only reaches his chest, so that’s where I’m sandwiched for now.
Adams watches us closely, then he waves us over as the last of the cadets funnel out of the arena.
“Alright you two, since Mori is considered a high-risk soldier, you will be riding in the back compartment with the doors locked. It’s going to be around a ten-hour trip. Once you reach the vehicle checkpoint, you’ll be moved in an armored transport vehicle the remainder of the way.”
Cameron taps his fingers over my arm carelessly like he’s already bored of this, but my heart is thundering in my chest.That’s a long time to be alone together.
“Where exactly are the trials being held, sir?” My voice is surprisingly steady.
Adams looks at me like I’m daft. “Obviously, I won’t tell you the precise location, Cadet Maves. But we have land in the northern Rocky Mountains here in Alaska. Heavily wooded and easily contained. There is only one road going through that entire area. This time of year the entire mountainside gets shut down due to bad weather, so we get the go-ahead to use it,” he explains as he nudges us along.
Cameron glares at him, but moves with me, finally dropping his arm from my shoulder. The weather up here is far more extreme than what I’m used to in Montana. It’s November and the boat getting here was awful enough. Now we have to go outside and fight in it.
“You know, you two actually might make a good fit.”
We both snap at him, “What?” Our eyes meet, Cameron’s annoyed, mine surprised.
Adams lets out a belly laugh. “Well, you both just have an ominous air about you, but when you’re together, you almost seem like two normal people, bickering and annoying the shit out of each other.”
Cameron grimaces and glances down at me like he hates the idea of it.Would it really be so bad to be normal? Jesus.
I turn away from both of them and walk steadily ahead, choosing to ignore that comment and Cameron’s expression.
The second we step through the doorway we’re met with a train, as promised. The walls in this room are dark gray and absorb the light from the warm-light bulbs that hang from the ceiling, leaving the space particularly grim. The train is slick black and built aerodynamically for high speeds. Everyone else has already boarded; we’re the last ones.
“Here’s to hoping you’re right about us getting along,” Cameron says as we walk up to the side of the last compartment.
Adams nods in farewell. “I’ll see you both at the trials. Oh, and one more thing Emery.” He extends his hand, holding a blindfold. “You’ll need to wear this until you reach the outside of the base. Your compartment is the only one without a functioning blackout window. We don’t want you seeing some of our secrets down here as you pass through.” He winks and it’s the most human I’ve seen him.
Great.
I’m blindfolded and locked in the last compartment with Cameron. As we wait for the train to start moving, the reality that after today half of the cadets in the Under will be dead sets in.
They only have to survive each other.
