Cam
I glance at the clock at the bedside, it’s already almost ten.Shit.
The hallway is dark and cold as I slip through, hugging thesweatshirt around my body tighter. I can’t believe I don’t remember most of the day. How did I even get down into Cameron’s room? Clearly he was there at some point.
I worry my lower lip as I climb into the mid-sized aircraft. It’s the only one the guards leave unlocked, and we already know how lax their evening sweeps are so it’s not hard for me to slip inside and wait for him.
What am I meeting him here for?I ponder as I sit in the center of the empty aircraft. It’s dark in here and smells like oil and scraped-up metal. Warm liquid runs down my nose, but instead of wiping it away relentlessly, I just let it drip.
The stream seems endless. It makes my throat tighten. I take out my pill bottle and shake four into my palm. I don’t remember the last time I took them since my day is blank, but it can’t hurt. I find myself staring at them for what feels like a few minutes.
Something pricks my neck and draws my brows together as I rub at the weird sensation that floods over me.
How is it that these small black pills can cause so much grief?
Look what they’ve made of me. Look at what they’ve made of Cam. My father, uncle, even General Nolan. Everyone is worse off with them in existence.
I lift my hand to toss the pills back, but someone grabs my wrist. My heart drops as my eyes shift down to my forearm, where a bloody hand is wrapped around my skin.
A gasp tears out of my throat and I sharply look up.
Dark, long hair shrouds a woman’s face. Her eyes are cold. She’s covered in snow, and thick red liquid that clings to her tactical gear.
Bree?
Tears roll down my cheeks and sharp pain chases through my chest.
“Bree.” My lips are chapped and make my words drag.
Her mouth parts and that same scream I heard her let out inthe forest as Arnold took her life rolls through the plane. I jerk backward and scramble to my feet. She catches me by the ankle, sending me to the ground.
“I’m sorry for what happened to you!” I cry as I kick her off and manage to race out the parted door of the plane. The cold air sinks into my lungs and wrestles with every breath I try taking.
I run straight into the field surrounding the hangar, tripping over a few rocks as I dare a glance over my shoulder. She’s pursuing me, hand pressed to her heart where Arnold stabbed her. Bile rises in the back of my throat.
“Emery,” another calls out. This one male.
My head whips to the left, eyes locking on Bryce. His neck spurts blood as he pushes his glasses up to the bridge of his nose.
Why are they here? Where’s Cameron? Panic thunders through my ears, and tears wick from my eyes as I furiously blink them away.
I whirl to run farther into the terrain, but I’m met with two more faces. Kayden and Mikah. They catch me, keeping me from fleeing. “What do you want? Stop!” I cry, shaking my head and dropping to my knees.
How long will they haunt me? A roar of screams from at least twenty men rise around me. My eyes widen as I slowly look up. Around me are all the men I’ve killed. They wail and bleed everywhere I cut them open.
My ribs feel like they’re going to close in on themselves. I clutch my fist to my heart and weep. A soft hand lands on my shoulder. I lift my chin, meeting Bree’s warm expression.
She places something in my hand and whispers, “They’re all dead because of you.”
Horror fills my veins as she steps away and reveals my dead comrades.
Gage’s dull eyes are set on the stars, his stomach slashed open.Thomas’s head is two feet away from his body and Wraith has a bullet to his temple.
“No,”I mutter, hyperventilating.
Damian is on his side, still breathing. I crawl to him, screaming and crying. “Damian! What happened? Who did this?” Tears pelt his jacket as I turn him onto his back. His eyes have been gouged out and blood bubbles from his lips.
I choke on the vomit that tries to heave up my throat. Shock is setting in and making my entire body tremble. I can hardly keep my hands steady as I try to wipe the blood from his lips.
