I might have made things worse.
Well, shit.Now Ireallyneed to get out of here so I can find Joy before her dad shows up and potentially interferes with whatever they’re doing.
I decide to try one number again. The only one I think could have even a prayer of picking up. It was going straight to voicemail before, but it wasn’t disconnected like the rest. Most likely because this person isn’t here on the island.
But he could help. Maybe.
It’s a long shot, but all I have are long shots right now. I have to dosomething. Waiting for Trevel, and standing by the gate to see if anyone I know comes by isn’t working for me anymore.
Placing the call, I lean up against the wall, praying for an answer. And to my utter shock, this time, someone does.
“Hello…?”
“Uh… is this Kellan Kemper?” I ask, hopefulness underlining my question.
“Yes, it—”
“Baby?!” A familiar voice gasps from the background of the call, and my chest seizes. “Baby, oh myGod, is that you??”
A startled smile crosses my face.
I knew it.
Thirty minutes later, I’m pacing by the gate.
Joy told me to meet them here fifteen minutes ago, and not that I thought them getting over here would be easy, but I’m worried about what could be taking them so long.
I really hate that Felix wanted to use himself as bait to get me out. I would rather stay down here indefinitely than have him hurt trying to rescue me.
The gunfire today has been minimal, which isn’t necessarily a comfort. When it’s quiet, that usually means something is happening behind the scenes. I just want to reconvene with Velleand his squad; find out what’s been going on, if we’re any closer to a resolution to this thing.
But most importantly, I want to see Felix. I just want to look at him, to verify for myself that he’s okay. Even just hearing his voice on the phone felt like my heart was ballooning in my chest. I never knew I could feel such unhinged things for another person…
The desire to smash this place to rubble for him has been more of a torment than anything those assholes did to me.
Ineedto hold him again. I think I’d do just about anything to make that happen. Anything but risk our safety. Not when we’re this close.
I won’t be the thing that keeps us apart permanently.
Sudden footsteps approach, clomping but light, which means it’s probably them. Still, I stay hidden in the shadows just in case, until I hear a whistle, andfinally, I allow myself to breathe. And smile.
“Officer Jameson,” I sigh rushing up to the gate as Joy swings up to the bars.
“Glad to know you’re still with us.” She grins.
She looks exhausted, but nowhere near as bad as I probably look, based on the sympathetic shine in her eyes.
Officer Samuels is with her, rifling through a bag on the ground. I glance behind them, but I don’t see…
“Felix?” My tone is bordering on manic.
“He’s waiting nearby with Kemper,” Joy tells me while Rook takes a blowtorch and a hatchet out of the bag. “It’s not safe for him to be just standing around out here. They really have it out for him…”
I nod in agreement, jittering where I stand. “But he’s… okay? Like, he’s not hurt or anything?”
“I wouldn’t even be able to tell, honestly,” she huffs.
“Neither would he,” Rook rumbles, smirking. “I never thought I’d say this, but The Carver is my hero right now.”
