Hunter tossed Ella a strip of black fabric. “Let’s go.”

  Ella unfolded the soft material. “What’s this?”

  “For your face.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Thad chuckled. “Hunter, you’ve always had a way with words.”

  Hunter raised his hands in defense. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Relax. I know what it’s for.” Ella stood and tied the cloth around her neck. “Where are we going?”

  “Out.”

  Thad shook his head. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Hunter?”

  “Probably not. But we don’t have a choice. We can’t hide here forever.”

  Ella threw on her cloak and lifted the cloth over her face. “Well, let’s go.”

  “Alright then.” Thad stood.

  “Follow me.”

  “Every time you say that, we get into trouble.”

  Hunter opened the door to his home. “At least I’m consistent.”

  Thad slapped his friend on the shoulder as he walked past. “There is something comforting about that.”

  Ella slipped the hood over her head. “There’s something wrong with you two.”

  “If I had a nickel for every time someone has said that to me...” Hunter laughed, locking the door behind him.

  “We’d be relaxing on a sandy beach somewhere?”

  Hunter stepped towards the spiral staircase and began the climb downward. “What fun would that be?”

  Ella and Thad exchanged a glance. “I’ve never been to the beach before.”

  Thad puffed out a breath. “Well, if we survive this, we’ll take you.”

  Hunter poked his head back up. “Are you two coming?”

  “Right behind you.” Thad motioned Ella forward as the three began the trip down.

  The descent ended in a damp, concrete cavern. The air hung thick, a metallic tang mingling with the sting of smoke from the burn barrels. Ella’s eyes watered, and a dry cough rattled in her throat. Unconscious figures lay sprawled across the rough floor, their limbs at unnatural angles. A faint, rhythmic drip echoed from a pipe overhead, adding to the unsettling symphony of the space. Hunter's gaze swept the room, his jaw tight, before he stopped at a rusted door, its hinges groaning softly in the still air.

  “Okay. This is it. When we go out there, I’ll take the lead, Thad, you take the back. Ella, you stay in between us. If things go wrong, Thad, you get her the hell out of there. I’ll find you.” Hunter looked at Ella. “Do you understand?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Good.” Hunter lifted his own mask over his face and opened the door. “Now, keep your head down.”

  The sudden shift from the flickering fluorescent lights to the oppressive darkness of the alleyway was like a physical blow. Ella's ears strained to catch any sound, but the silence was thick, broken only by the frantic thump of her own heart. The air hung heavy with the stench of stale refuse and acrid, that made her stomach churn. She squeezed her eyes shut, the phantom image of Michael's vacant stare burning behind her eyelids.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  “Ella,” Hunter’s voice was a low rasp, “you with us?”

  Thad’s hand pressed against the small of her back, a grounding weight. “Ella, we don’t have time.”

  Ella’s breath hitched, a tremor running through her. Memories of Michael’s lifeless eyes flashed behind her own. She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms, and nodded three times, sharp and jerky. “Yes. I’m… I’m fine.”

  “Good.”

  Hunter led the group through the back alleys, staying hidden in the shadows. He ignored the calls and the whispers of the late night worshipers promising freedom from pain and the cries of those looking to numb their own. When they reached the end of their pathway, Hunter pressed his back against the wall and scanned the open street before them. A lone Republic Guard walked down the center of the road away from them, taser in hand. He slipped back behind the cover.

  “One guard, walking the opposite way.”

  Ella leaned towards Hunter. “Where are we going?”

  Hunter nodded towards the alley on the opposite side of the street. “Across. Mask up, head down. Steady.”

  “That should be easy enough.” Thad rubbed his forehead. “Act like we aren’t fugitives walking out to our doom.”

  “Exactly.” Hunter winked at Ella.

  Hunter stepped out into the flickering fluorescent overhead light.

  Ella pulled the fabric higher on her face and followed.

  Ella focused on slowing her breath, the crunch of Thad’s feet on dirt and gravel as he walked behind her, and the cool breeze that blew at the tuft of hair that peeked out from under her hood, until another set of foot falls broke her concentration. They walked with a heavier gait, a march with purpose, coming from behind them.

  “Hunter?”

  “I know. Keep walking.”

  As soon as they broke into the darkness, Hunter lunged forward, ducking behind a dumpster, and waited for Ella and Thad to walk by. When they were clear, Hunter exploded forward, grabbing the stranger by the shirt and pressing them up against the wall. The man’s face, etched with grime and shadowed by a greasy curtain of grey hair, was a roadmap of hardship. His ripped shirt revealed a thin, trembling chest, and the stench of unwashed clothes filled the air. One milky white eye, clouded with age, stared up at Hunter.

  “Why are you following us?”

  “I wasn’t following you.”

  Hunter lifted the man until his toes were off the ground.

  “I swear I wasn’t following you. I was going home.” The man pointed a withered finger at a nearby cardboard box.

  “Hunter.” Ella laid a hand on his shoulder as he lowered the man.

  “I’m sorry.” Hunter pulled several folded bills from his pocket and handed them to the man. “I truly am.”

  The man’s face lit up with a toothless grin. “Thank you, young man.”

  Hunter turned to Ella and Thad. “Come on.”

  The trio walked to the end of the pathway and turned to the right. Once there, Hunter slid a wooden sheet out of the way revealing a hidden door. With a pop of the handle, the door swung open, and he motioned Ella and Thad through.

  “Where are we?”

  “Training.”

  “What?”

  Hunter placed a metal slat across two brackets in the door, securing it in place, and flicked a switch. With several loud pops and a buzz, the room lit up in brilliant white light, revealing a large warehouse. Outside of two unclothed mannequins and broken pieces of metal, the room was completely empty.

  Thad stepped forward. “Are you sure it’s safe to be here with all the light?”

  “Relax.” Hunter slipped his mask down. “I completely blacked the windows out. No one can see in here.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “I used to come here when I needed to...” Hunter swallowed, “work through some things.”

  “Oh.” Ella looked at the bits of metal piled in the room's corner. “I see. What did you mean about training?”

  “We’ve seen a glimpse of what you can do,” Hunter said, his gaze fixed on her. “Now, it’s time to see what you truly are capable of.” He paused, and a flicker of something unreadable crossed his eyes. “This place… it has a way of revealing hidden potential.”

  Tears blurred Ella’s vision as she rushed forward, wrapping Hunter in a hug. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it.” Hunter glanced at Thad before smiling at Ella. “Now let’s show those bastards something they’ve never seen before.”