Panic and anger set deep into my bones, spurring me to action. I ran towards the metal doors of the front exit, leaping over chunks of concrete and rubble, but was blocked by Jacob’s men.
“Let me go!” I shouted, tears streaming down my face. I shoved one of the guards so hard he stumbled and fell. I felt strong arms wrap around me, and beat my fists against them.
I’d saved her from falling, and condemned her at the same time. She’d gone back outside, probably to pick more herbs for me. This was all my fault.
“It’s too late for her now,” Jacob said. “I’m sorry. But it’s not too late for the rest.”
I let Trevor hold me until I’d stopped fighting. I could feel the last of the elixir slipping away, leaving a deep exhaustion. Jacob and Steve barked orders but I tuned them out, staring at a faded poster on the wall.
The edges were torn away, but I could make out a picture of a sunrise, and the motivational message below. Each day starts with a grateful heart.
But I couldn’t find anything to feel grateful for. Gratitude must have died out in the Before, along with the sun. All I wanted to do was tear out Nigel’s heart and stomp on it.
“What about the girl?” Steve asked. “The vamp?”
“We leave her here,” Jacob said.
My head snapped up suddenly as I realized they were talking about Penelope.
“You can’t do that,” I said. “They’ll kill her if they find her.”
“Would you rather let her loose, to feed her way through Havoc? I can’t save everyone.”
I bit my lip, but allowed myself to be dragged away by Trevor as alarms pierced through the underground compound, along with flashing red lights. Jacob’s men spread the word as calmly as possible, but the panic spread like a disease. Everyone was running around, grabbing supplies and tearing down tents. Women and children were to head to the rear exits. Able-bodied rebels would guard the retreat, until everyone was safely outside of the compound.
Trevor grabbed my hand and pulled us down the hallways, which were already crammed full of people moving towards the various unmarked entrances, carrying boxes and loaded up with gear. I ducked as a pair of chickens flapped near my head. A young girl squeezed past us clutching a piglet.
“I’ve got to go back,” I said, pulling away from Trevor. “For Penelope, we can’t just leave her here.”
“It’s too dangerous with all these people. Jacob’s right, it would only cause more panic. Most of them don’t even know she’s here, the sudden appearance of an elite would cause chaos.”
“But we can’t just leave her here, she’ll starve, she’ll die. I made her a promise.”
Trevor scowled and wiped a hand over his face. He nodded towards Luke, who was not far away with a backpack and a suitcase.
Jazmine shoved her way through the crowd, with Camina right behind her. Their eyes widened when they saw the bruises on my face.
“What’s going on?” she shouted over the sirens.
“The elite,” I said. “They’re here. They know where we are.”
“How many?”
“Three. But they’ll go back and tell the others. It isn’t safe here.”
“Just three?” Jazmine asked. “We can take them.”
“We barely got away from Tobias, and that was only because he was distracted.”
“So what, we just run? Where? For how long?”
“As long as we have to,” Trevor said.
His hand was on my arm again, and I pulled against his grip, searching back over the crowd behind us. Trevor pinched the bridge of his nose, holding a deep breath before nodding to the others.
“Follow the crowd. Get her outside.”
I grabbed his wrist as he stepped away.
“Wait, where are you going?”
“To see about Penelope,” he said.
It was the first time he used her name, instead of calling her the elite or the prisoner. I squeezed his palm, reluctant to let him go, and his eyes softened.
“We’ll be okay,” he said. He had a leather satchel strapped loosely around his chest. He opened it so I could peek inside and see it was full of dark ash.
“You have your elixir, I have mine.” His lips curled up in a sad smile. “You’re not the only one who’s stronger now. I’ll wait till the people have gone, then we’ll get out, together. But you have to leave now.”
I bit my swollen lip, but then nodded stiffly.
“If you go through the city,” Trevor said, “on the far end, near the woods, there’s an old gas station. A big red