be
heard, with even our Designer hearing. “Come on Liz—BREATHE…BREATHE
DAMMIT!”
CHAPTER SIX
CAT
I make it all the way to the exit door
before I am overcome with guilt for leaving Zane in the pitch black
underground maze. Intellectually, I believe he deserves to rot
there, but in my heart, I can’t be the one responsible for it. When
I retrace my steps back, I find him exactly where I left him,
sitting propped up with his head buried in his hands.
“I knew you’d come back,” he says softly,
looking up in the direction where my footsteps are detected.
“Contrary to what you think, I don’t need
your help getting off this island, Zane—I’d find a way you
know.”
“I’m not insinuating that you came back
because you needed me. I knew you would come back because you have
too much goodness in you.” He pauses and I see him smile and shake
his head through the darkness. “This whole thing is so messed up
now—you’ve made things so complicated.”
“Complicated in what way?” I ask, reaching
down for his hand to pull him up. He clasps it tightly as if afraid
I’ll slip away.
“I have feelings that I’ve never really had
before and they’re getting in the way of everything,” he struggles
to explain. I hold my breath, not really sure I like where the
conversation's headed. “Look—I just want to say I’m sorry for
beating you,” he suddenly blurts out. The unexpected apology
catches me by surprise, and give me the first glimpse of a man with
a moral conscience. I can’t bring myself to say he’s completely
forgiven because it’d be a lie at this point, so I give his hand a
light squeeze instead.
“Uh—let’s get out of here.” I quickly turn
to lead him away and he stops me, pulling me back.
“If we make it off this island alive—I
promise to help you find your family members. I really don’t know
where they are. My father had them moved from the bunkers without
my knowledge.”
“What bunkers?” I ask, knowing the answer as
soon as the question leaves my mouth. “They were being held near me
weren’t they?” I moan, thinking about how easily I might have found
them. He doesn’t respond but even in the darkness, I detect a look
of regret in his eyes.
“I was going to arrange for you to see your
brother. Things just happened so fast after my father discovered
the video feed of you at the bunker,” he says quietly.
“Chord?” I manage to say, swallowing the
lump in my throat. “Tell me…Is he…is he doing okay?” Just speaking
the name of my twin brother carries a flood of emotion that leaves
me trembling on the verge of a hysterical melt down.
“He’s strong-willed, just like you,” Zane
says quietly, and I can’t tell by his expression if that’s a good
thing or not. I am desperate to hear more details about him but to
my dismay, the faint sound of voices in the distance, for now,
keeps me from prying any further.
“Someone’s in the tunnel,” I say, straining
to hear the voices again. Zane cocks his head to one side,
listening intently, and then looks at me questioningly.
“I’m sure—let’s go.” I reply, grabbing his
hand.
“Following you,” he says, allowing me to
lead the way, as we take off running hand in hand, through what for
him would be a pitch black abyss.
***
Zane cracks the hinged door just enough to
listen for anyone lurking around, and looks to me for my
increasingly sensitive auditory abilities to detect them. After I
give him the okay, he hoists his body through the underground
opening then turns to give me a hand, lifting me out with such
force that I stumble into his arms which are conveniently open to
catch me, and fold around me in a tight embrace.
“Knock it off, Zane,” I warn, pushing him
away. I feel his lips brush the top of my head as he reluctantly
lets me go and I quickly move out of his reach. “How do we get out
of here?” I ask, ignoring the action and surveying the area around
us for a path. The trapdoor
heard, with even our Designer hearing. “Come on Liz—BREATHE…BREATHE
DAMMIT!”
CHAPTER SIX
CAT
I make it all the way to the exit door
before I am overcome with guilt for leaving Zane in the pitch black
underground maze. Intellectually, I believe he deserves to rot
there, but in my heart, I can’t be the one responsible for it. When
I retrace my steps back, I find him exactly where I left him,
sitting propped up with his head buried in his hands.
“I knew you’d come back,” he says softly,
looking up in the direction where my footsteps are detected.
“Contrary to what you think, I don’t need
your help getting off this island, Zane—I’d find a way you
know.”
“I’m not insinuating that you came back
because you needed me. I knew you would come back because you have
too much goodness in you.” He pauses and I see him smile and shake
his head through the darkness. “This whole thing is so messed up
now—you’ve made things so complicated.”
“Complicated in what way?” I ask, reaching
down for his hand to pull him up. He clasps it tightly as if afraid
I’ll slip away.
“I have feelings that I’ve never really had
before and they’re getting in the way of everything,” he struggles
to explain. I hold my breath, not really sure I like where the
conversation's headed. “Look—I just want to say I’m sorry for
beating you,” he suddenly blurts out. The unexpected apology
catches me by surprise, and give me the first glimpse of a man with
a moral conscience. I can’t bring myself to say he’s completely
forgiven because it’d be a lie at this point, so I give his hand a
light squeeze instead.
“Uh—let’s get out of here.” I quickly turn
to lead him away and he stops me, pulling me back.
“If we make it off this island alive—I
promise to help you find your family members. I really don’t know
where they are. My father had them moved from the bunkers without
my knowledge.”
“What bunkers?” I ask, knowing the answer as
soon as the question leaves my mouth. “They were being held near me
weren’t they?” I moan, thinking about how easily I might have found
them. He doesn’t respond but even in the darkness, I detect a look
of regret in his eyes.
“I was going to arrange for you to see your
brother. Things just happened so fast after my father discovered
the video feed of you at the bunker,” he says quietly.
“Chord?” I manage to say, swallowing the
lump in my throat. “Tell me…Is he…is he doing okay?” Just speaking
the name of my twin brother carries a flood of emotion that leaves
me trembling on the verge of a hysterical melt down.
“He’s strong-willed, just like you,” Zane
says quietly, and I can’t tell by his expression if that’s a good
thing or not. I am desperate to hear more details about him but to
my dismay, the faint sound of voices in the distance, for now,
keeps me from prying any further.
“Someone’s in the tunnel,” I say, straining
to hear the voices again. Zane cocks his head to one side,
listening intently, and then looks at me questioningly.
“I’m sure—let’s go.” I reply, grabbing his
hand.
“Following you,” he says, allowing me to
lead the way, as we take off running hand in hand, through what for
him would be a pitch black abyss.
***
Zane cracks the hinged door just enough to
listen for anyone lurking around, and looks to me for my
increasingly sensitive auditory abilities to detect them. After I
give him the okay, he hoists his body through the underground
opening then turns to give me a hand, lifting me out with such
force that I stumble into his arms which are conveniently open to
catch me, and fold around me in a tight embrace.
“Knock it off, Zane,” I warn, pushing him
away. I feel his lips brush the top of my head as he reluctantly
lets me go and I quickly move out of his reach. “How do we get out
of here?” I ask, ignoring the action and surveying the area around
us for a path. The trapdoor
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