Nate

The room is crowded as most of the residents of Huxley are trying to fit into this one space. Every so often, a rattling rings out, shaking the room and, causing dust to litter everyone's heads. I lounge against the wall closest to the door and watch as Samuel and Dewitt argue over the best course of action to take next.

Letting my gaze wander I eye Cameron and the others standing at attention a little behind Samuel. I catch Cameron's eye, but all he does is shrug his shoulders.

"How can you possibly believe that's the right move?" Samuel shouts, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. He has sweat pouring down his face, just like everybody else. His eyes are narrowed, and his breathing is very ragged.

"I'm just saying it's something to think about," Dewitt states, DC rocking back on his heels. I roll my head up, and eye the one crack that has slowly been splintering since we came in here.

"We don't just throw people out when the NTSCU attacks," Samuel whispers, bringing the conversation back to a full circle of Dewitt wanting to throw me out into the open.

"He's not one of us! Besides, for all we know he's the reason they know where we are," DeWitt argues.

"Or," I drawl, "it could be that you're not as sneaky as you liked to think." I push off the wall, "Or it could have been the witches y'all seem to be havin' a weird feud goin' on with. Maybe I led them here. But guess what? It's not gonna change the truth of the matter, so either throw me out or shut your trap—you're givin' everyone here a fuckin' headache with your bickerin'."

Silence rings out after my declaration, and it's pure music to my ears. I close my eyes and carefully keep my face blank as I hear Jamie laughing.

"We have to do something. They have temperature sensing goggles," Dewitt states.

"English, please," I interrupt.

"They have goggles that can see our heat signatures." He huffs a sigh before crossing his arms.

"Oh, those. Yeah, I know about those."

"And how’s that?"

"In my first run-in with Witchy, she was running from the NTSCU, and they had them." Everybody has a shocked look on their face making me feel self-conscious for the first time since this whole thing started.

"Then how did you get away?"

"Umm, Witchy managed to start a car, and we left, which really worked out since it seems they don't like to waste gas."

"It would be handy if we had your witch's help right now," Dewitt states. I shake my head and nearly move forward to argue with him before I feel a hand pull at my pants leg. My dad's hand is crusted with blood, and a bandage is loosely wrapped around his chest, but thank the Goddess the blood had clotted a while ago.

"Arguing is getting us nowhere. Do we know the numbers of NTSCU agents?" my dad asks, though nobody seems willing to offer up an answer.

"I'm still unsure. They came in with those guns, and we all scrambled," Dewitt adds. He is right about that. We had finally made it back to Huxley, and after a day of getting my ass thrown around grappling with Dad, I was knocked out in a bed. At least until Dad came in, pulling me along before I had a real chance to open my eyes. Fucking NTSCU always messing up my already horrible sleep schedule.

"About twenty," I offer up before resting my head back onto the door.

"How you know that," Samuel asks.

"Because I can hear their blood rushing," I state. Uneasiness melts into everyone's frames, and they subtly edge away from me. Not like I wanted to attack any of them. Though the bastard currently in the tower is the one I'll be killing. That NTSCU goon attacked my dad from behind. They're not only a coward but a dead one walking at that.

"You're sure of their exact position?" Dewitt asks.

"Yeah…" I reply. "Why?"

"Just something to keep in mind. Samuel, maybe it's time we moved on."

"Y'all would just leave this place just like that?" I wonder.

"Yeah, it wouldn't be the first time. Besides, Huxley is it's people, not the place where they reside." That thinking is somehow beautiful in a horrid kind of way.

"I was thinking, Dewitt might be right," Dad mumbles.

"’Bout what," I ask.

"We should send you out there." My heart stops for a total of ten seconds before I remember this is my dad and he'd never purposefully hurt me. If he genuinely wanted to hurt me, leaving me in the middle of the desert would have been better than in this small town.

"Ugh, I'm not going to like this am I," grumbling, I'm already working to have a plan in my head.

"I know that must've been hard for you to admit," Samuel teases, "but you're right." He stands up a little straighter and puts his hands on his hips. "Nate, I'm gonna need you to listen closely now because I need you to follow each instruction and do exactly as I say. Got it?" he asks. I nod my head along, listening to what he says, and shooting him an irritated look at what he wants me to do. These people I swear to the Goddess.

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I briskly run around the corner and twist around and almost exhale before a bullet embedded itself to the house I was leaning against. Cursing, I take off again and smirk when I see the tower ahead, though calling it such is a little generous. In truth, it might have been connected to a more prominent building sometime in the past. There are several layers where bricks are torn away from the tower wall to join the debris on the ground.

The building is easily the tallest one around. It has a giant bell inside that I know is only used as a warning system to catch the attention of any shifters within a mile of the thing. I can see the frozen clocks implanted on each side of the very top.

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I focus my hearing and count the nineteen humans still following from before. Honestly, I didn’t think the NTSCU would all chase after me, but I guess when you should be dead, you become a hot commodity. Go figure. I bust into the tower and speed up the stairs at a pace that the humans wouldn’t keep up with, but still slow enough that I stay in their eyesight. I reach the top and immediately spot the leader of this particular group of goons.

He aims his gun at me, and I raise my hands, looking back down the stairs and know I can’t go back that way. Instead, I dance around and snarl as several shots ring out, grazing my flesh. Thankfully nothing gets nicked or hit. I back up into a pole and duck when more bullets come raining my way. The leader pauses once the other NTSCU agents come pouring through the door, wheezing and out of breath. I smirk as one of the more muscular figures falls to their knees.

“Don’t just stand there; kill that monster,” the leader shouts, as I’m pretty sure that’s a man with a voice that deep. Rude much? A couple of them get their bearings back again and join in on the shooting fest. One after another, I jump around until I get to the seventh pillar in the room.

They all have me cornered before I duck into a crouch as they pelt the stone with bullets. A sound not dissimilar to cracking glass rings out, and I leap up and claw my way up and out of the building through the hatch in the ceiling just as a glow illuminates the walls.

I glance down and at awe when the NTSCU tries to escape, and some invisible door keeps them from leaving the room. One damn ass even tries to shoot their way out and gives a surprised grunt as the bullet ricochets straight back into his gut. Ouch, now that’s gonna be a painful death.

I wait precisely one hour after the wards go up before I stand up to ring the bell. I shake myself as I mentally prepare myself to have my eardrums blown out from the bells’ sound. I mean it’s not like I need to hear stuff anyway. Yeah, being able to check out your surroundings is totally overrated. I stand under the bell and grab onto the dusty, old rope that trails along the wooden floorboards.

I grasp it firmly and give a gentle, hesitant pull, keeping my hold on it until I get the bell to move with a thunderous ding dong. I wrench the rope six more times before I fall on my knees, and squeeze my hands to my ears, hoping to muffle the sound.

I crawl back until my spine hits the wall and try to concentrate on anything but the throbbing sensation vibrating through my head. The light glares into my eyes, and I do my best to keep them shut, but the beams just beat against my lids. The wind gushes against my skin, causing me to curl further into myself. Goddess, please just stop. Something abruptly touches my face, making me jostle back further and to make my head bang the wall.

Someone waves their hands in front of my face, and they slowly lower them. I follow rough, calloused hands up to the face of my dad. His mouth is moving, but all I can hear is the echo of muffled words. Oh, Goddess, I can’t hear. He touches my chin, and I jerk my head to see him tapping his lips, mouth forming one word. Breathe. I open my mouth and air gushes in, and for the first time, I’m glad I don’t need to breathe.

Though from the panicked look on my dad’s face, he hasn’t realized this, so I copy the exaggerated movements of his chest. After a moment, he tugs away my hands from my ears, and I can’t help the little whine that escapes my throat. He grasps my shoulders and doesn’t let it go after I almost collapse once more.

He takes me to the ledge, and I glare down to see all the others gathered around.

“Will you be able to make the jump down?” Dad’s looking at me with concern and worry, causing me to just nod with what he said, especially since I’m pretty sure he was shouting. He gives me the ‘you first’ motion. I proceed to make the leap down to the ground and praise the Goddess for all her blessings when I land a little unbalanced but don’t fall on my ass.

Cayden is suddenly in my face, and he’s gripping my shoulders, moving me back and forth. Which I have to say is fantastic for the prominent headache I have going on. He stops his movements, and I am unashamed to admit that I would have fallen down if not for his unrelenting grasp.

Jamie comes over. Somehow one of my arms is around his shoulder, and the other is around Cayden. I try to assure them I can walk by myself, but they ignore me. They lead me to a wooden stool that someone has dragged out and plants me on it. I try to get up but am immediately held down by their grip on my shoulders. I would roll my eyes, but I’m sure even that would hurt at the moment.

A woman I’ve never seen before is crouching before me with a flashlight that at any other time would have my eyes widening. Those things are rare out here. One of the first times someone attacked me was because I had one. It pissed me off because the asshole ended up breaking the thing.

The strange woman points the flashlight in my eyes and I can’t stop the growl that I let loose at her. To my surprise, she just rolls her eyes before gripping my chin and pointing the thing at me once more. I fidget until the light seems more bearable, and I let the light beam land on my eyes. She turns my head, and from the slight poking, I’d guess my ears are now being examined. The muffling is going in and out during the whole exchange, but my back straightens as I suddenly hear a voice by my ear.

“Can you hear this?” a soft voice asks. I jerk away from the strange woman and give a tight nod. Her face lights up before she yanks me close to her once more. She’s right in front of me with a gentle smile on her face. “What about now?” I wave my hand on the side, giving her the so-so gesture, as her voice was just a little bit muffled though I can hear again, so there’s that.

I see Samuel come up to us with a guilty expression on his face. He and the woman seem to exchange a few words before the woman walks away. He crouches in front of me, and once more I feel like a small child who’s in trouble. “Ignatius,” he starts, and I wince at the strained way in which he speaks, “what in the hell were you thinking?”

“I was trapping them just like you told me to.” I lick my dry lips and try to find the courage to continue the conversation.

“No, I said trap them if you can; there’s some protective gear in my office. Get that before anything else.” He looks at me, not in anger but with what I distinguish as disappointment, and somehow that’s worse. “How’s the headache? Doc said you’d be having one for a little while.”

“It’s felt better.”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured. Your dad went to find something for you to snack on.” One would hope that would be the end of it, but I end up getting a lecture. I try to run away, but the others take turns shoving me back down each time. When Dad makes his way back, I am so happy to see him that I could die right there.

“Eat up,” Dad huffs before moving aside to have another conversation with Samuel. I look at the meal I’ve been brought and am unsurprised at yet another rabbit. I close my eyes to send silent thanks to the Goddess and make a small incision on the artery of its neck. I put my mouth to the cut and quickly drink the blood from the animal. I take a bite and am rewarded for my efforts with non bloodied clothes.

“Wait,” Cameron’s voice is right by my ear ,“you’re telling me the blood and mess is unnecessary?”

“Hmm, it helps it taste better.”

“You make such a huge mess because of taste?”

“You would too if the food tasted like shit.”

“You mean compared to people?” He looks me in the eye, and I can tell he’s truly curious and not questioning me to be hateful. My mouth gapes for a few moments before I just give a toothy grin.

“Now, if I tell you that, then I’d ruin the suspense,” I snark at him.

“Boy, if you didn’t have that injury…”

“Oh, whatcha gonna do?” I stumble to my feet and stride to meet him nose to nose. We would have ended up roughhousing on the ground, but the look Samuel sends my way stops me in my tracks. People start yelling and look around and, for the first time, realize that I’m being boxed in by Cayden, Lukas, and Cameron. Jamie is standing a little in front of us, eyes probably already on the problem at hand. I can’t be too surprised, probably still don’t trust me. For the first time since arriving at Huxley again, I ache to reunite with Vanessa.

I’m shoved back and bump into somebody’s chest as the crowd scatters away from the commotion. The area quickly clears, and I catch sight of the NTSCU thrown onto the ground, all but the coward anyway.

He stands on his feet, and from my still healing ears, I gather that he’s upset that his friend was dumb enough to shoot himself in the gut. He spins to face our direction and his eyes widen to the point where his pupil all but disappears. Huh, that’s kinda impressive.

“You,” he shouts, pointing my direction. Being in the wonderful mood I am in, I decide to look around before pointing at myself as if I have no clue what’s going on. I mean, I do, but what’s the fun in that? “You’re the monstrosity that killed Bear,” he accuses. For the first time, I eye his hand and notice the gun with his finger heavy on the trigger.

I step in front of the shifters and stagger my way to the man. The dumbass doesn’t seem to realize the danger he’s in, but that’s not my problem.

“Funny, I don’t remember shooting your friend,” I muse. “I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s his own bullet sitting there in his stomach.” The veins in his neck pop out and I swear even if he was going to walk out of here alive he probably has an aneurysm by now.

“He was a man. A good man—better than you freaks. I mean you’d think Terrors would have some brains, but not you guys. Nope, not you guys. Not like I care. Easy pickings just like the rest of you dumb, stupid Bob-” he gurgles the rest of his words as I squeeze my hand around his throat.

“Now you listen well, you miserable excuse for a human bein’. I may be a Bobbie, and they might be Terrors, but you should remember one thin’.” I bring him closer so I can whisper into his ear, “It’s your remains that I’m gonna be chowin’ down on for the next several days.” With that, I jerk my hand and give his neck a sharp twist until I hear that satisfying cracking of bones.

I drop his carcass without taking a single bite and stride to where I know my belongings should lie. As if I would waste my taste buds on such horrible trash. I can faintly make out the crunch of footsteps behind me, so I pivot around to defend myself. It’s Cayden, and as I glare into his eyes, I catch a glint that is nowhere near the fear or disgust that I thought would be painted in them.

“Come on, I know you gotta fetch your witch tomorrow, but there’s a couple tricks we wanna show off.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, you might be able to pick them up if it...well, I always enjoy kicking your ass.”

“Please. Maybe in your dreams.” I shove Cayden out of my way before running off. Knowing he’s hot on my heels, I jump and avoid a tackle. Maybe for once, I have found more people that will accept me for who I am. Even so, there’s better than seeing Vanessa.