Page 147 of Blue Arrow Island
Marcus climbs up the ladder, carefully taking in the view of camp over the wall before going all the way.
And then, not surprisingly, he makes getting over the spikes look easy. His legs are so long that he finds footholds in the openings without hitting the sharpened ends of the spears.
He quickly secures the rope, wraps it around his waist, and disappears over the wall.
After a deep breath, I put my hands on the ladder and climb it, not looking down. This is how I can get to Amira, Olin and the others I care about. I have to make it work.
Marcus throws me the rope. I miss it on the first try, but get it on the second.
Navigating the spikes is harder for me. They’re far enough apart that I can’t lie on them like a bed of nails, but too tall and close together for me to get around like Marcus did.
All I can do is squeeze my way between them, taking an indirect path. A short spike catches on my pants and tears a small hole in the fabric on my left thigh.
A couple minutes later, I make it to the other side and lock eyes with Marcus. He nods at me, hands on his waist.
It’s been years since I rappelled. I was just a kid, and I only did light rock wall scaling with my dad bracing my rope the entire time. But I have to get down there.
“Get to the halfway point and I’ll catch you,” Marcus whispers.
I turn my back to him and push off, air flowing over my face. Then I crash into the wall with an “oof” sound, the breath knocked out of my lungs.
I drop, and Marcus catches me, a smile tugging at his lips.
“You okay?” he asks.
I groan and rub my left knee. “Never better.”
My soreness is forgotten as he unties the rope from my waist and we rush through the garden. Tall rows of corn conceal us for a while, and we bend down when we reach the tomatoes, thefresh smell of the plants reminding me of when I worked here every day.
“Where the hell is he?”
An enraged male voice sounds from the center of camp, near the tower. We slowly creep toward it, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up when the voice returns.
“I’ll cut her head off, Nova! You’ve got ten seconds to call Marcus on the radio or she’s dead.”
Marcus’s eyes widen and he looks at me, sticking his gun into the back waistband of his pants.
“Nova won’t talk. I’m going.”
Before I can respond, he’s running away, leaving me gaping after him. My heart drops to my stomach. I can’t believe he just did that. He’s going to get himself killed.
After checking in every direction, I move from the cover of the Hub’s building to crouch behind a small stage near the center of camp. This is where performances, often by the camp’s young kids, are hosted. It gives me a clear view of Ray, who has a knife to the neck of a dark-haired woman. She’s crying, her eyes squeezed tightly shut.
“I want everything!” Ray yells. “You open every door in this camp for me! I want every weapon and all the supplies.”
“Fine.” It’s Marcus, my gaze flying to him. “Let Blythe go, and you and I can handle this.”
Nova, Amira, and the other captured command team members are tied to the thick support posts of the water tower. It looks like they ran out of rope, because Breck’s wrists are bloody from what looks like wire that’s wrapped tightly around them.
Not everyone is here. I only see three others who look like they’re with Ray, all men holding knives. Around a dozen people are lying face down on the ground, their hands on the backs of their heads.
I take a deep breath, clearing my mind. Marcus is walking toward Ray, his hands out in front of him. One of the men working with Ray is chewing a fingernail, the other hand slack at his side with the knife in it.
I’ve shot guns many times, but never with stakes this high. Ray’s head is turned so he has a clear view of Marcus, and I’ve got a good shot at the back of his head.
I move onto the stage, widen my stance, and take aim. I’m about to fire when Ray moves, Blythe’s head now in the spot I was going to shoot.
My heart hammers so hard I can feel it everywhere. This isn’t the time for shaky hands and second-guessing. I imagine my dad standing next to me, telling me to be strong and do what needs doing.
