Free Minds

Chapter 110.

"Okay," Camila sighed, straightening up. "I think we've done enough talking for the day. I already have what we need so..."

   I stared at the Neuroskel in her hands from where I was, still glued on the stage's steps, and tried not to feel like crap for grabbing it from Speck's table and making this situation a thousand times worse. Now, nothing could stop Rav and I from getting those placement guns and Dorian from being–

   That horrid thought was made incomplete by an alarming sound coming from the stage. I looked over my shoulder to see the sudden turn of events unfold like a movie.

   Dorian was somehow free of the straps that were binding him a second ago and did not waste time tackling Mr. Speck in front of him to the floor. Our principal, like the rest of us, was so shocked that his grip on his gun weakened enough for it to fall forward and Dorian to snatch and press it to his head without hesitation.

"But," I had to ask. "How did you–how were you able to–I didn't even finish unbuckling the strap on one hand!"

   Fortunately, Dorian understood the question my disturbed brain was failing the simple task of formulating. Not shifting his attention from Speck, he replied, "You really loosened it though. Turns out that and time was all I needed."

   And with the revelation about The Institution and Camila's confession, he'd had so much time.

   I observed Camila's confidence falter at the current scene before us. That, however, didn't last longer than five seconds.

   Her purple irises transformed to a deep shade of violet as her mouth formed a hard line, "Dorian–"

"Give my brother to Beth and the Neuroskel to them and I swear I'll let him go." He matched her intensity.

"And if I don–"

   The piercing blast accompanying Dorian pulling the stolen gun's trigger was followed in less than a second by a goosebump-inducing howl from our principal. I failed to resist the urge to lean back and gawk at the wound on Speck's left foot, which was giving violent jerks and still surrounded by smoke from Dorian's shot toward it.

   The green complexion on Camila's face was much paler than the rest of her body.

"I'm not going to repeat myself," Dorian said in a calm voice that was hard to not get freaked out by.

"Dorian–"

"It'll be his head next time, I swear."

   Was this the right time to swoon? Not that the part of me asking and swooning cared.

   Camila didn't make another attempt to speak. Good.

   She bent before Rav, grabbing his sleeves and yanking him to the floor. Each step they took made me tingle. When they got to the beginning of the steps, Camila untangled the knot around his hands.

   It took all my restraint to not pull Rav into a hug as he walked up the stairs and stopped beside me, rubbing his red-circled wrists the whole time.

   Camila, however, didn't join Rav like she was supposed to. She was now cradling the Neuroskel, her glances switching between the machine in her hands and a pain-ridden Mr. Speck.

"Before you say anything," she said.

"Hand the Neuroskel over." Dorian shook his head. "Like you said earlier, we've wasted too much time talking."

"You're right." Her shoulders slouched. "I'll just show you."

A/N: Happy first Sunday of the year! How are you spending it so far?

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