Almost Forgotten

Chapter 20: An Odd One Out

No turning back. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, it's too late to say goodbye.

Conflating life is the hardest thing that was left on the mankind species.

Trying to organize the world is near to impossible, putting your own life on the line is close by, yet even the one short day is nothing which comes easy.

Should I be horrified? Not for me, but for him? For Landon?

"Thorne." Jackson yells once more as Landon refuses to move an inch, and the faces around him with too many deadly weapons seem to be getting irritated.

I grit my teeth, using the sudden lightness of his grasp to slip my hand out of it. He doesn't even pretend to fight me when I lock my hand on the side of his neck and tangle our legs to flip us around once more.

He is still looking at me with tired and calm eyes, the mesmerizing look in the blue crystals match when he looks at me matches the same look in the eye tourists have when they see saphire into selling business.

He looks at me as something holy.

I place a palm over his chest, knowing he won't fight me and none of the bullets will be fired in his direction.

Should I be confused? How the hell did they find us?

I hear laughter from below, breaking eye contact just for a moment to see Jackson sighing in relief as the two agents run past us, searching the rest of the house.

Jackson is walking slowly, mostly staring at Landon with such distaste that the floor could melt from the poison behind his eyelids.

I swallow down, flicking my dyes to him as I ask. "How did you find us?"

He laughs, raising an eyebrow. "You called us Haden." he says, patting my back as the greeting.

What?

"What? No, but- Why would... You-" I stutter over words, not even sure what is the first thing I want to ask about?

Landon is no amateur, yet as hard as it is to admit, neither are the rest of them. All they needed is at least two or three stray rebel kids to hire with small payment to make sure they can be tracked.

After all they went through and accomplished, a phone call takes them down?

"Haden." I shut my mouth at Jacksons words as he stands right next to me, if the trigger was pulled it would go straight into Landon's heart. I follow after him, standing up as Landon has to stay down. "Don't worry about it, we will explain it on the way. Right now, all that matters is that you won."

I won.

It surely doesn't feel like it.

Something is not right.

Scratch that. Nothing is right here.

"Winter Haden, being the only person to catch the notorious and infamous Landon Thorne, again."

My mouth feels dry, full of acid. I need a drink, my head is pounding.

A clattering of metal is pushed at my chest. My finger grazes slightly over the cuffs when I glance down, but Jackson's eyes are full of excitement and pride.

"You have the honor."

Lovely.

I try to avoid looking at anyone, just snatch the handcuffs from his hands as I fall down on my knees. Soon the attempt is failing as I catch the sight of Landon's eyes full of something I cannot put my finger on.