Chapter 14 : Inside job

THEO. I tread carefully on the forest floor, not making a single sound. The summer heat has dried up all the leaves and I know that one crunch could be enough to alert some of the guards who are still patrolling the borders. The guards who are unaware that I managed to escape through the extra tunnel I dug up in the sewers. It might sound pretty gross, but contrary to what Amarantha thinks, the sewers aren't actually disgusting. She just hasn't been there at all. The camp is made to be strong and neat. Almost like it was meant to be a good camp in the first place. Resentment builds in my throat as I look at the camp from a distance. The walls are high, higher than any of the buildings. None of the trees are visible. In fact, nothing from the outside world is visible. They really designed this to break the spirit of every single one who goes here. But that's going to change soon. I'm about to go out further and explore more of the border to look for more weak spots but that's when I hear the rushed footsteps speeding away from the camp. "Intruder!" the guards are suddenly screaming. They all go down from their posts, clutching their silver guns. I have stolen one of those before and I know that they're not deadly, but the sleeping draught in those darts is enough to knock one out for three weeks. I start to make my way back to the tunnel to avoid getting framed, but I find myself running into a solid mass of pure muscle. I almost stumble back. I stop in my tracks and see that it's a Werewolf. I get into a fighting stance, but the Werewolf just freezes and slowly shrinks into its Human form. I prepare to punch him if the need arises, only to find out that it's just a boy around my age, looking panicked to see my fists clenched. "I'm not an enemy," he says. "But I'm not a camper either. Can I hide in there so they won't catch me?" He cocks his chin to the direction of the tunnel. Panic and reluctance both rise up my throat. I don't know this boy and if he finds out about the tunnel, it could be dangerous for all of us. He seems to be thinking this too, because he shakes his head. "I know it would sound stupid, but I really am not a bad person. I just decided to visit someone from there but I guess the security is tighter than I thought." "Did you get in?" I ask, and he nods. "Split up and look for him," one of the guards says in the distance. He faces me again. "Please? It's not going to be long, I promise...." The guards start to approach with their flashlights. I can see the glare being split through the woods. I have no choice but to beckon him to follow me or else we're both going to get caught. We both run towards the tunnel, waiting for the guards to pass completely. I'm about to tell him to leave now when he turns around and starts looking around. "So this is an entrance to the camp?" he asks. "Yes, and I guard it," I say. "So if you ever think about—" "Relax." He confidently puts his hands on my shoulders. "I just... okay, I have a friend there who I—" "I don't care about that." I push his hands off me. "I just need you to know that you can't get in. Just because I helped you doesn't mean you can put my camp in danger." "Your camp?" he repeats, then his eyes trail down on me. His gaze gets stuck around my neck, frowning when he doesn't see the beeping light. "You're just a camper. One of the Unclaimed. And you managed to get out. What do you think they'd say if they find that out?" My fists clench even harder. "Go. Now." He raises his hands in surrender. "I really don't mean anything. I just need to talk to Maxine Kane." I freeze. Did I hear that right? "Maxine Kane?" I ask again. He nods. "I need to talk to her. Do you know her? Maybe if you pass a message for me, I won't tell anyone about this tunnel...." I want to ask why. I want to ask what he needs from her or what she needs from him. But the threat ruined all my willingness to help, and there isn't much in there to begin with. I take one look at him, and without saying anything, I turn around and leave, knowing that I have to block off the tunnel I made once again. Just to keep that boy out. And perhaps I need to take care of things from the inside, starting with Maxine Kane. * * * "So you believe that she has some kind of outside connection?" Jonathan asks as I finish telling the story to him. "And what do you think is the reason?" "I have no clue," I mutter. "I just know that someone is visiting her. The only one who can tell the truth is her." He doesn't say anything. I can tell he's pretty scared of what I will do. And in a way, I'm also pretty wary of what I'm about to do. "Go to the office now, I'll be talking to someone," I say, going on my separate way before he can even say something. I arrive at the training ground, which is still empty apart from one person. Maxine. She's busy trying to shoot at the targets with a bow and arrow. I feel a vague kind of amazement when I see that she can already hit the bullseye even when her form is all wrong. She turns around to look at me, flashing me a small smile. "Good morning." I can't help but frown. Why is she in a good mood when yesterday she almost punched me straight in the face after the fight was over? It must have something to do with her visitor. I'm not one for confrontations. I also don't want to jump straight into it. But I just find myself saying, "Why are you taking visitors from outside the camp?" Maxine's face gets drained of color. She drops the bow and the arrow. "I don't know what you're talking about," she says, but I can tell she doesn't mean it. "I'm talking about the boy who almost got caught in the borders last night," I declare. "Sound familiar to you?" She stays quiet. Even as I approach her, she doesn't look me in the eye. "Who was that?" I ask, a strange emotion bubbling in my chest. "Your boyfriend?" "No!" she hisses at last. "I... I don't know who that guy is, okay? How the hell do you even know that someone almost got caught? Why are you in the loop about such things? Is it because you're screwing Amarantha behind the scenes?" Her accusation is so absurd that I let out a laugh instead of getting mad. “Are you serious right now? I have to admire your audacity to turn this into my problem.” “It is your problem,” she says, waving her arm around. “I don’t know that boy, okay? I just met him the night I got turned. That’s all there is to it.” “Then why did he ask me to pass a message to you?” She freezes. A certain emotion passes through her face but I can’t quite pinpoint what it is. I can almost see the gears in her head turning. “What does he want from you?” I ask again, desperate for an answer. “It’s not good to entertain guests from outside like this. It might endanger all the things I planned—” “I just told you I don’t know.” Maxine’s gaze turns sharp. “But it’s all good. I’m glad that you told me. Maybe now I have a new way to escape this hellhole without needing any of your help!” With that, she whips around and starts to leave. I was going to let her walk away, but then she stops in her tracks before she can get out of the amphitheater. Not only that, she starts to take steps backward like she just faced death itself. “What’s wrong?” I ask in panic. “Maxine, come….” I trail off when I see the person at the doorway, my heart seizing up. It’s Amarantha.