Chapter 29

'Come on guys!' Jay shouted while running, beckoning his friend to follow him.

Two guys ran towards the left building, running around the huge building on the other side. Opening the heavy metal doors, James and Dean entered the room, entering empty metal corridors. Turning a corner, they nodded in greeting to the guard with the dog, opening another door to a small room where all the guys always gathered to discuss or something more serious.

'So I have two news for you,' Foster threw up his hands as soon as he stepped through the doorway.

Looking around at everyone with a focused look, the blond walked over to the table that stood in the middle of the room.

'The 'State' is divided. Our enemies skillfully step on a rake.'

The tall brunette approached Jay, placing his strong hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

'Are we supposed to destroy them? The other day we noticed people from the "State" in our city. I think we need to be careful.'

'In any case, do not communicate with people from the "State.' This may be a scam for us. And one more thing,' James went to the wall, where there was a map on which there were a lot of red marks. Running his finger along the red line, he turned to everyone with a smirk on his lips. 'We must destroy the 'State'.'

Everyone in the room grinned slyly after Jay.

Haven't had a good shake in a long time. It was kind of entertainment to the death. Dangerous, but so exciting at the same time.

Dean ran a hand through his curly hair, brushing it back. His gaze was fixed on a short guy with a pistol tattoo on his arm. His expression was confused, as if he was thinking about something really serious.

'What happened, boy?' Dean whispered softly in his ear, watching James so he wouldn't notice their stealth.

Foster did not like other people's secrets, just as he did not like it when someone did not tell him or lied. He loved to know and have everything in mind.

'No, everything is fine. True,' the guy answered, leaving Dean, but the curly man managed to grab his hand in time.

'Do not lie to me. I won't tell Jay if you don't want me to. Trust me.'

Dean glanced quickly at Foster, noticing that he and the others were making a plan to exterminate the 'State', no longer for the people who were in it, but for its leader, Oliver. Oliver was one hell of a lot. Jackal in the soul. He always ran to the ready and everything that he now has, it was all a stranger.

'No, I'll go, let me go,' the guy wrenched his hand from the tight grip, heading for the door.

'Where are you going, Luke?' James asked, turning around after the boy.

Brown silently left the room, closing the doors behind him. Foster looked confusedly at Dean, who quickly crossed the distance to catch up with the departed guy.

'It's all right, James. He just got sick. I'll follow him.' Dean quickly came up with a go-ahead for Foster, pursing his lips.

Jay narrowed his eyes, realizing something was wrong.

Ignoring this, he turned back to the map, beginning to consult with everyone who remained.

Dean ran out of the hull, looking around the area, trying to find Luke.

The guy was sitting against the wall, dragging on a cigarette. Dean walked over to him, sitting next to him and placing his hand on his shoulder. Luke fiddled with the lighter nervously, peering ahead. For the guy, everything was rather more complicated than for James. And there were not only material values. Foster could easily understand Luke, but he would simply refuse to listen to him. Jay's principles are pretty simple, he doesn't care about others, because there is only him in this world.

'What's your problem, boy?'

Brown sighed heavily, exhaling smoke outside. Throwing someone else's hand off his shoulder, Luke turned towards the young man, examining all of him, but only without looking into his eyes.

'Gigi, Oliver's girlfriend,' the boy finally said.

Raising the cigarette to his lips, he inhaled, closing his eyes blissfully, feeling the acrid smoke pass into his lungs.

'And of course, she is in the 'State' and helps him,' Luke suddenly laughed, leaning back against the wall.

But this laugh was not due to the fact that the guy was in a good mood. It was just a laugh of desperation when you can't do anything.

'And you know,' the brown-haired man raised his left eyebrow up, emphasizing this. 'That Foster will kill anyone who defends him, and be sure Gigi will be one of them.'

'Who is Gigi?'

'She's my sister.'

* * * *

How do people feel when they die?

Weightlessness or maybe heaven and hell really exist?

How do people feel when they die?

Is it like closing your eyes and seeing only darkness?

How do people feel when their soul leaves their body?

They lied, there is no light. There is only darkness and your thoughts from which you cannot escape. There is no tunnel at the end of which there is a bright white light.

They lied. The worst thing is to be in a cage of darkness, one with your mind.

Think, think, think...

And I'm in this cage now.

The only way out of here is to try to believe in life, if the faith of another does not force you.

What if I don't want to open my eyes?

What if I want to disappear from here?

What then? How to stop it?

Too many questions. Too many thoughts in the dark.

Time doesn't exist here, it just doesn't exist. And every time there's a voice in my head that tells me to open my eyes. But I don't want to open them! Maybe if my heart stops completely, I'll get better.

'Hailey,' again my name in my head, again I hear it.

The name, like an echo, bounces off the darkness.

Emptiness in which sounds drown.

'Open your eyes, angel,' I don't want to open them, but something just makes me do it.

The cage opens up and gravity disappears. Weightlessness evaporates.

The heart speeds up and soon I hear the blood begin to flow with force through the veins. Eyelashes flutter before eyes open.

My body is under my control again.

'You can never walk away from me just like that.' I turn my head to the voice, seeing his blue eyes and the old smirk on his lips.

His hand is holding mine, stroking my knuckles with a finger.

A scream escapes my chest and my eyes close, my hand escapes his and I move away from him, open my eyes and then notice that I have an IV attached to my other arm and I can't get out of bed.

'Calm down, damn it!' He shoves me onto the pillow, covering my mouth with his hand. 'Open your eyes and look at me,' he growls and my heartbeat races. 'I’ll call the doctor, and you will lie here quietly, understand me?'

I nodded and he removed his hand.

James left the room, leaving me alone. Tears rolled from her eyes, falling onto her pillow. I wanted to die because I thought I would be free. But it seems I drowned in despair, forgetting. I need to be strong and think logically. When people get into other people's games, all they have to do to get out is to follow the rules of others to beat it to their luck soon.

I need to play by his rules so he can play by mine.

'So, Hailey, how are you feeling?' A man in a white coat came in from the corridor, next to whom Foster was standing.

'It's OK, really. Just weakness in the body.'

'It's naturally. You need energy, so you must eat.' The doctor looked at James as he removed his glasses. 'I will write what she can eat and also what vitamins she should take.'

'I understand. So, she might not be on bed rest anymore?'

'I think yes. Just make sure she gets plenty of rest.'

'Can I take it off?' I pointed to my hand, and the man nodded, stepping closer and helping to disconnect the IV.

'All right, Mr. Foster, come to my office later to pick up the directions sheet. Gain strength, Hailey,' the man left the room, closing the door behind him.

James stood by the table, watching me intently. Silence killed comfort in a small room. He folded his arms across his chest, tilting his head slightly to the side. I just sat on the bed, feeling terrible, like a mouse cornered by a predator.

'What?' I asked quietly, continuing to look at him the way he looked at me.

'You will live with me.'

His words sent electricity through my body. The realization that I would be alone next to him obviously did not comfort me.

'Okay,' I said before thinking, but I have to be a good girl, so he got what he wanted.

He laughed so loudly I thought I had done something wrong.

'So you just agreed? Without any screams and words, that I am a monster? What happened to you?'

'Can I change something?' I got up from the bed, feeling the cold floor under my feet.

'Can not.'

James pushed himself away from the table, coming closer to me. His steps were careful and quiet. A smirk appeared on his face and I just knew he was going to do something. My body was calm, because I realized that in order to be free, you need to obey it.

'That's right, you can't change anything,' he emphasized 'anything' and stopped next to me.

Jay raised his hand, and before I instinctively closed my eyes, I felt his hand on my cheek. Not a punch, just a soft touch.

And that was something I didn't expect from him.

I opened my eyes as he slammed the door. He left.

The room was empty. Several times his mood changed so abruptly for no reason. He just broke down and ran away from everything to think, to be alone. And that was exactly the reason why I wanted to know him. Nothing personal, just his secret that he kept to himself.

Opening the door carefully, I made sure that no one was near the room. Walking on tiptoes into the corridor, my eyes landed on two people in uniform, who were most likely guards here.

'Hailey, sneaking up is really bad and you should know that. The left wing is not just for bad guys,' a guy behind me said loudly, and the guards briefly turned their heads to look at me.

They began to approach me, but when they looked behind me, they immediately stood in their usual places. I didn't know the man behind me, I hadn't heard his voice before. Slowly turning around, my eyes fell on a young guy with tattoos on his body. A transparent black T-shirt showed a long inscription on the collarbones. His brown hair was sticking out in different directions, as if he had just woken up, thus creating chaos.

'You're coming with me,' I trembled, feeling his grip on my wrist.

And I had to follow him.