Half Lost by Sally Green Read Free Book Online Page B

off.

Back at Camp

    It’s dark and raining when we approach Camp Three. There’s a guard ahead and as I approach I shout, “It’s me, Nathan. Password’s ‘Orion’s Belt.’”
    A shot rings out and hits a tree close to my left.
    I push Donna to the ground and roll to my right. I go invisible and run at the guard, knocking the gun upward and out of her hands, and then I push her to the ground. She starts to get up and I hit her in the face with the butt of the gun so that she falls back, blood pouring from her nose.
    I’m panting hard and no longer invisible. The girl looks up at me. She’s one of the trainees.
    Greatorex runs up, gun pointing at me but shouting at her guards. “Report!”
    Another trainee appears from my right, a third from my left. All with guns pointing at me. I keep my gun pointed at the girl on the ground who now, despite her broken nose, shouts, “Wrong password! Wrong password!”
    Greatorex advances on me, gun still aimed at my head. She says, “What’s the password?”
    â€œI don’t know. You’ve changed it and no one’s told me.”
    â€œSo why attack my guard?”
    â€œShe shot at me!”
    â€œUnless you can prove to me you’re really Nathan, I’ll have to shoot you.”
    â€œYou want me to go invisible, throw lightning, breathe flames, and kill the lot of you? Will that be proof enough?”
    Gabriel runs up now, taking in the situation, and asks, “What’s happening?”
    Greatorex tells him. “This person says he’s Nathan. But he might be an impostor.”
    â€œFuck off, Greatorex.” I can’t believe she’s serious but her gun is still on me.
    Gabriel says, “He swears like Nathan, but any uneducated idiot can do that.”
    I swear at him now, not sure if he’s joking or not. “Just tell her it’s me, Gabriel.”
    He comes to me, puts a hand on my chest and looks into my eyes, saying, “But is it you?” Then he leans closer to me, his body against mine, and he moves his mouth to my ear and I feel his breath as he whispers, “You’ve been away a long time. Were you lost?”
    I turn to him, my lips brushing his hair as I mumble, “I got fucking wounded, bloody lost, and climbed the shitting Eiger.”
    â€œClose, but not exactly—”
    â€œI’m sticking to the spirit of it rather than word for word.”
    Gabriel turns to Greatorex, saying, “It’s him. But still feel free to shoot him.”
    â€œTempting,” Greatorex replies, but she lowers her gun.
    The girl at my feet tries to get up but I push her down with my boot. “You can keep still; you could have killed me.”
    Greatorex steps up and says, “It’s you who got the password wrong, Nathan. She was doing her job.”
    I shove the gun into Greatorex’s hands and say, “Well, tell her to point this at her over there.” I turn to indicate Donna, who is walking toward us with a nervous smile on her face, her hands tied behind her back. “She was in a Hunter camp. She was tied up and she says she wants to join the Alliance, but she could be an infiltrator or a spy. Anyway, you deal with her. I want some food and some sleep.”
    â€œWait! You’ve been in a Hunter camp? Where?”
    â€œTwo days away.”
    â€œThey’ll track you.”
    â€œThey’re all dead, but, yes, more will come.”
    Greatorex doesn’t swear, though I’m sure she wants to. She barks a few orders to her trainees to check my trail and then goes to talk to Donna while I walk with Gabriel into the camp.
    I need to relax but as we enter the camp I tense up again. This camp is all organized rows of tents with trainees standing by them, guns in hand, staring at me. I slow and Gabriel moves close to me and says, “They heard gunfire. They’re bound to be nervous.”
    â€œI was the one being