Cara's POV
"I'm not being stupid, right?" I blurted out. "What I'm saying makes sense."
Kieran, who now had the entire weight of his head supported by his hands, nodded solemnly. "You're not being stupid. I want more evidence first though."
"Think about it literally," I said, "Officers have been following us for months, seemingly always finding us even when we're far away and hidden. Yes?"
Kieran nodded.
"So, I think you know what that means right?"
It was 2:30 in the afternoon on the 30th October, Kieran and were sat round one of the tables in the cafeteria. And I'd been thinking a lot more lately. Kieran's gaze caught mine and I saw pain flash behind his eyes.
"I don't want to think that." He whispered.
Just at that time, Luke and Elodie burst through the doors, slumping down on the bench next to Kieran and I.
"Hi idiots. What's for lunch?" Elle said gleefully.
"Kieran mate, you alright?" Lucas tapped him on the arm.
"Yeah." He mumbled. "Feel sick, not hungry." I didn't doubt that was the case.
And with that he stood up and walked out; a miserable look plastered on his face.
"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Ellie giggled, digging into an omelette piece Luke had fetched for her from the front.
I wanted to laugh; I really did. But part of my felt exactly the same way I could presume Kieran was feeling.
Scared, worried, hurt. But most of all betrayed. And it was somebody on the compound with us or somebody in our old group that was making me feel those emotions.
"You two, there's something important we need to talk about."
Elle put down her omelette and furrowed her eyebrows, nodding me on.
"I've been thinking lately, a lot more than usual. Back at the old base years ago, officers found us with no evidence were there, correct?"
They nodded, suspicious looks on their faces.
"And though we'd never had any experiences at that abandoned warehouse when it was just us three, we've had attacks here at camp haven't we? Fairly minor ones but still attacks in the grand scheme of things."
They nodded again, realisation embedding into their eyes.
I took a deep breath, dread filling my stomach to the point where I felt sick to even say the words.
"So, somebody who is here now, and was back at the old base-"
But I was interrupted, and Elodie said the three words I'd been dreading to all afternoon.
"Is a traitor." She choked out.
I nodded, putting a hand over my mouth to cover the pain on my face.
Lucas remained silent. Breathing heavily.
"That's why Kieran stormed off. He knows it could be somebody following us and tracking us which is entirely possible, but I think part of him also knows it could be one of us. He's terrified that that's the case."
Lucas still said nothing.
"I trust you guys more than anything." Elle whispered. "Let's stay positive, hope it's somebody elsewhere. Somebody in camp maybe."
Finally, Luke spoke.
"We really don't get a break, do we? Those two years we spent at the old base were so perfect, nobody came at all close to us. Why choose then to go after Elodie? To destroy the community, we built from the ground with every brick and pebble? God, we were so happy. And we lost Hunter for that reason."
Elodie put a hand on Luke's arm and her eyes started to well up with tears. I knew I wouldn't be far behind her so instead I stood up and wandered out into the cool day instead. I needed air, not that air meant anything anymore. I felt like I was drowning.
For all they knew, it could be me. For all I knew it could be any of them.
Or maybe we were all just overthinking? And there was somebody tapping our devices? Watching us from afar? I liked to think that.
***
Elodie's POV
"Luke." I mumbled. "You remember what you said to me the night we thought we'd lost them all? You said we only have each other. Do you still stand by that?"
"Tell me this, Elodie. Which would be worse, to die right now alongside them or to keep going with our lives knowing we only have each other?"
"I never stopped standing by that. It's not you, I know it's not you."
"It would've never have been worse, you know? Dying knowing it was just us?"
"I know." He whispered, pulling me into a kiss. "I know. But keep an open mind, There's a good chance it's not any of us."