I take shelter behind crates and tents as I make my way over, careful to avoid the main walkways. I sneak over to one of the windows and take a peak. It’s dark inside, but I can make out a desk, several chairs, charts hung on the walls, and several papers, as well as another door, but no one else is inside. I take a quick glance around to make sure no one is around and carefully open the door. It creaks on it’s hinges and I cringe, hoping to whatever God is listening that no one heard me. I step inside and close it back up, locking the door behind me to make sure no one interrupts. A quick glance around tells me that no one is inside, and the only other door is on the other side.

Unfortunately, it’s locked, but luckily for me, I still at least have some bobby-pins. I quickly set to work on picking the lock and open the door. Once it’s unlocked, I peek inside to the dark room before me. There’s only one light source, an electric lantern sitting on a small table, and it doesn’t illuminate much. I creep inside, closing and relocking the door behind me again. It appears to be a small office with various gizmos and instruments meant to monitor the plant.

In the corner of the room, someone sits slumped in a chair, and I quickly dive for cover behind the desk before they can spot me.

“This can’t wait until morning?” A gruff, familiar voice demands, faced away from me.

I stay where I am, drawing my knife and getting ready for a fight. The figure chuckles ruefully, the chair squeaking as they do. “What? Suddenly you have nothing to gloat about this time?”

The voice quickly becomes more familiar, and my heart leaps to my throat. “Dani?” I ask, peeking my head up from around the desk. She tenses, her head turned trying to look for me.

“Cass? Is that you?” She sounds doubtful, swiveling her head around to try and look at me.

I quickly stand from cover and rush to her side, but I gasp when I see her face. Half of it is covered in bloodstained bandages, covering her left eye. Dried blood coats her face and clothes, her hair even more matted and also coated with dried blood. Her hands are bound behind her back by zip-ties through the gaps in the chair, and her ankles are taped to the legs of her seat.

“What did they do to you..?” I mutter, holding her face in my hands. She eagerly leans against my touch with an exhausted sigh.

“That doesn’t matter right now,” Dani says, her eyes closed. “What are you doing here? What happened with the CDC?”

“It’s a long story,” I say, glancing around the room before I start cutting her ankles free. “Right now, I have to get you out of here. Josh is waiting with Sparrow and a couple others near the park, I’ll explain everything on the way.”

Once her ankles are free, I cut away the zip-ties holding her hands, and she nearly slides out of her chair, but I catch her in a hug that she returns instantly, taking a breath as though she’s been holding it all this time. However much I never want it to end, we’re not safe yet.

We part and I give her a quick kiss on her forehead, smiling. “Let’s get you out of here, alright?”

Dani nods and I help her stand. She’s wobbly on her feet and her steps are unsure as I lead her to the window of the little office. I peek around outside, glad to see that the wall of the shack is on the outside of the fence. I pry the window open and help Dani climb out, carefully climbing out myself and closing the window once again.

The less of a trail the Widow’s have to follow us on, the less of a chance they have of tracking us down again.

We dodge our way out of the view of the main gate, circling around the camp until we see Josh, Sparrow, Matt, and Quentin, quietly arguing with one another.

“He can’t be trusted!” Josh whispers loudly .

“You sound disappointed to see me, pal,” Matt scoffs.

“More like I’m disappointed that you’re still alive,” Josh growls.

“You wound me, pretty boy. If it wasn’t for me, you’d still be tied up in that camp and your little friends here would never have found you.”

Dani tenses when she sees Matt, but she stays quiet, taking my hand and lacing our fingers together as we approach.

“Guys,” I interrupt, “We need to leave before they figure out what happened.”

Josh and Sparrow perk up when they see Dani with me, and quickly move to envelop her in a tight hug. She returns it, looking just as relieved to see them.

“I heard the screaming a while back,” Josh says. “What happened?”

“Let’s just say,” Dani glares back at the camp. “Jess is pretty fond of the phrase 'Eye for an Eye'. Come on, we should go.” The boys nod with her and I quietly lead them away from the camp and further out of the town, Dani’s hand never leaving mine.

I finally found her. She’s alive and kicking, and we’re finally getting out of here, far away. I almost can’t believe it.