Jordyn

Panic blooms around me as I search the ground for Samson.

"Sam!" I scream, kneeling down on all fours to search for him. "Sam, answer me!"

My fingers meet something warm, and I grasp for anything living. Sam's hands wrap themselves around my wrists.

"Jordyn," he whispers feebly.

I do my best to jerk him towards me, but our pursuants are getting closer by the second. I'm not strong enough with one hand.

"Ezra, help me!" I plead, looking over my shoulder at Ezra as he stumbles blindly towards us. He nearly trips over my legs, kneels down, and fumbles through the water for me.

"I can't see, Jordyn," he says as his hands find my arms and make their way towards Sammy.

"I know, Ez. I know. Just, please, help me."

I can't let Sam die. I can't let the monsters get him. I don't know what I would do without him. Who else would let me climb onto their back when I can't avoid the water or stare at me with eyes the size of an ocean? Who else would scream at me? Remind me what's real? Keep me grounded and sane?

Ezra's hands find Sammy's and begin to pull backwards. We've always gotten him to his feet when the screeching rounds the corner in the form of four luminescent yellow eyes. They don't hesitate to pounce upon Sammy's fallen body, jerking him away from us.

I scream and grasp for empty air as his hands are pulled out of mine and Ezra's. I watch the shape of him recede into the tunnel, and my panic morphs into sheer rage. I clench my hand around the knife Sam gave me and chase after the monsters. Their shapes are barely visible, but after a few steps, we round a corner and one of the yellow lights illuminates the scene.

Kaia has Sammy's leg in her mouth and is jerking him away. Sarah's crouching by his head, ready to pounce on me.

"Try me," I growl, and I swear, she smiles. Without hesitation, she throws herself at me, and I'm slammed into the wall with the force of a truck. It knocks the air out of my lungs, but the sound coming out of Sarah is worse than anything I feel. She groans in pain and spits blood onto my face as she gasps for breath.

With a groan, she staggers away from me, pulling me along with her.

When we slammed into the wall, I had the knife in between us. The pressure drove it through her chest. Clinging to the handle, I twist the weapon and feel it ripping through muscle and bone. She reaches out with a clawed hand and smacks me across the side of the head.

The world around me spins, but I hold my footing.

Strengths, I remind myself. Use your strengths.

Still holding onto the knife, I lift my leg and plant a kick into Sarah's stomach. The force rips the knife out of her chest bone and sends her sprawling backwards into the ice water beneath us.

There's no time to wait and see if she gets back up. I turn towards Kaia. She drops Sam's leg and sets her sights on me. I reposition the knife so that it's facing her and wait, holding my breath. She takes one step, two... three...

Then, just as she lowers herself to pounce, Ezra appears behind her and grabs both sides of her head. With a grunt, he throws his body into twisting her skull. It pivots on her shoulders and a sound like a dull crack of lightning splits the room. Her mouth is still open as she tumbles to the ground.

Disgust mixes with pride in my chest.

"How did you learn..." My voice trails off, and I shake my head. "You know what, nevermind. I don't want to know."

"You really don't," Ezra mumbles, wiping his hands off on the legs of his jumpsuit.

"Thanks," I mumble, and Ezra smiles slightly before he nods.

"Just doing my job."

Movement on the ground catches my eye.

"Sammy," I gasp, rushing over and falling to my knees at his side. He's sprawled spread-eagle on his back, face twisted in pain. I hold both sides of his face as Ezra moves down to inspect the leg that Kaia had a hold on. "Are you okay?"

Sam nods feebly.

"I'm not going to die," he says, opening his eyes. "You did it."

"Did what?" I ask, brushing his hair back. He smiles, wincing as Ezra tears off what remains of his pants leg below and knee and turns his ankle.

"You defended yourself," Sam says, "without behind told how to."

I sigh.

"I guess there's a little bit of trained fighter left in me still."

"I'm proud of you," he says through gritted teeth. "You could have left me."

"I wouldn't do that."

"Jordyn, I left you in that shack. I knew what Neil was going to do to you. I didn't expect you to live. I left you. It would've only been fair."

I nod, running a hand down the side of his face.

"It's okay," I whisper softly. "You didn't mean to. You didn't know the difference between fact and fiction. You thought I was a monster."

"But you could have died..."

"But I didn't. That's all that matters."

I look up at Ezra. He's peering over his glasses, but when he sees me looking, he gives me a thumbs-up. I sigh in relief.

"Thank you," Sam mumbles as Ezra lowers his leg and begins to wrap it tightly in the water-soaked jumpsuit leg. At first, I think Sam's talking to Ezra, but when I look back down, he's staring at me.

"For what?" I ask.

"Saving my life."

"That's what friends do, Sammy."

"Friends," he repeats with a small laugh. Ezra stands and begins to help Sam to his feet. Once he's standing, the two of us wrap his arms around our shoulders. Sam leans his head against mine.

"Think we'll ever be more than friends, Jordy?" he whispers, struggling to catch his breath.

The question catches me so off guard that I nearly trip on my feet. Ezra glances in my direction, smirking, and I shoot him a side-eye so intense that his eyes go wide. He looks away quickly, cheeks burning.

At my silence, Sam sighs.

"Well, that answers me, doesn't it?" he says, much louder.

"Samson, I don't.... I'm not sure..."

"Hey, guys," Ezra interrupts. I thank God for him in that moment. "Can we cut this cheesy crap and focus on walking? We can figure out the soap-opera romance after we're clear of these things."

He kicks Kaia's head with the toe of his shoe and grimaces. Sam laughs and nods his head, picking up the pace.

Ezra glances at me across Sam, and I mouth a quick thanks.

Will Sam and I ever be more? Maybe. I would like that more than I can express. Right now, though? I need to focus on making it out of this place alive.

We push forward in silence, following the long stretch of tunnel. I've never been down this way. We pass under the opening of the volcano, but the heavy doors are shut. I look for Neil, but he's nowhere to be found. Was I wrong? Did I just lead us in here to get lost?

We round a corner and come face-to-face with a massive silver door. The words "Murano Industries" is painted across it in red letters. Ezra and I lower Sam against a wall and move forward to inspect the door.

I run my hands along the middle seam as Ezra kneels by a small, black box on the right.

"It's a keycard scanner," he mumbles, looking at me.

"A what?"

After rolling his eyes, he says, "It takes a computer-registered plastic card. You swipe it through the reader, and the doors open."

A clap behind us makes the two of us jump. Sam rises to his feet as a shape materializes in the mouth of the cave. The claps multiply, slow and loud.

"Oh, boy genius figured it out," a voice says.

Ezra grips my elbow as he comes to stand beside me. The voice forces chills down my spine. There's only one person that sounds so disgusting every time he opens his mouth.

"Neil," I say as the smirking boy comes into full view.

"Hey, Jordyn," he says, spreading his arms. "Did you miss me?"

A/N: I know; it's a short update. But the whole chapter is sort of long! And this was the best middle point. Don't murder me in my sleep, kay? I'll be back Monday to see what Neil's up to. Any ideas what might happen? Will Sam and Jordy ever be anything more?!