Continuing to move forward, I don't dare utter a sound. Crawling through the darkness, I ignore the image of Teddy dressed as an Official and focus on escaping.

My breath is laboured. My body aches. My thoughts are confused and heavy. Part of me would like to believe it's the effect of the drugs which made me imagine Teddy. For once, I wish I wasn't such a realist.

"I think we're at the room. Be careful there's a slight drop," Grey whispers.

The confined space opens up disorientating me. My hands reach out, grappling for something to grab hold of and steady me. My fingers brush firm warm material.

Grey coughs and his hand interlocks with mine. "It may be safer to hold hands."

"Why?"

"Let's just say I don't think you meant to grab me there."

"Maybe. Maybe not," I whisper. "That's the great thing about it being dark, I could get away with lots of things and pretend it was an accident."

"Are you flirting at a time like this?"

"More trying to distract us from the fact there are a room full of Officials very near," I respond.

Grey's hand tightens around mine as we shuffle forward, knocking into several boxes and pieces of furniture.

"Thanks for snapping me out of it back there." Grey pauses before adding quietly. "The sight of Officials brought up some repressed memories."

I could say I understand exactly how he feels. Gloria's body laying motionless on the floor, the faint metallic smell of blood and the Official are all features of a not so distant real-life nightmare I'm haunted by daily. Get a grip, don't think about that night. Instead, I respond, "Anytime. Thanks for shoving me on the floor behind the bar. A sore butt is definitely preferable to the alternative."

I sound to calm as though this is normal. Officials storming in and killing people is just an average everyday occurrence. It's not. They killed Gloria who tried to stop Lena from exposing me. Why would Gloria try to protect me?

"Are you ok?" Grey says, stopping abruptly causing me to bump into him hard.

My breathing is rapid, my heart thumping in my ribcage. I'm not ok. I've been responsible for too many deaths. Now, I might be the cause of Gloria's.

"Gloria was shot. She's dead," I blurt out.

"Shit." He squeezes my hand gently. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Cady."

Grey doesn't understand. Death is nothing new to me.

"We need to find the ladder," Grey says.

"How do you know this will lead us to the outside?" I ask.

"Gloria told me about it."

"Why did you tell me originally there was no way out? If you had told me earlier I could have escaped days ago." I feel the anger rise up inside me.

Why would he keep this a secret? He knew I wanted to leave. I tug my hand out of his. All the humiliation, the events of last night could have been avoided if he had told me about this route days ago.

"I didn't know about it until Gloria told me about it two evenings ago. I was trying to find the right time to tell you."

"And when would that have been? Tonight, when I'm naked and being auctioned off to the highest bidder?' I hiss.

"I was going to tell you yesterday but the guards were always within earshot or we got interrupted. I decided I'd do it as we were closing but last night happened and you couldn't even walk.' Grey's voice sounds urgent, apologetic but I can't see his face, can't judge whether what I'm hearing is supported by his expression.

Does it matter? No. Box the anger and hurt away. Focus on escaping.

"I forgot the bag!" I hiss.

"I picked it up." Grey pushes the bag into my hands.

"Thanks," I mumble. "Let's find this ladder and get out of here."

I reach my hands out, moving forwards until I touch cold brick. Running my hands along the wall, I shuffle sideways. Bumping into Grey, I don't say anything. Turns out, I can't box away my anger at him so easily.

It's true what Grey said. He didn't have the opportunity to tell me without someone hearing but the numbness from last night is fading. The sinking realisation of what nearly happened last night combined with an overwhelming tiredness is causing my insides to fill with dread.

An eternity passes until my hands rest on cold metal. It's the ladder. For a brief moment, I think of heading up and leaving him. He'll find it eventually.

In the past, it's only ever been me and my mum. The one time I decided to bring someone else in and trust them, they turn out to be an Official. Teddy's betrayal cuts deep. I'm not a good judge of character.

However, I can't leave Grey. His future has been destroyed because of me along with everyone who is currently being rounded up in the room next to us. Grey defended me, helped me. I hate being indebted to people.

"Grey, I've found the ladder," I say.

"I thought you'd try and leave me down here if you found it first," Grey responds.

"I considered it but I decided pushing you off the top of the ladder would be much more satisfying."

Grey laughs softly. I wait in the darkness until Grey's hands find the ladder. I hear his breathing, feel his presence.

"If I'd known what was going to happen, I would have made you go yesterday morning," Grey says urgently.

"Like you said there was always someone watching. I wouldn't have been able to get away without someone noticing."

"I'd have fought Bo and Taylor myself if I needed to."

I quickly suppress the irritational warmth unfurling at his words. This can't go anywhere. I will find my mum and Grey will find a new place to hide.

"Let's get out of here." I step up onto the ladder, slowly feeling my way upwards. The bag awkwardly swings around my wrist and the metal poles dig into my bare feet. I'm so tired, my entire body aches and I still have to find my mum. The prospect fills me with dread.

"You ok, Cady?" Grey whispers.

"I'm fine," I croak out unconvincingly

My head hits the ceiling. I place one hand above me and search for an opening. My fingers rest on a bolt. Stiff and unyielding, it refuses to move. "It's stuck."

"Hold on tight." Grey climbs up next to me.

"I was the one meant to push you off not the other way round," I say, gripping onto the ladder tightly as his body presses against mine.

He's so close I can hear his ragged breathing. I'm surrounded by his familiar safe inducing smell which I can always distinguish from all others yet can't match it to anything I know. A scent which belongs only to Grey.

The hatch opens. Light streams in.

"That was quick," I say squinting.

"It wasn't me," Grey replies.

His arms wrap around my body and grab my shoulders except that's not him either because both of us are being pulled up, into the bright blinding daylight.

The bag slips from my wrist and I fumble, unable to catch it in time as it falls. Everything moves so fast, I barely register what is happening as we're pushed and pulled by multiple hands and bodies into a van.

The doors slam behind us and the van rumbles underneath us. I look at the three people surrounding us. They're not Officials, not uniformed ones or marked ones. Which I've now realised doesn't mean they don't work for The State.

"She really exists. An unmarked," The man's voice sounds excited as he leans forward, his outstretched hand attempts to stroke my arm.

I recoil backwards.

"Don't touch her," Grey growls, lunging forward but he's forced back against the seat by a woman.

"Calm down. I'm not making a move," The man scowls.

The woman who's holding Grey laughs, her grey streaked hair is tied up in a bun and her short sleeves reveal numerous intricate markings. The black band around her marriage seal shows her husband is deceased, the digits showing the date he died. Eighteen years ago.

"Ignore him, he's a little overexcited. We've been waiting for you for a long time. I'm Charlie and this is my son, Zed." The grey-haired woman smiles releasing Grey.

Zed grins. He has an engagement and marriage seal but I would guess he's not much older than me so he can't have been married for long.

Charlie indicates at the man driving the van. "That's Milo.'

Milo doesn't look away from the road but lifts a hand in greeting. He has a marriage seal, and a marking next to it shows they recently celebrated twenty years of marriage.

"We weren't told you were going to have company, let alone a boyfriend," Charlie addresses me. Before I can register what she's saying and deny our complete lack of a relationship or ask how she knew we would be here, she adds, "I've been waiting for us to meet in person but you're very good at hiding."

A sense of dread starts to take over. This is another person who wants to make some quick money. I can't go through this again.

"What do you want with her?" Grey growls.

"We want a lot of things but my first priority is to keep her safe." Charlie turns to be. "I'm here to help you. What are your names?"

I hesitate. I should give a fake name and I rack my brain for a name. Any name would be good but my mind is blank. "Cady."

"Grey."

"You must have lots of questions," Charlie says.

I do or I would if I could think straight. Every thought is stopped midway by a disorientating throbbing. My mind is an incomplete web of thoughts, questions and sentences.

"Not right now," I sigh.

Silence descends. The van rumbles around us and Zed leans towards Charlie, talking in a low voice.

I use the opportunity to shuffle towards Grey and whisper in his ear, "Any ideas on how we can escape this?"

"Not currently. You?"

I shake my head. I could really do with a break and for one thing to go as planned.

Small tinted windows give me a glimpse of the outside. Large warehouses are scattered on either side of the road, factories with slim towering chimneys pump out plumes of grey fluff. An industrial area which me and my mum would choose as a location to set up our business in. It would be easy to find a cheap vacant building to rent here, and plenty of derelict buildings mean neighbours would be almost non-existent.

The size of the city or town we set up in would influence our profit. A city equates to more illegal establishments equalling more business and money for us. The smaller the town, the smaller the profit. We prefer big cities. It's easier to hide in a mass of people but occasionally we set up in towns. We never stay long though, something always comes up and we run away to the next place and start over again. Always restarting.