I shook my head, looking for some sort of answer to come jumping out at me. "No idea. I have absolutely no idea." I said tiredly and ran a hand through my hair. "We still don't know if we're actually going tomorrow or not." I paused. "Are you okay? I mean you can't be, not with everything that's going on, but... are you okay?" I asked her thinking of her red eyes I'd seen earlier.

"I'll be alright. I'm just upset." I rubbed my temple. "Are you okay?" I asked in return. I knew he had to be in some pain from walking all the way over here. Sam wasn't in any type of shape to be walking about like this. Tomorrow would be hell for him and that was what I was mainly worried about.

"Oh, I'm fine." I said with a nod. There was no point in complaining, this sort of pain was what I would be wishing for after a day on the front line. I had no idea how I was going to manage. "Should we try find that guy from earlier who was ranting about it being tomorrow? He could know something." I suggested quietly, looking about to see if any body was around to hear.

"I don't know if he'll be easy to find. I saw a few of the guards from earlier with some handcuffed soldiers in their arms. I couldn't tell if that guy was with them. I wasn't really paying attention. But we could definitely try." I nodded. "You gonna be okay walking around and searching for him?" I asked, knowing it might be tough seeing as his whole abdomen was purple and blue with bruises.

I nodded again. "Yeah, I'll manage alright." I said with a small smile, suddenly feeling quite pleased that she was worried about me. "Okay, so, I guess we start with the cells? They'll probably have chucked him in there so he can't go running around blabbing to anyone. Which way did those soldiers go?"

I pointed far off down the rocky road. "They went that way. Right passed those small beige buildings. They had a few people with them, so I'm guessing those cells are filling up quickly." I shoved my hands in my pockets. "We might have to sneak in. You down for that?" I asked as I slowly began to walk.

I began walking in the direction Daisy had pointed. "I'm down for anything that might make us live past tomorrow." I said now determined to do anything that could help us. "Let's go."
About ten minutes later we came across a small cement building not unlike the one I had experienced at the Jaxlor camp on the island a few days ago. As we stood in the shadows of one of the storerooms, I counted the guards that stood outside the entrance, lazily paroling the building with guns.
"Okay, if I distract 'em best I can, do you reckon you can sneak past them and get some information out of that guy?" I asked Daisy quietly.

"Of course I can." I nodded. " My sister, Violet and I were always doing something we weren't supposed to when we were younger. Mostly sneaking into movie theaters without paying..." I trailed off for a second. "But yeah, I can do it. Piece of cake." I smirked. "I'll be in and out in no time. Just don't get yourself hurt messing around with those guys. They look mean and tough." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Do your thing."

I nodded and stepped forward, walking over to the guards as if I was lost and confused. As soon as the three of them noticed me, they were on the alert, straightening their backs and bringing their guns up to their chests.
"Whoa, hey, hey. I'm just lost." I said waving my hands up in the air with a nervous grin. They glanced at each other and lowered their weapons, two of them walking up to me as the other hung back, hovering near the door, curious enough to not fully pay attention to what he was doing.
"Where do you need to go?" The guard nearest to me asked in a low voice, clearly not wanting to mess around.
I let my arms drop and lowered my voice, as if I was letting them in on a secret. "Now, this is going to sound ridiculous, but I was supposed to meet this girl- okay... I know. Me, meeting a girl... can you believe it!?" I grinned at them all and the second guard rolled his eyes but seemed intrigued. "She said to meet her by the fence, on the outskirts of the western artillery unit. I mean- what does that mean? We don't have an artillery unit here right? Now I've gone all along the western wall," I pointed east and gestured wildly, "but I couldn't see anything! Not the beautiful blonde haired beauty I met last night at dinner, oh no. Nothing but fence and trees and fence. Do you think she's messing me with me or am I just lost? "
They all looked at me like I was nuts, then all three of them walked up to me, each trying to tell me something that was going to help.

I laughed quietly as I listened to Sam's little lie he was telling the guards. Once they were all focused on helping him with his 'girl troubles', I casually walked by, hoping to look like just another soldier. I guessed it worked because in no time, I was walking through the front door of the building. It was dark, damp, and smelled of mildew. "Gross." I whispered to myself.

"We have to find a way out of here." I could hear a mans voice coming from around the corning. "They think they got me.. They ain't got nothin'. I ain't goin' out like that. Jus' sittin' and waitin' and runnin' out to get killed." I crept around the corner and noticed the man speaking wasn't the one from earlier. He was a pale, buff man with black rustled hair all over the place. When he noticed me, he paused. "What'chu doin' in here, girl. Gone before they catch you too. You don't look like you s'pose to be in here."

"I'm not." I smirked. "I'm trying to help y'all. But you gotta help me." I paused, looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was coming. "Where's the man the brought in here just a little bit ago?" I asked. "Brown skin, brown hair, skinny...." I trailed off, waiting for a response. The man nodded towards his left and told me he was in the second cell. "Thanks." I said quietly, quickly jogging towards where he'd told me to go. Just seconds later, I'd reached my destination. The man sat on a dusty old bed with his legs hanging over the edge, both of his feet planted on the ground.

"What d'you want?" He spat. "You here to kill me because I was going to tell all of your little secrets? Well I got news for you. Fu-"

"Hey, hey, hey. Chill, man. I'm one of the good guys. But I need your help... What were you saying back there? What secrets are you talking about." I asked, walking closer to his cell and grabbing the jail cell bars.

"Now, look. You said you'd been to the western wall right?" One guard asked once they'd all stopped talking over each other. I nodded, acting exasperated. "Hold on, listen- you pointed over there." He gestured east and I nodded again as he shook his head. "No, no, that's the eastern wall. The artillery units over there," he pointed to the opposite side of the camp, "it's pretty hard to find unless you know what it looks like. It's right up against the fence, looks like a crappy old shack but it's full of-" One of the other guards cleared his throat, obviously deciding his colleague was over sharing.

I pretended to look appalled. "You're kidding me right? You're telling me that I can't tell my left from right? My north from south, my east from west?" They shrugged, then nodded, unashamed. "No, that's ridiculous, I've been a soldier for three years now and I know for a fact I can read a compass. Listen, all I wanted was help, now I'm wasting my time with you, this blonde bombshell of mine is going to be devastated that I'm late." I huffed and began to turn to the east hoping they'd fall for it, when the third, larger, guard stepped forwards and grabbed me by the shoulder.

"Hey listen kid, we're not tryin' ta offend ya or nothin'. We're tryin' ta help you." He let go and pointed in a very precise direction, his thick accent making it difficult to understand him. "Yer go straight that way, and wander along the fence for a while 'til ya hit the shack that my buddy was talkin' abou'. I don' want ya missing yer chance with yer fine lass, but ya will if ya don' listen. I know exactly why she wants ya out by that artillery shed." He lowered his voice and checked the other guards couldn't hear. "It's a popular spot with the kids these days, few feet along the fence under one o' the larger bushes is a ruddy great big hole. Leads out ta the forest, nice and sheltered and private for where people like ta, yer know... shag."
A deep red flush rose from under his beard as he muttered this and then stood up straight as if trying to retain his dignity.

I rose my eyebrow acting as if I didn't believe him. Only this was more than I could have ever hoped for, he just gave us a way out of here.

"You really expect me to believe that, are you trying to get me in trouble? You'll probably follow me out there and arrest me for trying to escape the grounds! You're setting me up aren't you?" I started to raise my voice and the bearded guard looked alarmed.

"Let me tell ya, they don' patrol that area too often. Ya lass is smart, she must know the times they don' station us there, not enough of us ta go around I 'spect." He shrugged. "Trust meh, if that lass is a beautiful as ya make her out ta be, ya best get goin'. I don' fancy m'self as someone who holds people back from-"

"Locke." One of the other guards growled low and the large bearded man in front of me started and turned to face the others.

"Jus' givin' him a bit of advice is all, ruddy boy's as thick as the tree's that grow around 'ere." He announced before giving me a very obvious wink.

"How do I know you're not one of them? " The man asked me. "One of the Jaxlors." He looked me up and down, scanning me as if he was looking for some sort of clue. "I overheard y'all talkin' the other night. How you took over this base months ago, gaining information and such." He explained.

"A Jaxlor? Wait, what? I'm from Til." I stepped back. "Are you telling me that there's Jaxlors running about? Is that why we're all being sent out tomorrow?" I asked, fear and disbelief beginning to sink in again. "Who's a Jaxlor, what are you talking about?"

"Yeah, they're all over the place. Disguising themselves as guards, soldiers, sergeants... Hell, anything you can think of. General doesn't know that though. He's too damn stupid to actually investigate this thing." The man stood up and walked towards me, gripping the bars of his cell so hard that his knuckles we're turning white. "Listen here, Little Miss Sunshine. Ain't no gettin' outta here. We're sittin' ducks 'til we get out on that battle field tomorrow." He hissed. "Luckily for us, I reached another base last night. Called 'em up from the General's office when he was sleepin'. Back up is coming to help us tomorrow. Only problem is them gettin' here on time before we're all dead. They're bringin' the big boy toys out. Tanks, 'copters, all of it." The man was beaming. He was happy he'd possibly saved us all. "But listen here, Sunshine. If I was you, I'd get outta here. Leave this base before any trouble went down. I don't know how you gonna do it, but you better be careful."

I couldn't believe what I'd just heard, but I nodded at him, assuring him that I understood. "I- I don't know what to say." I stuttered. "Thanks for telling me all of this." I Said quietly. "I Wish I had a key, I'd let you out."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Now get outta here before those guards come back. I don't know if they're one of us or not. I can't tell." He lazily shooed me away with his hand. "Go! Tell the others. Prepare yourselves!"

I didn't respond to his last command. I jogged down the hall, passed the cells and peeked out of the door I originally came through. Sam was still talking with the guards. They were obviously deep in conversation, still crowded around him as they spoke. I crept from behind the door and made my way back into the outdoors before they could catch me leaving. I had to tell Sam everything.

“Okay, okay!” I said loudly, bringing their attention back to me. “So you’re saying I was looking along the wrong fence?”

The three guards nodded, looking relieved I was finally retaining some of their information. Behind them, I glimpsed Daisy sneaking out of the cell blocks. I continued talking, making sure she was out of sight before I left the guards.

“So… where am I supposed to be looking?” I asked slowly rubbing the back of my neck.

“Over there!” All three of them yelled out at the same time, each throwing an arm in the direction I’d been told to go in many times already.

I nodded slowly. “Okay, alright!” I said sounding a lot cheerier. “Look, thanks guys. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d missed out today.” The large guard called Locke gave me a hearty grin. “So I’ll see if I can come back later and give you the details. You deserve it.”

One guard almost groaned before the other spoke loudly, almost alarmed at the thought. “Don’t!”

“Good luck kid. Ya go have some fun now alrigh’?” Locke said giving me what he thought was a subtle thumbs up.

I mimed tipping my hand to them. “Have a good day fella’s.”

Turning away, I made to go in the direction they told me, towards the western wall.

Once I'd noticed Sam was done talking with the guards and out of the way, I spun around and began to pick up my pace. My heart was racing from the news I'd just head. I was scared and worried. I had no clue what was happened. I had no clue who we could trust? What if we had Jaxlors in our dorms with us? They could try to kill us in our sleep if they wanted to. "Hey, Sam!" I called, just loud enough for him to hear me.

I spun around, looking for the source of the voice when I noticed Daisy running over to me.
“Hey! How’d it go, what did you find out? You’ll never believe what one of those idiots told me.” I said once she was close enough. I was keen to know if she’d found anything, if that guy had any information that could help us make sense of this whole situation, I wanted to know.

"Nothing good that's for sure." I looked up at Sam then down at my hands. "The man in the cell... He said this place is crawling with undercover Jaxlors and they infiltrated the camp months ago." I whispered. "They're everywhere. Guards, soldiers, you name it. They're blending in with us to gain information. I guess they got what they wanted because they're sending us out tomorrow. General doesn't know a thing." I finished.

I stopped walking and stared at Daisy, my mouth hanging open. "Wait... You're kidding me right? That's insane, how? Oh my god, we've got to get out of here." I mumbled suddenly searching the surrounding are for anyone who could be listening to us.
"How did he find it out? Shit. What do we do?" I asked, the situation now seeming more out of control than ever.

"Well he also said he called for backup on the General's phone last night. I don't know how he did it, but he managed to sneak into his office without being caught. Troops will be here tomorrow to help us. They're supposedly bringing tanks, helicopters, and all that junk." I shoved my hands into my pockets. I was being extremely calm for some reason and I had no clue why. "I also don't know how he knows all of this. But he said not to trust anyone. We either find a way out of here or we stay put and wait for help. Other than that, we're out of luck."

I shook my head slowly, trying to retain all of this information.
“Daisy, even if the other camp does show up in time, how will they know who’s who? We’ll all be rounded up, who knows what they could do… We need to get out of here.” I said looking her in the eyes. “And I know how. We’ll have to at least warn some of the others, but it’ll be hard to know who’s trustworthy or not, we could tell Penelope, Luke and Christy. We can trust them right?” I started rambling, more from nerves than anything, trying to figure out how we could do this and live.

I noticed Sam start to ramble, which meant he was in a slight panic. "Hey, hey, hey." I started, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Relax. We'll be alright..." I said, more to assure myself than him. I didn't know what the hell we were going to do. But if I broke down and cried like I did earlier, we wouldn't get anything done. "We can trust Christy and the rest. But how can we get out of here without getting caught? I mean, I'd love to escape. I was all for it about half an hour ago. But knowing this new information, I don't want to get shot down. I don't know how anything is going to work. But if you've got an idea on how to do this, I'm all ears."