𝐎𝐅 all the times that Noah decided to ignore his radio calls, this was the most crucial. Sasha angrily grunted, dashing over with Zara to Noah's house. "Are you sure we should just burst in like this?" Zara said wearily. Sasha jiggled the handle and the door opened.

   "When has that ever stopped you from just walking in?" Sasha retorted, stepping into the warmth of the house, she wandered the deserted open-plan.

   "Well, I mean, he could be asleep." she shrugged. Sasha rolled her eyes and headed for the stairs. She knew why Zara was so apprehensive, considering that Noah hadn't had a proper conversation with her since she told him about their expeditions behind his back—Sasha hadn't known about it either, and she couldn't help but feel ashamed for Zara herself.

   Barely hesitating when she reached the top of the stairs, Sasha threw open Noah's bedroom, clapping her hands loudly into the dark room. "Oi, Noah, get the fuck up! We have an emergency!" she shouted.

   She flicked on the tall lamp in the corner of the room and then drew the curtain, and once she finally faced the bed, both girls gasped. Finding Monet in his bed was certainly a shock, to say the least. "What, man?" Noah grunted, sitting up slowly; his stab wound was healing but he still felt like his whole body was one big bruise.

   Monet rubbed her eyes, looking over to the partial light coming through the window. Zara was at least relieved that she was clothed. "Rah, okay then." Sasha laughed. "I guess Monet won that competition."

   "I really gotta start locking that door," Noah huffed to himself. "Emergency? What emergency?"

   "Mack is gone." Zara spoke up, crossing her arms. Her eyes instinctively fell to the feet when Noah glanced at her in confusion.

   "What?" he breathed. Monet stretched.

   "The dungeon chain is broken, Mack's cell is empty and he's gone. West is nowhere to be found either." Zara reiterated.

   "What?" Monet abruptly shot up at the sound of her brother's name.

   "No one saw them leave, we've done a sweep of the community already, they're not here. I think West let him out and they escaped, Angelo is probably still involved." Sasha explained. Monet took a glance at Noah, who was already seething internally and externally.

   "That motherfucker." he grunted, pulling himself out of his sheets and heading to his bathroom to get changed. Monet was struggling to process it all, considering waking up only a few minutes ago, but ultimately she was just as incensed. She'd travelled so far to kill the piece of shit, just for him to drag her on a goose chase.

   However, the immediate problem was dealing with Sasha's giddiness and Zara's clear discomfort. "I thought we was mates, man, why didn't I know about all this?" Monet just rolled her eyes, trying not to bring light to the situation, especially for Zara's sake. She was fine with it, as she would claim, but she didn't really seem like that.

   Monet got up as well, grabbing her jeans and pulling them on. "Westley's just gone, and no one saw him?"

   "We asked the guards at the gate and they said no one passed through during the night." Sasha informed, she passed Monet her second boot once she'd knotted the first.

   Noah exited the bathroom. Now with a pair of jeans on, he rummaged for a shirt, as he ordered, "Get me any info from all the lookouts in the perimeter and along the border in Central."

   "Calm. I'll keep you posted and we'll meet you at the gate, so answer your bloody radio, bruv." Sasha demanded, she gave Monet a quick smile and dragged the mute Zara out of the bedroom.

   "I'm getting sick and tired of this shit," Noah muttered, pulling a thick, black turtleneck over his head. "None of this makes sense. West was apologising to me yesterday, and now he's gone on a fucking escape run. I'm not fucking gullible so why do I keep believing that idiot?"

   "He's planning something. They all are." Monet said, falling silent for a moment, as she picked up Noah's radio, she switched it on and continued, "We need to up the defence around the community, and we need fire power."

   Noah's brows furrowed, "What are you saying? You don't think..."

   "I don't know. But who knows what they needed those bullets for." Monet shrugged, handing him his radio and going to freshen up too.

   When she returned, she heard the conversation that Noah was having to what sounded like Zara, saying that the boys had found something at the conference room when they'd had arrived. "A note and a burner, nothing else."

   "What does the note say?" Noah stood up once Monet joined him, he gave her a worried look as Zara continued talking.

   "It just has a time, it's in an hour, midday. Think they might call at that time, so you guys should get over here."

   "Okay, safe." Noah replied and turned off his radio. He met Monet's gaze which was solidly bland, making it difficult to decipher her thoughts. "What do you think they're going to say?"

   "Something threatening. They're probably gonna demand something from you, maybe an ultimatum. Maybe get you to surrender then kill you, or war and kill you." she answered flatly. The lack of emotion in her voice almost seemed worrying for Noah, but it was the fact that it felt a little like déjà vu to her. She was certain that they were going to turn favourably towards starting a war, but she refrained from saying that, for Noah's sake.

   "Are you okay, about West?" he gently asked, he took her hand and pulled her into his arms. She squeezed him, as her ear pressed into his chest. She could hear how fast his heart was beating, he took a deep breath to settle it.

   "He's done this before. I just know that this time, I'm ready." she said surely. "I'm not gonna let him ruin something I love again." she whispered, unconsciously holding Noah tighter.

   He kissed her forehead in response, "He won't win." he affirmed. "We should get going, I wanna go on a stroll with you first, before all of this shit starts to feel real." Monet raised her gaze at the sound of the small smile in his words. She returned her smile in approval. The two took their leave with two freshly-harvested apples for a breakfast snack to stroll through the streets, comforted by the light snowflakes falling gently onto the wet pavements.

•

   "Took your time, didn't you?" Sasha scoffed when the couple walked into the conference room. The girls were sat with Emmanuel, Carlton and Kenji. Monet sheepishly smiled and took a seat while Noah took centre stage. He circled around to Sasha and Zara leaned over the burner phone and piece of torn paper with '12pm.' in the centre.

   "What time is it right now?" Noah asked, inspecting the burner phone.

   "Ten to twelve." Kenji spoke up. Noah heaved, tapping through the phone and finding nothing, meaning they wouldn't be able to call. It left the only option left, anticipating the phone call.

   During the ten minute wait, Zara took her chance to try to speak to Noah, as he anxiously poured himself a small glass of whiskey to calm his nerves. "The day has barely started and you're already drinking, Reid." she lightly chuckled. He lifted his gaze to her momentarily before focusing on securing the lid properly onto the whiskey bottle. His hands were shaking so much that he was struggling.

   Zara noticed, placing her hand on his and taking the bottle. She poured herself a drink and then closed it properly. "Thought you just said it was too early to drink?" he flatly questioned.

   "Calms the nerves." she shrugged, taking a small sip. Noah didn't take his eyes off of her, watching her swallow and then purse her trembling bottom lip once she'd lowered the glass. "I... know you hate me right now, rightfully so. But I do want you to know that I'm sorry. You trusted me, from the start, and I took advantage of it. I just wanted to help you out, I was afraid of seeing you so broken again and I made really bad decisions, so I'm sorry."

   She dropped her gaze when she felt the tears escaping her eyes. Quickly drying them, she sniffled and pushed her hair behind her ear before thinly smiling at him. "I'm on your side and always will be."

   Noah remained silent, not necessarily knowing how to react. He didn't want to hold a grudge, there was nothing he could do about the deceased child now, and Zara was begging for forgiveness at this point—she really did seem sincere. He took a deep breath and dried her cheek.

   Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the phone on the table buzzed with an old-timely ringtone. Without a second thought, Noah darted for it, answering and waiting for a voice in the silence he was met with.

   "This'll be quick," a voice begun, Noah instantly recognised it to be Mackenzie's, "you surrender yourself to Valta, Noah."

   "And what if I don't?" he replied with no hesitation.

   "Then I'll come to kill you myself. If you love your precious community so much, you better do as I say." his voice lowered with a growl and Noah almost laughed.

   "But you weren't able to kill me before, nor did Angelo who I assume is beside you. Tell him that I love the new scar he gave me." he smugly spoke. "I'll make this fucking quick for you, Mackenzie, I'm not going to surrender to you, if you want Everwinter for yourself, come and fucking get it."

   "You think you're so funny, don't—"

   "I'm not gonna argue with you, especially when your accomplice was really considering calling for a truce, so come and kill me if that's what you really want to do. I'll be waiting for you, motherfucker." Noah continued, threatening severely all while keeping a calm expression. Leaving no room for Mack to say anything else, he cut the line, throwing the phone back onto the table. He walked off, as everyone silently watched him retrieve his untouched whiskey and left the room.

   Hearing that traitor's voice again seemed to boil a different kind of fury through Noah's veins. His battle was never with Angelo, it was with the men that he'd put all his trust in—the old, college friend, and the friend that had saved his life once before, had really wanted him dead the whole time.

   He gulped down his whiskey and dashed the glass at the wall.