Free Minds

Chapter 68.

"So you're telling," Landon paused to bury his head into his palms as he let out a huge breath. This was probably the hundredth time he'd done this during and at the end of my narration. Could I really blame him though? "So you're telling me that all this has happened in a month?"

"Three weeks max," Rav clarified while Camila affirmed his statement with a nod.

   I invited both of them in after telling Landon everything. When I didn't see Dorian waiting with them outside, it just made me feel worse for saying what I said. Even if it was the truth, I could have handled it differently instead of throwing it in his face like that. In addition to that, I'd rubbished last night with him—one of the best nights of my life–right to his face.

   According to Rav, Dorian decided to step out of the motel for a while and he didn't tell Rav and Camila where he was going, only that he'll be back when he'll be back. Rav tried to assure me that Dorian just needed some time to himself to cool off. There was only one thing I could take from all that Rav said though.

   Dorian was never going to speak to me again.

   I might as well just get used to the gut wrenching feeling that came with that thought from now on.

"How haven't these alien things tracked you down so far?" Landon asked. "How do you know they aren't right now? Because from what I've gathered, it seems like they have the means to do so."

   I thanked my brain for forgetting to mention the time when I had to join Rav, Dorian and Cami to move from the first motel in Ridgeton after I got those texts.

"They aren't!" I chipped in right before anyone else could. "We've made sure of that."

   As expected, Rav and Cami sent questioning looks my way, to which I responded by giving a subtle head shake and brushing a finger over my lips. How were we going to make Landon not freak out if we told him something like this?

   Fortunately, he seemed too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice our behaviour.

"You haven't tried contacting the police or anything like that, have you?" Landon raised his previously pinched brows.

"Do you think we're idiots or something?" Camila rolled her eyes at that question.

"I'll take that as an aggressive no, then," he mumbled.

"So now that you've heard everything, I suppose you're on board then?" Rav queried.

   Letting out a shaky laugh, Landon ran a hand through his honey-coloured dreadlocks that grew to his shoulders.

"I need a minute to process this." he sighed.

"We get that, really we do," Rav said. "But as we speak, Tali is now in danger for trying to save the other Zavolonians from the Yunies. Time is running out. We need all the help we can get."

"And why do you think you were the only one who received the message, Landon?" I chipped in. "Talise obviously believed that if anyone could substitute her in helping out, it was you. And you didn't go through all this trouble just to find out what happened to Talise and not to do anything about it, did you? Even if you cannot say the same for the other Zavolonians or the rest of the world, you care about Talise and your parents and siblings. "

   My words seemed to resonate with Landon seeing as he released another sigh while burying his face into his hands. It didn't take much to understand that there was an inner battle occurring in his mind. Something which I could sympathize with. After all, it took me an entire week before I could gather up enough courage to show up Zavlon after the Liberation Week incident.