The Rogues Who Went Rogue
Chapter 114

In the part of lycan territory that was near the border of vampire territory, Gerella and the others were in Neptune's warehouse, where Neptune claimed no one ever came unless he authorized them to come. He had an older warehouse too, but he, Klementine and Saxum all agreed that using the old one as cover wasn't smart since the authorities would've already found the abandoned hut. If the duke somehow managed to figure out the hut was Neptune's, he might send his followers to other old properties that were dormant.

This was simply a precaution because Neptune doubted Greg Claw would know the hut belonged to him when he deliberately left it out of the duke's annual check on rogue assets. Greg did this check to ensure that rogue assets either remained off the authorities' radar or that it was registered to be legitimate in the authorities' systems.

The hut was in a well-hidden location, and Neptune liked it to be kept from the duke because it made him feel superior to Greg in a way, that he knew something that Greg didn't, even if it were about something as petty as an abandoned shelter.

In the warehouse, Isla and five other children were falling ill. The coughs were making their throats sore and voices hoarse. At first, it became a game among the kids to see who had the greatest change in voices, but the playful mood ended when their bodies weakened. Two of them were struggling to keep their eyes open as their bodies slowly heated up. Their parents, including Isla's, pestered Gerella to bring it up with Saxum, to tell him that whatever the Callows are doing might be causing their children's illnesses. The administrative hybrids stood at the corner for a discussion on their next move with Neptune and Klementine in their circle.

Saxum began, "Rudolpho knows a few good spots in wolf territory. He explored it with a friend of his. We can go there next. I particularly like Bordure's location. It seems like the safest spot out of all our options."

Klementine questioned skeptically, "Is that even wise, Saxum? The Blue Crescent attack would've placed every other wolf pack on high alert."

"We won't have to hide there long. The Callows have the modified chemical ready. We're waiting for the delivery of the capsules. The decipios will ingest it, and we'll be able to control the king from there. The rest of us hybrids will be ingesting the shell, just in case. We should discuss our plan of attack, so..."

Gerella backtracked the discussion when she questioned, "Saxum, what do you mean we're leaving for wolf territory?! Have you seen some of the kids? They can't travel."

Saxum glanced at the sick kids and back at an almost-fuming Gerella as he calmly explained, "We have to hide."

"We are hiding! Running to wolf territory is not a good move, especially after angering one of the strongest packs. And you're saying that you're certain about the safety of this new location because Rudolpho's friend says that it's safe?! Have you ever met this friend of his?!" Gerella gestured at Rudolpho, who looked offended and was about to say something.

But before he could, Saxum responded instead, "No, but I've met Rudolpho and so have you. He's standing right here among us. Look, we don't have a choice but to move, Ella.”

"We do have a choice, Saxum. The choice is to NOT go there and open ourselves to getting caught."

"We have the decipios to help if wolves do eventually find us."

Gerella challenged, "You're certain that the decipios amongst us are enough to hold off a wolf attack, bearing in mind that the children can't run fast enough, some adults are tired and weakening?"

Gerella's eyes burned into Saxum's orbs that were in a deep state of melancholy which only got clearer after they buried Delancy in the forest behind the warehouse. Saxum knew Gerella. He knew her to be obedient her whole life, and if she was speaking against this, there must be

a reason.

He reluctantly asked, "What do you suggest we do?"

Without hesitation, Gerella hissed in a whisper, "Pull the plug, Saxum. Tell the Callows to stop."

Chong exclaimed, "Are you mad?!"

Regina added, "That's beyond outrageous. We've already come this far."

Gerella gestured to the sick ones as she hit back in an angered whisper, "And look what it has cost us!" Her sights went back to a contemplating Saxum as she uttered, "You have to admit that this can't be a coincidence. Delancy only died a day after the Callows killed their first vampire. They've been tampering with the vampire children's anatomy to modify the chemical, haven't they, Saxum?"

Saxum mumbled, "It was the most malleable component they needed, children being less susceptible to heeding to any authority."

Gerella took a step closer as she uttered with angry tears, "The deal was that the children remained OFF-limits, Saxum. This is crossing the line. We didn't agree to this."

"Look, Ella. I understand you care for the little ones, but we've come this far..."

"You're still going through with this?!" Gerella asked in infuriation. "So it doesn't matter that more of us are going to die?"

"The deaths would be in vain if we didn't finish this. Stopping now won't bring the dead back to life, Ella."

"This isn't just about Delancy, Saxum. It's all of us. Look at those parents, do you want them to end up feeling what you're feeling?"

Saxum could see that the inferno in Gerella's eyes was nowhere near the cooling edge, and to him, she wasn't in a good state of mind to listen to reason. So all he said was, "Why don't you go for a walk and calm down first, Ella. When you come back, we'll talk.” That got her even more infuriated. He actually thought she was being the unreasonable one?! "I am not the one overreacting here, Saxum. I'm the one trying to keep them safe. You can't possibly disagree that the more we push this, the more likely we'll lose lives. Is it even worth it?" Without hesitation, Saxum said, "It is. If you've lived in the shadows for as long as some of us have, for as long as I have, you'd know that harmonious reconciliation is naïve, wishful thinking. The only way to guarantee safety for everyone is to fight for control." Gerella couldn't believe what she was hearing. Their original plan of having something to shield them from danger had now turned into a plan to control the highest power at all cost, even if it meant sacrificing their own. How was he even okay with this? How was it that none of the administrators but her have an emotional attachment to the other hybrids, especially the kids?

Registering her silence, Saxum prompted, "Go for a walk, Ella. You'll feel better."

Gerella angrily took heavy breaths before she stormed out of the warehouse. She barged into the forest and stepped on every twig in her path, savoring the sound in each snap. After the silence and thickness of the forest cooled her a little, she thought about Isla. Gerella felt so helpless when she held the girl in her arms earlier that morning. How was she even an administrator of the hybrids when she couldn't even fight against sacrificing more lives. Then, it hit her.

Maybe she wasn't as helpless as she thought. With each step she took, she began forming a plan - a plan that may save Isla and the rest of the weakening children. She had seen an old map of wolf, lycan and vampire territories in one of the old books, so she roughly knew where sh was and where the routes around her led to.

When Gerella mentally ran through her plan for loopholes, she began sprinting when she realized that there was only one thing she needed to make sure everything went smoothly - speed.