Ben ignored dried blood on his face that cracked as he spoke, desperate not to be left alone with the men who had enslaved him before. “Miah, they’re gone. I’m me again. But don’t leave me here, please.”
Miah looked to Connor, who got out of his door and walked over to stand next to her. With a shiver of memory, Ben was reminded of the first time she had met Connor with him, when she had stood close to Ben himself by his car, so confused about what was going on. She had hidden in his shadow then. Now she stood beside Connor, hiding in his shadow, unsure as to whether she could trust Ben. He swallowed with a grim smile; fate had its irony.
Connor crossed his arms. “Why should we believe you? You almost killed me, and her.”
“I didn’t know what I was doing. You have to believe me—I couldn’t control it. But I’ve changed now; something happened. The voices are gone.” He shuddered, the memory of them still fresh in his mind. It had driven him mad; but he was sane again, if not obsessed with getting away from here.
“Connor, I think we can trust him,” Miah whispered, barely audible.
“What? No—Miah, he’s a traitor! He’ll lead them to us! It’s what he did before! You can’t possibly mean that you believe him—it’s all a lie. Just like what he said before was a lie.”
She shook her head, “No. I have to believe that he has changed. Please, Connor, believe me.” She looked pleadingly up at him, and Ben watched, anxiety twisting in his gut. This should never have happened. He never should have been captured. It was all wrong.
“I…” Connor looked down, sighing.
“Please.”
He looked over at the mountain, thinking. Ben looked down at his feet. How could I have thought they would listen to me? And…what if the voices come back?
Connor swallowed and turned his hard gaze to Ben. “You can come.”
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