I woke up earlier then everyone else and decided to head to Minas grave for one last goodbye. As much as I missed her and was upset about her death, I knew I needed to move on even if just momentarily to help these people out. My heart broke as the memories of her death came flooding in; but I forced them aside, I would only remember the happy moments with her and forget the bad. As an only child she was like the little sister I always wanted just not in the circumstances we had, and loosing her took a toll.

I held onto her necklace around my neck and closed my eyes to give her a moment of silence in respect. I felt arms wrap around me and kiss my cheek and I leaned back into him but kept my eyes closed until I was ready. He stayed quiet as well and I knew her death effected him too. I finally reached down for his hand and opened my eyes, realizing we weren't the only ones coming for a last moment. Liz, Matt, Ricky, Jason, and I all stood together and grouped into a hug, all obviously phased my her passing.

I looked around at my group and knew I couldn't afford too loose anymore close people. We all held hands as we walked out but let go right as we exited the woods and began to wake the others up. Our group was used to getting up early but after being in the cell, I'm sure some really needed the sleep they got by sleeping in a little today.

The guards momentarily forgot where they were but once they saw me, they got up right away and shook the sand off of themselves. Everyone slept on the ground since this is our first night back, and I didn't plan on staying long enough for us to rebuild the hut. Ricky kept the sign from the hut even though it was semi burnt and I couldn't help but smile at his dedication to that sign. My mom didn't believe the stories about me and the sharks until she saw my shark bite and Ricky's. The shark thing still confused me and I'd ask the guards later on, I don't see how this shark can attack every time were in the water but only bite the leg slightly and not enough to show bone or get seriously deep.

We killed the fire earlier to get the smoke to leave earlier and Sage said she needed to speak with me tonight. I wasn't sure whether I should trust her or not but after she told me she didn't want to be in command anymore, she's been more reliable to be an ally. For now, I work on getting everyone gathered and coming up with a plan. We woke everyone up and they all gathered around me in front of the burnt down hut.

"We have much to go over and little time to do so. I will be speaking privately with certain individuals I need to and the other will work on making more weapons. I'm guessing our old ones were burnt in the fire and so Kole, I am looking to you to teach the others how to make them since you and I are the only ones who know how to make the more complex ones. Jason, Randy, and Matt, the three of you will be taking the new guards for training and some exercise and practice runs." I said before turning to the rest of my group.

"Those who have been here from the start will be going with Kole to make the weapons, the rest of you wait here for me." I waited patiently for those to dispurse before giving a quick look over those who are left. My mom, Amanda, Aña, Sage, Julian, and the other island kids that were with Sage. "You guys will have to bare with me because the different groups hold different answers and I know your eager to join in." When I said that, Julian smiled and I smirked at his pride but frowned inside because that meant he was only one step closer to death than the others and on this island that was a big step.

Julian, I need to ask you and the others who played a part in the break in a few questions, as well as those who guarded the guards to see if they got anything. Mom, Sage, and Amanda, I need intel on what you heard in the cell. Mom I also want your private intel considering you did work for them." I tried to hold back my disgust but I guess she felt some of her own because she looked guilty.

With that, they broke up into the two groups I said out of their group and I decided to go to my moms group first. "Amanda what do you know, and don't act like you don't know squat because you knew all along that these men were in on this the whole time." My temper rose and I tried to force it down but then my mother cut in.

"Naomi do not talk to your best friend like that." She scolded and I laughed, "We haven't been best friends since I found out she was a traitor. I've been nice and let her stay, and I'm working on trusting her but quite frankly I trust Sage more than her and that's saying something." I said and my mom gasped before trying to slap me but Sage caught her hand to make sure I didn't get hit which was another example of why I began to trust her more. My mom looked at Sage surprised before putting her hand back down at her side and looking back to me.

"I don't know what has gotten into you or where the Naomi I knew has gone to but she needs to come back. I didn't raise you to be like this and this whole bossing your mother around things in front of your friends thing isn't cute. Cut the act or so help me-" I laughed in her face, did she really think I was ordering everyone around for attention, this just got me phissed.

"I was sent on an island with innocent kids and seperated from the one person I trusted the most which wasn't you it was Amanda. You didn't know me before I even got sent away because you were mysteriously working late nights which come to find out was to produce the medicine injected into us before we even left. You come in and try to tell me how to live when you weren't even here through the hardships I've gone through, telling me I can't be with Jason when you don't know his story or what we've been through together. He has saved my life a number of times in different situations and without him I'd be dead. I went through hell and back on this island and people look up to me for it because never have I once put myself before them." In my head I thought about the time I tried to kill myself but the knife was on the floor which was the only selfish moment I really had.

"I have worked hard to keep my people safe and yes my people because we don't have friendship on this island we have family. I had to bury the one person I had a bond with that was like a sibling to me so don't try and say I'm commanding people to try and be cute, no I'm commanding them to make sure what happened to her doesn't happen to them. So when I ask you a question just answer and stop trying to pick a fight, I'm not a child anymore mom I've grown up without you on this island and maybe it was for the best."

She looked at me mad and tried to give one last shot of parental command. "You will listen to me because you are seventeen and I am legally in charge of you until then so step down young lady and stop trying to be the big boss you aren't. You sat in your room all those years and only had Amanda as a friend, so don't try and diss me because that isn't going to happen." I didn't even care about all of her bashings on me about not having a friend because the one thing she said hit me bad. Did she really not remember that my birthday had passed?

She noticed my delay and started to smile but saw my hurt before anyone else noticed and I quickly covered it up. "I'm eighteen as of a couple of days ago, I'll come back later for your report so have a mini vacation if you will." I said before turning away from her and heading to Amanda, ignoring the fact that she heard the whole thing. "What do you know, and don't lie because I'm not in the mood." I said and she sadly nodded, I guess words hurt even if she wasn't in the conversation.

"I know as much as you maybe a little more. It's the government that brought us here and I don't know why. Our group only ever road by car never boat so I'm guessing there's a way by foot to get us off of this island. The guards should know more on that but we need to get rid of our tracking devices before its too late. That's where we should start because they will be able to find us no matter where we hide with them on, why they haven't attacked us yet is something unknown to me." She said and I nodded without word and headed to Sage.

"Anything I need to know as far as hideouts, weapons, food, shelter, the guards?" I asked and she nodded before pulling me away from the others to speak privately.

"Tonight we train the jaguars to answer to your command and yours only. We start there for sure, I know of hiding spots throughout the woods but no way out other than boat so I don't know what your.. Amanda is talking about. I do see the guards throughout the woods every five days or so bringing boxed things to their place but with it being blown up I don't know what they will be doing. I have no clue what the tracking devices are so we'll have to ask her tonight and get rid of them as well." She said and I nodded before heading over to Julian and his group.

He smiled to me and the group quickly circled around me so everyone could see and hear. I looked around them and then back to Julian since I trusted him the most. "What do you know and what did you see in the building?" I asked and his smile faltered a little but he had the same drive in his eyes.

"They had computers with your name and picture as well as the others on it. It tracked your health state and what not and your injury sheet is quite high compared to the others." He smirked at that and he continued. "Its good for a commander to be able to take the pain, it shows your stronger than the others and meant to be the leader. They especially wanted you which is why they captured everyone, something about you stuck out to them and they wanted you but I don't know why. You struck fear in them when you were able to break in with all of us unoticed and they still thought that we were with them well probably not anymore since we sent those cows back but they still will fear you and your unknown skills." It was nice to hear how much he though tof me as a captain but now wasn't the time to hear that.

"Okay Julian I get that their scared of us, they should be but did you hear anything about their plans?" I asked and he shook his head no.

"I ran straight for you when the building set fire to get you to safety, I learned nothing more." He said it so sadly and I felt bad so I tapped his shoulder and showed him a smile to let him know that I wasn't mad and that its okay. Before I could speak, a girl from their group spoke up and I hadn't even realized that their were girls in this group with their hair all cut short.

"They weren't scared of us they were scared of you. They spoke of how you are ruining the test and they think you were trained before hand." It was slightly true since my dad did send me to a survival camp when I was younger but I never expected to be put in this type of situation otherwise I would have taken it seriously. The girl was still speaking so I listened in.

"They feel like your more advanced for this project and were going to switch you too another project or kill you, they hadn't decided at the time. But based off of your results I think they'd go with death. They were going to split the groups up and torture them until they forgot everything and sent us all off and after each other in a new test run but then you broke in and they panicked. They think your some type of Secret Service spy and they've been compromised so killing you is the best option. Those who joined us will be hunted down and killed as well so we need to think quick and get somewhere decent for now." She was smart and I'd need her for later, I then noticed I forgot to question Aña and headed to her.

"Hey are you hiding from me? I need to ask you some questions you know?" I said it in a friendly way so that way my questioning didn't seem harsh if she didn't know anything but her face was full of guilt and fear, was it fear of me? "Aña what's wrong? Why do you look scared of me, you know I wouldn't hurt you. we're friends! Family if you will." A tear slid down her cheek and I wiped it away before hugging her and pulling her back enough to look her in the eyes. "What's bothering you?" I asked and she tried to compose herself but the sadness was still there, and fully exposed.

"You left Mina with me, I was supposed to take care of her and watch her and she's dead because of me. I don't blame you for being mad,I should have taken more care of her." She said and I shook her so she would look at me and stop her rambling.

"You stop that right now, I told her to go and then she was killed not you, me so don't think for a minute it was your fault. You wouldn't have known he'd shoot her and your still a kid, I don't blame you for acting out in fear." I said and she nodded before wiping her eyes and finally making eye contact with me.

"Their coming for you, I don't know when, but they will. Now that they know you are our commander sets you as an even higher threat and they fear you will blow this entire thing. We need to get out of here before they get you too." She showed full fear now but this time it was for my safety so I nodded and told her to take a breather before rejoining the group.

I needed to know what these guards knew and they would talk or I'd send them away. I headed over to the guards and they all saluted like I was an army Sargent before waiting for me to speak. Jason almost laughed at them but held it in as best as possible when I spoke. "I need information on why they are after me and what their plans are for this project." Their eyes went wide and Jason looked stiff with anger when I said they were after me. Even Matt and Ricky looked phissed that I said people were after me and they all glared the guys down, expecting them to speak.

I looked around and when my eyes landed on Butch, he stiffened and could feel the pressure on him even though I was the only one looking at him. The others all looked too scared to speak but he knew better, he knew that if I was getting hunted that someone was hunting Liz and he had a small but creepy attraction for her and wouldn't let her get hurt. I kept my stare on him and could feel him cracking, especially when he stole a glance at Liz and then looked up to my eyes.

"Okay! They want to kill you and then turn all of these kids against each other in a new test since you caused them all to act smarter than they originally planned. They were never planning on letting you guys off of this island and that's why those other kids are here, they can't have you guys getting back and telling the world what their doing. You think wiser, smarter, quicker than the others and your intelligence is too advanced for the test. They'd put you in a new test but they don't want you helping them either or telling them about this test. They fear you will get the kids off of the island and they know your capable of doing so, so they want to eliminate the problem." He said it so easily and confidentiality I almost thought he wanted to rejoin them but then he added the last part. "But we will fight to keep you safe and help get you off of the island, they will be going after our families for this treason so we need to get back to our families as well." He said and I nodded before heading away. Most stories seemed similar and so it was like putting together a puzzle of information until it all fit in the right spots.

Jason was following me and waited until I was near the woods to pull me in and try to have a private conversation. He was worried, I knew he'd be by the way he acted when hearing the news and he also looked phissed. "When were you going to tell me that people were after you?" He said as he ran a hand threw his hair and paced back and forth angrily.

"Tonight, I only just found out earlier but its nothing new, there's always someone after us you know that." I said to try to reason with him and let him no its nothing different from what we usually face. He stopped and groaned before punching the tree behind me and trapping me between him and the tree trunk.

"Their not coming for us Naomi, their coming for you. You, not all of us, not me and you, you. They aren't worried about the rest of us, you see what they did to my father and Mina. They won't stop until they get you, they will keep coming until they get you and I can't let that happen! I won't." He was so worriedly and angry and I couldn't get him to focus because the stress kept pouring into him. "What if I loose you and I don't find you in time to save you? I- I can't stand to loose you Naomi seeing you hurt kills so imagine loosing you forever, I just can't." His voice cracked and he hit the tree again as I tried to hold his arms and calm him down.

"Look at me Jason, look at me. They won't get me, I'm a soldier and I don't die that easily. They can't get me and they won't, I'll never stop fighting and we'll make it out okay? We'll get married, get a house, start a family, buy a dog and live happily ever after." He rested his head against my forehead and kissed it before placing both hands on the sides of my face.

"You better not, because I'm expecting a dog now." He tried to joke and I quickly gave him a kiss before pulling away and heading back to everyone but he grabbed my hand and spun me into him before giving me one last kiss and then holding my hand as we exited the woods and gathered everyone around to share what I have learned and make a plan from there. It wouldn't be easy, sneaking all of these people off of the island but it was something that must be done.

Everyone gathered for a second time today after all of the trainings and exercise, we caught fish and roasted them as I spoke and it felt weird having all eyes on me all of the time as I spoke. It wasn't like a school report where you gave a report and some would listen, all attention was on me as I spoke and this crowd was larger than one class. I searched through the crowd and told Amanda to come up which surprised her and the others who knew me before speaking.

"Amanda says they are tracking us with something so she will show us what it is and we will get rid of it. We can't make our move until we get rid of these tracking devices so Amanda where and what are they?" I asked and her face flushed before she gave a small whisper to me in response.

"I only heard them say that's how they track us, I don't know what the tracking device looks like or where exactly it is on us." She admitted sheepishly and I wanted to punch her in the face before I realized that someone here knew exactly what it was, many knew for a matter of fact. People looked phissed at her when they realized that she didn't know but I waved them off which even surprised me as I scanned the crowd. I could have chose any of the guards but the one I knew for sure would give us a straight answer was trying to hide from me until I found him.

"Butch come here." I said when I found him and he tried to hide but with all eyes on him, he cursed under his breath and walked up to the front. His holding back from us along with the other guards was starting to phiss me off and I had to say