“We’re here” I found myself amused that Jason was whispering into my mind. What wasn’t so amusing was how nervous he was. He’d been Mr Cool, Calm and Collected all this time, not even breaking a sweat in the midst of fighting and right now he looked more nervous than me.
“This door leads into one of the out buildings just outside the research facility door. I’ve stashed some gear, we need to change and look like we work in one of the labs. Once inside we will have to make it to the medical wing, I’m pretty sure that’s where they are keeping Axel.”
Before I knew it I had donned a white overall and slightly large fitting boots and cap. Jason armed us both with infectious waste containers hoping that if anyone saw us they would just assume we were technicians going about out daily tasks. Luckily the containers were big enough to squeeze the back pack into so we didn’t have to leave anything behind. Jason led the way with instructions to follow him like I knew what I was doing. Righty-o, I didn’t know if I could pull off a science look, I guess I was just about to find out.
Beast
They had nearly fooled him. He was about to take off after the holograms, luckily he had hesitated. His orders were to stay put and keep an eye on the outside of the Palace but when he saw the girl and boy running in among the trees his instincts forced him to stand and ready himself for the chase. He hesitated, after all he was supposed to follow orders and this hesitation delayed his hunt long enough to notice two people running, really fast, for the alley way directly across from the Palace.
Now our beast was a very observant creature and knew the movement of these people was very familiar, he realised after his initial confusion that this was his girl. He had watched her often enough to recognise it.
He didn’t follow his orders, he didn’t stay, he took off after the two people he had seen running. He knew it was his two Travellers, he realised what he had seen in the trees was just another ruse, clever male. He chased them directly into the alleyway to find it completely empty of humans.
The beast raised his wrist band and begun scanning the area. It was faint but he detected a trace of tech, walking up to the wall he started sweeping his forearm along its width. He knew it was a fake and the signature was fading. He started adjusting his wrist band looking for a way to break the signal and find the doorway he knew was behind this wall.
Lily
At first we didn’t encounter anyone as we casually walked down the corridor with our waste bins in hand. It didn’t last long as we walked through the secure decontamination door to the sound of an alarm screaming at us and people running out of rooms heading down the corridor all in the same direction. Jason held out a hand a stopped one of the runners
“What’s happening” he asked in his best alarmed voice. So much for incognito I thought as I tried to do my best alarmed impression.
“I’m not sure…someone said the Palace guards and Gentech are on the grounds shooting at each other…that can’t be right though…you better get out of here man, they’re shutting down this wing”.
The guy ran off, he looked freaked out as did everyone else. Jason pulled me aside, he started taking the backpack out of the waste container “we have to head to the med wing now. I’ve got a pretty good idea where Axel is. Hopefully we can use all the commotion to cover us. This might actually work”.
He didn’t wait for a reply or comment, Jason was off beginning to lose himself in the rush of people trying to leave the wing. I pulled off my boots, I had already tripped a couple of times and back in my own shoes I was able to catch up to Jason and follow him out. I couldn’t believe how easy this was and somewhere in the back of my mind I was remembering Indiana Jones making it to the alter, removing the gold statue, replacing it with a bag of sand and the loud rumble that followed. I could have sworn if I looked over my shoulder I would have seen a giant boulder chasing us down.
We were welcomed into the med wing by a hive of activity. Medical personnel were already bringing wounded guards into the medical bays, Jason and I walked passed unnoticed. We were walking away from all the activity and straight to the end of a long corridor
“He should be in this last room. I thought they would have stationed guards out here waiting for us. This is too easy” my sentiments exactly.
In fact I’m sure I could hear the rumble somewhere behind us closing in. Jason entered the last room off the corridor and there lying on a gurney hooked up to a couple of machines was Axel. My paranoia left me the second I saw Axel, I ran over to him elated we found him, scared to see his eyes were closed and unmoving.
“Axel, Axel please wake up” I whispered as I shook him trying to wake him up. If I was thinking clearly I would have realised how fruitless this action was. I could hear Jason moving around beside me, moving machines and pressing buttons.
“He’s in a coma, induced by the looks of it, I’m going to try and bring him around”.
That’s all I needed to hear. I took Axel’s hand and concentrated so hard, probing his mind trying to bring it back to life, trying to smile into it so he could recognise me and wake up. “Axel please wake up. I’ve come to get you. We are going to leave here now, we are going to go somewhere safe where we never have to run again, Axel, please”.
I don’t know how long I kept repeating this, I could feel desperation well up inside of me, ready to spill over, but soon I felt it, faintly but it was there, Axel. It wasn’t a spoken word it was more like energy like I could feel him coming towards me, I could see him in my mind’s eye actually walking towards me “Lily” he said as he collected me in a hug “you shouldn’t be here you have to go, they are coming. Leave me and go”.
“No I’m not leaving without you. They can have me if it means staying with you. So it’s your choice. If you want me to leave then you have to come with me”. He held me back from his arms and just looked at me and ever so slightly smiled. That’s when I felt him squeeze my hand, it was a feather type touch but it was there.
“He’s coming out of it” Jason said. “Lily, he can’t walk, we are going to have to take him out with the bed. There’s so much going on out there, cross your fingers nobody cares about us”
For the first time in as many days I felt like this was actually going to work. Jason had already unplugged Axel from all the machines and he seemed to be breathing steadily. I wouldn’t let go of his hand so Jason had to handle both the bed and me.
We started moving towards the door, only inches now. We would however not be ignored by Murphy’s Law. The door opened and there stood a man wearing a big wide smile. I recognised him, this was the same guy I’d seen at the petrol station. Jason pulled the bed to a stop, all I could do was stare
“Excellent, you’re both here” he said “you led us a merry chase with those holograms, it took us a while to figure out it wasn’t you and some of my men were injured as a result. Excellent work my boy” ok that was weird, he was looking straight at Jason.
“I knew giving you free reign in the lab was a good idea that is some fancy work you did out there. For a second there I didn’t think you were going to bring her to me”. Ok, now that was really weird.
I turned to look at Jason and his expression was horror stricken. “Jason”. I probed “Jason” I probed again. Nothing, he had shut me down. I pushed a little more, he wasn’t letting me in. I was aware that Axel was starting to stir next to me, his hand tightening on mine. Two guards came in aiming their gun at me, not at Jason, at me.
“Come with me young lady” said this strange, very tall man “you and I are going to have a chat.”
Then he looked at Jason “and you young man have earned yourself a good meal and a hot shower. Well done, you exceeded my expectation”. Ok, something inside me was starting to feel sick again. Why was he talking to Jason like he was a pet?
“I’m not leaving her” Jason then said quite determinedly.
“Oh r
eally, you didn’t go and fall for her did you Jason. You know that wasn’t part of the plan”.
Whatever this man was trying to do he was enjoying it, he kept looking from me, to Jason, to Axel, with glee waiting for something.
“I don’t care about your plan, I’m not leaving her”.
“Oh how sweet, but you know Jason, you don’t have to leave her voluntarily. You have fulfilled your purpose, I’m quite happy to confine you, so stop this nonsense and leave us. Young Lily and I need to have a chat.” The jovial tone in his voice remained, his face however had taken on a much sterner countenance. He was losing patience. All I could do was look from one man to the other.
“Ummm, can someone please tell me what’s going on” I asked. If it wasn’t for the comforting pressure of Axels hand in mine I think I would have collapsed. The sick feeling was growing and that scream was starting to build through my lungs.
“Oh well Lily you should ask your young man that”. He looked quite pleased with himself as he said this
“He’s not my young man and just for laughs why don’t you tell me” I asked him. My sarcastic, brave, rebel without a cause ego state was putting on a fine show for all attending.
He giggled, this tall, smug, son of a bitch was actually giggling “do you believe in coincidences dear Lily” he asked. He wasn’t expecting an answer.
“There are none of course. Jason didn’t just happen upon you, he owed me a favour and you are the payload. You were never going to leave here because Jason was supposed to bring you here and give you to me. He’s done an excellent job, wouldn’t you agree”. And, the pit just fell out of my stomach.
I didn’t notice at the time but Axels grip had become tighter. I would have fallen if it hadn’t, it was the only thing giving me strength.
I turned to look at Jason “don’t listen to him Lily, I had every intention of getting you and Axel out of here”
Jason turned to this very imposing man.
“I stopped working for you when I became friends with Wolf. I used you as much as you used me. You’re not as smart as you think you are you know, if only you really knew what was happening here you would…” Jason didn’t get to finish. One of the Palace guards had come up next to him and placed a device to his neck and that was the end as folks say. Jason collapsed, he was out cold, lying humped over on the floor. I just stared. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think, just stared.
“That’s that then” he was actually smiling “put him in a cell, I will deal with him later” he instructed the guard and that’s when he turned his full attention back to me and smiled.
“Who are you?” I asked
“Why my dear” he said with a very theatrical pause, “ I am your grandfather” and dramatic pause number two “I have waited a very long time to meet you” and that’s when I felt something cool at my neck and the whole entire dark world closed in on me.
Chapter 29
Lily
The first thing I noticed was how cold I felt, I guess that’s what woke me up. There was a blanket folded neatly beside me unused. My captors weren’t the gracious, chivalrous kind, if there is such a thing. I could barely see anything, it was dark.
What I knew for sure was that I was lying on a bed in a small, windowless room. I knew Axel wasn’t with me, I knew that my whole life had been a lie and then I met Jason and then there were more lies and oh God I’m starting to feel sick again.
Jason.
I remember a dream I just had. Jason was behind a glass wall, he looked distraught slamming his fists against the wall. I could see his mouth moving, I knew he was talking, no he was screaming something but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. I just sat behind the glass, hugging my knees into my chest watching him in a state of no thought. It was bad enough that I could see him, I didn’t want to think about him as he stood there banging on the glass wall that separated us.
The events of the day started playing back in my mind, happiness at feeling Axels arms around me, terror that we’d been found, horror at the suggestion that Jason had betrayed me, my grandfather?
The sound of the door to my room opening took me by surprise, I actually jumped, the action scattering my thoughts. A Palace guard entered carrying a gun. Seriously how melodramatic were these guys, I know defeat when I experience it, as if I was going to go karate girl on them and use weapons I had cleverly concealed on my body
“You really don’t need to point that thing at me, I’m not going to try and beat you up” I finally said to the guard. He had just walked into the room and stood there looking at me with a scowl that made his already unattractive face uglier.
“I’m not here to chat” he said “come with me now, the old man wants to see you” oh well there was an invitation I couldn’t refuse.
I stood very slowly, I knew I couldn’t fight him but I knew I could piss him off and that was always my go to defence when nothing else worked. The guard was of the very impatient type, he grabbed me by the arm and roughly shoved me toward the door.
“Move now, we don’t have all day” I smiled at him just then which earned me enough of a shove out of the door that it was thanks to the wall opposite that I actually came to a standstill.
“What” I said “only one of you, not sure how I feel knowing you think I’m that easy”, that earnt me the barrel of the guards gun in my back
“Move” he said, growing ever and ever more impatient with me. Triumphant is how I felt in that moment. We had just walked to the end of the corridor and started turning left when I’m sure I’d heard a scraping sound, I turned to look behind me and came face to face with the guards scowl “move” he yelled this time.
I shook my head, it wasn’t just the sound I heard, it was something else, a feeling. It grew stronger with every step I took, so I’m reasoning that that is why I turned when I did to see a look of surprise on the guards face as his gun toppled from his hand and he fell straight into me pinning me to the floor.
I too was surprised and winded when I saw the guard rise off me and off the floor. He was floating, in mid-air and all of a sudden the middle of his chest blew out. Blood sprayed all over me, the walls and the floors. I couldn’t understand what I was seeing, there was no one else in the corridor and yet there was the guard, mid-air with a hole in his chest and the light of life dying in his eyes. His body was then flung towards the wall where it slowly slid down leaving a trail of blood behind it until he came to rest in a heap on the floor. I’m not sure if I was breathing or not. I felt a breath, but I knew, I just knew it wasn’t coming from me “who’s there” I finally called out.
It took only a couple of seconds until I saw it. I was still lying on the floor and the air above my head, my face had started to shimmer and there it was. The beast, the face I’d seen so often in my dreams was right above me now, it opened its mouth, and with its very guttural voice it said “gotcha”.
Remember that scream that had been building up since all this started, the beast heard it loud and clear. That’s when it smiled.
Jason
When the old man first approached me with a special assignment I took it, hungrily, not caring about the details. I was bored at the Palace and seeking adventure. Gordon’s assignment I rationalised was my ticket out but I was not prepared for what would happen next. I wasn’t prepared to form such affection for Wolf and his story and god Lily.
When I saw Lily I knew I was done for. I knew I would carry out Wolf’s instructions and I knew then that my future was doomed as soon as the old man discovered my duplicity. I hated the Palace, hated what it had done to me as a child, hated what it was planning for Lily.
Bringing her back to the Palace was a monumental mistake of course. I should have just knocked her unconscious and taken her to the mountains just like Wolf had asked me to do, but no, I wanted her to like me so I did what she wanted. Brought her back to the one place I promised Wolf I
would protect her from and now thanks to Gordon she hated me.
I felt it, felt her figure out my involvement in this before she shut me out. We were all in trouble now and I didn’t know how I could get us all out of it. I don’t know what the old man told her but whatever it was, she believed him, or at least some version of it. Now I was locked in a tiny cell and I knew what was waiting for me, reprogramming. I had lived out my usefulness and it was time to reform to Palace rule. If I let that happen, it would all be over.
I had to find a way out of this, I had to rescue the girl. I had to be that guy, it was the only way I would be able to live with myself after what I had done.
###
Liliy’s adventure continues in The Travellers Part 2, available in 2014
Thank you for reading my book. I really enjoyed writing it and can’t wait to continue the adventure. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave me a review at your favourite retailer.
Thanks
Antonia Fields
Other books by Antonia Fields
Lily’s adventure continues in part two available in 2014. Find out if the beast is friend or foe.
Antonia is also starting work on her Ogham series also available in 2014.
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