Kathryn.
She was the first person I thought of when I regained consciousness. Where was I? What had happened? I expected a bright light to pierce my eyelids and tell me I was at the hospital, but that didn't happen. The room I was in had a darker light. I might be at home, but why? I know I told Kat I got her something to eat. Did something happen on the way there? Did she get her food?
"I told you he wasn't dead."
"Whoever said he was? He's gonna flip when he realizes where we are. You know he hates this place."
"I thought he blew it up."
"So did I, but it's still here. If you need me to, I'll knock him out again."
They laughed as I opened my eyes. There was a dim light illuminating the room around me. When I couldn't find them in front of me, I knew they were taking refuge behind the couch I was on. I struggled to sit up, and when I did they were grinning at me like idiots. Like I hadn't heard anything they'd just said. I remember this room like the back of my hand. But I want them to tell me where I am.
"So...where am I?" I asked, with what I hoped was a smirk.
Their smiles dropped as they glanced at each other. It's not like I was going to kill either of them. It probably wasn't them who brought me here. If they knew I hated this place so much, why would you bring me back. There are so many other places I'd love to be in the city. Like the hospital. Or my home. Maybe even my headquarters.
"Wade, you tell him," Watson hissed, nudging his friend beside him.
"Just because I'm two minutes younger than you doesn't mean you can boss me around," Wade growled. "Now you tell him or I'll rip your heart out."
The two men glared at each other before I lost interest in hearing it from them. I focused on throwing my legs off the couch. They hurt with this sudden movement, but I'll be fine. There's no way I actually got hurt in the crash. I've never been hurt before. This was nothing.
"We're back at the old hideout. We all thought you destroyed it, but apparently you meant something else when you said you did."
"...We're literally sitting in a ticking time bomb. How else could I say it? I didn't think anything of it, because I thought it was deteriorating on its own." I sighed.
"Oh." Wade looked up. "I was just up there. Jackson was here with his men. He got Asher and his son too. I didn't see them, but they're still here."
"Was here?"
"He's gone now. We all know he's no match for our training."
"I haven't seen Asher since...when we moved. Heh, I guess we've all been busy with our lives."
Wade said he would go out to check and see if anything was happening from above. Above. I used to love being hidden away underground. Now it just makes me want to curl into a ball and hope that this is all a dream. We could all die at any moment. Either by Carbon monoxide poisoning or the place suddenly collapsing in on itself. I was afraid if we stayed any longer than we should, both could happen.
Watson busied himself with the camera monitors. He said he'd gotten some running again after he'd chased Jackson here after my accident. From the last he heard, and saw, Jackson was running around above like he owned the place. He didn't know Wade and Watson were here. He didn't know where I'd disappeared to after he'd dragged me from my car and brought me here. So...we had the element of surprise. Not unless Jackson knew about the trapdoor.
A thud resounded throughout the space. Watson and I looked at each other before bursting into a fit of laughter. Gosh, I really want to know who it was? Had Jackson found it? One of his men? I was ready for a fight any day, but I don't think whoever fell was. A fall from that height could paralyze a child. That's why you had to watch out for where you walked around this building. There were some traps I laid out and got caught in them not too long after.
"We shouldn't be laughing," Watson said with tears streaming down his face.
"I know, I know." I wiped my eyes and tried to think about something else.
Wade had to come in at that exact moment. He was carrying Asher's son like he didn't weigh anything. Asher pulled up the rear with a frown on his face. It wasn't that he was mad, but I could see he was disappointed in his son. God, that made the situation even funnier. Watson avoided eye contact. The smile on his face gave him away. He thought it was hilarious still.
"Well, well, well." I suppressed a smile as Wade set Vincent on the couch across from me. "How'd that happen? How's he not dead?"
"...Vincent jumped on the trapdoor being a disobedient brat. The mats were still there."
"Lucky him..."
We all watched in fascination as he rolled off the couch onto the floor. That had to hurt. Asher looked like he really wanted to punch something. I'm with him. It was about time we got out of here. I wasn't comfortable with sitting in a bomb. I didn't have a death wish as of now. Life is what I choose.
"We'll be back," Wade announced. "I don't want anyone to find out we were here when we leave."
"Do what you gotta do." I waved him and Watson off. "I'll help you get Vincent outside," I said to Asher.
⭕⭕⭕⭕⭕
"It's so good to have fresh air!" Vincent exclaimed. I squinted at him in the bright sunlight. "It feels like I haven't seen the sun in forever."
"'Cause you haven't seen the sun in forever," I muttered.
"What's today?" Asher asked. "I lost sense of time when they locked me up again."
Wade looked at his watch. "Tuesday. Late afternoon."
As we waited for our ride to show up, I noticed Wade was acting a little different. Ever since he and Watson came back from the control room, he's been glancing at his phone constantly. I wasn't going to ask him what was wrong. It was time he figured out his own life.
"Hey, Watson and I are going to help the opposite way," he declared out of the blue. "I want to check up on something else."
"...Whatever." I waved him away. The less men in the car, the better the situation when Kathryn got here. I would have rather mom came than her.
My eyes flickered to the empty gas station across the street. The main reason we had to switch hideouts. Opium deals had been going on. A poppy field behind the station had been burned to the ground by the police. No matter how many times the authorities asked me about it, I claimed to not know anything. It was best I kept my mouth shut until they found out I was lying.
"Wayne's back in jail again," Asher mentioned.
"Why?" I asked.
"Probably drugs," Vincent commented. "I know enough about him to narrow it down to drugs, abuse, or attempted murder."
"Attempted murder?" I scratched my head.
"He failed to kill my grandfather and my mom...twice."
Fair point.
"Forget him. Can we get something to eat? I could eat a bull right now." Asher held his stomach for effect.
"...Shut up, will you?" Vincent shoved him. "You're always complaining about something."
I shook my head and focused my attention on the car heading towards us. I swear Asher and Vincent acted more like brothers than father and son. It would be nice if I had that kind of relationship with Sean. Maybe I can transfer him back over here when everything calms down. I know Kathryn misses him more than I do. With another kid on the way...I don't know how I'll be able to keep her comfortable now.
Kat pulled up and we all piled into the SUV. She should have still been in the hospital. I guess when she's a doctor, no one wants to make her do anything she doesn't want to do. She was ignoring me. I deserve that. I was in a wreck and disappeared from the scene. She had no idea if I was alive and not dying on the side of the road.
"Can I tell them, Kit Kat?" I asked, trying to force myself on her good side again.
"...Like I care," she muttered.
I turned in my seat and smiled. Asher was staring out the window like he was missing something. I watched as his expression changed from solemn to anger. Well, I guess he wouldn't want this good news right now. I'm gonna tell him anyway.
"Kathryn's pregnant," I announced.
There was a swell of silence.
"You're not even married and you're already having another kid?" Asher grumbled at the window.
"Could you at least be happy for your cousin?" I growled.
"How could I when you could have been marr--"
"Asher, if you want to act like that, you can walk back into the city," Kathryn snarled.
"I'd love to do just that." His head snapped to hers and I saw their eyes connect in the rearview mirror. "Stop the car."
Kathryn immediately complied and stomped on the brakes. Asher jumped out with no hesitation and began walking. We watched the back of his head for some time before Kathryn sighed and resumed driving. I think that went pretty well.
"I'm happy for you, Kat," Vincent chimed in. "I hope it's a girl."
"...Awww." Kathryn smiled at him. "What's gotten into your father?"
"I don't know. I think it's because he felt...weak. It happens to the best of us. We can't be hard on him. That place brings back some memories. Some bad memories."
"Makes sense. I suppose he'll come 'round when we see him again."
"Kit Kat," I muttered. "I don't think you should be exerting yourself anymore. Forget Asher. It's bad enough I asked you to come get us."
"Are you implying that I'm incapable of helping you with trivial things?" She exclaimed.
"No. Of course not, mon chéri. I was with you when you were pregnant with Sean, it's best I do the same now. I'll worry for you when you finally get really...pregnant."
"Stop worrying about me, please."
"Vincent, tell her she needs to learn to rest now, because later it will be harder for her."
Vincent opened his mouth to agree.
"Don't you dare," Kathryn warned.
The rest of the ride into the city was silent. Vincent kept kicking the back of my seat, and it took all the patience and love I had for him to ignore it. He stopped after a while and resulted in pointing out random things he'd never seen before. How can a ten year old be so annoying? How did Asher deal with him everyday? I'd kill myself.
When we were back in town, Kathryn drove straight to the hospital. She said Lexi had gone into cardiac arrest and things weren't looking so good. Vincent got this look in his eye that told me he was on the verge of tears. I knew Lexi. She wasn't going to give up on her life that easily. If the media hasn't freaked about her condition, then it can't be that bad.
"What do you want to eat?" I asked.
"Steak," he responded almost immediately.
"You got steak money?"
"No..."
"What do you want to eat?"
"...Takeout."