This is madness!!!, dad is going to freak out when he finds out we are attempting a rescue, you do know this is a trap right.
I know it's a trap Rachel , that's why am going by myself you don't have to get involved.
" you really think you can last a minute, your barely have combat experience, you can't even fire a gun with out closing your eyes"
at least am trying to do something you are just giving up on Claire, all of you are giving up in her like she doesn't mean anything to you. Rachel narrowed her eyes at me , I could tell I was treading on perilous grounds, Harrison has the definitive say his the range leader, what he says goes.
Harrison: Dad gave me orders to keep you all certain trying to rescue Claire is off the table and so is splitting up.
" see Zoeyyy!!! He agrees with...wait you are not really considering her foolish idea are you???".
Harrison had a look in his eye, the kind of look people got when they were planning to do something very foolish".
"We can roll this to our advantage"
"..how exactly, by getting ourselves killed!!!!, you do remember what happened with Horatio right, this situation is exactly the same, it's a trap and you are falling for it again !!!, I won't be part of this stupidity "
I didn't take you for a coward... Rachel.., Just as the words left my mouth I regretted it, Rachel turned around with that famous cynical look on her face.
"What did you just call me?? ".
I didn't mean it too, am sorry I should've though that one out.
Rachel lunged at me with force, knocking me over, teeth gritted she held my head knocking it against the concrete repeatedly like a crazy person.
Harrison pulled her off me before she could do any lasting damage
"Am going to kill you!!! no one calls me a coward no one!! "
Get ahold of yourself, Rachel You are making a scene..
Rodriguez who was in the fast food getting us food froze in his track seeing the fight , he simply turned and walked back in leaving us fighting in the parking lot " she called me a coward, that bitch is going down "
I will knock you out right here if you don't get your shit together, we are in public and you two are acting foolish right now.
You shouldn't have cheated bruh groaned a passerby, misreading the situation, can't saying I could blame him we were acting like a couple of pissheads.
Harrison: Claire is depending on us to rescue her the is no room for error, bury what ever grudge you have with each other right now right here, I need you at your best for this."
I will squash it if Rachel promises to stop being such bitch to me all the time.
" oh joy the little girl has a demand, what a surprise "
Liu !!! ...be civil
I never heard Harrison raise his voice before, he almost sounded looked like Daniel for a second there Which startled both Rachel and Me.
" okay. Okay.. I will be less bitchy !! gosh, I hate it when you do that voice thing ..."
Good, now shake hands while I see why the order is taking so long
I stepped up holding out my hand towards Rachel mumbling "Am sorry for calling you a coward..".she just rolled her eyes in response, I couldn't figure out why she hated me so much. Her grip tightened as she squeezed my tiny hand " Harrison wont be here to save you next time, count on that, am going to make your life a living hell sister. "
Harrison came back pulling Rodriguez by the ear.
" easy yoo!!!".
I sent you to get us food and you go off mission chasing tale !!!..
" she has sister too man!!!, I can get you her number if you want"
Seat your ass down, take off those stupid shades you look like gangster, here spilt it evenly since someone gave away the fries.
Fast food tastes different when you haven't had in a long time, the healthy diet dad has us on was great but it was just too bland and boring for my liking.
Rachel: How are we going to rescue Claire without weapons, those guys were packing a lot of heat not that am condoning this action or whatever
Harrison: We have Eleanor
Who the fuck is Eleanor ???
Harrison pointed to a lock-up building across the street.
That doesn't answer my question at all ..
''Well come along then''
We crossed the road to the rundown lockup buildings, the whole place looked condemned , loose iron sheets broken windows, mold in certain places " Blue Bay lock-up and storage houses pty" read the rusted out sign with a familiar H-crest under it, Harrison unlocked the garage door of the larger store house, the lights automatically came on revealing a rather interesting sight , a large collection of odds and ends from the 80s and 70s, music records, furniture, art all worthy of museum display just gathering dust. Rodriguez expressed a lot of interest in a box filled with vintage magazines most especially the playboy collection , gawking at a two page spread of a vintage swim wear model until Rachel smacked him up the head.
" your are such a pig" .
Sorry didn't know the picture would be so detailed
Rachel picked through the music record box whilst Rodriguez pulled two page spread from the magazine stuffing in his Jean's, it was funny how casual he was about putting a finger to his mouths as he walked by.
Over here you lot!! Called Harrison refocusing us to the back of the lot were an old Auto-motor RV from the 70s was parked , it looked like someone had been working on it, new tires and newly installed roadworthiness disk.
" this is Eleanor, I been restoring her for the your survival trails ".
Wait there is another trail??, I thought we were done with that.
" the 4th trail or the survival trail are a series of tests that judge competency and effectiveness in the field, range leaders used to test us and see how we faired hence the term survival"
This is still a rescue mission right ??
The inside of the RV left much to be desired for, a table and seats on the center-compartment which the kitchen , bunk beds at the back and 1 bathroom stall in the back area, shag carpeting and more that few stain of what I hope was water damage, few mementos were left by the previous occupants.
" I practically grew up in Eleanor, she Is a steady lady very practical "
Rodriguez: yoo homes this is a dump on wheels man, the First Path will die from laughter when they see us in this
" dump!?? this is a custom built vehicle designed by dad himself, it has high powered hybrid electric engine powered by solar-recharging heavy battery cells and V8 heavy diesel engine , it has an onboard SAT communications computer, custom magnetic shock absorbers complemented by an ablative bulletproof frame, their hidden slots filled to the beam with weapons.
Rodriguez looked like he had a stroke after Harrison said Custom built.
That's a lot of guns
"Alright Zoe call them"
I dialled the anonymous number which didn't even ring just connecting
"I assume you have come to a decision "
Yes, am turning myself in
"We will send the address come alone"
They sent the address Blue Bay asylum anyone know where that is ?? .
"Yeah, it's over on Ocean drive overlooking the bay nice place for an evil command centre, Rachel pull up the schematics for the roads works, pipes telephone lines, the whole mile we are going hunting"
After Harrison explained the plan I was reluctant to go through with it, the rescue op was just too simple to work.
The entire drive up to the asylum my mind raced, there were alot of things that could go wrong, it was too simple and stupid to work , i was so scared that I wanted to scream . I could actually die if messed up a set, maybe my abilities would save me just like last time but Dad said I shouldn't be reliant on them since the past few days I been injured and the wounds seemed to linger.
" hey kid" buzzed the walkie on the dash " just follow my instructions alright we will get through this ".
What if I mess up, what if I ??
" Zoe you can do this ,I trust you"
Listening to my brother seemed to calm me down a bit, it was good he was in charge I need that reassuring voice .Pulling up to the Asylum everything seemed quite no one in sight, I stopped in the parking lot overlooking the entrance honking twice just as the caller had instructed , the whole place seemed to come alive with activity as a floodlights illuminated my mini sedan, laser beams piercing the evening air dancing about my chest.
Come out with your hands up!!!
Not before you show me, my sister!!!!
This is a command, either you comply or we shoot her .
I did as they said walking to the entrance where a squad of guards awaited me, the bound me with zip ties just as Harrison had said , firmly secured I was escorted in under heavy guard detail , "you actually came I though I was going to have to make an example of sister" blurted the voice through the intercoms, I was led to what appeared to be a makeshift lab which was shown as a circular room on the floor mapping scheme.
These monsters had Claire hooked up to a machine that filtered her blood, removing a yellowish substance from it " icor" pumping into cylinder tubes. Claire seemed sickly her eyes not so bright as they were, bruises were about her face like she had been beaten.
Claire!!!
''Zoe... is that you ...??"
I came to rescue you !!, let her out !!! Let her the fuck out now !!
" am sorry that won't be possible Ms de blanc" answered scar face, he wasn't alone though, there was another person with him a broody looking man defiant eyes like a predator out for your blood, I felt Goosebumps seeing this other man, regal and rugged with battle scars and thick beard, a deep feeling of dread pulled me out of my swooning trance, my instinct screamed " run!!!" as came into view looking, somewhat like Daniel yet different.
Lord Tubal-al !!! groaned the security guards kneeling before this man.
You must be the boss I suppose ???
" the boss, the king, the emperor, god king and my personal favourite ONE "
As he said that I felt my legs turn to jelly, fear wrenching my stomach paralysing me in place " thats your body's defence mechanism kicking in, from the fear, I take you know who I am " .
I burst out of my zip ties taking a defensive posture, my heart raced so quickly that I began to sweat.
You are ONE !!!
" and you are the last, interesting you have father's eyes, so focused and judgmental ." He spoke appearing infront of me almost instanenously, I couldn't even react, I leaped aside back trying to keep as much distance i could from this guy backing into a wall he extended his hand caressing my face whipping out the stray strand " relax am not here to hurt you" .
He looked down on me his eyes so cold yet attentive like leopard scanning fowl in the tall before it went in for the kill.
If you come in peace let my sister go!!
" do as she says Brutus"
But father ,the extraction ...?!!
ONE just glared to Brutus and he complied with the order, he seemed to relax dismissing his guard detail, pouring himself a glass of brandy from table, pouring a glass for me as well " in all my years on this shit hole of a planet I have seen a great deal of things, met a few interesting people, you can learn a lot from a person's eyes, the eyes are the windows to our souls, I have seen your soul before Zoe centuries ago"
You don't know me ...
" oh but I do, I know you better than you know yourself, I can tell you things about yourself that you don't know, your preferred drink for that matter "
The whiskey smelled so familiar as One held it out to me, I declined shaking my head
You don't know me so stop with this act you deranged killerr
"really, you believe the brain washing father instilled in you, I not different from everyone else, you and I are the same two sides of a coin".
One crushed his cup injuring his hand, the blood dripped for a moment before it stopped and the wound began to seal, right before my eyes ".. you are bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, Zoe de blanc, your mother is my mother, we are one".
I was confused for moment as Claire staggered in, falling to the floor weakly, she was shivering her lips were so dry.
what did you do to her?
"Extraction is quite a nasty little procedure and quite deadly if not given time to properly disengage, one could suffer thrombosis."
You set this up didn't you, you monster ??
" no its just the science of it all, you have your sister now, as our deal states she goes free and you take her place"
Yeah that was it, everything will be alright Claire you are free now
" Zoe before you go I have a proposition for you....Why don't you join me, become my queen just the two of us we can rule the world " I don't know how he did it but ONE projected what he was saying into my mind I could see my self in a black flowing dress, a crown of bones on my head all the jewellery and riches you can ever think off" Zoe..don't fall it he is just baiting you" spoke Claire weakly pulling me out of the trance, seeing ONE standing over us.
" all that could be yours just if you pledge your loyalty to me by killing her, use this knife it's more effective "
The blade seemed crudely made , from a bone of sorts its grip leather like and smooth." stick it in her heart right about there, she wont feel a thing, come on it's the humane thing to do" .
Claire was so weak shifting in and out of consciousness it pained me to see her like that, I almost lifted the blade up when whisper came " now"
There was am explosion the lights cut off all of a sudden sending panicked murmurs from the security detail level above , the roof cutting had fallen over Brutus crushing the poor guy, Rachel and Harrison came down on ropes gun blazing cutting down the gunmen with precise headshots, ONE had seemingly vanished when I got up handling Claire to Rachel who secured her and zipped upwards, Harrison clipped me but before we could exit, powerful force pushed us away, the line snapped as we careened across the room to the opposite wall.
Run !!!! Screamed Harrison firing his gun at One, he moved so quickly closing distance with us, Harrison pulled me out of the way when he lunged smashing the wall with his fist, I couldn't keep up with his movement so quick. Harry cut the rope pushing me aside as he engaged One in a flurry of the fastest hand to hand combat ever, precise bone crunching strikes that you could feel and hear, One proved the better fighter flooring Harrison in a mere seconds, he punch him so hard that the night vision googles broke apart
" weak !!! just like the rest of them", Rachel dangled from above taking aim at ONE's head, she took the shot but ONE anticipated it, with quick flick of his head, a retaliation of sorts came from his hand causing the air compress then pop !!! The resulting explosion pushed Rachel out of the hole and throw me into a pillar.
" I could have taught all that and more Zoe, you have so much potential yet you waste with these weaklings "He lifted Harrison by his neck squeezing so hard that he gasped for air, " we are superior to them, gods amongst men, I could flinch and snap his neck"
Put him down!! I order holding the knife out , trying to look intimidating !!.
Oh ...my gosh look little bro she got a knife what am going to do !!
One player around with Harrison like he was nothing squeezing tightly
Let him go!!!
" you haven't killed anyone yet girl, put that down before you hurt your self"
I will stab you, I mean it, let him go!!!
Zoe run !! droned Harry chocking his eyes all red.
" I know that look, it's too bad he has to die he would have made you weak"
I don't know where the strength came from, I held onto the knife firmly and moved so fast, sticking the knife right in One's neck, he let out a scream!!! as he lost control of his body, blood gushing out, a look of surprise was on his face quickly dissipating into amusement" you have unlocked you gift "
Brutus rose from the rubble yelling "Kill them all!! You fools !!!"
I yanked the flash bangs and smoke grenades tossing them about us, as the mercs streamed in, firing wildly !!! . We were long gone rushing through the corridor, Harrison leaning against my shoulder, the gun men had lined up out the entrance their guns pointed at as we emerged" an ambush "
Open fire!!! .
they fired but the bullets ricochet off something between them and us, the RV decloaked appearing almost out of nowhere " get in!!! screamed Rachel".
I shoved Harrison in when the 50 cal turned and coughed in loud crescendo cutting the gun men down, Eleanor's wheels spun as it its rushing out of the asylum courtyard, it encounter resistance of sorts like we hit wall, Rodriguez put it second gear the wheels just spun, looking back I saw ONE approaching with his fist closed, he was manipulating the RV some how with mind warping in place.
SHOOT THAT BASTARD!!
Rachel got on the 50 cal unleashing a turrent of rounds which bore holes through ONE, he kept coming though the bullet holes sealing as quickly as they appeared, then richocheting of an invincible barrier. " you ...cannot beat me ..conventionally you might as well give up !!! " he spoke in our minds it felt like someone was dragging nail on a chalk board in our brain.
I pulled out the detonator self distracting my car which took out ONE and his approaching vanguard of goons, freeing us. We drove out the courtyard and with a last glance I saw Tubal-al unscathed by the explosion his suits burnt right off his skin. He reached out to me telepathically and spoke " I will have your siblings on and extraction table soon, I will keep you alive so you can watch them all die, perhaps that would kill your humanity and you can finally take your rightful place as my right hand ".
That will never happen!!!!
My nose bled from the psychic attack, claire offering a hankercheif "am glad you didn't accept his offer"
I couldn't do that, even for him that
colossal doucebag, I stuck that knife in his neck hoping it would kill him ...
" you only pissed him off , he heals like you coming back stronger" droned Harrison clutching his neck, he fough so bravely I was proud of him.
We got incoming !!!
Sure as hell a helicopter, barred down on us opening fire, Rodriguez swerved as the high caliber bullets tore up the road following our trail, there wasn't a lot of cover to hide from those rounds which tore a hole in the frame, Harrison pulled us down covering us form the debris as Rodriguez swerved once more heading through an underpass, the RV beeped as rockets were fired, streaking towards us. Flares popped out the side of the RV, heat seeking rockets striking the pillars of the underpass in loud explosion. My ears were ringing when I came too.
We are still alive
" Rachel get on that turrent and knock thing out of the sky !!!" commanded Harrison, who pulled up the hatch getting the disassembled stinger " hold the other end come on"
Rachel fired in spurs the turrent rounds peppering the night sky, people dove for cover as we drove by, pedestrians panicking off the road when the gun ship laid down fire , it was chaos. Small town police went equipped to deal with fire power of this kind, the radio went crazy as officers reported and responded to the disturbance .
Rodriguez had made a gamble driving us towards the interprovincial highway in a bid to lose the chopper take cover!!
The bullets cut through the frame cleanly hitting me in the chest, time seemed to stand still as I glanced down seeing a huge gaping hole in my chest, you could actually see my lungs, squealing inside as Harrison lay me down" Harry I can't feel my legs "
I could see the anger build up as He commanded Rodriguez to stop , he got out hefting the stinger on his shoulder, took aim and fired, I saw the rocket light up the night sky then boom, the helicopter exploded in a the flash illuminated Claire face her eyes vacantly stirring at me, so empty of feeling, yet peaceful.
Rachel knelt besides us getting the first aid kit, I closed my eyes as she worked appearing on a level beach, the ocean spread out in front of me, Claire stood there in the water her hair flickering in the wind" I guess it was my time after all, am happy you choose this path little sis am so happy, its up to you now, hold them together be thier glue ".
Claire turned into an orb of light which hovered about me, I reached out to it and it vanished .
I called her name once gasping loudly when I came too, the hole in my chest had healed a patch of newly regenerated skin around the depression.
Where is Claire, Claire???
She is gone...mumbled Harrison pointing the sheet covered form placed on the floor, My heart sank I didn't know what to do, tears flowed down my cheeks as I tried to get Claire to wake up.
" no please come back please, not like this."
everyone was silent Claire was indeed gone and it was my fault.