Wasn't she the one who hauled me all the way to the main street, before handing me to the boys - who then continued to escort me inside the elevator?
If so, where the hell is she!
Ignoring the pain from the injury, and with some kind of miracle, I quickly stood up from where I was sitting and frantically searched the crowd.
The elevator was big enough to accompany a lot of people; around seventy or eighty if I listened to the orientation right. So having only fifteen, it was not that hard to find her.
Her...
When my eyes landed on the remaining gaps of the elevator door, I saw her standing outside the entrance.
I was alarmed not because she was outside of the elevator instead of the inside, but because I caught a glimpse of FREAKs scrambling her way - which happens to be the same direction as ours.
Do take note that this is not just by a crowd of the undead anymore but, rather, by a huge WAVE of FREAKs.
So imagine how my heart caught up in my throat when I saw her just standing there, doing nothing.
Freaking, crazy woman!
I instantly ran towards her; thinking of ways to save her freaking ass when, all of a sudden, the alarm system of the elevator turned on, making the door close much faster than before.
Basically, the elevator door closes for a five-minute window - since its scanning both the inside and outside of the territory.
The main reason for this was to make thorough inspections of the surrounding area and to carefully distinguish the beings near the premises; checking out if he was either part of the living or the dead.
Its face and body heat detection technology are the ones that enable us to identify whether they are FREAKs or simply survivors of the apocalypse.
So once it does detect harm, the five-minute window becomes a five-second limit.
Shit, no!
Like a raging bull, I slam my body into the already closed steel door, trying to miraculously open it with force.
I was about to try one more time when, unexpectedly, a huge crash from the outside made the whole elevator shake.
Moreover, as the silver box started to ascend upward, another violent swing came which totally threw me off balance.
Fuck these FREAK waves!
Still, knowing she was out there – alone and vulnerable, I hastily stood up and made another attempt to push the door open.
And who am I kidding?
It was tightly close and, as far as I recalled, once it was close, it will remain close until we reached the top of the Tower.
Ugh!
"Yow man, what the hell's wrong with you?" Dave yells while trying to get a hold of me.
"One package is left behind!"
I yelled back as I avoided his grasp. Then, instead of by force, I tried the codes on the system this time.
Annoyingly, it failed.
"What? Jay, didn't you hear me earlier? We have a complete package today," Malcolm reminds while currently helping an elderly man to stand up.
He looked more confused than Dave.
"Guys, no time to explain. SHE needs me, so I need to get back out there," I growled while trying the codes again.
The same thing; it failed.
"She who now? And go back to what Jay? Your package is here; all alive, and most importantly, complete. So stop acting like a maniac... you're scaring everybody here," Dave scolded.
Furious, I ignored him and instead, focus on my initial goal of unlocking the stubborn steel door.
Since the codes are not working, I tried my hands on the control panel...
"You're gonna need a key badge for that."
Out of nowhere, I heard Malcolm announces and since I was surprised by his words, I turn around and stare at his face.
He has that look of realization now and from there, I understood that he knew what I was doing and for what reason.
As I said, the woman from before was well known to us; she was everybody's MIRACLE, remember?
"You sure?"
Malcolm only nod his answer at me and went back to assisting people while Dave - who was also shocked by Malcolm's cooperation with me, could only throw his buddy a death glare.
As for the people that surround us, they started to silently weep out of fear and distress as I finally took notice of their presence.
My mind was so stuck on the idea of HER being alone and being stampede on by those mindless zombies that I forgot we have old and young people in the group.
They shouldn't have witnessed that...
Yet, can you blame me for being overprotective?
Growing impatient now, I avoided all of them once more and kept on trying to undo the lock on the elevator door - until I heard a loud static coming from the earpiece I was wearing.
It was a sign that Third was trying to communicate with me; like he always does whenever I am on the verge of destroying something.
It sometimes helps to calm me down, but this time, I'm not backing up. So, I keep on pressing the buttons on the control panel.
"Come on Major Cruz, you know that door will not open until you have the key badge, right?"
Even with the static interrupting the signal, I still caught the husky tone of his voice. Also, and as always, I could hear the other men's loud voices.
Sounds like everyone's betting on our argument again...
Fools.
Nonetheless, in the back of my mind, I hope Sage or Otto wins because I really need a fucking free drink after this.
"Damn automated doors," I cursed as I finally lowered the control panel to its proper place.
"Hey, I heard that!"
Sage yells through the speaker.
I dismissed his protest as I bit my inner cheek, thinking hard of another way out. Then, I remembered that I have a gun.
Out of desperation, I took my handgun out and aim for the elevators' control panel.
Dave, alert as he is right now, tried to take the firearm away from me but I quickly hid it. However, Malcolm, on the other hand, saw an opening and took the opportunity to grip my arm, and then, successfully, snatched the gun away.
"Hey! Give it back!" I ordered.
"Jay! Stop now, this instance!"
Third shouts on the earpiece, causing another deafening static to screech.
"You said no package left behind! That's our motto, our oath, Lieutenant Moll. So with all due respect sir, why not do this for her? Why not help her?"
"You can't help a 'package' who does not seek saving Jay," Third calmly says.
"Bullshit! How do you even know that? All people need our help! The same goes for her."
"Not her Major, not even once."
I fell silent, almost defeated, as the realization hits me:
This MIRACLE girl, for almost five years, never asks for our help and even if we do provide our service, she never accepts it.
Displeased by this notion, and knowing Third was right, I throw a big punch at the steel door with my right hand.
Why can't we?
We always had the chance and the capability to help people but when it comes to HER, we always turn our backs and leave...
Why couldn't we do the same for her?
Besides, isn't she a human as well who needed protection and salvation?
Are we this picky now, or just ignorant?
Another throw hit the door.
I heard gasps from the group behind me and when I took a peek at them, I saw some startled eyes looking my way while most just avoided my gaze out of fright.
Especially the kids...
Discovering the horror from those younger watchful eyes, I finally stop and decided to sit down on the floor.
From there, I tried to calm down my nerves by deep, steady breathing...
Hence, I felt a sharp pain in my hand.
When I raise it and took a closer look at it, I saw cuts on my knuckles. Then, as I gave it a few squeezes - to try and feel if it was broken, blood started to ooze out.
Seeing this, Dave took out his first aid kit again from his pack and began stitching me.
Malcolm, on the other hand, did his best to comfort the people around us.
Finally, silence came.
Dave, as he was dressing the wound with a bandage now, shot me an understandably disappointed look. While Malcolm, who came to our side and sat beside me, has that poker face on him.
All of that was annoying, but who am I to complain when I was the one who caused the commotion?
"Thankfully, they are calm now. Still, seriously dude? For that woman, you would go crazy?" Dave remarked with a grumpy tone.
I bit my lip and vast nerves of shame began to envelop me.
"Yeah, sorry," I apologize.
"It's not that we don't want to help her Major," Third, out of the blue, declares on the line, "She is just... hesitant."
I bit my lip harder, avoiding another argument with him. But he, as much as I hate to admit it again, was right.
..... So it's been five years, huh?
Five years since we came across this girl and until now, she never had set foot inside the elevator...
Though, why?
"Do you know her name?" Malcolm finally asked, snapping me out of my reverie.
I sighed and said, "No."
"Duh, we all don't know her name dude. Not even the Horizon or the Bureau." Dave reminded.
I could only nod my agreement.
"Actually," A voice on the other line announces, "I do."