1—NUMB:
The sharp pain dulled her senses, but the intense silence screamed at her—it buzzed in her ears, reminding her that she was alone.
Shalimar Fox struggled against the tight bindings, gasping as the rope bit into the tender flesh of her wrists. How she could've been so stupid, she would never know, but letting her guard down, for just that split second—bad idea.
Usually, it would not have fazed her, but this time…she had been distracted.
Emma was gone…no more for this life, and Eckhart was to blame, and he would pay for it with his life.
It had only been two days. Two very lonely, sorrowful days…not even the presence of her elemental friend Brennan could pull her from her downwards spiral, an immense depression unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
So far, her nights were spent sleepless, looking every minute, for a way to track the head of GenomeX …then finally, after hours of crying, screaming her rage from the top of the mountain and unleashing the feral on the people she loved, the signal surfaced, and she had gone, without so much as a second glance—and without a word to the others.
And now, her mindless plot of vengeance had gotten her captured, beaten badly and regretting her decision to walk out that door…
And yet, the pain was fresh—it was real, not like the numbness that had enveloped her entire being the minute she saw her best friend it that body bag.
That entire moment, every detail was still sharp and clear in her mind. She could remember her heart breaking, the gentle but firm touch of Brennan, trying, as ever, to shield her from the sights of the big, bad world—the sharp stench of blood, mingled the sweet, soothing, familiar musk that was Brennan…and she had almost savored it as he pressed her into him tightly.
Her breath caught in her throat at the memory, and she let out a sob…she needed him now. She needed him to run in and save the day—to tell her it would all be okay, and maybe…
"Jess, you got a location yet?" Brennan inquired through the communications link of the 'Helix.'
"That I do," the young man replied. "I'm sending the coordinates now. Her comms ring indicates heightened heart rate and blood pressure…you need to be quick Bren…"
The dark haired elemental bit his lip. "Don't worry Jesse; I don't plan on losing someone else I care about,"
Jesse sighed. "But it's more than that, isn't it?"
Brennan did not answer, and terminated the link, shifting all his concentration of piloting the helix, and finding his feral.
The tears fell hot and fast.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, STUPID!
She berated herself, peering around the dank room, trying to make out her surroundings.
It was an old office tower, Shalimar realized, now that she had the strength to look around…probably pretty high, judging by the skyline…
"Miss Fox," a cold voice addressed her from the shadows, simpering and very familiar.
"Eckhart," she hissed, struggling harder against the rope. "This is your fault," she accused, her voice thick with emotion.
"Ahhh yes, the untimely demise of Ms DeLauro…unfortunate indeed; however I refuse to take the blame for that. It was your lack of a plan and bumbling stupidity and lack of a plan that got her killed. I had not much to do with that at all,"
Shalimar hissed, and ripped through her bonds, standing shakily.
Three GSA agents stepped out of the darkness, all with their weapons trained upon her.
"On a normal day, this would be high hopes…but you don't stand a chance today Shalimar…you are far too weak at this point.
Gold flashed across her retina as she stalked the men, eyes sweeping all three armed men with precision.
"I can withstand a lot of pain Eckhart," she growled, trying to ignore the agony in her side.
She lashed out with a high kick, her booted foot connecting with a chin, but a large hand grabbed her ankle tightly, and the opposite elbow was driven into her ribs.
Shalimar screamed. If they weren't broken before, they certainly were now.
She dropped to her back, gasping for air, but still managed to swing her leg up with force, incapacitating an agent.
Then, Shalimar froze—the gun she didn't even see, was pressed against her shoulder, just above her heart.
Brennan ran up the stairs of the dilapidated office buildings, going round and round and round.
At about the halfway point, he heard her scream, and his heart raced.
Anger boiled within, and he swore he would kill whoever was hurting her. She was going through enough at the moment; she didn't need physical trauma on top of it.
The floor she was on was only a few more flights up, but as fit as the young man was; his calf muscles were beginning to protest.
"Just hold on Shal," he muttered, finally coming to the eleventh floor, and kicking the door down.
Through the skeletal insides of the building, he could see a battered Shalimar on the ground, propped up on a bloody elbow, her gold curls falling down her back.
From where he stood, he could see her gaze was desolate.
"Go on! Do it!" she cried hoarsely, tears staining her cheeks. "You've already taken away someone I love! Kill me and leave the others alone,"
He heard a gun click, and that's when he noticed the weapon at her shoulder.
Rage boiled his blood, and he rolled his open palms around each other, creating the static charge necessary to incapacitate.
He let lose the tesla coil, not anticipating the nerve reaction the human body gets after an electrocution.
All it took was a finger twitch, and the weapon was fired.
Shalimar fell back, her hair splayed out under her head, like a halo.
The others fled in alarm, and Brennan, his heart in his throat, rushed to her side.
"Shal…oh god, Shalimar…" he said softly, lifting her up to his chest and embracing her, his fingers entangled within her hair.
"Ow…Bren, you're hurting me," she gasped.
He leaned back to look at her, his brow dipped in the middle, his soulful brown orbs full of worry and regret.
"I'm sorry…I just got you shot," he commented, pressing his palm to her shoulder to slow the blood.
Her back arched with the pain and she moaned.
"Brennan…she's gone, its real…its not a bad dream," she cried.
"I know Shal," he kissed her forehead gently, then embraced her again, resting his chin atop her crown.
Tears leaked from his eyes, as the stresses and heartbreak of the last few days finally took its toll.
And they cried together, Brennan rocking Shalimar in his arms.
TBC
I hope you enjoyed that, its my first MX fic, so don't be too harsh. CheerZ xxx