AN: Okay, well, I was heartbroken when Cal & Chloe died. So, I wanted to make them live and just see how things work out. I don't have too many characters to work with by now, because, apparently, they're all dead. So, pardon me if I stray from the actual plot just a bit or invent a few characters. I'm not sure how this is going to blow over with whoever reads it, but... it was worth a shot. And, yes, I'm sorry, I know Wakefield was definitely stronger than Cal, but what could I do? Deal with it :)
Chloe watched in horror as Cal struggled against Wakefield, clenching her fists tightly around the railing of the bridge. She hated the feeling of horrific helplessness that had washed over her: she stood frozen, unable to do anything but stare and cry. Wakefield's knife, or whatever it was, she couldn't tell, was only inches from Cal's throat when Cal suddenly brought his knee up, slamming it into Wakefield's crotch. The killer barely even flinched, but the slight stumble he took had given Cal enough time to grab the sword-like object from him.
A flutter of hope passed through Chloe's mind as she watched her fiancé grip the heavy sword in his hands, not even turning around, he screamed, "Chloe! Go! Now!" He started to advance on Wakefield, who just slowly backed away, grinning morosely.
"You're really going to kill me?" He teased Cal. "Are you, now?"
"Get down!" Cal yelled. "Get on the ground!"
Wakefield merely chuckled as he lay down on the bridge. "Go ahead. Kill me."
Cal threw a brief glance back at Chloe and saw that she stood stock-still in the same place she had been a few seconds ago. Turning to Wakefield, he said, "Chloe, go. Trust me, go!"
"No!" Chloe managed to scream, her voice trembling, "not without you!"
Cal knew what he was going to do. Wakefield was right, Cal couldn't find it in himself to kill anyone, even the sick bastard murdering his friends. Very suddenly, he raised the sword and plunged it through Wakefield's upper arm, causing him to howl in agony while Chloe held back shrieks. Cal twisted the sword and ran back to Chloe, shouting "GO!" Chloe scrambled over the barrier just as Wakefield got up, pulling the bloody sword from his arm. As the blood was dripping down, he raised the sword to Cal and simply made the "come here" motion with it.
"Cal, come on! Come on, Cal! Hurry!" Chloe pleaded from the other side of the gate. Cal quickly threw his legs over the side of the bridge and inched around to the other side of the gate. Wakefield, having reached the gate, stuck his hand out and grabbed Cal's arm.
Chloe grabbed Cal and tried fervently to pull him over. Cal managed to get to the other side, but he couldn't wrench his wrist out of Wakefield's grip. Her mind racing, Chloe did the only thing she could think of. She spit through the chain-link gate right into Wakefield's face. Cal jerked his arm away from the killer, wincing at the pain that shot up his already injured arm, and ran behind Chloe. When he looked back, Wakefield was shaking his head and saying, "I'm not through with you. Just wait."
Chloe and Cal ran, hand in hand, for what seemed like hours. They ran, deeper and deeper into the forest, not bothering to look where they were going. After what had to have been miles, they sank down into each other's arms behind a tree. Chloe was sobbing quietly into Cal's shoulder, and Cal was doing his best to comfort her.
But comfort was unreachable in that godforsaken place. Chloe looked up into Cal's tired eyes and he wiped her tear-streaked face with the back of his thumb, mixing the streaks of dirt with her tears. He wrapped his sore arms around her and kissed her, trying not to shudder in fear. When they broke apart, Chloe looked into his eyes again and said, "Cal?"
"Chlo," Cal answered.
"I love you," Chloe said simply, resting her head against his chest.
"Oh, Chloe, I love you. So much," Cal reciprocated, holding her close.
They stayed huddled together for another few moments before Chloe said, "Cal? I think we should go back to the Candlewick."
"You're right. It's going to get dark sooner or later. Let's go," Cal said, pulling Chloe up.
They walked silently in the direction they thought the inn would be, being careful to look behind them every few seconds and trying to avoid making excessive noise. After an hour or so, they reached an opening in the forest and broke into a run towards the inn.
"Hello?" Chloe called anxiously, banging her fists on the locked main entrance, "It's us; Chloe and Cal!"
"Let us in!" Cal added.
They waited in a silence pregnant with suspense until they saw a pair of familiar eyes peek out of the window, then disappear as the door unlocked.
"Quick, come on," Trish ushered them inside, pausing to look around outside before closing the door and re-locking it.
"Where were you, Chloe?" she asked, even though she knew full and well what had to have happened.
"Wakefield," Chloe shuddered, sinking down into a couch beside Cal, "he snatched me when you all weren't looking. He took me and locked me in…in…a storm drain or something." When she was met with a blank look, she added, "You know. Near the bridge?"
Trish nodded. "Where is he now?"
Chloe shrugged, and Cal supplied, "We don't really know. We left him on the bridge. I got Chloe out and he trapped us. He came at me with a boarding knife and…I don't know how, but I overthrew him enough to barely get away."
"I'm guessing he didn't have a gun," Chloe muttered, grasping Cal's cold hand in her own.
"Have you seen Abby and Henry?" Trish asked, nervously twisting her engagement ring around her finger.
Chloe shook her head. "Not yet, but they'll be back, Trish."
"Damn. I wish I'd never come to this wretched island," Trish said, her eyes dangerously close to tears.
All was quiet until they heard footsteps coming quickly down the hall.
AN: Okay, so tell me what you think! All reviews are appreciated (no hate mail, please!) and I want to know if this is worth continuing.