"She should have been here by now! What time did you tell her?" Cobb frantically paced the warehouse floor. The three men had been waiting over two hours for their architect to arrive. This was the first time she had ever been late.
"I told her eight a.m. I've called her cell five times, she's not answering." Arthur runs his hand through his gelled hair out of frustration. This wasn't like Ariadne, at all.
"Let's go to her apartment then. I take it you know where it is, darling?" Eames got an eye roll from Arthur as he grabbed the keys and the three men left the warehouse.
As they walked up the three flights of stairs to her room, the tension was running high. All three of them had their guns drawn with the safety off. Turning the corner, a wide open door caused Cobb's heart to skip a beat. Upon entering the apartment, the men witnessed a scene of upturned, ripped furniture and broken glass.
"Holy shit." Eames, stunned, just stared in horror.
"Check all the rooms, check everything for her or any sign of her." Cobb busted open every door but with no luck. There was no sign of her.
"How could we let this happen? Maybe, maybe she's back at the warehouse. Wondering where we are. Yeah, that's probably where she is. We should check."
"She's not there Eames! If she's not dead, someone has her and she will be soon. This is our fault. She had no part with our interactions with Cobol. Arthur, let's go see if we can find out who did this." Eames and Cobb begin walking to the door while Arthur takes a few last looks around the apartment. The men silently walk back to the sedan and drive back to the warehouse.
Cobb pulls out his keys and opens the sliding door into the warehouse. As Eames turns on the lights, the three men stop dead after seeing Ariadne hovering over a figure lying on a lawn chair.
"Ariadne! What happened?" Cobb worriedly rushes to Ariadne to make sure she's okay.
"Cobb! Thank goodness you're here. You have to help her. Please! I don't know what to do!" Tears are falling onto the floor to join the puddle of blood under the girl on the chair. The girl's face is pale white and her lips are turning grey. Her forehead, covered in sweat, is also covered in bruises.
"Arthur, get the first aid kit. I think she's been shot. Who is she Ariadne?" Cobb waits as Arthur returns with a large white bag. He takes out some bandages and begins to sterilize a few needles. His eyes scan over the girl's small frame and his eyes linger over her chest. It's obvious she's struggling to simply breathe in and out.
"Um, her name is Mo. Morgan. She's my roommate. Men came last night and we hid out at a hotel a few miles south. They followed us there, too, Cobb! The same men. They shot her! They were trying to shoot me and she protected me. She saved my life so you have to save her Arthur! Please!" Ariadne's voice broke on the last few words and she broke down into tears. Cobb pulled her into his chest and held her there.
Arthur opened Morgan's blouse and inspected the wound. The bullet didn't seem deep, but it was close to her lungs so there was danger of her lung collapsing. He filled a syringe with lidocaine and pressed it into her side. The girl inhaled sharply, but she didn't try to stop him. Arthur worked for the next few hours to remove the bullet, clean the wound, and stitch it up. She was unconscious for the whole thing, which was probably for the best.
Ariadne had fallen asleep in Cobb's arms, and Eames was busy on the computer trying to figure out the best place for them to relocate. Arthur placed a pillow underneath the girl's head and made sure she was stable before joining Eames.
"We most likely have two or three more hours before they find us here, too. We lead to leave soon. Where did you have in mind?"
"I was thinking somewhere in Russia. Do you think you can survive the cold, darling?" Eames being Eames was only trying to lighten the mood. It didn't hurt that he got to harass Arthur as well. They were all glad Ariadne was alright, but she was obviously very upset about her friend. Arthur was certain she would recover though. Hopefully, Morgan could survive the cold.
Arthur had sent Ariadne, Cobb, and Eames to pick up some supplies and pack some clothes suitable for Russian temperatures. He had promised Ariadne he would look after Morgan until she returned. He had checked on her within the past five minutes, so he decided to look into a good hotel to stay in for the night until they find a safe enough warehouse to work in. Arthur was deciding between two four star hotels when a loud gasp and ragged breathing reminded him there was another person here with him. He rushed to her side and found her awake and nervously running her hand over he side.
"Hey, it's okay. You're okay. My name is Arthur. I'm a friend of Ariadne's. She just stepped out for a bit to buy some supplies. Your wound is healing; the bullet was removed. I can give you something for the pain if you're uncomfortable." Arthur couldn't help but notice the girl was absolutely stunning. He had seen many beautiful women but never one quite like this. She had dark hair that could pass for brown or black, and honey colored eyes that right now were tinged with worry and shock.
"No, I'm…I'm fine. Ariadne, she's okay right? She's not hurt is she?" Her face searched his to make sure he was telling the truth.
"Yes, I think you saved her life. Thank you for that, by the way. You risked your life for her."
"Of course. She would have done the same for me. I'm just glad she's okay." Morgan attempted a weak grin but it turned into a grimace as she shifted painfully in her chair. Her white blouse was ripped and soaked with blood and her black shorts and black boots had probably seen better days. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes.
"So your Arthur, huh? Ariadne told me about you. She said you are very smart and kind." Not opening her eyes to meet his, his shocked expression stayed in place.
"She said that? About me? I, I didn't think she would tell people about me."
"Well, she doesn't tell everyone. I think she only told me."
Arthur opened his mouth to question her more when the door slid open and Cobb and the others rushed in. Cobb was the first to speak, "We have to go. Now."
