Three: Lost
Note 1: Please review, I really appreciate it!
Note 2: Thank you guys for reviewing! And sorry for eventual grammar errors! ;P"You know Chuck… In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away", Morgan said with a smug smile while we walked down the pavement toward my home.
In return of his brainy quote I grinned.
"You found that online, didn't you?"
"No… okay yes." He shook his head and I laughed.
"Oh Morgan, one day you will grow wise, but today is not the day." I didn't want to mean or anything like that, it was just a joke but Morgan's smile faded, so I placed my right hand on his shoulder.
"Ah, cheer up Morgan, you're as wise as it gets."
I cracked my eyes open and was met by a white ceiling. It took me a moment to realize that I wasn't at home. I was at a Fulcrum facility in Detroit, not in Burbank. I sat up in the bed and then I swung my legs over the bed and then I jumped up unto the floor.
The dream, I had dreamt about Morgan, an old memory.
Memories of the old days were what kept me going nowadays.
I went to the bathroom, did my stuff and then cleaned up; I swiped a yellow towel around my waist and looked at the mirror on my right side. Two weeks and counting I had been in this facility. My cheek bones had started to slightly show and I had lost some weight. Well, they hadn't really fed me with restaurant food. I mostly got some salad and bread, then some vitamin pills.
I walked back into my prison-bedroom and dressed in my prisoner clothing: nerd heard outfit. A white shirt and some dark pants, as if it wasn't enough there was a grey tie the drawer.
I still couldn't figure out why they wanted me to wear this- maybe they wanted to prove that they knew every detail about me. Maybe they thought it was a fun sick joke.
I collapsed down in my bed and I felt the hard bed sheets slam against my spine.
I felt hopeless nowadays, because honestly, three weeks and no progress. I couldn't face the fact that Sarah hadn't found me. How did Ellie feel? How did Morgan feel? I just wanted to talk to anybody but a Fulcrum agent. I didn't care who it was, hell I'd be glad to meet Jeff of all people. I had been having nightmares, I couldn't remember them clearly, but I woke up in what I presumed night and screamed.
There was no Ellie, Sarah or Devon to run into the room to calm me down- there was just me.
Me and my panting breath, scanning the dark room for possible threats.
Since the threat Bad doc had made towards Ellie, I had told them that I'd do anything as long as Ellie stayed out of harm's way.
Apparently they agreed.
They tranquilized me for two days and the third day they left me alone in my bunker. I had a TV screen but I didn't have a laptop or a console. The only thing left for me to do was to drown in my mind. Because no one can truly escape their mind, trust me, I've tried.
The fourth day bad doc led me into that white room with that long table. He ordered me to flash on some cards linked to Fulcrum; it was harder for me than usual to flash. Bad doc had seemed impatient as I had taken my time and threw out some threats about killing Morgan if I didn't flash. Luckily I managed in the end of the day to do that.
The flash was about something called AGRA.
AGRA was some sort of an organization hunting down Fulcrum. Among those flash cards, locations of some buildings had displayed.
What I knew was following:
Fulcrum was hunted by AGRA.
These AGRA-buildings lay in Detroit.
There was also something about 'the ring' in my flash, which I didn't really comprehend, but the bad doc seemed pleased as he got his answers.
Although they hadn't ordered me to flash on any top-secret CIA/FBI/NSA files… yet.
Today was the fifth day since I had woken up. That meant that I had been held in Fulcrums custody for two and a half week. Weeks.
"Where are you Sarah?" I didn't mean to say it out loud. I quickly bit my tongue, preventing my mind from uttering another word.
For all I know they could use that particular sentence to twist my mind.
They were constantly watching, monitoring my every move.
I was tired emotionally, mentally and psychically. In fact, I was starting to lose hope.
I walked back to my bed, not seeing anything else to do.
"Chuck, Chuckles, time to wake up." I slowly opened my eyes and was met by the staring vulture, Bad doc.
"We are going to do some tests, so I need you to get up from your bed. If you don't I will have to get the guards." I simply nodded and climbed out of the bed. We walked toward the door that separated my 'cell' or 'bunker' from the corridor. Bad doc slid his key-card down the key-card lock on the right side of the door. The LED light flashed green, confirming access and Bad doc opened the door.
The lock was impossible to lock pick or destroy, so I couldn't get out of the cell without a key-card.
We stepped out into the white, dull, corridor. Bad doc took me by surprise when he went left. Since I didn't want to be threatened, tortured or tranquilized, I just followed him down the corridor. We were going further away from the long table room toward an opposite direction.
The doors here were made of steal and all of them had keycard locks.
"So, does your keycard open all of the doors?" I couldn't help but ask. I knew that it was a bad idea to even utter a word, but I couldn't stop myself.
"Eh, no. Now, if you say another word I will have the guards escort you. You want that?" It was more of a rhetorical question. Although, when I thought about it, I hadn't really seen any guards at all. But I guess that they were hiding in the camera-guard room something.
My heart skipped a beat when I suddenly caught the sight of a shining green 'exit' sign. It was a door made of grey steal and on its right side a lock with numbers was placed. The lock looked like one of those locks buildings usually have, the one where you have to punch in a code. Maybe I could get out of here if I got the code?
"Don't even let that thought cross your mind, Chuck." I swallowed and looked down at my dark socks.
"There's no way you're getting out of here Chuck. The code changes daily, besides, you wouldn't get far even if you would manage to get through that door." We kept walking down the corridor that didn't seem to have an end and I watched with painful eyes as we walked further away from the door.
I needed a plan. I needed to get out of here. A small hope, a small flame, lit up in my heart. Maybe I could get out of here.
After a few doors Bad doc finally reached his destination and I watched as he used his keycard to open the door.
I hadn't expected to be met by this. The room was quadratic, white and not too big but not too small. It looked like a small clinic. There were three people, dressed in dark uniforms that I assumed to be guards, standing by the wall. In the middle of the room a bed that looked to belong to a hospital stood.
"What's going on?" My body stiffened and my heart pounded rapidly.
Shock made my feet's glue into the floor and I watched as two of the guards ran towards me and grabbed my shoulders.
Adrenaline and reflexes caught up to me and I used all my strength, every muscle, I fought with everything I had to get out of their cold grip.
All I saw was the inclosing bed.
What would they do to me? What was going on? I don't want this. Stop.
"Let me go! Just let me go!" It was real bad. I didn't know what they would do.
I felt as a sharp needle penetrated my flesh on my upper arm and my adrenalin faded away. All my strength faded and my breath evened out.
They shoved me down into the bed.
They were drugging me. They were…
I sat on my bed in my cell with my arms around my knees and my head hid in my knees. My head still hurt and I wanted to die.
They had forced my eyes open, back in that room and made me watch pictures, quite similar to the Intersects, but these pictures were… different. It was hard to explain, but all I was currently aware of was the headache. I don't think that they would give me something for my headache even if I begged for it.
I needed to get out of here. That 'exit' sign had given me hope and I was pretty sure that I could circuit that lock that separated me from this cell and my freedom. What worried me was the 'you won't get far even if you manage to walk through that door'.
But I ignored that; it would be my problem for later. What I needed now was to form a plan; I needed to get out on my own since the CIA or whatever government was failing at it.
I was on my own.
When I managed to get through that door, I would run to find a phone. But first problem first, I needed to get my hands on a keycard and a screwdriver. The screwdriver would help me to remove the code from the wall and turn around the lock so that I was facing the wires. But question was; how would I get out of here? The door required a keycard to open. Maybe I could steal it from Bad doc…
And right in that second I didn't believe but knew that I would get out.
Three weeks and counting, it had taken me four days to make up a plan. I had been in this bunker for three weeks and three weeks too long. I was going to get out.
Two days back, I had managed to get the hand on a screw driver.
Back in that big white table room where I usually flashed on the Fulcrum cards, Bad doc's laptop had broken down.
"Oh, I could help you with that."
"Why?"
"Please can I fix the computer? Since you abducted me I've felt… I just want to feel normal. Please, could you let me fix the computer? It's what I was born to do." The last part sounded a bit cliché but I put up a begging smile. I needed a screwdriver and this was the perfect opportunity.
After a long silence, Bad doc nodded.
"What do you need?"
"Can you get me some screwdrivers?"
He brought me about twenty screwdrivers all in different sizes. At a point he looked away and I took the opportunity to snatch one of the smaller once and hide it in my pocket. I knew that there were cameras and people around me, but I just hoped that no one had noticed.
Of course I had thought about the fact of stealing his computer, but that probably wouldn't work because he would tranquillize me before I even manage to hit ctrl+alt+del.
All I needed now was a keycard. I could put the screwdriver to Bad doc's neck and threat him that I would kill him if he didn't give me his keycard… I really didn't want to do this but I had to. It was my only option. I was starting to go insane… I shook my head and I cleared my mind.
First thing first: I needed to get rid of the cameras.
There were a total of five cameras in the room. If I covered them with my prison clothes, someone wouldbe sent in; I guess it would be Bad doc since he's the only one that had encountered with me.
So I set my plan in motion. I systematically pulled out clothes from the wardrobe and I started to cover all cameras with shirts and my jeans. I knew that there were bugs placed all around the room but I knew that it would be impossible to find all of them so I let them be. I hurried over to the door and hid on the right side of the door, so when the door opened, I could grab the person that went in directly.
My palms started sweating; they would be inside my cell any minute.
The door flung open and Bad doc was just about to walk in, his foot stepped into the room and then he was centimeters away from me. I quickly grabbed the small screwdriver between my two fingers and I could feel its sharpness slid down my palm as I turned it around to get a better grip of it.
I didn't know how to fight, the only 'move' that I actually knew was 'the Morgan', but that wasn't going to get me far. My eyes swiped down to his hand where I noticed his tranquillize gun. I needed him unarmed.
"What's going on?" he said as he turned his gaze towards me.
I didn't waste any second longer and I kicked his leg, (he was standing sideways).
I had taken him by surprise which bought me time to shoot down my hand and grab his gun. I had his gun! Realization hit me and I fumbled with the gun just to get a better grip of it and fired three shots at him. I was happy that it was a tranquilizer gun and not a real gun because I don't think that I'd be able to shoot the man otherwise.
All of this happened in the matter of seconds.
Bad doc collapsed down unto the ground and I think that he mumbled something in the lines of:
"You will regret this."
I bent down and searched his pockets, in his inner pocket my fingertips hit a flat plastic object and I used my middle and index finger as tweezers to get it out.
I didn't waste time to study the white keycard's picture and I rose from the floor with the gun and the keycard. In the blink of an eye I realized that I had dropped the screwdriver so I also picked it up and hid it in my pocket.
I ran out of the room and closed the door, locking Bad doc in, in case if he would wake up too soon.
I was panting and I didn't care. I felt the adrenaline rush as I ran down the corridor with the key card in my left hand and the gun in my right.
I kept running and running until I saw the green 'exit' sign.
Now I didn't know if there were going to be guards storming this place, but I didn't have another choice than to hurry the hell up with the circuiting. I managed to get the lock with the red LED lamp off the wall with the screwdriver and turn it around, so that I faced all the green, red and blue wires. I put the screwdriver between my teeth's and I picked up one of the green wires and connected it to a blue wire. I connected it, I disconnected it and I repeated the process until I heard a click. I turned around the lock to see that the LED lamp flashed green.
I didn't have the courage to think of success. I opened the door and I was met by stairs, not thinking twice I made the run for it. I kept running up the stairs and I was surprised that my stamina hadn't defeated me yet. On top of the stairs I was faced to an elevator.
Don't freak out. Don't freak out. Don't freak out. I pushed the elevator button and the doors to the elevators opened. I stepped into it and I pushed ground level. Now, the elevator only had two buttons, one for the ground level and one for the basement.
I took a deep, shallow breath and my heart was pounding rapidly. I was going to get out. I was going to get out. I couldn't afford to think that I could be stopped just by the exit door. I noticed that this elevator didn't have a camera which was a bit strange… A whole minute passed and I started to feel anxious.
Then, the elevator doors opened.
I was yet in a new corridor, only that this corridor was different. It looked like one of those corridors any office or regular buildings had. The doors were made of glass and there, in front of me a door made of glass hinted even more stairs. I ran down the corridor and I noticed a phone in one of the offices. I stopped.
The corridor was empty and I didn't know if I could even get out of here. No, grabbing the phone on my way to an attempted escape was the best solution.
So I went into the office to get the phone and I dialed Sarah. Because Sarah could find me. I knew she could.
But to my breaking heart, the phone didn't work. My heart sunk and I placed back the phone unto the desk. But in the same room, that looked to be taken directly out of 'The office', a cell phone laid on the floor.
I picked it up and glanced it quickly to see that there wasn't a signal. I swallowed and hid the cellphone into my jeans pocket and I ran out of the room and headed for the stairs.
On level five I fished up my phone while running and I saw that I had one bar. I stopped, my breath stuck in my throat as I tried to dial Sarah. Sarah pick up, please pick up, my mind was screaming.
"Hello?" I wanted to answer; I wanted to scream for her to help me. I needed her.
But I kept running up to the top of the stairs.
This corridor looked like the one bellow, only that this one was filled with people. I dropped the phone and shooting pain flashed through my mind.
Images, images of Fulcrum agents went through my mind and the next thing I know I collapsed against a wall as I kept flashing.
FULCRUM AGENT ANGELINE ARGENT, ASSASSIN.
FULCRUM AGENT JONES SMITH, DOCTOR.
FULCRUM AGENT ROSE CAFFREY, HIT MAN.
FULCRUM AGENT ELISE HEMINGWAY, THIEF.
I felt my spine slide down the wall and suddenly there were about four people in front of me and I could hear as someone cracked the phone by stomping their heel on the screen.
Maybe it was the headache, maybe it was the exhaustion, whatever it was, it made me drift into unconsciousness.
I cracked my eyes open and I tried to adjust my eyes to the new surrounding. I wasn't met by the usual white ceiling; I was met by a grey ceiling- unfamiliar to the one in my bunker.
"What's…" I managed to focus my vision and my breathing stopped.
They had stuffed me in one of those rooms made of white mattresses. The room was round and its walls and floor was covered in white mattresses. No. I thought. This was it. My escape attempt had failed and I had been put in a room made for crazy people.
There was also a camera on the ceiling, of course.
My whole 'room' was a bed. My lungs pleaded for oxygen so I gasped for air. I looked down at my body to see that I was still wearing the same outfit, minus the tie. I guess that they were afraid that I could use the tie as a weapon…
No, I felt hazy and I needed to shake off this feeling. I rose from the floor and now when I got a better look of the room, I actually couldn't see the door.
This room lacked of a bathroom. Was this their way of punishing me? Well, I guess that it was. I didn't know what to do or think, I needed to calm down; so I went for a walk in the five meter in diameter circle. I just walked around, my fingers sliding along the cushions, trying to find a crack.
After twenty rounds, I hadn't found any.
I had no idea how much time it had passed. For all I know it could have been from one hour to eight hours. I leaned my back against one of the round 'walls' with my eyes closed.
I had at least managed to call Sarah within the attempted escape. Too bad I hadn't told her the exact location or stayed right where I was when I had gotten the signal. My mind had only headed for one goal: to escape.
Hopefully Sarah would find me; maybe my failed escape attempt hadn't been for vain…
A loud, constant ringing broke off my thoughts. The sound was familiar to a fire alarm, but even louder. I couldn't help but to cover my ears with my hands.
What was going on?
One of the cushions suddenly moved, revealing an opening door. A loud voice from the corridor kept yelling; "Security breech!"
Realization hit me. Had Sarah found me?
I raised my gaze toward the person's eyes in front of me and my breathing stopped as it wasn't Bad doc standing in the doorway.
