Love, Pain, and Wings-Chapter 10
By MyNameIsCAB
It had taken a long time to get to get to Canada. Actually, almost two weeks because of the frequent stops to rest and eat. We even had to stop to buy warmer clothes and cut holes in them for our wings. As you know, Canada is so much colder than Arizona. The weather was cooling everywhere due to winter's approach. Christmas was only in a few weeks.
The voice had led us to a place in Alberta, Canada. We sat at a train station waiting for Marian Janssen to show up. She was supposed to meet with someone here everyday to exchange information. With caps, sunglasses, and new jackets covering out wings, we blended into the crowd. The flock had spread out. Gazzy, Nudge, and Angel were with Iggy. Fang was pretending to sleep on the bench, and I was reading a magazine in French which I didn't understand at all.
The old Itex director stopped between Fang and me. We listened as a man approached and they spoke in hushed tones.
"The experimenting in Los Angeles failed," the man whispered. "And we need to make up for losing that dark haired bird kid."
"I know," Marian sighed. "I want the leader of the group though. She needs to be retired."
The man nodded. "Then our problems will be solved."
"Find her," Marian said.
"Oh, I'll find her," the man started to turn away.
"Yes, pray you do," Marian started in the other direction. "We'll just put her through a little hell before she's retired."
"Of course," the man nodded and then they walked away from each other.
Fang sprung up and we headed toward Iggy and the others. Then we walked out. It terrified me that I was the next target.
"Maybe we should leave Canada," Gazzy suggested.
"No, duty calls and we have to answer," I told him.
He shrugged and pulled the door open, holding it for us. Then something whacked me on the side of the head and Fang was shouting my name.
"Max!" I heard him scream. "Max!"
Something grabbed my leg and pulled in one direction, another firmer adult grip had me pinned under the arms and was pulling in the other direction. I knew Fang was holding onto my leg. There was a single gunshot and Fang's grip slipped away. Then I was dragged away. Unconsciousness consumed me.
(Fang)
Fang had let go of Max's leg. The bullet hadn't even come close to him, but it was instinct to take cover. Now Max was gone. She had been dragged off out of sight faster than Fang could remember Max diving out of the sky.
"What happened?" Iggy asked.
Fang stood up, pain and emotion constricted him from talking. It still seemed the pain drug hadn't worn off yet.
"Max got dragged off," Gazzy answered.
Turning to the others, Fang watched Angel and Nudge give him sad looks. How could he have lost Max? He had been off guard. Anger boiled, but everyone was waiting for him to lead. Fang was no Max and he knew that they had to go rescue Max from Marian Janssen before she retired Max.
"Come on," Fang pointed up as sirens blared in the distance. "Authorities. We can't be seen."
They shot upward and out of the crowd. Fang knew it was a bad decision just to take off in front of so many people, but he figured it didn't matter. Not now at least. They had to get Max.
(Max)
I woke up in a very white room. The door was open, so I went through it and was greeted by my half brother, Ari. There was something very wrong with this picture.
"Aren't you dead?" I asked.
"No, Max, I'm not," Ari said. "You've…just came out of a coma."
"Where's Fang and the rest of the flock?" I asked.
Ari gulped. "Max, Fang died just before you were hurt and put in a coma. It's been years and years. Whatever you've seen…it's, well, it's just a dream. I'm not dead."
I almost felt like bawling my eyes out, but Ari kept the conversation flowing.
"And since when did you care about Fang?" Ari questioned.
"What…" I was confused. Fang, I loved him. There was never a time that I really, really wished that he wasn't alive.
"Max, I don't know what you imagined during your coma, but welcome to reality," Ari started walking down the hall. "This is a place for us experiments. We're waiting to be retired."
"Killed?" I pushed the thought of Fang away.
"Yes," Ari answered simply. "You and I are far down the road, but the others in your flock are gone. Long gone."
I swallowed hard. Now I really wanted to cry. I had dreamt up a whole life only to find out it wasn't real. No, maybe this was all a dream. Yes, it was all a dream. It was a trick, just like when Angel had "betrayed" us and then the flock and I were tricked into believing everything had been made up.
Then tears came and I pressed my face into Ari's chest. He patted my back gently. "Max…I'm sorry."
Another familiar face came out from a door. Jeb. Maybe he had something to do with all of this. I calmed myself and he started to ask me how I was feeling.
"I'm fine, but you've got to be kidding that this isn't a dream," I pointed to Ari. "He died just a few months ago."
Jeb stared at me blankly. "Coma's are hard, but your pain will be relieved in a few months when you are retired."
"Jeb, you don't remember burying Ari?" I asked.
"I'm not supposed to call you by names. Just numbers," Jeb replied. "Just a refresher, but you're number zero and…Ari…is number thirty three. Please, I have business to attend."
He walked away and shocked how emotionless Jeb was. I could have sworn that everything I had experienced had been real. All the way back when Angel had been kidnapped to when I kissed Fang for the first time on the beach and when we were just in Arizona a few weeks ago.
"Max," Ari said softly. "It's best you don't ask questions of our superiors. Just answer them."
"Superiors?" I almost laughed. "We're far more superior than them."
Ari looked at me distantly. "Max, you've got a lot to learn and remember."
Then we walked to a window and I stared out at a dying world. Trees were decaying and the rain looked almost black.
(Fang)
Fang wished he had a little voice guiding him. For days they had been searching all over Alberta, Canada looking for some suspicious place where Marian Janssen could be hiding or torturing Max. The search had become a frenzy panic and Fang was going out of his mind.
"I'm so tired," Nudge whined.
"Max, we have to find her," Fang growled.
"Fang, will you chill for a minute," Iggy said.
Iggy was right and they landed. What Fang and the remaining flock didn't know was that Max was only a mile away.
(Itex Director, Marian Janssen)
Marian Janssen watched Max lying on the table. There was a machine strapped over her eyes that was simulating an alternate reality where her precious flock had been retired and Ari was still alive. It pleased Janssen to see Max suffer. Revenge was sweet and now that Max was in her possession, Itex could be brought back stronger than ever.
"Director," a man entered the room. His name was John Carpenter.
"Yes, John?" Janssen turned away from Max.
John handed Janssen a phone. "The president of the United States would like to speak to you about your plans and wants to offer support."
I'm sorry, but I promise that the flock will be all together after Max is found. They'll stay together for a while too, but I just really wanted to get through a whole dramatic part before it settled a little and then I'll get down to business with Max and Fang. Sorry about this whole Max being captured after Fang getting captured, but I wanted them as characters to evolve a little and if you didn't like it, please just hang in there because I have a bunch of really good ideas about Max and Fang that will be out there soon. Thanks for reading anyway.