ELLERSHOUSE
Chapter Thirteen:
QUATRE
Quatre took the stairs two at a time and stumbled down the last three steps. He steadied himself on the railing and thought about chucking his backpack away. He thought better of it and continued down the dark staircase to the first floor. You never knew when you would need it later.
In the back of his mind Quatre realized he was getting closer to the strange man with every step but he was determined to save his brother.
Think, Quatre. How to get outside without getting caught?
He shook his head and chided his stupidity. Of course this guy would be less likely to know of the basement exit than the teachers and so far it had worked for Quatre every time.
This was his only chance of getting out of the building alive.
Quatre tried to be silent as he opened the door to the hallway and peeked outside. It was empty and the door to the basement was just visible about twenty-five feet away from where he stood.
If he could reach it he was sure he could make it outside and onto the field before he was found by the mysterious man in red.
Quatre pursed his lips together and checked one more time this way and that before he took a deep breath and stepped into the hall. He felt vulnerable like never before now that he knew he was being hunted.
He didn't take another breath until he'd made it past the door and listened intently for sounds of footsteps. Satisfied he was not being followed Quatre descended the steps, stopped by the trunk and made a rash decision to stuff another sword into his book bag.
Luckily the basement exit was down an incline so only the very top of the door was visible to those outside. Regardless, he opened it slowly and laid down on his belly to crawl to the top of the grassy knoll.
The grass was tinted blue and beside the pretty annuals the gardeners had planted grew some strange looking flowers. They were silver and grew straight up with no bends in the stems and a round silver ball on top. The world was changing. He looked up and almost expected to not see the sun but it was still there. All of the orange and yellow hues were gone but it was still there. That alone was comforting.
This is no time to stop and smell the roses. I must save Duo.
Peeking over the top Quatre searched the scene before him.
He gasped in dismay. Bodies lined the pavement and there was a woman who lay still, her cheek pressed against the yellow center line. The sidewalks beside the citadel were loaded with teenagers all bound and guarded by soldiers.
Worse still the body of a child lay slumped between two cars, an oversized book bag clutched in his hand. He looked like a pre-schooler just getting home from daycare.
Quatre couldn't breathe. He gasped for air but the spasms had already started forcing him into shallow, quick breaths. His face felt hot and he abandoned the sword for his bag. He swung it off his shoulder, painfully aware he was being hunted, and searched blindly for his puffer.
He put it past his lips and pressed the button, inhaling deeply and holding his breath as much as he physically could while sputtering.
It was not immediate relief but just the knowledge that the medication was in his system helped calm him down.
Quatre waited a moment longer before he crawled out further and started for the soccer field.
What he saw chilled him to his very bones.
A pile of bodies in red soccer uniforms were huddled in the middle of the field. The red of the uniforms were muted by the strange light that coated everything else as well.
Duo...my poor brother...
Hot tears cascaded down his cheeks and he could not suppress the sob that escaped his lips. His cheeks were flushed and hot and his lips burned with the salty taste of tears.
Quatre could not escape the terror that gripped his body. He would always see those limp and lifeless bodies of the team- it was imprinted forever in his mind.
He was tempted to get closer just to make sure Duo was there. There was a chance he escaped.
Oh, who was he kidding? Everyone was dead and he didn't even know on how large a scale. Was this happening in Europe? Africa? Or was Halifax the only place that was getting ravaged by these people?
Quatre focused all of his attention on the woman closest to him. He recognized her from when he watched from the window on the second floor library. She had given the men in green these orders to kill.
Quatre bit his lip, tasted blood, and shuffled onto his knees.
He was going to take this bitch down.
As Quatre crawled forward a man in green brought a struggling girl no more than sixteen to her bare knees in front of the woman.
He was silent and they were preoccupied with the sniffling, crying girl.
"What would you have us do, Catherine? She fits the profile for the Dasha."
"Very well. It was unfortunate this lot struggled as they did. They also fit the profile- in both age and physical conditioning," Catherine mused and waved a hand nonchalantly at the bodies on the field.
"Yes ma'am." He bowed quickly and took the girl away and Quatre crept closer and closer until he felt there was no way he wasn't going to get to this 'Catherine' before he was seen. In his right hand he gripped the sword and became painfully aware of his inability to wield it.
This woman led these people into battle- killing hundreds of innocent citizens. She must be punished.
Quatre raised the blade as Catherine turned toward him. All he could see was Duo's cherub face, hear his laugh and he felt no remorse.
He slashed downward and she crumpled to her knees, screaming. Blood was streaming from between her fingers as they clutched her face. Her grey eyes looked up at him in fear.
Quatre backed away and looked down at his bloody sword. Her screams woke him from his treacherous, murderous thoughts and he mumbled, "Oh, I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."
He saw the men in green uniforms running across the field and knew he had to run too or he was as good as dead.
With one last mournful look over his shoulder at the bodies on the field, Quatre sobbed and ran. He ran faster than he ever had before and knew he would pay for it soon.
As he passed the main entrance to the school the same man who had followed him into the school stood on the landing. He wore the same red jacket as Catherine and the colour made Quatre cringe. His face was still- it held no smile, no expression at all. It was his eyes that conveyed everything- they were like grey pools of murky water.
Green coated men shouted and the panic in their voices made Trowa look from them to Quatre.
"Trowa, Trowa! Come, it's your sister..."
Trowa looked back and forth between Catherine and Quatre and Quatre knew he was making a choice. Let him go or save his sister?
The man gave Quatre a scathing look as he ran down the steps, his long legs getting him to Catherine's side in mere seconds.
Quatre concentrated on his breathing, muttering as he went.
"In and out...slowly...No one is following..."
Quatre snuck a quick peek at the commotion and found that he was right. No one was paying any attention to him...everyone was focused on Catherine.
Except those grey eyes that followed his every step.
Trowa didn't say anything but Quatre knew this wasn't over between them. He tucked his head down and ran down to the water...he knew of a great place to hide.
And if the look Trowa gave him was anything to go by, he was going to need it.