Abducted
By Berry's Ambitions and Elena Hurley
Chapter Twenty-One: Potiental Help
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed last time. Ugh, I'm starting eleventh grade the day after tomorrow. I'm praying to God that I'll still get enough time to work on this baby. Enjoy this chapter, because there's the possibility the next one will be delayed.
WARNING: Offensive language.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Hills Have Eyes.
For the next thirty minutes, there was nothing but sand and dust and hills. No people, or buildings, in sight. Doug wanted to yell at Lizard for leading them nowhere, but chose not to. As strongly as he disliked Brenda's little friend, he was aware that there was no time time for pointless squabbling.
Ruby- - -who Doug allowed to carry Catherine only because his exhaustion was growing unbearable- - -and Brenda- - -who had recently pulled her hair back in a ponytail thanks to the humidity- - -stayed in the back of the group while the men, plus Beast, walked in front.
That was when Ruby swore she heard something subtle, like a rustling. After a lifetime of living in a goverment atomic zone she knew when something was amiss. Immediately the teenage mutant approached her older brother. "I think they're here," she whispered fearfully.
Lizard sped up a little. "Then we gotta hurry. Think they're watchin' us?"
"I don't know," she answered, visibly shaken. "I think something's wrong..."
"You heard her. Move it, people!" Lizard barked.
Doug gave him a withering look. "For your sake I hope you're taking us the right way."
"So do I," Lizard muttered under his breath.
Bobby too was tiring out. "If it just me or are we making no progress at all?"
"I know what I'm doin'," Lizard hissed, staring straight ahead.
"Bobby's right, Lizard." Brenda knew she had to be the voice of reason. After all, out of the whole lot of them she experienced the least trauma, if any at all. She was the only one with a stable head on their shoulders and she knew it. "We're really... not making any progress. We need to think of something else."
"Well, then what do you suggest, wise-one?" he snapped.
"You don't need to get mad at me!" Brenda was irked by Lizard's spitfire temper, but at least she was used to it. "I mean, this was your brilliant idea!"
"You two, stop fighting!" Doug ordered, silencing the petty arguement. "A new tactic really isn't such a bad idea, is it?"
"What do you suggest then, Geek-Boy?" Lizard demanded rudely.
Doug sighed, running his fingers through his dirtied hair. It was a miracle he was still functioning, both physically and mentally, at this point. "We have to separate."
The others gawked at him. Even Beast seemed put off by the idea, his ears flattening against his head.
"Split up?" Bobby couldn't believe his ears. "Are you fucking serious? Don't you know what happens when people split up?"
"You're pretty much givin' Hades 'n his gang a pass to an all-you-can-eat-buffet," Lizard agreed tartly.
"Will you give me a minute to explain?" For a second it was easy to tell just close to breaking down Doug was, but he immediately regained his composure. "Bobby, you go with Brenda and Lizard-" Doug let the last name slip out with disdain. "-to the east. Ruby, Beast, Catherine, and I will head towards the west. Tomorrow morning at noon we'll meet in this area and see who found what. If we find help, we come back with that help."
"That's a crap idea," Lizard said bluntly.
"What he means-" After eyeing him warningly Brenda turned Doug with pleading eyes. "It's a really bad move. It's too dangerous for any of us to split up."
"We can't keep going in the same direction." Doug stuck firmly by his decision. "There's life out there somewhere and this is the only way we're gonna find it."
"You better be right, Glasses." Lizard glared at Doug. Though he wouldn't admit it aloud, he was worried about being seperated from his little sister. The other man didn't even have enough strength to carry his own baby for God's sake.
"I know what I'm doing," Doug promised. "Honest."
So they split up.
After more than an hour of heading east, there was still nothing in sight but hills and sand.
Bobby wanted to know why he was stuck with his sister and her weird buddy. He had a strange feeling that the only reason Doug put him with the pair in the first was because if it was only the two of them, they would have had sex. Though it was the worst possibe time to have sex... He shuddered at the thought of them having sex in general.
Trying to take his mind off that gross though, Bobby spoke up. "How much longer?"
"We won't make it anywhere until nightfall, most likely," Lizard answered, remaining close to Brenda. Bobby was behind them, glancing around in paranoia.
"Where will we end up by then, do you think?" Brenda asked, looking around in search of any sign of help.
"I would suggest this one gas station," Lizard replied. "But, uh, the guy that works there? Dead."
"You killed him?" Bobby backed away, his terror returning.
"Nah, crazy ol' bastard shot himself." Then Cyst got the gun, and when Glasses killed 'im he got the gun. Like some sorta twisted fuckin' cycle.
As Lizard mulled over that, Brenda realized he was referring to the attendant. "We met him before. He was really weird." So her instincts had been right after all, and there was something wrong with the old man. Maybe she'd ask Lizard about him later; the whole thing seemed suspicious. She had a feeling he knew about the mutants and was probably wanted her family dead in the first place. Brenda couldn't say she was glad the guy was dead, persay, but she certainly wasn't in a state of grief over his passing.
"That's one way to put it." Lizard tried to think of a solution. "I'd suggest lookin' for a phone but we don't got no signal 'round here so it wouldn't help even if we did get our hands on one. We're probably gonna have to walk real far if we wanna find anythin' at all."
"Great," Bobby mumbled.
"Even regular people would be help." Brenda took note of how insulting her comment was and took it back. "No offense, Lizard."
"Don't matter..." That's when he squinted. "Huh."
"What is it?" she asked eagerly.
"See somethin'..." He lifted his index finger.
Bobby peered in the direction of Lizard was pointing. "It's a building."
"What kind?" Brenda asked.
"Never been in this direction before. Wouldn't know. But we better take a look."
As they neared the building, a sign became noticable.
Yuma Flats Police Department.
While the humans were relieved, Lizard was stumped. The fuck? How long has that been there?
Maybe there was a reason he was unaware about it.
"You do realize if I go in they'll kill me," he explained shortly. There was no need to go into detail.
"They won't do that," Brenda assured him. "They're-"
"I'm not human, Brenda," Lizard reminded her. "Remember?"
"You are human," Brenda informed him. "I don't even like the word 'mutant'. It's like how people call a disabled person retarded. Just because you look different doesn't make you a monster. Not you or Ruby or any other person who lives in the desert."
"I don't care what they think." It sounded almost as if Lizard were making a decision out loud. "I never cared before and I ain't gonna start now. We gotta go."
As they stood in front of the building, something crossed Bobby's mind. "Brenda," he said uncertainly, "what you said to Lizard was really nice and all, but..."
"They'll freak out when they first see him. I know." Brenda hated to admit it but it was true. "Lizard, do you mind waiting outside? I don't wanna scare them."
Lizard leaned against the wall and gestured the to the door, signalling that he was fine with it.
"Thanks." Brenda gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and hurried inside. Bobby stood there for a minute, shocked by what he had seen.
"Did she...?"
"Yeah..." Lizard raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have somethin' to be doin', kid?"
Hoping his blushing wasn't obvious, Bobby followed his sister.
A/N: And there you have it! The next chapter will be longer than this one, rest assured. Again, if it's posted later than usual, I'm really sorry. Good luck to those also returning to school, and to those who have already gone back!