CHAPTER TWENTY: The Price of Freedom
"It's now or never", Alex thought to herself. She knew it wouldn't take long before it came to someone's attention that the guards were missing; then someone would come to investigate. She grabbed the keys to the cuffs off of the guards, then raced to the back of the room and over to Bryna. To her relief, the Irish woman was beginning to come too.
"Bryna, wake up", she urged bending over to shake the dazed woman.
"Now, why is it your shaking me girl?" came the groggy reply with an Irish lilt.
"I've found a way out, but we have to act fast," Alex told her.
Bryna's eyes shot open at the mention of escape. She quickly slipped out of the bent cuffs, ready to bolt.
"What do you need me to do?" she asked Alex, shaking her head while trying to clear out the effects of the drugs.
"Wake up as many as you can", Alex said pointing to the unconscious women throughout the room. "I'll take the left side, you take the right."
The two of them split up and managed to rouse everyone but the Italian girl. They tried to explain the situation, but it quickly became obvious that not everyone understood them. Finally, by using gestures and pointing out the unconscious guards, Alex made them realize this was their only chance to escape. After breaking everyone out of their chains, she gave Brynna instructions.
"I need you to lead them out Bryna", Alex told her.
"They won't follow me, especially the vampires", Bryna scoffed.
Alex pulled the Irish woman over to the vent, angry and tired. "Look, I'm not asking you I'm telling you…you're going first and making sure the way is clear for everyone single one of us, is that understood?"
"And what of you?" Bryna asked petulantly.
"I'll be carrying our unconscious friend and bringing up the rear", she vowed vehemently. "Once we make it out of the building, I'll take over the lead", she assured the surly woman.
Alex glanced back at Bryna, and for the first time saw fear in the woman's eyes. She wasn't unwilling to help, just afraid. Alex sighed and tried a different approach.
"Look Bryna, we're quickly running out of time. All of us are weak and still feeling the effects from the drugs. These women need someone strong, I'm willing to be that person but I can't be everywhere at once. Someone is going to have to carry the Italian, but I don't want to drag everyone down. If someone could get the others out first, it could mean more of us stand a better chance of escaping if we're discovered. You're the only other person I can trust, and I need some help. I don't believe anyone else is capable of being strong enough both physically and mentally to be of any real assistance. Will you please lead them through the vents and outside for me?"
Bryna hesitated for only a moment; then moved to stand under the open vent. She never acknowledged Alex's request, but nevertheless, took up the challenge.
"Okay ladies, let's get the hell out of here", she said, then jumping she cleared the vent and began crawling forward.
Alex urged the others on, and watched as each woman struggled through their drug induced stupor to make a jump that under normal circumstances would have been no problem. As the seconds turned into minutes, she prodded and pushed them to hurry. Finally, when the last one had disappeared into the duct, Alex went over and scooped up the unconscious form lying on the floor. She herself could still feel the effects of the drugs running through her system. She wasn't as incapacitated as some of the others, but the fighting she had done had left her drained. She threw the girl over her shoulder and made her way to the vent. Praying the others had made it out okay, she made the jump.
She landed loudly, and hoped no one had heard. She knew that at any minute the empty room would be discovered, if the guard she had beheaded hadn't already been found. Time was working against them. She inched across the metal duct, pulling the dead weight of a dying girl behind her. As she turned and made her way to the exit vent, she was relieved to see no one else was still in the duct. She made it to the open vent and with a quick glance found the room below vacant. She pulled the girl up to her chest and dropped down to the ground below. So far so good, no one was waiting to capture them here. She looked around the corner, and saw Brynna waiting for her at the end of the hall by the open door. Alex threw her burden over her shoulder and made a run for it.
"It's colder than a witch's tit out here", Bryna complained with a smile as she and Alex walked out into the night.
Alex had to agree with her, and looking around, she saw the lycans were shivering in the cold wind. But this was still a better option than sticking around for whatever perverted games their captor had in mind.
"Suck it up ladies", she told them brusquely, "This ain't no party. We need to get out of here now." Looking around, Alex was once again relieved they had no company as of yet. "These people are obviously vampires if not lycans as well. They also have the advantage of knowing the area and terrain. My suggestion is to head down", she said pointing to the woods running alongside the property. "Stay together, but if we find ourselves being pursued, you make a run for it and don't stop until you get yourselves home" she advised.
The ones that didn't speak English looked perplexed, but once she started running, they all seemed to get her drift and quickly followed suit. She didn't bother pacing herself, she ran flat out as fast as she could. The weight of the unconscious woman hindered her, but she kept going. The cold wind was harsh and biting, tearing at her exposed flesh. Her bare feet had at first burned as they traversed the snow covered ground, now they were numb. Bryna ran at her side, and Alex could hear her teeth chattering over the wailing of the wind. But, they persevered and made their way down the mountain. When they reached the bottom, Alex noted they were all cold and miserable but no one complained.
Now that they were out of the trees, Alex looked up hoping to catch sight of the North Star, but the night sky offered her no help. Earlier, the stars had shimmered like diamonds against black velvet, now ominous clouds covered them, promising nothing but snow. Making an executive decision, Alex turned to the right and took off running yet again.
She and the other eleven women ran for all they were worth, but Alex was tiring. Super hybrid or not, she wasn't going to be able to continue at this pace, in this altitude, carrying dead weight. She new the others stood a better chance of escaping if they were to break up. And then, she heard it; the roar of mechanical engines filled the air.
"Bryna, we have company", she told the Irish woman.
Bryna looked over her shoulder and saw headlights weaving through the forest trees.
"What are we gonna do?" she asked breathlessly.
"You guys need to break up into two groups, vampires and lycans, mixed, I don't care, just divide and run in opposite directions. Someone needs to get away and get help", Alex told her. "Get Frenchie to lead the other group. I'm going to give you a cell number, share it with the others. Whenever you get the chance, call it; the man who answers will help you. Tell him everything that has happened and how to get here", she said then rattled off Aaron's cell phone number.
"What about you?" Bryna asked.
"I'm slowing you guys down", Alex answered honestly, "I'm gonna try to evade these guys and draw them away from ya'll. Whatever you do, don't look back; and if someone falls, don't make the mistake of trying to help them. It's imperative you, or someone, escapes."
Bryna looked at Alex speculatively, then nodded her head in agreement. She then repeated Aaron's number and darted off after the others. Alex could see her talking to the French vampire and both of them looking back at the lights closing in on them, and then back at her. Subsequently, they broke off into two separate groups, the lycans following Bryna and the vampires in the other group. She had done all she could for them; now she had to concentrate on trying to save her own ass, as well as her silent partner's.
She slowed down, trying to catch both her breath and reserving a little bit of energy. As those chasing them drew closer, she waited until she felt they could see her in their headlights. Then, making a break for it, she darted back up into the woods. Her plan was rewarded when two separate sets of headlights followed her. She ran as fast as she could, zigzagging through the trees until she felt is was safe enough for her to change directions. Using all her energy, she attempted to shift, again only achieving the fangs and claws; but these small changes would still serve her purpose. She chose a tall evergreen, and with the help of her razor sharp nails, began climbing up into the relative safety and anonymity of the leafy boughs ahead.
The rough bark of the tree scraped her stomach as she dragged both her and the unconscious woman up into what she hoped would be a safe haven. Her progress was impeded though as she had to keep repositioning the girl on her shoulder. They were about midway up the tree when she saw headlights fast approaching. She quickened her pace, putting the girl between her and the tree figuring the girl would rather have a scraped back versus facing what awaited them back at the house. She moved as fast as she could, and had barely reached the bottom branches when she two snowmobiles pulled into sight.
She quickly pushed the girl onto the thick, bottom branch and using one hand to hold her in place, she pulled herself up with the other one. She would have liked to move further up, but the two men had stopped their vehicles and turned them off. She couldn't afford to make any noise. She switched places with the Italian, and leaned back against the tree pulling the unconscious girl between her upraised knees. She sat there, unmoving, as she listened to the figures below.
Strains of an argument could be heard as each man began accusing the other for losing sight of her. She sniffed, hoping to catch their scent and identify their species, but the bitterly cold wind, managed to wipe away any and all smells. She contemplated the possibility of dropping down and taking out the two guards, then driving out of this hellhole on one of those snowmobiles. She quickly gauged her strengths, her weaknesses. Though she was able to shake off the drugs faster than the others, the effects still lingered in her system, slowing her down and preventing her complete change. And on top off of that, she couldn't remember when she last ate, not to mention the fact that she had been hauling around an unconscious person for the last ten to twenty minutes. She was tired, sore and quickly losing strength; which meant her chances of wining were slim. So, that meant she had to wait out the two assholes down below. Then maybe, just maybe, she could somehow manage to stay unfrozen long enough to get them both out of there.
She remained patient and quiet hoping the idiots below would leave soon. The snow laden tree limb was uncomfortable to say the least and her skin was beginning to burn. The bikini top and cut offs did little to protect her from the elements; she had also noticed that her silent companion was beginning to shiver uncontrollably. She glanced back down, and saw their visitors were still arguing and had sunk to trading blows. They had no intention of vacating the area.
Alex watched in frustration as the two men pounded on each other. As their ridiculous fight continued to wage, she began to wonder if she might actually stand a chance of taking them out. They were doing a good job of beating the hell of out each other. If she waited until one of them fell, she stood a decent chance of defeating the one left standing. So, she watched and waited, patiently, as seconds turned into minutes and both men began to slow down. Shifting slightly, Alex moved her comatose patient so that she was now lying on her stomach, draped over the large branch. She then pulled herself up into a squatting position and took a deep breath as she tried calling on more of her hybrid strength.
She felt a slight thread of power snaking it's way through her veins. She watched as gold and black threads pulsed beneath the surface of her skin, though she never quite achieved the black marble color she had seen when she fully changed before. Although she felt herself grow marginally stronger, and she looked at the scene below through obsidian eyes, she knew the change would progress no further. It would have to be enough.
She viewed the scene below as the two guards pummeled each other relentlessly, confirming her original opinion that they were a species other than human. Soon though, even they began to tire and were stumbling around in the snow. Her chance came when the smaller of the two men sank to his knees and fell forward. Without a second thought, Alex threw herself from the branch, at the lone figure below.
She collided with the larger man, causing him to fall to the ground. Rebounding faster, Alex jumped to her feet, slicing the man across the chest as she moved. Blood began streaming through the razor like cuts and the vampire (his species clearly apparent now with his fangs and icy blue eyes) looked up at Alex in surprise. Alex bent over and grabbed him by the shirt; then, using as much force as she could muster, she picked him up from the ground and threw him up into the tree she had just vacated. A gurgling sound erupted from the vampire as he was impaled upon one of the medium sized branches. Blood spewed forth from the gaping wound in his chest and the creature's movements stilled. Not sure this would kill him, but knowing he no longer posed a threat, Alex resolved to take care of the remaining vamp just as quickly.
Turning to do just that, she found she was alone. She looked around knowing her chances of wining had just dropped dramatically; when suddenly, the engine of one snowmobile roared to life. Alex hesitated a moment, as she watched the vampire floor it, sending the machine hurtling towards her. She lunged to the left, hoping the vamp would think she'd go right, but as she felt the impact of steel with flesh, she knew she had made a grave miscalculation. The snowmobile clipped her, and pain shot through her as she listened to the sound of tearing flesh and cracking bones. She fell to the ground, trying to assess the extent of the damage, when she heard the snowmobile turn around for another go at her. She looked up to see a headlight bearing down on her. Forcing her battered body to move, she somehow managed to crawl out of the machine's direct path. The vampire passed her, throwing snow and ice in her direction. She threw her hands up to protect her face, and felt shards of ice biting into her skin. Sharp, stinging cuts covered her hands, but she couldn't dwell on the more sever injuries, much less these small ones. She had bigger problems at the moment.
The snowmobile could be heard making a sharp turn, ready to head back in her direction. Then it seemed she'd finally gotten a break. Fro some reason, the machine stopped for a brief moment. Figuring the vamp was toying with her, she knew she had to use this opportunity to defend herself. Again, Alex pulled her battered and bruised body up and quickly looked around for a weapon. There on the ground, she caught a glimpse of metal. She dragged herself over, figuring the knife must have fallen off the other vamp when she threw him into the tree. As she reached out for the weapon, the snowmobile once again came to life. The rumble of the engine became louder as it bore down upon her. She grabbed the handle of the hunting knife, thankful it was a decent sized blade, then readied herself to face her opponent. She knew there was no possible chance she would come out the victor in this pissing match, but she sure as hell would try and take a chunk out of the sonofabitch coming after her.
She turned, knife in hand, blade down, just as the vampire reached her. With no time to take aim, she trusted her instincts and reached up and out, hoping to catch him across the face. At the exact same moment, the vampire lashed out at her with a sturdy tree limb, catching Alex across the midsection. She grunted in pain, as she heard several ribs break, but took satisfaction in the scream of pain she heard coming from the creature. She watched as the snowmobile slid out of control and into the trees. Unfortunately, the vampire managed to jump off the vehicle moments before it collided with the trunk of an enormous pine.
Suddenly, Alex was overwhelmed with pain and her inability to breath. Try as she might, she couldn't inhale a decent amount of air. Her damaged ribcage was pressing hard her lungs, leaving her little choice but to take short shallow breaths. As she assessed the damage, she tasted blood in her mouth and heard her ragged breathing. She had a punctured lung, Damnit! She was in trouble. She looked up to find the vampire had gotten to his feet her knife embedded in his right eye. He reached up and pulled the blade out, showing the damage she had inflicted. His eye was now a pulpy mess, with blood streaming out of the socket. In a rage, he screamed and ran towards her.
Alex tried pulling herself up, but instead found herself falling back to the ground, on her hands and knees. She again, spit blood out of her mouth, noticing quite a bit of the snow was covered with the red substance. She forced her body into a kneeling position, only to find the vampire was within reaching distance. She felt the impact before she had a chance to react, and a grunt of pain was forced from her lips as her body flew backwards.
She found herself flat on her back, looking into the one good eye of a very angry vampire. He had her pinned to the ground, spitting and cursing at her in a foreign language (one she didn't speak). The vampire reared back then punched her in the stomach, causing her to cough up even more blood. Then he stood and for good measure kicked her in the kidneys. Belatedly, she rolled her body into a fetal position, trying to protect herself, but knowing the effort was wasted. As she lay there on the snow covered ground, she slowly realized she was no longer under attack. Momentarily confused, she shook her head, trying to clear it of the fog that was beginning to cloud her mind; when she heard a familiar sound.
The engine to the remaining snowmobile came to life. She managed to roll over, and saw the vampire was headed directly for her. Bracing her body for yet another impact of flesh with metal, she was again, taken by surprise when the vampire missed her head by mere inches. Instead, he reached out and grabbed hold of her left ankle. Alex yelled out in pain, as she was forcibly dragged alongside the machine. Her captor wasn't overly concerned with her welfare as he sped across the ground at excessive speeds. Alex could barely withstand the agony as her already bruised and broken body was forced to ride roughshod over rocks, roots, snow and ice. She somehow managed to lift her head, trying to keep from cracking her skull wide open; but even this was a nearly impossible feat. As darkness began creeping up on the edges of her vision, she realized she needed to change. Determined to keep her true nature a secret, she forced herself to concentrate on letting the hybrid features fall away, showing only her human façade. Her body cried out in protest as she suddenly twisted at the last minute, barely avoiding a tree that showed up out of nowhere. Then, as she felt the blackness threaten to overtake her, she gave one final thought to the unconscious woman in the tree and prayed to God that she woke up soon; and that she, as well as the others, made it to safety. Then thankfully, she succumbed to the darkness.