Ch. 36

I heard gunshots, and I made my choice.

Charging towards the men I could not even spare a glance back towards where Captain had disappeared. 'They are strong,' I forced myself to think, 'Stronger than I, and I can take care of myself.'

Yells rang and in my panic I passed Maitreya who had begun running at the sound of the gunshots. I skid to a stop as I saw what had caused the rather small commotion within the rather large commotion around us. Vaanee was lying still on the black stone, several bullet holes leaked dark blood that pooled around him on the floor. A few yards away, several of M's men dressed in black were lying, dead as well.

I looked at the men who were lowering their guns and nodded in acceptance. They watched me now, in stead of Captain, and I felt a small weight of what it meant to be captain anchor in my gut. The crew looked to me now…

With resolve, I leaned down and pulled my dagger from my boot. I raised my arm, and signaled them the sign for 'forward.' With somber expressions they nodded, and without words followed my order. The scientists who had lagged in fear of the guns were rounded up, and ushered forward as I ran to take the lead. It was a slim chance that they would willingly follow a girl, yet no doubt they would have followed Satan himself if he promised to get them out.

Or perhaps the guns my men held scared them as much as the guns M's men had.

Either way, both men and scientists were eventually in my wake, following as a dog might his master. Or perhaps how a stray might follow anyone with food. No, not even that was right; the men behind me had a master, or were their own. I gave up the endeavor, their was no easy way to describe what had happened. Unless mayhap, it was merely the brief transfer of power.

The fear of the scientists, coupled with the anxiety of my men to be free of this place worked as great motivators through the winding labyrinth of halls. We met but one more set of guards, caught off-guard at the meeting of our crew, who were easy prey to the guns my men held. As the men took care of them, I continued to lead the scientists towards the exit.

They were less easy to work with now that the guns had ceased to lead them on. Some tried to break away, and unable to call them back, I had to backtrack to stop them. They yelled at me in German, and I silently snarled as I pointed them on with my dagger. After a few prominent points, they seemed to get the message, and started forward. I watched them run, and before following, my dagger in my last three fingers, I placed my thumb and pointer finger into my mouth and blew the highest whistle I could.

The noise pierced through the mild chaos that could be heard dimly through the walls, and when I heard my men yelling in Hindu, I finally took off to lead the scientists out. Now that my men were filling in behind our group, I felt more confident at the success of our mission.

We were but two halls from an exit when the explosives went off. The very ground beneath our feet shook as the walls begin to crumble. The men were yelling in Hindu, the scientists in German. Several were falling over the shifting rocks, and I did as well. I landed on my arm, and clenched my teeth in pain as my dagger slipped from my hand. Flipping to my right side, I forced myself to my knees before grasping my fallen dagger and forcing myself up.

Another of the explosives went off, and the already crumbling walls fell. There it was, the large room where we had first separated! The explosives had made the trip that much shorter, for the wall had fallen, and I could see the snow beyond an opening in the stone. Happiness filled me as I stared at it. Stumbling up I repeated my whistle, and watched the men scramble to push the scientists forward.

I left it to them, and climbed through the crumbling rocks to inspect just how good this short cut was. After maneuvering through the fallen rocks, I stood in the opening in the wall and grinned. It was there, the wicked, driving snow was there. All I needed was to reach out my fingertips to touch it.

Turning to the coming men, I quickly motioned for them to hurry before anything else could force something to go wrong. I watched the scientists scurrying through the hole with a sense of pride I watched the last go. I followed the men out and whistled to them to stop. The scientists froze as well, and so I let them stay there. Looking around I saw our group had dwindled down to fifteen, yet I had no time to sigh.

"Phoolendu, Bali, Lahar, and Chane. Take the scientists to the ships, the rest of you come with me!" I ordered. They stood there, and I glared. "Now!"

Finally they followed my orders, and as the scientists disappeared I led the rest of the men with me back into the room. We did not get far, as I heard bats shrieking and flying. I turned and there was Mina, standing from her crouched position. She was okay!

I hurried forward and hugged her quickly, and her transformation from the first time I met her was obvious. Unlike the stiffness of our handshake, she hugged me back quickly before saying, "Where's Captain Nemo?" Unable to respond I motion for Maitreya to come forward to translate: "We were separated from him and Hyde, we were about to look for them."

Mina looked vexed, and her brow nit together in some unknown worry. I looked at her in confusion before she said, "I found Skinner." I suddenly feared the worse, she 'found' him…

"He's been badly burned, I don't know…" She seemed at a loss, and I turned the men. "Chintu, Aagam, Lomash, Lalam, go with Mina," I told them. They stepped forward and I turned to Maitreya. "Tell her to show them where he is." Back to the four, "Carry him back here," I ordered. They nodded and I turned to Mina, who Maitreya had just informed of my plan. She nodded and led the way out of the room, the men quickly following behind her.

I did not watch them go, but turned to Gadin, "I need you to go and bring back jackets from behind the rock," I told him, "If Skinner's burned he cannot be exposed to the cold." Gadin nodded, and without a word disappeared into the snow. I turned back to the men, only six left.

Biting my lip I motioned for them to follow me, and they did so without complaint. We were just barely in when we heard a gunshot. One, lone shot ring through the now silent halls. Freezing in place, I could only guess who that gunshot belonged too. One-shot Allan, who always hit his mark. I smiled, knowing that at least he was alright, before turning to my men.

What should I do now? Skinner and Mina were accounted for, yet Captain and Edward, and Tom and Allan were not. With only six men, who should I go after? My lip was starting to hurt, yet I could not cease chewing on it. "Marina?" Maitreya slowly asked me, as though afraid of my mental state.

His voice snapped me out of my indecisiveness, and I turned to them quickly. "Maitreya, Prabir, you're coming with me. Janak, go help Gadin bring all the jackets.The rest of you will find Tom and Allen and lead them back to the ship." They looked at me, and for a moment they did not move. I believe they were questioning my clarity of mind, and I did not blame them. I felt torn between what I should do and what was needed, and though I should have gone back and waited for Mina and Skinner, I could not bring myself too.

"When you get back Janak, wait for Mina and the others. We'll be back with Captain and the doctor soon…" I told him, hoping to make up, to seem competent enough. Why did I tell them 'doctor?' Ha ha, so that I could try to make a reasonable cause for leaving. I could feel the disappointment in myself conquering whatever signals the men sent.

In any case, Janak nodded and turned to leave. Maitreya and Prabir walked to my side as the others headed in the direction Tom and Allan had disappeared in. I did not look at them as I turned and headed quickly back in the direction we had come from.

Maitreya and Prabir followed faithfully, but I could feel the looks they exchanged with each other. It was as though we were connected now, and I new of their reluctance. Captain and Edward had not come back yet, they had no way to know what had happened. For all they knew, they were gone.

I had no idea either, but I also had more riding on this. Every inch of my body was surging with some unknown power that made my mind race. As we reached where we had parted I could no longer restrain myself and took off running. I could hear the lovers pounding footsteps echoing in the now silent halls, mixing with my own. My heart beat our feet in pace, and I could hear it loudly head, beating against my ears.

We made it to a large chamber, and there were tell-tale signs of conflict. Though it was hard to tell the difference between battle and explosion, Prabir found a blood trail though, and went through the hole in the wall before me. As I scrambled in after him I heard his footsteps skid to a stop.

"Maitreya, get her away!" He all but shouted as he turned with a great flourish in attempt to block me. Maitreya, crawling in, moved to grab me but it was too late by then. I had charged forward, and though Prabir grabbed me, I still saw.

A pile of boulders. Curling at the base of the pile were blood pools, and soaked in it, were toes. Large, pink-tinted toes.

Toes that could only belong to Edward Hyde.

I felt my head spin. Edward was buried, and Captain was with Edward, and Edward was Henry. I could hear my name, but I did not care. I did not care at all. Nothing mattered now.

It was as though the world had crumbled around me, just as the walls had crumbled upon my father, my friend, my first love…