Chapter 10:
Jack stared into the dark apartment. Rex was passed out in his chair. Lia was still lying in the bed. Jack knew that they were not alone, and hot breath touched his face. He reached out, and his hand brushed against something solid. It grabbed him by the throat.
Jack tried to call to Rex, but the invisible hand tightened around his throat. He struggled to breathe, trying to pull the hand away from him. Its touch was hot, and his skin burned. His eyes rolled up into his head. He was about to lose consciousness when he was dragged from his chair and moved over to the bed. Jack was released from its tight grip, and he gasped for air, struggling to breathe.
Jack placed a hand on the bed as he reached for his gun. His hand felt something wet. Jack turned on the light and looked at his hand. Blood. He pulled the covers away from Lia to see her chest was bleeding from a gunshot wound.
"Rex! Rex, wake up, and get over here. Rex!" Jack placed his hands over the wound, applying pressure.
Rex hurried over to him. "What did you do? Did you shoot her, Jack?"
"No. It's the gunshot wound that killed her."
"But you said that it healed, and that was twenty years ago. Why is it open now?"
"I don't know. Help me get her into the bathroom. We have to stop the bleeding. Now!"
"I'm calling for help." Rex hurried over to a table and grabbed his cell phone.
"It won't help, Rex." Jack lifted Lia up into his arms. "They can't help her."
"Then, who can, Jack?"
"Help me stop the bleeding." Jack carried Lia into the bathroom. He placed her against the wall. "Gauze pads are in the cabinet. We need stiches."
"Do you have any?"
"No, I don't. We're going to have to use dental floss."
"Dental floss, Jack?"
"Just shut up, and help me. The floss is in the medicine cabinet."
"How are you going to thread it, Jack?"
Jack opened his wristband and pulled out a long pin. "Knew this would come in handy one day."
"Is that even sterile?"
"Run it under hot water." Jack handed Rex the pin.
"Do I want to know what this was used for?"
"No. You don't." Jack took the pin back from Rex. "Step back. I need some space."
"Do you know what you're doing?"
"Do you want to do this?"
Rex looked from Jack to Lia. "She's losing a lot of blood, Jack."
"Then, shut up, and let me work."
Rex looked at Jack. "Jack, your neck."
"I know. The alien, her twin grabbed me by the throat and dragged me over to her."
"I don't think it likes you."
"Gee, what gave you that idea?"
Jack threaded the dental floss over the gunshot wound. Lia moaned and tried to move away. Jack struggled to hold her steady, and Rex helped him.
"Come on, Lia. Just hold on," Rex said. "Why is this happening to her, Jack? What did you do?"
"I think they found us while I was using that device."
"I told you that was a bad idea."
"Well, I'm sorry." Jack snapped the dental floss apart. "All done. Where is that device?"
"Seriously? It's back at the storage unit, and I'm going to destroy it as soon as I figure out how. Now, how is she?"
"The bleeding stopped. Lia? Lia, can you hear me?"
Lia looked at Jack. "Everything hurts, Jack," she cried. "My whole body feels like it is on fire."
"That's not you. That's the…"
"Twin. It's your twin, Lia," Rex said.
"No." Lia forced a faint smile. "I know what it is now." She looked at Jack. "I know why it wanted the Rift."
"Why?"
"Jack."
"Why, Lia?"
"To escape." Lia passed out.
"Lia?" Rex checked her pulse. "She passed out. What are we going to do, Jack?"
"The aliens want her, so we take her to them." Jack lifted Lia up into his arms and carried her out of the bathroom.
"Jack, we can't do that. I promised her."
"Well, you shouldn't have done that, Rex. We can't save her. I might have closed the hole, but she is dying, Rex. Don't you realize that?" Jack watched Rex look at Lia. "If we do not bring her to the aliens, then she will die. We have to go. We don't have a choice, and we don't have much time. Call Andy. We need to leave as soon as possible."
"Okay, Jack, but I'm not leaving her side."
"Neither am I," Jack said.