Brecken greeted them in the lobby immediately, a stern gaze dropped for now helping in getting Rahim to sickbay with Lena ready when they came, the kid's leg quickly hoisted onto the bed. "He's been bitten!" Jade exclaimed and Lena readied a shot, Crane with Brecken told what to do about the leg to stop the bleeding and get started. Their eyes quickly widened in horror, Rahim suddenly screaming holding arm Crane reminded of Kyle.
"He needs epinephrine or something to stop an allergic reaction." Crane shouted, Lena swiftly looking for one finding a substitute that worked as well as Rahim just like Kyle had started to choke up after the scream, Jade stroking his head with sobs telling him to fight. "I don't think he can turn…"
"What do you mean?" Brecken asked, now just tired and wanting Rahim safe and patched up instead of scolding him, Jade giving the answer up to the point before Crane had been interrupted. Their eyes shifted to Rahim though as he spoke up with a tired weak voice, Lena focusing completely on the leg ordering the other three around.
"Guys, stop worrying. I was going to turn but I won't anymore I can feel it. His blood, even though it was disgusting and I was fucking pissed at him, saved me. I don't think I can turn anymore, like him."
"Rahim, you have to be-"
"I'm sure, sis. Don't worry if I ever have doubt you'll know first." Rahim smiled though there was one thing he kept back and this time Kyle wasn't there to call it out. He planned to confide in the kid and Crane but not in front of Jade. Hunger. The craving of human flesh whispering and urged inside him, Rahim battling the nasty impulse and thoughts with all he had, glad to be so tired that moving was unappealing anyway. The slowly returned peace didn't last long, Brecken and Crane leaving the sickbay as Lena finished up and Jade doted over her brother with fierce scolding jumping in completely forgetting what she had been up to just before she had overheard the call overjoyed that she did.
"Where is Kyle by the way?" Brecken asked.
"Jade understandably blew up on him in anger for forcing his blood into Rahim. She slapped him and called him a monster in the heat of the moment so he took off; it was just too much for him. He'll be back, just needs time to cool off but I have an idea where he went." Crane answered, the slowly returning peace shattered with a bang as they rushed to the nearest window managing to luckily be by one with Zere's trailer in view having been the source of the noise standing in flames as gunshots echoed through the air.
"Zere! SHIT! Get down there! We can't let them take him!"
The infected reached for the boy pulling himself onto a rooftop only to fall again scrambling into the shack, breaking the door with an elbow jab, eyes flushing red as his shoulder pounded in pain. The bullet hole, scratches and bite started to bring him down when it came to moving his shoulder, the night echoing with the screams of the infected as the boy sat on the ground forced by his heavily bandaged shoulder to take a break. Silent tears rolled down, his mind wandering to the thought if he had even managed to save Rahim after all, his limbs feeling weak from the lost blood refusing to go on without a break.
"…you have 72 hours." The radio cut out coldly and Crane cursed under his breath. At least he was given time though.
Kyle rushed to the tunnel to have the comfort of his father's vicinity but a few steps before it, his blood ran cold hearing the last dying scream of his father, the smell of fresh blood coming to his nose in the stench of death holding the city with the voices of people. A few people's screams had echoed inside of the tunnel as the three bloody thugs from Rais staggered out the door into the broad tunnel covered in blood and shaken, names being mentioned along with an ambush on Crane and a pit where they wanted to be that the encounter all gone through because of a had delayed none knowing that Kyle outside the tunnel heard every word taking it in instead of acting rash. "Fuck that zombie, killed four of us!" One the thugs snarled with a wheeze, the one having instigated going in having suggested they see if someone had a stash in there since it was slightly barricaded and Kyle's father inside had waited quietly instead of leaping at the door.
"Whatever the fucker is dead now." Another snarled.
"Why the fuck was there even one locked in a room?!" The third exclaimed, their eyes slowly shifting to Kyle standing in front of them with silent tears, an eerie silence as he stared at them even the surrounding zombies acting rather quiet maybe even on edge.
"Dad… You… took my dad…"
"Fuck it's that kid! Call Rais!" The eerie stillness snapped, the screams of infected so loud around them as Kyle's eyes narrowed, the walkie-talkie got dropped as fear gripped their hearts with ice running down their spines, the meaty claws out without hesitation as rage and frustration boiled in the boy's veins. The three men staggered back, a gun pointing at the boy but unable to aim as the blonde had rushed forward with a smile and inhuman speed, the claws slipping into the man's gut utterly effortlessly and swiftly past the bulletproof vest. A opportunistic pounce was countered with the spike rushing out the arms, one arm raised up a little and offered with a sidestep causing the thug to slam right into it on his own volition sputtering with blood as he shortly flailed about dropping down with the spikes tucked in again in the blink of an eye. The boot crushed the walkie-talkie, the third thug so scared he turned to run but Kyle didn't want him to live, beside him in an instant and the metal claws rushed over the side before the throat as the thug stumbled, blood from his mouth spat out in chokes in his last breaths as Kyle walked away with the zombies rushing past him right and left, the blonde changing to a run with bloodshot eyes, a plan forming on the spot, a route picked with locations to pick up a few things.
"Who is it? Who's there?" Zere asked, the door broken down, the arm shielding him slowly lowered.
"Relax, Doc. It's me."
"Crane! Thank, God! Listen this is important! I'm not safe anymore- obviously- but my research must not die with me!" The man momentarily slow down noticing the kid's absence, everyone having become extremely used to seeing Crane with him quickly and Crane noticed the look.
"Jade blew up on him after he forced his blood into Rahim to stop him from turning, he needs some time alone right now. You're not gonna die, Doc! But right now we have to get out of here, so please, lower your voice."
"Oh! Oh. Yes. All right. But understand my- my research. It must reach Dr. Camden! That's why I gave the packages to Jade. However you just said something happened with Jade and Rahim. "
"She's at the Tower with him."
"Then the research is at the Tower with her… Safe for now, but it must reach Dr. Camden!"
"I'll get to it as soon as we get out of here." Crane replied, eyes looking over the underground level, the lights suddenly out and turned right back on.
"So. It takes no more than the false hope of rescue to loosen the doctor's lips. Watch the tower; hunt down the Scorpion, the moment she comes out. And hunt down that boy, he still has a promise to keep and make sure you don't end up killing him. Spare no resource." Rais smiled.
"With pleasure. And these two? What should we do with them?" Tahir replied.
"You'll never get her or that boy! And I'll never talk! You'll get nothing from me!"
"I'm less concerned with making you talk now, Doctor, than I am in preventing your escape." The blade held to his throat by Rais, stabbed into his leg the doctor crying out in pain.
"You sadistic fuck. He's on old man! And you'll never get Kyle! You have no idea how powerful he is, he'll kill you all before he'd let himself become your dog!" Crane spat.
"Give the doctor some first aid. And take Crane to the pit."
Kyle wheezed and stumbled his lungs feeling constantly on fire using volatile speed or demolisher and goon strength on an obstacle in the way, red out eyes out. His cheek bled scraped a little open on the rough pavement as he staggered to his feet. He couldn't let Crane die. He didn't want the man to get hurt. He had to get to him, warn him. He wanted to protect Crane having. He didn't care how much he had to suffer or gasp. Another stumble, his elbow scraped. He didn't care how much it hurt. His lungs burned. His heart thundered in his chest, thoughts plagued with losing Crane filling his soul with crushing pain. He had to warn him. With only pain, desperation and love guiding him Kyle repeatedly cried out to Crane on the inside unsure of what he even tried to accomplish with it, the hunch it was based on from a past incident only a blurry memory now giving a guiding shove. 'Crane… Crane…'
'Did I just hear Kyle?' The thug paused for a moment, as Crane looked around, the fact that the kid so famous for being with Crane and having shown up out the blue in Harran wasn't beside the man he cared about so much didn't get lost on Rais noticing it.
'Crane it's a trap! I have to get to him!'
'Trap? Where is Kyle? Am I hearing him?' "Kyle?" Rais gave a small sign with his hand watching with interest, Crane's voice having been rather low saying to himself.
'Crane it's an ambush!' Kyle felt like he screamed in his head desperate to reach Crane stumbling and catching himself on the hood of a car with a gasp, quickly moving forward again determined to push on.
"Kyle!?" He said it out loud without thinking definitely hearing Kyle's voice in his head this time screaming out to him desperately.
"Come on and get your shot of antizin kid…" One of the thugs quietly chuckled wielding a crossbow with the antizin carrying a dart, causing Rais's smirk to grow wider as Crane's eyes widened in horror, the epipen already shown by the man shaking it tauntingly in Crane's face. "Kyle ru-" His scream didn't finish, the butt of a gun smashing into his head knocking him out.
Kyle smiled, hand closing around another found grenade tucking it in as he rushed off to the pit, vaulting over a fence, the blonde having still made sure to know where things were and what was happening during his time in Harran despite keeping out of people's way almost the whole time.
The pit rattled with loud bangs as Rais' men erupted in shouts and screams, torn to shreds out of Crane's sight, gunshots filling the air. One of the thugs with a torn open side stumbled onto the railing. "It's the kid!" Crane's hand swung down, the machete coming down on Rais' wrist severing the hand. Kyle suddenly leapt down, all eyes going up and Rais' wearing an even bigger snarl, the boy having managed to come in time with the metal claws having torn into the arm holding the knife trying to stab Zere. With a twist and grin, they painfully pulled out rupturing more of the flesh mangling the man's wrist having his throat slit with his own knife, the swaying corpse brutally kicked causing bones and flesh to crunch launched into the middle of the pit. The blonde tilted his head with a smirk, eyes narrowing on Rais, the boy shining with confidence like a king on his throne looking down on the cruel man, a bullet from the hand gun killing a thug to the side raising his gun with a headshot. The throwing knives no longer rested at his hip, all used in the neck breaking sprint to save Zere and especially Crane. Rais screamed at both while burning his own stump to stop the bleeding. Kyle wheezed; hand moving to his chest as every time he had pushed himself started to catch up and the boy lifted Zere while leaping up himself, Crane following to the higher elevation swiftly. Zere slowly started to stumble into motion, amazed at the sight of what just happened as much as disturbed, a hail of bullets starting to come with Kyle shooting back and a smoke bomb he had left rolled out of his hand following his own blood trail he had laid for himself letting himself bleed a little to navigate through with the wounded and tired men.
"Kyle, are you alright?" The escape came to a stop as after a few steps of lifting up Zere, Kyle collapsed wheezing curling up slightly gasping for breath. Bullets zipped past them, Zere and Crane ducking instinctively and Crane quickly scooped up the boy skidding to a stop at the coming jump and the fact that Zere wasn't quite the runner didn't help right now either with the pit surrounded by scaffolding and such.
"Go on Crane, keep the research safe and protect that boy." Zere encouraged.
"No way I'm leaving you behind, you just got saved!" Zere knew better than to argue limping along as best as he could, Crane trying to juggle carrying Kyle and help the man dragging him along struggling himself feeling Kyle move the handgun to shoot at the thugs above.
"Put me down, Crane I can keep going now." Kyle gasped.
"No, you can't." Crane protested but Kyle squirmed out grabbing Zere's wrist with his right hand dragging the man with him doing his best not to slow them down as another bullet whizzed by followed by the cursing gang member shot in the thigh by Kyle missing the heart as he stumbled regaining his footing. The jumping stopped for pipes, Zere and Crane now the ones to catch a stumbling Kyle dragging him along instead. Managing to get through the pipes, the gunfire finally eased up with Kyle almost scraping his face on the pavement this time as the slums started to sprawl out again and Zere ran out of breath. As if that wasn't enough beside the vicinity of zombies, Crane felt his body strike as his vision blurred and body convulsed again, Kyle's frantic voice for him slurred.
"No, I can't lose you! Crane!" The claws of the gauntlet went in without another thought for the deep stab into the hand. "Help me get it in his mouth!" Zere, despite having no clue how it worked having only heard of Rahim's situation before being kidnapped so quick afterwards obliged the frantic 13 year old and Crane as disgusted as he was growing more disoriented by the moment didn't struggle instead holding down the urge to spit it out. Kyle wheezed again almost collapsing on the man, a smile forming as he saw much go in and his eyes fluttered shut leaving Zere stranded on his own in the street by the cracked wall with Kyle out cold and Crane not really faring better with still in his haze falling unconscious, lips bloody from Kyle's blood.
Crane's eyes fluttered open as he got up, falling again and catching himself on a chair. Brecken leaned over him offering his hand with a smile. "You alright?"
"Where am I? Where is Kyle? Where is Zere?" His head still pounded with a slight headache.
"I had to hide you three at the pier, barely got you here in time and hidden; Kyle's thrashing almost busted you. Half of Rais's men are after you. Whatever you've done, it's really put them on the warpath."
"I have to talk to Jade. Zere gave her his research…"
"Already done and taken care of." Zere smiled. "She's was still at the tower thankfully and she's knows there are men waiting outside, she's staying put for now. The Tower is on the lookout and ready for any move Rais might make. But I need your help with Kyle, Crane. I tried to at least do some first aid but he's thrashing and lashed out unconsciously if somebody comes close, almost took out Brecken's eye with his metal claws."
"Camden also radioed that Rais's thugs had found his lab, so he flooded it with biters and barricaded himself in the middle. Now, he's trapped. Then the connection failed. We haven't been able to raise him since." Brecken further explained as Crane closed the gap between himself and Kyle on a mattress, thrashing, sweating and shivering with soft cries. Crane reached out, Zere and Brecken almost holding their breath watching the man reach closer and closer, Kyle twitching a little more profound just like when he lashed out.
"I'll get the research to Camdem. How is she getting in? That part of town is sealed off. Sshhh…. You're safe, Kyle… it's me Crane, your favorite old man…"
"It's amazing…. Your voice, your touch, he completely stopped thrashing…" Zere breathed, the boy still shivering but much quieter, no longer lashing out as Crane stroked his head softly talking to him trying not to cry.
"Zere, he's burning up!" The doctor quickly knelt down beside the blonde placing his hand on the kid's forehead, face growing a frustrated snarl.
"I can quickly dress his wounds here but he'll need the sickbay at the Tower."
"There's a group called "The Savior's" that smuggles people through. They have a den at Nico's Bar in the cauldron, near the highway. The contact's name is Cenk."
"Do you have enough runners to cover the air drops?"
"The air drops stopped 36 hours ago. There won't be any more. We're out of time, Crane."
"Shit… all right. I don't know if I can fix this, but I'm sure as hell gonna try."
"You know, most men in your place would crawl into a hole and hide. Hats off to you, mate. And good luck."
"Thanks, do you have a runner to spare to bring Kyle to the Tower with Zere?"
"Crane, that won't work." Zere warned, the men's eyes on him. "Just look how calm he is with your voice and touch. Kyle almost killed Brecken on the way here; we got lucky the thrashing started only on the way. I could only do some first aid now because of you here if another runner tries to carry him to the tower, they won't make it. You're the only one who he won't lash out at now in his condition, I'm certain of it."
"Alright, I'll get you and Kyle back to the Tower first then I'll grab the research from Jade and get it to Camdem."
"I'll slow you down far too much." Zere sighed.
"I'm worried if I run with you it could prompt an attack on the Tower. But here, it's a few but it's something."
"That's more than enough, Brecken. And thanks for trusting in Kyle that he won't turn."
"Hey, that kid is the biggest hope Harran has ever seen. You just get him to the Tower Crane and the Tower will keep him safe." Brecken smiled handing a small bag with firecrackers.
The thug fell, Jade continuing on. With the heads up from Brecken and Zere, the thugs watching had been dispatched easily by the Tower none allowed to make a radio call to the best of their ability. While it might've been better to partner up with Crane, Jade still worried about Rahim despite her brother continuously and very enthuastically, the part that was hard to take serious, claimed to be unable to turn like Kyle now. With his leg treated and the wound properly taking care of having slept a lot, Jade's brother also felt a lot better and Jade had felt comfortable to leave and get the research to Camden invested as much as everyone else in a cure. Rahim felt so much better in fact, with given some pain meds to have eased it, that the younger brother had stupidly followed his older sister. However it didn't go as Rahim saw it go down quickly finding out he had underestimated himself and could not suddenly run faster or got stronger out of the blue falling behind Jade having managed to follow a considerable distance though because of Rais' thugs crawling in the street slowing her down. His eyes darted to the reaching infected, the male hanging on the roof almost having botched a jump suddenly feeling a hand pull him up and come face to face with an angry Jade barely having noticed her brother. "Beautiful weather, huh?"
"What the fuck do you think you're doing Rahim?!"
"Coming with you?" Rahim tried a smile, Jade unimpressed and very pissed but backtracking to dump off Rahim's ass would only waste time now being closer to the sewers and Jade quickly decided to drag him along and dump his ass with the Ember's at the university instead, her mind busy trying to come up with something and how to best evade Rais but also how to keep the research from him and still get it to Camdem. "I just want to help… also I thought I'd be like Kyle…"
"Oh, how is that going?" Jade sarcastically asked rolling her eyes, giving yank on his shirt prompting him to follow with a smile.
"Not great… maybe Kyle needs to teach me…"
"Drop it, Rahim."
The run was brutal but no thugs had lingered around the Tower which was a relief. The reason as Crane would later find out, was not. "Crane…"
"Right here kiddo, you're gonna be okay. We both will."
"Crane… dad…" Kyle drifted off, all eyes darting to Crane taken by surprise by 'dad' as much as everyone else.
"We'll take over from here, he seems to be significantly calmer and for now all we can do is keep an eye on him as he rests." Lena smiled, the breathing more steady and deep now, the fever kept in check with a wet cloth and the lashing out had stopped though Kyle still whimpered after Crane when his touch left. Crane glanced back to Kyle as his small hand squeezed a little tighter on his bigger hand.
"Crane… I don't know what makes Kyle so different that he's gained abilities instead of turning but I have a request. Please, whatever happens, be there for him. He sees you as a friend, more like family I think and he trusts you completely. He's very special." Zere requested.
"Yeah he is…" Crane smiled. "To be honest doc, I don' think I could ditch him even if I wanted to he'd always find a way to follow me. I wanted to find him a family to be with but…"
"You're his family now." The doctor smiled.
"Yeah and he's mine…." Crane sighed with a smile. "You sleep it off kid, I'll be right there when you wake up." Crane got up, questioning eyes met with an answer as Kyle whimpered softly. "I'm going to go after Jade, she's gonna need all the help she can get with Rais after her." 'And Rahim is probably in trouble again as well, that stupid kid…'
Kyle's eyes fluttered open, his bandaged body still in pain waking up to Lena and Zere smiling at him. "How are you feeling?" Lena asked, Kyle's hand wandering to his freshly bandaged chest.
"I'm fine, where-"
"At the Tower."
Kyle's gaze shifted to Zere, Lena and then to Gerritsen storming into the room. A scrunched up angry face quickly softened with the hug as she let herself drop onto the bed in a sitting position throwing her arms around him, Kyle glancing away hiding a blush. "Crane! Where is Crane? I… I did…"
"He's okay too; he's helping Jade bring the research to doctor Camdem in Old Town." Zere answered, Gerritsen pulling away again, Kyle pushing ignoring the suggestion to lay back down, his words a mumble reaching his stuff.
"Rais… hurt him… I'll make that asshole pay…"
"Where are you going Kyle?" Lena asked, eyes narrowing but the boy evaded, a gentle but firm hand on the shoulder seeing right through her. "Crane is coming back; he would want you to rest."
"Don't try to stop me." Kyle growled having swiftly grabbed and put on his things before anyone had stopped him, the metal claws attached as he ran, not leaving a chance for anyone to stop him rushing out of sickbay running off with a promise of pain glinting in the green eyes.
"Damn it, any of you heard what he mumbled?" Lena asked.
"I think I heard Rais but I'm not sure…" Gerritsen replied.
Lena quickly grabbed a walkie-talkie, everyone well aware by now of Crane's and the kid's attachment. "Crane, Kyle ran off I'm sorry. He mumbled something; he might've mentioned Rais…"
"Damn it!" Crane's shout echoed out from the object. "I'll find him, he just left right?"
"Yeah"
"Thanks Lena." Crane cursed again under his breath, everything was going wrong. 'Alright I just have to think this through. I still have about 40 hours left so I can backtrack a little bit. If Kyle is really going after Rais then I have to stop him that kid will get himself hurt or dead. I really hope Brecken was wrong and he'll bump into me on the way.' Crane turned around determined to stop and find Kyle with the little time he had and the firebombing.
Shakkur barely turned his head in time to see Kyle pop up at the edge of the tiny balcony of his hut, hand reaching for the sniper rifle with scope leaning against the wall, grabbing it and placing his own rifle in its spot. "I need to borrow that, thanks Shakkur, bye." With those words, Kyle jumped down again and rushed off like his life depended on it leaving the man with a lot of questions and zero answers.
'What the hell is Kyle up to?!' Crane snarled, every minute spent not bumping into the blonde made him more uneasy.
The fore-end of the rifle rested on the ledge of the rooftop, Rais taken into sight through the scope and the finger pushed down on the trigger for the perfect headshot as lips rested in a vengeful smile. But Rais turned his head out of sheer luck, the moment the bullet flew causing the headshot to miss but the bullet still split open his cheek quickly pouring with blood, the blow damaging his jaw rendering him a soup bound man for at least a week. Rais men instinctively stepped back as did Tahir, all eyes going to the roof, where Kyle ducked the bullets from Rais side, surprise and headshot both ruined. Abandoning the hit, the kid darted to a vent sticking out and slammed his leg into it sending it flying at three of Rais men shooting from the ground, the trio yanked off their feet and crushed from the force. With the bullets temporarily stopped as the other three with guns stepped back further taken by surprise with Tahir and Rais, Kyle stepped into view with the rifle held at his side and a grin at Rais trying to shout at him only to fail and the blonde flipped him off before dragging his finger over his own throat promising for Rais to die, bright ivy green eyes sparkling with vengeance and promise to deliver death. "What are you standing there for, get him!" Tahir snarled, Rais stopping the bleeding with his arm for now, eyes for a moment lingering on the roof filled with rage. While rage was all that boiled now imagining both Kyle's having a painful death, the rage would simmer later to conjure up a twisted plan as excitement would flood through the sadistic man thinking of what it would mean to have the freakish boy obediently at his side. Kyle crossed the roof with volatile speed vaulting over the edge and managing to catch himself on the ledge of a balcony figuring Rais' men would definitely go in and come up to the roof from the inside to cut him off. His green eyes quickly scanned the side of the building, his body still yearning for some rest from after the mad dash to Crane even though he had paced himself when getting to Rais without taking it slow. Indeed, Rais' men did go in into the building their voices slowly heard. Kyle's eyes landed on a goon below with a grin, the towering infected giving an idea as the hands morphed to claws, metal claws on the left cutting as usual to leave no trace when morphing back. One of Rais' men carrying a machete charged at the blonde leaping off the balcony. To the kid's luck, the goon even stopped for moment allowing the boy to easily stick the landing sinking his claws into the back of it slowing and stopping his fall on the goon's hunched back. The claws tore out again in a two second bullet pause, Kyle flipping off the back of the goon, boots on the pavement ducking from the slapping arm using the goon as meat shield and darting to and over a wall using volatile speed for a minute.
'Damn it Kyle, why do you have to keep getting into trouble!?' Crane almost ran him over, Kyle rushing on around the corner having brought back Shakkur's rifle and picked up his own panting using every bit of extra speed well paced to catch up to Crane figuring since they wouldn't have the money for the savior's, he could threaten his way through with his abilities. Kyle instinctively rolled low to avoid the person having heard the footsteps but too fast to slow down while Crane tried to almost jump over comically with a bit of flail trying not to trip, weapons pointed at each other as fast as they were lowered again. And just as fast, Crane's hand went to back of Kyle's head, the blonde rubbing his head glancing away with a moody scoff but smiling happy to have found Crane. "What the hell are you doing up and running around?! Did you try to pick a fight with Rais?!" The smile quirked up for just a moment but Crane noticed it, eyes narrowing with fury. "What did you do Kyle?! Tell me now!"
"I sniped at him, calm down but the asshole got lucky turning his head. His cheek is split open though and that jaw has to have damage. Definitely bound to soup for a while."
"You what?!" Crane exclaimed taking deep breath and releasing a sigh.
"What' the big deal?! He's already hunting me anyway! At least now, he's slowed down even more and that should help in getting the research from Zere to Camden." The boy pointed out with a growl, arms crossed as he still sat on the ground.
"I don't care, whatever, it happened now. I'm guessing fucking telling you to stay at the tower now, won't do a thing right?" A single look confirmed it. "Do you have everything? Do you have some food?"
"Yeah, doc Lena is on me like a hawk when it comes to carrying food in case we get stuck outside longer away from the Tower, she placed some cans in my backpack while I was sleeping."
"You sure, you're ready to run again?"
"Yeah… what's going on? Something is up…" His eyes narrowed.
"Well I guess it might be better to tell you now before you hear it over there." Crane sighed. "We have about 35 hours left to get the cure before the Ministry of Defense of Harran is carpet bombing the city."
"Let's go then." The two took off with Crane in the lead heading to the Savior's like he had been directed to by Brecken.
"I'm Crane, the kid is with me, Brecken sent me from the tower. I'm the guy that cut off Rais' hand." The door closed gain, Kyle glancing to Crane as the man talked with someone on the other side before the door opened again and gave them the okay directing to another spot. "What about payment?"
"Chopping of Rais hand is payment enough and you're the kid that made the headshot right?"
"Yeah but I messed up."
"Ha, Rais will be eating soup for at least a week from what I heard and have trouble giving orders. What you both did is payment enough. Take care."
"You too, thanks." The door closed again, Crane turned back to Kyle. "Ready for Old Town kid?"
"Yeah" The duo made their way down heading to tunnels, Kyle glancing to Crane before talking.
"Hey, did I hear you in my head a while ago before I was in the pit?"
"Wait, it worked?" Kyle blinked.
"What worked?"
"I… I tried to warn you… I just kept thinking about you, like really hard and desperately talking to in my mind as if you could hear me… I was scared to lose you…"
"Telepathy? Well… I'm certain I heard so I guess it worked…. Any other new trick I should know about?"
"No and I have a feeling there aren't any new tricks popping up. Hey I have an idea! I'll warn Jade that way!" 'It's just like the spikes, I might've even used this kind of before unlike them. I just feel disgustingly whole now.'
"What if she's in the middle of a jump, you'll give her a heart attack!"
"I better be lucky then!" 'Jade, Doctor Camden's lab is overrun with infected, he barricaded himself inside because of Rais's men! I have telepathy, don't be scared, you're not going crazy, this is Kyle by the way!'
"Jade, what's wrong?" Rahim quickly moved up beside his sister stumbling in her step with her eyes wide. Did she just hear Kyle? In her head? Telepathy? Quite frankly, it was crazy that it wasn't weird to think that was possible with the freakish blonde, their hearts pumping, chased relentlessly. Right now, Jade didn't have time to mull it over, Kyle's words still echoing in her head and she had to make a decision quickly. Camdem definitely couldn't just be reached and no doubt, Crane would be coming to save the man from the thugs and his own barricade so right now Crane needed time. And if Kyle was with him, which certainly wouldn't be surprising then they could definitely save Camdem so all they needed was some time and then the research could be delivered without much chance for a trap or extremely high risk. It didn't help anyone if Jade tried rushing to Camdem now. Or at least with the research, an idea forming in her mind. Jade's eyes narrowed with a growl, getting through the sewer's past the savior's having been hard enough, Rais's men relentless. The young woman quickly stepped closer to Rahim bumping into him and silently passed the research to him as they stood in the University of Harran trying to be a little discreet. "Go into the university; Keep it hidden and safe on you, stay at the university." Rahim didn't like seeing his sister run off on her own right now but obliged her request or rather growled order tucking away the satchel. Jade smiled seeing a thug trying to pursue her just spotting her, only to manage to disappear on the man swiftly. Rais expected her to have the research and that's exactly what the woman wanted so it could easily end up with Crane so they could get it to Camdem with their enemy none the wiser. 'I'll have to make sure Crane ends up at the university so Rahim can give him the research.'
"Something is wrong…" Kyle growled quietly as they entered the tunnel following the man. 'It smells like betrayal… and money is what makes these people move to set up a business in a choke point…' Crane noticed the boy's narrowed eyes on the man in front of them. Kyle's gut hadn't been wrong yet… but to get the research to Camden and stop the firebombing they still had to go through the sewers but Crane gave him an understanding glance. The man with rifle came to a stop by a group of other people. It didn't help that the way the way the guy talked leading them only made Kyle and more suspicious especially as somebody complained that Crane got to go first despite others having been here for hours.
"One person at a time" The guy motioned to the opening to the unsavory water to swim through.
"I'm not going anywhere without him!" Crane and Kyle looked at each other having shouted it at the same time.
"W-well, I can make an exception…" The guy sighed something flickering in Kyle's green eyes in warning that he'd rather not challenge.
"Hey we've been waiting for our turn…" One of the people mumbled and Crane quickly spoke to a guy called Dawud before the two Kyle's looked at the murky water glancing at each other again before diving in with deep breaths. The first swim was extremely short quickly popping by a platform again and using Crane's claw shot to get up. The winding turns and pipe segments had items scattered about and much to their annoyance infected as well easily dispatched by the duo and every step closer taken to the other side made Kyle's gut feeling worse, the apology for having been unable to keep the route clean from infected ringing out over the radio.
"Think that is what your gut feeling is about?" Crane asked, the goon dispatched in a double attack, the males back to back each taking down a biter.
"No… it's worse…" The two continued on met with murky unpleasant water again t swim through, this time a far longer stretch. With a deep breath the two jumped and Kyle's bad gut feeling doubled, the reason revealed within seconds as the bullets dove into the water accompanied by shouts startling them though having expected something off the two quickly regained their composure swimming forward as fast as they could, Kyle swallowing a bit of the water. The two gasped for breath pulling out of the water and diving for cover, Kyle spitting some water out as Crane checked ahead of them, guns out. 'I knew it… that Rais guy is dead once we stop the firebombing. No one hurts Crane.'
"You were right, Kyle." Crane growled, bullets flying back and forth as they cleared the underground area of Rais men shooting at them. 'Without his warning, it probably could've been a lot worse… a lot could've been worse without him…' Crane remarked to himself, the last thug dropping to the floor glancing to the kid behind both certain it wasn't over yet creeping along the stairs carefully, instinct proven right again as they rushed through the door to immediately take cover behind pillars and retaliated with their shots against Rais men cursing that they had made it through. At the top, their eyes fell over old town sprawling out in front of them with its pristine architecture and higher buildings.
"Let's find Jade." Kyle smiled and the trio took off to the ember's tower as directed by Brecken to get a better layout of sector 0 after Crane let him know about the ambush and Troy greeted them over the radio, Crane shortly speaking with Camdem as well.
And neither noticed the figure on the nearby roof with the smile pulling a little higher. "And the paychecks arrive." A finger pushed down on walkie-talkie. "Let's get the show on the road."
Rais didn't glare at anything in particular however the man had slowly reigned in his rage bit by bit and surprisingly found himself glad that they survived the ambush. Especially with swimming through so much could've gone wrong concerning the boy, the man more than ever now wanting to force the kid under his thumb with what he knew completely making up his mind on it and Rais would not accept defeat. The sinister plan from before still lurked but wasn't given any haste and put on the backseat. His hand motioned for Tahir giving a pencil and paper as Rais wrote down new orders handing it to his second in command. As Tahir read the orders out loud, Rais's lips pulled into a wicked smile already imagining what he'd do the kid and how he'd sick him on Crane and the Tower. "New orders are to keep hunting the Scorpion, but no longer shoot at Crane to kill. Crane is to be left within an inch of his life and be driven apart from the kid; the kid is to be captured alive. And don't use up any reserved antizin shots for the kid without hitting the mark and having the counter ready, everyone carry the other stuff to knock him out with and keep him drugged on the way so you don't lose him." Rais was careful not to use up crate after crate on the kid, the thugs to hold those shots carefully picked and only allowed to use it when definite to hit their mark and only focusing on grabbing the boy. The antizin was still needed in the man's objective to keep the people of Harran down and keep him snugly in a seat of power. With every moment more that Rais caged the rage for now, more details came into twisted plans forming in his mind. The man knew by know it wouldn't just take power and ruthlessness to get the boy. It would require trickery, stealth and a plan with ten back-up plans to get him.
"Rahim?!" Spike blinked at the young guy coming in with a slight limp, his demanding a break getting it as Rahim sat down on a chair.
"Hey, Spike what are you doing here? Good to see you!"
"What are you doing here? Do you know how angr-"
"Jade knows, I followed her but far enough before she noticed me that she made me come along." Rahim smiled. "Oof, my leg is sore… Hey, you know what is super cool?"
"What is…?"
"I can't turn, like I'm super sure now. It's amazing, when I see Kyle again I'm gonna ask him how he does all that super strength and all that stuff."
"Brecken will have your ass." Spike sighed.
A guy opened up motioning for them to come in and greeting them, their heads turning to a woman swiveling around in a chair and standing up. "I'm Kyle Crane. It's good to finally put a face with the voice. Little guy is Kyle." The hand stretched out for a shake didn't get taken, quickly lowered again as Kyle glanced around a bit.
"You're looking for Jade Aldemir, aren't you?"
"Yeah, yeah… have you seen her? Do you know where she is?"
"Jade? This is Troy. Do you copy?"
"Go ahead Troy."
"Jade! It's Crane! Listen, I know you're headed for Dr. Camdem, but his clinic's surrounded by zombies and Rais's thugs. Kyle and me came to help you, also Kyle… "Crane faltered unsure how to say it. Without Jade confirming, they didn't know if Kyle landed what he tried and Crane didn't want to just blurt it out in front of these people while Kyle gave him a look wishing the same. "What? You know something better?"
"What's with Kyle?" Jade asked on the other end.
"So… he talked… wanted to talk… he really misses you…" Behind him, Kyle's hand went to his face embarrassed by the man.
"Crane, shut up." 'Jade, he's asking if the telepathy worked. Also I'm glad you didn't jump when I first tried and you're alive.' A pause was in the radio.
"Miss you too Kyle, heard you loud and clear." Jade replied, Savvy and Troy left very confused.
"Also, there is something you need to know. The GRE hired me. I was supposed to find that out where Rais sent this classified file, but that doesn't matter anymore, because the Ministry contacted me. They were going to firebomb the city, but I talked them into waiting… because they want that research that you're carrying. We need to figure out some way to let them know that we've got it."
"I'll find you and meet up with you, don't try finding me." The radio cut out, Jade on the other end having to get going again.
"Taking a kid along, that's not very safe." Troy remarked.
"He's not just any kid. He's tough enough to survive on his own." Crane replied, Troy raising an eyebrow with interest.
"Crane… The last time I spoke to Jade, she was at the University. It's due east from here. If what you just said is even a little bit true, you have to find her."
"You accusing him of lying?" Kyle narrowed his eyes at Troy.
"Let's get going Kyle, anything else?" Crane tugged a little on the boy and Savvy quickly informed of Rais's thugs having established an office outpost and another on the radio station, Crane commenting Rais likes it well known when he arrives. They climbed out again, the duo approaching a man named Noah right outside stepping closer.
"If you pass the Fan Zone, please check what's happening there."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll hear it for yourself. Someone's calling for help. There are women and children there…" The two didn't even leave the roof of where the loft sat yet when the radio came to life with a message from Dawud pleading for help to save his son from himself and both Kyle's glanced at each other the university pushed aside for Sammy right now.