Chapter 2
"Damn you Carlos!"
I looked up at Chris. I had never seen him so upset. Not that I could blame him. Carlos had seen Claire fall, but hadn't helped. I was surprised Chris hadn't killed Carlos, yet.
Chris turned around, breathing deeply.
"We'll go get her back, Chris. And don't worry; she can fend for herself. She'll be fine until we get to her," I said, trying to offer up some encouragement.
"Yeah, she's strong," Carlos jumped in, "So what if she lost her footing, not her fault she couldn't keep her balance..."
Chris heard enough. He swung around and punched Carlos in the face, hard. I heard a crack and I was sure his nose was broken.
"Fuck you Carlos! If you had been doing your damn job, Claire'd be here with us! What the hell were you thinking?!"
Chris took another step toward Carlos, "Answer me dammit!"
I jumped up and stepped in front of Chris, placing my hands on his shoulders, "Chris, calm down. It's no use yelling at Carlos now. We need to focus on Claire right now."
Chris looked down at and, to my surprise, he closed his eyes and nodded, "You're right Jill."
I looked over at Carlos. He was holding several tissues to his nose and swearing quietly.
The door opened and Leon, Rebecca, and Barry walked in.
"I got some chow," Rebecca said, placing several Wendy's bags on the table.
"How'd the mission go?" Barry asked.
Before anyone replied, Leon asked, "Where's Claire?"
I looked at his face. His eyes were wide and questioning.
"Ask Carlos," Chris muttered, motioning to Carlos, sitting on the couch across the room.
"Oh my gosh! Carlos, what happened?!" Rebecca exclaimed running toward him and examined his nose.
"Fuck this," Chris mumbled and left the room, slamming the door behind him.
I started after him, but Barry grabbed my arm, "Easy girl. Let him clear his mind. We'll talk to him later. Why don't you tell us what happened? We'll make some plans so we can at least do something productive for the time being."
I sighed and told them all I could.
********
My head was throbbing and I was nauseous. But as bad as I felt, I still felt better than I had a couple of hours ago.
I rose to my feet and walked to the door of my cell. The room was dimly lit and I couldn't see very much. I was able to make out a desk a few meters in front of my cell, but that was about all I could see.
I heard footsteps somewhere in the darkness outside my cell. I backed into the shadows. It was always best to see the enemy before they saw you.
The footsteps stopped and a light came on, taking away the comfort that I had placed in the darkness around me.
A man stepped in front of my cell. He had blonde hair and he wore sunglasses.
"How are you Claire?" He asked; his voice ran chills down my spine.
"Who are you?"
"Ah, you're just like your brother, direct and to the point."
"How do you know my brother?"
"Now don't get nosey Claire."
"What do you want with me?"
"It's not you I'm after," he said, removing his sunglasses and revealing glowing yellow, snake-like eyes, "But you will get me what I want..."
"Damn you Carlos!"
I looked up at Chris. I had never seen him so upset. Not that I could blame him. Carlos had seen Claire fall, but hadn't helped. I was surprised Chris hadn't killed Carlos, yet.
Chris turned around, breathing deeply.
"We'll go get her back, Chris. And don't worry; she can fend for herself. She'll be fine until we get to her," I said, trying to offer up some encouragement.
"Yeah, she's strong," Carlos jumped in, "So what if she lost her footing, not her fault she couldn't keep her balance..."
Chris heard enough. He swung around and punched Carlos in the face, hard. I heard a crack and I was sure his nose was broken.
"Fuck you Carlos! If you had been doing your damn job, Claire'd be here with us! What the hell were you thinking?!"
Chris took another step toward Carlos, "Answer me dammit!"
I jumped up and stepped in front of Chris, placing my hands on his shoulders, "Chris, calm down. It's no use yelling at Carlos now. We need to focus on Claire right now."
Chris looked down at and, to my surprise, he closed his eyes and nodded, "You're right Jill."
I looked over at Carlos. He was holding several tissues to his nose and swearing quietly.
The door opened and Leon, Rebecca, and Barry walked in.
"I got some chow," Rebecca said, placing several Wendy's bags on the table.
"How'd the mission go?" Barry asked.
Before anyone replied, Leon asked, "Where's Claire?"
I looked at his face. His eyes were wide and questioning.
"Ask Carlos," Chris muttered, motioning to Carlos, sitting on the couch across the room.
"Oh my gosh! Carlos, what happened?!" Rebecca exclaimed running toward him and examined his nose.
"Fuck this," Chris mumbled and left the room, slamming the door behind him.
I started after him, but Barry grabbed my arm, "Easy girl. Let him clear his mind. We'll talk to him later. Why don't you tell us what happened? We'll make some plans so we can at least do something productive for the time being."
I sighed and told them all I could.
********
My head was throbbing and I was nauseous. But as bad as I felt, I still felt better than I had a couple of hours ago.
I rose to my feet and walked to the door of my cell. The room was dimly lit and I couldn't see very much. I was able to make out a desk a few meters in front of my cell, but that was about all I could see.
I heard footsteps somewhere in the darkness outside my cell. I backed into the shadows. It was always best to see the enemy before they saw you.
The footsteps stopped and a light came on, taking away the comfort that I had placed in the darkness around me.
A man stepped in front of my cell. He had blonde hair and he wore sunglasses.
"How are you Claire?" He asked; his voice ran chills down my spine.
"Who are you?"
"Ah, you're just like your brother, direct and to the point."
"How do you know my brother?"
"Now don't get nosey Claire."
"What do you want with me?"
"It's not you I'm after," he said, removing his sunglasses and revealing glowing yellow, snake-like eyes, "But you will get me what I want..."