Chapter Nine
"Quite right." Von Ran said not seeming to realize how stunned Laura was. You see a gas chamber is where they put a person, seal them in, turn on the deadly gas so that it fills the chamber and then heartlessly watch their victim to die.
When Laura and Von Ran went around to the other side of the chamber Laura's heart sunk. Standing there, with hands cuffed, was Indy. She forgot everything and ran to him. When she reached him she wrapped her arms around him. A solider tried to pull her away but Von Ran told him to let her be.
"Indy," She said with tears in her eyes, "they're not going to... to..." She couldn't finish.
He gazed down at her as she looked up at him. He didn't answer her, instead he grinned. "Buck up kid. We didn't win this time but there's always tomorrow. "
Von Ran turned away from a solider he'd been talking to and addressed them. "If you would kindly say your good byes now." He turned to another solider. "Take them inside and take the handcuffs off of him then bring the lady out when I say."
Laura's head whipped around. "What? I'm not going to be killed also? Why?"
"If I were you my pet, I would be happy, not sad. Anyway, all you need know is that you'll live because I say you will. You'll do good to remember that, that rule also goes for your death... Proceed Privet."
The solider ushered them into the gas chamber, Laura shivered once they were inside. After Indy was uncuffed he didn't even try to escape, he knew there were to many men with guns aimed at him, he would never get out alive.
The solider left, closing the door behind himself. Indy and Laura didn't notice the little window through which Von Ran was watching them. Even though he could see them he couldn't hear what they were saying.
Laura put her arms around Indy again and rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating, a heart that would soon be extinguished... forever. One of the tears that she had been working so hard to hold back slid down her cheek.
"Indy," She said quietly, "how will I live without you?" They stood there a moment more then Indy threw his hat on the floor and kissed her. After a minute or so he drew back.
"I'm glad I could see you looking so beautiful before I..." He didn't finish his sentence but Laura still knew what he'd been about to say.
"Indiana Jones," She looked into his gentle gray eyes and felt as if she could touch the very soul of this kind yet rough man, "I love you." They kissed again. Suddenly Von Ran burst in. He grabbed Laura's arm firmly.
"Come on Laura, it's time to go."
"No." She said and clung to Indy. He put his arms around her protectively. She smiled up at him. "If he dies, I die too."
"Laura, no..." Indy said. She drew back.
"But I..."
"No. I want you to live. Please Laura, live for my sake." She threw herself into his arms again.
"I'll do anything you want me to." She cried. "Just please let me stay with you!" He tenderly lifted her face.
"Please Laura, live. Consider it my last wish." His eyes pleaded silently with her heart which she felt slowly and painfully breaking.
"All right..." She said barely audible, "but promise me that I'll see you again." He smiled in his adorable, lopsided way at her as Von Ran led her from the chamber.
"I promise. And a promise made, is a promise kept. I'll see ya around kid." The door shut and he was alone.
He picked up his hat, dusted it off and placed it on his head then prepared to meet his greatest challenge yet, a helpless death.
* * *
When the door shut behind her Laura covered her face with her hands and leaned against the chamber wall wishing with all her being that she had refused to leave, refused to listen to Indy and had stayed by his side. She chided herself, she shouldn't be acting this way. Look at Indy! He was the one dying but he wasn't crying his eyes out. If he could do this so could she!
She stood up straight and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her dress she looked around to see what was happening when her eye stopped on a window that was in the wall next to her. She quickly rushed to it and peered inside.
"Continue!" She heard Von Ran say, then someone turned a creaky handle.
She pressed her right hand against the window and Indy came over and covered it with his from the other side of the glass, he looked as brave as ever. Soon she saw that the gas was getting to him because he was having to hold himself up. Just before he slumped to the floor he mouthed the words, "I love you too..."
Laura started crying and felt that she would never stop. The man she loved was dead, gone forever in this life and he had died with the words of his love for her on his lips.
"Quite right." Von Ran said not seeming to realize how stunned Laura was. You see a gas chamber is where they put a person, seal them in, turn on the deadly gas so that it fills the chamber and then heartlessly watch their victim to die.
When Laura and Von Ran went around to the other side of the chamber Laura's heart sunk. Standing there, with hands cuffed, was Indy. She forgot everything and ran to him. When she reached him she wrapped her arms around him. A solider tried to pull her away but Von Ran told him to let her be.
"Indy," She said with tears in her eyes, "they're not going to... to..." She couldn't finish.
He gazed down at her as she looked up at him. He didn't answer her, instead he grinned. "Buck up kid. We didn't win this time but there's always tomorrow. "
Von Ran turned away from a solider he'd been talking to and addressed them. "If you would kindly say your good byes now." He turned to another solider. "Take them inside and take the handcuffs off of him then bring the lady out when I say."
Laura's head whipped around. "What? I'm not going to be killed also? Why?"
"If I were you my pet, I would be happy, not sad. Anyway, all you need know is that you'll live because I say you will. You'll do good to remember that, that rule also goes for your death... Proceed Privet."
The solider ushered them into the gas chamber, Laura shivered once they were inside. After Indy was uncuffed he didn't even try to escape, he knew there were to many men with guns aimed at him, he would never get out alive.
The solider left, closing the door behind himself. Indy and Laura didn't notice the little window through which Von Ran was watching them. Even though he could see them he couldn't hear what they were saying.
Laura put her arms around Indy again and rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating, a heart that would soon be extinguished... forever. One of the tears that she had been working so hard to hold back slid down her cheek.
"Indy," She said quietly, "how will I live without you?" They stood there a moment more then Indy threw his hat on the floor and kissed her. After a minute or so he drew back.
"I'm glad I could see you looking so beautiful before I..." He didn't finish his sentence but Laura still knew what he'd been about to say.
"Indiana Jones," She looked into his gentle gray eyes and felt as if she could touch the very soul of this kind yet rough man, "I love you." They kissed again. Suddenly Von Ran burst in. He grabbed Laura's arm firmly.
"Come on Laura, it's time to go."
"No." She said and clung to Indy. He put his arms around her protectively. She smiled up at him. "If he dies, I die too."
"Laura, no..." Indy said. She drew back.
"But I..."
"No. I want you to live. Please Laura, live for my sake." She threw herself into his arms again.
"I'll do anything you want me to." She cried. "Just please let me stay with you!" He tenderly lifted her face.
"Please Laura, live. Consider it my last wish." His eyes pleaded silently with her heart which she felt slowly and painfully breaking.
"All right..." She said barely audible, "but promise me that I'll see you again." He smiled in his adorable, lopsided way at her as Von Ran led her from the chamber.
"I promise. And a promise made, is a promise kept. I'll see ya around kid." The door shut and he was alone.
He picked up his hat, dusted it off and placed it on his head then prepared to meet his greatest challenge yet, a helpless death.
* * *
When the door shut behind her Laura covered her face with her hands and leaned against the chamber wall wishing with all her being that she had refused to leave, refused to listen to Indy and had stayed by his side. She chided herself, she shouldn't be acting this way. Look at Indy! He was the one dying but he wasn't crying his eyes out. If he could do this so could she!
She stood up straight and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her dress she looked around to see what was happening when her eye stopped on a window that was in the wall next to her. She quickly rushed to it and peered inside.
"Continue!" She heard Von Ran say, then someone turned a creaky handle.
She pressed her right hand against the window and Indy came over and covered it with his from the other side of the glass, he looked as brave as ever. Soon she saw that the gas was getting to him because he was having to hold himself up. Just before he slumped to the floor he mouthed the words, "I love you too..."
Laura started crying and felt that she would never stop. The man she loved was dead, gone forever in this life and he had died with the words of his love for her on his lips.