The Net: "The Need For Blood": Chapter 4
The Compound, they learned when they got there, was an underground bunker with a store room full of weapons, a meeting room, and several bedrooms.
"OK, it's getting late, you should get some sleep for tomorrow. Jacob, there's one bed left in the guy's room. Angela, I'll show you to your room," Mariano said.
"No. He stays with me," Angela countered.
"What?"
"You wouldn't understand if I told you."
"Alright, fine, if that's the way you want it. Follow me. I'll show you to your room." He led them down the hall to a small bedroom. "I'll see you in the morning. Tomorrow we go in there with guns blazing!" with that, Mariano left them alone.
Angela sat down on the double bed and pulled out a syringe from her back pack. Jacob turned and watched the closed door for intruders as she stuck the needle into her arm and began drawing blood.
"It's ready," she said when the cup was full. Jacob went over and took it from her. He drained it and licked it clean while Angela put the syringe away. "Get some sleep. We'll talk in the morning."
"There's only one bed, Angel."
"And it's a double. Get in, we'll make this work."
"Alright, if you say so."
Angela turned away from Jacob and began to change into her night clothes. When she was done and had turned back, Jacob was already in bed lying on his side. She got into bed behind him and put an arm around him, holding him close.
"Don't worry, everything will be alright."
"I hope so."
✠
The next day after Jacob had his breakfast privately, in their bedroom and Angela had eaten with everyone else, they all met in the meeting room to discuss the events of the day.
"OK, Angela, we need you to go in with us. Here's your gun." She took the weapon Mariano offered her. "And last, but not least, Jacob, we need you to bypass security and get us in there. Can you do that?" Jacob slowly nodded. "Good. I want everyone ready. We leave in five," Mariano finished.
"Angel, we need to talk." Jacob led her back to their room. "Angel, what if something happens to you? What am I going to do?"
She was already writing something on a sheet of paper. "Here," she said, handing it to him. "This will hopefully ensure that no matter what happens to me, you'll get my body, also hopefully, before my blood's gone." Jacob read the note, then just stared at her. "So you can keep yourself alive for as long as you can."
"Oh God." Jacob sat down hard on the bed with his head in his hands. "I couldn't….I just couldn't….."
"We're out of time. We have to go."
Angela pulled him to his feet and they went to join the others. During the quiet ride, Jacob recalled every word of Angela's note with a tremor in his heart:
"To whom it may concern, no matter what happens to me, my body, under any circumstances, must go to a certain Jacob Resh, BEFORE I go anywhere else!" It was signed "A.B."
When they got to their destination he realized that they were at a bank. Mariano went in with his men first. Angela and Jacob followed behind. When they were finally allowed entrance, everyone had been locked up in the vault.
"But," Mariano said. "That's not all the people. Get going Jacob."
Angela squeezed his shoulder and he went to work on the computer in front of him. He looked up from his work briefly to see Angela head down a flight of stairs along with the others. He went back to work, unlocking the doors that she would encounter along the way. Not being able to communicate with her was the worst part of it all. She was going into danger without him, in a sense. This had almost nothing to do with him needing her to live. No, this went deeper than anything he'd known or felt before in his life. He didn't know what it was, only that he had to keep his mind on business or else something could go wrong……. Finally, Jacob was able to unlock the very last door. He could only hope for the best and hope that he'd see her again. He crossed his fingers.
"OK, kid, put your hands up and don't move!"
Jacob did as he was told, but turned around slowly to face several armed policemen.
