Chapter 10
The caves were dark and dank. Everyone was as quiet as possible. Adnan's army scouts were normally out at night looking for agents who spy on them. As such, Nora had positioned Yolonda, and Queenie at the entrance of the cave. Michael, Dena, Fallon, and Anna walked around shooting any scouts that came in range of the cave.
Nora walked around giving everyone freeze-dried food packs. The younger kids seemed to like the freeze-dried ice cream the best, especially the youngest one, Virginia, who was only twelve.
Gordon paced back and forth across the rough cave floor, frowning as he tried to make heads or tails of what was going on.
"Okay, are we even International Rescue anymore?. I mean if we're on the battle field and we get an emergency call, what will happen?"
"Nora would dispatch whoever may be needed. The rest of us would fall back and attack again." Samantha, Gordon's youngest daughter, sat down next to him. His mouth dropped, she looked just like him.he hated it, and he looked away. Samantha handed them all packages of food, then looked at all the guys.
Brains looked at his pack of freeze dried potatoes, and set them aside. He felt that this was all his fault. He suddenly felt sick and ran across the cave. Nora dumped the extra packs into an empty box and followed him.
She found him in the woods. Snow slowly fell around them. Brains was heaving over a rock; she could hear him, but his face and most of his body were out of sight. Nora slowly walked over to him and gently began to rub his back.
"It's natural to be scared before battle. I guess-I-I guess I am, too," she said, trying to encourage him. "It's in our nature.that's why we fight in the first place."
Brains looked up at Nora and wiped his mouth with the back side of his sleeve.
"I-It's not---." Brains turned and started to dry heave. Nora sighed and began to climb up onto the rocks above them.
Ten minutes passed; Brains found his way up to where Nora had climbed. She lay flat on the ground, looking up at the stars. Brains quietly walked up to her.
"You okay?" she asked as he came into view.
"Uh-- uh-- uh-- yeah."
"Have you ever wondered how far the universe goes? I mean does it just stop out there with great big neon lights saying 'you have just reached the end of the Universe'?" she asked thoughtfully, then sighed. "Sorry, I'm rambling."
Brains sat down cross-legged and looked up.
"I have a theory that this universe is just the inside of a black hole." Brains got up again and began to pace back and forth across the rocks; Nora sat up and looked at her father.
"I-I'm not scared Nora- I just don't w-want to see the world like this. A- and the reason it's this way is, because of-- uh-- me."
Nora stood up, feeling a rush of sympathy for her father.
"Fa. I mean Brains; this is the very last battle. We'll win, Brains-we've just got to." She held out her arms to him and Brains and Nora locked in a hug.
"Hey Brains-Nora, get down from there. Do you want to get caught?" Virgil yelled from the ground below. Abruptly, a loud pop filled the air. Virgil's hand flew to his chest; blood seeped between his fingers and he fell to his knees. Nora and Brains ran down the slope, nearly stumbling several times in their haste. Nora grabbed Virgil and dragged him behind a rock. Brains bent down and looked at Virgil's wound.
"This doesn't look-- uh-- too good W-We need to-- uh-- get him back to the cave. See what-- uh-- Garen can do." Brains picked up Virgil, put him over his shoulder and shuffled awkwardly back toward the cave.
"I'll cover you." Nora pulled out two guns and began to fire at no one in particular. She slowly backed up and made her way toward the cave.
Once inside the cave, Nora ran all the way to the back. Virgil's brother stood all around him, each crying and talking. Brains stood back and watched them. Scott had his shirt off and Garen held it pressed against Virgil's chest.
"Virgil talk to me.Come on, bro you can do it." Scott lifted Virgil up and sat him down and cradled him. Virgil was pale and blood drenched the front of his shirt and stained Brains' clothing as well. Gordon kept on wiping his eyes. Garen stood up and walked away.
"He's gone," he said to his future father. It was true;Virgil lay there in his brother's arms, not moving or breathing. Nora reached out and grasped her father's shoulder. His body was shaking with hard sobs. Nora stepped forward.
"Scott, what do you and your brothers want to do now?" Nora asked. Scott laid his brother flat on the ground again and stood up facing Nora.
"Where is Holly?" he asked, his face red. His brothers started for the entrance. Everyone seemed to follow their lead. They never had been this determined before.
The caves were dark and dank. Everyone was as quiet as possible. Adnan's army scouts were normally out at night looking for agents who spy on them. As such, Nora had positioned Yolonda, and Queenie at the entrance of the cave. Michael, Dena, Fallon, and Anna walked around shooting any scouts that came in range of the cave.
Nora walked around giving everyone freeze-dried food packs. The younger kids seemed to like the freeze-dried ice cream the best, especially the youngest one, Virginia, who was only twelve.
Gordon paced back and forth across the rough cave floor, frowning as he tried to make heads or tails of what was going on.
"Okay, are we even International Rescue anymore?. I mean if we're on the battle field and we get an emergency call, what will happen?"
"Nora would dispatch whoever may be needed. The rest of us would fall back and attack again." Samantha, Gordon's youngest daughter, sat down next to him. His mouth dropped, she looked just like him.he hated it, and he looked away. Samantha handed them all packages of food, then looked at all the guys.
Brains looked at his pack of freeze dried potatoes, and set them aside. He felt that this was all his fault. He suddenly felt sick and ran across the cave. Nora dumped the extra packs into an empty box and followed him.
She found him in the woods. Snow slowly fell around them. Brains was heaving over a rock; she could hear him, but his face and most of his body were out of sight. Nora slowly walked over to him and gently began to rub his back.
"It's natural to be scared before battle. I guess-I-I guess I am, too," she said, trying to encourage him. "It's in our nature.that's why we fight in the first place."
Brains looked up at Nora and wiped his mouth with the back side of his sleeve.
"I-It's not---." Brains turned and started to dry heave. Nora sighed and began to climb up onto the rocks above them.
Ten minutes passed; Brains found his way up to where Nora had climbed. She lay flat on the ground, looking up at the stars. Brains quietly walked up to her.
"You okay?" she asked as he came into view.
"Uh-- uh-- uh-- yeah."
"Have you ever wondered how far the universe goes? I mean does it just stop out there with great big neon lights saying 'you have just reached the end of the Universe'?" she asked thoughtfully, then sighed. "Sorry, I'm rambling."
Brains sat down cross-legged and looked up.
"I have a theory that this universe is just the inside of a black hole." Brains got up again and began to pace back and forth across the rocks; Nora sat up and looked at her father.
"I-I'm not scared Nora- I just don't w-want to see the world like this. A- and the reason it's this way is, because of-- uh-- me."
Nora stood up, feeling a rush of sympathy for her father.
"Fa. I mean Brains; this is the very last battle. We'll win, Brains-we've just got to." She held out her arms to him and Brains and Nora locked in a hug.
"Hey Brains-Nora, get down from there. Do you want to get caught?" Virgil yelled from the ground below. Abruptly, a loud pop filled the air. Virgil's hand flew to his chest; blood seeped between his fingers and he fell to his knees. Nora and Brains ran down the slope, nearly stumbling several times in their haste. Nora grabbed Virgil and dragged him behind a rock. Brains bent down and looked at Virgil's wound.
"This doesn't look-- uh-- too good W-We need to-- uh-- get him back to the cave. See what-- uh-- Garen can do." Brains picked up Virgil, put him over his shoulder and shuffled awkwardly back toward the cave.
"I'll cover you." Nora pulled out two guns and began to fire at no one in particular. She slowly backed up and made her way toward the cave.
Once inside the cave, Nora ran all the way to the back. Virgil's brother stood all around him, each crying and talking. Brains stood back and watched them. Scott had his shirt off and Garen held it pressed against Virgil's chest.
"Virgil talk to me.Come on, bro you can do it." Scott lifted Virgil up and sat him down and cradled him. Virgil was pale and blood drenched the front of his shirt and stained Brains' clothing as well. Gordon kept on wiping his eyes. Garen stood up and walked away.
"He's gone," he said to his future father. It was true;Virgil lay there in his brother's arms, not moving or breathing. Nora reached out and grasped her father's shoulder. His body was shaking with hard sobs. Nora stepped forward.
"Scott, what do you and your brothers want to do now?" Nora asked. Scott laid his brother flat on the ground again and stood up facing Nora.
"Where is Holly?" he asked, his face red. His brothers started for the entrance. Everyone seemed to follow their lead. They never had been this determined before.