~Chapter 25~
Less than a mile away from the facility, the van stopped. Everyone got out.
Saelar handed each of them a gun and they proceeded on foot.
About a mile from the building, they stopped and watched the place in hiding. All was still.
"They should be contained in either the second or third floor below ground. We should not be detected when we enter. I will assure that, however past the ground floor - it will be harder to navigate."
"I know the way, pretty much. At least through to the second floor below, because I saw it in a dream." -Isabel said.
"Good." Saelar said. And then to everyone, "Everyone clear on the plan? We have to be quick."
They all nodded, sharing looks all around.
Everyone followed Saelar. When they went through the entrance, they were met by men in black combatant suits. They were afraid of detection, but they stayed close to Saelar, single file - and just as he had said, he made sure they weren't detected. As if he had made them temporarily invisible to their eyes.
Around the last corner of the ground floor, they waited for the two men beside the elevator to leave, before they could get inside.
The ground floor had been pretty heavily guarded, but once below ground, it wasn't as much so - almost as if they were too conceited to think anyone could get past to the sub-levels.
Saelar looked at Michael and Michael nodded. Michael motioned for Isabel to follow him. They were to search this floor. The others were going down to the next floor with Saelar.
Michael and Isabel walked cautiously. They had to dodge in and out of rooms and small places to hide for brief moments, because they didn't have the advantage of Saelar's invisibility protection.
Isabel couldn't sense Max on this floor, but they still searched. And Michael used all the extra senses he had to feel Victoria, but he didn't sense her on this floor. They made it back to the elevator and headed down to the next floor, hoping to rejoin the group.
As they stepped out of the elevator, Isabel said that she knew this floor.
The more he proceeded, the closer he felt to Victoria. They were in the narrow hallway where the glass cages were. Michael and Isabel shared a look. Max and Victoria might have been kept in these things.
They were halfway down the narrow hallway when they were spotted by someone, and then two more joined him. They had nowhere to hide. They had no choice. Isabel shot one of them. Michael used his offensive power on another and his gun on the last one.
Michael didn't know why he did it, but he turned back around and beside the first cage, was a small space. He didn't know how he knew - but it was a secret door. He pressed along the wall and a tiny screen turned around, appearing on the wall. He looked at a touch pad.
"What is it?" Isabel asked, coming up to him.
"A secret door. I have to get in." -Michael.
"I didn't see this in the dream. I really don't think they're back there, either. Probably just some kind of secret chemicals or objects or something." -Isabel.
"No, can't you feel it. She's back there." -Michael said adamantly. "I have to get in. She could get into these things. I have to -" Michael hit his hand against the touch pad in frustration - and it displayed 'authorization confirmed'. He had no time or inclination to marvel.
When the door slid open, he was inside. Isabel followed him, hoping they weren't about to be caught . or killed.
"Victoria." Michael breathed, in shock.
Isabel came up behind him to see what he was looking at. A naked female body lay in a large container- sort of looked like a glass coffin. Some sort of hazy gas or ice whirled around inside.
Stepping beside him, she saw who it was. It looked like Victoria.
Michael stared down, transfixed. He studied the very long red-brown hair, though it seemed much more red than usual. Full lips, high cheekbones, heart-shaped face.
"She can't be dead." Michael said, his voice barely above a shocked, wounded, whisper. Dead, yes. For this was nothing more than a body. A beautiful body, but -recently dead, surely, although he didn't know why she was in here contained like this.
Isabel realized that it wasn't Victoria. With careful study of her features, she realized this was certainly a woman, not even partly girl. She was older than Victoria. She couldn't be imagining that. This woman was still young, but most definitely older.
"It's not her." Isabel said to him. He wouldn't answer her. He was staring transfixed, he caressed the top of the container, wishing he could touch her.
"Michael, snap out of it!" Isabel said, shaking him fiercely. "It's NOT Victoria! Look, I don't know who or what it is, but it's not her."
Michael finally looked at Isabel. "Just look at her."
"I am. I have. She's older than Victoria. I highly doubt she's aged maybe ten years in almost two months." -Isabel.
Michael looked back at the woman and he forced himself to look objectively past her features, her beauty, her aura - that was telling him this was his Victoria!
"I swear it's not her." -Isabel said. She started back towards the secret door. When he hadn't followed her, she urged, "Michael come ON!"
Michael tore himself away and followed Isabel out, where the door sealed itself shut - closing up its mysterious contents inside.
They entered into a wider hallway.
"I know this place. That is where they were in the dream!" Isabel pointed to the door and glass observation window further down the hall. They ran to it, but found nothing. It was empty. Michael just stood looking at it a moment. They had been in there.
"Now where?"-Michael asked, after they had gone a few steps.
"I don't know past this." -Isabel.
And then he spotted another door at the end of the empty hall. "There!" He pointed.
They ran for the door. When they opened it, they were seen. Four men were standing guard inside. "Intruders!" One of them called.
Michael and Isabel ran back out of the room and around the corner. As soon as he saw them round the corner, they let loose their fire. They managed to shoot at least two of them. But in the process, Michael was shot in the upper arm.
"Michael!" -Isabel.
"I'm okay." Michael said, steeling himself. "I think she's back in there somewhere." Michael said. And he ran into the room again with determination, he didn't even try to cover himself, he just went in, blasting the other men with his powers. And they stood no chance with Michael's determination.
"Where are the others?" Isabel wondered aloud, as they searched small room after empty room. "Wait up, Michael!"
"Isabel!" Michael called from up ahead.
Michael didn't wait for Isabel to catch up. He saw through a small window in the door he had come to. Victoria lay on a table. A man and a woman in white lab coats were around her. He didn't stop. He kicked the door open. They looked up, startled.
"Get away from her!" He shouted. He pointed the gun at them as he walked around the other side of the table she was strapped to.
Isabel came in.
One of them reached around their back. Michael shot him, without hesitation. He then aimed the gun at the woman.
"Michael, I don't think we have to kill her." -Isabel said.
"Oh yes we do. They've done things to her. Everyone here has to die." He said and without any emotion but cold anger, he shot her without blinking.
Isabel was momentarily stunned at his ruthlessness. And then she went to Victoria's side, having no time to contemplate it.
"She's alive, but not conscious, Michael." -Isabel.
Michael looked down at her and he was appalled. She was not merely mistreated, she looked sick and abused. She looked pale. She looked dead. But he knew she wasn't. That body back there that looked so like her was, but not her.
"Help me get these off of her." Michael said.
They undid the restraints and Isabel took the IV out of her arm.
Michael brushed the hair back from her face and kissed her cheek near her lips. "Victoria. wake up. Please." When she didn't, he slid her carefully on the edge of the table and then picked her up in his arms gently.
Isabel started ahead of him. "We've got to find the others. I'm sure they went ahead below."
They walked out of the room and rounded the corner, only to hear an alarm starting somewhere below. It traveled its way up and began going off on this floor as well.
"Hurry!" Isabel yelled. They ran down to the elevator. The elevator opened and two men poured out. Isabel shot them automatically. They ran past the fallen guards and into the elevator where Isabel pushed the button to go to the floor below.
- -
how can you see into my eyes like open doors
leading you down into my core
where i've become so numb without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold
until you find it there and lead it back home wake me up inside
wake me up inside
call my name and save me from the dark
bid my blood to run
before i come undone
save me from the nothing i've become
now that i know what i'm without
you can't just leave me
breathe into me and make me real
bring me to life
wake me up inside
wake me up inside
call my name and save me from the dark
bid my blood to run
before i come undone
save me from the nothing i've become
bring me to life
frozen inside without your touch without your love darling only you are the
life
among the dead
all this time i can't believe i couldn't see
kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
i've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
got to open my eyes to everything
without a thought without a voice without a soul
don't let me die here
there must be something more
bring me to life
Less than a mile away from the facility, the van stopped. Everyone got out.
Saelar handed each of them a gun and they proceeded on foot.
About a mile from the building, they stopped and watched the place in hiding. All was still.
"They should be contained in either the second or third floor below ground. We should not be detected when we enter. I will assure that, however past the ground floor - it will be harder to navigate."
"I know the way, pretty much. At least through to the second floor below, because I saw it in a dream." -Isabel said.
"Good." Saelar said. And then to everyone, "Everyone clear on the plan? We have to be quick."
They all nodded, sharing looks all around.
Everyone followed Saelar. When they went through the entrance, they were met by men in black combatant suits. They were afraid of detection, but they stayed close to Saelar, single file - and just as he had said, he made sure they weren't detected. As if he had made them temporarily invisible to their eyes.
Around the last corner of the ground floor, they waited for the two men beside the elevator to leave, before they could get inside.
The ground floor had been pretty heavily guarded, but once below ground, it wasn't as much so - almost as if they were too conceited to think anyone could get past to the sub-levels.
Saelar looked at Michael and Michael nodded. Michael motioned for Isabel to follow him. They were to search this floor. The others were going down to the next floor with Saelar.
Michael and Isabel walked cautiously. They had to dodge in and out of rooms and small places to hide for brief moments, because they didn't have the advantage of Saelar's invisibility protection.
Isabel couldn't sense Max on this floor, but they still searched. And Michael used all the extra senses he had to feel Victoria, but he didn't sense her on this floor. They made it back to the elevator and headed down to the next floor, hoping to rejoin the group.
As they stepped out of the elevator, Isabel said that she knew this floor.
The more he proceeded, the closer he felt to Victoria. They were in the narrow hallway where the glass cages were. Michael and Isabel shared a look. Max and Victoria might have been kept in these things.
They were halfway down the narrow hallway when they were spotted by someone, and then two more joined him. They had nowhere to hide. They had no choice. Isabel shot one of them. Michael used his offensive power on another and his gun on the last one.
Michael didn't know why he did it, but he turned back around and beside the first cage, was a small space. He didn't know how he knew - but it was a secret door. He pressed along the wall and a tiny screen turned around, appearing on the wall. He looked at a touch pad.
"What is it?" Isabel asked, coming up to him.
"A secret door. I have to get in." -Michael.
"I didn't see this in the dream. I really don't think they're back there, either. Probably just some kind of secret chemicals or objects or something." -Isabel.
"No, can't you feel it. She's back there." -Michael said adamantly. "I have to get in. She could get into these things. I have to -" Michael hit his hand against the touch pad in frustration - and it displayed 'authorization confirmed'. He had no time or inclination to marvel.
When the door slid open, he was inside. Isabel followed him, hoping they weren't about to be caught . or killed.
"Victoria." Michael breathed, in shock.
Isabel came up behind him to see what he was looking at. A naked female body lay in a large container- sort of looked like a glass coffin. Some sort of hazy gas or ice whirled around inside.
Stepping beside him, she saw who it was. It looked like Victoria.
Michael stared down, transfixed. He studied the very long red-brown hair, though it seemed much more red than usual. Full lips, high cheekbones, heart-shaped face.
"She can't be dead." Michael said, his voice barely above a shocked, wounded, whisper. Dead, yes. For this was nothing more than a body. A beautiful body, but -recently dead, surely, although he didn't know why she was in here contained like this.
Isabel realized that it wasn't Victoria. With careful study of her features, she realized this was certainly a woman, not even partly girl. She was older than Victoria. She couldn't be imagining that. This woman was still young, but most definitely older.
"It's not her." Isabel said to him. He wouldn't answer her. He was staring transfixed, he caressed the top of the container, wishing he could touch her.
"Michael, snap out of it!" Isabel said, shaking him fiercely. "It's NOT Victoria! Look, I don't know who or what it is, but it's not her."
Michael finally looked at Isabel. "Just look at her."
"I am. I have. She's older than Victoria. I highly doubt she's aged maybe ten years in almost two months." -Isabel.
Michael looked back at the woman and he forced himself to look objectively past her features, her beauty, her aura - that was telling him this was his Victoria!
"I swear it's not her." -Isabel said. She started back towards the secret door. When he hadn't followed her, she urged, "Michael come ON!"
Michael tore himself away and followed Isabel out, where the door sealed itself shut - closing up its mysterious contents inside.
They entered into a wider hallway.
"I know this place. That is where they were in the dream!" Isabel pointed to the door and glass observation window further down the hall. They ran to it, but found nothing. It was empty. Michael just stood looking at it a moment. They had been in there.
"Now where?"-Michael asked, after they had gone a few steps.
"I don't know past this." -Isabel.
And then he spotted another door at the end of the empty hall. "There!" He pointed.
They ran for the door. When they opened it, they were seen. Four men were standing guard inside. "Intruders!" One of them called.
Michael and Isabel ran back out of the room and around the corner. As soon as he saw them round the corner, they let loose their fire. They managed to shoot at least two of them. But in the process, Michael was shot in the upper arm.
"Michael!" -Isabel.
"I'm okay." Michael said, steeling himself. "I think she's back in there somewhere." Michael said. And he ran into the room again with determination, he didn't even try to cover himself, he just went in, blasting the other men with his powers. And they stood no chance with Michael's determination.
"Where are the others?" Isabel wondered aloud, as they searched small room after empty room. "Wait up, Michael!"
"Isabel!" Michael called from up ahead.
Michael didn't wait for Isabel to catch up. He saw through a small window in the door he had come to. Victoria lay on a table. A man and a woman in white lab coats were around her. He didn't stop. He kicked the door open. They looked up, startled.
"Get away from her!" He shouted. He pointed the gun at them as he walked around the other side of the table she was strapped to.
Isabel came in.
One of them reached around their back. Michael shot him, without hesitation. He then aimed the gun at the woman.
"Michael, I don't think we have to kill her." -Isabel said.
"Oh yes we do. They've done things to her. Everyone here has to die." He said and without any emotion but cold anger, he shot her without blinking.
Isabel was momentarily stunned at his ruthlessness. And then she went to Victoria's side, having no time to contemplate it.
"She's alive, but not conscious, Michael." -Isabel.
Michael looked down at her and he was appalled. She was not merely mistreated, she looked sick and abused. She looked pale. She looked dead. But he knew she wasn't. That body back there that looked so like her was, but not her.
"Help me get these off of her." Michael said.
They undid the restraints and Isabel took the IV out of her arm.
Michael brushed the hair back from her face and kissed her cheek near her lips. "Victoria. wake up. Please." When she didn't, he slid her carefully on the edge of the table and then picked her up in his arms gently.
Isabel started ahead of him. "We've got to find the others. I'm sure they went ahead below."
They walked out of the room and rounded the corner, only to hear an alarm starting somewhere below. It traveled its way up and began going off on this floor as well.
"Hurry!" Isabel yelled. They ran down to the elevator. The elevator opened and two men poured out. Isabel shot them automatically. They ran past the fallen guards and into the elevator where Isabel pushed the button to go to the floor below.
- -
how can you see into my eyes like open doors
leading you down into my core
where i've become so numb without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold
until you find it there and lead it back home wake me up inside
wake me up inside
call my name and save me from the dark
bid my blood to run
before i come undone
save me from the nothing i've become
now that i know what i'm without
you can't just leave me
breathe into me and make me real
bring me to life
wake me up inside
wake me up inside
call my name and save me from the dark
bid my blood to run
before i come undone
save me from the nothing i've become
bring me to life
frozen inside without your touch without your love darling only you are the
life
among the dead
all this time i can't believe i couldn't see
kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
i've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
got to open my eyes to everything
without a thought without a voice without a soul
don't let me die here
there must be something more
bring me to life