Chapter Three
"Awuu . . ." Chris's head hurt like hell, and he struggled to open his eyes. He wanted to get up, move on, get out of wherever they were . . . but, he had no idea where the location was. All he knew was that he was in the middle of the Nevada desert. With . . . Claire and Leon.
Claire! The thought of her made him bolt up, disregard the pain. God damn, where the fuck is she?! His eyes darted left and right, searching the area. He couldn't make out much, a red haze blocking his view. The room was dark, only lit by a few . . . no, wait, they were outside, still on the runway . . . so why is it so dark? Oh, wait, duh, it's night, he thought.
Claire rested about two feet from him, not unconscious, though. She was sleeping, obviously caring for his wounds. He looked down at her, his love for her growing tenfold. A bandage was on his arm, as was on hers. She was breathing lightly, carefree for the moment. Let her sleep, he thought . . . she deserves it.
Next on his mind was . . . nothing, for a second. He blacked out, rested . . . beautiful sleep. The darkness engulfed him, taking the pain with it . . . until he was waking a few minutes later, after which he sat back up. Claire was awake, talking to him. She hugged him, but not too hard, as if knowing where he was hurt.
"Oh, Claire . . . I thought I had lost you . . ." His eyes filled with tears, his arms gripping her close. There was no way that he would let her leave him again, at least while he was able. If he was unconscious, then he could do nothing. But, unless that happened . . .
"Well, Chris, you haven't. I'm glad you're okay . . . did you see Leon?" Her eyes were concerned, both for him and Leon. The young man was her friend, of course, but it looked like she cared more for him than that. It was like they were in love, or something. That was probably it, but Claire wouldn't admit it. She wasn't that blunt. She always hinted toward feelings.
"No, Claire, I'm sorry, I haven't seen him. I've been unconscious, if you couldn't tell . . ." He looked to her belt, to find her pistol missing. "Where'd your gun go?"
Her eyes drifted down toward her belt, and she gasped, discovering it was missing. "Oh my god! I must have lost it in the wreck! Oh, god, now we're gonna die, aren't we, Chris? We're stuck in the desert! There's no ammo or anything like that for miles . . . so, we're screwed! Damn it!" A few tears fell from her eyes, and she sniffled.
Chris couldn't stand her being sad, so he held her close. "Don't worry, Claire, we'll find something. We always do . . . or else we wouldn't have gotten this far." A smile crept along his face, and he saw her smirk too, laughing a little.
"That's true, Chris. But, we still need to find Leon." Her mood fell, and she cried again. Chris held her tighter, and she gripped him close for comfort. The closeness to his sister was nice, the love flowing between them . . . until Chris pulled away, determined to get the hell out of there as fast as possible.
Steve walked over to the side of the table that Leon was strapped to, but looked the other way, at a console of some sort. Monitors upon monitors were stacked on each other, all of them glowing. It was a crude Security Console, but it worked. Damned CR-125's . . . can't do crap. But, he fixed them so that he could see the entire facility, the virus carriers, the Hunters, Tyrants, all that . . .
"So, Steve, what do you plan to do? I mean, you gotta want to do something here . . ." Steve turned toward Leon, entirely pissed at his constant rambling. The guy might be useful for info, but he was as annoying as hell. "Well? I wanna know!"
"Shut up, you bastard! I'm not telling you yet! Now, lessee . . . I've got them on the monitor . . . Claire and Chris are both here. That's good . . ." Turning to Leon, he pulled a syringe out of nowhere. "Time for you to feel the pain I have before . . ."
"Awuu . . ." Chris's head hurt like hell, and he struggled to open his eyes. He wanted to get up, move on, get out of wherever they were . . . but, he had no idea where the location was. All he knew was that he was in the middle of the Nevada desert. With . . . Claire and Leon.
Claire! The thought of her made him bolt up, disregard the pain. God damn, where the fuck is she?! His eyes darted left and right, searching the area. He couldn't make out much, a red haze blocking his view. The room was dark, only lit by a few . . . no, wait, they were outside, still on the runway . . . so why is it so dark? Oh, wait, duh, it's night, he thought.
Claire rested about two feet from him, not unconscious, though. She was sleeping, obviously caring for his wounds. He looked down at her, his love for her growing tenfold. A bandage was on his arm, as was on hers. She was breathing lightly, carefree for the moment. Let her sleep, he thought . . . she deserves it.
Next on his mind was . . . nothing, for a second. He blacked out, rested . . . beautiful sleep. The darkness engulfed him, taking the pain with it . . . until he was waking a few minutes later, after which he sat back up. Claire was awake, talking to him. She hugged him, but not too hard, as if knowing where he was hurt.
"Oh, Claire . . . I thought I had lost you . . ." His eyes filled with tears, his arms gripping her close. There was no way that he would let her leave him again, at least while he was able. If he was unconscious, then he could do nothing. But, unless that happened . . .
"Well, Chris, you haven't. I'm glad you're okay . . . did you see Leon?" Her eyes were concerned, both for him and Leon. The young man was her friend, of course, but it looked like she cared more for him than that. It was like they were in love, or something. That was probably it, but Claire wouldn't admit it. She wasn't that blunt. She always hinted toward feelings.
"No, Claire, I'm sorry, I haven't seen him. I've been unconscious, if you couldn't tell . . ." He looked to her belt, to find her pistol missing. "Where'd your gun go?"
Her eyes drifted down toward her belt, and she gasped, discovering it was missing. "Oh my god! I must have lost it in the wreck! Oh, god, now we're gonna die, aren't we, Chris? We're stuck in the desert! There's no ammo or anything like that for miles . . . so, we're screwed! Damn it!" A few tears fell from her eyes, and she sniffled.
Chris couldn't stand her being sad, so he held her close. "Don't worry, Claire, we'll find something. We always do . . . or else we wouldn't have gotten this far." A smile crept along his face, and he saw her smirk too, laughing a little.
"That's true, Chris. But, we still need to find Leon." Her mood fell, and she cried again. Chris held her tighter, and she gripped him close for comfort. The closeness to his sister was nice, the love flowing between them . . . until Chris pulled away, determined to get the hell out of there as fast as possible.
Steve walked over to the side of the table that Leon was strapped to, but looked the other way, at a console of some sort. Monitors upon monitors were stacked on each other, all of them glowing. It was a crude Security Console, but it worked. Damned CR-125's . . . can't do crap. But, he fixed them so that he could see the entire facility, the virus carriers, the Hunters, Tyrants, all that . . .
"So, Steve, what do you plan to do? I mean, you gotta want to do something here . . ." Steve turned toward Leon, entirely pissed at his constant rambling. The guy might be useful for info, but he was as annoying as hell. "Well? I wanna know!"
"Shut up, you bastard! I'm not telling you yet! Now, lessee . . . I've got them on the monitor . . . Claire and Chris are both here. That's good . . ." Turning to Leon, he pulled a syringe out of nowhere. "Time for you to feel the pain I have before . . ."