A/N: Welcome readers and reviewers! Another update at my usual incredible
snails pace. My work currently did a redistribution of work and downsized.
I am now a member of the (un) gainfully unemployed. YAY! Plus, I am the
maid of honor for Spunky's wedding so I've been pretty busy lately.
*Also, sorry for the delay in reviews. Eh, not much else to say here
except "THANKS! I LUVS YOUS ALLS!"
A/N II: I wanted to centre the poster script, but am not sure how. If anyone knows, please let me know. Thanks!
Acknowledgements: My readers and reviewers, I thank you! I can never truly express my gratitude for your patience with this and the other tale. You all truly honour me. Thank you Maran Zelde! I hope this sheds a little light on the unknown. I truly intend to answer all questions before the tale is complete. Twisted toaster, thanks to you, I will never be able to say the word fic without thinking of its German meaning. Hehe! It is amazing what you learn on ffn. Thank you! And Thank you nitnit, for your review. I hope you are still with us on chapter 5. Pxy:WPI, You flatter me. Thank you! I am grateful to know that I am able to achieve the goal I have set out to accomplish. I apologize for my slow postings. Raina, Thank you! I hope this chapter is a bit better rounded. I figure, as you surmised, that his children are the only think that has kept him this sane so far. His lifelines to existence as it were. Without them, he really wouldn't have much to live for. Your inquiry should be answered soon. DibMagician, Thank you! No, you do not sound like a broken record. It thrills me to no end knowing that you are enjoying this tale so much. I truly enjoy hearing your praise. It gives me motivation to strive for perfection. I may never achieve it, but I can certainly strive for it. Senri, Thank you! But please breath, and don't fall off your seat. I have no desire to be the cause of injuries. ^_- hehe! Dry joke. Sorry! I have strived for plausibility, and am glad you feel I have achieved it. I want to stay as close to the universe as possible, but tweak it enough to make it, well, different. Again I apologize for my periodic postings. I never know when I will be able to write and poste.
WARNING: Okay, another boost on the violence. Dead people shown. Not zombies, just dead people. After they have died. The gore isn't too graphic. Oh, and explosions too. And swearing, not much though. Again, I still think it falls into the Rated PG –13 but if I'm wrong. PLEASE LET ME KNOW. Gory, neh???
Disclaimer: If I owned Invader Zim, there would still be cartoons. But I don't so there's not.
*****
Chapter Five: Early Afternoon
By the time Nik finishes telling us his plans we have reached the elevator.
Both Jes and Nik enter the elevator first. I follow close behind.
I watch the ground as I enter, not wanting to meet Jes' tearstained eyes. I can feel her eyes on me. I can feel her cold hatred towards me, created by my transgression. I am responsible for the death of the one she loves. I shudder involuntarily and wrap my arms around me, as if that would keep out the emotional cold.
Kabe enters shortly after me. In silence we stand facing the elevator's back door.
I raise my head, as I begin to feel slightly dizzy when the elevator begins its quick ascent. I attribute the dizziness to the elevator's quick rise.
Thankfully my nose has finally stopped bleeding. I am forced to breath though my nose, but it is better than dripping and swallowing blood. The side of my face has swollen slightly, but the medicine running through me has numbed all pain. Fortunately it doesn't appear to have affected my thought process.
I catch a glimpse of Jes watching me out the corner of my eye. I quickly look down again, not wanting to see her. Not wanting to provoke her anger. I have learned long ago not to look them in the eye. It only invites trouble.
The elevator ride is mercifully short. I spend the time leaning against the wall and watching the floor.
In my mind I run through my limited options. If I get into the van, I will have no hope for escape. I will be at the mercy of FFT, facing an unknown fate. I must somehow Not get into the van. With them keeping me in such close proximity, I'm not sure how to do that. Especially since they are armed and I have no defense. Not knowing what the future will bring, I can only hope. For now, I follow them. We have to get out of the building first. And when we're out, well, I hope that I will see an opportunity for freedom. I hope that God is on my side when the time comes.
*****
A soft ding brings me out of my thoughts and my hopes sink a little. The door opens into a red-lit hallway, rather than the shipping dock as we had hoped. I wonder briefly if Nik has a good backup plan.
I hear Nik quietly swear as he leans forward to glance out of the elevator.
Left then right.
He quickly pulls his head back in and pushes the button that keeps the door open. Looking at Jes he points his gun towards the ceiling. He lifts his free hand and points to Jes, then points two fingers to his left. He points to himself and then the right.
Outside of the elevator, I hear someone calling out.
"Hey, you! Step out of the elevator and identify yourself."
Nik looks at Kabe pointing at me. Kabe nods. Nik glances at me to make sure I understand. I nod. I am to stay with Kabe.
I inwardly cringe as Kabe gives Jes her gun back. Unarmed, Jes is a potential danger, but armed, she is deadly. Jes doesn't look at me as she takes it. Instead she checks the gun with a stern face. Her inspection finished, she looks at Nik and nods. Nik nods, then begins to count on his fingers. I hear footsteps approaching as he lifts each finger.
.........1
.........2
.........3
"Hey!" The voice begins again.
On the count of three Jes and Nik lean out the elevator, guns coughing in five quick barks.
The silence that follows is disturbing.
Nik steps completely out of the elevator, motioning for the rest of us to follow. I glance around the hallway as we exit the elevator. Big mistake.
Three bodies lay bleeding to the right of me. All relatively close to the elevator. On the left are two more, slightly farther away. I shudder and look away. I don't want to see this. I don't want this plastered in my mind. It is already to late, however. I will never be able to free myself from the visual nightmare of all this carnage. In all of the prior 'rescue' attempts I had never witnessed so much death.
Movement to my right catches my eye and I watch numbly as Jes reaches down and takes one of the guns from a nearby corpse. She glances up at me with an unreadable expression.
Inwardly, I feel like a monster.
I am the reason for these deaths.
So much death.
I look away from her quickly. Briefly I close my eyes, feeling nauseated from the scene before me. It is a bad move as my dizziness increases, causing me to almost fall. I open my eyes and stumble forward slight, trying to catch my balance. Kabe grabs my arm to steady me.
I chastise myself for being so weak. I have seen plenty of corpses in my lifetime, both in my educational experience and while living in this hell. Though by the time I'd see them, they were several days old. Not freshly killed and drenched in their own blood.
Briefly I wonder if all of this is really worth it. I may have not directly asked for it, but I didn't protest. I have chosen to go with them, hoping for a chance to be with my children. To see my children live a life free of all that I have suffered.
Are Step and Neb's death worth this freedom?
I may not trust them enough to stay with them, but it doesn't mean I don't like these people who are liberating me. I didn't intend for them to die. I didn't want them to die.
Are the lives of these five strangers worth it?
I hate my life. I hate my captors. But is the chance at freedom worth the deaths it costs to obtain it?
I know the answer. For my children, there could be no other.
Yes.
But only for them.
I justify Step and Neb's death through the lives of my children. I justify the deaths of these five strangers through the lives of my children as well. Of all these people, my children are the only true innocents in all of this. They have the right to choose their own lives, on their own terms, not as some slave in this living hell.
I glance at Nik. He is checking his newly acquired gun. Kabe is the only one who hasn't picked up a new weapon.
Kabe and I.
I glance at Kabe and find he is watching me intently, much like my captors do when they are with me. His scrutiny makes me uneasy and again I wonder about my liberators. If I fail to escape the van, will I be exchanging one prison for another?
A shiver runs down my spine as another thought enters my mind.
Do they know of my children?
I pray that they don't. I will gladly live imprisoned in a new nightmare knowing my children are free.
*****
Kabe tugs on my arm slightly, pulling me towards a door Nik has opened. As we walk, I focus on the door, avoiding the bodies on the ground, avoiding Jes' eyes as we pass her. I hear her silently following us. Nik quickly closes the door after Jes enters, locking it.
Through a cracked lens and a swelling eye, I take in the room. The room is an office, and from the looks of it, an office for a person in high standing. Dark and rich in colour. I am immediately drawn to the windows. The blinds are pulled tight, leaving the room dark. I long to look out the closed windows, knowing that to do so would put us all in jeopardy. It has been so long since I've seen the outside world with my own eyes, to actually feel fresh air on my face. Only the glow of a large digital clock lights the room. The clock reads 8:00.
This isn't right. It should be early afternoon.
For a moment I think the clock must be wrong. Yet the room is too dark for curtains alone. It must be dark outside.
Confused, I turn towards Kabe for an explanation, but find I will have to wait. He is in deep discussion with Nik and Jes.
Knowing I will not be able to see the outside world yet, I decide to take in the room through the dim light from the clock.
A large cherry desk sits in a corner, framed by short cherry lawyers bookshelves and cherry filing cabinets adorned with various award trophies on top. Behind the desk a large poster dominates the wall, immediately drawing my attention.
WORLD WIDE INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
***
OFFICIAL SUPPORTERS
OF
*
PROBING THE MEMBRANE OF SCIENCE
***
staring
"The man without whom this would falls into chaos!"
* And *
"The inventor of Super Toast!™"
PROFESSOR MEMBRANE!"
A picture of my imposter stands poised underneath the gold embedded lettering, holding a miniature version of earth in his hand. WWITS is displayed within the miniature earth.
I stare at the poster as emotions I can't pinpoint bombard me.
Envy? Anger? Jealousy? Hatred?
Most likely a mixture of all above, and some.
A throat clears, causing me to look towards the sound.
Nik smiles at me sadly.
I glance at Jes and Kabe. Both are watching me intently, their expressions unreadable. I turn back towards the poster for a moment, still trying to interpret my collage of emotions before turning my back on the picture. I turn my attention towards Nik, waiting to see what he has planned. I don't have to wait long.
*****
"You are to stay with Kabe." Nik instructs me. "Jes and I are going to scout this level for the best possible escape."
I nod.
Opening the door a crack, Nik takes a quick survey on the status of the hallway. Upon finding it empty; he and Jes quickly disappear through the door.
Almost immediate, Kabe heads towards the desk and starts rummaging through it. I have no idea what he is looking for, so I stand there and watch him, hoping he will shed some light. He doesn't.
If I still had a tongue, a good working tongue, I would have asked.
I hate taking now.
I never use to. I was as talkative as Dib on a good day. Expressing my theories and plans, describing my discoveries and inventions. I would talk to anyone who would listen. If no one was around, I'd talk to myself.
Not now though. My speech is an embarrassment. Now I only speak when I have to. My captors like to force me to talk, so they can mock and ridicule me.
"Wooo! The great professor, genius of All the world, can't even say 'hello'!"
"Say 'You're my masters!' now. Say 'You own my life!' Say it, say it!"
"Say 'uncle!"
I hate them!
I close my eyes to stifle off remembered shame and embarrassment, only to cause myself current shame and embarrassment as I loose my balance and fall, undignified, to the floor. I land on my side. Pain flares through my head as it hits against the floor, but the drug coursing through my veins quickly overrides it. Mentally I thank Kabe for giving me the pill.
I roll over on my back and open my eyes seconds before Kabe reaches me, only to quickly close them again as dizziness and nausea threaten to overwhelm me.
Kabe helps me to a sitting position.
I open my eyes again, the dizziness passing, and watch as he opens his mouth to speak. Before he can ask any questions, a humming sound emits from somewhere under his sweater. He pulls out a small round device and presses a button. Nik's voice sounds through the other end, punctuated by the sound of small explosions.
"Get the professor out of there NOW!" Nik's voice practically screams from the small device. "Bust open a window and leave through there."
There is a bit of static for a moment, punctuated by a few gunshots, and then Nik's voice continues.
"I've called the van. It should be heading your way. LEAVE NOW!"
Kabe gives his acknowledgement through the device than tucks it away. With a little effort, he helps me stand.
He is busy tring to open the window. Finding no opening, he pulls his gun and shoots a multitude of holes into it, weakening it. When the gun empties he quickly replaces the gun clip.
To help, I grab a global shaped awards trophy from the top of one of the shelves and smash it though the glass. It shatters with a satisfying crash, leaving a large hole. Kabe picks up a similar trophy and together we clear a hole large enough for both of us to crawl through.
Kabe crawls out first, then watches as I make my way through the window. The ruff edges of the glass leave tiny cuts on our hands and pants. I am thankful for our sweaters and whimsically wish we had spider-wool suits rather than just sweaters.
*****
Once outside, we hug the wall.
I try to casually take in my surroundings, trying to figure out a plan of escape. Unfortunately, Kabe seems to sense my intentions. He rests a firm grip on my arm, shaking his head no.
The building we are leaning against is only two stories tall. It's surface stones are a stylish brick, adorned with smoky-opaque, one-way windows. From the looks of it, the building is rather old and unassuming. Hardly the place one would think harbored prisoners. The parking lot in front of us is mostly bare and is surrounded by dense bushes and shrubs. I spot a few trees here and there.
I decide to try and brake from Kabe's grip and head towards the bushes. With any luck, they will assist me in my escape, yet before I can muster up the courage to flee, there is a screech to our right and a black van skids around the corner. Kabe grabs my arm even tighter and pulls us away from the wall, waving his free hand wildly, trying to get the driver's attention. It must have worked, for the van immediately started to slow down.
A dilemma boils in my mind as I watch the van approach. I don't want to get into the van. If I do, I will be at the mercy of my liberators. With Kabe's stern grip on my arm, I'm not even sure how I can escape. If I do escape him, how will my rescuers react? Run over me? Shoot me?
I am saved from the questions as I watch the van burst into flames, turning into a rolling fireball.
"SHIT!" Kabe screams turning from the burning vehicle and running in the opposite direction, pulling me with him.
Gun drawn Kabe skids to a quick stop at the corner, with a quick glance he continues towards the shrubs with me in tow. Within seconds we are hiding in the bushes.
Shaking, Kabe pulls out the round device from earlier. He tries to hail Nik. Failing that, he tries to hail Jes. Silence on both parts.
Grimly he turns towards me, his face reading a silent resolve.
"Professor," he begins, pointing the gun towards me. "I'm sorry. I really do like you, but in the unlikely even that we are unable to secure you for ourselves, we are ordered to destroy you, making sure no one else has access to you. It is nothing personal. Just business."
Shock and confusion runs though me.
'Business? What did he mean by business?'
"Why?" I croak.
I really want to know what was going on. I need to know.
Silently I plea, 'if I am going to die, at least give me that?'
"FREEZE!" A voice screams, causing Kabe to look away from me.
With Kabe distracted, I take the only opportunity given. Scrambling to my feet, I run. I have no idea where I'm headed, I just run. Away from Kabe, my prison, the voice. I'll figure out where to go later. Now I just run, run as the sound of gunfire follows me.
*****
A/N II: I wanted to centre the poster script, but am not sure how. If anyone knows, please let me know. Thanks!
Acknowledgements: My readers and reviewers, I thank you! I can never truly express my gratitude for your patience with this and the other tale. You all truly honour me. Thank you Maran Zelde! I hope this sheds a little light on the unknown. I truly intend to answer all questions before the tale is complete. Twisted toaster, thanks to you, I will never be able to say the word fic without thinking of its German meaning. Hehe! It is amazing what you learn on ffn. Thank you! And Thank you nitnit, for your review. I hope you are still with us on chapter 5. Pxy:WPI, You flatter me. Thank you! I am grateful to know that I am able to achieve the goal I have set out to accomplish. I apologize for my slow postings. Raina, Thank you! I hope this chapter is a bit better rounded. I figure, as you surmised, that his children are the only think that has kept him this sane so far. His lifelines to existence as it were. Without them, he really wouldn't have much to live for. Your inquiry should be answered soon. DibMagician, Thank you! No, you do not sound like a broken record. It thrills me to no end knowing that you are enjoying this tale so much. I truly enjoy hearing your praise. It gives me motivation to strive for perfection. I may never achieve it, but I can certainly strive for it. Senri, Thank you! But please breath, and don't fall off your seat. I have no desire to be the cause of injuries. ^_- hehe! Dry joke. Sorry! I have strived for plausibility, and am glad you feel I have achieved it. I want to stay as close to the universe as possible, but tweak it enough to make it, well, different. Again I apologize for my periodic postings. I never know when I will be able to write and poste.
WARNING: Okay, another boost on the violence. Dead people shown. Not zombies, just dead people. After they have died. The gore isn't too graphic. Oh, and explosions too. And swearing, not much though. Again, I still think it falls into the Rated PG –13 but if I'm wrong. PLEASE LET ME KNOW. Gory, neh???
Disclaimer: If I owned Invader Zim, there would still be cartoons. But I don't so there's not.
*****
Chapter Five: Early Afternoon
By the time Nik finishes telling us his plans we have reached the elevator.
Both Jes and Nik enter the elevator first. I follow close behind.
I watch the ground as I enter, not wanting to meet Jes' tearstained eyes. I can feel her eyes on me. I can feel her cold hatred towards me, created by my transgression. I am responsible for the death of the one she loves. I shudder involuntarily and wrap my arms around me, as if that would keep out the emotional cold.
Kabe enters shortly after me. In silence we stand facing the elevator's back door.
I raise my head, as I begin to feel slightly dizzy when the elevator begins its quick ascent. I attribute the dizziness to the elevator's quick rise.
Thankfully my nose has finally stopped bleeding. I am forced to breath though my nose, but it is better than dripping and swallowing blood. The side of my face has swollen slightly, but the medicine running through me has numbed all pain. Fortunately it doesn't appear to have affected my thought process.
I catch a glimpse of Jes watching me out the corner of my eye. I quickly look down again, not wanting to see her. Not wanting to provoke her anger. I have learned long ago not to look them in the eye. It only invites trouble.
The elevator ride is mercifully short. I spend the time leaning against the wall and watching the floor.
In my mind I run through my limited options. If I get into the van, I will have no hope for escape. I will be at the mercy of FFT, facing an unknown fate. I must somehow Not get into the van. With them keeping me in such close proximity, I'm not sure how to do that. Especially since they are armed and I have no defense. Not knowing what the future will bring, I can only hope. For now, I follow them. We have to get out of the building first. And when we're out, well, I hope that I will see an opportunity for freedom. I hope that God is on my side when the time comes.
*****
A soft ding brings me out of my thoughts and my hopes sink a little. The door opens into a red-lit hallway, rather than the shipping dock as we had hoped. I wonder briefly if Nik has a good backup plan.
I hear Nik quietly swear as he leans forward to glance out of the elevator.
Left then right.
He quickly pulls his head back in and pushes the button that keeps the door open. Looking at Jes he points his gun towards the ceiling. He lifts his free hand and points to Jes, then points two fingers to his left. He points to himself and then the right.
Outside of the elevator, I hear someone calling out.
"Hey, you! Step out of the elevator and identify yourself."
Nik looks at Kabe pointing at me. Kabe nods. Nik glances at me to make sure I understand. I nod. I am to stay with Kabe.
I inwardly cringe as Kabe gives Jes her gun back. Unarmed, Jes is a potential danger, but armed, she is deadly. Jes doesn't look at me as she takes it. Instead she checks the gun with a stern face. Her inspection finished, she looks at Nik and nods. Nik nods, then begins to count on his fingers. I hear footsteps approaching as he lifts each finger.
.........1
.........2
.........3
"Hey!" The voice begins again.
On the count of three Jes and Nik lean out the elevator, guns coughing in five quick barks.
The silence that follows is disturbing.
Nik steps completely out of the elevator, motioning for the rest of us to follow. I glance around the hallway as we exit the elevator. Big mistake.
Three bodies lay bleeding to the right of me. All relatively close to the elevator. On the left are two more, slightly farther away. I shudder and look away. I don't want to see this. I don't want this plastered in my mind. It is already to late, however. I will never be able to free myself from the visual nightmare of all this carnage. In all of the prior 'rescue' attempts I had never witnessed so much death.
Movement to my right catches my eye and I watch numbly as Jes reaches down and takes one of the guns from a nearby corpse. She glances up at me with an unreadable expression.
Inwardly, I feel like a monster.
I am the reason for these deaths.
So much death.
I look away from her quickly. Briefly I close my eyes, feeling nauseated from the scene before me. It is a bad move as my dizziness increases, causing me to almost fall. I open my eyes and stumble forward slight, trying to catch my balance. Kabe grabs my arm to steady me.
I chastise myself for being so weak. I have seen plenty of corpses in my lifetime, both in my educational experience and while living in this hell. Though by the time I'd see them, they were several days old. Not freshly killed and drenched in their own blood.
Briefly I wonder if all of this is really worth it. I may have not directly asked for it, but I didn't protest. I have chosen to go with them, hoping for a chance to be with my children. To see my children live a life free of all that I have suffered.
Are Step and Neb's death worth this freedom?
I may not trust them enough to stay with them, but it doesn't mean I don't like these people who are liberating me. I didn't intend for them to die. I didn't want them to die.
Are the lives of these five strangers worth it?
I hate my life. I hate my captors. But is the chance at freedom worth the deaths it costs to obtain it?
I know the answer. For my children, there could be no other.
Yes.
But only for them.
I justify Step and Neb's death through the lives of my children. I justify the deaths of these five strangers through the lives of my children as well. Of all these people, my children are the only true innocents in all of this. They have the right to choose their own lives, on their own terms, not as some slave in this living hell.
I glance at Nik. He is checking his newly acquired gun. Kabe is the only one who hasn't picked up a new weapon.
Kabe and I.
I glance at Kabe and find he is watching me intently, much like my captors do when they are with me. His scrutiny makes me uneasy and again I wonder about my liberators. If I fail to escape the van, will I be exchanging one prison for another?
A shiver runs down my spine as another thought enters my mind.
Do they know of my children?
I pray that they don't. I will gladly live imprisoned in a new nightmare knowing my children are free.
*****
Kabe tugs on my arm slightly, pulling me towards a door Nik has opened. As we walk, I focus on the door, avoiding the bodies on the ground, avoiding Jes' eyes as we pass her. I hear her silently following us. Nik quickly closes the door after Jes enters, locking it.
Through a cracked lens and a swelling eye, I take in the room. The room is an office, and from the looks of it, an office for a person in high standing. Dark and rich in colour. I am immediately drawn to the windows. The blinds are pulled tight, leaving the room dark. I long to look out the closed windows, knowing that to do so would put us all in jeopardy. It has been so long since I've seen the outside world with my own eyes, to actually feel fresh air on my face. Only the glow of a large digital clock lights the room. The clock reads 8:00.
This isn't right. It should be early afternoon.
For a moment I think the clock must be wrong. Yet the room is too dark for curtains alone. It must be dark outside.
Confused, I turn towards Kabe for an explanation, but find I will have to wait. He is in deep discussion with Nik and Jes.
Knowing I will not be able to see the outside world yet, I decide to take in the room through the dim light from the clock.
A large cherry desk sits in a corner, framed by short cherry lawyers bookshelves and cherry filing cabinets adorned with various award trophies on top. Behind the desk a large poster dominates the wall, immediately drawing my attention.
WORLD WIDE INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
***
OFFICIAL SUPPORTERS
OF
*
PROBING THE MEMBRANE OF SCIENCE
***
staring
"The man without whom this would falls into chaos!"
* And *
"The inventor of Super Toast!™"
PROFESSOR MEMBRANE!"
A picture of my imposter stands poised underneath the gold embedded lettering, holding a miniature version of earth in his hand. WWITS is displayed within the miniature earth.
I stare at the poster as emotions I can't pinpoint bombard me.
Envy? Anger? Jealousy? Hatred?
Most likely a mixture of all above, and some.
A throat clears, causing me to look towards the sound.
Nik smiles at me sadly.
I glance at Jes and Kabe. Both are watching me intently, their expressions unreadable. I turn back towards the poster for a moment, still trying to interpret my collage of emotions before turning my back on the picture. I turn my attention towards Nik, waiting to see what he has planned. I don't have to wait long.
*****
"You are to stay with Kabe." Nik instructs me. "Jes and I are going to scout this level for the best possible escape."
I nod.
Opening the door a crack, Nik takes a quick survey on the status of the hallway. Upon finding it empty; he and Jes quickly disappear through the door.
Almost immediate, Kabe heads towards the desk and starts rummaging through it. I have no idea what he is looking for, so I stand there and watch him, hoping he will shed some light. He doesn't.
If I still had a tongue, a good working tongue, I would have asked.
I hate taking now.
I never use to. I was as talkative as Dib on a good day. Expressing my theories and plans, describing my discoveries and inventions. I would talk to anyone who would listen. If no one was around, I'd talk to myself.
Not now though. My speech is an embarrassment. Now I only speak when I have to. My captors like to force me to talk, so they can mock and ridicule me.
"Wooo! The great professor, genius of All the world, can't even say 'hello'!"
"Say 'You're my masters!' now. Say 'You own my life!' Say it, say it!"
"Say 'uncle!"
I hate them!
I close my eyes to stifle off remembered shame and embarrassment, only to cause myself current shame and embarrassment as I loose my balance and fall, undignified, to the floor. I land on my side. Pain flares through my head as it hits against the floor, but the drug coursing through my veins quickly overrides it. Mentally I thank Kabe for giving me the pill.
I roll over on my back and open my eyes seconds before Kabe reaches me, only to quickly close them again as dizziness and nausea threaten to overwhelm me.
Kabe helps me to a sitting position.
I open my eyes again, the dizziness passing, and watch as he opens his mouth to speak. Before he can ask any questions, a humming sound emits from somewhere under his sweater. He pulls out a small round device and presses a button. Nik's voice sounds through the other end, punctuated by the sound of small explosions.
"Get the professor out of there NOW!" Nik's voice practically screams from the small device. "Bust open a window and leave through there."
There is a bit of static for a moment, punctuated by a few gunshots, and then Nik's voice continues.
"I've called the van. It should be heading your way. LEAVE NOW!"
Kabe gives his acknowledgement through the device than tucks it away. With a little effort, he helps me stand.
He is busy tring to open the window. Finding no opening, he pulls his gun and shoots a multitude of holes into it, weakening it. When the gun empties he quickly replaces the gun clip.
To help, I grab a global shaped awards trophy from the top of one of the shelves and smash it though the glass. It shatters with a satisfying crash, leaving a large hole. Kabe picks up a similar trophy and together we clear a hole large enough for both of us to crawl through.
Kabe crawls out first, then watches as I make my way through the window. The ruff edges of the glass leave tiny cuts on our hands and pants. I am thankful for our sweaters and whimsically wish we had spider-wool suits rather than just sweaters.
*****
Once outside, we hug the wall.
I try to casually take in my surroundings, trying to figure out a plan of escape. Unfortunately, Kabe seems to sense my intentions. He rests a firm grip on my arm, shaking his head no.
The building we are leaning against is only two stories tall. It's surface stones are a stylish brick, adorned with smoky-opaque, one-way windows. From the looks of it, the building is rather old and unassuming. Hardly the place one would think harbored prisoners. The parking lot in front of us is mostly bare and is surrounded by dense bushes and shrubs. I spot a few trees here and there.
I decide to try and brake from Kabe's grip and head towards the bushes. With any luck, they will assist me in my escape, yet before I can muster up the courage to flee, there is a screech to our right and a black van skids around the corner. Kabe grabs my arm even tighter and pulls us away from the wall, waving his free hand wildly, trying to get the driver's attention. It must have worked, for the van immediately started to slow down.
A dilemma boils in my mind as I watch the van approach. I don't want to get into the van. If I do, I will be at the mercy of my liberators. With Kabe's stern grip on my arm, I'm not even sure how I can escape. If I do escape him, how will my rescuers react? Run over me? Shoot me?
I am saved from the questions as I watch the van burst into flames, turning into a rolling fireball.
"SHIT!" Kabe screams turning from the burning vehicle and running in the opposite direction, pulling me with him.
Gun drawn Kabe skids to a quick stop at the corner, with a quick glance he continues towards the shrubs with me in tow. Within seconds we are hiding in the bushes.
Shaking, Kabe pulls out the round device from earlier. He tries to hail Nik. Failing that, he tries to hail Jes. Silence on both parts.
Grimly he turns towards me, his face reading a silent resolve.
"Professor," he begins, pointing the gun towards me. "I'm sorry. I really do like you, but in the unlikely even that we are unable to secure you for ourselves, we are ordered to destroy you, making sure no one else has access to you. It is nothing personal. Just business."
Shock and confusion runs though me.
'Business? What did he mean by business?'
"Why?" I croak.
I really want to know what was going on. I need to know.
Silently I plea, 'if I am going to die, at least give me that?'
"FREEZE!" A voice screams, causing Kabe to look away from me.
With Kabe distracted, I take the only opportunity given. Scrambling to my feet, I run. I have no idea where I'm headed, I just run. Away from Kabe, my prison, the voice. I'll figure out where to go later. Now I just run, run as the sound of gunfire follows me.
*****