Disclaimer—See Chapter One
A/N: I will be having a busy weekend, so I'm posting this chapter a day early. I still haven't had time to write the last chapter yet, but hope to get it finished soon! I finished chapter 17 and it's the longest chapter I've ever written so far! :) Thank you so much to Fiery Feral, Melodie, Rain, Mayra, Dagenn (welcome back!), Lucy, Quadrantje! I am so glad you're enjoying the descriptions so much! I was afraid I was adding too much! :) CatJerica, yes! Your reviews, everyone's reviews, make me very happy! You just have no idea how much I love and appreciate them! I can spend hours and hours on a single chapter, so to get feedback means everything. Thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!
Things More Beautiful—Chapter Eleven
Things had never seemed more terrible. Brennan's feet felt leaden as he forced one in front of the other as they fled their way down the mountain. He was weary, so weary. For every step they gained, they lost two more to fire. It worked its way toward them, hovering behind them, greedy in its want. It was only a matter of time before it caught them. He forced another step. Over his shoulder he carried the possibility for stabilization. Walking just in front of him was the woman he loved more than anything. He had to keep walking, there was too much to lose. Half his life he had lived on the edge, challenging danger and not caring about the outcome. The outcome was so important now. His foot stumbled as it carried him another step. Stabilization. A life with Shalimar. He would crawl if he had to.
The earth rumbled and eyes turned fearfully to the second volcano. Sighs of relief were heard above the chaos as the black cloud still hovered. If they could just get to the west road before another eruption, they could make it to the airstrip and to help. They still had a chance, if they could just make it. They took another step.
So tired.Hours of flying, four days of walking, earthquakes, fighting with Dominion agents and their revengeful subjects, centipede plagues, devastating fire, boiling water, lava flows, fire storms, and darkness cloaking the sun. She feared what might come next. So tired. She forced another step.
Step by step, hour by hour, they tramped through the jungle, pausing only to wait out new trembles. An agent in front of Shalimar had been carrying Jimmy. He had been swaggering for a while, struggling to continue, before finally falling to his knees with a groan. Shalimar rushed ahead and caught Jimmy as he slid to the ground in a heap.
"We need to rest." She spoke over her shoulder to Brennan.
He nodded, calling ahead to the others scattered around them to take a break. Several collapsed right where they stood, while others moved off and sank into denser jungle, seeking shade from the heat of the encroaching fire.
Shalimar dragged Jimmy off the crude path and under a massive tangle of ferns and vines. Her eyes meet Brennan's as he knelt down next to them.
"He's burning up."
Brennan raised his canteen to his cracked lips, swishing stale water around his mouth before spitting it out, and then taking another long drink. His brow wrinkled in concern as he studied Jimmy. "I don't think he's going to make it Shal."
Her eyes showed her anguish. "He gave us the remaining serum and then got hurt trying to save the trucks for us. We have to help him."
He noticed her fingers trembling as they ran soothingly down the man's temple and raised his eyebrows pointedly at her intensity.
"I'm ok, Brennan." She ignored his look.
He studied her a moment more before nodding, carefully tipping his canteen again and pouring water into Jimmy's slack mouth. Great coughs shook the man's frame and water gurgled back out, flecks of blood appearing on his lips. Shalimar pressed her lips together.
"He's got internal bleeding, Shal." Brennan gently warned her.
Her eyes fell shut as the ground beneath them suddenly shifted. They braced themselves, waiting for it to end. More black smoke fumed hundreds of feet above them as the earth fell into an eerie silence once more.
"Brennan!" Shalimar sucked in a deep breath. He whipped around as she scrambled past him.
A thick branch had fallen during the rumbling, vines and leaves twisting precariously around it. From under the branch, the bright red of a pack could just be seen. The serum. Brennan's heart thudded in his chest as Shalimar pushed the branch aside. The tinkling of shattered glass could be heard as she picked up the bag, and he berated himself for leaving it on the ground unguarded.
Two heads peered anxiously into the bag. Two vials were smashed, thick liquid oozing among the shards, but four others remained intact, still nestled tight within their packing.
"It's ok, Brennan." Shalimar murmured, eyeing the mess thoughtfully.
He shot her a sharp glance. "What are you thinking?"
She pulled one of the broken vials out of the pack. Its upper portion had been crushed, but liquid still filled the lower half. "It's probably a long shot, but we might as well give this to Jimmy. Maybe it will help stabilize him enough until we can get help."
"But it's for mutants—"
"Look." Her chin gestured over his shoulder.
He turned around, eyes widening in awareness as he saw familiar red veins spreading across Jimmy's chest as he struggled for air.
"He's a molecular?" He turned back toward Shalimar in surprise.
"He's been massing on and off for a while now." She spoke quietly. "I noticed it when we were walking earlier. He's one of us, Brennan." She again held up the partially-filled vial. "I know it probably won't make a difference, but we have to try. We'll still have these other samples left."
Brennan nodded in agreement, digging through the pack to find a syringe. "Here goes nothing." He drew the remaining liquid into the syringe as they kneeled down over Jimmy again. He pressed the needle against his arm, halting in surprise when Jimmy's eyes suddenly flew open.
"Don't." He rasped, struggling weakly to pull away.
"We're trying to help you." Shalimar tried to still Jimmy's frantic thrashing. "It's ok, it's ok."
"Shal, look." Brennan frowned at the stark fear on Jimmy's face as he stared at the serum. "He's afraid of it."
"What? No." She framed Jimmy's face with both her hands, bending over so he could see her eyes. "Don't be afraid. We know you're a mutant, we just want to help."
But he only whimpered more, pulling away. "No!"
"Something's wrong, Shal. He doesn't want it."
She shook her head. "No." She leaned over him again. "Jimmy, it's ok, it's just your serum. It might help you."
Sheer panic flashed across his face as he continued to struggle away from the needle.
"There's something not right with this serum." Brennan's eyes narrowed, and he experimentally put the syringe behind his back. Relief instantly spread over the man's face. Shalimar abruptly released him and stood up.
"Shal—"
"Don't say it, Brennan." She whirled back around to face him, finger pointed warningly. "Just don't say it." Her voice trembled.
The syringe fell from Brennan's fingers as he quickly stepped forward, pulling Shalimar into his arms. She resisted, pushing her hands flat against his chest.
"No, he-he's just confused. He doesn't understand."
"Shal—"
"No!" She wrenched herself out of his arms. "We have not been used again. Luka—the serum. It has to be real."
They staggered as the earth again shook all around them. She fell to her knees, arms wrapping protectively around the pack. He crawled up behind her, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"I'm sorry, Shal."
"They used us again, Brennan." She spoke softly, dully. "We did all this for nothing."
"No, Shal." His arms tightened around her. "Not for nothing. We'll give this stuff to Jesse. Maybe some good can still come out of it." He pressed a kiss into her hair. "We can't give up now. We'll find a way off this island, and we'll keep looking for a cure. We're not going to just give up and die."
She stiffened in his arms. "I already watched you die once, Brennan." She sniffed. "I can't do it again."
He knew immediately what she was talking about.
"That was only an illusion." He whispered gently.
"Was it?" Her voice rose. "How do I know that wasn't real and all this is just an illusion?"
"Steven's dead, Shal." He grasped her upper arms. "And I promise you, I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere." He wrapped his arms back around her as she finally stopped struggling, her face pressed into his chest.
"I know."
He stroked her back, trying to comfort her. After a moment, she again stiffened in his arms and pulled away. He was shocked to see the anger on her face.
"They've used us for the last time, Brennan." She bent over and picked up the pack, throwing it over her shoulder. "Let's go!" She raised her voice, rousing the rest of the group. She stared down at Jimmy with an unreadable expression as he again fell into unconsciousness. He had been Luka's assistant, and he was afraid of getting the serum, the supposed cure. He knew something. He and Luka had lied to them. The Dominion had lied to them, again. She narrowed her eyes. "Someone else can worry about him." She walked past him without looking back.
Around her, people struggled back to their feet to follow, but quickly fell behind, unable to match her fast pace.
Brennan sighed, briefly asking an agent to take care of Jimmy before hurrying after her, barely noticing Chester as the dog trotted after him.
"Shal—wait up!"
She impatiently stopped. "What?"
"We should talk about this."
"There's nothing to say."
"Yeah there is." He pulled her to the side of the trail, gesturing agents on as they gave them curious looks. She crossed her arms, waiting as Brennan watched them all pass.
"Well?" She stared past him defiantly.
He reached out and cupped her cheek, tilting her face up to his. "Shalimar."
"Not right now, Brennan." Her voice was hard, but he noticed the shininess of her eyes.
"Damn it, Shal, don't shut me out." His thumbs desperately caressed her cheeks, eyes intently searching hers. Her eyes closed, but she nodded tightly, leaning into him in acquiesce. He wrapped his arms around her with a groan.
They were silent for a moment.
"I'm so tired, Brennan. It seems like no matter how hard we fight, we either end up as someone's puppet or we protect the wrong side."
"Not always. Remember with Steven, we all fought together and we survived, Shal. We beat the Dominion at their own game, and we can do it again."
She pulled back to meet his gaze. "I thought Jimmy was one of us, and maybe even Luka. But Riley was a victim of all this after all, Brennan. We owe it to him to find out what happened. If that stuff doesn't stabilize mutants, then what the hell does it do?"
"I don't know, Shal, but as soon as we get off this damn island, we'll figure it out."
She stared up at him for several beats before finally offering a small smile. "Somehow, I believe you." The tension seeped from her stance as she relaxed into his arms.
"Good." He leaned down and kissed her. He was smiling as he did so, intending it to be a casual kiss. Casual didn't last, though. He wanted to linger in that kiss and deepen it. He let himself do so briefly. Finally, he reluctantly opened his eyes to find hers still closed.
She curled her hand in his shirt rather than let him move back. "What was that for?"
"You need a reason?"
She blinked at him, and he loved the fact that her eyes still weren't quite focused. She shook her head slightly. "Come here." She slid her hand around his neck, pulled him back down, and returned his kiss. She grinned softly at him when she finally pulled away, sliding her hand around to touch his jaw, her hand soft against the stubble on his cheek. "Breathe, Brennan."
He took a deep breath. "Yeah, ok. Sure." Her smile was incredible when there was laughter behind it. He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, hugging her with deep relief as they continued on their way down the trail. Chester gave a joyful yap, as if sensing some of the tension was gone.
It happened so slowly, it took them a while to notice, but gradually, the thickness of the jungle lost its hold on the earth. Pounding surf could be heard in the distance and the earth itself seemed to change from baked clay to loose black sand. And then, before they even realized it, they reached the beach.
A sorry sight met their eyes when they neared the lagoon. A litter of coral rocks, jellyfish, sticks, and lumps of sodden coconut leaves and seaweed covered the sand. Shalimar saw something that looked like a medieval mace and realized it was a poisonous crown-of-thorns starfish. Agents swarmed around, unsure of what to do as dozens more jellyfish washed ashore with each wave. Poisonous rockfish hovered all over the reefs in the shallows; it looked like another plague. The waves were wild and frenetic. They weren't rhythmic as incoming tide normally was, instead capping in different directions, beating, slapping, pushing, and pulling at the beach. An old wooden pier stretched out into the turbulent water as agents mingled on it as well.
"We're almost there, Shal." Brennan studied the water for a moment and then turned around him to search for the west road that twisted away from them and back up the mountain side, leading to the airstrip. "I'd hoped that maybe the Dominion or local government would have a ship waiting here for us."
"Jesse will be waiting for us with the helix at the airstrip, he won't let us down." Shalimar smiled, feeling confident for the first time in a long time. "We've got a chance of making it now."
Brennan nodded, scanning their group. His lips were cracked, his eyelids blistered. His shoulders were rounded with weariness. But he looked triumphant. "We got them all. All twenty of them. We got them down safely."
She looked up at him and a smile lit her eyes for a moment, but then she grew somber. "This doesn't look good, Brennan." She waved a hand at the beach. "I think we should rest for a bit and then work our way to the road."
"Yeah." Brennan wrapped his fingers around hers as they continued walking down the beach. They picked their way through scores of jellyfish, stepping onto the old pier. Flashes of pale flesh could be seen circling the water, and Brennan grimaced when he realized it was sharks just below them. He shuddered, grasping Shalimar's elbow and pulling her to a stop, mouth open as he turned toward her to comment, but he never finished his sentence.
Without the roar of warning they'd come to expect, the earth convulsed, an enormous heave that threw Shalimar facedown, hard, to the pier. Brennan stumbled and went down on one knee, then leaned over her, pinning her beneath his chest, securing her with both arms down at her sides. Another staggering shock wave ran over them, making the wooden pier scream like a wounded animal. Two pilings in front of them seemed to bend backward with a deafening groan, then flew up into the air. A front section on the left side of the pier rippled up and down as if it were in a strong breeze, then dipped downward and crashed into the surf. A tremendous explosion from the west pounded their ears. Brennan and Shalimar lifted their heads, and in seconds a strong heat blast scoured their faces.
When they could open their eyes again, they saw the second eruption. It was low on the flank of the mountain, about a mile away. Lava spewed three hundred feet into the air, then splashed back down to the black earth and ran downhill in a flood. Dumbfounded, they watched the fire flee all the way to the foothills of the mountain, and the crimson flood spill over into the sea.
The road to the west was cut off.