(Author's Notes: Yes, I am still alive. I have had the worst case of writer's block that the world has ever seen. I looked at the story that I've been writing and realized that I was trying to draw it out longer than it should have been. I'm going to wrap it up in the next few chapters so that my readers will have a conclusion to the story. I hope you all enjoy!)

Chapter 14

Wilkers' eyes unhurriedly parted as he was pulled from his dream world. It was the first time that he realized that he was tied up, but he was still too groggy to do anything about it. He blinked a few times, trying to get the sleep out of his eyes, and then he looked around the room as if trying to access the situation. In one nauseating wave, he realized that he'd lost control of the compound and Kenneth was now in command.

The large man was sitting on the ground with his back leaned against the far wall from Wilkers. The room's furniture had been pushed against the door, and it reminded him that the monsters were loose outside.

The restraints that held him down were tied tight, but Wilkers was sure enough that given some time he'd be able to get them loose.

"G'mornin Sunshine." Kenneth broke the silence of the room.

"What tha fuck is goin on?" He wanted to shout, he wanted to scream, but there was no fight in him at the moment. He'd taken a mighty beating from Kenneth and his body ached all over.

"How badly do you wanna live, Wilkers?" Kenneth kept his eyes calm and cool, but there was something brewing underneath them. Something primal was reaching the surface and Wilkers recognized it as the will to survive. Once an individual reaches a certain point they will do nearly anything to live; things they never thought they'd be able to do.

"What are you gonna do?"

Just as the words escaped his lips, Ana's legs escaped from the vents, the rest of her body following not far behind. She landed on the bed mattresses with a soft plop, and then her eyes went to the conscience Wilkers.

"Ana, you can't let him hurt me!" It was a finally resort that he figured would be unsuccessful, but it didn't hurt to try. At the moment there was nothing he could do sort of scooting his chair, but even that was limited.

Ana's curious eyes turned to Kenneth, but he didn't look at her. Those cold eyes were saved for just one man.

"What's he talking about, Kenneth?" Ana's voice was a little nervous.

He broke the smallest of smiles and he responded. "He knows a way outta here. I know he does. I can't let him die with that secret and I am going to get it out of him one way or another." The words were just as much for Wilkers as they were for Ana. It was one final threat before he proceeded to get the information.

"Kenneth, if you are talking about torturing him I wont stand for it!" Ana's face went cold and stern as she stepped in front of Wilkers. "There has got to be another way."

He looked at her for a second, and then his eyes went to her stomach as if her was looking right though her at the man that sat behind her.

"You were all right with the idea of killing him." It was a cold statement that rung true in her ears. She didn't like the sound of it, but truth is truth.

"Killing and torturing aren't the same and you know it."

"I agree with her." Wilkers piped in his two cents.

"Shut up!" Kenneth's cool streak broke and the words seemed to bounce off the walls as if they were a solid object. The words themselves were all that demanding, but the tone that rode with them was more than enough to make Wilkers go silent.

Kenneth's eyes went up to Ana's and there was a plea to them that she hadn't seen before. He words came out in a calculated manner, much like the words of a person that was trying to not cry. She couldn't picture Kenneth being much of a crier, but then again looking at the situation that she was in she didn't know of many people that wouldn't cry at least once. "I am not going to die in this place."

He looked around the dimly lit room and he knew that he was not going to let that be his final resting-place. The cold, gray walls that carried long, drawn out shadows and the hard, empty floor made his body shiver.

Ana realized in that moment that Kenneth was suffering just as much as everyone else, if not more. Maybe she hadn't realized it before because he was a very good actor and was skilled in hiding emotions, but it hit her with a sudden force that he was claustrophobic. His mask broke for just a few seconds, but it was long enough. The look of fear on his face showed through and it was too much for Ana to take. He'd been the strong one through the whole ordeal, and she didn't want to seem him fall apart.

She gave him a quick nod and headed back to the vent.

It wasn't long before she was up and out of the room and then there were just two men. Kenneth stood up and closed the distance between them very slowly.

"Wilkers, you know you can prevent this. All you have to do is tell me what your escape plan was. Just let me know, and nothing has to happen."

The fallen commander seriously considered it as he looked at the towering man. His large presence was more than intimidating all by itself, but when put with those threatening words it was almost too much to take.

"Rot in hell mother fucker..." He kept his voice quiet, but the words were loud enough for Kenneth to hear.

Ana had heard the screams, and she knew her nightmares would be haunted by them for the rest of her life. Hearing a grown man cry for help to deaf ears is something that most people don't have to experience, but Ana, Nicole, Terry, Wilson, and Phil would forever know what that was like. They'd never know what Kenneth did to Wilkers, and they'd never ask.

Ana had visited Phil and Wilson to make sure they were doing all right. She'd found out that Phil was actually a very nice guy and had been a family man before all of this. He still carried a photo of his wife and kids, though he didn't talk about them. Wilson didn't talk much, but he seemed all right to her.

After about thirty minutes with them she went up and over to Nicole and Terry's and stayed there until she heard Wilkers' screams stop. Shortly after she heard Kenneth's bellowing yell come across the vents.

"I got it." His voice was echoed due to the metal walls of the shaft, and it gave it an eerie feel and sound. He made it sound as if it had been an easy task. An hour of screams had showed everyone differently. "There is a helicopter here in the compound."