Thanks everyone, here we go,
When Jesse, Emma and Shalimar got back to the Helix, they were greeted by quite a surprise. The Helix was trashed. Nothing left in drawers, wires pulled out, glass broken and Adam was no where to be found.
Amidst sighs of disbelief from both Emma and Shalimar, Jesse asked Emma to try. "Emma, try and get a hit off of Adam."
"Jesse, I ..." Emma was distraught.
"Just do it!" Jesse yelled. "Look you two, we got trouble here. I know it is difficult, but Adam is gone and Brennan is probably ..." he didn't finish the sentence. He saw tears in Emma's eyes and Shal was flashing feral. As he approached Emma, in a much softer voice he pleaded with her. "Emma, sweetheart, I know it is hard. We all care about them very much and I know you and Brennan ... well ... I know, OK?" Emma's look of surprise was stifled by Jesse once more. "Emma, you gotta try for him. I know it is scary. I know you are afraid of what you will see, but Emma, we are right here with you."
"Yeah, Em," Shalimar finally stepped back to reality and supported Jesse. She placed a supporting arm on Emma's shoulder and told her to try.
So, Emma tried. She first calmed herself and then thought of Adam and sent her thoughts forward. She saw him. He was cold and very concerned. He was almost scared, Emma thought. He was trapped as well. But Emma didn't think he was injured. Then, she sent for Brennan. From him, she got nothing. When Emma flashed back, she was in tears again.
"Emma, what did you see?" both Jesse and Shalimar said together.
"Adam is trapped. He is cold and scared, but not hurt." Then she whispered, "but I can't find Brennan." She broke down.
"What about Brennan Em?" Shalimar asked, trying to soothe her by petting her shoulder.
"I can't find him anymore, Shal," Emma yelled. "I can't find him. I haven't been able to sense him for the past few hours!"
Shalimar looked at Jesse. "What do we do now?"
Jesse shook his head. "We gotta get inside that facility. I just don't know how. We already studied the building, there are no doors and without schematics, I don't dare phase through, I could end up falling from the roof onto a floor far below or worse, get trapped in the structure."
"Jesse?" Shal inquired. "What about the cave I found? I mean, we know that the beasts were experiments relating to Genomex. What if that is what the government was using this facility for? What if that cave is an entrance into the system for the facility?"
"What if it isn't and it is just merely their lair?" Emma joined in now.
"Well, don't you think it is at least worth a look?" Shal pleaded.
"Yeah, it's better than anything I've got. Let's go. Emma? You ready?"
"Yeah."
"OK then, let's go. But, rules, no one runs off by themselves (Jesse glanced at Shal), and everyone pays attention all the time (He looked at Emma). Where one goes, we all go. Got it? Good."
XXX
Draper began to wake up. His face really hurt and his head was throbbing. He realized he was tied. "Damn it!" He was wet but decided to use his powers to undo the ties. "How could Adam have overlooked my ability to do this?" Draper laughed to himself as he sent a short charge to the fabric holding his hands together. He received a little shock but nothing much as the fabric caught fire and burned off his wrists. He was slightly burned, but it only made him more angry. He couldn't tell how long he had been out and his flashlight was gone. He decided that it was time to activate his weapon. He removed the governor-control device from his pocket and flipped the switch. "You may have gotten out of here, Adam, but you can never leave." Draper pulled himself to his feet and began making his way to the entrance to the tunnels.
XXX
Adam had gone up two half flights of very narrow stairs when he decided to take a short rest and check Brennan. They had been moving for about ten minutes and Adam was worried about Brennan's stability. He propped Brennan up against the wall of the stairway and bent down in front of him. His skin was so hot. Adam thought his fever had to be at least 105. Adam swore to himself because he knew that Brennan's ability to stave off a fever was not very good. When he got one, it usually went really high and needed Adam's and Emma's help to come down. The bullet wound being in that filthy water didn't help and infection was likely setting in. Adam looked at his watch and realized it had been about 14 hours since they had lost contact with Brennan. If the bullet had pierced his peritineal cavity, he would be developing peritinitis by now. Adam checked for Brennan's pulse. Still there, a little stronger maybe, Adam thought. But still, it was very rapid. He tried to wake him. He gently ran his hand across his forehead and through his hair. "Brennan?" Adam searched his face for any sign of waking. He tried again. "Brennan? Come on son, try to wake up." Adam was elated when he heard a sound come from Brennan.
"Ad ... Ad .. M" was all Brennan managed to gurgle.
"Brennan!" Adam cried. "There you are. You had me worried." Adam was smiling from ear to ear but that smile was replaced by a look of extreme concern when Brennan began to groan.
"Unh ..." Brennan whimpered. His face contorted in agony. His breathing was rapid now and gargled and he was choking in every other one. "Brennan, Brennan, listen to me," Adam held Brennan's face in his hands and looked him in his eyes. "You have to stay with me. I know it hurts. I know Brennan. But I am going to get you out of here. I'm going to help you. But you have to help me. Can you do that? Can you help me help you, Brennan?" Adam searched Brennan's eyes for a response. He was delirious with pain but he did make a motion of his head that indicated to Adam that he understood. "Good, good Brennan, all you have to do is stay awake for me, OK? Stay awake. I know you want to sleep. I know it makes the pain stop, but Brennan, you have a head injury. Do you understand? You can't let yourself go to sleep. Let me do everything else. OK?"
Brennan's face was streaked from tears. "K, cough" Brennan managed to say and then began coughing again. "OK, time to get the rest of the way up these stairs." With that, Adam grabbed Brennan under the arms again and continued pulling him. Brennan cried out with each step but that was OK. It let Adam know he was still awake. For what seemed like an eternity, he moved Brennan. Finally, they reached the top. The laboratory hallways were in almost as bad of shape as the tunnels. They were unkempt and what seemed like animal waste was on the floor in various places. Once again he set Brennan down. He hadn't heard anything from him in the past couple of minutes and he had not responded to his calls to him. When Adam looked at him, he noticed that he had passed out again. "Damn it Brennan, Brennan!" Adam gently began to shake him to get him to awaken. It was no use. Adam left him there to see if he could find a cart of some sort. He checked in the first lab he came to and luckily found one. He brought it back to Brennan and managed to get him onto it. Now he was able to quickly move him through the corridors, which was a good thing. Adam didn't notice that Draper entered the corridor from the tunnels about one minute after he and Brennan rounded a passageway out of his sight.
XXX
Shal brought Jesse and Emma to the area outside the cave she had discovered. They were nervous the entire way there. Something really didn't reel right about this place. Shalimar especially felt uneasy. "Hey guys? I don't know if we should be doing this. We're not alone." Shal began to hold back for the first time.
"What's the matter, Shal, you wanted us on this trip in the first place to this cave. I agree with you, though. It does seem strange. Emma, do you feel anyone else here besides us?" Jesse asked.
Emma was already in a trance. She startled awake anxiously. "You guys, I found him!"
"Who?" Shal and Jesse asked simultaneously.
"Brennan!" Emma nearly had tears streaming down her cheeks. "He's alive! I think Adam is with him."
"Adam? But how ." Jesse cut Shalimar off, "Never mind how, Emma, where? Can you bring us there?"
Emma scanned the field in front of the cave and then looked back towards the facility. She pointed towards the caves. "There, that is the only way in."
Shalimar was already on her feet and running towards the cave. Jesse and Emma were not far behind. A creature watching them from the woods began to move slowly across the wood line to get a better view of them.
XXX
Adam was quite lost inside the facility corridors. He could not seem to find any way out. There were no 'Exit signs' no emergency maps, not even any offices - just laboratories everywhere. Adam kept peering into them to see if there was anything he could use to help Brennan. There wasn't. Just then, Adam heard something in the corridor head of him. It sounded like a door opening. Adam left Brennan on the side of the corridor and moved quickly and quietly up to where he had heard the noise. He was aghast at what he saw. Moving about 10 feet in front of him and around the corner was a beast. One similar to the beast that they had encountered in the woods a few weeks back - the one that supposedly had been created by NASA. Adam knew differently. This proved it, however, the beast was carrying a gun. Adam was lucky enough to see where it had come out of, though. He went back to retrieve Brennan. When Adam got back, Brennan was awake and trying to sit up on the cart. He managed to fall off of it before Adam could catch him. He grunted when he hit the floor and whimpered. "Brennan," Adam Said. "Son, you can't walk. You have to stay down. How do you feel?" Adam was desperately searching Brennan's eyes for some kind of sign he was doing even a little better.
"I'm fine," Brennan garbled. Adam knew different. "Brennan, your leg is broken and so are some of your ribs. You have a severe head injury and ." Brennan interrupted Adam, "I've been shot."
"Yeah, Brennan, you've been shot." Adam confirmed for him.
"Where are we? Where is Draper? Adam, he is going to try and kill us. He has an army, I think, something . where is he Adam?" Brennan was beginning to panic.
"Shhh, it's OK Brennan. I tied Draper up down in the tunnels and got you up here. Right now we have to find a way out," Adam continued.
When Jesse, Emma and Shalimar got back to the Helix, they were greeted by quite a surprise. The Helix was trashed. Nothing left in drawers, wires pulled out, glass broken and Adam was no where to be found.
Amidst sighs of disbelief from both Emma and Shalimar, Jesse asked Emma to try. "Emma, try and get a hit off of Adam."
"Jesse, I ..." Emma was distraught.
"Just do it!" Jesse yelled. "Look you two, we got trouble here. I know it is difficult, but Adam is gone and Brennan is probably ..." he didn't finish the sentence. He saw tears in Emma's eyes and Shal was flashing feral. As he approached Emma, in a much softer voice he pleaded with her. "Emma, sweetheart, I know it is hard. We all care about them very much and I know you and Brennan ... well ... I know, OK?" Emma's look of surprise was stifled by Jesse once more. "Emma, you gotta try for him. I know it is scary. I know you are afraid of what you will see, but Emma, we are right here with you."
"Yeah, Em," Shalimar finally stepped back to reality and supported Jesse. She placed a supporting arm on Emma's shoulder and told her to try.
So, Emma tried. She first calmed herself and then thought of Adam and sent her thoughts forward. She saw him. He was cold and very concerned. He was almost scared, Emma thought. He was trapped as well. But Emma didn't think he was injured. Then, she sent for Brennan. From him, she got nothing. When Emma flashed back, she was in tears again.
"Emma, what did you see?" both Jesse and Shalimar said together.
"Adam is trapped. He is cold and scared, but not hurt." Then she whispered, "but I can't find Brennan." She broke down.
"What about Brennan Em?" Shalimar asked, trying to soothe her by petting her shoulder.
"I can't find him anymore, Shal," Emma yelled. "I can't find him. I haven't been able to sense him for the past few hours!"
Shalimar looked at Jesse. "What do we do now?"
Jesse shook his head. "We gotta get inside that facility. I just don't know how. We already studied the building, there are no doors and without schematics, I don't dare phase through, I could end up falling from the roof onto a floor far below or worse, get trapped in the structure."
"Jesse?" Shal inquired. "What about the cave I found? I mean, we know that the beasts were experiments relating to Genomex. What if that is what the government was using this facility for? What if that cave is an entrance into the system for the facility?"
"What if it isn't and it is just merely their lair?" Emma joined in now.
"Well, don't you think it is at least worth a look?" Shal pleaded.
"Yeah, it's better than anything I've got. Let's go. Emma? You ready?"
"Yeah."
"OK then, let's go. But, rules, no one runs off by themselves (Jesse glanced at Shal), and everyone pays attention all the time (He looked at Emma). Where one goes, we all go. Got it? Good."
XXX
Draper began to wake up. His face really hurt and his head was throbbing. He realized he was tied. "Damn it!" He was wet but decided to use his powers to undo the ties. "How could Adam have overlooked my ability to do this?" Draper laughed to himself as he sent a short charge to the fabric holding his hands together. He received a little shock but nothing much as the fabric caught fire and burned off his wrists. He was slightly burned, but it only made him more angry. He couldn't tell how long he had been out and his flashlight was gone. He decided that it was time to activate his weapon. He removed the governor-control device from his pocket and flipped the switch. "You may have gotten out of here, Adam, but you can never leave." Draper pulled himself to his feet and began making his way to the entrance to the tunnels.
XXX
Adam had gone up two half flights of very narrow stairs when he decided to take a short rest and check Brennan. They had been moving for about ten minutes and Adam was worried about Brennan's stability. He propped Brennan up against the wall of the stairway and bent down in front of him. His skin was so hot. Adam thought his fever had to be at least 105. Adam swore to himself because he knew that Brennan's ability to stave off a fever was not very good. When he got one, it usually went really high and needed Adam's and Emma's help to come down. The bullet wound being in that filthy water didn't help and infection was likely setting in. Adam looked at his watch and realized it had been about 14 hours since they had lost contact with Brennan. If the bullet had pierced his peritineal cavity, he would be developing peritinitis by now. Adam checked for Brennan's pulse. Still there, a little stronger maybe, Adam thought. But still, it was very rapid. He tried to wake him. He gently ran his hand across his forehead and through his hair. "Brennan?" Adam searched his face for any sign of waking. He tried again. "Brennan? Come on son, try to wake up." Adam was elated when he heard a sound come from Brennan.
"Ad ... Ad .. M" was all Brennan managed to gurgle.
"Brennan!" Adam cried. "There you are. You had me worried." Adam was smiling from ear to ear but that smile was replaced by a look of extreme concern when Brennan began to groan.
"Unh ..." Brennan whimpered. His face contorted in agony. His breathing was rapid now and gargled and he was choking in every other one. "Brennan, Brennan, listen to me," Adam held Brennan's face in his hands and looked him in his eyes. "You have to stay with me. I know it hurts. I know Brennan. But I am going to get you out of here. I'm going to help you. But you have to help me. Can you do that? Can you help me help you, Brennan?" Adam searched Brennan's eyes for a response. He was delirious with pain but he did make a motion of his head that indicated to Adam that he understood. "Good, good Brennan, all you have to do is stay awake for me, OK? Stay awake. I know you want to sleep. I know it makes the pain stop, but Brennan, you have a head injury. Do you understand? You can't let yourself go to sleep. Let me do everything else. OK?"
Brennan's face was streaked from tears. "K, cough" Brennan managed to say and then began coughing again. "OK, time to get the rest of the way up these stairs." With that, Adam grabbed Brennan under the arms again and continued pulling him. Brennan cried out with each step but that was OK. It let Adam know he was still awake. For what seemed like an eternity, he moved Brennan. Finally, they reached the top. The laboratory hallways were in almost as bad of shape as the tunnels. They were unkempt and what seemed like animal waste was on the floor in various places. Once again he set Brennan down. He hadn't heard anything from him in the past couple of minutes and he had not responded to his calls to him. When Adam looked at him, he noticed that he had passed out again. "Damn it Brennan, Brennan!" Adam gently began to shake him to get him to awaken. It was no use. Adam left him there to see if he could find a cart of some sort. He checked in the first lab he came to and luckily found one. He brought it back to Brennan and managed to get him onto it. Now he was able to quickly move him through the corridors, which was a good thing. Adam didn't notice that Draper entered the corridor from the tunnels about one minute after he and Brennan rounded a passageway out of his sight.
XXX
Shal brought Jesse and Emma to the area outside the cave she had discovered. They were nervous the entire way there. Something really didn't reel right about this place. Shalimar especially felt uneasy. "Hey guys? I don't know if we should be doing this. We're not alone." Shal began to hold back for the first time.
"What's the matter, Shal, you wanted us on this trip in the first place to this cave. I agree with you, though. It does seem strange. Emma, do you feel anyone else here besides us?" Jesse asked.
Emma was already in a trance. She startled awake anxiously. "You guys, I found him!"
"Who?" Shal and Jesse asked simultaneously.
"Brennan!" Emma nearly had tears streaming down her cheeks. "He's alive! I think Adam is with him."
"Adam? But how ." Jesse cut Shalimar off, "Never mind how, Emma, where? Can you bring us there?"
Emma scanned the field in front of the cave and then looked back towards the facility. She pointed towards the caves. "There, that is the only way in."
Shalimar was already on her feet and running towards the cave. Jesse and Emma were not far behind. A creature watching them from the woods began to move slowly across the wood line to get a better view of them.
XXX
Adam was quite lost inside the facility corridors. He could not seem to find any way out. There were no 'Exit signs' no emergency maps, not even any offices - just laboratories everywhere. Adam kept peering into them to see if there was anything he could use to help Brennan. There wasn't. Just then, Adam heard something in the corridor head of him. It sounded like a door opening. Adam left Brennan on the side of the corridor and moved quickly and quietly up to where he had heard the noise. He was aghast at what he saw. Moving about 10 feet in front of him and around the corner was a beast. One similar to the beast that they had encountered in the woods a few weeks back - the one that supposedly had been created by NASA. Adam knew differently. This proved it, however, the beast was carrying a gun. Adam was lucky enough to see where it had come out of, though. He went back to retrieve Brennan. When Adam got back, Brennan was awake and trying to sit up on the cart. He managed to fall off of it before Adam could catch him. He grunted when he hit the floor and whimpered. "Brennan," Adam Said. "Son, you can't walk. You have to stay down. How do you feel?" Adam was desperately searching Brennan's eyes for some kind of sign he was doing even a little better.
"I'm fine," Brennan garbled. Adam knew different. "Brennan, your leg is broken and so are some of your ribs. You have a severe head injury and ." Brennan interrupted Adam, "I've been shot."
"Yeah, Brennan, you've been shot." Adam confirmed for him.
"Where are we? Where is Draper? Adam, he is going to try and kill us. He has an army, I think, something . where is he Adam?" Brennan was beginning to panic.
"Shhh, it's OK Brennan. I tied Draper up down in the tunnels and got you up here. Right now we have to find a way out," Adam continued.