Hey all, hope I can keep updating. Thanks for the reviews! Now, Brennan .
Brennan could barely remain conscious as Jacob bounced him on his shoulder. His body hurt and the blood was rushing to his head. Dizziness was threatening to detach him from reality and if he wanted to get out of this, he couldn't let that happen. He decided to try and reason with Jacob.
"Jacob," Brennan coughed, "Jacob, why are you doing this?" Jacob did not respond. He merely growled and tossed Brennan further on his shoulder, which caused Brennan to cough. Jacob growled again. "Jacob," Brennan was pleading now. "Jacob, please, Adam is your friend! I am your friend! Jacob . we can help you. Please, please don't follow Draper back. He's going to kill me, Jacob. You have to help me!"
Brennan's pleading only served to infuriate Jacob further. The prey suffering was all Jacob could think of when he thought of Brennan begging for his life. The excitement was too much for him and what he did next not only shocked Brennan, but it also startled Draper. Brennan was coughing again when it happened. Jacob let out a horrific growl and howl, turned his head sideways and bit into Brennan's hip as he carried him. Brennan screamed in agony when Jacob succeeded in ripping off a large chunk of flesh. Brennan was horrified. The pain was unthinkable and he hit Jacob with everything he had left both physically and electrically. Jacob tossed to his side as Brennan did this and both of them tumbled to floor of the cave. Jacob landed on top and tried to bite Brennan again. He ripped his claws into Brennan's shredded chest. Brennan was losing his battle with reality. He couldn't believe he was being eaten. It happened too fast. He tried to get another charge off but he couldn't concentrate. He was screaming. He had his arms in front of his body and entangled in Jacob's fur. He was trying to fight him off. The last thing he saw was Jacob's teeth coming for his throat; the last thing he heard was the sound of Draper's voice. It too was screaming.
XXX
Adam and Emma released each other from the embrace. Emma looked at Adam and tried to regain her composure. Adam looked up to see where Shalimar and Jesse were when he saw Don and the other beasts closing in on their location.
"Emma!" Adam screamed as Emma whirled around to see them herself. There were at least eight of them that she could count and they were almost on top of them. Adam pulled out a gun and began shooting. Emma drew upon her gift and started psionic blasts. They managed to take down three of them but Don got through and hit Adam. They tumbled to the ground in hand-to- hand combat. Emma looked at Adam and then at her own attackers. Two of the beasts brought her down. It wasn't long before both Emma and Adam were unconscious and lying on the ground. Shalimar and Jesse were nowhere in sight.
Don stood up and gave Adam a swift kick to make certain he was out. The two who were on Emma were beginning to bite at her. "Halt!" Don yelled from his position. He ordered the two beasts that were observing to stop the others from hurting Emma. An animalistic growling match ensued with all four of them circling Emma. They managed to stop the attack but were now trying to fend them off. 'Everyone! Maintain your position!" Don yelled again. "We are not to injure them! Dr. Draper wants them in the compound first!" The beasts were beginning to control themselves and backed away from Emma and Adam. Don was relieved. He didn't like killing members of his own pack but he would if it meant pleasing Draper. He continued, "Before we left the compound, Draper informed me that he needed them for something." The beasts looked at each other in confusion and then back at Don. "Don't' worry, my friends, you will have them. Draper just needs them first. Now, collect our kill and let's get back into the compound, it is beginning to cloud in again," Don finished. The beasts grabbed both Emma and Adam and slung them over their shoulders. They headed back towards the woods with them. "We will use the wooded entrance to the compound," Don said, "I don't want to run into Samuel!"
XXX
Shalimar and Jesse had nearly reached the cave entrance when they heard Adam scream. They turned around in time to witness the attack. Shalimar immediately went feral and began to run back, but Jesse caught her and threw her to the ground. "Jesse!" Shalimar screamed. He pressed his hand over her mouth and held her down. He whispered to her so as not to warn the beasts, "Shalimar! Shalimar, listen to me." Shalimar's eyes were wild with panic, but she did not fight her friend. "Shal, there are too many of them. We couldn't even fight one of them, remember? Remember?" Shalimar's eyes began to calm down. Tears were streaming from them now in frustration and defeat. Jesse was crying as well.
"We can't help them Shal. We can't. The only thing we can do is get away and follow them. Shal, we will follow them." Jesse let go of Shal's mouth now. Shal put her hand up to her face and sobbed silent tears for her pack. "Jesse, what about Brennan?" Jesse glanced back at the cave entrance in time to hear other noises - growls and grunts - coming from within. "We can't help him now, Shal. We have to get hidden and follow Adam and Emma." Jesse got up and helped Shalimar to her feet. As they ran towards the woods, following Don and his minions, Shalimar took one last glance back at the cave. Her sad eyes once again turned angry and her determination and resolve once again glowed yellow. She looked back towards the woods and picked up her pace.
XXX
Draper looked aghast when he saw Jacob ripping into Brennan. He yelled to Jacob to stop. He failed to do so. Draper decided that it was time to rid himself of Jacob and his unpredictable behavior. He couldn't let him eat Brennan, not before he could show him to Eckhart. He knew about Mulwray and Mason's determination to capture him. He didn't care if he was dead. After all, Mason did put out an order for dead or alive on him. But if he were eaten, Eckhart would never believe that he had caught him. Draper clapped his hands together and formed a ball of electricity. He caught Jacob's attention with the bolt but Jacob was too late. The energy surged into his body and lit him up. His fur singed and began to burn. Jacob fell off of Brennan and rolled. Soon, his body merely lay there, still smoldering from the fire and jerking from the remnants of electricity. Draper smiled and looked over at Brennan. He wasn't moving either. Blood was pooling underneath him and running like a river towards the wall - a slave to the pitch of the floor. Draper walked right through it and pushed Brennan with his foot. No sound, not even a groan emanated from the carcass. Draper's right lip began to twist upward in a half sneer/half smile. He reached down and easily scooped Brennan into his arms. He started back down the cave and entered his compound.
XXX
Jesse and Shalimar had run after Don's group for what seemed like an hour. Every now and then, Shalimar thought she heard something following them but saw nothing each time she turned around. Don and the others had entered a small opening in a hill about 30 minutes ago. Shalimar and Jesse had been trying to decide on their next move. "We gotta go in Jesse," Shalimar whispered while her feral eyes searched for movement.
"I know, Shal, but what if they are standing guard?" Jesse countered. "We could all be caught. I think that I should get up to the entrance and go through phased. That way, if anyone is there, they won't be able to see me and I will be able to overpower them before they can fight back."
"I don't know, Jesse. What are you going to use to fight with? No, just phase both of us and we can go in. I can help you if there is more than one."
"Shal, I have never phased any of you for any length of time. I am worried about being able to bring you back especially if we encounter any resistance!" Jesse was worried and Shal knew it.
"Jesse, listen. I know this is hard, but I'm a big girl. I am making this decision on my own. I know the risks. But if we do not get in there, and I mean right now, we might as well be dead because the others will be and we won't be long behind." Jesse knew Shalimar was right. He was just concerned about what was on the other side of that door.
"All right Shal. We will both go. We should hurry though. It looks like it is starting to cloud in again. I don't want to phase in the rain.
"Agreed." Shalimar said and followed Jesse toward the compound entrance. They looked at each other and smiled before phasing through the door.
XXX
Brennan lay on the cold, wet ground for what seemed like an eternity. He wasn't even certain that he was still alive. Depression seeped into his soul like the dankness of his surroundings invaded his bones. He heard voices in the distance but thought them merely to be the ranting of dreams. He did not want to even try to open his eyes. If by some cruel joke of reality he was not dead yet, he did not want to feel the pain and futility of what had dominated his existence. He wanted to be done, and right now, he didn't hurt. He was merely cold. He was colder than he had ever been. He heard Emma, though. He heard her in his mind. He thought at first that he heard her through his ears. He decided that it was delirium and that she was really in his mind. Maybe the voice was merely a memory of her begging him to hang on. But then, he knew he felt the warm tendrils of her gift snaking through his mind, reaching his psyche and hanging on for him. "Damn Emma, please let me go," Brennan pleaded silently. He heard her reply, he felt it. She clenched onto his mind and twisted it, turned it, forced it to remain - forced him to remain. She caressed him and willed his soul to stay with hers.
"It won't be long, Brennan, hang on," the voice said.
"Emma, no, please, it's too late. Let me go!" Brennan was pleading - begging. Emma in his mind just would not listen. She would not let him go. She would not let him feel. All he had was this space - this limbo state. Then, he thought he heard Adam.
"You can let go of him now, Emma. The morphine should be kicking in," Adam told Emma. She had been staring into Brennan's mind for the past 2 hours while Adam worked feverishly to save him. Thank God Don did not take their backpacks from them when they were captured. All of the medical supplies they had brought for Brennan were in them. When they woke up in the chamber, Adam quickly lit one of the solar lanterns he had packed for light. They were truly aghast when they saw the crumpled form lying in the corner in a puddle of mud. "Brennan!" Emma had been screaming his name as they raced to him. He was covered in new blood from the wounds Jacob had inflicted. But, he was alive. Adam immediately started IV drips and took the healer out and healed what wounds he could. He sutured most of them the old - fashioned way. The bite wound on the hip was severe, though, and Adam could only cauterize and cover it. Some of the gashes in his chest had gone through the muscle. Adam couldn't help those. The needle he was able to remove but the bullet remained. He would deal with that when they got him home. His pupils were not equal and the new bruises on his face and neck helped explain why. He had a severe concussion from blows to the head. His lungs were filling again and the water had weakened him. They moved him to the driest place they could find and wrapped him in blankets to warm him. Adam reset his battered and broken leg and placed an air splint on it. Then he gave him morphine to help stop the pain. While Adam hated the idea of Emma being captured with him, he thanked the Lord that she was there to keep Brennan in a catatonic state until he could help him. Now, however, it was time for her to let go of him and let Brennan wake up if he could.
"Emma, you have to let him go. I need to understand the severity of his condition. I need to wake him." Adam said very cautiously to the now, fragile Emma. She shook her head and let go of Brennan's face. She backed up and let Adam talk to him.
Brennan kept hearing his name being called not by Emma, though, but by Adam. He could not understand how Emma got Adam into his mind. But he was noticing the tendrils releasing their grip on his mind. He noticed a pain creeping into his body now. It was searing every part of his being. He began to breathe rapidly. He knew he was waking up. Brennan began to scream.
Brennan could barely remain conscious as Jacob bounced him on his shoulder. His body hurt and the blood was rushing to his head. Dizziness was threatening to detach him from reality and if he wanted to get out of this, he couldn't let that happen. He decided to try and reason with Jacob.
"Jacob," Brennan coughed, "Jacob, why are you doing this?" Jacob did not respond. He merely growled and tossed Brennan further on his shoulder, which caused Brennan to cough. Jacob growled again. "Jacob," Brennan was pleading now. "Jacob, please, Adam is your friend! I am your friend! Jacob . we can help you. Please, please don't follow Draper back. He's going to kill me, Jacob. You have to help me!"
Brennan's pleading only served to infuriate Jacob further. The prey suffering was all Jacob could think of when he thought of Brennan begging for his life. The excitement was too much for him and what he did next not only shocked Brennan, but it also startled Draper. Brennan was coughing again when it happened. Jacob let out a horrific growl and howl, turned his head sideways and bit into Brennan's hip as he carried him. Brennan screamed in agony when Jacob succeeded in ripping off a large chunk of flesh. Brennan was horrified. The pain was unthinkable and he hit Jacob with everything he had left both physically and electrically. Jacob tossed to his side as Brennan did this and both of them tumbled to floor of the cave. Jacob landed on top and tried to bite Brennan again. He ripped his claws into Brennan's shredded chest. Brennan was losing his battle with reality. He couldn't believe he was being eaten. It happened too fast. He tried to get another charge off but he couldn't concentrate. He was screaming. He had his arms in front of his body and entangled in Jacob's fur. He was trying to fight him off. The last thing he saw was Jacob's teeth coming for his throat; the last thing he heard was the sound of Draper's voice. It too was screaming.
XXX
Adam and Emma released each other from the embrace. Emma looked at Adam and tried to regain her composure. Adam looked up to see where Shalimar and Jesse were when he saw Don and the other beasts closing in on their location.
"Emma!" Adam screamed as Emma whirled around to see them herself. There were at least eight of them that she could count and they were almost on top of them. Adam pulled out a gun and began shooting. Emma drew upon her gift and started psionic blasts. They managed to take down three of them but Don got through and hit Adam. They tumbled to the ground in hand-to- hand combat. Emma looked at Adam and then at her own attackers. Two of the beasts brought her down. It wasn't long before both Emma and Adam were unconscious and lying on the ground. Shalimar and Jesse were nowhere in sight.
Don stood up and gave Adam a swift kick to make certain he was out. The two who were on Emma were beginning to bite at her. "Halt!" Don yelled from his position. He ordered the two beasts that were observing to stop the others from hurting Emma. An animalistic growling match ensued with all four of them circling Emma. They managed to stop the attack but were now trying to fend them off. 'Everyone! Maintain your position!" Don yelled again. "We are not to injure them! Dr. Draper wants them in the compound first!" The beasts were beginning to control themselves and backed away from Emma and Adam. Don was relieved. He didn't like killing members of his own pack but he would if it meant pleasing Draper. He continued, "Before we left the compound, Draper informed me that he needed them for something." The beasts looked at each other in confusion and then back at Don. "Don't' worry, my friends, you will have them. Draper just needs them first. Now, collect our kill and let's get back into the compound, it is beginning to cloud in again," Don finished. The beasts grabbed both Emma and Adam and slung them over their shoulders. They headed back towards the woods with them. "We will use the wooded entrance to the compound," Don said, "I don't want to run into Samuel!"
XXX
Shalimar and Jesse had nearly reached the cave entrance when they heard Adam scream. They turned around in time to witness the attack. Shalimar immediately went feral and began to run back, but Jesse caught her and threw her to the ground. "Jesse!" Shalimar screamed. He pressed his hand over her mouth and held her down. He whispered to her so as not to warn the beasts, "Shalimar! Shalimar, listen to me." Shalimar's eyes were wild with panic, but she did not fight her friend. "Shal, there are too many of them. We couldn't even fight one of them, remember? Remember?" Shalimar's eyes began to calm down. Tears were streaming from them now in frustration and defeat. Jesse was crying as well.
"We can't help them Shal. We can't. The only thing we can do is get away and follow them. Shal, we will follow them." Jesse let go of Shal's mouth now. Shal put her hand up to her face and sobbed silent tears for her pack. "Jesse, what about Brennan?" Jesse glanced back at the cave entrance in time to hear other noises - growls and grunts - coming from within. "We can't help him now, Shal. We have to get hidden and follow Adam and Emma." Jesse got up and helped Shalimar to her feet. As they ran towards the woods, following Don and his minions, Shalimar took one last glance back at the cave. Her sad eyes once again turned angry and her determination and resolve once again glowed yellow. She looked back towards the woods and picked up her pace.
XXX
Draper looked aghast when he saw Jacob ripping into Brennan. He yelled to Jacob to stop. He failed to do so. Draper decided that it was time to rid himself of Jacob and his unpredictable behavior. He couldn't let him eat Brennan, not before he could show him to Eckhart. He knew about Mulwray and Mason's determination to capture him. He didn't care if he was dead. After all, Mason did put out an order for dead or alive on him. But if he were eaten, Eckhart would never believe that he had caught him. Draper clapped his hands together and formed a ball of electricity. He caught Jacob's attention with the bolt but Jacob was too late. The energy surged into his body and lit him up. His fur singed and began to burn. Jacob fell off of Brennan and rolled. Soon, his body merely lay there, still smoldering from the fire and jerking from the remnants of electricity. Draper smiled and looked over at Brennan. He wasn't moving either. Blood was pooling underneath him and running like a river towards the wall - a slave to the pitch of the floor. Draper walked right through it and pushed Brennan with his foot. No sound, not even a groan emanated from the carcass. Draper's right lip began to twist upward in a half sneer/half smile. He reached down and easily scooped Brennan into his arms. He started back down the cave and entered his compound.
XXX
Jesse and Shalimar had run after Don's group for what seemed like an hour. Every now and then, Shalimar thought she heard something following them but saw nothing each time she turned around. Don and the others had entered a small opening in a hill about 30 minutes ago. Shalimar and Jesse had been trying to decide on their next move. "We gotta go in Jesse," Shalimar whispered while her feral eyes searched for movement.
"I know, Shal, but what if they are standing guard?" Jesse countered. "We could all be caught. I think that I should get up to the entrance and go through phased. That way, if anyone is there, they won't be able to see me and I will be able to overpower them before they can fight back."
"I don't know, Jesse. What are you going to use to fight with? No, just phase both of us and we can go in. I can help you if there is more than one."
"Shal, I have never phased any of you for any length of time. I am worried about being able to bring you back especially if we encounter any resistance!" Jesse was worried and Shal knew it.
"Jesse, listen. I know this is hard, but I'm a big girl. I am making this decision on my own. I know the risks. But if we do not get in there, and I mean right now, we might as well be dead because the others will be and we won't be long behind." Jesse knew Shalimar was right. He was just concerned about what was on the other side of that door.
"All right Shal. We will both go. We should hurry though. It looks like it is starting to cloud in again. I don't want to phase in the rain.
"Agreed." Shalimar said and followed Jesse toward the compound entrance. They looked at each other and smiled before phasing through the door.
XXX
Brennan lay on the cold, wet ground for what seemed like an eternity. He wasn't even certain that he was still alive. Depression seeped into his soul like the dankness of his surroundings invaded his bones. He heard voices in the distance but thought them merely to be the ranting of dreams. He did not want to even try to open his eyes. If by some cruel joke of reality he was not dead yet, he did not want to feel the pain and futility of what had dominated his existence. He wanted to be done, and right now, he didn't hurt. He was merely cold. He was colder than he had ever been. He heard Emma, though. He heard her in his mind. He thought at first that he heard her through his ears. He decided that it was delirium and that she was really in his mind. Maybe the voice was merely a memory of her begging him to hang on. But then, he knew he felt the warm tendrils of her gift snaking through his mind, reaching his psyche and hanging on for him. "Damn Emma, please let me go," Brennan pleaded silently. He heard her reply, he felt it. She clenched onto his mind and twisted it, turned it, forced it to remain - forced him to remain. She caressed him and willed his soul to stay with hers.
"It won't be long, Brennan, hang on," the voice said.
"Emma, no, please, it's too late. Let me go!" Brennan was pleading - begging. Emma in his mind just would not listen. She would not let him go. She would not let him feel. All he had was this space - this limbo state. Then, he thought he heard Adam.
"You can let go of him now, Emma. The morphine should be kicking in," Adam told Emma. She had been staring into Brennan's mind for the past 2 hours while Adam worked feverishly to save him. Thank God Don did not take their backpacks from them when they were captured. All of the medical supplies they had brought for Brennan were in them. When they woke up in the chamber, Adam quickly lit one of the solar lanterns he had packed for light. They were truly aghast when they saw the crumpled form lying in the corner in a puddle of mud. "Brennan!" Emma had been screaming his name as they raced to him. He was covered in new blood from the wounds Jacob had inflicted. But, he was alive. Adam immediately started IV drips and took the healer out and healed what wounds he could. He sutured most of them the old - fashioned way. The bite wound on the hip was severe, though, and Adam could only cauterize and cover it. Some of the gashes in his chest had gone through the muscle. Adam couldn't help those. The needle he was able to remove but the bullet remained. He would deal with that when they got him home. His pupils were not equal and the new bruises on his face and neck helped explain why. He had a severe concussion from blows to the head. His lungs were filling again and the water had weakened him. They moved him to the driest place they could find and wrapped him in blankets to warm him. Adam reset his battered and broken leg and placed an air splint on it. Then he gave him morphine to help stop the pain. While Adam hated the idea of Emma being captured with him, he thanked the Lord that she was there to keep Brennan in a catatonic state until he could help him. Now, however, it was time for her to let go of him and let Brennan wake up if he could.
"Emma, you have to let him go. I need to understand the severity of his condition. I need to wake him." Adam said very cautiously to the now, fragile Emma. She shook her head and let go of Brennan's face. She backed up and let Adam talk to him.
Brennan kept hearing his name being called not by Emma, though, but by Adam. He could not understand how Emma got Adam into his mind. But he was noticing the tendrils releasing their grip on his mind. He noticed a pain creeping into his body now. It was searing every part of his being. He began to breathe rapidly. He knew he was waking up. Brennan began to scream.