Thank you to everyone who is still reading. My new puppy is a German Shepherd/Alaskan Malamute mix. I rescued him. He is less than or around a year old and is already 80 pounds! He is adorable, though. Sorry for the delay – I am terrible, I know but now I also bought a new house and have been absolutely with no time. Cassidy, Brennan, and Meg – OK guys – one day I would like to meet you. Enjoy.
Adam located what he was looking for as soon as he entered the clearing by the compound. He turned around to make certain everyone was still coming. Emma approached first with Jesse and Shalimar both managing to carry Brennan coming up from behind. Jesse looked at Adam and then past him. "Helicoptors! Oh, thank God!" Jesse exclaimed. It took everything he had not to immediately bolt over to them. Adam stopped him.
"Jesse, wait. We have to see if it is safe first." Jesse looked at Adam and nodded his head. "How?" he asked.
"Emma, can you do a broadband scan and see if you can sense anything near the woods on the other side of the choppers?" Adam asked Emma to accomplish a task he didn't really know if she could do, but it was the only way and was worth a shot.
"I don't know, Adam. I haven't been very good at noticing the beasts," Emma explained – the worry evident in her voice.
"I don't care about beasts, Emma. I care about GSA – GSA with guns. Can you try to detect them?"
"Sure," Emma said. She walked a little beyond Adam and began to concentrate. Adam took the opportunity to check on Brennan and make sure they were not being followed. Shalimar had laid Brennan down onto the ground and was caressing his face and whispering something Adam was not quite capable of hearing – no human was capable. She flashed her eyes up at Adam as he approached.
"How is he?" Adam asked as he knelt down on the ground and began assessing him again.
Shalimar wiped a tear from her cheek and shook her head to clear it. "He hasn't moved since we were inside," Shalimar whispered. She didn't mean to whisper; she was just so sad, tired, shocked, and angry that she couldn't muster much more beyond a whisper anymore.
"We'll be home soon. I promise," Adam promised. Shalimar looked up at him and searched his eyes. Here own eyes were nearly pleading with Adam to be telling the truth. She was so concerned. She wanted to be back in Sanctuary right now playing with Brennan and Jesse. But that little fantasy was not going to become a reality – at least not soon.
Shalimar and Adam broke their gaze when Brennan began a violent fit of coughing. Adam picked his shoulders up off of the ground and cradled him against his own chest. It was the most violent that he had experienced. "Brennan, don't do this!" Adam yelled. Adam was holding Brennan's chest tightly against his own to protect his lungs from damage. If Brennan's ribs were broken, this could definitely send one through his lungs. Brennan continued to heave and was coughing up a frothy blood. "What's going on?" Jesse asked as he came over to the two of them upon hearing the commotion. Emma remained in a trance. Adam looked up at Jesse as Jesse knelt down beside them. "We can't wait, Jesse. Adam looked at the choppers and back at Jesse. "You up for taking a chance?" Adam didn't like the idea of Jesse risking an encounter with the GSA but knew that he had a better chance than any of them of getting to the chopper and avoiding gunfire if he had to.
Jesse looked at Brennan. "Of course, Adam, I'll do anything!"
Adam continued to hold Brennan as his coughing fit began to subside. Brennan was awake now and whimpering in between the coughs. "Easy, Brennan, it's OK, we've got you," Adam said quietly to Brennan trying to calm him down. "We are getting out of here."
"And now," Jesse said as he looked at Adam. "OK, Adam, here is the deal. I am going to head for the closest chopper. If it looks clear and in operating condition, I am going to start it up. Shalimar, you have got to be ready to bring Brennan. Can the two of you do it?" Adam looked up at Jesse and smiled. He was so proud of this young man. He had never noticed his leadership skills before – but now – now he was proud.
"It's clear," Emma said as she quickly came up behind the group. They all looked at her. "No GSA … what's wrong? Brennan?" Emma hadn't heard Brennan's coughs but saw the bloody substance on the ground and heard his whimpers now. She watched as Shalimar carefully caressed his forehead and saw how Adam was holding him. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed as she dropped to her knees and took Brennan's face into her hands. Adam stopped her.
"Emma, we are making a run for the choppers. Brennan's out of time and so are we."
"OK, everyone, be ready," Jesse said as he took off running across the clearing.
"Watch for beasts, everyone," Adam cautioned. Shalimar's eyes went yellow and she scanned the woods line. Adam kept an eye on the compound behind them while Emma watched Jesse.
Jesse got into the first chopper without incident and began checking it for damage. "Yuck!" he exclaimed as his hands touched the controls. There was slime and drool and likely blood all over them and the seats. The beast had definitely been here. He checked the gauges and then turned it over to see if he had power. He did. "Yes!" He also had a fair amount of fuel. The chopper was big enough for all of them. He turned over the engine.
Adam heard the chopper start. "Let's go!" he yelled as he got up and pulled Brennan to his feet. He and Shalimar got him into a two-man fireman's lift and began to run across the clearing. Emma was in front.
"Come on, you guys, hurry," Jesse whispered to himself as he watched them coming toward him. "Hurry!" he yelled out the window. The chopper's blades were speeding up and he would be ready to lift within 60 seconds.
Suddenly, GSA emerged from the compound and began firing weapons at the Team. Adam and Shalimar hit the ground as they felt the bullets fly past them. Brennan took a tumble and screamed when he connected with the ground. Shalimar and Adam began crawling towards him. Emma continued to the chopper. Once she reached it, Jesse got in front of her as a shield. She gave it everything she had and sent a black wave of panic, fear and hatred in the direction of the GSA. It rolled over the top of Shal, Adam and Brennan and hit the GSA dead on. Only two were still standing and firing after Emma hit the group. She was surprised. Adam and Shalimar had grabbed Brennan and were pulling him along the ground trying to stay as low as possible. Jesse went back to the controls and Emma began single mental blasts to deter the gunmen.
Finally, Shal and Adam reached the chopper with Brennan and Emma helped them climb in. Jesse was already lifting off of the ground before Adam finished climbing in. They looked on in awe as they saw beasts coming out of the woods towards the GSA.
"Adam, what will we do with this place? How can we help them?" Shalimar asked. "They weren't all bad, you know." She couldn't help but feel something for them – they were mostly like her.
Adam had started removing Brennan's remaining clothing to get to work on his injuries. There was a pretty well stocked first aid kit in the chopper and he couldn't waste any time. Brennan's color was now a pale gray and his lips were tinted blue. His skin was hot as fire and yet clammy. "I can't worry about them, now Shalimar," Adam replied.
"Jesse, get this thing to Concentra hospital. Land on the roof. Get them on the radio and I'll get us radioed in."
"Adam, that hospital is at least 30 minutes away," Jesse replied.
"Adam, we can't go to a hospital, the GSA will be everywhere," Emma countered.
"Yes, I know, but I know a doctor there who owes Mutant X a favor – we hid his daughter for him – and besides. Mason is down there and I doubt he will be carrying forward any types of orders for a while. We should be safe."
He looked at the other members of Mutant X. "We are not through here, yet. I promise. But right now Brennan will not make it back to Sanctuary and frankly; his injuries are much too severe for me to care for. He is going to need extensive surgery and life support equipment. I don't have that at Sanctuary."
Shalimar looked back down at the compound and over at Emma. She was staring at Jesse who was in turn looking back over at Shalimar. None of them fully trusted Adam anymore and were not certain at all whether to trust him now.
There – almost done guys – or am I?