Chapter 13
"Why the hospital?"
"Do mercenaries always ask so many questions?" Amelia faked a frown. She found herself warming up to Jake. He wasn't what she had expected. His cockines stemmed from his prowess and though she'd never admit to that, she envied his agility and stamina, and especially his health as she trekked the pain in her leg did not subside.
"Tsk," he stayed several steps ahead, but he always turned back to her and waited. Cautious not to show she was slowing them down. They needed weapons, too. But by the look of things the army had wiped out the unrest successfully. As they neared the populated part of town it was obvious to see the ruins. The smell of gunfire still lingered in the air, they seemed to be the only ones still here.
"Just up ahead," Jake pointed, "The hospital, if still there, should be there."
"Right," Amelia continued after him.
:
Hunnigan angrily reprimanded Leon, "You of all people, Leon!" Leon turned away from his phone for a moment. "I'll call it in." Though she promised him nothing, he felt he was doing the right thing. At the moment Amelia's safety was more important than anything else. He felt angry at himself for having led her a second time into danger.
He now had two choices left. To arm himself and go back into Edonia or wait for her here while the DOS or BSAA communicated with each other and tried to locate Amelia's possible whereabouts. When they got separated he had been certain that Jake kid had ended up with her, but he couldn't rest easy with what had become the both of them.
:
Jake pushed wide doors that had become jammed open. The hospital must of evacuated at the onset of the civil war that broke out in Edonia and later on with the sightings of mutants or BOWs. They had left in a hurry and things were in disarray. Jake remembered the hospital when it was in use, but he tried to suppress those thoughts now.
"What are we looking for?" Jake asked Amelia who's curiosity became her and she immediately prowled the place.
"Data," she said as she tried opening a door to the left.
"Be careful," Jake said as he made his way to her side and helped her.
"Thanks," as she made her way in. It was an office, probably an intake one, considering where it was situated. She fumbled through papers in the dark, when he heard a click and Jake handed her a flashlight.
She became absorbed with the names and dates. Everything was left behind here. Eyeing the room she wondered if every person ever admitted in here was here. She knit her eyebrows as she scanned folder after folder.
Jake took a seat on a nearby chair. His ice colored eyes traced her face with the faint light the flashlight cast about. He found himself asking where she was from, Amelia, replied without looking at him, "America."
Jake nodded. He looked around the dark room and found himself leaving the room. It was a long time before Amelia found herself snapping back into reality. Having scanned dozens of files she now found herself looking for Jake who had disappeared. She made her way out the door and flashed the light on the tall abandoned hospital. A faint sound came from the second floor. Music. She scanned for a staircase and made her way up carefully, wary of broken steps.
It was a faint tune that became powerful and emotional. She found him playing on a piano. When she reached his side he didn't stop until he finished the reprise. She put her hand on top of his. And for a moment Jake's breath caught. She softly moved them aside and understanding Jake moved a bit to his left. Amelia let her hands fall on the keyboard and repeated the haunting melody he had just played. When she came to a stop the both of them stood there quietly. Jake felt petrified. Memories came storming into to his mind. She HAD to be Jen, she HAD to.
When the silence finally broke he heard her say, "Oh, Jake." But before he could say anything to him a sharp blow landed on his head with the back of a gun. As he fell to the ground the last thing he heard and felt hands rip apart the mercenary logo on his jacket, he wanted to reach out and grab her hands, "Jen..."