No way out
It had been 3 days now since her confession to Doctor Shannon. Alexandra felt relieved having someone who knew her secret. But it was a heavy secret to carry and she could see how much Elisabeth struggled with it. She had promised she would not tell anyone, and it was exactly what she was doing, even if she obviously regretted it. Alexandra was well aware that soon, everyone would know the truth, but it didn't matter anymore. At the speed at which things were going, she would be gone before the others suspect anything.
As she walked absentmindedly back home, she stopped in front of an empty space between two buildings. She clenched her fists at the sight of where the cemetery used to be. She had heard that it had been moved in the Memorial Field outside the gates few months ago. Taylor had accepted a cemetery for the civilians inside the colony only to have them pleased. But it attracted predators and thus, it was a danger for Terra Nova. Even if she knew it, it saddened her more than she would have thought.
"Everything has to stop one day," she said flatly, quoting her father.
She tilted her head, staring at the bars of the fence. After a moment, she turned her head to look around her. She spotted two cameras that were moving on her and then away from her. When she was out of sight, with no hesitation, she ran to the fence and slid under it. Once in the wild, she walked straight in front of her, in no direction in particular. She wanted to go to the memorial field but had actually no idea where it was. She knew Taylor would be upset if he knew she was out, but she needed to go out and a little trip outside wouldn't hurt, would it?
Skye had seen Alexandra coming to the infirmary every day in the early morning and the late evening for the past three days. She knew Alexandra had spent almost 30 minutes each time with Dr. Shannon. Skye didn't know why Alexandra came, Dr Shannon never told her. It made her even more suspicious. It had to be something really serious otherwise Dr. Shannon wouldn't be so discreet on the subject.
Skye had deliberated a lot before making a decision about it. In the end, she had told Lucas about what she had noticed. She had known he would like to know if something was wrong with Alexandra and she had thought he deserved honesty. Skye owed him a lot and it was her turn to help him. When Alexandra left the infirmary on the third evening, Skye followed her. She hunted her down for an hour or so and suddenly lost track of her and got lost.
"Fuck!" Skye cursed herself, looking around her for any indication as to where she may be.
"Looking for something?" She heard a menacing voice behind her back say, making her jump in surprise. Skye turned slowly to face Alexandra who was staring blankly at her, arms folded over her chest.
"I… I was…" What was she doing? Skye didn't even have the answer to that question.
"Why did you follow me?" Alexandra asked, obviously upset.
"I… I don't know. I saw you going OTG and I felt…"
"Curious?"
"Worried."
"About what?"
"About your health."
"I'm healthy, thank you," she replied sardonically.
"I wanted to see if you were alright."
"I'm alright," she answered simply, tilting her head to the side, her eyes still staring at hers.
"I saw you at the infirmary. I know there's something going on," Skye eventually blurted out.
"And what did you see? Huh? Explain it to me. I'm really curious to know what you saw," Alexandra grinned mischievously.
"I saw you spent hours with Dr, Shannon. And it stayed secret, so I know it's something important."
"And maybe it's secret because it has to be. You are not that privileged after all," she taunted.
"I know you've got something."
"Like what?"
"Like something bad."
"Something bad?" She chuckled. "What kind of bad thing?"
"The kind that needs a patient to see a doctor twice a day. The kind that weakens you in a few days. The kind that doesn't seem to have a cure yet."
"A cure? For what?"
"For a disease."
"You think you're smart, don't you? Maybe I spend time with Elisabeth because we like to spend time together. Maybe we talk a lot and it's just nice to have a true friend, a real one, to talk to. Have you ever thought about that theory in that little head of yours?"
"I saw Dr. Shannon's face. She's very worried and anxious. Something is scaring her and I'm sure it's your life she's afraid to lose," Skye said firmly. Alexandra looked at her intensely, her deep blue eyes locked into her clear blue eyes. Her smiled faded and her face turned serious.
"If your theory was right. If I was ill. If there was no cure. If I was due to die," she pondered aloud, stepping dangerously close to Skye. "Then why bother?"
Her question startled Skye, leaving her speechless. She wasn't even sure why she was bothering. Was it for Lucas' sanity only?
"You are free to leave," Alexandra sneered.
"Why do I get the feeling that by 'free to leave' you actually meant 'get the hell out of here'?'" Skye frowned.
"Because you're smart," Alexandra replied gruffly before turning her back to her and walking away.
"Hey, wait!" Skye called her. "Alex, wait!"
"What for?" She replied, annoyance audible in her tone.
"I have no idea where we are!"
"You're such a pain," Alexandra rumbled. "You walk straight in that direction and you'll be back to the colony in less than an hour."
"It's gonna be dark soon, I have no lights."
"What a pity!" She sniggered. "And you're expecting me to take you by the hand and drive you back home?"
"I have no weapon with me," Skye felt the need to add.
"You go outside the gates without guns?" Alexandra asked her seriously, almost repremanding her. "You want to die?"
"I told you, I followed you. I never planned to go outside the gates!"
"Well, it's a shame because you should think twice before you play the little spy again."
"You won't abandon me here," Skye stated, almost challenging her.
"You might learn that we don't always have…"
An acute cackling, followed by a kind of small repetitive cooing, stopped Alexandra in her response. Both their bodies stiffened on the spot.
"Slashers," Skye murmured.
"Come slowly to me," Alexandra whispered, her gun already held in her hand, ready to shoot if needed.
Skye obediently stepped next to her. Alexandra kneeled down slowly and grabbed the gun that was tied to her ankle and gave it to Skye. They waited, motionless, ready for the worst.
"Alex, I…"
"Shush!" Alexandra glared at her.
The noise started again and some foliage started moving behind them. They quietly turned their head, just in time to see a Slasher's head appear from behind the leaves. Alexandra shot it immediately, making it disappear again in the thick jungle. Alexandra heard a second shot and saw that Skye had shot another Slasher.
"We need to run!" She told her firmly. "Now!"
They both ran away, as fast as they could, hurting themselves against the branches they found on their way, cutting their flesh, making the dinosaurs even more hungry.
"We need to climb!" Skye shouted, before screaming of fear when she literally bumped into a Slasher that appeared from nowhere. Alexandra stopped immediately and spotted Skye on the ground few meters away. She ran back to Skye, shooting to the Slasher twice. When she reached her, the Slasher had bolted away.
"Let's go," she said quickly, holding out her hand to Skye.
They continued running until they found a tree big enough for them to climb and hid. They stayed in silence during what seemed hours for them, staring at the ground while nine Slashers were pacing around the tree, waiting for their dinner to come down.
"I'm sorry," Skye eventually said, staring at Alexandra who was obviously fuming inside, her lips pressed together, her eyes darting to the ground thoughtfully. Skye knew if they had not stopped to talk earlier, the Slashers would have not heard them and would probably have not tracked them down.
Alexandra inhaled and exhaled slowly, shutting her eyes. She didn't know what to think about it. They were stuck in the air as long as the dinosaurs were there. There was no other solution than being patient. She knew it was not Skye's fault but couldn't stop anger from invading herself.
"Just… Shut up, please," she managed to say as nicely as possible.
Skye obediently kept her mouth close until Alexandra spoke again thirty minutes later.
"They're gone."
"You can't be sure," Skye said, knowing perfectly how vicious the Slashers could be.
"I'm gonna find out," she shrugged, starting to go down.
"What if they are still there?" Skye stopped her.
"I'll climb up again. I need to move. I'm not staying the whole night here. I'm gonna freeze to death."
"Alex, I really think we should stay here. It's less dangerous during the day."
"I need to go back to the colony before dawn," she informed her. "I'm going. If you want to stay, it's your choice. I'll tell them where you are."
"Okay," Skye sighed forcefully. "I'm coming." Skye didn't want to stay alone and neither let Alexandra go alone. Last time she had done that, Tasha had ended seriously injured and had almost died.
They carefully went down, paying attention to everything that was surrounding them. They walked few minutes in silence before ending in front of a deserted area, surrounding by the jungle. The moon was almost hidden by heavy thick clouds, but they could see it was a sort of dried muddy place with what looked like an old dead tree in the middle of it.
"Where are we?" Alexandra wondered aloud to herself.
"I think this time we definitely are off limit," Skye responded.
"I think we should reverse. We're heading the wrong way."
"We should have stayed in the tree," Skye said, a hint of fear audible in her voice.
"I think it's too late for regrets," Alexandra replied, her hand grabbing her gun. Skye turned her head and narrowed her eyes on what Alexandra was staring at. She couldn't see properly, not with the shadows of the trees swaying out from the jungle, but by the sound of it, she knew the Slashers had followed them.
They fled again, running to the center of the rounded place where the tree was. They quickly got to the trunk and were ready to climb when they stopped, realizing the Slashers were not following them. They looked where they were the minute before and saw the dinosaurs pacing along an invisible limit.
"Why are they staying away?" Skye inquired.
"I don't know but it's not a good sign," Alexandra muttered.
She took a few steps toward them and stopped.
"It is as if they could not come," Skye said approaching next to Alexandra.
"Or they know that coming here is dangerous," she said, looking around them, worried. She kneeled down to touch the ground and grabbed a piece of dried mud in her hand. "Why is it so cracked?"
"It looks like a crumpled paper, a fragile paper," Skye added, tapping the cracked soil with her foot. "It sounds hollow."
Suddenly, the ground seemed to crumble under their feet in an instant. With no time to prevent it, they both fell down a deep hole, screaming hopelessly. Their bodies hit the ground in a thud, the shock of their fall knocking them out, leaving them unconscious.
While a cold rain started to fall on them, Skye's mother discovered her daughter was missing. As she went to Skye's bedroom to see if she was asleep, she realized her girl had not come back home. All of a sudden, Deborah felt panic settling inside her. It was not in Skye's habit to go out without telling her. Skye had always told her when she worked late or went out with friends, not wanting her mother to be worried. Without wasting time, Deborah grabbed her coat and left her house, heading to the infirmary.
When she arrived there, she didn't find her daughter, neither Dr. Shannon. It was almost midnight and not many people were still working. She met nurse Ogawa who told her that Elisabeth had finished her shift at ten and went straight back home. After thanking the nurse, Deborah jogged to the Shannon's house. She knocked at their door more violently than she expected, more and more anxious than before.
"Oh thank God, Elisabeth, you're here!" Deborah exhaled when Elisabeth opened the door.
"Deb, what's going on?"
"Is Skye with you?"
"No, I haven't seen her since… the early evening when she left the lab. Why?"
"She has not come back home yet. I thought she was with you, I fell asleep waiting for her. I woke up 30 minutes ago and I saw her bed was still made up, I… I… Oh my God, where is she?"
"She must be with some friends. Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine."
"It's not like her to not tell me when she's out."
"You know that sometimes teenagers act weirdly," Elisabeth tried to lighten the mood. "Josh! Josh, come here please."
"What?" Josh asked grumpily. "Oh, Madam Tate, is there something wrong?"
"Deborah is looking for Skye. Do you know where she is?"
"Huh, no. I mean, I don't know. Maybe she's with Hunter or Tasha. How could I know, I'm punished and grounded," he said with a sly smile.
"Josh," his mother scolded him. "Do you know where she could be?"
"Maybe," he shrugged.
"Do you want me to call my husband? Jim can send a patrol to find her."
"Oh no, I don't want to alert everyone. Maybe she's just with some friends. Josh, could you verify that?" Deborah asked eagerly.
"Mum?"
"Of course, but you come back as soon as you find her."
"Sure," he grinned widely. "Wait for me here, I'll bring back your daughter," he promised Deborah.
Josh left the women and walked straight to Lucas' house. He knew fair well that Skye was not with Hunter, nor Tasha. He was almost there when he stopped, thinking about another theory. He made a detour to Alexandra's house. Josh knew Skye had not talked to Alexandra since she was back and maybe she had found the courage to go and talk to her. He knocked at the door but no one answered. He redirected his doubts on Lucas and he went back there. When he reached Lucas' house, he bounced violently to the door.
"Is Skye with you?" Josh blurted out once Lucas opened the door.
"Why do you care Shannon?" Lucas groaned, half asleep, half annoyingly awake.
"Is she or not?" He insisted, anguish audible in his voice.
"What's going on?" Lucas inquired, suddenly very serious.
"Skye is missing. She has not come home tonight. Neither her mother or my mother know where she is. I can't find Alex and I… I don't know, I have the feeling they are together."
"Why would they be together? They can't stay in the same room more than 2 minutes."
"Because I can't find Alex neither and I don't know, I just have the feeling they are, ok?" Josh replied, annoyed. Lucas exhaled loudly in exasperation and shut the door on Josh's face. Josh widened his eyes in disbelief and hit the door with both his fists. "Lucas! Lucas! Open that bloody door!"
The door swung open few minutes later, replaced by an all dressed up Lucas who walked outside without any explanations.
"Hey, where are you going?" Josh wondered, following him.
"To find them."
"I thought you didn't believe they could be together!"
"I've changed my mind."
"Why?"
"You don't need to know," he snapped. Josh grabbed Lucas' arm and stopped him. Lucas freed his arm instinctively and gripped Josh' shirt violently. "After all those years, do you not instinctively fear me? Maybe you should write yourself a note."
"Why?" Josh insisted, holding Lucas' stare. They glared at each other a moment, until Lucas freed Josh and eventually answered.
"Because I might keep an eye on Alex and I know she was not home last night." Josh was startled by his answer.
"I do the same with Skye…" He confessed. Josh didn't know why he said it to Lucas but he did. Maybe because he had never told anyone and it felt good to say it aloud? Or maybe because he knew Lucas would understand better than anyone why he was doing it. "And she didn't go home last night." Lucas looked at him a moment before a smirk appeared on his face.
"Stop spying my sister, pervert," Lucas said before continuing walking. Josh followed him until they arrived to the lab. Lucas went straight to Malcolm who was still working.
"Do you think the tracker we put in Alex's watch is still working?" He asked without wasting time with explanations.
"Hello to you too," Malcolm replied, vexed.
"Is it?"
"We'll find out soon," Malcolm sighed with annoyance, grabbing a plex and entering a code. He didn't even try to ask why Lucas wanted the information. He could see how serious Lucas was and Malcolm didn't want to be involved in whatever he was planning. "Here we are!" He smiled as a red light started shining on the plex. "She's right here! Oh… She's right in nowhere…"
"Thanks," Lucas said, grabbing the plex before leaving, Josh still behind him.
"You're welcome," Malcolm shouted ironically to them. Lucas' wave was the only answer he received. Lucas went where the vehicles were parked and jumped into one of them, Josh still following him.
"I already have a shadow Shannon," Lucas sighed with irritation.
"I'm coming," Josh said firmly.
"All grown up are we?" Lucas mocked.
"Shut up."
"I thought you didn't want to be with Skye anymore," Lucas teased.
"Not because we aren't together doesn't mean that I don't care about her. I thought you would understand that better than anyone." Lucas clenched his jaw, knowing perfectly that Josh was right.
"Let's go then," Lucas just said.
