Probably one more chapter to go really enjoyed writing the Jesker moment in this one! Again any tips to help me improve are great.
Hope you enjoy! :)
Abby stepped cautiously into the water that filled the bottom two steps of the corridor. They had barely got into the building and already the water was well above her knee. She pointed her EMD down the dark corridor the beam of light cutting through the black. The lights circuits had been ruined by the water; odd sparks still flying out from along the ceiling, the corridor wasn't a very important place in the ARC so no emergency lighting had been put there.
'Ah' Connor stubbed his toe as they turned the corner, misjudging the gap between him and the wall.
Abby spun round shinning the light in his face.
'It's alright' Connor held his hand up to his eyes as the bright beam shone into them, 'I just stubbed me toe'.
Abby sighed with a smile on her face, trust Connor 'Come on, or were gonna lose Matt and Emily'.
Emily looked up at Matt through the dark; she could see some of his face from the EMD light, as always full of concentration. She wasn't quite sure how to say what she was thinking, without sounding like she had given up all hope.
'Matt' she finally said after deciding the best way to phrase it.
'Yes' he glanced down quickly before turning back to surveying the corridor looking for the creatures.
She sighed 'Could Jess really have survived that... I mean if she was dragged under water by a creature?'
Matt stopped and turned to Emily, he held her shoulders and looked her in the eye 'I don't know if they are alive or not, but what I do know is that those creatures may be clever but so is Jess, and Becker would not let one of those things take her without a fight.'
She smiled 'you're right, I'm sorry... I just-'
'It's ok, sometimes you just need to ask' Matt cut her off and grinned.
She stared into his eyes smiling. Emily loved his smile; it was comforting and reassuring.
She turned to survey the dark corridor, her face changing to a look of horror.
'Matt!' Emily yelled as she caught the creature in the corner of her eye heading towards them.
No longer having the element of surprise it launched itself at them mouth wide open and gills flared.
Matt protectively put his arm round Emily and pulled her to the side of him against the wall. She gasped as it skimmed past them. Matt then quickly shot it twice with his EMD. It lay limp in the water.
'What happened, I heard Emily yell?' Abby came running up. Swiftly followed by Connor.
Matt didn't have to say anything, as Abby shone the light round she saw the creature laying unconscious in the water. She rolled it over with her foot its beady eye covered with a translucent flap of skin.
'Ugly thing isn't it' Connor wrinkled up his nose as they all stared down slightly in shock at the creature and how well it had stalked them.
'Keep your eyes peeled and stay together ' Matt said, his heart still pumping.
These creatures were vicious, no wonder Jess and Becker had their backs turned on the heat sensor, they probably didn't even know it was there.
They headed on down the corridor until they came to the first locked door; although Jess had opened most of them some were only on a timer.
Connor went up to the door and fiddle with the keyboard; he pulled the front off and fiddled with a couple of the wires. It took about five minutes before he place the panel back on and entered the code. He held the door open with a huge grin on his face, his skills being admired.
'Good work' Matt ran off down the corridor followed by the others.
Becker gently sat Jess down on a chair in the medical room, she wrapped herself tighter into the Jacket, she had been curled up in Becker's arms trying to warm up as he carried her but the chill wouldn't leave her.
He rummaged through the cupboards till he found some surgical spirit, cotton wool and a bandage, turning back round he watched Jess as her whole body shook with the cold. He knew she need to get out of here and get dry, but there was nothing he could do, he felt useless, at least if he could clean her wound it would help.
Becker crouched down till he was level with her foot. It was covered in blood; slowly he soaked some cotton wool in the spirit and started to gently wipe it away from around the wound.
Jess watched in silence, it was strange to see his usually strong hands delicately tracing round the edges of the bites.
He looked up and smiled 'It's gonna sting, are you ready?'
'Yep' she clamped her eyes shut.
Becker brushed some freshly soaked cotton over the wound. He carried on slowly and gently washing the wound out. Jess gripped the edge of the chair hissing through her teeth as she tried not to pull her foot away from the pain.
'You alright?' he grinned as he saw her faced screwed up and her teeth chattering.
'Yeah, I'll be fine' she managed to reply through her quivering mouth.
'Worst bits over now' He picked up the bandage and began wrapping it round her foot.
Jess un-clamped her eyes and stared down at him blinking in the dim light. She felt a glow run through her as she watched his face full of concentration, wrapping the bandage and tying a small knot at the back. She shook once more as the glow faded away and she came back to the reality of the freezing cold.
'Thank you' She realised he cared, their friendship really did mean something to him after all. Though she wished it was something more than just friends.
Becker stood up, he hated watching her like this; shaking uncontrollably when there was nothing he could do, looking round he spied a couple of blanket on the hospital beds, he grabbed them both and wrapped them round her shoulders.
She looked up into his eyes as he came face to face with her they stared at each other for a few seconds before he moved away as she blushed and it became awkward. He grabbed two chairs from the sides of the beds trying to distract himself from thinking about what just happened, one he propped Jess's foot up on and the other he pulled round opposite and sat down, running his hand through his hair.
Staring back at her he watched as her body still shook violently, the wet curls clung to her face and her rosy lips now a pale pastel colour.
Not quite sure what to do, he slowly moved his chair next to her and sat down, he wasn't a hugging person, but this was different right, Jess was cold and obviously no amount of blankets were going to help that much? He thought to himself as he wrapped his arms round her. He was helping a friend in need. Thought he found that he wanted to hug Jess more than for just keeping her warm.
She nestled into his warm chest and he pulled the blankets tighter round her.
'They'll come for us Jess, I promise' He said it to comfort her but he needed to hear it aloud to persuade himself it was true as well.
The rest of the team had now reached the grating after opening another two doors, Connor felt extremely proud of his skills, just the grating to go and they could save them, and get somewhere dry, his legs were freezing!
The grating was going to be a little trickier but he had his screw driver with him and the front panel was off in a matter of seconds. He handed it to Abby making sure none of the buttons felt into the water. While Matt and Emily kept guard. They hadn't met any more creatures in the corridor but they weren't going to take the risk, these things were fast and seriously clever.
Connor pulled the wires aside to find the boards at the back.
'What?' he looked at it confused, 'How on earth did this happen?'
'The boards were bent over and sticking out, charred all over, they were well and truly fried.
'What's happened?' Abby moved from her lookout position to the side of Connor and look at the ruined boards.
'It's like someone's throw something big and heavy at it from the other side, and it's conducted the electricity through it, but how is that even possible?' Connor poked around inside before receiving a shock from an open wire.
'Ah' His hand flew back and he shook it before sucking it with this tongue to try and cool the burning sensation.
'You alright' Abby looked at him and he nodded.
'What's happen Connor?' Matt asked without turning from his position scanning the corridor for movement, EMD aimed.
'The whole thing is completely fried, I don't even know what could have done this'
'Can we still open it?' Abby asked desperately hoping another plan to rescue their team mates hadn't failed.
Connor pulled more carefully at the boards avoiding the exposed ends.
'No half of them has snapped we don't have the time for me to completely re build it.'
Abby turned away why was everything against them?! She threw the key pad into the water; the buttons tumbled out and sunk to the bottom.
She grabbed her EMD from Emily and headed off down the corridor.
'Abby!' Connor called 'Where you going?'
' I'm gonna get them out, there has to be another way in' She confidently called out heading further into the dark.
'Abby wait' Matt checked the corridors once more before grabbing Emily and heading down the corridor.
'Wait up, guys?' Connor sighed and headed down the corridor shining the light on the corners this time.