Hey guys!! Here is the latest installment! Thank you for reading all this!! Stay tuned for some cool things. There series is nowhere near done (I feel the need to mention this, because it sounds like it'll be over soon at the end of this chapter). So stay tuned and please review!! It's nice to read through what everyone thinks. Constructive criticism is always welcome :D
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Her head felt groggy as she woke up to the blinding light. Starring at her were five doctors. None of whom she recognized except for Hei-sensei. They peered down at her as she sat up. Yasmine was dressed in a hospital gown and her lower back was throbbing with pain. She winced as she tried to get comfortable.
"Does it hurt?" asked one of the doctors.
"Yeah, what did you do exactly?"
"Lumbar puncture, to see if you carried any neurotoxins we should be aware of. We also ran a few other tests to get started and prep you for surgery."
Crap. She hadn't thought they were going to go so far while she was unconscious.
As the doctors surrounded her, she could tell she was in trouble. "Imagine our surprise when we found your heart was completely normal and healthy."
"It's a miracle. I'm cured." Yasmine piped in sarcastically.
"If only miracles came across so easily."
"Now the question is what should we do with you now."
"You could let me go. I won't tell anyone, I swear." The sarcasm flowed out of her. It was probably not the best strategy, but she couldn't think of anything else.
"I think that's a risk we can't afford to take. But don't worry, we have a plan for you. Just imagine, you'll be part of creating the greater good. You heart can go to our client in Hong Kong, kidneys to the American, and your liver to a lady in Bankok. I'm sure we can find uses for your other organs as well. See how many lives you're saving?" Said the 4th doctor.
"Whatever you have to tell yourselves to sleep at night, huh?" She was beginning to panic now. She knew sudden movements weren't going to help. Though she was trained in many martial arts, with her back slowing her down the way it hurt, it would be impossible for her to take on all five of these doctors. She'd have to think of another way and take her first opportunity to escape.
Her thoughts didn't go much further because in a fraction of a second she found herself reeling in a corner of the room, having been thrown by some force she had not seen earlier. Paralyzed by pain, she gasped to catch her breath and looked up only to see a massive man standing over her. He must have concealed himself in the shadows behind her. She felt all her energy leave her as he effortlessly picked her up and threw her on the stretcher and strapped her in.
"NO! No! Stop, you can't!" Yasmine's hope of escape kept dropping further and further down the meter. Now not only was she paralyzed by the fear and pain, but also by the intense memories of her younger years as the came flooding back. She could almost feel the metal shackles that had once bound her and the eerie quiet of the cellar. "DON'T DO THIS!!!! YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!" she screamed, tears now streaming down her face.
"Famous last words." Spoke one of the five doctors.
"Let me go! LET ME GO!"
"Save your breath no one can hear you."
After successfully strapping her in, all five and the larger man left the room to prep themselves to harvest Yasmine's organs.
Breathing heavily, she forced her mind to focus on a spot on the wall to keep from having a breakdown. No matter how tough she was, being imprisoned was her worst fear come to life. She struggled against the leather belts that held her only to realize that she wasn't going anywhere.
Breathing evenly now, she continued to struggle and realized the actual stretcher was fairly weak. Beside her were some surgical instruments. She rocked the stretcher side to side, hoping to tip herself towards the instruments. Finally, with tremendous effort, she managed to fall to the side, and came crashing down right onto the scalpel, her shoulder meeting with the hard cement. She hadn't taken the fall into account.
Her adrenaline was kicking in so much that she didn't even realize the scalpel had pierced the side of her thigh and that blood was slowly tricking down. Only when she stopped to look did she realize she'd been cut and noticed the pain it was causing her. She reached with her hand to try and grab hold of the scalpel, only to lightly brush it. With a thrust downward, she managed to grab hold and pull it upwards. She grunted in pain as the scalpel was still stuck in thigh and she'd only managed to make it worse by cutting herself upwards. Taking a moment to rest, she pulled it out and slowly started to work on the leather binds.
After a good 15 minutes she freed her left hand. Placing the knife within hands reach, she freed her other hand and subsequently got out. Straightening up, she pocketed the scalpel and for the first time took in the details of the room she was confined in.
She was most likely underground. Her clothes and bag were off to the side. Looking through her belongings, she noticed the GPS was still on and working. Good, she thought. Ryosuke'll figure it out.
She grabbed her clothes only to realize they were cut open, probably to change her. She was going to be stuck wearing the hospital gown with her back exposed.
She pulled on the door, only to find it locked. Looking around, she noticed there weren't any windows and the vents were too tiny to fit through. She'd have to pick the lock. She got to work and after a few minutes heard a little click that told her she was in the clear. She opened the door slightly, and peaked outside. She was now in a long narrow hallway with multiple doors attached. Still unable to move very well, she clutched the wall beside her and began heading towards a central hallway. If she could find a main computer system, she could hack into their main server, get a list of their clients, activities, and doctors involved. She'd also be able to find a blueprint of this facility and locate where they held their victims. Walking a little quicker now, she passed a few rooms. They all looked similar to the one she's been in, however, majority of them were empty.
After a while, she hit a lab with multiple computers and desks. She sat down at one and began to type and hack into the main system. She had to be discrete as it was likely they'd find a leak and notice. Finding what she was looking for, she ruffled through her bag, found her tiny camera and furiously clicked pictures of the screen. Logging out of the system, she headed down a hallway and to the room that would lead her to Hikaru-kun if he were still okay.
Finally she reached the chamber he was being held in. Unfortunately 2 guards were blocking the path and one of them was the massive guy from before. Suddenly, the alarm system went off, and the blaring siren screamed in her ears. Dammit! They found out I escaped.
She had to act quickly. One of the guards left to find a superior and the massive man stayed behind. No choice, she'd have to knock him out. Counting to three, she lunged from her corner, and using the element of surprise landed a solid roundhouse on his face. Bulky as he was, however, it did little good. She'd use the scalpel only if she needed it. Blocking his punch, he grabbed her arm, twisted it and she felt the joint crack painfully. Twisting out of his grip, she managed to rotate to face him tried to aim for his temple or neck, both tasks that seemed impossible.
Deciding this wasn't helping, she pulled out the scalpel and stabbed his chest. Kicking him backward, he crashed through the light door. Taking advantage of his stupor, she snuck around behind him and choked him with her gown. Falling to the floor, she made sure to check him out. He was unconscious, the scalpel had only torn through muscle. Looking around, she saw a frightened looking Hikaru, tears staining his glowing face, and purple bruises erupting from his arms and legs. He scrambled to his feet and the two hugged each other tightly, neither willing to let the other go.
Separating, she realized the alarm was still blaring and that they had to get out of here quickly. Looking around, she noticed another three kids, wide eyed and frightened, huddled around a middle-aged woman. "Come on, we're getting out now!" She said to all of them.
"Thank you." The woman whispered as Yasmine helped her up. The two of them and four kids ran down the corridor. Suddenly, the older woman stopped. "Do you smell that?"
Noticing for the first time, Yasmine smelled smoke.
"-mine…" She heard a voice. "Yasmine!" She turned around and there Hikaru-kun was. He'd finally managed to speak. It touched her that he'd spoken her name first. Looking at where he was pointing, she saw a quickly spreading fire.
"RUN!" She yelled. All 6 six headed turned a hallway, climbed a few stairs. The exits on the blue print she'd taken photos of were blocked by the fire and there was no way she was going to be able to transport 4 children through it. They headed to the upper floors and having an idea, she urged everyone into a room that hadn't been touched by the fire yet. She'd only seen this in movies, but she hoped it would work. Kicking the locked window open, she ran out of the room, and came back with a few bed sheets. Catching on, the two women worked together to tie them together. Tying one end to the doorknob, and letting the other through the window, they were ready to escape.
"Alright kids, you're going to go with auntie-"
"Mizu"
"Auntie Mizu, here." Yasmine pointed to the youngest one. She placed the child on Mizu's back, who then grabbed hold of the sheets and started to descend downwards. Reaching the ground, Misu waited for the others.
"Onee-chan. My sister and I can climb down by ourselves. We used to do this to sneak out to our cousin's all the time!" Said the oldest looking boy. The two siblings only looked a year apart and seemed to know what they were doing. So that solved that problem. The children took longer to get down.
"Hurry, the fires getting closer!" Yasmine yelled out the window. She felt bad rushing them but at this rate they were going to be toast.
"Onee-san" she heard Hikaru.
"Looking around, she saw the fire slowly enter the room. Quickly it spread to the bed. The kids had reached the bottom. Great, now she could take Hikaru down on her back. As she was about to head towards the window, there was sudden roar and the fire lept towards them. She knew she didn't have much time. "HOLD ON HIKARU!!" She yelled through fire, her eyes stinging and voice cracking.
She lept out the window through the fire and while they were falling, she grabbed the sheets with both hands. Ignoring the rope burn she was getting and the cracked elbow screaming, she slowed down the fall and hop down fairly quickly.
"Everyone okay?" She asked catching her breath.
"Where did that fire come from?" Asked Mizu.
"They figured they'd probably never catch us in this maze. They must've escaped and torched the place to erase all the evidence."
"We better get going."
They were about to run across the field when they heard the roar of an engine getting closer. Yasmine tensed up getting ready to dodge if she had to. Turning around, relief washed through her as she saw her own car speeding towards her. Pulling to a stop, he stepped out. Yasmine and Ryosuke just looked at each other. His expressions changed from fury to relief so fast Yasmine actually chuckled.
Softening up, he stepped forward and gathered her in his arms. Surprised and tired, she actually leaning into his chest and nestled closer.
"I didn't think you'd die so easily."
Coming to her sense, she pushed him away awkwardly. "We need to get them home." Looking around, she saw five faces blushing at the display of affection. "Anyways, guys, just get in."
They crammed themselves into the car and headed home, Yasmine's adrenaline rush coming to an end and the feeling coming back to her back, leg, arm, and hands.