((Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride, or any of the characters in this book. They all still belong to James Patterson, well, they still did when I last checked. Enjoy!

But I do own the plots, so PLEASE respect this story and the author and don't steal the plot(s).))

Chapter 15: The School Goes Outback

"What gun does this come from?" Tara took it of me, wiping blood and my leg on to her singlet.

She turned it over a pulled out a chunk of flesh.

Ouch.

"It's an Styer bullet. Styers are used in the military. I'll fix up your leg if we have time. You don't want it to get infected out here." I nodded, even though I wasn't listening. I was concentrating on the sound of the Humvees, getting closer.

Shit, Damn, F-fudge. I pulled my shirt collar down as she looked around. Yep, it had gone right through, leaving a rough hole in my shoulder. That'll leave a scar. I pushed my hand into it to try and stem the bleeding. I took off my jumper and I thought I saw Tara looking hopeful.

I frowned to myself as I cut up strips. I tided one tightly around me leg, then made two long ones for my shoulder. Trying not to look at the hole, I strapped my shoulder and put my shirt on just as the first humvee pulled into the clearing by the rocks.

"Come on! Are you ok?" I shoved the rest of my jumper into my bag as I ran, swooping up Tara on my way. I was still faster then she'll ever be even with my injuries.

I heard a gun cock and I turned to the left, behind the rocks. I needed to fly. I needed to get out of here.

"Tara, you don't want to disappoint your mother now do you? These kids are dangerous Tara, they'll kill you." Tara turned to me.

"Will you kill me?" Right out, just like that. I sort of admired that.

"I'm not hungry at the moment, so no." I tried a grin through the pain. She got it.

"Looks like you're wrong again Anne. To bad." Then I realized that she was stalling us. I grabbed Tara, who hadn't complained once about me grabbing her roughly like a sack of potatoes.

I took off, just as a net surrounded us, pulling me back down to earth. Which I hit with a thud. The pain in my shoulder and leg was killing me. It was too much. My body seemed to thing so too. The last thing I was Tara kicking a Whitecoat where it hurt. Then everything went black.

I woke strapped to a steel table, tubes and things hooked up to me. Tubes were sticking into my wrists, arms and stomach. My shoulder and leg was bandaged tightly. I could hear a faint beep, but everything was still fuzzy and distant.

There was only one place in the whole of the sad, pathetic world I lived in that I could be at.

The School.

When my eyes adjusted I looked around. I found I wasn't wearing a shirt. There where heaps of scratches on my stomach, my arms and legs. I bet there where a few on my face as well.

Then I saw her on the table a few over. She was badly beaten up. Bruised, bleeding, scratched up. Her ankle was bandaged along with her arm, which was in a sling. She was also strapped down, but had no tubes. I felt sick. Was this my fault. Yes, it was. You're an idiot Fang. I told myself what I all ready knew.

I tried pulling my hand up but it was no good.

Tara's face was bruised badly. She had a deep gash on her check and one on her arm. She looked really bad. Her heart monitor was on, but it was slow and uneven. Her face was still splattered in my blood.

I turned around, not wanting to see what I'd done any longer. I turned my head and looked right into my own eyes. There was a huge mirror placed on the other side of the white room. The other beds were empty. The last time I had come here, the flock were with me. I hope they were ok. And that Max didn't do anything stupid, like try and save me. I was a big boy, I could

do it myself.

My reflection in the mirror was hideous, no other word for it. I had a bad bruise on one eye and a cut across the other. My lip was split and swollen. I had a lot of little cuts and grazes everywhere. My face was covered in dry blood. I bit my lip. Which hurt.

So my face wasn't a bunch of flowers. Yay for the Whitecoats. They destroyed my love life. Yay for them.

The door at the far of the room opened and Jeb and Anne Walker came in.

"Ah, wake?" I glared at them. Jeb walked over to Tara. He ran his hand down her face then tuned and typed something into the computer by her side.

"Leave her alone. It's me you want." Jeb looked up.

"Yes, we do want you. But she'll be our first test dummy." I glared at him, hard. Full of hate and loathing. I saw something flicker in his eyes.

"So, where's Max? And the flock?" He tried to sound casual but I could see past that.

"She's dead. They all are." I saw rage flicker in Jeb's eyes.

"What!" This was going to be fun.

"Max is dead."

"How?" I made an explosion noise.

"Your stupid Easers blew her up. Left me with nothing." Jeb stood up and walked over to me.

"You better not be lying to me boy!" His hand found my neck and he squeezed. Anne Walker came to his side.

"Jeb don't. If he is telling the truth, then he's the last one. If you kill him now, we're screwed." My hands were trying to get to my neck, but it wasn't working. He let go and stood back.

"Sorry." He sat down at the chair by my bed.

"They were meant to bring her to me, not blow her up."

"Maybe they…rebelled? It's possible." Jeb nodded looking around.

"That's it. Turn it off."

"What! Jeb, we can't!"

"Turn. It. Off."

"NO! I will not kill this boy!" I stared at Anne Walker. The same women that had tried to kill me and the flock, how many times? What was she doing? Jeb started at her, then sighed.

"Your right. I need to do more tests first. Then get rid of it." He left the room, leaving heavy silence. Anne started at me, then moved forward.

"I'm sorry Nick. Really, I am. I can't imagine how painful it is for you. I lost my sister to science. And my father." She lowered her voice. She was telling the truth: no doubt about it. Did she know I was lying? I didn't say anything.

"I'll get you out of there." She lent forward, brushed my hair from my face and kissed my forehead. Stunned, I watched her leave.

"Oh, my head!" I woke to Tara's soft voice echoing around the room. I looked up at her, sleepy.

"Oh my goodness Fang, you look really bad! Sorry." I nodded and looked towards the mirror. She followed my gaze. She gasped. I watched her face in the mirror. She looked horrified.

"How long was I out for?" I tried to shrug.

"Don't know. Me?" My voice was still thick from the split lip.

"About 4 and a half days." I blinked. Wow, almost a week. The door opened and Anne Walker entered alone. Something was wrong. On one ever came in here alone.

"Hello Tara. How are you? Fang?" I nodded, watching her every move. She stopped between Tara's bed and mine, unsure of herself.

"Go awa-"

"Shhh!" Anne hissed at her, looking around.

She walked over to Tara and undid her restraints.

My wides widened. She was serious about that? I thought she was leading me on.

Crap! Anne and Tara walked over quikly and did mine. I slide of the table, and fell on to the floor.

"Owch!" I said, through my lip. Which was worse from me bitting on it during my sleep. I looked down at my leg as I pulled myself up.

Tara and Anne were by my side, helping me through the door.

"I'm going to take you to the observation deck. There's a massive window that I've opened for you. Don't worry, I've closed it to 'matence.'" She made air quotes with her spare hand.

Tara limping next to me, holding me up on my left side, Mrs. Walker on my right, also holding me up. Hopping between them, both arms, desite my shoulder, around their shoulders.

I had to trust Anne Walker. I needed to. For once in my life I had to trust the person I was running from. Her life was, as much as I hated it, in her hands.

We hobbled down the hallway, stopping every now and then. I was losing strength fast. Tara was also losing any strength she had left. Anne grabbed my pack off a trolley on the way past. We stopped into a room filled with medicine supplies.

She loaded the pack with everything Tara and I needed, and took some crutches. Stupid things. Tara took one and Anne took the other as we continued on our way.

"So, why are you helping us?" I asked Mrs. Walker, watching her for any lies.