A/N: Here ya go, an extra nice 1000 word chapter to make up for my lack of updating. I got back from vacation a day early so I decided to update. Enjoy and PLEASE review.

Chapter 12

Elena didn't know what to say, that really had been the last thing she'd expected to hear. Why had Reno wasted so much time in telling her such a serious thing? Maybe he wasn't being serious… or exaggerating… Elena was trying to convince herself of anything that meant Reno would pull through.

"A-are you serious?" The blond finally stuttered.

Reno sighed and shook his head dejectedly. "That's what they want."

"H-how do y-you know?" Elena asked.

"They told me… I don't know why…" Reno told her. What amazed Elena most was how he seemed perfectly calm about it.

"Reno… I won't let you die…" Elena said. It was a hopeless promise that meant nothing. She knew herself how much trouble they were in, and even if the Shiso didn't kill Reno, he would surely die of starvation or dehydration. "By the way… here."

She slid a small bowl-shaped object over to Reno, who took it gratefully. During one of Elena's lonely periods when Rei took Reno, she had hollowed out a soft rock in which she hoped to collect water in from a leak in the roof. It had worked to an effect, except she hadn't been able to collect very much at one time. Reno drained the water quickly.

"Thanks." He said. Elena was happy to hear his voice sounded a little clearer after his water. "And… I know you won't."

"Huh?"

"I know you won't let me die." Reno smiled one of those smiles that made Elena shiver knowing how much she was letting him down. It was rare that she saw that smile; it wasn't evil, or sarcastic… it was just a genuine, trusting smile. "I'm countin' on you 'Lena."

Those were the words she had been dreading hearing. She hated knowing that Reno's only chance of survival was resting on her shoulders. She'd never been so responsible for anyone before.

"Reno… you know I'm no good to help you…" Elena muttered. "I'm not a good enough Turk."

"Yes, you are." Reno smiled again and put his hand in the pocket of his trousers and pulled something out. "Here." He pressed the item into her hand.

"Wha-?" Elena opened her hand to see a key. "How?"

"They underestimate me… and so do you." Reno smirked. "I stole it from Rei."

"Well… come on." Elena said, her heart pounding. "Let's get out of here."

"No 'Lena." Reno said commandingly. "Think about it. It would be slow, 'cause let's face it, I'm not in the best state, and we'd be caught."

"So what are you suggesting?" Elena asked, already dreading the answer.

"That's why I'm countin' on you." Reno smiled yet again. "I want you to sneak out, and find out what's goin' on. Then we should be able to figure out the best time to escape."

"You mean… find out what they're planning to do to you?" the blond asked.

"If ya like… we just need to find a weak spot if ya know what I mean." Reno explained. "I know you can do it."

"Yeah… I can." Elena said determinedly. She would not let Reno down. "When should I go?"

"Now."

'First thing's first…' Elena thought to herself as she made sure the cell door was tightly locked; she couldn't make anything look suspicious, and as long as she remembered that, she'd be fine. She found herself in a small but wide passageway, made entirely of bricks. There was no door to the outside, but it was all open to the elements, so there was no problem in finding the way out.

It was dark outside, with a glowing silver moon. It was quite a beautiful sight; partly because that was the first time she'd been out of that cell in quite a few days. She shook her head and tried to ignore her surroundings, and concentrate on what she had to do. Everything looked clear, so she headed forwards, keeping close the wall of the building next to her. Every footstep made her heart leap as she heard the crunching of stones below her, and every now and then, she stopped, just to listen out for anyone following her.

As she got to the end of the wall, she was forced to walk in amongst a mass of trees. She didn't really like it, but at least she could make sure she wasn't seen. She could just make out in the foggy distance a fairly large hut, with the flickering light of fire nearby. Maybe she would get some clue from that…

Every now and then, she was forced to walk further into the trees, to conceal herself more. For some reason, during these brief periods of concealment, all sound seemed to be cut off, and she could hear nothing. However, the closer she got to the large hut, the surer she was that she could hear voices. Her heart sped up, even though she was certain the voices were coming from the hut and she knew she wasn't being followed.

Elena stopped walking completely and examined her position. She was about 10 paces away from the hut, and couldn't quite hear what the voices were saying. The trees she was hiding in went all the way around the back of the hut, so it would be quite easy to hide herself if she wanted to listen to what the Shiso inside were saying. It didn't take her long to make a decision; she had to do everything she possibly could, as she was Reno's only hope.