*** 3 – Not So Alone ***

Liz woke up with a pounding headache. Groaning softly, she raised her hand to the back of her head, where she felt the goose-egg sized lump left by her adventure down to the boiler room. She laid on the floor for a few moments as the events that transpired before her journey into slumber came back into her memory banks. Still in pain, but knowing she couldn't lie there forever, Liz slowly tried to sit up. As she did, she felt warm hands on her back, helping her.

"Thank Merlin, she's awake!" a female voice whispered with a touch of a French accent.

"I wasn't sure she was going to wake up, that bump looked like it was a good bludger hit," said a male in the room, German creeping into his vocals.

"She must be a tough one," commented a British male from behind her. "She was only out for an hour after they brought her in here."

Liz finally found the strength to open her eyes, and take in the people around her. Once the blurriness left her vision, she was able to see them clearly.

The French woman who had spoken was very slim with blue eyes and white blonde hair. She wore a set of what looked like white hospital scrubs, but Liz could see the bruises on her arms, and the gauntness of her face. This woman looked like she hadn't eaten in weeks.

The man next to her had more meat on his bones, but even he looked half-starved in his scrubs. Liz assumed him to be the German man, and he had short brown hair, and amber eyes that were incredibly dull. What had happened to him to make them lose the sparkle of life, Liz wondered.

She couldn't directly see the British man that was currently supporting her back and holding her up, but a glance around their stark surroundings revealed a window in front of her, and Liz caught sight of his reflection. He looked the worst out of them all, fairly skinny with very little muscle, yet Liz strangely felt much strength in his grasp. His raven black hair hung down to his shoulders, hiding his eyes, but when he moved, Liz caught the brightest blue she had ever seen. In the dim reflection, Liz could also see the dirt on his scrubs, and the dark bruises on his arms. As she gazed into the reflection of the window, she noticed her own. She was pale, much paler than she had ever seen herself, and she was also in a pair of fresh, white scrubs.

"Where am I?" she whispered, her voice cracking.

The British man behind her, gently leaned her back, and tipped something towards her lips. "Here, drink this," he said in the softest voice. "It'll help."

A glance at the French woman and the German man assured her that his intentions were noble, and she closed her eyes as she felt cool water slide into her mouth. She'd never tasted anything so wonderful in her life. As he pulled the water back, she opened her eyes and gave him a grateful smile.

"You had us all quite worried my dear. You did not look like you were in a good way when they brought you in here," the French woman said, taking Liz's hand.

"What happened to me?" Liz inquired. "The last thing I remember is being down in the boiler room, and – "

"Oh my, that's not something anyone wants to see," the German man admitted, shaking his head.

"Where are we?"

It was the man behind her who answered her query. "We're in some kind of holding facility. None of us know what we were brought here for, and no one will talk to us."

"How long have you been in here for?"

"Angelique here has been a resident for almost a month now, and Gustav has been here for about two weeks, I would assume."

"And what about you?" Liz asked, turning so she could actually see the man behind her.

The dark hair shielded his expression from her view. "Four months."

Liz gasped in horror. "Four months? And no one has told you why?"

The man shook his head sadly. "I was only brought into this cell a few hours ago. I was in another before…"

"Before what, Blake?" Angelique asked, placing her free hand on the man's arm.

"I'm not sure what happened to the people I was in the cell with, but they'd been here longer that I."

Silence permeated the room as they all took in what this might mean.

"What's your name, dear?" Gustav was trying to lighten the seriousness of the situation with his tone, but it made little difference.

"Liz. And I think I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Whatever do you mean?" Angelique again. She seemed very inquisitive.

"Are we in the same building as the boiler room I saw?" Liz asked them. Angelique nodded, and Liz shook her head. "This is my old elementary school. I came in here looking for shelter from a horrendous rain storm, and could hear a scratching sound. I followed it down to the boiler room where I was knocked out."

"That does sound like a case of wrong place, wrong time," Gustav admitted. "Unfortunately, you must be on their list, otherwise they would have tossed you out back into the storm."

"The storm was gone by the time I got to the boiler room," Liz admitted. "I peeked out a cracked board in a classroom window and saw the sun out again."

"Did the storm come up out of nowhere, and was really bad?" Blake asked. Liz nodded in reply. "Sounds like how I got in here," Blake finished. "Except they got me as soon as I walked in the door."

"They took me from my home," Angelique admitted. "I had just sent my children off to school. If they'd stayed a few moments longer…" she lowered her head and covered her face with her hands.

Gustav reached out and stroked her back comfortingly. "They got me as I was leaving work. I had stayed late to work on a new ministry policy when they came into my office."

Liz looked around at these poor people, not knowing what to say or do. "Have they spoken to any of you?"

"Only to tell us which of us they're taking for tests," Blake replied bitterly.

"Tests?" Liz asked, fear creeping into her voice. "What kind of tests?"

"See, that's the scariest part," Gustav answered. "We come back and we have no memory of what they did."

"Just bruises." Angelique was fingering a black mark on her upper arm that looked like it was from a type of restraint.

"Do they not feed you?" Liz demanded.

"Crusts of bread and water. Sometimes we get moldy cheese too, but that's all." Gustav held his stomach gingerly.

"They do take us out for meal times," Blake admitted. "But we're just put into a different cell where there's food, and then moved back shortly thereafter."

"It's like we're animals," Angelique whispered before dissolving into tears. Gustav pulled her close, and held her as she cried, whispering softly to her.

Liz felt tears sting her eyes, and backhanded them before they got out of control. She turned to face Blake, her eyes blazing with determination. "I won't stay here like an animal. There must be something we can do!" she quietly insisted.

Blake lowered his face to her ear and whispered softly. "I've been studying this place for the four months I've been in here. I think I know a way to get us out, but I can't do it alone. And I'm not sure if those two would make it."

"What do you mean?"

"They're too defeated. It's almost as if they have no will to survive."

"But I'm sure if they had the opportunity, they would."

Blake shrugged his shoulders, and Liz could feel the movement with their close proximity. "Maybe. I need to refine the plan before I can say for certain if it would work."

Liz looked up at him, her eyes hard. "How can I help?"