Hi. Here's the new chapter. Fun fact: I spent the whole time thinking I was writing a headcanon, then I realised that since Terminal's release, it's an AU now. Then I realised I altered the ending of Exposure, so it's always been an AU. Go me. And now, on with the story. This'll be a short one, and I don't own Virals.
This chapter would have been ready earlier, but the ebook for Terminal came out the day before yesterday and I had to read it twice. It is amazing. Oh my god, like seriously. Oh my god. I had to keep stopping and revelling in the amazingness of the book because it was just so fabulous I couldn't handle reading it all in one go. It's a truly brilliant book and the feels are incredible. There will be no spoilers in this story, at least not any time soon, and I'll let you know.
The hospital staff were just shooing the last visitors out of the doors as the Virals filed outside and trooped towards Ben's car. "My royal vehicle," Hi announced, rounding the corner in the parking lot. His shoulders sagged as the scratched blue paint came into view. "Or not."
"Don't know why you expected anything different," Shelton returned as he slipped into the passenger seat. Tory grinned and she clambered into the back seat with Hi. A sense of familiarity surrounded her. Although the clunker of a car was nothing like Sewee, and the bursts of static from the radio were a poor substitute for gusts of fresh sea air, just chilling with her friends was something Tory loved doing. Sure, she had just spent the last few hours trapped in a cell by a madman who had some sort of fetish for money, and sure, they had a little bit of a problem - wolf virus DNA sound familiar? - but before coming to Morris, she'd never really had friends. It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside to know that they had accepted her, despite being the only girl and the youngest and a redhead to boot, and had stuck with her even though she'd gotten them tangled in things o teenager should ever have to experience.
And now Tory knew she was going crazy, because she was feeling all gooey and sentimental over this bunch of clowns.
And yet, as they squabbled and fought and behaved like lunatics, a smile formed on Tory's face. It grew and grew and by the time they reached Morris and pulled to a halt outside the complex, a grin split her face and she radiated warmth.
A light rain began to patter as Tory, Hi and Shelton made their way into their respective houses and Ben reversed his car to drive back to Mt Pleasant. As he drove, Ben kept an eye out. He wasn't sure for what, exactly, but when he and Tory had seen Chance's car... it spooked him. Why was Chance following them this time? What did he know?
Mindlessly, Ben adjusted the radio, not really listening to it. He did notice, though, when it crackled into static then faded out completely. He wasn't even in a tunnel. Looking around warily, Ben slowed the car and pulled to a halt on the side of the road. This was not normal. True, his radio wasn't the fanciest, most expensive radio that ever belonged to one of Charleston's finest, blue-blooded families, but it still worked, and usually the static wasn't even that bad. It had never straight-up died before.
Ben tensed, alert. Something wasn't right.
His eyes widened, and he turned back to the wheel to drive again, but it was too late. The gleaming black BMW pulled to a halt behind the dinted old Ford, and two men piled out as the doors swung open. Ben felt a stab of panic - was he being abducted? - but underneath that was a blur of confusion. Neither of the men were Chance. In fact...
"Hawfield," Ben breathed, identifying one of the figures. How did he get out? It was a fairly pressing question, but Ben had other things to worry about. Namely, that Hawfield and the other guy had just forced open his car door. Rough hands grabbed at him, yanking Ben from the seat and whacking his head on the door frame as they hustled him out of the car and began to shove him towards the BMW.
Ben wrenched his arm out of Hawfield's grip. No. I will not be jerked around like a puppet. Ben called on the wolf inside, but it didn't emerge. Flare spent, Ben realised he'd be doing this the old fashioned way. His arm flailed and then focused on a target. His fist pummelled Hawfield's accomplice. Once. Twice. A third. The guy staggered and released Ben. He turned to Hawfield, prepared to pound his fist home. Stared straight down the barrel of a gun.
Ben stopped short. A gun was different. He couldn't flare - he'd have to wait until that weapon was gone. He raised his hands, palms out. A figurative white flag.
"Into the trunk, Blue," ordered Hawfield.
Ben nodded, expression surly, and started towards Chance's car. He snatched at the gun, and it fell to the ground. Ben lunged forward and began to grapple with Hawfield.
"Pick it up, Frank, you idiot!" Hawfield urged his accomplice.
"Wait, pick up what?"
"The gun! Idiot!"
Ben heard Frank going for the weapon. He lashed out a kick without looking, heard it connect.
"Agh!" Frank stumbled to the side and into Ben's field of vision, clutching at his face. Blood poured from his misshapen nose. Ben winced internally, although he didn't feel sorry for the thug. Ben had punched him in the face at least three times, then brutally kicked him in the same spot.
Serves him right, Ben thought grimly, struggling with Hawfield. He was strong, especially when flaring, but Hawfield was a full-grown, heavy set police officer. He had to weigh two hundred pounds, and not a lot of it was fat. And there were two of them, and there was a gun just lying there. Things weren't looking to good.
Ben cursed his traitorous thought. He'd gone and jinxed it now, if anything Hi and Shelton thought was to be believed. Sure enough, just as Ben ducked under a swing from Hawfield, Frank snagged the gun and pointed it at the two of them.
Hawfield backed up and dug in his coat pocket, drawing a knife. Both weapons pointed at Ben.
He raised his palms again. Defeat. For real this time.
Hawfield gestured to the trunk. "In you go."
I hope that satisfies you. I'm determined to finish this story, and I will. It'll be along time before the ending comes around, but I'd say we still have a fair few chapters between now and then, right?
Thanks for your support!