"Come on, Audrey, focus," Davenport instructs. My teeth grind together as I concentrate on the wall before me. All I need to do is walk through it. Simple enough, right? "Your chip has this registered as one of your bionics and I need to see you do it before running tests," he continues.
"All right!" I snap. "I get it! Now be quiet." Not sure how to do this exactly, I decide to wing it. Closing my eyes I take a step forward, imagining my body dissolving and reappearing on the other side. I walk forward again and again. After five steps I crack open one eye. And I am standing on the other side of the brick wall.
"You did it! That was incredible!" Mr. Davenport congratulates and types something down. I feel good with myself. Suddenly the mission alarm goes off. Davenport rushes to a microphone and mutters into it, listens to the crackling response. Leo leaps into the lab and hurries to a screen, intensely focusing on whatever it is displayed. Within a minute Adam, Bree, Chase and Leo are all assembled in the lab.
Davenport comes up to us. "A cruise ship crashed just offshore; the crew didn't see the rocks through the fog."
"The Titanic all over again!" Adam interjects.
Davenport continues as though Adam said nothing. "The life boats are having trouble reaching shore with the storm that is rolling in. Chase, I sent the coordinates to your chip. Everyone suit up." They hurry to their capsules and change. "Audrey, I think you are ready to go on this mission."
My head jerks up. "What? Really?" He pulls a mission suit out from under the cyber desk and tosses it to me. It is the same material as the others' and similar in design to Bree's in the way it hugs my frame but with a few slight modifications. I pull it on and it fits perfectly. The lace-up boots rise nearly to my knees. I instantly love my mission suit.
"Quit ogling over it and come on," Adam urges. I grab hold of Bree and she super speeds us out of the house and to the coast.
The rain is only a light drizzle now. We reach the cliffs overlooking the location on Chase's chip. The remains of the broken ship are about half a mile out to sea. A few lingering lifeboats bob in the water heading in our direction. A small twisting trail winds down to a small stretch of beach and the turbulent waters below. This seems the fastest way down. The emergency response vehicles have the highway partitioned off behind us but anyone over there must cross the long stretch of thick sand.
Bree turns to me. "Are you up to this?"
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I am terrified right now. But I want to help. This is what I've been training for, isn't it?" She smiles and speeds down the trail. The rest of us follow. Rescue teams are here but having a difficult time reaching the victims. All I can do at the current moment is focus on not falling to my death by slipping off the slick path.
Adam splashes into the shallows and begins swimming to the ship to check nobody is trapped there. Bree assures me his pressurized lung capacity enables him to breathe under water. Chase wades in and drags the boats ashore as they approach. Bree and I help the people out and carry the injured or too stunned to the rescue teams. The children and severely injured are number one priority. It takes time but eventually everyone is accounted for. We carry the last few people to the firefighters and police officers.
I am depositing the two little girls in my arms into the care of the officials while Chase speaks with the chief officer. I spin around when Bree exclaims, "There's someone in the water!" In the choppy water a person is screaming and waving their arms frantically. They are too far out to make it to shore alone. A wave engulfs them and their head goes under.
"We have to do something!" I make to leap off the cliff. Chase grabs my arm.
"What do you think you're doing? Let Adam go; he can breathe underwater and battle the waves."
"There's no time to wait for Adam to get back! If we do nothing, that man will die and his blood will be on our hands. I am not going to let that happen."
I glance at Bree and she nods encouragingly. Taking a deep breath I dive off the edge of the outcropping as far as I can. Chase reaches for me but is half a second too late.
I left my stomach at the top. The wind feels as though it will rip the skin from my face. At the last second I remember to exhale as I plummet into the water. For a moment I am suspended, stunned, and the current sweeps me up. When my head breaks the surface I spin in a circle treading water.
"Help!" The man yells a few yards to my right. I swim over and wrap an arm around him.
"It's alright, I'm going to get you outta here," I gasp and begin dragging us both, using the jutting rocks as a landmark. They loom over us, waves crashing against their side. I call for Adam, my voice catching in the wind and being blown away.
Just when I begin to think he cannot hear me, his head appears over the crest. I expected him to still be in the water. Spotting us, he runs down the slippery surface. He grabs the man from me and pulls him to safety. My arms shake as I try to find passage on the rocks.
"Let me help you!" Adam yells.
I shake my head. "No, get him out of here! I'll be okay!" His expression seems like he wants to argue, but even Adam understands the civilians are our first priority. I am watching the two of them, so the wave that bashes into me from behind escapes my notice until it is too late.
In an instant I am sucked under, tumbling head-over-heel. Eddies tumble me every which way until I do not know which way is up and which way is down. Water fills my lungs and all I can see are bubbles. My head slams into the rocks, shooting pain consuming me. This is where I will die. At least I get to die doing something noble. Hey, maybe they'll even erect a statue of me. Davenport would be so jealous, I think. The thought sends a jolt through me. I do not want to die yet. Pulling from reserves I was not aware were available, I kick. This may or may not be the right way, but at least I'll go down swinging.
By some miracle my head resurfaces. I cough, swinging around for any sign of something that will help. I want to cry upon seeing Adam swimming out to me. He draws me to his chest and holds me tightly. My feeble arms wrap around his neck as we begin the journey back to shore.
It takes a long time until he is able to stand in the shallows. It probably only took a few minutes, but to me more like an hour. But Adam never once faltered or let our heads be submerged. He gathers me into his arms and hurries to where the others are gathering. I cling to him, face buried in his shoulder. Somebody tries prying my arms away but I fight back, shrinking into my lifeline.
"Audrey, you're kind of choking me right now," Adam groans in my ear. Gradually my grip loosens and he sits back rubbing his neck.
Bree's anxious face hovers over me. "Audrey, are you okay?" I promptly roll onto all fours and retch onto the sand. It is astounding how much water I swallowed.
When nothing comes up anymore I shakily stand. Bree is ready to catch me if I fall, even though I assure her I am fine. "Where are the people? Are they alive?" I ask, suddenly remembering.
"Yes, thanks to you," Chase answers, nearly toppling me with a bear hug. I don't mind, though: he is warm and supports me when my legs give out. Leaning back a bit, he surveys me. "What were you thinking? You brave, stupid, reckless girl?"
"Not everyone is as smart as you," I counter though chattering teeth.
"She's freezing. Bree, go get some blankets from the paramedics for her and Adam." She nods and speeds off to the flashing lights parked alongside the highway about a quarter mile away. His attention refocuses on me. I wince when he runs a hand on my hair. Frowning, Chase turns me around to examine the back of my head where it hit the rocks. He sighs, "What are we going to do with you?"
The paramedics bandage me up. I have a nasty gash on the back of my head they insist need stitches, so I get a nice trip to the hospital in the back of an ambulance. The attention is a bit embarrassing but they insist I need it as well as deserve it for being the hero I was. I don't feel that heroic after throwing up, though.
Bree and Chase argue who should ride with me until I settle it by appointing Adam.
As we bump down the road I squeeze his hand. "Thank you."
He smiles, "no problem. If you had died I would have a really hard time sleeping tonight because of Chase's crying."