Chapter 87

Cracks

Detrikov sat in the holding cell, deep in thought. He wasn't worried about the fact he was in the holding cell; that would be solved soon, but he was worried about the creeping feeling crawling up his body. He couldn't place what the feeling were, but it was bordering on actually hurting him. Detrikov knew it had something to do with the blackouts though, it had to be. Not knowing what he was doing, and with reports that he was often covered in dust or other stuff, Detrikov was extremely worried. Why was he blacking out? He had had no black-outs before in his life. Perhaps it was a side effect of the hypnotism, and that worried Detrikov even more.

Could he… am I still under his influence?

Detrikov looked down to his lack of a hand and dismissed the thought. When he had cut off the lower arm, he had remembered the orders Myers had given and as a result made them useless. Now he knew about it, he wouldn't do it.

So why am I blacking out?

"Well, you look in a bind."

Detrikov looked up to the bars, looking for the origin of the voice, but no-one was standing there.

"Up here."

Turning around, Detrikov looked to the barred window to see a familiar grinning face. "Joshua?" Detrikov questioned, surprised.

"The one and only. So what the heck are you doing in a cell?" Joshua raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"

"This isn't important." Detrikov said, crossing his arms. "I'll get of here soon; my friends will make sure of that."

"Of course. The old 'fake documents', eh?" Joshua laughed. "I guess it has something to do with you being completely illegal."

"Yeah…" Detrikov sighed.

"What else is bothering you?" Joshua questioned. "Because it must be something big. The Detrikov I knew was an emotionless bastard… no offence. I appreciate Fisk's death must have shook you but still…"

For a moment, Detrikov considered telling Joshua about the black-outs and something told him that he should. But something else, a small voice, also told him not to. Ultimately the smaller voice won out and Detrikov shook his head. "No, just thinking is all."

"Ah." Joshua tapped the bars in a faint tune. "So, where're the survivors?"

"Separated." Detrikov shrugged. "They… they are verging on completely breaking Joshua. They figure you're dead."

"Dead?" Joshua raised an eyebrow.

"Well, after your mother and your disappearance, there was a heavy chance that you died somewhere in the forest."

"Huh. Well, I'm still kicking." Joshua faltered for only a second at the mention of his mother. "So when are you planning to get out?"

"Give it two hours or so, why?"

Joshua leaned forward, his face pressing lightly against the bars. "I have a plan."

"A plan…" Detrikov asked wearily. "Plan's seem very… well, wrong lately."

"We got to try, and try I will. Besides, Fisk isn't known to be wrong, so his theory must have some truth in it." Joshua took a breath. "Look, I'm going to try and find the other survivors. Do they still have the walkie-talkie's?"

Detrikov shook his head. "I don't think so. The majority of them left them in the room when it was blown up."

Joshua cocked his head ever so slightly at the choice of Detrikov's words. "Well, I'll have to do it the hard way then. Anyway, I'll get in contact with you when I've found them. I'll arrange a meeting spot and then I'll tell you all my plan."

"Is it a good one?" Detrikov asked.

"It's a risky one, but I hope to all hell it works. In theory… well, Fisk's theory, it should work." Joshua shrugged. "Have fun in your cell, at least you're safe, huh. See you." With that, Joshua pushed himself up and left the window, leaving Detrikov to go back into his thoughts.

"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" David repeatedly smacked his hand into the table at every expletive, sending vibrations through the wood and shaking it. He curled his hand into a fist and slammed it hard onto the table with enough force that the table-leg tilted slightly. David suddenly stood up and swung, slamming his knuckles into the wall. "Fuck!"

"David…" Dorothy carefully approached, nursing a cup of orange juice in her hands. She could hear the thud, thud, thud, that was David's knuckles. There was no reply. "David, please…"

"I don't want to talk now." David grunted, continually slamming his fists into the wall.

"We have to talk, David." Dorothy pressed. "About Richard."

"No, Dorothy, we don't." David snarled, turning around and turning to the blind woman. "This is all fucked up and-"

"We need to talk." Dorothy said firmly, placing the glass on the table and grabbing David's arm. She lightly dragged him over to the sofa and placed him down into it, before sitting down next to him. "You are beating yourself up over this."

"I wonder why…" David said quietly, rubbing fresh grazes on his knuckles.

"It was just… it was just something that was unavoidable, David. Nobody could have done anything."

"Bullshit! It wasn't unavoidable! If Death was unavoidable, then we'd all be dead. This thing is avoidable, Dorothy, but I failed him! I failed Richard and with that we've lost any and all chance of beating this thing! Richard is gone, Lisa is gone, and fuck if I know where Joshua is. Anyone with any information is gone! We're just human, Dorothy. We haven't had… we don't have the experience or the information to deal with this. Death is going to pick us off, one by one. You, me, everyone else…"

"Do not talk like that."

"Why not? It's the goddamn truth! Why don't you people actually open your eyes and see it?" David exclaimed before realising his choice of words. "Sorry. I didn't mean…"

"It is fine, David, but what is not fine is you blaming yourself. You should not blame yourself, David, please."

"How can I not blame myself?" David asked, his shoulders slumping. One hand went over his heart. "I… have this… this weight in my chest, Dorothy… this weight of responsibility. I had the vision… I saw the… the deaths but I couldn't make out a list… I couldn't… everyone is dying because I don't know the list! How many more? How many more have to die because I can't figure this thing out!" David stood up, shrugging off Dorothy's hand. He paced around the room. "I try and I try but I can't. I keep revisiting the vision, Dorothy, I keep seeing all those charred corpses and the most I can do is make assumptions. The only clear fact I have is that you and I are last. Otherwise it's all out in the air. Chloe was half-burned and under who I assume was Jeremy, so maybe she dies before him, but that is it. I don't know, Dorothy! And for the life of me I want to know so I can save these people! Who's going to be next? Dominika? Detrikov? Jeremy? Lukas? Who's next? Who is going to die next because I can't make up this fucking list!?"

Dorothy stood up and went towards David, putting her hands on his arms, stopping him from pacing. "David, please. It is unfortunate that you cannot decipher the list, but it is not your fault. Everyone died at the same time so it is impossible for you to figure it out. Do not beat yourself up over this, please."

"What do I do, Dorothy? What do I… What do I do…?"

"You stay strong. As strong as you have been." Dorothy placed a slim hand on David's cheek. "You cannot break down. We need you here… I need you here. We are all scared and you are the closest thing we have to a leader."

"I'm no leader." David just shook his head.

"You may not want to admit it David, but I see it. You are a leader. You have survived so much, even before all of this. I firmly believe that we can make it through this, but only if you are not destroying yourself over this. Can you do that, David? Can you stay strong?"

David cupped his own hand on Dorothy's. "I can… I can try… but… but you didn't see what I saw Dorothy…"

"No, but I had my vision, remember, no matter how manufactured it was."

Once again David drew back away from Dorothy's touch. "No! You didn't see it!"

"…That is not fair…" Dorothy frowned. "David, that is not fair."

"What isn't? You didn't see the blood! You didn't see the… the mangled corpses, the charred flesh! Their eyes were staring at me… hands curled in fear and pain… mouths open in a voiceless scream… destruction… pure and utter destruction… you've never seen that…"

Dorothy crossed her arms, looking sad and disappointed. "I have other senses David." She said quietly, her voice trembling. "Just because I cannot see does not mean I could not smell the death and the coppery blood."

"Dorothy, I-"

"Just because I cannot see does not mean I could not hear the screams, David!" Dorothy's voice grew louder, which was extremely rare in of itself. "I… I felt your tissue and muscles when your head… when it… when…." Dorothy turned away, tears glistening on her cheeks. "I thought… I thought you of all people know I do not need to see to feel. You cannot bring my blindness into this, David, you cannot do this."

"I didn't mean to… I wouldn't ever suggest…" David stared at Dorothy in shock. "I…" David closed his mouth and shook his head. "You're right. I should be strong… I should be a leader…" David trailed off with, "…but I can't… I can't be what you all want me to be…" All strength seemed to seep out of him and he was barely staying on his feet. Before he knew it, Dorothy had come over and latched her arms around him in a silent embrace. David;s jaw quivered before he rested it on her shoulder, feeling his own eyes grow hot. "I wish I could, Dorothy… I really wish I could… but… but I fear that we are not going to survive this… I… I'm scared… Dorothy…"

"We all are, David." Dorothy murmured. "We all are."

"You know, the one thing which we relied on was the knowledge held by the Chosen, and after that, you. How are we meant to survive when none of you know what the hell is going on?"

You should have trusted them… you should have goddamn trusted them! Lukas looked up at the sky, hair plastered to his face by the ever increasing rain. It was starting to send streams down the streets and turning all mud into a mushy mess. His shoes were already covered in the mud as he sat on the park bench. His hands were crossed on his lap and his back was hunched over, trying to keep himself warm.

"Lisa… Joshua… now Richard…" Lukas muttered, his eyes following a rain drop running down his arm. "…I should have trusted them… But I didn't… I threw them away… I…" Lukas hunched tighter into a ball, closing his eyes, feeling the steady patter of the rain sending him to his own personal world. "…I failed them…"

"So this is where you are."

Lukas didn't move as a figure sat next to him. He heard a sigh.

"You look completely and utterly miserable. Come on, look at me."

Reluctantly, Lukas unfolded himself and looked at Dominika, her face pale with the cold and wet weather. Nevertheless, she wore a soft smile on her lips. He couldn't help but mirror the smile. Even in this horrible weather, Dominika never failed to look beautiful.

"That's more like it." Dominika leaned back on the chair, her long, slim legs stretched out from the bench. "Wonderful weather we're having…"

"…What do you want, Dominika?" Lukas asked wearily.

"You disappeared without a word." Dominika's voice steeled. "What do you think I want Lukas. I want this all to be some horrible nightmare. I want to feel free from… from Death's design. I want to be with you Lukas." Dominika reached to Lukas' lap and grabbed both his hands with hers. "So please, don't let this screw you over, okay?"

"That's easier said than done."

"But you need to do it nevertheless. You think I like seeing you like this?" Dominika nudged closer to Lukas so their sides were touching. "Lukas, please… It's hard I know… but people die…"

"I knew them, Dominika… I knew them…"

Dominika's eyes hardened. "Look realistically Lukas. You didn't know them. You were just brought together under extra-ordinary circumstances. I don't think we can consider them friends. We don't know what they like to watch, what they like to eat, hell, we don't even know what the majority of them did for a living. It truly is horrible that these people have died, but we… you need to move on."

"I know, I just…" Lukas shook his head. "It's not that I'm mourning them… it's that… I'm mourning the hope that we have lost. Lisa, Richard, Joshua… they had the hope in them. They could lead us. But now they are dead and… and we can't do anything about that…. But I feel so… so…" Lukas just shook his head.

"I know. I know… but…" Dominika leant her head on Lukas' sodden shoulder. "You worry me, Lukas. I want to be with you, more than any other man, I want to see you grow old and be there when you do. Maybe even marriage… kids… who knows? There's a future for us…"

"There isn't a future… not for us… we're on the list…" Lukas placed a hand on his face, shadowing one eye. "Each of us… one by one… we are going to die. We can't protect ourselves… Lisa… and-and Richard and Joshua… they did that for us… we are going to die… we are going to die… we are-" Lukas was interrupted by Dominika turning his head and kissing him deeply. Her tongue crept between his lips and sought his tongue. She pulled away after perhaps thirty seconds.

"Don't be so pessimistic, Lukas. It just isn't like you." Dominika sighed. "I don't like seeing you like this. I see… I see…" Dominika faltered.

"What do you see?" Lukas questioned, almost afraid of the answer.

"I see cracks, Lukas. I see cracks."

Cracks… What does SHE know about cracks? She ought to learn her damn place, she knows nothing about-

"That makes sense." Lukas interrupted his own scary thoughts. "But I think we are all showing cracks."

"But you more than most." Dominika said stiffly.

Fucking bitch… she can't tell me that, she can't-

"I know… I know…" Lukas squeezed his right fist shut, nails digging into skin. "…I know."

"You said that you had a problem with anger when you were younger… when your parents were lost. And I fear that you may be going back to that state."

Shut up! Shut up! Shut your goddamn whore mouth up!

"Quiet!" Lukas hissed, causing Dominika to draw back. He winced. "No, not you… not you… I…" Lukas' gaze turned to his hand, more specifically his finger.

Don't you dare tell her! Secrets are secrets! That whore shouldn't know, she shouldn't know! Skeleton's in the closet ought to remain as such! Don't you goddamn fucking dare you-

"Shut… up!" Lukas hissed again. "You go away! You go away right now!"

Me? Go away!? Who do you think you are talking to you fucking asshole?

"Go away! Get out!" Lukas' eyes widened and his nostrils flared. "Don't you get it? Go away!"

…Fine… You win pretty boy… but you better not fucking tell her…

"Thank you." Lukas breathed hard, his mind feeling strained.

"…Lukas." Dominika said softly but fear was etched into her voice. "Who were you… who were you talking to? Were you talking to… to me?"

"No… not you… not you! Not…" Lukas stopped to gather his thoughts. He took a deep breath before looking back to his finger. Slowly, he pulled the silver ring off and held it between two fingers. Blue light flashed off it as lightning struck in the distance. "Dominika… you are right… I'm cracking and… and it's coming out… before it does in full force… before… before I hurt you… I… need to tell you about this ring. About… about her."

"Her…?"

"About what I did!" Lukas said, his eyes staring at some far point in the past. "I have to tell you and… and I more than expect you to leave after this… I'd want you to… because… because I'm a monster… on the verge of breaking…"

A/N: Thanks to Princezzshell101 as per ever usual for the reviews! So next chapter is going to be… a fun one to write, but a sad one. Perhaps the first tear-inducing one? Maybe… maybe… I'm getting miserable just thinking about it and I haven't even wrote it yet! But let's wait for Lukas's story and the aftermath next chapter, shall we?

'Till next time!