Chapter 23: Jump

Leaning against a slick wall, Claire took a deep breath. The Senate meeting had been exhausting as usual. She felt nauseated and at the same time oddly hungry as her hand subconsciously strayed to her lower abdomen. The baby was growing fast and was taking up all of her reserves. The stress, of course, was not helping.

The meeting was over and Claire had decided to take a moment in the hallway after most of the Senate members had left the room. It was a brief moment of quiet before she went about the rest of her day. Exhaling, she wondered if it would ever get any easier.

The double doors of the Senate room opened and Claire automatically straightened, trying to appear unfazed and as outwardly calm as possible. David Whele walked out and the guards closed the door behind him. Walking directly over to Claire, his face looked ashen as it had for the past few days, ever since the loss of the other Consuls.

"It appears we have made some progress," he affirmed, attempting to sound stately, but Claire could easily see that he too was feeling the pressure. "This is for the best."

"So you've said." Her face was controlled and voice was even, even though the anger was rising along with the bile.

"The best for Vega. It is what Vega needs," David declared, sounding more as if he were trying to convince himself.

"Right. Of course. For Vega," Claire spat out and turned to walk away.

All of a sudden, the walls shook and the lights flickered down the hall. Something large from the outside collided with the building. Claire and David tried to right themselves, glancing at each other with fear in their eyes.

The Senate guards immediately sprung into action, checking in on their walkies while the doors were thrown open. The remaining Consuls came streaming out, including Arika and her high priestess, Laurel. Gunfire could be heard off in the distance and Claire immediately started for an exit. The panic in her chest was barely kept at bay, as she kept moving.

David grabbed Ethan by the arm as the soldier ran out of the Senate room. "What is happening?"

Ethan hurriedly said, "Not sure yet, Consul." He pulled his arm out of David's grip and disappeared down the hall, running toward the firefight.

Laurel spotted Claire and was suddenly standing next to her. Leaning close, she held Claire's arm tightly as they moved. "We have to go, Lady Riesen. It is not safe here," she said, hurriedly.

More gunshots went off and another explosion rocked the building, causing cracks in the wall. People were running and the air was filled with smoke and debris. Claire could barely see down the hallway, let alone who she was walking next to as she coughed and wheezed. Laurel stayed with her as Claire paused to lean against a wall for a moment. The priestess was acting rather protective of her for some reason, and Claire wondered if the woman knew more about her than she let on.

Pale-faced David coughed noisily as he followed behind them. "Where is Arika?" he asked Laurel, pausing as well.

The priestess looked frightened and shook her head, "I'm not sure, Consul. I lost her in the smoke!"

Suddenly, two soldiers came into focus in the middle of the white haze. One of them was Ethan, who immediately waved them forward. "We have to leave now! They're attacking from the other side. I circled back to avoid detection. We don't have much time!" he spat out in one breath as they began to move again.

They stumbled toward the staircase as more explosions rocked the building. Ethan and another soldier led the way, turning the corner and scouting ahead for new danger. Maneuvering slowly, they descended down the stairs and found themselves in another corridor.

Within minutes, several figures appeared, covered in dark clothing, full tactical gear and facemasks. Their weapons were pointed at them and Ethan and the other soldier immediately laid down cover fire, yelling for the rest of them to fall back. Laurel grabbed Claire and pulled her flat against the wall as David dropped down into a crouch.

They exchanged fire and more Archangel Corps showed up to combat the darkly clad infiltrators. One of them broke through the line and attacked Ethan, slamming him in the face. Ethan immediately struck back with the barrel of his rifle.

Looking for a way to help him, Claire searched for something to use as a weapon. But before she could go any further, Laurel quickly pulled her back to safety. "We have to go!" The blonde woman yanked at Claire's arm, dragging her away down another smoky corridor.

David noticed as they disappeared around the corner. Swallowing hard, he decided to follow them as they retreated, and then ran at full speed to get as far away from the gunfight as possible.

"This way!" Laurel called out as they veered off to the left, towards the back garage.

Before David could follow, a dark figure assaulted him, slamming him into the wall. Claire attempted to help him, but Laurel got to him first, immediately knocking the attacker in the head with a regulations folder that she had found on a nearby freight desk. The masked assailant barely pushed himself upright before he found Ethan standing over him. The AK47 came down onto his cheek with a resounding CRACK, knocking the guy out for the count. Glancing over at the ladies, Ethan nodded in acknowledgement and then moved over to David to check on him.

More of the Archangel Corps showed up, facing off with advancing black figures that seemed to show up out of nowhere. Claire wondered who they were and where they were coming from. How could so many of them get past the gates? Interrupting her thoughts, Laurel quietly pulled her away from the fray and towards a military truck parked in the small garage. The two ladies leaned against it, hiding from the shooting off in the distance.

Claire was breathing heavily and feeling severe cramps in her abdomen. Her hand cradled her lower belly as she bent over, cringing in pain.

With concern, Laurel asked, "Are you alright?"

"No…" Claire gulped air and fought tears.

The blonde priestess cautiously leaned around the corner, surveying their surroundings. "It is not safe here."

"It's not safe anywhere anymore," Claire spat out, squeezing her eyes shut against the sudden onslaught of another pang.

"It is safer in my home, Lady Claire," Laurel said, wringing her hands as she looked at her. "Perhaps it is time to consider that."

Claire opened her eyes to look up at her companion and gauge her seriousness. "What do you mean?"

"Leave Vega. Come with me to my home. Helena will keep you safe," Laurel said, trying to convince her without showing too much exuberance. Claire could tell that there was a hesitation in her statements. "We can go now!"

"Just… leave Vega? Just like that?" Claire said, with disbelief, wondering how Laurel would benefit from her proposed action.

"You know it is not safe anymore. Someone is trying to kill you. Kill you all." Laurel breathed deeply, taking a look around again as the sound of gunfire seemed to move further away. "This is the perfect time to leave."

Claire closed her eyes again as the cramps got worse. She worried that she was losing her child, hoping that she wasn't bleeding at the moment. It was hard for her to tell. Her legs turned into jelly as she took a step forward and then slowly sank to the floor.

Laurel grabbed her around the waist and pulled her upright. "Lady Claire?"

"I'm not feeling so well," Claire said, breathing shallowly, and leaning heavily against the blonde woman.

Immediately, the priestess took the opportunity to move her to the passenger door of the truck and opened it. "Let us go. While we still can," she whispered into Claire's ear as she helped her up into the truck.

Claire felt exhausted and in pain and wasn't quite sure if it mattered anymore. The only thing she could think about was saving her baby and herself. "I think I need a doctor," she said through gritted teeth.

Laurel closed the door and immediately got in on the other side. "You will be ok. You are probably just feeling shock from all the…" She gestured into the air, as if she was out of breath herself.

"No, I am… I'm pregnant. And cramping. Painfully cramping. So I'm afraid that…" Claire stopped, taking a deep breath and noticing that the cramping was briefly subsiding. She glanced over at the blonde who seemed to have stopped moving altogether, as if she were listening to something. She was leaning closer to her, puzzling Claire in the process. "What are you doing?"

"I think your baby is fine. Strong like you are, Lady Claire," she said after a moment and then smiled at her. "You are both fine." She patted Claire's leg and then turned in her seat and started the truck as Claire stared at her in confusion.

"How would you know?" Claire said, confused as she hurriedly put on her seat belt before the truck started moving.

"I have a feeling you will be fine." Laurel glanced around and checked the mirrors before driving the truck straight out of the garage and towards one of the smaller city gates.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea. We should just pull off into the side streets. We'll be fine within Vega. We just have to head over to Archangel Corps headquarters." Claire stared out of the window, thinking about the concept of actually leaving Vega. It hurt her heart. The idea of leaving everything behind, everything her father had built, made her feel as if she were a traitor of sorts. Could she ever return? Would they ever forgive her? She watched as people ran and another explosion went off to the right of the truck.

Both women flinched. "The city is under attack, Lady Claire! It's time to leave!" Laurel exclaimed as she veered to the left to avoid debris that slammed into the road in front of them.

She headed straight to the West Gate. The gate that was wide open and completely abandoned.

Claire's mouth dropped open. "How is that possible?"

"Whoever is attacking knows your city well." The priestess said quietly and swerved erratically to avoid a few scurrying people.

"Slow down!" Claire exclaimed, holding onto the armrest. "We're going to crash!"

"It will be fine. We will be fine," she said, pausing to look for more obstacles in the road ahead. And then more to herself, she said, "I guarantee it."

They slammed through the rest of the debris from the remnants of the gate itself. Claire squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath. This is for you, little one, she thought. She couldn't think about anyone else but her child now. Perhaps leaving was the only thing to do now.

Minutes later, they found themselves outside the city limits with gunfire trailing after them. They barely escaped as Laurel floored it, speeding down the road that led out of town. Claire stared ahead at the vastness of the sky and the flatness of the desert.

They just left Vega. Just like that. She left all of it behind; left it to fall to pieces. Without her there. Without her father. Without saying good-bye. Left David and Arika and Ethan and the only home she ever knew…all there in the city. And left it to go where? To a place she had never seen or visited, to a place she only knew of through rumors and whispers. Claire let go of the breath she was holding. She was reeling and she needed to get it under control.

Glancing at her companion, she wondered what she had been thinking. She did not know this blonde woman and yet she had decided to place her life…her baby's life!… into this woman's hands.

She looked at the side mirror and saw the open city gate behind them. It looked like a gaping maw in the city's defenses. The city that was covered in a hazy gray smoke trailing up to the sky, and slowly getting smaller and smaller the further away they drove. She couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat as tears sprung to her eyes. Her home was no longer her home. It was under siege.

And she had just jumped ship.