AN: Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter! This once a month thing seems to be working well with my current writing pace, so I'm hoping to keep doing that until life gets more hectic. But so far so good! I hope everyone is enjoying the story. Thank you to everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed! You guys make writing worth it. Enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 33
NATE
Nate wasn't sure how the responsibility of coordinating the communications with the Ark had somehow fallen to him, but it had. And he hated it.
It should have been a rewarding task. There wasn't a lot of joy to be found on Earth so far, so seeing the happiness on everyone's faces when they got their chance to talk to their parents should have made it all worth it. Hell, talking to his own dad should have made the job worth it.
But somehow he couldn't get over the bitterness that the responsibility of informing parents that their son or daughter had died had also fallen to him. Seeing the devastation his words brought, hearing the wails of despair… it drained him.
And there were so many.
Trina. Pascal. Atom. Wells. Charlotte. Mbege. Diggs. Roma.
All of them dead and we have only just been here for a month, he thought sardonically. Who is it going to be today? Whose parents will I get to tell about their dead kid?
Even though he resented the responsibility, when he was talking, when he broke the news that they would never see their child again, a reluctant feeling of relief filled him. Their families knew what had happened to their child, they cared enough to miss them and mourn them. Somehow, it felt like closure.
At the very least, the dead won't have to keep fighting in this godawful place.
But there was one name that would never get closure.
Alex, the girl who used to be his friend, the girl he had loved like a sister, the girl he hated for ruining everything they had
When he saw her for the first time on Earth, he felt like he had been hit in the chest by a hammer, feelings he had long buried threatening to overwhelm him. She looked drawn and pale, looking skinnier than he had ever seen her, and he had wanted to hug her, his friend who had been locked away for so long. At the same time, seeing her face and knowing what she had done filled him with rage. He had wanted to shout at her, to hurt her, to make her pay for everything she had done.
He didn't know how to act around her. So, he avoided her as much as he could.
Then she disappeared.
When she hadn't returned with the rest of the search group, something inside him fractured, leaving him feeling like an iron band was wrapped tightly around his chest, like the air was suddenly too thin. Blake's words about her being gone, being dead, haunted him. Could she really be gone? After everything she had been through, this is what killed her?
Would she just be another name on his list?
No, he couldn't believe that. Wouldn't believe it. So, he did his best to not think of her at all, throwing himself into everything he could. Maintaining communications, guarding the Grounder, going on patrols; everything and anything to take his mind off the fact that he might never see her again.
Except thoughts of her haunted him and guilt gnawed at him during his sleep. You don't care, he told himself over and over. You don't care. But the thought that he might never have another chance to speak to her had him waking up in a cold sweat and tossing and turning.
It was on one of his patrols that it suddenly struck him - who would he call to tell that Alex was gone? Her guardian, Mrs. M, would probably be happy to never have to deal with her again. His Dad had enough on his plate as it was. Mr Kane… well, he would probably see it as justice finally served. The only person who might care was still lying in a coma, high above him on the Ark.
She would never get closure because no one will mourn her, he realized, the thought paining him more than he ever thought possible.
So, when he looked down that embankment and saw her standing there, slumped against a tree he knew there was a second chance.
It was one he would have to take.
LIAM
In the most central location on Alpha Station, the Communication Center was abuzz with activity. The Center coordinated the different sectors of the Ark, relaying information as needed to keep everything running as smoothly as possible. The technicians who worked in the room sat hunched over their computers, fingers flying across their keyboards, relaying information as it appeared through their headset to whoever was on the other end of the line.
In one secluded corner of the room, they had set aside a monitor for communications with Earth, primarily used by desperate parents who wished for a chance to see their kids on the ground. The monitor faced the corner, the small space giving the families a small sense of privacy.
While Lt. Miller sat before the screen talking to Nate, Liam stood off to one side, trying his best to stay out of everyone's way. He couldn't see the screen from where he stood, but he could see Miller's expression light up as he talked. He had the impression that this wasn't the first time Lt. Miller had talked to Nate. While he looked happy, there wasn't that desperation that Liam expected to see when parents first talked to their kid.
Uncomfortable and feeling like he had been staring a bit too long, he forced himself to glance around the room, noting there was quite a bit of activity going on. He could only imagine that with the Ark slowly failing around them and the upcoming plans to return to Earth had people working double time. The clock was ticking. He could only imagine the logistical nightmare it would be to safely move over a thousand people through space and land them safely on solid ground.
Movement in the opposite corner of the room drew his attention. He frowned. Diana Sydney stood hunched over the shoulder of one of the communication technicians. From the way she stood, he could tell she was trying to be discreet about being in here, but something about how they whispered to each other, their eyes focused on the screen in front of them, somehow told him she shouldn't be there.
You're being paranoid. She's a Councilwoman, she's allowed to do what she wants. Even so, he couldn't get over the nagging feeling that something was off.
Before he could give it any more thought, someone cleared their throat beside him and he turned to find Lt. Miller standing before him. The older man gave him a smile and said: "Lost in thought?"
"Oh, uh, yeah a bit."
"Nate's ready to see you when you're ready. I haven't told him anything yet," Lt. Miller added, his smile widening "It'll be quite the shock for him to see you up and running. He waited for you for a long time."
The comment warmed him, and he smiled. "Just hope I don't give him a heart attack."
Lt. Miller sighed. "Yes. No heart attacks, please. I'd like to see my son alive and well when we get down to Earth."
Liam's smile turned into a grin. "No promises."
"I imagine not," Lt. Miller grumbled, then added quietly, "after all this time, I'm surprised I haven't had a heart attack." He shook his head, then rested his hand on Liam's shoulder. "When you are ready, take a seat and hit the orange Comms button. Nate should be waiting." Then, with one last squeeze of his shoulder, Lt. Miller headed towards the door and disappeared out of sight.
Taking a deep breath, Liam found himself surprisingly nervous. What if Nate wasn't the person he remembered? What if Nate had changed, while he hadn't changed at all? So much time had passed, even though to him it felt like no time at all.
Forcing himself to push aside his nervousness, he sat down and, before he could convince himself this was a bad idea, he pushed the orange button.
It took a moment before the screen flickered to life, the signal initially static, before it began to clear. Then, little by little, the static faded.
A shaky break escaped him. Nate was looking off to one side, clearly distracted by something off screen. He either hadn't yet noticed him on the screen yet, or the video feed was more delayed on the ground. Either way, Liam took a moment to study him. The first thing he noted was how much older the other boy looked. The chubby baby cheeks had leaned out, the skin now covered in a layer of stubble and looking like it could use a wash. He wore a dark beanie, one that he had loved as a kid and his father had hated. He no longer looked like a boy, but a man. Someone who could have been Nate's older brother.
Somehow, the thought made Liam sad.
I've missed out on so much...
Finally, a flicker from the screen must have caught Nate's eye because he turned back towards the screen, his dark eyes zeroing in on him. He froze.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Nate's jaw slowly dropped, his eyes going wide as he stared at him. He blinked repeatedly, looking like he couldn't quite process what he was seeing.
"Hey, Nate," Liam gave him a tentative smile.
Then: "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, you're awake!" Nate exploded to his feet, ripping off his beanie in his excitement. Liam couldn't help but laugh as he watched his friend bounce around the space he was in, an almost maniacal smile crossing his face.
When he looked like he could finally reign in his excitement, he threw himself back into the chair, almost tipping it over. "But - What? You - How?!"
Liam grinned. "Wow, I see your vocabulary is as great as ever."
Nate groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. "Shut up, Li." Then he seemed to realize what he said, leaning towards the screen, resting his elbows on the table before him. "No, wait, don't shut up! Talk! Tell me everything. When did you wake up? How did you wake up?" His expression sobered. "I thought you would never wake up again, man."
The smile slipped from his face. "Yeah, that seemed to have been the consensus," Liam replied just as somberly. "I've been awake for… about a week now, I guess. Feeling weak as hell, but getting better quickly."
Nate blinked at him. "I can't believe it… after all this time?" He shook his head in disbelief. "I never gave up on you, man. I just… after a while, things just got really hectic. And after you went into a coma… things were… really rough." He exhaled heavily before giving him a sincere grin. "But I can honestly say I have never been so happy to see someone awake. Next time, try to make your nap a little shorter." He shot him a grin.
Having his best friend tease him about the one thing that everyone else seemed to tiptoe around eased some of the tension in his chest. Nate he could talk to. Nate he could trust to tell him the truth.
"I'll try my best," he returned with a small smile of his own.
Nate studied him through the screen, his eyes dancing one way then the other, seeming to try and capture every detail he could see. He finally smirked. "Man, your hair got long. I can't see your dad letting you keep that mop for long."
"He's mentioned it a few times," Liam replied, reaching up and tugging one of the strands on his forehead. "Apparently this isn't as long as it's been recently. But I don't really remember that part."
Nate chewed on the inside of his cheek, eyeing him.
Here we go…
"How are you really doing?" Nate asked, then hesitated. "Do you - do you remember what happened?"
The million-dollar question. The one that everyone seemed to ask, but no one seemed to want to help him answer.
"Bits and pieces," he replied honestly. "The stuff I remember doesn't make much sense, and no one seems to be willing to fill in the blanks." He huffed. "It's frustrating. Dad tiptoes around me like I'm going to shatter into a million pieces, or suddenly fall back into a coma"
Nate gave him an understanding look. "That's rough… but Liam, your dad's been through a lot. I'm sure he's just worried about you."
"I know! I know." He sighed, pushing his hair out of his face. "It's just - I need answers. And no one seems willing to give me any." He saw the way Nate suddenly looked uncomfortable, licking his lips and glancing off to one side. Not you too! Liam wanted to scream in frustration, but gritted his teeth instead.
"I'm not sure what help I can be from here, but I'll do anything you need me to," Nate offered. "Just ask."
The unexpected show of support had him blinking moisture from his suddenly blurry eyes. He took a deep, shuddering breath to control the feeling of gratitude that threatened to overwhelm him. Nate might look older, but he was still his friend.
"Thanks man." Liam took another deep breath and steeled himself. "All I need is the truth. And I know the one person who can give it to me." Nate swallowed, looking uncomfortable. Before he could say anything, Liam continued. "I know I was attacked, and I know Alex was there. She's the only person who understands what happened that day. I need to talk to her."
Nate rubbed his hands over his face. "I hate to tell you, man… But Alex, she's the one that attacked you. Didn't your dad tell you that? She snapped. Stabbed you. Killed the two guards?"
"Dad said she did it…" Liam waved a hand out in frustration. "But do you seriously believe she would do this?" he demanded. "You've known her just as long as I have. What part of her life would make you think she would do something like this? That she was capable of doing something like this? I mean, have you even talked to her?" When Nate hesitated again, Liam glared at him. "I can't believe you. She's one of your best friends. The least you could do is find out what happened from her own mouth!"
Nate winced. "It's not that simple, Liam. She was practically caught in the act. She was covered in your blood. Everyone was sure. And then… then she went into solitary. There wasn't really a chance for me to see her."
"Maybe she was covered in my blood because she was trying to save my life!" Even as the words left his lips, he knew it was true. A flash of them standing in a hallway on the Ark, the guards standing before him, Alex standing next to him. She wasn't facing him; she was facing the guards. "Dad's wrong. I think she was trying to save my life."
Nate studied his expression, looking more uncertain. "Are you sure? Do you remember it?"
"There's only one way to be sure." His hard gaze met Nate's through the screen. "I know she's there. I want to talk to her."
ALEX
She was helping Harper inventory food when Nate found her. With the weather cooling down so rapidly, they knew they needed to gather enough supplies to last them the winter. Once the berry crops dwindled to nothing, they would only have meat to rely on, and no one was certain how plentiful hunting would be during the colder months. Their survival during the winter depended a lot on what resources they accumulated now.
I hope Bellamy and Clarke have good luck finding that supply depot. If they don't, we're in for some rough times…
She didn't immediately notice Nate approach them, head down as she bundled the berries into even packages that were easier to hand out. It was only when she caught sight of a silhouette out of the corner of her eye that she turned to look up at him, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. Until now, he hadn't sought her out.
She immediately noticed that something was off about him. He almost looked giddy, except that he was doing his best to hide it behind the usual stoic expression that was on his face nowadays.
"Uh, hi?" she said.
"Hi," he replied, rocking back onto his heels, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets.
She knew him well enough to know that something was off. "You're acting weird."
"Am not."
When she rolled her eyes, he took a deep breath, giving her the impression of building himself up for something. At this rate, it would be nightfall before he said anything. "Nate - spit it out!" she said, getting tired of watching him fidget.
Harper snorted from where she sat next to her, but didn't raise her eyes from what she was doing.
"Okay," he said. "I've been running Comms today with the Ark… and Mr. Kane would like to speak to you."
Any positive feeling in her evaporated in an instant. A dark scoff escaped her. "You can tell… Mr. Kane to shove it up his ass," she sneered. "Why the fuck would I talk to him?"
He didn't look put off by her reaction. "Alex," he said, and his tone made her pause. The way he said it reminded her of the way he used to say it when they had been friends. When she met his gaze, he gave her a serious look. "I really think you should take this call."
A thought made her mouth go dry. Had something happened to Liam?
She slowly pushed herself to her feet, but couldn't make them move, her feet feeling rooted to the spot. "Nate," she said, feeling uncertain. "He's the last person I want to talk to. And - and I don't want to hear that something happened to Liam… I can't deal with that right now. Not on top of everything else."
His expression softened, and she stiffened when he reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a good squeeze. "C'mon. I promise it won't be as bad as you think," he told her honestly.
Studying him for a moment, she looked for any kind of deception and found none. Slowly, she nodded and allowed herself to be dragged towards the communication tent.
Her feet moved automatically below her, but inside she felt numb. Kane? She was going to talk with Kane?
Nate allowed her to step into the tent ahead of him before guiding her over to the monitor, and nudged her into the seat. She did so reluctantly, her eyes fixed on the blank screen before her.
Her mouth was dry and her hands were unreasonably sweaty, enough that she wiped them firmly onto her pants. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to see him at all.
The screen flickered to life before her and slowly the static faded and the person sitting in the Ark came into focus.
It should have been Marcus Kane. It wasn't.
She inhaled sharply, her breath freezing in her chest. Everything around her disappeared as the image on the screen continued to sharpen until there was no doubt in her mind who was on the screen.
Dark shaggy hair, several shades darker than her own blond, fell into his eyes - gray eyes - so similar to her own, stared back at her.
Liam. Her friend. Her brother. Awake. Alive.
The first sob took her by surprise. Feelings and memories she had long buried surged up and choked her; the walls she had built to keep the pain at bay cracked. Sinking back into her seat, she covered her face with both hands and cried. Her shoulders shook violently, words spilling past her lips through her sobs: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." They were an apology for everything she hadn't been able to do, hadn't been able to save him from. A plea for forgiveness.
"Alex. Alex," he said firmly, the tone forcing her to look up over her fingertips. He looked sad, like her pain was his own. "Don't apologize. I know it wasn't you."
Those words, the words she had only dreamed of hearing, the words she thought she would never hear, soothed something deep inside her. The weight on her shoulders eased away even as a relieved sob escaped her. Pressing the palms of her hands into her eyes, she could only pray that this wasn't a dream.
Please let this be real.
"Oh, I can't look that bad," he teased.
A joke. A stupid joke was all he could come up with now of all times. She looked up at the screen, and when she found him still there, still in front of her, just as real as ever, a shaky laugh escaped her. "You - but - how?" She blinked rapidly to clear the tears from her eyes, wiping her face with her hands.
"I woke up," he shrugged, looking unsure how else to explain it. Having calmed down a bit, she allowed her gaze to take in the rest of what she could see. He looked older, gaunt, his frame almost sickly, his collarbones noticeable through the fabric of his ratty shirt. "No special miracle or anything."
A laugh of disbelief escaped her. "Not a miracle? Liam... you're… you're awake." How could she begin to explain how much of a miracle that was? How impossible it felt? But it made sense. He had been asleep for nearly two years, had avoided the fallout. Why would he know what it felt like to spend two years locked up in a cage for something he hadn't done? He'd been asleep the whole time.
She tried to not let the bitter thought get to her.
He was awake now. That was all that mattered.
Soon he'll be coming down to Earth with the rest of them, she realized numbly. He would be here, not on the Ark.
The Ark… Kane… She inhaled deeply. Kane would still think I did it.
"Liam - what happened that day?" She wanted to know. She needed to know. Why had they attacked him? Why were the guards after him?
He exhaled forcefully, his eyes examining her heavily through the screen. "I was hoping you could tell me."
She stared at him; the admission taking her off guard.
He doesn't remember what happened?
She pulled away from the screen, her eyes drifting to the side, running a hand through her hair as she processed what that meant. After everything, she had never even considered the fact that he might not even remember what had happened. She swallowed hard.
"Al?" he asked, drawing her from her thoughts. He looked concerned, his expression telling her he could sense that his admission had affected her, but he didn't quite understand how.
'I know it wasn't you,' he had said. But what did he really know?
"What - what do you remember?" she asked.
He hesitated, and she felt her hopes sink. Her name would never be cleared if he didn't know what happened that day.
No, she berated herself, that's not what matters. Liam's awake. Anything else - everything else - doesn't matter. Or at least that's what she told herself.
"Some of it," he said after a moment. His eyes fluttered closed as he thought back. "The guards… they were following me? I can't remember why." He shook his head, his brow furrowed in frustration. "Then you…" he drifted off, his eyes opening to look at her. "You were there. You were angry." The statement came out as more of a question. "That's all I really remember." He searched her face for anything that would help him explain that day. "Alex, what happened?"
She chewed on the inside of her cheek, indecision warring within her. She had dreamed of this moment for nearly two years. She had thought out the conversation millions of times. Here was her chance to tell him the truth - so why was she hesitating?
She knew she could spill everything, that she should spill everything. Tell him about how they were related, how they were kept apart, how his father - their father - had abandoned her. But how - how could she tell him that? How could she explain the sickly feeling of betrayal that filled her when she read the file and found out her father's name was 'Marcus Kane'? How fiery rage surged through her when she realized everything about her life was a lie, the truth standing right in front of her the whole time? That she had been searching for him that day to find out what he knew, if he had been lying to her face her entire life.
And what if he doesn't want to know the truth? What if he thinks you're lying? The thought of him not believing her, rejecting her... What they had right now might not be the whole truth, but at least he was on her side. She was selfish enough to want to keep it that way.
He was the only one she had left.
"I - I was looking for you," she began softly. "Someone had said they had seen you down in the maintenance halls, so that is where I went." She licked her dry lips, her fingers pinching at the fabric of her jacket sleeve. "When - when I found you, you were worried. Something was wrong, but - I didn't immediately see it." Regret filled her. If you had just listened to him in the first place, things might have been different. "We...talked. And then - and then the guards arrived."
"They were following me…" Liam said slowly. "I was trying to get away from them? But...why? Why were they after me?"
She shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know. They didn't really say anything before they, uh, attacked us. One of them went for me… and the other..." Her words faded as she remembered how caught off-guard she had been, how she hadn't had time to react before the woman had her pinned to the ground, and the man...the man had driven his knife into Liam's chest.
Blood, so much blood.
"Attacked me." He blinked, looking startled. "He attacked me with a knife..." His voice was rough as his hand came up to his chest, his finger brushing over the spot where the scar would have been under his shirt.
"Yeah. He did," she said, her voice hollow as she tried to ignore the panicky feeling the memory brought her. After a moment, she cleared her throat and continued, "I don't know how, but I got out and got the knife." She bit her lips, reluctant to admit the next part.
You might have not hurt Liam, but that doesn't mean you didn't kill the two guards.
His gaze snapped to her. "You killed them," he stated.
She felt like someone had hit her in the chest, her breath knocked out of her. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, couldn't bring herself to face him when all she would see was the disgust, the anger, the fear.
"Al... Alex, look at me," he said forcefully. Reluctantly, she forced herself to meet his eyes. He was watching her, his expression remorseful. But he didn't look at her like she expected. "You did what you had to. They attacked us. You stopped them; you saved my life."
A shuddering breath escaped her. "No one else sees that," she choked out.
His expression hardened. "They will," he said firmly. "I'll make sure of it."
Silence fell between them while they tried to gather their thoughts, and Alex wondered where they could go from here. Even though Liam was awake, they weren't really any closer to knowing why the attack had happened. They were the only two who might have answers, and neither of them knew enough.
Something happened that led the guards to attack him. They were following him for a reason. Why two guards together? Why Liam? What had he seen? For the first time, she realized how weird it was that they were both guards. It wasn't just anyone who had attacked him, but two guards. Was someone else involved? Had they been given an order? Had they carried it out to hurt Kane? The thought sent a chill through her. If someone else was involved, they were still up there on the Ark. With Liam.
"Alex, I promise you, I'm going to convince my dad that you didn't do this to me. And then he'll help us figure this out," Liam said firmly, looking like he was reading to march out of the room he was in right that moment.
A bitter laugh escaped her. "Your dad," she echoed softly. "He won't listen. He made up his mind ages ago. After our conversation that night, I'm sure he was probably happy to get me out of the way."
Liam's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
She shook her head. "Ask him." Since I'm a coward and can't tell you myself, she thought in disgust, barely able to meet her brother's gaze. Maybe it made her a hypocrite. Maybe it made her selfish. Keeping the truth from the one person she cared about more than anything, when the same truth had hurt her so badly in the first place. She knew she had no right to keep this from him. If she had a right to know who her father was, he had a right to know what kind of person that man was. What kind of man their father was.
His eyes searched her expression on the screen. She had the feeling that he could tell she was holding back, but wasn't going to push. Not now. Not yet. "I'm going to find out the truth, Al."
About the attack? About what I'm hiding?
"I'll find out who did this to us," he continued, leaning forward, hand coming up. For a second, she wondered if he was going to touch the screen. "We'll get through this, Alex."
The conviction and sincerity in Liam's expression soothed some of the tension in her chest. Her own fingers briefly touched the screen as a watery smile crossed her lips. She nodded, finding herself agreeing with him.
Suddenly things didn't feel so bad.
When she stepped out of the communications tent, her gaze swept around the camp, the late afternoon lighting basking everything in an ethereal glow. It was beautiful.
And soon Liam will be here.
She couldn't stop the smile that graced her lips as she drifted back towards her tent.
Liam's awake, he's alive! It repeated through her head like a mantra. This changed everything. Once Liam remembered what happened, he could clear her name, at the very least tell everyone that she had been acting in self defense. She would be free. She wouldn't have to worry about Kane when he came down to Earth. There was nothing he could do to her.
"Alex?"
Pausing at the sound of her name, she turned to see who had called her.
Standing off to the side of the dropship, away from the rest of the group, was Myles, the boy who had helped her disassemble the parts of the dropship for Raven's flares and had rambled away about seeing his parents again. He looked nervous, she realized. He shifted from one foot to the other, his brown covered in beads of sweat even in the cooling air.
"Hey," she said with a frown. "You don't look too great. Everything alright?"
He swallowed heavily, his eyes glancing up to meet her own for a split second before dropping away. He shot her a forced smile, which looked more like a pained grimace to her. "Yeah. Yeah, everything - every thing's good. I was - I was actually wondering if you could help me with something? If it's not a problem? I mean, you don't have to. But I -"
"Myles," she said soothingly, cutting off his rambling. She gave him a smile, despite the fact that something told her something was off. "It's fine. I can help you. What do you need?"
"Oh. Oh, great!" he replied, giving a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his head. "It's just this way." He motioned over to one side and started walking away from the camp. "I just... need to move some stuff. Right?"
Right? His rambling was making even less sense than usual. She rolled her eyes lightly behind his back, shaking her head with a small grin. Okay then.
She followed him to the far side of the camp and out through one of the less used gates. Briefly pausing, she wondered why they were leaving camp, before shrugging to herself and following him out.
They moved away from the dropship, the sounds from camp fading away behind them, and soon, she couldn't hear them at all.
The thought set her on edge.
"Are you sure it's this far out?" she asked.
He glanced back at her to flash her a quick grin and a nod. "Oh, I'm sure. We're pretty much there, see?" He pointed ahead of them to the edge of the embankment they were approaching. When he arrived at the edge, he stopped, peering down the edge.
Coming up to stand next to him, she glanced down at where he was looking, but frowned when she saw nothing of note. They were standing on the edge of a hollow in the ground, one that she definitely wouldn't want to fall into in the dark. Logs criss-crossed along the grass covered ground. She frowned, unsure what she was looking at.
"Myles, what -" she began, turning back towards him.
Sharp movement out of the corner of her eye was the only warning she had before pain exploded along the side of her head.
Then everything went black.