Chapter 19. A sharp turn…
It was infernally hot in the New Mexico desert. But the heat that was going on upstairs was not felt here, in the underground bunker where one of the government biological laboratories was located.
The bright office was a quiet place for her to relax and prepare for the next series of experiments. The silence was broken only by the barely audible noise of ventilation.
Now she finally has some free time to sort through tons of emails and apply for the necessary materials and equipment.
She walked over to his padded work chair and took off his white lab coat with a silver metal badge on which was engraved in dark color "Laura Baker, Senior Researcher."
Having straightened the strands of her already gray hair, she started her work computer and began to browse through folders with old materials. It was mostly junk that needed to be disposed of. Reports, protocols, and videos of experiments.
One video at the very end was captioned "The first day." Laura wanted to press the "delete" button already. But at the last moment I decided to view it anyway. You never know, maybe there will be something useful.
The video was shot quite a long time ago. In the footage, Laura was holding a bundle of sheets in her arms, which contained a newborn creature. The girl was screaming and when the camera got closer, her delicate blue eyes were visible.
Laura stopped the video and turned away. It was as if something had snapped inside. Heart started beating faster. Memories swirled around her. She remembered that day. When the sample with the code name "Eva" was ready. The formed baby was taken out of the container with amniotic fluid and swaddled, passing it into Laura's hands. She was responsible for this project. It was her business. She remembered little Eva. So defenseless, so affectionate. But her fate was sealed...
Shaking herself and throwing off this lump in her throat, she quickly closed the video and returned to work. What happened to her? Why did she become so heartless afterwards? Why did she put this innocent girl through such torment?
Laura knew the answer to that question. One of the many archives in the system designated as "experiment on the reconstruction of extraterrestrial life forms "S1L.0-1". There were a lot of photos and videos of a very similar girl inside, a wonderful little girl who looked about seven years old was sitting in her glass cage and drawing with felt-tip pens on a sheet. Back then, no one could imagine what she was capable of. That it won't be long before this girl leaves her bloody mark on history.
"So, Laura! Stop," She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, "You don't have to remember this. She's dead! She burned up in that fucking cave!"
It took a lot of effort for her to erase from her memory the whole nightmare that she had to go through in Los Angeles. All this could be described in one word. "The massacre." She couldn't find an excuse for all the atrocities that SIL had committed. But it was in her power to prevent the same failure with Eve. The second attempt should have been more successful. They had to find a way to deal with the alien threat. They should have...
Bringing Patrick to the lab was a terrible mistake... And to awaken Eve's alien genes with the help of radiation... It was a fatal mistake. And Laura could admit it.
More memories. How she hates them. That night at the manor was the culmination of the failure of her project. Laura couldn't forget the primal and animal horror she felt when she saw Eva and Patrick without their human masks. They were in front of her in all their terrible beauty. Ruthless, cruel, ready to do anything to continue their line. For them, people were just bugs, food.
She couldn't forget it. Another proof for her that there are no good aliens. The theory of the "Dark Forest". Every civilization wants to live. And for life, we need pleasant planets rich in resources. And it's better to destroy everyone who gets in the way before they destroy you. To summarize it briefly.
The last one was a photo of Dr. Fitch. He was its creator. A great scientist of his time. A master of bioengineering, Laura admired him. It was an honor for her to be invited to participate in the project under his supervision.
They received a message from deep space, with the help of which an unknown civilization literally sent its ambassador in disassembled form. All they had to do was follow the instructions and assemble it to ask all the questions.
But they never got any answers... They were sent not a negotiator, but an invader. After the failure of the first project, the main task changed to finding ways to eliminate threats from outside, as well as exploring the possibility of using alien DNA to create improved soldiers. Borgess had high hopes for this project.
The bell roused her from her thoughts. When she picked up the phone, she saw a familiar number on the screen.
- "Hello, Press."
The voice on the other end sounded worried:
"Listen, Laura. I'm not making any promises. But maybe I found Eve. Don't ask me where I am. I shouldn't be here, but know that if I don't call you back in half an hour, it's a signal that she's alive."
Laura was so shocked at that moment that she didn't know how to respond.
- "What? Is this a stupid joke? Where are you?"
"Just remember that if I don't pick up the phone in half an hour, then call this one-eyed psychopath and tell him that we found the fugitive."
Before she could answer, the receiver on the other end of the line hung up. She tried to call back, but to no avail. Dropping the phone on the table, Laura grabbed her temples.:
- "Calm down, Laura! You're fine. She's probably already dead. The press just overheated."
Grow started the engine and they moved towards the goal. It wasn't a long drive. The press already knew exactly where they needed to go. Either he's right and they're going to have to fight a real monster in human form, or he needs to retire.
The press remembered its recent large purchase. A house in Costa Rica. A real Painthouse by the sea. There's only jungle around. It had been his dream for a long time. A couple more years and he'll retire. He has his own company and, in principle, he can afford to rest.
Grow took out a cigarette lighter and lit a cigarette, turned off the road and drove into a gas station.
Press - "Is the gasoline out?"
Grow-"No, I need to take a leak."
There were few people inside the gas station building. His sharp gaze immediately noticed a woman in a green jacket with a backpack on her shoulder, who was sorting through packages of chocolate.
Grow recognized her. The waitress from the cafe. What is her name? However, it doesn't matter, he nodded meekly to the woman and adjusted his hat. The woman noticed his greeting and smiled back. The press did not wait long for his partner. Grow got into the car and began to stretch his stiff neck-"Ah, I feel like it's going to be a shitty night again."
A woman with a backpack quickly left the gas station and went behind the nearest house and disappeared into the darkness of the alley. The press cast a fleeting glance in her direction, but in such darkness it was difficult to make out anything specific.
Grow noticed his look-"Carroll. She worked at a local cafe. I talked to her a few days ago.
Putting his cell phone in his inner pocket and nodding, he took out a bag of weapons from the back seat. The good old Spas-12 with large buckshot was a great help against half-breeds. The ammunition also contained incendiary charges, as well as charges with chlorine gas for particularly zealous creatures. Besides the shotgun, there was something else in the bag. The latest development. We haven't really had time to experience it yet. An ultraviolet emitter. UFG-557. This cannon literally destroys the DNA of the aliens, turning them into pools of organic matter.
As the car pulled away from the pump, a hooded figure appeared around the corner of the gas station. She was watching the car closely, and only the faintly visible angry gleam of her green eyes gave her away.
Grow drew attention to a very unusual device in the hands of his friend - "What the hell is this?"
Press took aim and check the battery charge - "This friend is not a joke to you. This is a weapon of retribution against monsters. They won't be able to recover after that."
With an incredulous glance, Grow turned into a narrow passage in the courtyards. "I don't know what you're talking about. Let's go through here, it'll be faster. Plus, there aren't many people here."
Without being distracted, he continued to check his new weapon. I hope Laura didn't cheat, and this thing will really help them if they stumble upon these creatures.
The low beam of the headlights did not illuminate even the narrow passage. Something flashed in front of the car when Carl hit the brake and the car came to a screeching halt.
"What was that?"
Taking his official Remington 870 and getting out of the car, he approached the man lying motionless on the ground. She looked like a local punk. Red mohawk hair, riveted jacket, leather pants.
The detective poked him in the shoulder with the barrel: "Hey buddy. Are you alive?"
Lenox came up from the other side, keeping a little further away. Carl bent down and grabbed the shoulder and tried to lift the man off the asphalt. The Press took a step to help, but at that moment the man jumped to his feet and stabbed the detective in the stomach. Her crimson-red eyes glowed like rubies.
- "Damn it! Shit!"
The half-breed forcefully pulled the man closer to him, a long tongue covered with bone blades burst out of his wide-open mouth and pierced his head. Throwing the lifeless corpse away from him, the half-breed jumped up and looked at the Press with his crimson eyes burning with anger.
- "AAAAAAAAA"
A deafening roar forced him to take a step back. Snatching a Glock 17 from his holster, he began firing one bullet after another at the creature, inserting a replacement magazine, he immediately switched to automatic mode and fired all 20 bullets into the asshole's face.
The half-breed roared and clawed at the damaged face, which was beginning to regenerate.
It gave me a couple of fucking seconds to reach for the shotgun lying on the wet asphalt. The hilt and forearm were covered with dried blood and the remains of the brains of his old army comrade.
Pointing the barrel in the direction of the half-breed, he saw that he had disappeared.
My heart was pounding wildly. The press listened, and something moved in the darkness. A shot of buckshot pierced the body. A growl from the left! A sideways somersault allowed him to evade the attack and shoot at the enemy again. A piece of flesh was torn from the half-breed's thigh. Reloading, handguard click, descent. The second shot tore off a pair of clawed fingers. The next attempt to shoot turned into a fiasco. The press swore at the gun, which had only three charges.
"Holy shit, Grow, don't the police teach you how to load a shotgun to the end?"
Roaring, the half-breed recovered from his injuries and pounced on him. The press used the gun as a club and, with the butt of his rifle, applied maximum force to hit the creature's jaw.
An armoured hand tore out the Remington. Claws pierced flesh, and ribs cracked treacherously. The half-breed grabbed him by the neck and squeezed, cutting off the air supply. The eyes burning with hatred seemed ready to incinerate him on the spot.
- "Pathetic worm!" - a distorted rude voice boomed as if it sounded from hell itself.
With a blow of the skull to the head, the Press was knocked out. Throwing his body into the windshield, he began to advance, preparing to enjoy the torment of his victim.
"You are a mere mortal, your flesh is weak. You hunted my brothers... It seems the time has come for reckoning."
Blood flow in streams down his face. It was hard to breathe. Having broken through the glass with his body and pressed it into the car, the Press collapsed into the back seat, feeling that his whole body ached and had no strength to move. Turning his face, he saw the handle sticking out of the bag.
Grabbing it, he pulled out a rifle that looked like a futuristic blaster from his bag. Turning over on his back, he turned on the battery, there was a quiet buzzing and the green LED lit up. When everything was ready, he pressed the trigger.
There was the sound of a generator, a slight crackle of static electricity, and now a jet of bright blinding light burned through the half-breed's chest, sending him to the next world. Flying against the wall, he immediately began to decompose, screaming in agony. His flesh and exoskeleton turned into a puddle of organic matter, his body was torn apart and spread over the asphalt in puddles of bubbling liquid.
With difficulty, the Press got up and hobbled to Karl lying on the ground: "Grow... Damn... I'm sorry..."
Pess looked around. Everything was clean. They were in some remote area. It seems it was a loner who decided to ambush them. But why ? The press had hunted these creatures before, but this was the first time he had seen this particular asshole.
Footsteps were heard and a short girl with shoulder-length hair, a pretty face, dressed in a turquoise jacket and short denim shorts appeared ahead. A typical teenage student.
Press – "Hey! Get out of here! It's dangerous here."
The girl approached closer without answering. He wanted to shout at her again, but something stopped him. The girl began to change. His eyes began to glow with a crimson light, and his fingernails lengthened, turning into sharpened blades.
- "Damn it!"
Angela - "Dirty premature bastard. It seems like today is not your day."
Intercepting the emitter, he shot at the creature, but it managed to jump back and clinging to the wall crawled to the top. The press fired a few more shots, but all missed. She literally disappeared into the darkness on the roof.
The press retreated and swung the barrel around, preparing to repel the attack. She is preparing to take him by surprise, jump from behind. These creatures had such a habit. You need to keep your ear sharp. Everything is quiet. All the sounds disappeared in an instant.
Press – "Well, the creature! Come on, attack."
Angela – "The creature? Is that what you're telling me? You're hunting us like wild animals!" her voice sounded out of the darkness
Press – "And who are you if not a beast?"
Movement. The press turned, but there was nothing. But she could already feel the hair beginning to move on the back of her neck. As if... A sharp U-turn and a volley of ultraviolet light from the hip.
He missed by a couple of millimeters, but it was too late. The tentacle grabbed him and pulled his arms along the body clenched like a lasso. She pulled him closer to her, and he saw a pair of bright crimson eyes. The creature clamped its tentacles in a vice like a snake, preparing to strangle and crush him. It became impossible to move. The half-breed lifted him up and threw him into the wall with a swing. The impact darkened his eyes, and his strength began to leave him. The press slowly settled to the ground. The creature opened its mouth wide and prepared to start eating.
- "Well, the creature! Come on, eat!"
The half-breed roared and pounced on him, biting through his shoulder, tearing out a large piece. Press let out a scream and felt that he was losing consciousness. The creature raised its arm again and brought its claws down on his chest, ripping open the muscles. The voice that rang out from the darkness seemed to him like a death agony. A woman's voice, icy, as if from the afterlife.
The voice – "So, so… What a meeting... Lenox Press..."
The half-breed was distracted from him and jumped up and began to back away, growling into the darkness. Press looked at his hand, which had turned into pieces. "It doesn't seem like it can be saved anymore. Such wounds can hardly be healed."
The voice – "How are you doing? Don't you dream about bloody children at night?"
Press is unable to answer, just fell down and closed his eyes.
The voice became louder – "No. No... It's not that easy..."
Bleary eyes could barely make out the silhouette that came forward. Dark hair peeking out from under the hood of a green sports jacket, tight trousers. "He's already seen her somewhere... Somewhere."
The half-breed began to walk around the woman, whom she perceived as a threat to herself and tried to hide. With a throw, the stranger approached and, releasing a long spiked blade from her hand, cut the creature's ankles, causing it to roar with anger and pain.
The voice – "No, you beast, you're not just going to leave me!"
Leaning her foot on the half-breed's back, she grabbed her hands and tore them off. Angela was literally burning in agony, realizing that she was just going to die. Having transformed his hands, his savior clung to the dreadlocks and tore out the head from part of the spine with a bang. The limbless torso, bleeding brown blood, fell to the asphalt.
The voice – "I won't let you walk around here with impunity."
After looking into the extinct eyes, she threw her head into the trash can.
When she reached the Press, she bent down and ran her claws over his face. He was already unconscious. It really was an unexpected meeting.
The voice – "And what should I do with you? Kill you here and erase the last reminder of my past life?"
She looked thoughtfully at his bloodstained face. She could feel his life fading away. He won't last long without help.
Carroll stood up and, with her hands in her pockets, prepared to leave. She had already entered a dark alley when she stopped and cursed loudly. "What the hell were you doing here anyway? Why don't you just sit in your Painthouse and drink a cocktail?"
Leaning against the wall, she stared at the body of the Press, which was already showing almost no signs of life.
'Don't tell me you're not going to die?' She kicked the body slightly and heard a strangled wheeze-"Oh... Come on. Still alive? Yes, I see you're a tough nut to crack."
Press - "Ahhahhshsss"
Carroll thought about it and started walking around the dead bodies with long strides. "You know, I used to think that when I met you, I would just cut claws you into small ribbons, enjoying the process..."
She walked up to him and kicked him again. This time, he no longer made any sounds. Taking a piece of chewing gum from her jacket pocket, she began to inflate bubbles and burst them trying to calm down.
"Do you want to take a walk? We have a couple of hours before curfew." - Sarah opened the door to Nigel's room, who was sitting on the bed and flipping through the pages of an encyclopedia he found in the closet.
It was quiet on the street, and the occasional passers-by did not pay any attention to them. Sarah, out of habit, pulled up the hood of a black hoodie with a skull print with an evil grin and bloody pointed teeth. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her spacious blue jacket made of durable water-repellent material.
- "Cool hoodie!" - Nigel looked at the drawing with the skull - "Is this like a sign for enemies?"
She smiled, "No, I just liked this drawing."
A hummer with military personnel drove past them. One of the soldiers waved cheerfully. Sarah smiled back at him and pretended to be peaceful and friendly.
- "When will all this end?" - at the sight of the military, sadness came over him again.
"Do you miss your aunt? I can take you there if you want." Sarah stopped and looked down at him.
Nigel thought about her suggestion –"I do not know. I'm worried about her, but I don't want to leave you."
"I'm glad about it," she continued walking beside him.
"Sarah, wait. I'm hungry... let's go to the store" - The lights were still on in the supermarket. There were no customers, and the guard was lazily walking between the shelves of sweets. Nigel remembered that he had not eaten chocolate for a long time, which he simply adored. - "Please! May I?"
Sarah chuckled good-naturedly, "I was hungry at your age too. I really loved lobsters."
Nigel started laughing, "Have you eaten lobsters? You have a rich family."
Sarah opened the glass door of the store -"I didn't have rich parents. Mine... My foster father bought them for me when I saw an advertisement on TV and asked him about it. If you want, I'll buy you one too."
The refrigerator was filled with various frozen food. Nigel took out a pack of lasagna for quick cooking.
Nigel - "It must be very tasty. What do lobsters taste like?"
This question made her remember how she ate this delicacy with an appetite along with the shell.
Sarah-"It was pretty good, but I liked the pie better."
Nigel - "Shall we take something else?"
Sarah took some chocolate bars from the shelf and put them in her pocket out of habit. Nigel didn't pay attention to it, but it was noticed by a middle-aged security guard who was watching them through a video camera.
"You little bald assholes. Well, put it back! Thieves!" - Taking out his baton, he stood in front of them, his muscles angrily moving from side to side.
Nigel was scared by this sudden appearance-"We just wanted to buy it!"
The guard looked at him with eyes full of anger, apparently this store was robbed by looters and this guy couldn't stop them and now decided to take it out on the girl and the child - "I know you miserable thieves. I'm going to teach you a lesson now!"
The guard raised his baton and prepared to bring down a blow on the back of Nigel, who instinctively turned away and covered his head with his hands. But there was no impact, there was a wet crunch. When he opened his face, he saw Sarah snatch the baton from the guard's hands and hit him in the cheekbone, breaking bones. The man fell onto the shelf, almost knocking him to the floor.
He put his hands out in front of him as Sarah swung the baton and prepared to finish the man off.
Nigel saw the horror and fear in the guard's eyes, it seemed to him that this man had already learned his lesson and it was not worth hurting him anymore... He hung onto Sarah's bicep, trying to stop her. She turned around and there was annoyance and anger on her face.
Nigel - "Sarah, don't! Stop! Don't, please, let's just leave. There's no need to kill him."
Her face immediately softened and now she looked even confused. She dropped the baton and looked at the man, giving him a contemptuous look.
Sarah - "Agahgahh. Consider yourself lucky. Don't get up until we leave here."
Quickly grabbing the groceries, they fled the place. The old basketball court greeted them with its desolation. Nigel was panting from running.
Nigel - "It was cruel"
Sarah- "I'm sorry... I was very angry... That freak raised his hand against you."
Nigel - "Thank you." He wrapped his arms tightly around her neck and pressed against her, inhaling the scent of her hair. Sarah was a little surprised by this reaction.
Sarah - "I already thought that you would get scared and run away from me."
Nigel - "You saved my life and you always protect me. How can I run away from you? You are my friend."
Sarah blushes with embarrassment - "It's nothing..."
Nigel - "And you're that strong? What else can you do?"
Sarah - "I can do a lot, but I still have more to learn."
Nigel - "I really want to be strong and be able to defend myself. I wish I could do the same as you."
Sarah - "You will grow up to be a man and you will be strong. It's just a matter of time."
Nigel - "Before I met you, no one was protecting me."
Sarah- "What about your mom? She took care of you. She was always there for you. Unlike my mother..."
Nigel- "I hardly saw her. She was always busy. She left in the morning and came at night. She was always looking for money, she never had enough."
Sarah opened the bar and began to enjoy the peanut butter in nougat with an appetite under a layer of chocolate - "She earned to provide for you so that you didn't need anything."
Nigel- "She loved heroin."
Sarah choked, "I thought you didn't know about this."
Nigel-"She hasn't been shy about me lately."
Sarah - "Listen Nigel, people sometimes break down inside... But she tried to take care of you anyway. She loved you."
Nigel - "I wish I could be like you or Eve or Paul..."
Sarah hugs him - "You are a very brave boy, but I can protect myself... And you too. As for my abilities. Trust me, you don't need it."
Nigel- "You sound like Eve."
Sarah - "Nigel, it's not that simple... It's going to be very hard for you. Your whole past life will be erased. You will have to hide, constantly run away, they are afraid that the government or half-breeds will track you down. You will steal food, sleep in the forest on the ground and constantly fear for your life. Are you ready for this? You will no longer be able to communicate with your human friends and relatives, you will not be able to study properly or find a good job. "
Nigel thought, "I hardly have any friends except you."
Sarah - "Nigel... You will lose your childhood. I was only a child for a couple of months. Then I became like this."
Nigel - "I was a kid for 11 years, I got tired of it. I want to become an adult."
Sarah slaps her forehead with her palm-"I feel like I can't change your mind."
Nigel- "You said half-breeds. Who are they?"
Sarah - "Cheap fakes glued together with saliva and duct tape. They are sold in stores for one dollar apiece"
Nigel laughed, "That's a funny joke. But seriously? Who are they?"
Sarah - "They are... They look like me, but... They're different anyway."
Nigel- "Wait... So they have the same superpowers?"
Sarah -"Almost, but they're not that tenacious. Fortunately, they don't live long, but they haunt us. It's like bees coming to honey."
Nigel - "Maybe they just want to be friends with you?"
Sarah laughs - "One of them already wanted to meet, or rather introduce me to his "boyfriend"."
Nigel looks at her blankly...
Sarah realizes that she said something stupid - "Uh.. Forget, it's okay. Just remember one thing, they are very dangerous and inadequate. Don't you dare approach them, but rather run away and seek shelter. But I hope that I will be there if these creatures appear again."
Nigel - "Can they come for me? Why would they want me?"
Sarah-"They need me. But they can smell my scent on you."
Nigel sniffs his sleeves - "I don't feel anything"
Sarah - "This is different... They will feel that you are connected to me. Do you understand?"
Nigel - "How do I recognize them?"
Sarah - "They have red eyes and they are very angry."
Nigel - "Where did they come from?"
Sarah - "The first of them are the children of Patrick Ross, the astronaut who conquered Mars. And then they started breeding like rabbits."
Nigel is shocked - "Patrick's children? Wow... Stop. Eva said she knew Patrick... And you're Eve's daughter... It turns out that..."
Sarah with a grin - "Come on, young Sherlock, I believe in you"
Nigel's eyes bulged out of his head and his jaw dropped - "ARE YOU PATRICK'S DAUGHTER!?"
Sarah claps her hands over her head - "Bingo! Bravo, Boss, bravo! To tell you the truth, I found out about it myself recently."
Nigel - "So they're your brothers and sisters?"
Sarah - "No, no, no... Technically, they are my step-relatives. But I don't care about that, I don't think they deserve compassion."
Nigel - "Why?"
Sarah - "They do very bad things Nigel..."
Sarah jumped off the concrete block and noticed the old ball that Nigel had played with last time. Now the ball was lying near one of the wild bushes. Taking the ball, she tossed it up and caught it with her other hand.
Sarah - "Do you like to run? "
Nigel looked at the other end of the playground..
Sarah - "No, it's too shallow... Do you see the Alley that leads to the park? Run to the very end."
Nigel - "There's a whole mile there!"
Sarah - "I'm throwing you the ball, and you have to catch it."
Nigel - "Sarah, can you throw a ball a mile?"
Sarah - "Run, Nigel! Run!" she winked at him. Nigel ran as fast as he could down the sandy path that led to the new park.
Stopping at the very end, he turned around and waved his hands.
Nigel - "Done! I'm here!"
Sarah took a wide swing and threw the ball in his direction. Flying up, he disappeared from sight... Nigel held his hands up and tried to see where the ball would come from.
Nigel shouts, "I can't see him! Did you send him to Mars?"
Sarah shouts back - "Catch!"
The dot that appeared in the sky was rapidly approaching, flying straight into the boy's hands. Grabbing it, Nigel fell to the sand and drove his back across the lawn.
Sarah - "Yes, it was a well-aimed shot!"
Nigel - "It's like I caught a shell from a cannon"
He started to get up from the ground, but his chest hurt a lot. Sarah noticed something was wrong and ran to him.
Sarah- "Are you okay?"
Nigel - "Ah, everything is fine. I just couldn't keep my balance."
Sarah- "Maybe I overdid the throw."
Nigel - "It's okay. Are we going to play again?"
Sarah - "I think it's time for us to go home. I don't want the patrols to catch us."
Nigel - "Yes, let's go. Of course, it's a pity, the weather is so good now. You know, you remember such moments forever. It was very cool, thank you for taking me for a walk."
Sarah - "Huh, yeah. I broke the guard's jaw and almost killed you with a ball. Yes, it's really a fun time."
Nigel - "I found out that you are Patrick's daughter. It's awesome!"
He took her hand and leaned closer to her.
Sarah - "Well, I'm glad you liked everything..."
Nigel - "I wonder how Eva is doing?"
The press woke up tied up in the basement. His wounds were bandaged and treated. He saw Eva, who was sitting next to him and waiting for him to wake up. Attempts to jump up did not lead to anything. He studied her face carefully, trying to figure out if it was a hallucination... Like this... Is it possible?
Eva sat closer and checked the bandage: "I'm not happy to see you either. How are you? How is Laura?"
The press felt that he did not have enough water and his throat was parched from thirst: "It's okay... Can I? Water?"
Eve took the flask and held it to his mouth. He drank greedily and nodded to her, "Thank you... It was you who saved me, wasn't it? Where am I?"
Exhaling, she put her hands in her pockets- "No, not me. I wouldn't make that mistake a second time."
The press raised an eyebrow in surprise-"Well, what is it?"
Eve sat down on a nearby bench made of rough-hewn planks. "Carroll saved you. And she doesn't really know what to do with you yet. Although if I were her, I'd leave you there to die."
Press - "If you hate me so much. Why did you help us then?"
Eva - "I don't know. I didn't want innocent people to get hurt. This dirty bastard had to be stopped."
Standing up and leaning against the wall, he took another sip of water, "You told Carroll. Who is this?"
Eva chuckled, "I think you know her by another name. Do you need a hint? Three letters, the first S."
The face of the press convulsed - "No! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"
Laughing, she swung her leg over-"Oh, look at that. The tough mercenary was scared. Just don't cry and don't call Mommy, okay?"
The press hit its head on a wooden bench-"Holy shit. No, I refuse to believe it. I saw her die, she couldn't resurrect.
Eva moved closer, "I know everything you've done to her. And if I were in her place..."
"Eva, listen, I know you're different. You're not that kind of monster. Sil - she's rabid, she's a killer, there's nothing alive in her. Listen, help me get out of here, and I'll guarantee your safety. Do you remember Laura? She'll help you. I promise."
Eve listened attentively and slowly shook her head. The grin on her face turned into hysterical giggles. - "Oh, yes. I remember her. I remember everything, Lenox Press. The mercenary who was supposed to kill me." - she uttered these words with special cynicism.
The press lowered his face-"I'm sorry, Eva. You ran away because you were attracted to Patrick. We had to stop you."
"Yes, you didn't need me anymore. I fulfilled my purpose there, in this barn. Everything was a lie. They created a golden cage for me, which was a torture chamber." Her gaze was changing, becoming more irritated.
The press spat out blood and looked at her-"Eva, she remembers you. She... She did her best. She took care of you."
At these words, Eve spun around and grabbed his face, pulling him to her. - "Care? Is that what you call caring? Keep me like an animal, gas me, shoot me, torture me every day. Do you know what your beloved Laura did to me? Tell me? They cut me open alive and poured acid on me, seeing if my insides could handle it? What do you think? Do you like it? If you want, I can show you right now" - her claw dug into the stomach of the Press. - "Do you want to tell me more? They tried to crush me with concrete slabs, threw grenades and explosives at me. And do you know what Laura did when I begged them to stop, when I was crying in pain? She stood there and smiled. And then she said: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
The press didn't know all these terrible details and Eve saw his eyes widen in shock-"Why didn't Laura tell me this?"
Eva - "So I would also bet who is the rabid killer here"
The press was about to say something, but faltered: "Unlike Sil, you didn't kill innocent people. You have a chance."
Her voice started to turn into a furious scream, "What did you just say? A chance? For what?"
The press retreated, pressing into the wall - "I meant that you are kinder and more humane. And Laura and I could help you."
Eve felt like she was literally boiling inside. It was worth the effort to literally not turn into a monster right here. "And what will you do for me? Will you arrange a new luxury cage for me? Will you shoot me with guns not every day, but only
on Thursdays?"
The press swallowed: "We will definitely come up with something. I'll talk to Laura. Everything will change, no more torture and executions, I will personally make sure that they stop it."
Eve couldn't believe her ears. He had the nerve to say that to her right now. He literally invited her to return to this nightmare back - "Tell me. Did you find the cheat code for immortality in this game?"
Press - "I did not understand"
Eva - "You know that I can tear you to pieces right now. I will kill you in such a perverted way that you would prefer that half-breed."
The press turned away. In order not to see her eyes, in which pain and hatred for her tormentors were read - "Eva, I understand everything. But you understand me too. I am ready to do everything in my power. But how can I give you freedom? It's impossible. I'm sorry."
She was preparing to leave the basement, but a vibration was heard in the Press in her pocket. When she approached him, she pulled out her phone from her breast pocket and accepted the call.
Laura - "Press! It's Laura! Where the hell are you!? "
Eva - "The press is a little busy. He's resting now after a hard day."
There was confusion on the phone-"Eva, is that you? Baby, I'm... I'm so happy to hear from you. I have a lot to tell you."
Eva pretended that she was not interested in this conversation and put the speaker on speaker - "Yes, yes, I hear you. Keep going."
There was confusion and bewilderment in Laura's voice-"Eva, you need to come back. Look, this is important. It's dangerous for you to be there right now. Come home baby..."
A grimace of genuine disgust appeared on Eva's face-"Laura, am I really hearing this? Do you care about me? I'm so glad. I'll buy tickets right now and come to your place, we'll have coffee and talk about everything."
It was audible that Laura was delighted to hear this. "Eva, I'll be happy to see you. Baby, I'm so glad you're okay. The press will take you to me."
Eva yelled into the phone so loudly that the person on the other end of the line should just go deaf- "That would be sarcasm. I will never go back to this hell again. You hear, never. If you want to catch me, then come and get me. But remember, if I ever see you, I will make you feel all the horrors and pain that you have caused me. Burn in hell scum."
After these words, she swung and threw the phone into the wall, so that it shattered into small pieces. After leaving the basement, she sat down on the sofa and grabbed her temples. She felt it again. "No, Laura, you won't be able to do your Experiments column anymore, starring me."
So, finally, I got a little free from business and was able to come back to you. The story must continue. I will release another sequel soon. where the most severe conversation between Carol (Seal) and the Press will take place.