The Alternate State

chapter 8

" cress... what-" i turn my head around and it's lincoln, a line of blood slithering from the back of his head down the front of his shirt. How did he get out? Why is he awake already? "Cress, you were- who the hell is this"
I notice the awkward angle his thumb hangs at, my God did he break his own thumb just to find me and finish the job! "I said, who is this" I instinctively trun around protectively in front of Gabe. I stand slowly keeping myself between Lincoln and Gabe. Suddenly I feel the gun slip from my pants and Gabe stands up behind me, sliding me over and placing me behind him pointing the gun at the interuder. Just then the whole room erupts. One look on Lincolncs face changes everything
" gabriel?" He rushes forward, "How, You- you died that night, youre suposed to be dead! I watched them kill you!" he says eyes wide "HOW!" He demands
"Wait! You know this guy?" I say sliding out from behind Gabe. Gabe slowly lowers the gun to his side, but doesn't put it away. He keeps it nearly lowered. I come up next to him, my hand slipping in to his and holding his arm with my other hand, I'm not letting go of him ever again. "Cress, what are you, what are you doing? Do you know Gabriel?" I look up at Gabe, how could this man be related to Lincoln. Brothers. "This." I saying staring Lincoln dead in the eye, "Is my best friend Gabe."

He stares at me a moment, then down at our intertwined hands then he looks up at Gabe as if he's never seen this man before "And I love him." I say matter of factly. I remove the jacket from my waste "I, I believe this belongs to you." I say lookin Gabe full in the face, untwining my hand  and gently handing it to him, slipping both arms around his waist. "You. you kept it. All this time?" He looks at the jacket as if I"ve just handed him a sacred treasure, he looks down at me dropping the jacket and placing both hands on either side of my face he runs his thumb along my cheek and gives me one quick deep kisses, pulling my body hard against his.

Suddenly there is a hand on my shoulder, tearing me from him and throwing me to the ground. "You! You don't touch him! What are you doing! Have you been playing me this whole time!" I slide across the ground scrapping both elbows in the process. I suck in air through my teeth wincing at the sudden pain. "Lincoln!" Gabe suddenly shouts, "What are you doing! Aren't you two working together to  break me out?" He suddenly looks at me "isn't that why you two are together?" I suddenly have a wave of shame wash over me, this is exactly why I never wanted to let another man in. I knew I should have waited just a little while longer for Gabe. "Yes that's right, that's exactly right, I am here to save you and apparently so is she. We're together." He looks at me pointedly on that last word.

"We are not together." I Say through clenched teeth standing on my feet. "You are a psychopath, a fraud and a liar who just tried to kill me." I stand between Gabe and Lincoln now debating if I go back to Gabe if Lincoln will do something crazy. "You what" Gabe says the gun sitting a litle firmer in his grip now, he holds out his hand to me, pulling me behind him again but never releasing my hand, I stand there, relishing in the heat of his body, I let him protect me now.
"I- I thought you were dead, this, her family took everything from us . I was avenging you, and our parents."
"This is not what our parents or I would have wanted, how could you think that, and Cress, she didn't do anything to us?" he says pulling me a little bit closer " I understand you were hurt, that you were left alone and tramatized, but this this is wrong" a bit of tenderness slipping in to his voice.

Link opens his mouth to say something but all of a sudden an alarm goes off. Lincoln and I exchange glances, "they found the guard. We need to leave now." well this plan sure has gone down in flames. Everything that could possibly go wrong, did.  The two boys just stare at each other now, none of us knows how to leave. This situation is hostile to say the least.
"Now!" pushing Lincoln out of the way and pulling Gabe out the door " Gabe we need to blend in." I say as I run, "there's no way." Everythings supper tight here" He comes to a stop nearly tripping me, "Wait, come with me" we turn around and see Lincoln standing in the hall blocking our way, "You need to move or follow me, but you need to decide now Lincoln." Gabe says firmly. Licoln stares at him a minute, then nods and moves out of our way. " Come on" he says pulling me in to a room at the end of the hall, We barge in to a room where a  single scientist stands next to a paitent. "Move!" Gabe yells brandishing the gun. "Give me your lab coat!" the scientist holds up her hands moving slowly back towards the wall. "Don't even think about hitting that panic button" Gabe says with lethal seriousness. The scientist is shaking now, she's obviously never been on the receiving end of a gun.