Heart Pangs

Chapter 51 - The Deal

"Benji! Please. Please, I need you. They're— they're here. They found me. They're—"

Benji meets Lux's gaze as the line goes dead.

"It sounds like a trap," Lux voices right away.

"Well, duh," Benji responds. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't do anything about it."

Lux grimaces because he knows Benji's right. Even if Lux himself opts out, Benji will still walk headfirst into danger for Camille, and Lux would be damned if he lets Benji do that alone.

"And you tried calling back?"

Benji throws him a withering glance that tells Lux all he needs to know. "Of course I did. Several times. But none of them went through."

Of course they didn't.

"Do you think it's Epomis or the Facility?" Lux asks.

"Does it matter?"

Lux's jaw tightens. "I could fight off Epomis better than I could the Facility."

Benji locks the phone and puts it away. "I know." His expression becomes strained. "But I think it's the Facility."

"So do I."

There's a terribly fraught silence between them before Benji says, "I'm going. I'm grabbing everything and going. Whether you're coming too, that's up to you."

"Of course I'm coming," Lux answers without hesitation. "We'll need to check out of the hotel first, though."

Benji's forehead creases with frustration.

"You take care of that now," Lux instructs before Benji can get overwhelmed. "I'll pack all our stuff and get it into the car. Go, quickly."

Benji nods and scurries off. Lux watches him go for a moment, feeling the urge to chase him down before he shakes his head and turns to pack his stuff. He doesn't need to consume again. It's not enough for any outsiders to tell, but he still hasn't finished digesting his last night's meal.

Does he regret how everything panned out afterwards? Absolutely. But he has yet to muster up regret for the meal itself, especially since it now looks like he won't be separating from Benji just yet. He'll need all his concentration to face... whatever they're about to head into, and he wouldn't be able to do that if he were constantly distracted by his gnawing hunger.

Lux packs quickly, throwing whatever he can find into his bag. Once that's done, he takes the copy of Benji's keycard and heads up to his room. He does the same there, checking every corner for Benji's belongings and stuffing them into his suitcase. Less than ten minutes later he's cramming everything into Benji's car. He's just finishing up when Benji comes out of the hotel lobby and half-sprints across the parking lot.

"Ready?" Benji asks, breathless.

Lux nods. "Let's go."

Without another word, they both jump in the car and speed off.

The drive back is silent and very tense. Benji drives almost recklessly, speeding down the highway and weaving in and out of traffic. Lux's only relief is that he no longer feels like he's going to burst from being stuck in such an enclosed space with Benji. Internally, he thinks that Benji had been right all along, that sticking near Camille's house had always been a good idea, but he doesn't think now is the time to bring up that particular point.

When they reach Camille's neighborhood, a cold dread settles over Lux. It only increases when they turn onto Camille's street and see the swarm of vehicles parked outside of her house. He'd recognize those vans anywhere.