Guardians: Protectors of Light

Chapter 8

Picture of the cell

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 Matt and Angela watch helplessly as Valery is taken by her attacker, the signal of their defeat. The Devil's Own surrounding them breaks away to allow an opening for the cop woman. Valery's bleeding chest trails heavily along the snow-beaten streets. The woman cop carrying her starts walking towards the police office, Valery lifelessly dangling in her arms.

"Hang in there, Val!" Matt calls, lowering his sword.

"We're coming." Angela relents, lowering her sword. "Focus, you know what to do."

The cops yank Matt's and Angela's swords from their grasp and pick up Valery's dropped blade. Another quickly frisks both Matt and Angela, removing all hidden weapons, and handing them over to another.

"Hang in there," Matt repeats as they start to follow, wrists cuffed.

"I don't think she's going to make it," Angela whispers.

"She has to. We can't lose them both." Matt whispers. "I thought she would have a better chance against that cop."

Both have their eyes only on Valery as they are marched into the station and down a set of wooden steps. Valery is dropped on the blood-red tile floor. The woman slips out of the cell. Matt and Angela are shoved in behind.

"The dark lord has given us guinea pigs, who are we not to take advantage of?" Uncle Darrel asks, holding three syringes out to the woman cop.

Wrists shackled, they don't stand a chance as the cop shoves a needle into first Valery's shoulder then Matt and Angela's. Only then are the shackles removed. The door is locked, and all four cops make their way up the stairs. The cell is sparse, with a red tile floor leading up to a gray stone wall. The cell only has a grimy, dust-covered tattered mattress taking up space.

"Val?" Angela murmurs, dropping to her knees beside Valery, placing a hand comfortingly on Valery's shoulder. Matt sits down on her other side.

Valery's face is white, blood pooling out. Her coat and jeans are stained red, blending in with the floor.

"Work on stopping the blood flow. Quick." Matt tells Angela. Angela unzips Valery's coat and throws it open. "Lots of pressure," Matt instructs. He takes Valery's hands and rips off her gloves, tossing them. He holds both her hands in his own, letting her feel his beating heart, the warmth of his blood flow. "Focus on my energy. Quick, before the injection takes away all sensation. Focus Val, come on, you can do it!" Matt pleads as Angela rips a large piece of fabric from the leg of her pants and presses it against Valery's wound.

"She needs stitches," Angela murmurs, her hands pressed tightly against Valery's wound.

"Keep pressure, make sure her breathing is steady," Matt tells Angela as he checks Valery's pulse. "It's faint, keep pressure." He repeats, turning his focus back on Valery's face. "Val, I know you can hear me. Fight this. Stay with us. Use my energy. Think of Trent. He would want you to fight." He pleads, his voice cracking.

"Her ability to heal herself has been novice, at best. What if she can't?" Angela whispers, her eyes drilling into Matt's head.

"We can't both lose our best friends," Matt tells Angela, ignoring her stare.

"We can't get Trent back just to break his heart, you hear me?" Angela snaps at Valery. Please, please work, she begs as she leans forward and closes her eyes, trying to slip into Valery's mind. She tunes into Valery's fading brainwaves. They are blurry and glitching, but there. Calm she soothes. In Valery's mind, Angela can feel the pain, fear, and guilt along with a deep sense of exhaustion. I'm here, you are going to be ok.