The Valuable

Chapter 10

I lay splayed out on the floor of the helicopter after being dropped by the claw. I back away into a corner as I hear the click of The Leader's high heels on the tile floor. I grimace at the first sight of her piercingly blue eyes and pale skin. We both remain silent, ridiculing each other. I sit stock still, not daring to make even the slightest movement. All of a sudden, The Leader pulls a syringe full of a mysterious bubbling liquid with a green pigment from behind her back. The three-inch-long needle glints in the overhead lighting and it's menacing tip mocks me.
"You wouldn't.", I shudder, not knowing what this liquid is or what it will do to me.
"Oh, but I would.", The Leader snickers as she steps closer.
I press my palms into the cold wall behind me as my heart starts beating faster. I swear all of Alohara can hear it beat by the time The Leader stops walking. She's so close that our noses are practically touching. I know what's about to happen.
"You can't do this! What about all of the innocent people out there? You're going to torture them even more than before with whatever is in the stupid chip. I can't let you do -", I say before The Leader cuts me off by shoving the needle into my forearm with a malicious grin on her face. As the liquid surges into my body, my vision blurs. I can practically feel my veins pumping with the drug as I fade off into oblivion.

The next thing I know, I'm sitting in a hospital bed with old sheets digging into my armpits from being pulled up so far. I feel numb all over and the back of my head is burning with pain. I lift the arm in which the needle was inserted, but there is nothing but a small bandaid where it had been. I sit alone for a while, until Anastasia eventually bursts through my room's door.
"Joel!", she splutters as tears dribble down her face.
"Anastasia.", I say breathtakingly.
Before I can fit another word in, her lips are pressed against mine and her warm hand is caressing my cheek. I feel a zap of adrenaline slink up my spine and my body is practically filled with electricity. Her lips are as soft as I imagined they would be, if not softer, and she smells like roses just as she always does. Despite the current circumstances, this was pretty perfect. When we eventually pull away, I lie in awe of her beauty. Her cheeks turn pink in embarrassment.
"I-I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that.", she says sheepishly.
"Don't apologize. I've been dreaming of that moment since my seventh birthday.", I chuckle.
"How's your head?", she asks in concern.
"My head? It's sore.", I say in confusion.
"Of course it is, silly. The Leader just had your surgery. The chip was removed.", she says gravely.
"Where is it?", I demand.
"I don't know Joel.", she sighs.
A knock sounds at my door and Rupert slips into the room.
"What are you doing here? You'll get caught!", I whisper intensely.
"I need to make this quick, but I wanted to see you. Are you all right boy?", he says, tousling my hair.
"Go easy on my neck, okay?", I say pushing his hand away and smiling.
For the first time, I touch the jagged cut on my head, feeling the stitches poking up out.
"When do I get out of this place?", I say eagerly.
"We don't know, Joel.", Anastasia admits.
I slam my hand down on the hard mattress.
"Dammit.", I yell.
"At least you're not dead!", Anastasia offers hopefully.
I scowl at the bandaid on my forearm, thinking hard. If we want to stop The Leader from inserting the chip and releasing its evil, we need to do it now.
"I'm sure they have multiple padlocks preventing me from leaving this place, so you guys will have to stop them on your own. Both of you. My brain hurts too much to think of a grand scheme, but I know that both of you are fully capable of doing that. Until I get out of this place, stopping The Leader is in your hands", I say firmly.
Anastasia gulps and Rupert goes sheet white. Nevertheless, they both nod in agreement.
"Hello, partner.", Rupert says, extending his hand to Anastasia.
She grabs it weakly and shakes it.
"Let's do this.", she says uncertainly.
Before they leave, Anastasia squeezes my hand and plants a light kiss on my forehead. With just Rupert and I in my room now, he pats the bedpost at my feet, promising not to let me down. I sure hope he can keep that promise.