The Escape ~ Gally TMR

Chapter Thirteen

{Image above is Lilli, in case you wanted a more clear vision of what she looked like:) If you're content using your imagination, that's fine as well.}

Lilli's POV:

The search was fast, but I swear it felt like it took thousands of years. The only thing on my mind was the idea that we were leaving Chris here. What would happen to him here? Was there really no way to save him? Was there really nothing we could do? Jona stepped forward,gesturing towards the hallway.

"We board the plane from that door down there, you can wait down there, while we get our equipment ready, if you like." I nodded, solemnly taking each painful step towards the end of the hall, Shai trailing behind.

"I can't believe they wouldn't let him on..." Shai whispered. I shook my head, not wanting to think about it.

"I know..."

"What are we gonna do?" She whispered again. I bit my lip.

"I don't think there's anything we can do." I muttered.Just then, Jona and his team came down the hallway, carrying their briefcases and all wearing their white lab coats.

"Right, let's do this." Jona said, giving us both a curt nod before stepping in front of us, opening the wide double doors behind us, to reveal a walk way onto the small plane. We boarded last,looking behind us one last time. It was happening. It was really happening.

We got the plane, and took a seat around the perimeter, the center had all been renovated to accommodate the plethora of equipment and science tables, some with straps. I assumed these were for holding down the crank bodies. How repulsive.

"Please don't touch anything. Oh, and buckle up. We may not be an action packed fighter jet, but we won't waste time extracting DNA,that's for damn sure." One of the girl's spoke flatly, pushing her thick framed glasses farther up on her pointed, persnickety nose as she turned swiftly away from us. We both nodded, buckling our seat belts and sitting still. I felt the engine roar beneath us, as we went faster and faster, until the rubber of the tires left the runway, and we were in the air.

We had only been in the air for what seemed like a few minutes,flying over the grand, endless of oasis of deserted sand dunes, when the plane came to a halt mid air. The hover craft had obviously been turned on, as a few mechanical shoots were released, obviously out to catch the cranks below. It was kind of sad, in a way. Sure, they were far from human at this point, but they used to be people. They used to have brothers, and sisters, have parents who loved them, whom they shared a heartfelt Christmas dinner with. And now? Now they were cold, heartless monsters, being extracted for virus DNA. I sat still,watching from the windows as Cranks below ran frantically from the metallic claws of the hover craft, grasping desperately at their void, crazed bodies until all three had been captured. It was rather gruesome and fowl, really, inhumane wasn't quite enough to describe the horror I was watching happen before my eyes. Their bodies slowly came into focus as I cringed, looking away from the window as they came closer to the hover ship, in a frenzy of madness. Shai closed her eyes as the bodies were brought into the center floor of the ship, the scientists rushing towards them, injecting needles into their flailing arms, until the movements subsided, and the bodies grew still. Shai opened her eyes, her mouth falling agape.

"Did you just kill them?" She asked, a foreign sense of hesitation found in her voice. One of the boys, a stockier fellow,looked up at her. He raised a judgmental eyebrow, as though the answer were obvious.

"Well we can't exactly reason them into giving us blood samples."He chuckled, snorting through his flared swine nose, obviously amused with his comment. Shai rolled her eyes, sitting back in her chair. I sighed. Of course, Shai and I were used to seeing Cranks, testing them, even killing them if it was necessary. But this, this was a whole new level of disturbing. I waited until all of the scientists,Jona included, were substantially delved into their work, before I glanced over at Shai. She gave me the look that said: Now. I nodded, slowly unbuckling myself from the seat and standing.