Blue Wings {COMPLETE} {UNDER EDITING}

Chapter 11 - Mack

Liz's hands shake as she fumbles with the lock on Dylan's cage. It pops open and she swings the door around as Dylan stumbles out. He falls onto her, wrapping his arms around her. I turn around as my heart sinks, deciding to keep watch on the door instead of their reunion.
"I thought you were dead." Dylan whispers, his voice weak but also sweet sounding.
"I missed you." Liz whispers back. I almost growl, wanting to break them apart but a flicker catches my attention.
"Uh, guys. I hate to break your reunion short, but we have a problem." I whisper over my shoulder as a shape forms in the darkness. They break apart, turning as the form moves closer.
"No! It's him." Dylan cries from behind us. "He's going to hurt me!" Liz stands in between the figure and Dylan, whispering over her shoulder to calm him down. I plant myself directly in front of her, clenching my fists at my side; although I probably wouldn't be able to do much with how weak and shaky I still feel after basically dying.. The figure continues forward until light washes over it's face and my breath catches in my throat as I recognize the familiarity of his face; the way his dark brown hair falls to one side..
"D-Dad?" I stammer, stepping backwards. I can hardly breathe as I stare at the person in front of me.
"Dad?" Liz questions, "Isn't he-"
"Dead." I cut her off. "You're dead."
"No, no son. I'm alive." He comes forward, reaching out to me, but I step backwards.
"Stay away from me." I growl, glaring at him.
"But.."
"You're dead!" I scream, as hot tears wet my face.
"I know I've been gone for awhile, but I'm alive, in the flesh. Please believe me."
"Why should I," I lift my shirt, displaying a long white scar over my stomach. "You did this!" The man in front of me looks down. "I'm not happy with the decisions I've made in the past, but I've changed, just let me show you!"
"I don't believe you!" I fume, clenching my fists at my side. Liz walks up beside me, grabbing my trembling hands. She pulls my focus away from my dad, rubbing her thumbs along my knuckles.
"Show him you've changed too, you are strong, Mack. Don't forget that." She whispers to me, squeezing my hands gently. I nod, turning back to my father, and staring at his familiar bushy face.
"If you've changed, then show me. Help us escape." I put more strength into my voice, so it doesn't shake, standing up taller.
"I will make sure you escape, Mack, but I have to take your.. "friends" back."
"No. All of us." I reply firmly, gripping Liz's hand tightly. My father glances from me to her, frowning.
"Alright then. Follow." He walks out of the room. Liz looks at me briefly, before returning to Dylan's side to help support him. I walk out of the room, following my father, soon joined by Liz and Dylan. He leads us through hallway after hallway, as my fear rises. Suddenly he stops turning to me.
"Here." He hands me a card, but holds onto it leaning closer to me and whispering in my ear, "That girl is trouble. She's not who she says she is." Then he pulls back, letting go of the card. I stare at it. His smiling face flashes up at me with his name below in bold black letters: Harold Emmings.
The name I used to know so well.
"That key will let you out, but we have to make it look like a fight, punch me." The command stuns me for a second, but I quickly do so, throwing all the anger I have towards my father into it. There is a loud smack as my fist hits his face, and he stumbles backwards, falling to the floor. I quickly step over him, feeling the warmth along my knuckles, and continue towards the door. Neither Liz nor Dylan say a word as they step past my father. We come to stand in front of the door.
"What if it's a trap?" I question, looking back at Liz.
"It's the best shot we have." She replies quietly, glancing at Dylan's closed eyes around her shoulder. I nod, swiping my father's card over the lock. It flashes a green light, clicking open, and I step through the door. Dim sunlight washes over me, and freezing air crawls across my skin. My breath comes out in puffs as I let out the one I had been holding in.
"Whoa. How long were we in there." Liz comes up beside me, staring ahead at the thin layer of snow blanketing the ground.
"I don't know." I breathe out.
"Come on. I see the outline of a forest a ways from here. We make it there, it will give us some cover." Liz staggers forward. I run up beside her, draping Dylan's other arm around my shoulder. Liz smiles at me and presses onward. With us both supporting Dylan, our pace picks up, and I soon spot the forest tree. I glance up at the cloud covered sky as we walk.
"Looks like we're in for a nice snow storm." I mumble as the cold freezes my fingers. Liz glances up and nods.
"We need to find shelter before it starts. It's going to be a good one." Her teeth chatter as she speaks, but she clamps them together, giving me a brief smile.
"C-Can we stop. I-I'm tired." Dylan stammers, attempting to sit.
"Hey, we're almost there, just a bit further." Liz lifts Dylan up. "Do you remember that game we used to play? The one where we competed to see who could stay awake the longest? You're not going to let me win, are you?"
"N-No." Dylan lifts his head, standing up taller, which takes some of the weight off my shoulder. Our pace picks up again and we soon walk through the forest trees. I listen to the fresh snow crunch under our feet as we walk, feeling my energy slowly seep away along with the last of the warmth in my fingers.
"Here." Liz stops, helping Dylan sit against a tree trunk.
"Mack, can you help me? Maybe we can find enough sticks to build a make-shift shelter." She asks, looking at me. I nod, turning around to begin my search.

It's almost dark by time we finish a shelter. We managed to find enough sticks to almost make a full circle around the tree, leaning them up against it. I sit outside watching the tree branches sway in the wind.
"You doing alright?" Liz asks, sitting beside me. My fathers words surface in my mind, but I push them away.
"You mean my father?" I question, glancing at her. She nods, reaching for my hand, but I pull away.
"I've never trusted my father, it's only like him to fake his own death."
"Thank you for working with him. I know how hard that must have been."
"I wanted out as much as you did." I respond slowly. Liz sits in silence, staring off into the woods.
"You do realize he's like a brother to me." She says quietly. I watch her questioningly, waiting for her to explain, but she only smiles, standing up.
"I'll leave you be." She walks back to the shelter, ducking inside.
If only that was the only thing on my mind I think to myself, sitting in silence as the first snowflakes drift around me.