I Am Number Four

Chapter Eleven: The Surprise Attack

Racing through the forest towards Avalon's home, John tried to ignore the burning in his chest that grew stronger with every step that he took; he felt like it would engulf him completely at any moment. 

It didn't take him long to reason the clearing where her home stood and when John did, his entire world seemed to fall apart; he stared at the house that was burning to the ground before him, the flames billowed around the house and smoke rising high into the air. 

John only stopped for a moment before he attempted to race towards the house, only to be stopped by Henri; who had arrived minutes before he had and was just as shocked by the scene that greeted them as he was. 

Knocking John to the ground, Henri tried to pull him away from the scene knowing that there was only one group that could be responsible for what had happened here. 

"Let me go," John demanded, he wanted to find Avalon needing to know that somehow she had escaped the disaster that had claimed her home. 

It had only been yesterday that he had kissed her and John didn't wish to believe that she could actually be gone now; it seemed so final when everything had been working out for them. 

Henri pulled him back away from the house and into the shadows of the forest so that they couldn't be seen; he looked back at the house knowing they needed to be careful if they wanted to look around. 

"I'm sorry John but the Mogadorians were here," Henri whispered moving them further into the woods while tears started to form in John's eyes as the ache in his chest increased as if trying to tell him something. 

It was like something was sitting on his chest and John couldn't imagine how he was going to carry on like this; he wanted to break down and destroy everything at this news.

After a few moments John was calm enough to accompany Henri in inspecting the damage; they needed to be careful in case anyone arrived to see them looking through the remains of the house. 

They didn't need anyone assuming that they had been responsible for what had happened nor did they need the Mogadorians coming back to find them; they would both be dead if that happened. 

Henri carefully moved through the destruction when he spotted that John had stopped, he followed the Garde's gaze and felt sick at the sight that greeted him. 

There before the two of them laid Lillian's body covered in her own blood; Henri rushed towards his sister's body before dropping to his knees and wondering if she had suffered much. 

She looked a complete mess and it was clear that the Mogadorians had tortured her before burning down the house; his eyes swept the area around them but there was no sign of Avalon. 

"Lilly?" Henri whispered devastated pulling her into his arms, he held onto her wishing that he had been able to protect her from this. 

There was no sign of James and it was clear that she would die alone here if Henri and John hadn't found her; she wasn't dead yet but there was little that they could do to save her. 

John slowly approached Henri and Lillian, he knew that this was hard on Henri but he needed to find Avalon; there was no sign of her in the rubble and he feared she was already dead. 

Lillian slowly opened her eyes as it started to rain, she knew that she had failed and that it was her own fault; Henri had been right, she and James hadn't been careful enough and they had paid for that with their lives. 

There was nothing that could be done now and Lillian could only hope that Henri could forgive her for what she had done, she swallowed thickly not knowing how much time she was going to have left.

"You were right, we should have been more carefully," Lillian croaked weakly before looking at her brother, she wished that things wouldn't end like this but there was nothing that could be done for her. 

Henri felt tears in his eyes as he realised that he couldn't save her, he didn't think that he was ready to say goodbye and he doubted that he was prepared to watch his sister die like this. 

"Where's James?" Henri asked wondering why James hadn't defended his wife while John looked back at the burning house; it was clear that there weren't any survivors and it made him want to just give up. 

Nothing made sense anymore and John couldn't believe that he would have to carry on now that Avalon was gone; it felt like something was missing and he wondered if this was normal. 

"He was in Lima, the Mogadorians tracked him down first," Lillian whispered, she couldn't imagine what they had done to her husband and she prayed his death had been a quick one. 

Henri nodded while John made his way forward and dropped down on his knees by the pair; taking in the wounds that decorated Lillian's body, he needed to know for sure and he hoped that she had some good news for him in some way. 

"Where's Avalon?" John asked making Henri's head snap up before looking at his Garde, there was something that going on and he was going to have to talk to John about it; he didn't know what he would do if his guess was right.

It would completely break John if Avalon hadn't made it out of this, he wouldn't be willing to fight for his life when the Mogadorians finally caught up with them.

Lillian took a deep breath, she looked at John with a faint smile on her lips and knew that he would have been a good person for Avalon; her daughter deserved the best and Lillian would be seeing her soon. 

"She's gone..." she whispered before slowly losing her grip on life; John felt his world collapse at the news that Avalon had been lost even if he had known it was coming. 

There had been a small hope that somehow she had made it out of this alive and John didn't think that he was ready to face a world without her; it felt like all the air had been sucked straight out of his body. 

Henri closed his eyes as Lillian's body disintegrated, he knew that they couldn't remain here; it was too dangerous and it would only raise questions when the emergency workers arrived. 

The two of them could already hear the sirens and Henri didn't wish to linger, there was nothing that they could do anymore and he was sure that Lillian was in a much better place. 

"We need to leave," Henri murmured pulling John to his feet, they started to leave knowing that the faster they were in the car the better; he couldn't let John grieve here where people could see. 

John felt Henri rest a hand on his shoulder before he was pulled towards the car, he hadn't even realised that the other man had moved from his place where Lillian had died; he felt dizzy and sick, he didn't know how to process the news that Avalon was dead. 

Reaching the car, Henri was quick to get John into the passenger's side before he rushed around to his side of the car; the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. 

Looking back towards the burning house for a moment, Henri swore that he saw a man moving in the shades; he backed away knowing now wasn't the time for them to deal with this. 

The man watched Henri and John leave before he started back into the woods, he had to get back to his friend and the cabin that they had hidden in the woods away from prying eyes.