Snatched

C.16. Helpless Victims

*{ Hi there, yeah it's me. I just want to ask. Please please tell me if you like my story. I know I've been updating and not updating for ages but I just want to know how you feel about the mysteries and clues hidden in there. Pls comment :). I have planned a bit of a plot twists heading soon so don't worry. }*

I'm sitting in the canteen again, I had just been to see Bella and learnt some basic defence moves. Now I'm anxiously waiting for Jack to whisk me off my feet into the sunset. But just as my mind starts to reject this idea, and my gut begins to full with butterflies I see someone familiar at the canteen doors. A tall guy lumbers through the doors, looking very glum. At a further inspection, I realise that it's Phil. Where there's a Phil there should always a Dan, but he's nowhere in sight. I watch the doors, but nothing happens. Perhaps they fought? Maybe that's why Phil looks so distressed. I call out to him, gaining a nasty look from an elderly man walking past him. Phil turns and I can see tears trickling down his face. He begins to make his way over.

"Hey, are you alright?'" I ask as he sits down. Obviously not, but it seemed like the best thing to ask right now.
"I am... But dan..." He says, starting to sob. "They've taken him... They ripped him from my grasp, Summer, I got away... But he..." Phil collapses onto the seat next to me and starts to mumble incoherent words in between heavy sobs.

"What? Who's taken Dan? How..? How'd you get back here?" I ask, pushing for answers. He takes a moment to take a deep breath and continue.
"We were walking... Back to our old apartment I mean." He sobs for a bit, I decide not to push for more, hoping that me opens up. "We were carrying some gear, some inventions. Like the one I used to get back here..."

He pulls his hand out from under the table to reveal a black watch with a red button on the side. I remember that phil isn't one of us, he doesn't have any powers. I look back at the watch and notice it isn't ticking at all.

"I was carrying some lighter stuff, while Dan..." His voice cracks emotionally, "he wanted to carry one of the heavier boxes." Phil looks up at me, his deep blue eyes have turned grey. He's clearly hurting, but I need to know.

"They just showed up out of nowhere. There were like ten Snatchers... He got shot in the back..." Phil says, looking as if he was watching it happen again, "It wasn't the stun guns they usually have... I... Dan... He fell and started bleeding, I had him in my arms... And... And they just... yanked him away."

I finally notice his hand lying on the table is stained red, like he tried to wash it and gave up. Phil takes another deep breath, calming his sobs momentarily.
"I... I just ran... I left him... I didn't even try." The tears rain down even harder, "Now I'll never see him again..."

He rests his head on the table. His hair is greasy and hasn't been brushed. I realise his shirt, which I thought was a weird design of red splatters on one side, is actually blood. I want to vomit. Bile seems to rise up my throughly, but I swallow it back.

"What do we do," I finally ask. He lifts his head and I can see it's a lost cause.
"Nothing. No one who searches for the Snatchers ever come back..." He answers with no emotion.

I stand up quickly, causing Phil to jump in fear. His shaking starts up again, I must have accidentally triggered his left over adrenaline.
"We have to do something!?" I push, "Theres still hope, right?"
"No, Summer. There's nothing. We can't... Please don't."

I can't take that as an answer. I've got to do something. My mind is spinning, trying to figure out who to tell, to ask for help. Maybe Irena the Russian receptionist could help. Jack has to help too. I feel like I've known these two my whole life. Both rage and adrenaline rush through my veins, no one is going to take someone I care about away from me. I go to rush out the canteen to find someone, but a strong grip holds my arm tight.

I look back, the one holding the arm with surprising strength is Phil. I try to pull free but his grip locks me in place.
"No, Summer. You can't go looking for them." Phil finally lets my arm go, "You'll only be lured into their traps, I've been told that your special. I... I mean... Dan told me that if he gets taken, that no one should come looking. It's too dangerous... Please, I don't want you taken too."

My fury disintegrates as I see the pure fear in his eyes. I try to plead but I know it's going nowhere. Tears start to trickle down Phil's cheeks again and I realise my tears are falling too. Phil gets up slowly and pulls me into a hug. His tall figure makes me feel tiny, but I know he needs to know I'm here for him. I go to the table and get a cloth to wipe my eyes with.

I watch him go through the doors leading to the bedrooms, deciding to do the same. I push the doors open to find Jack looking as surprised as I was when I saw him catch me listening to his conversation on the phone with 'him'.

"Oh... Ah... I looked in your room... but I see that you're all ready for our evening together?" He chuckles. I had only put on one of my nice Sunday dresses, a blue one with sleeves. And done my hair up nicer than usual. I had put some makeup on but I guess it washed away when I wiped my tears. Wonderful.
"No really," Jack sighs, noticing my judgement, "You look pretty, really pretty."

This compliment derailed my train of thought so much that I forgot about asking to help Phil. He holds his hand out for me and I take it almost immediately. We walk back through the canteen and the training rooms to the white rooms. I turn to Jack and what I am met with is a grin you only see on a child trying to keep a secret.