The Seeker

Chapter 1: Abduction

"This place was truly the highest and the lowest of all worlds - the most beautiful senses, the most exquisite emotions.. the most malevolent desires, the darkest deeds. Perhaps it was meant to be so. Perhaps without the lows, the highs could not be reached."

~Stephanie Meyer, The Host

--

"It's too dark," Snow Falls Lightly from the Sky's voice crackled through the comms system. She sat in the copilot's chair, her hands gripping the controls of the helicopter tightly as her glowing eyes scanned the dark trees below them through the windshield. "I propose we turn back; there's no way we will find the insurgents in the dark."

The pilot, Blaze Under the Clouds, scowled in frustration, his hostility unsettling and unsual for a soul. "They're down there," he snarled. "Keep looking!"

She glanced at him, before looking over her shoulder at the third soul, who sat silently strapped into the back seat, one hand gripping the handhold above the door as he leaned forward, his own eyes scanning the ground intently through the window. He heard her address him over his headset. "What do you think, Skywalker?"

Give up, he heard an angry voice hiss in the back of his mind. Let them go!

But they weren't his thoughts that drummed furiously against his skull. He met the other Seeker's gaze. "I agree with Blaze," he said calmly. "We cannot let the rebels escape."

Bastard, he heard the entity snarl.

Be quiet, he replied wearily.

Snow Falls' face looked pinched, but she nodded, relenting to the majority decision.

"They couldn't have gotten far," Blaze continued, looking smug that he was getting his way, "the forest is too thick for the insurgents to drive their vehicle through."

"We lost a visual on their vehicle nearly fifteen minutes ago," Snow replied tiredly. Movement drew her attention to the back again and she straightened up in alarm. "Walker, what are you doing?" she asked quickly as she watched him unbuckle himself and stand up from the seat.

"They have probably abandoned the car," he stated calmly. He tore off his headset and dropped it on the seat. He then tightened his grip on the handhold above him and shouted to be heard over the droning of the blades. "I'm dropping!"

"Are you insane?" Snow snapped at him incredulously as he carefully tugged one of the parachutes free from the shelf above the seats.

Walker could feel his host stirring restlessly in his mind as he tugged it on and tightened it over his shoulders. You're going to jump out of a helicopter?! Luke James's voice echoed through his head in disbelief. No! No, no, NO! I don't think so, Jango. You sit my finely toned ass back down right now!

Snow's hair whipped around her head in a crazy halo of black hair as he pushed open the cockpit door; he could just barely make our her frantic shout above the sound of the howling air screaming through the helicopter, "You're out of your mind, Walker! Sit down!"

"Find somewhere to land!" he yelled, grinning abruptly as adrenaline surged through his veins. "If you're so worried about me, call for back up and start combing the woods!" He winked and saluted her, before dropping through the open door.

If we get impaled on a tree, it's all on you, Hoss! Luke shouted in his head as they plummeted swiftly to the ground.

--

Don't freak out. Don't freak out. Keep calm. Keep quiet. Everything's going to be fine. You're running for your life, Seekers are looking for you, but don't freak out.