Fade Into Black - Shadows of the Night 5

Chapter 22

Hi,

For some reason I particularly enjoyed writing this chapter. The song I chose is Undone by Phoria. For me the beginning of the video (and the song) is an important part of the chapter. At least that's how it feels to me. This time, more than ever, the music's important for the mood in the chapter.  I hope you'll enjoy it.

Lara

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Chapter 22

The hand was cool on my forehead, made me want to keep my eyes closed and revel in dark oblivion – just a little longer. Something cold at the tip of my tongue, then on my lips.

"Take this, come on," someone said.

I shook my head.

"Anna, drink."

I opened my eyes, moaned, and closed them.

I'm never going to use a null bomb again.

"Stubborn as ever. Drink this Anna, come on." Andy's voice was wired with steel, the kind of sound he used when he trained me. It demanded I do what he said without arguing.

The water tasted bitter, was in fact more than water.

Medicine. Yuck.

I grimaced, shrinking away from the rim of the glass against my lips. Water sloshed down my jaw and neck. I pushed his hand away, righting myself.

"Try that again and you're dead," I wheezed, opening my eyes.

Andy was smiling. Smiling. A small bona fide smile like a crack in the wall of tensed jaw muscles and determination in his eyes.

I gulped in more air and closed my eyes against the flaming pain in my lungs.

"Not funny."

"No it's not," he said.

"What happened?"

The words felt wrong and misplaced on my lips. Dammit, what happened? My head felt like a bulldozer flattened it, then turned back and drove all over it again.

The smile faded from his lips. "I found you close to the black market. You fainted and your nose was bleeding."

I righted myself, taking a good look around – if only to distract myself from what really happened. I was in a bed, not Andy's by the looks of it.

"Where are we?"

He shook his head, blond hair swinging with the motion. It was a long time since I last saw him. How long? When had I last talked to someone I could call my friend?

"This is Kenny's place. It was closer than my apartment. I figured you didn't want me to call the ambulance?"

I shook my head. "Where's Kenny?"

"At the headquarters, doing work for the Circle. Which is where you should be."

He got up, running a hand through his hair. It was even longer than the last time I saw him, as if he didn't have the time to cut or shave, or do anything else that pertained to grooming. Which case was he working on that it made him careless?

His jaw muscles worked. "Setting off a null bomb in the middle of the black market? You just confirmed everything that parts of the Circle say you are. Anna, what were you thinking?"

"Not much, I guess." The sarcasm died away with a suddenness that left a sour taste on my lips.

How much did Andy know? And, the more important question, how much could I let him know?