End of tomorrow

Chapter 22

Dmitri clutched the pale and lifeless body of Alessa. He jumped out of the helicopter as it landed in front of the entrance to HIRI instead of the hanger. James followed him inside and dashed to his family quarter – they needed to know what happened.

Dmitri sprinted to the main lab, carefully not to jostle Alessa. He needs her breathing to stay alive. He dashed through the doors and gently placed her on the bed. Jay pulled him back as Sam and the other scientists started to hook her to various machines. He let out a shaky breath of relief when he saw the heart monitor display a low but steady heartbeat. Dmitri placed his head in hands. He didn't understand how or where Alessa got the amount of power but she may have been able to save them. he didn't even have the chance to confess his feelings for her. He lost her like Angel but this time, it was his fault. He had been too strung up on his betrayal from Angel and their age gap that it had suppressed his own feelings for her.

"Alessa!" cried her mum, running to Alessa with tears. Dmitri looked up with lifeless eyes as Alessa's mother was held away from her by her brother and father whilst the scientists took every measure to ensure her safety. Lily gasped in horror at the pale and lifeless body of her younger sister. It looked like she was already dead.

They dragged Alessa's mother to a chair next to Dmitri and pushed her down. Dmitri stood up, letting Alessa's dad take his seat. He stared at Sam and the scientists finally finished hooking Alessa to the machines. Sam smiled shakily at Dmitri's pale face when she noticed him staring at Alessa. Dmitri looked like he was going to fall any moment.

"What happened? Leave no details out," commanded General Fitzgerald. General Ahmed looked at Alessa curiously, then at his people. Perhaps this girl is different.

James looked at the pale Dmitri, who didn't notice his gaze and then at Agent Davis who nodded in support.

He took a shaky breath and told his part about how their grandma told them Alessa was special because an angel visited and told her that. James also explained what happened on Alessa's first birthday and how used her abilities to save him from their dog.

"Grandma was then told to place a shield on Alessa's powers by the angel in case something happened. The shield would break just after her eighteenth birthday," finished off James. Alessa's mother had covered her mouth in shock and cried on her husband's shoulder. She couldn't believe her own mother kept something as big as this away from her about her daughter. One of the scientists had gotten a chair for James and Lily. James sat down, taking a glass of water out of Sam's hand and drank it.

"That might explain what happened at the Kabbah," said Agent Davis thoughtfully. They all turned to him expectantly so the agent explained everything from how James tried to convince ales not to do anything rash to Alessa letting out the purple energy that covered the group and her. Agent Davis frowned and looked at Dmitri who had a blank look on his face.

"Before she fainted, Dmitri caught her," said the agent. Dmitri looked at him at the mention of his name. "What did Alessa say to you, Dmitri?"

Dmitri blinked, trying to pull himself out of the shook and remember what Alessa said to him. "'Tell Gigi everything's fine now.' What's a Gigi?"

"Alessa's diary," said Lily. James jumped out of his chair and sprinted out of the room. he returned minutes later with a small leather-bound book in his hand and handed it to the general. Bobby followed in after him.

"Hey! That's Alessa's. She's going to be so mad she finds..." he trailed off. Bobby's eyes widened in shock. Alessa was lying pale on the bed with wires coming from her. Her family sat in chairs but further from her. He turned around and out of the room. he needs to tell this to Finn.

General Fitzgerald flicked through the diary to the latest entry and read it out loud:

"To the concerns of whoever may get hold of my diary. I, Alessandra Saunders, need you to be aware of something very important. What I'm about to tell you needs to be passed on to General Ian Fitzgerald and his team if it hasn't already.

There's a possibility I survived after my attempt to save mankind and if that's the case, there's an even bigger threat: me. If that's the case, you must follow these instructions or the consequences will be unthinkable. I've written down what will happen and what to do about it."

As the general continued to read, the room fell into a deadly silence. They looked at the comatose Alessa.

"Is it possible we've brought a worse fate for ourselves," said the general as he finished reading the diary. He ripped out the pages he needed and threw the diary at James. James flicked through the pages and found the message Alessa left for him.

"We must remove the danger now or we will regret it," said General Ahmed. General Fitzgerald nodded grimly. Her family stood panicked.

"What are you – NO!" shouted Alessa's dad as he ran towards Alessa. The Arab general shouted a command. Two soldiers stopped Alessa's dad and restrained him whilst two more restrained James and Dmitri.

"Do it!" commanded General Fitzgerald. None of the scientists moved. They moved back, shaking their heads, refusing to follow such an order.

"Fine! I will be the one," said the Arab general. He marched forward, ignoring the cries of 'no' and pleas and pulled the plug on Alessa's life support machine. They watched helplessly as Alessa's heartbeat reached zero. Her mother howled in pain at losing her daughter as the Arab general looked triumphant.