Changing Tides [JohnProudstar]

09

I roll my eyes as Esme continues to pace the floor, while rambling on about how we need to go to Trask at this exact moment. I don't know who told this girl that she could be a part of the immediate group, but the way she's standing here barking orders could make anyone think that she's been here for years.

"We need to go after Trask lab now. We have to rescue those people." She continues.

"Have to? You're pretty new here to be telling people what they have to do." Lorna says, taking the words right out of my mouth.

"You don't get it! My family is in there. They're running out of time." Esme says.

"Okay, well, slow down." Marcos says, holding a hand up to the blonde.

"You got all that information from the woman they sent after us?" John asks.

"Yes." Esme answers, before taking a step forward. "I mean, her mind was hard to read. Confused. But I got enough. The mutants in that lab, they were desperate. I-I could hear the screams. I could see the bodies. I could feel the agony when they turned that woman into that thing. And it's all happening in that building."

"We know where this place is?" Clarice asks, crossing her arms.

"I'm assembling a site map now." Sage nods.

"So why are we standing here?" Esme questions.

"Did you get anything on their security?" Sonya asks from her place on the arm of the couch.

"No. It..." Esme begins. "Her mind was too cloudy, but what does it matter? We are the last hope those prisoners have." She takes a step towards John, and I clench my fist at how she's trying to manipulate him into going along with this suicide mission. "You saw what they did to your friend. We sit on our hands, and that happens to more people."

"No one is "sitting on their hands" as you call it." I hop up from my place on the desk. "Now, we're gonna make a move on that lab, but if we go in blind, we die." I shrug.

—
"Hey, are you all right?" I walk into John's office, after seeing him with his head in his hands.

He sighs, lifting his head up. "How can I be all right? Maybe Esme has a point." He takes a seat on the edge of his desk.

"She's just scared." I say, sitting next to him.

"Yeah, well she was right about one thing. Pulse." He says, and I knew what Esme said earlier got to him. "I left him behind. And they took him to that lab."

"That's not on you, John." I say, for what feels like the millionth time. "And continuing to blame yourself isn't doing anybody any good. Besides, don't you think it's a little weird that she knew about Pulse? I mean, she just got here."