The Search and Rescue Project

The Search and Rescue Project part 4

Caleb

                I was running too fast. My legs kicked up dirt as I sprinted desperately from my pursuer. I knew I couldn't up this pace much longer, but I kept going. My chest heaved and my lungs burned. A large root I had not noticed rose up from the ground and I tripped. My arms pin-wheeling, I screamed as I fell down a small gully.

                With a grunt I rolled to a stop. I heaved myself up onto my elbows and began to run again. A maniacal laugh burst from my throat as I ran, intense fear clouding my vision. I fought the urge to sink into the vision. I imagined coming up from underwater, and with a quiet gasp I woke up, my heart pounding.

                Kolbe tossed and turned, grimacing at whatever she was seeing. I realized she was on the floor and that I was lying on her chair. I felt bad with her on the hard floor, but if I tried to move her she'd get angry and then feel guilty. It was easier to just stay here.

                Everything would be easier if she hadn't gotten the same thing I did. If I knew it was contagious, I - I don't actually know what I would've done. Probably run far, far away and search for a cure, in which case Kolbe would insist on coming.   Kolbe was way too stubborn for her own good, at risk of sounding like a grandma. She would obviously deny it if you asked, but spend ten minutes with her and you will no doubt get into an argument, and no matter how wrong she is she will hold to her side as if it were life or death.   

                I walked down the hallway and out the door. A rush of cold air greeted me, and I drew my sweatshirt tighter around me. I walked, shoulders hunched, up the block.  After a few streets, things started to change. Neat, well kept streets turned to run-down, dirty roads lined with crumbling apartment buildings. As I rounded a corner, I heard shouts. Men were grouped around a building, yelling in agreement to a man speaking from a balcony. Cigarette tips lit the night, glowing orange against the blackness. The man looked in my direction, directing his rant to a new part of the crowd.

                The moon was uncovered from its veil of clouds, and it shone onto the man's face. His scarlet eyes stood out against the whiteness of his skin. His mouth lifted into a sinister grin when he saw me, his eyes glittering with malice.

                I turned and ran, stumbling into dirty puddles and slipping on things I don't want to identify. All calmness escaped me as I sprinted away. Idiot! What the HELL was I thinking!  I cursed at myself as I ran. Some agent, spying like a four year old, out in plain view.  Jason was right. I was just a kid, in way out of my depth.

                A hand jerked me back and a hand covered my mouth as I yelped. "Don't say a word." A voice hissed at me. I was dragged into a doorway, and then inside the building. The moonlight illuminated the dusty hallway. My captor let go of me, and I jerked around to see who it was.

                "Really Caleb! Could you be any more stupid?" Kolbe shrieked. " Do I have to follow you around to make sure you don't get hurt? I can't even sleep anymore because you'll just run off and get spotted by someone from S.E.! What is your problem!"

                She grabbed my arm and pulled me along behind her down the long hallway. She muttered to herself, probably about how I was an idiot and should be left at the base to be taken care of. I walked with her, if you could call her dragging me walking. We went all the way to the end, then made a sharp turn to the left where there was a door I hadn't noticed before. It was large and imposing, made of steel and edged with some kind of rubber. Clearly unimpressed, Kolbe rapped it with her knuckles. She rolled her eyes when the door opened. "It was supposed to be open."

                The man standing in front of us chuckled. "Sorry cupcake." He said, and turned on his heel. Kolbe's face was red. "Did he just call me cupcake?! Who does he think he-" The man cut her off. " It's Criss. Are you coming, buttercup?" He winked at me and strolled nonchalantly into the next room. "He better watch out." Kolbe grumbled before following him.

                Inside the room was a large, roaring fireplace. It was stuffy and uncomfortably warm.  I took my sweatshirt off as I walked. Behind a large desk which was built to impress, a man sat in a high backed chair. He spun around when Criss cleared his throat and said, "Boss, they're here."

                The man in the chair was fairly short, with narrow shoulders and a weary but kind face. His eyes were dark but warm, with lines at the edges from smiling. I liked him immediately. Kolbe had relaxed beside me, apparently satisfied with him. The man spread his hands in a welcoming gesture. "Hello children, have a seat. I am so very pleased to meet you."

                Kolbe didn't object to him calling us kids, she sat in a large armchair. I sat on the ottoman next to it. "The Secrah Ecruse." He said nothing else, letting it hang in the air until Kolbe, ever impatient, said, "Well? What about them? They're a bunch of psychos led by a bipolar freak named Zaskar.  They're who we're fighting."

                The man smiled at her. "Not fighting, per se, but everything else is correct. Zaskar is currently performing experiments on human subjects. As for what he is testing, we don't know exactly. All we know is that it could be used to manipulate many people. The man is insane and power hungry, a dangerous combination. I am Harry, Francis' father."