This could very well mean that both Shay Claire and Marena McGrew are dead, which would knock out the two most dangerous Carriers. If Lenn's story proves to be true he would become a very wealthy man. The country looks to finally be catching up to the Carriers.
"We have another in our custody," says John Yancey, head of a special unit of government created just to catch the Carriers. "We were successfully able to capture him when he was apart from the rest of the group. He is being kept in our facility on the Missouri-Arkansas border, directly off of I-70. He will most likely by executed by the end of the week."
She inhaled sharply, feeling as if someone had kicked her in the gut. He will most likely be executed by the end of the week. They're talking about Carson. They're going to kill him. Memories of the dream she had resurged in her mind, the chanting of the three dead girls resounding in her ears once more. No, he's not next. I'm going to save him! I've lost everything but him. I'm not letting that change.
There is speculation on who this male is, as Yancey did not make it clear, but there are only three known to be with the group, one of which is unidentified. It seems as if now the tables are finally turning. The people of America are finally starting to gain the upper hand- the Carriers should expect to be eliminated in no time.
Upon finishing the article she gripped the edges of the paper tightly, crumpling, crushing and ripping until Axel grabbed her wrists, overpowering her. He forced her hands into her lap, where he held them there.
"Calm down Shay, it's okay." He said soothingly, looking into her eyes. She struggled against him for a few seconds before she calmed herself down, exhaling slowly. "I know we'll save him. Nothing can stop you when you're motivated, even if we walk in there and there's a hundred agents trying to stop us."
"I'll kill them all. Anyone who tries to hurt him I'll kill. They took away Marena. They won't take away Carson." She seethed through gritted teeth, balling her fists together. "We won't be 'eliminated in no time.' We're stronger than that."
"You're scary when you're pissed off," Axel stated as he released her. He began to pick up pieces of the shredded newspapers, whistling softly as he did.
"Good. We know where to go now. Be ready."
After splashing cold water against her face to remove the dirt and dried blood she returned to the truck with a heavy heart, knowing she was walking in to what very well could be her final chapters. Most people only had one fatal flaw- she believed she had three, the flaws of vanity, pride, and stubbornness. They'd gotten her into a lot of holes and they were very well about to do it again. She'd been stripped of almost everything yet there was so much at stake. She couldn't do anything but walk in and hope she came back out alive. If she was really such an achievement to kill she would sure as hell make it difficult for them.
Axel was waiting behind the wheel, thrumming his fingers against it to the beat of a song turned down low on the radio. He seemed to be zoned out, his hazel eyes glued dead ahead. She slammed the door loud, snapping him out of it. He cocked his head to the side, greeting her with raised eyebrows.
"Before we do this, I have to ask you, are you one hundred percent sure you still want to?" Axel asked her as she clicked her seatbelt into place. She snaked her hand under the seat and retrieved the m-16 she'd stowed securely beneath it. They were maybe two hours from the border now- they stood the risk to be ambushed even then. Wherever and whenever they struck she wasn't letting those bastards take her out without a fight.
"One hundred and fifty percent sure," she shot back, turning in her seat to face Axel. His eyes flickered from Shay to the m-16 before she clicked the safety off, just to symbolize she meant it. "I wasn't able to kill the people who killed Marena but I can kill the bastards who encouraged her murder in the first place. I'll prove Laylia wrong, gain back everyone's trust all the while saving Carson. This is not something I'm backing down from. If you're having second thoughts then get out. I can't have you flaking out on me in the middle of a gunfight. Even if I die I'm dragging a few of them to Hell with me."
Axel's gaze was slightly concerned, she couldn't blame him for it either, but despite the bitter whiplash of defeat and grief a white hot fury was burning inside her, a thirst for vengeance she couldn't stomp out. Too much was coming down to this one event for her to take it with a level head. She was going to take it on Shay-style, head first and brash. She had faith in her abilities.
"But what if you get there and they've killed him? What will you do then? All of Laylia's points will have been proven valid and then Katrina and Owen will lose faith in you. And then what if you die and Laylia lives on? She'll tarnish your name. They'll all disgrace you," he spat. She stiffened, feeling her lip curl in disgust. The last person she had just called her out on her shit. Not cool, Axel.
"If you're having second thoughts, like I said, get out." She said, her voice cold. Axel met her icy gaze, his eyes containing genuine concern. He's just worried, probably scared too. Hell, I'm scared. I'm scared to go in there and die and I'm scared I'm going to go in there and Carson will be dead. I can be as determined and badass as possible and I'm still going to be scared. I need to stop acting like I'm not.
"No, I'm not leaving you Shay. I'm the last person who had enough faith in you left to follow you and I'm not losing that faith now. You're a damn good leader if you've kept everyone together and mostly everyone alive this far and I trust you." He replied back firmly. He, for once, meant business. She smiled.
"I knew you weren't reconsidering following Miss Alpha the Butterfingers into battle," she replied sarcastically, unable to hold back a grin. Axel chuckled.
"I just want you to be prepared for the worst."
"I'm Sourpuss Shay, I'm always prepared for the worst."
"I'm serious. We both might lose someone today.""
"You don't have anyone to lose, Axel. Kyleigh's safe," she said, her voice low. His eyes darkened and a saddened look fell upon his features. She raised an eyebrow, instantly confused.
"No, I've already lost someone. I lost Marena," he whispered, eyes drifting down to his feet.
"Um, what happened to you and Kyleigh?" She hissed. If this was his attempt to try to console her she was going to punch him in the throat.
"Saying Kyleigh was a cover-up would make me sound like a dick, but Marena had a boyfriend before all of this and I got kinda tired of waiting for her to acknowledge he was probably dead. I talked with her about it when nobody was around- she liked to think he was Immune or something. But I liked her, I really did. I just could never show it, especially when Kyleigh came into the picture. I didn't want to put Marena in that position." His voice was sad and distant, facial expression matching his tone.
She just stared at him, dark brown eyes looking him over. Holy shit, I didn't see that coming.
"B..But after everything that happened, especially after Hooters. You told her that she was the flattest one there." She was in denial once again. How dare he bring her up when she was fighting a constant battle just to get her off her mind? Her head needed to be clear of grief and regret if she was to go into this with a fighting chance. Her sense of judgment would be screwed if she didn't have a clear mind.
"Coverups, I guess. But I've come to terms with it. I lost my chance and it hurts like hell. Shay, please, don't tell Ky-"
"Just shut up and drive."
Chapter 39
The next time Carson came to he was in a different room. There was light from the second he opened his eyes and he found no bodies littering the floor. Thank God, he thought silently. I wouldn't have wanted to be in there for long.
He could, however, sense he was not alone. He hadn't yet turned his head to try to scan the room for any other humans, but he could sense their presence. They could be friend or foe, he wouldn't know. It would be better for him to wait for whoever it was to reveal themselves. One wrong move might kill him.
He waited a while, drifting in and out of consciousness. His head throbbed, pain centered on his temple. If h
e could move his hands he was sure he'd find significant swelling there. The brightness of the lights stung his vision but the silence of the room was soothing. The littlest noises made him cringe.
As a doctor's son it didn't take much time for him to know he had a concussion- he'd sustained a mild one escaping the city all that time ago as well. It was nothing compared to the pain he felt know. That man had a lot of power behind his blows. He could feel dried blood crusted to the skin around his temple, which meant he'd been unconscious for a while. He didn't know how long exactly he'd been out- maybe a few hours, maybe a few days. The uncertainty scared him.
Eventually his consciousness remained stable. He hadn't lost it in a few hours now. He'd sat listening to the noise of someone struggling off to his left for thirty minutes, the sharp screeches of the chair grating across the floor making him cringe. By the sounds of struggle he could assume the person he shared the room with was a friend, not a foe. They were likely another Carrier facing the same fate as his own.
Turning his head to his left he found a girl chained by handcuffs to a stiff, blue plastic chair. Her hair was a long, rich dark brown that ran down her back in tight ringlets. Her olive skin was dampened with sweat from her struggle and her oversized caramel eyes were wild with defiance. She was fifteen feet away, maybe more, but he could still see the blood that stained the metal handcuffs.
"Hey, hey, stop it. You're only gonna hurt yourself more." he said groggily, genuinely just trying to help. The girl instantly stopped, snapping her head in his direction.
"I know, but these things have to break sometime," she replied with obvious frustration. Beads of sweat were trickling down her forehead, skin dappled with purple and black bruises. She'd clearly put up a fight before they finally overpowered her.
"Your wrists will break before the handcuffs do." he shot back. This girl certainly had will, but she clearly didn't have enough self-control to know when to stop, as she was hurting herself. She's just like Shay. Stubborn and fierce. Thinking of Shay brought a wave of sadness rushing over him- he might never see her again. He might die before she made it here or she might bite it before he did. He'd never even had a chance to say goodbye, remind her that he loved her one final time. She knows. She always will.
"Yeah, but the handcuffs will break before my will does!" she retorted briskly. "These bastards can't keep us here. I have three little brats to care for and you're fucking Carson Bradley. They can't expect we'll just sit and die without a fight!"
He raised an eyebrow. He should have expected for the girl to know him, as his face was pretty much plastered to any space they could fit it on, yet it still felt alien to be recognized as if he was a celebrity. Sure, he'd had more attention that the average person in recent weeks but it was not in a positive light- he didn't win an academy award or just sell out a stadium for a concert. He was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. She shouldn't be speaking of him so highly.
"Well yes, I am Carson Bradley. Would you like an autograph?" He retorted, smirking at her. Given the circumstances it wasn't exactly the time to be a smartass, but he found he couldn't help himself- the girl set herself up for it anyways.
The girl laughed and scooted her chair closer to him. Her body jerked as the handcuffs tightened again and she clamped her teeth down on her lips to mute the cry of pain destined to follow. Second thing I know about her- her laugh is like a chipmunk being stepped on. I will never complain about Katrina's again.
"Maybe you should stop moving." He suggested firmly, shooting her a sideways glance. If she carried on like that the cuffs would eventually work their way to the bone. The idea alone disturbed him.
"But I want my autograph, Mr. Bradley," she cooed, winking at him. "Make it out to Jess Allan."
Disgusted Carson scooted his chair to the right, stiffening when the cuffs grew tighter around his wrists again. A small grunt of pain escaped his mouth and he relaxed against the cuffs, ignoring the blood he could feel seep out from his skin.
"Shay's still alive." He told her firmly. I'm not so sure she is. He swallowed hard, cursing himself for thinking such things. Shay couldn't die. He'd seen her fight and he knew what she was capable of, especially when determined. If she wanted Carson back she'd get him back no matter the cost. To him she was indestructible. I thought that about Marena, too. Now she's at the bottom of a river.
"But she's never going to find you. Even if she knew where you where it's not like she could just waltz in here. It's a government building not a bar, genius."
"You've known me for five minutes. You don't have the right to call me anything but me name." He spat back, biting back even harsher remarks than the ones he said. He had faith in Shay- why would he not? If she wasn't dead she would be here in due time, that he had no doubts about. She loved him and she wouldn't let him die at the hands of the stupid government pigs.
"Fine, Carson." She hissed back, growling his name through gritted teeth. "I was just reminding you not to get your hopes up. The only person you're leaving behind is a girlfriend."
"One that loves me very much, mind you."
"I'm leaving behind three little brothers and sisters." Jess's voice was solemn, her saucer-shaped eyes downcast towards the white tiling. "If there was a way to get out of here I would have found it, believe me."
A door slammed shut abruptly, startling both Carson and Jess. The girl snapped her head up, dark ringlets bouncing with her movements. Carson snapped his head in the direction of the noise, hoping he'd find Shay standing there, ready to rescue him. The thought, as appealing as it was, felt just a little too good to be true- and it was.
Instead of finding his girlfriend standing there he found three agents, one the man he'd encountered before. Two others stood with the man, moving behind him in a protective manner. The man walked with a confident stride, his chin tilted up and a cold gleam glistening in his eyes. He has power. He carriers himself just like Shay.
"Actually there is a way out of here, Miss Allan," the agent said smoothly, the malice in his voice hardly masked by his cool demeanor. He withdrew a .45 from his holster and aimed it directly towards Jess's head. She instantly stopped struggling, going limp against her restraints. Carson watched with bated breath. He didn't want to see her brains get blown out through the back of her skull, hell; he didn't want to see her get shot at all. Killing her would be killing her siblings.
"Oh, by death? So creative, Yancey!" Jess shouted back, throwing her weight forwards in Yancey's direction. The handcuffs tightened yet again, causing the olive skinned girl to cry out, features contorted in pain.
"You should have listened to over there when he told you to stop struggling." Yancey barked at her, his gun spaces away from her face. "You'll die in more pain than you deserve, Carrier."
"Cut the formal bullshit. You intend to kill me with a bullet. I'll hardly feel a thing." She spat back, her nostrils flaring.
"Which is maybe why it's time for me to tell you that your siblings are dead."
All anger dissipated from her face immediately, her large dark eyes growing even wider. Her lips parted and a small squeak escaped. "No. They aren't dead. You wouldn't know."
"They harbored a Carrier. You knew the people of Sedalia wouldn't take it well. It's not just Claire or Bradley or McGrew they want, Miss Allan. They want every last Carrier dead, and your siblings didn't turn you in." Yancey didn't say they killed her siblings. He didn't need to. It was obvious by the look on Jess's face she'd figured it out.
Carson swallowed hard and diverted her gaze elsewhere. Watching her was heartbreaking. Her shoulders were beginning to lightly shake now, her eyes clamped tightly shut. Yancey just stood there, the .45 still aimed at her forehead. The world's going to hell. People killed three kids because their sister was a Carrier- she wasn't even one of us. Does that mean they're going after our families too? A lump formed in his throat at the thought. If the plague didn't kill his family people surely would.
Without warning Jess looke
d up, all the fight she had in her evaporated. "Go ahead." She told Yancey, her voice scarcely more than a whisper. He held his breath, awaiting the gory scene that was bound to follow.
Somewhere off in the facility someone fired a gun, as the noise of the shot echoed through the building, muffled and faded by the walls of the large room. Yancey snapped his head towards the direction in which he'd come, his gun no longer aimed towards Jess. A piercing alarm began to whine, confirming the facility had been breached. She made it. Shay's alive! It was his first and only thought- the one he loved was here and alive, and she wouldn't be leaving here without him.
"They're here!"
Chapter 40
The handcuffs tightened again and fresh pain shot up his arms, causing him to grind his teeth together. If the agony around his wrists hadn't been the focus of his attention, Carson would have noticed the screen flickering to life on the colorless wall, the images of a hallway cutting through the blips in the screen. He might have even picked up on the occasional flash of blonde hair.
Meanwhile Yancey's two sidekicks rushed behind Jess's chair. In moments she was free from the handcuffs, released with an audible sigh. She brought her arms forward immediately after, examining her wounds. Deep red lines encased her wrists, bloody and darkly bruised. He saw her gag before she looked away, cringing in obvious pain. They would leave terrible scars.
"Stand up, Carrier." One ordered her. Slowly she stood, turning to face the two agents. One hand was behind her back, slowly reaching towards the top of her shorts. Carson raised an eyebrow as her hand disappeared beneath the waistband. The hell is she doing, scratching her ass? That's not something you want to do in public anyways, let alone when you're about to be killed.
The two agents shot each other confused glances, one trying to hide a smirk. The other leaned in and whispered something to his buddy, both trying to hide their amusement.
"Speak louder, would you?" Jess growled, slowly withdrawing her hand from her pants.
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