by Mettey, Tim
It continued, To be honest Alexander, I think she may have some Thusian blood in her too because of the way you were drawn to her. Killing her now will save me from having to come back and kill her later. The hero of the 10-10 Earthquake has been more of a challenge to kill. You survived the earthquake and my first couple of attacks, so I had to kill you in person. And what a shame, I spent all that time cutting the supports on the dock.
His voice rang in my head. There is no way to save her. It grew so loud that my head throbbed with pain. In an instant I was standing. Adrenaline surged through my body. All of my pain was gone. The fire burned and my muscles tensed.
“Oliver has taken Elle and they are going to die!” I said, running out of the shelter past Riley. My surroundings immediately blurred. I had to get to the quarry in time to save Elle. If this was my turn to make a final sacrifice, I would willingly die for Elle.
TOO LATE
CHAPTER THIRTY
It was completely dark outside of town. There were no streetlights, but I could see perfectly. I was only a mile away from the party. The handwritten map that Eric had used back in August was as clear in my head as if I was the one who drew it.
I got to the quarry entrance and ran down several gravel roads before I saw the light from the party ahead of me. I saw everyone yelling and cheering, staring right at the dock. There were even more people here than at the last party. The quarry seemed 100 times brighter than the last time; I could see everything clearly. The only movement near the dark grey lake was coming from a primer grey beater that Oliver was using for his rite of passage. The car began to slow down, and then it stopped just a few feet from the end of the dock. Then, in slow motion, the part of the dock that the car was on collapsed, and the front of the car crashed into the water. The remaining part of the dock flipped over on top of it, and the taillights disappeared under the water. Was I too late?
I was at the edge of the water pulling off my shirt before any of the people there had a chance to move. Chase and Cora were running toward me from the helicopter, which had landed in an open area off to the side of the lake. Why hadn’t they stopped this from happening? I dove into the dark, icy cold lake. My lungs seized, not prepared for the cold. My body quickly adjusted to the water temperature. Once in the water, I was able to move toward the car with no resistance. I was able to grab handfuls of water that felt firm, like a grip. I sank my fingers into it to help propel me through the water quickly. I pulled with all of my might, and I sent myself hurtling toward the car.
The water was dark, but my eyes pulled all of the light from above, allowing me to see everything clearly in the dark, murky water. I was moving quickly toward the car. Through the pieces of the dock I could see that the car was almost completely filled with water. I gave the water one more thrust with my hands, and I hit the car with such force that it sank deeper into the depths.
I dismantled the pieces of the dock that surrounded the car like they were made of toothpicks. Inside, Elle was struggling with her seat belt to get free. Oliver was bloody and unconscious, floating next to her in the water-filled car. The windshield imploded, filling it completely with water. The car raced toward the bottom. I caught the hood near the windshield, keeping it from sinking any farther. Elle’s eyes fluttered. She was close to becoming unconscious, barely struggling anymore with her belt. I grabbed her seat belt and ripped it off of her. I pulled her out and pushed her to the surface. I could see her break the surface of the water, and her legs began to lightly tread water. Then I went back and grabbed Oliver’s broken body and pulled him up with me toward Elle at the surface. I broke the surface of the water right next to her as she went under again, unable to keep herself afloat anymore. I pulled both of them up on my chest and swam them to the shore in a matter of seconds. People from the crowd reached out to take Oliver from me and pulled him ashore. I carried Elle out and gently laid her on the ground.
“Elle, can you hear me? Elle, please!” I begged. One of my hands was cupped under her head and the other stroked her cheek.
She spoke very quietly, almost inaudibly, “Don’t leave me, Nicholas.” Then her cold body went limp. I listened to her chest and felt for a pulse. She had a faint pulse and her breathing was shallow. She had no visible cuts or broken bones.
I grabbed my dry shirt, which was within arm’s reach of us, and wrapped her in it, trying to keep her warm. Shouts and screams were coming from all around me. I pulled her up onto my lap to keep her close and to try to warm her. Why did this have to happen to her? I would do anything to switch places with her.
I started pleading, “God, take me, not her. Please, God, let her live.”
“Nicholas, you have to let go now. I will take care of her,” Chase said. I knew I had to let her go, but I couldn’t let someone take her from me. Not again.
“Where were you? Why didn’t you stop this?” I screamed at him.
“Nicholas, let her go.” Eric was prying me off of her now.
I let go and fell back to the ground. There was so much commotion around me. People were yelling and screaming. Chase worked on her for what seemed like forever. Eventually, Elle was being loaded into a nearby ambulance. I staggered to my feet to follow her. I got up to the back door and tried to get in, but someone grabbed me from behind. I didn’t have the strength to fight back.
“Nicholas, stop. You can’t go with her. You have to get checked out yourself. You have blood all over your back,” Eric said, holding me back.
“I have to go with her! I have to! Let go of me!”
“Nicholas, it’s okay.” I turned and saw Cora and began to cry uncontrollably.
“Cora, please let me sacrifice my life for her. My life is nothing without her. Please, help me, please.”
“Nicholas, it doesn’t work that way. Shh, it will be okay.” Cora moved me away from the crowd.
“Where were you? Why didn’t you stop this from happening?”
“Nicholas, it’s a big quarry; we had to look for the party. We only found it when it started to get dark outside. Plus, Chase needed to stop and get supplies from the hospital in case we needed them, which we did.”
“If you hadn’t stopped, you could have prevented this all from happening, and you wouldn’t have needed those supplies.”
“Stop, Nicholas. We aren’t to blame. We didn’t know what we were going to encounter.”
I fell toward her and wrapped my arms around her. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Come over here and let Chase take a look at your back before he leaves for the hospital.”
“No, I must go to the hospital to be with Elle. Chase can check me out later,” I said. Cora nodded, understanding. She got some gauze, cleaned my wound, and taped the gauze over it.
Once in the truck, I was able to take in the scene around me more clearly. There were dozens of squad cars and emergency vehicles throughout the enormous crowd of people at the party. Some of the people were talking to the police, and others were huddled in groups. Then I saw them for a brief second—Genevieve and Riley and their sea green truck.
“Cora, look out there. Those are the two Thusians that saved me.” When I looked back at where they had been, they were gone.
“Nicholas, what are you talking about? Saved you from what?”
“I will tell you later. Let’s get to the hospital.”
Chase was already working on Elle by the time Cora and I got there. I couldn’t see what he was doing, but there was a room full of doctors and nurses assisting him. Both of Elle’s parents were sitting in the waiting area. Mrs. Canan’s eyes were swollen; her head was resting on Mr. Canan’s shoulders. Mr. Canan was like a statue—pale, not moving, just staring off into space in shock. Cora stood next to me while I stared through a small window into the room, hoping to see something.
After about an hour, Chase came out of the room and went straight over to Mr. and Mrs. Canan. He sat down across from them. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but they both listened to hi
m intently. Then they all stood, and Mr. and Mrs. Canan followed him into the room. Chase then came back out to us.
“Chase, is she going to be okay?” I asked.
“Nicholas, she is in a coma, but she is stable. I think she will be okay, but it’s going to take some time,” he said. “She is lucky you got there when you did. I don’t think she would have made it any longer in that frigid water.
“Nicholas, do you want me to take a look at your back before I assist them with the boy you saved? They said they need help with him.”
“You aren’t going to help with him, are you?” I asked, horrified. “Chase, you have to stay with Elle. You are here because we needed your help with Elle, not the person who took her and put her in danger.”
“Someone took her?” The three of us spun around to see Ester Theasing standing behind us. “Who took Elle Canan?” she repeated her question to us.
“Oliver Rails did, but it should have been me. His plan was meant for me. I was supposed to be in the car.”
“Nicholas, what are you talking about? What plan?” Ester asked.
“Xavier was planning to kill me.”
All three recoiled at the mention of Xavier’s name. Chase spoke first, “Did you say Xavier?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, start from the beginning,” Ester said.
“Xavier was at Elle’s house and answered the phone when I called. I went to check on her at her house, while Chase and Cora went to the quarry to stop Oliver. I was attacked in Swaim Park by her house. When I came to, there was a woman and a man there named Genevieve and Riley. They stopped Xavier and his friend from killing me. I then recalled Xavier telling me that he had cut the dock supports so that the dock would collapse when the car drove onto it. Oliver and I were supposed to crash into the lake, but when Oliver took Elle instead, Xavier changed his plans. He decided to kill me in person and let them die in the lake, since he thought Elle might be a Thusian too.”
I looked at Chase. His face had lost all of its color. Ester and Cora looked like they were both in deep thought.
“Ester, should we go into hiding?” Cora asked.
“No, Cora, there is no need to do that. He had his chances and missed them. He would never try again out in the open. But this changes everything. I must speak to the Council immediately.” Ester then disappeared down the hall.
Chase was still pale and visibly shaken. His golden tan was gone.
“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” I asked.
“Nicholas, Xavier is a very dangerous Seeker. You are lucky that Genevieve and Riley showed up,” Cora said.
“Nicholas, he is one of the most feared Seekers out there,” Chase said.
“Who are Genevieve and Riley?” I asked both Cora and Chase.
“I’m not sure. Do you know, Chase?” Cora asked.
He blinked repeatedly, and some of the color returned to his face. “Xavier is here. Did you see what he looked like?” Chase asked.
“No, Chase,” I responded. He was clearly focused on Xavier. I really didn’t care who Xavier was, or who Genevieve and Riley were for that matter. I just wanted Chase to take care of Elle and make sure she got better. Everything else was an afterthought, something for later. “Listen, I don’t care who this Xavier is. You take care of Elle. Do you understand me, Chase?”
Chase nodded. He turned and started to walk back into her room.
“Chase,” I called after him. “Go ahead and help Oliver. This was mostly Xavier’s fault anyway.”
RECOVERING
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Elle was recovering in the hospital, still in a coma. I refused to leave the hospital. I had to be there when she woke up. Doctors came and went, but I continued to sit there, waiting. From time to time, Chase checked on her and gave me an update. Her parents were there around the clock too. They took turns going home to sleep while the other sat by her side.
Mr. Canan never spoke to me. I was sure he blamed me somehow for what had happened to Elle. Mrs. Canan was the complete opposite. She was nice, telling me that she would call me right when Elle woke up if I wanted to go home. I politely declined each time. She seemed as concerned about me as she was about Elle.
I spent most nights drifting in and out of consciousness. I was exhausted and still hurt from the attack I had suffered in the park. Fatigue set in, making it difficult to do much of anything. Luckily, Chase was able to get me into the showers that the doctors use at the hospital as well as a room in which I could lie down and relax. Still, for the most part I stayed in the waiting room right outside Elle’s door. Cora brought me new clothes to wear each day. She also brought home-cooked meals for me, the Canans, and the staff at the hospital. Tic Tacs were the only thing that could give me some relief from the nausea brought on by my lack of sleep.
“Nicholas, Nicholas, wake up!” I must have dozed off in the waiting room because Mrs. Canan startled me.
“Is Elle awake?”
“Yes, dear, she is. She’s awake and she wants to see you.”
I stood up, still feeling lightheaded from sleeping. Outside it had become dark; I must have been asleep for a while. I followed Mrs. Canan to Elle’s room. This was the first time that I had been able to see her since that night in the quarry.
When I entered the room, I saw Chase surrounded by a couple of adoring nurses, which was not surprising. Elle was sitting up, sipping a drink. For having just come out of a coma, she looked incredible and full of life. When she saw me she cried out, “Nicholas.” She began to weep. I sat down on her bed next to her. She leaned forward and buried her head in my chest. I held her tightly.
“I thought I would never see you again,” she sobbed.
“I am here. Everything is okay.”
Holding her made all of my aches and pains go away. I rocked her back and forth while she cried. As she got quieter, I could hear some sniffling from behind us. It was Mrs. Canan. She had been crying along with her daughter. Chase and the nurses left the room to give us privacy.
Elle pulled back and looked into my eyes. “You look worse than I do,” she laughed, wiping away her tears. I smiled at her. Even lying in a hospital bed, she could still make me smile.
Mrs. Canan said, “He has been here the whole three days, waiting for you to wake up, never leaving. Nicholas and Cora had Dr. Chase Letterby come to take care of you.”
I looked into her eyes. “When I pulled you out of the water, you told me not to leave you, so I didn’t.”
She took both of her hands and raised them to my face. She pulled me close and kissed me tenderly. All of the sounds of the hospital were gone. Her fragile lips sent a feeling of reassurance through me that she was going to be okay.
Elle’s father showed up a short time later. I left so her parents could be alone with her. Later, Elle’s friends showed up to see her. Mr. Canan came out of the room and walked right up to me. I braced myself for the worst. He stood in front of me for a few seconds and then stuck out his hand. I grasped his hand with mine, and he shook it firmly, which was his way of saying thanks.
I called Cora.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Yes, Elle’s awake.”
“I will be right there.”
When she arrived, we went and stood in Elle’s room with the rest of the visitors. Her friends and family kept asking her what happened that night at the quarry. She never really answered; she just ignored them. I made eye contact with her from time to time. Her eyes told me to be patient and that we would be together again soon.
There were only a few friends left when a police officer showed up. The room went quiet when he entered. Mr. Canan pulled the officer to the side of the room to talk.
“Can everyone leave now? Elle really needs her rest,” Mr. Canan announced to the room. Cora and I started to walk out with the rest of her visitors.
The police officer stopped me. “Excuse me, are you Alexander Taylor?”
I nodded, cringing, still no
t used to being called by my other name. Cora instinctively stood closer to me for protection.
“My name is Officer James Montgomery, and I want to say that it’s an honor to meet you, young man. You are one of the reasons why I joined the police force five years ago.” He shook my hand. I smiled, and then Cora led me out of the room.
“Can we go get something to eat?” I asked Cora once we were in the hallway.
“Of course we can,” she said as we walked toward the elevator.
“Nicholas?”
I stopped right before I hit the down button for the elevator and turned around. Mrs. Canan was hurrying after us.
“Officer Montgomery forgot he needed to speak with you, Nicholas.”
“Is he in trouble?” Cora asked.
“No, of course not. He just needs to ask him a question or two about the other night.”
“Can’t it wait? He’s tired,” Cora said.
“No, I am fine. I can answer his questions now,” I reassured Cora.
I waited outside of Elle’s room for Officer Montgomery.
“Well, thank you for everything, officer,” I heard Mr. Canan say. “If you need anything else, please let me know.”
Officer Montgomery came out of the room and walked over to where I was standing. “Mr. Taylor, may I ask you a question or two?”
“Yes, sir.”
“When we questioned the witnesses at the quarry, no one saw you at the party or entering the water. Most of the people thought you must have been in the car with Mr. Rails and Ms. Canan. Were you in the car?”
“No, sir, I was not in the car. I entered from the shore next to the dock right when the car hit the water. Everyone was probably in shock that the car fell into the water. That’s why they didn’t see me swim out.”
“Incredible! The hero of the 10-10 Earthquake saves two more lives right here in Winsor. A hero once again.”
“Is that all, officer?” Cora asked. “Nicholas is tired.”