Black Dawn: Chapter 15

schattenjaeger (71)in #fiction • 7 years ago

Black Dawn

Chapters 1-5
Chapters 6-10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14

First off, aplogies for the long wait! I've been busy with irl stuff, and had to struggle to find motivation. I think I found it, so let's keep going.

Chapter 15

As the guards approach Maria's location, she musters up every bit of strength she has in her body and soul to force her feet to move away. Maria's never been in this sort of a situation, her heart is racing and sweat is all over her body. Her mind knows what to do; she needs to use the darkness of the room to her advantage and slowly hide from the guards before they find her, but she's having an almost impossible time trying to get her body to cooperate.

She's trying to think of what Adam would do.

Adam would be resilient and resourceful. Maria was never a big fan of what Adam did for a living, but she did, and does have, an undying admiration for his courage, and ability to survive and keep himself together. Even though it's silly in a situation like this, it's important for Maria that Adam is proud of her. That's what gives Maria the ability to pull herself together, just like Adam would, and come up with a way out.

Maria quietly removes her shoes with her feet, and this allows her to move quietly. She leans on the wall, and starts to slowly move to the opposite direction of where she's hearing the guards being. They're approaching her direction, but Maria is able to move out of the way.

She doesn't want to leave Adam, but she also knows there's nothing she can do unarmed. Also, it seems that the guards are not planning on killing Adam, Derek must want him alive. She has to find Kevin, he'll know what to do - she just has no idea where to look.

Kevin is limping his way towards the hall, hoping he's not too late. He seems to have lost Logan, at least for now. Logan's not the only one who's slowed down by a bad leg, Kevin, too, needs to lean on the wall whenever the strain on his leg gets too big to bear.

Catching his breath, Kevin takes support from the wall.

"Just hang on a sec more, Adam."

There's no time to slow down, though, and Kevin knows this. Everything relies on him saving Adam's life. Yes, Adam is his best friend - but there seems to be more to it than that. More than he's letting on. But be that as it may, saving his friend is definitely very important to Kevin right now.

It pains Maria to leave Adam at the mercy of the guards, but finding Kevin and figuring out what to do is what Adam would want Maria to do, and this is how she rationalizes it to herself, as she manages to sneak out of the hall into the corridors of the facility.

At this point, though, Maria realizes how little she actually thought of this.

She can take either a left, or a right, she can go straight, and behind each turn is a similar choice to make.

Where to even begin looking for Kevin. Is he even alive anymore?

Instinctively, Maria makes a run for it and takes a left. No reason, other than that's how she felt. It seems as though all of, or at least a majority of the guards were sent to ambush her and Adam, so the corridors are empty and seemingly safe to roam.

Maria takes a right, then a left, more rights, a few more lefts.. until finally admitting it to herself that she's lost.

Panic starts to build. Maria slaps herself.

"Maria Miller! Keep yourself together, damnit! You can do this."

Maria's attempts at convincing herself are not an all around success, but not a failure, either, as she manages to keep moving. In the midst of all this, the thought does pay a quick visit in Maria's head that Adam is an infinite source of strength for her. Sure, she's in this situation with Adam right now, which no doubt plays a part, but she can't help thinking that her current husband, Paul, would never do that to her; She loves Paul, but Paul would never be a source of strength like this.

Maria slaps herself again for worrying about these things in a situation like this. She just can't let Adam down. That's what's important. Adam risked his life in order to save her.

Just as Maria is thinking about this, the lights go back on. Maria has no idea why, but it seems like whatever caused the power to go out, has been restored.

For a passing moment, Maria is happy that she's able to see better now, but the passing moment is just as described, as she quickly notices that she was wrong about all guards being elsewhere.

"There she is!"

Maria is being fired at without hesitation. She had enough of an element of surprise with her that she manages to get run away, and the guards were quite a distance away, at the other side of the corridor.

But she's dead if she's caught.

The sound of gun fire catches Kevin's ears. He also hears the guards yelling about a woman, and immediately realizes what's going on - and it's just a few corners away.

Maria is running for her life. Prior to today, the fear of death had never been a thing she had experienced. She's a doctor, so dealing with the theme of death is a normal thing for her, but even though she has been in the undesirable position of delivering bad news to the loved ones of people that were lost, never before has she ever feared for her own life.

Maria is approaching a corner, just as a group of three guards appear behind it, with their guns pointed at her.

Her life passes right through her eyes, as she stares at the pointed guns for what seems like hours, but in reality is just a passing second.

Maria closes her eyes, and hears a trigger pulled three times.

But it's not the trigger of any of the guards.

"Maria, let's go!"

It's Kevin.

In a state of shock and confusion, Maria surveys the three bodies on the ground, as Kevin grabs her by the arm.

"Maria! Where's Adam?"

"They.. they took from the hall, I left him there, I'm sorry, I came looking for you, and.."

All the stress and pressure of what has just happened finally releases and Maria caves in, crying as Kevin takes a hold of her.

"Hey, it's okay, Maria. It's okay. We'll save him, alright? We need to get moving, you understand? Stay close."

More guards approach their position.