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Kristina
I’m left brooding and practically quaking in fear. My knees knock together as I stand in the middle of the room, staring at the small pool of blood Hayden left behind. Minutes have gone by in total silence. The screen where I’d seen Grandma and Wyatt has long since been turned off.
It’s too bright, cold, and silent in here. It’s enough to drive a sane person crazy. There’s nothing to do but walk around, worry, and stare. I can’t take it anymore. I want out. I want to know if Hayden, Rose, and Wyatt are okay, but the only thing I can do is move around like a restless wildcat.
My stomach continues to grumble from time to time and I think part of it is practically sticking to my spine, but even this discomfort is not enough to distract my wandering mind. How long will it be before Gerard comes back, bearing news? Will he leave me in here to drown in my concerns for the rest of the night?
I let out a breath of air and march over to the cot in the room. I pick up the blanket I left there earlier and wrap it around my shoulders to ward off some of the chill. There’s not much I can do now but make myself as comfortable as possible. I’m both helpless and useless in here. I can’t call for help. My hands are tied. I hate the total state of vulnerability I’m in.
The only person paying me any attention at all is the girl across the hall. Dressed in scrubs similar to mine, she occasionally glances in my direction as she paces her tiny room. She’s probably wondering what I’m doing here. In turn, I’ve wondered quite a few times myself who she is and what relation she has to Castiel and Nyall. There has to be some sort of parentage because her features as strikingly similar to theirs. If only I could ask her.
Hayden. My mind wanders once again to him. Is he all right? I glance down the hall to my right in search of any sign of him, but most of the rooms are empty. I think I spot someone inside a glass cubicle at the end, but it’s too far away for me to make out any distinctive features. I can’t even tell if the individual is male or female. It certainly isn’t Hayden. As Gerard’s goons took him down the hall and turned left, they disappeared behind a wall and I haven’t seen them since.
Anxiety eats away at me as I try not to think about what is being done to him.
I bite my lower lip and glance to my left at the rows of empty, glass cubicles. If there are so many people and supernaturals being taken in by Gerard and his men, why is this particular floor lacking prisoners? As far as I can tell, there are only three of us. Granted, I have no idea what the dimensions of the building are, therefore I don’t have a clue as to how many floors are between Grandma and me, but it is emptier here than I would have thought.
Maybe this is the floor where the permanents live. I don’t know where the thought comes from, but it forces me to involuntarily flinch. God, I have to get out of here. I rush to the glass wall in front of me and flatten my palms over it as I gaze from one side of the hall to the other. There has to be an exit somewhere. Maybe behind the wall where Gerard took Hayden.
The sound of muffled voices and heavy boots draws my attention to my left, where a group of six heavily armed men emerge from someplace down the hall and stride, in two, perfectly aligned rows, to a large, chrome control panel about three cubicles down from the one the white-haired girl is in. The man in the front of the pack, a tall, blond fellow with small eyes and dimples in his chin, activates the panel by entering a code.
A series of beeps goes off before an entire wall, no more than eight by ten feet, unlatches and swiftly rolls to the side, revealing yet another large glass cage behind it. Inside is a beast unlike any I’ve seen in my life. Even a horror film couldn’t do this brute justice. I’m so taken aback by what my eyes register that I hold my breath in dismay.
Tall. If I had to guess, I’d probably estimate its height to be somewhere past the eight-foot mark. With long, muscled arms covered in black fur, and two equally impressive legs, the beast appears to be a cross between animal and man. Its entire body is packed with muscles and covered in short, dark hair from head to toe. Its eyes are large and incredibly human, in spite of the rest of him.
A thin, dark mane surrounds his neck but ends at the base. Broad shoulders lead the way to a wide chest and lean hips. His build screams power. He’s terrifyingly remarkable. One look, and I’m frozen in fear. All it would take for this man-animal to end a life is a swipe of its long, sharp-looking claws.
Werewolf.
The word filters in as if I’d conjured it. There’s no other explanation as to what this thing could be. Though he looks very similar to what I’d expected a werewolf to resemble, he’s far more magnificent than anything I’ve ever seen in movies.
My gaze follows the man who seems in charge as he operates the control panel once again, only this time he also fidgets with the screen below it for a moment before the recognizable beeping announces the opening of the glass door.
My heart leaps inside my chest as I come to realize they have every intention of going inside the room with that thing. The werewolf is strapped to a series of mechanisms that hang from a larger chrome panel above his head. He seems subdued for the time being, lethargic even, as his body droops. I’m not entirely convinced these men could take him down, should he decide to attack. I’m not familiar with the methods Gerard uses to force his prisoners into submission, but as I observe the straps around the werewolf’s neck, wrists, forearms, calves, ankles, and midsection, I realize these must be his method of delivering punishment.
It appears to be as if electrical charges are used to maintain control over this beast. How many volts would one need to keep this uncomfortably large man-wolf under control?
The leader of the group takes two steps forward and then...darkness. The lights go off and I’m shrouded in complete and utter blackness. I can’t even see my hand in front of my face. Silence seems to spread like wildfire. It stretches on as I stand in front of the glass alone, scared, and confused. A minute goes by. Or maybe a second. I’m not sure, but it feels as if time has stopped suddenly as I wait to find out what’s happened to the electricity.
What the hell is going on?
A muffled shout, followed by the most terrifying roar I’ve ever heard slices through the silence and alerts me to danger. Shots go off and the brief illumination created by the firepower discharging from the rifles allows for me to see the enraged werewolf doing away with his restraints—and reaching for the guard nearest to him.
Emergency red lights turn on then, clouding every inch of the Institute with a scarlet color. But my eyes, they are glued to the hulking form breaking free of his bindings and bolting toward the two men closest to the exit. Two men lay on the floor near the werewolf’s feet, though I can’t tell whether or not they’re dead. As the beast emerges from his room, grabbing the first man he comes across by the neck, my survival instincts finally kick in and I back away from the glass, dropping the blanket as I move. Turning on my heels, I dart to the other side of the room and hunker down in a corner, all while listening to the men screaming in terror and the sound of a violent struggle between foes a short distance away.
I cover my ears to keep the worst of the werewolf’s roars out, but my imagination runs with a will of its own, conjuring images of dismemberment and death. My entire body breaks out in a cold sweat as I hear the last of the men’s screams die down and realize the giant of a beast is now rushing down the hall in my direction.
“God, help me,” I whisper, trying very hard not to sob as I catch his huge shadow speeding toward me in my peripheral vision. He moves with a quickness and agility I would’ve never predicted for something so big. I blink, and he’s standing in the hall in front of the four-inch thick glass panel that keeps us apart, staring at me with a pair of glowing, golden brown eyes.
I don’t move. In fact, I’m sure I stop breathing as I meet his gaze and say a silent prayer to God so that he can help my passing be less painful than that of the guards’. The werewolf’s shoulders move up and down as he watches my little form quake in fear. His long muzzle is covered in blood and gore. Nausea comes back to haunt me at the realization of what I can see.
He’s going to kill me. I’m about to become werewolf chow.
As fast as lightning, the man-beast throws all his weight on the glass door, using an excessive amount of strength in an effort to break it down. I scream and hide my face in between my knees, wrapping my arms instinctively over the top of my head. There’s no place for me to run. There’s no place for me to hide. It’s over. I’m done for. I couldn’t get away, even if I tried. He’s blocking the only exit. In order to escape, I would need to go through him, and I think we both know how that’s going to go. There isn’t even a weapon I can use for protection.
Resigned to my fate, I squeeze my eyes shut and try to bring to mind images of a happy childhood and the one relative I will leave behind, but the sound of metal hinges bending is deafening in comparison to the clatter of a large body being slammed against the glass pane. It draws my attention. I glance up to see the door disintegrated into thousands of pieces as it hits the floor, hard. Average-sized shards scatter across the floor like a blanket, covering most of the cold surface around me.
I’m left with no barrier between the man-beast and myself. I can practically see my life shrink away as the massive beast stands there menacingly, as if considering which part of me to gobble down first. But he doesn’t come barging in. He doesn’t even take a single step in my direction. He holds his ground, as if expecting me to challenge him, or something. I just sit there and stare. And then he moves.
I choke back a scream when the werewolf sways on his feet for a moment before turning to face the door of the enclosure behind him, that of the white-haired girl. He throws himself against the glass door repeatedly. With every turn, he displays a high tolerance for pain as he hurls himself against the smooth, transparent surface with brutal force, aiming all his aggression toward the object.
One bodyslam later, and the door comes flying off, only to land on the floor where it breaks apart. Once the deed is done, the man-beast turns to his right and runs off down the hall. I’m left in shock and unable to move, even after the white-haired girl exits the enclosure, pausing only for a moment to gaze at me, before bolting in the same direction as the werewolf. What just happened?
That little voice in my head argues: what does it matter? I’m free. I gather my wits and begin to rise. I head straight for the exit, hoping to find Rose and Wyatt somewhere along the way. I scan the hallway as I approach it, looking for any signs of the beast, but I find it empty. The girl is nowhere in sight, either, and I can’t help but wonder where the duo disappeared to.
In order to leave, I have to face my fear of the dark, and everything that goes bump in the night, so I push on. Minding the shards on the floor, I pick my way around, and hurry through the hole in the wall where the door used to be. I’ve barely stepped out into the hallway when a loud growl resonates from someplace nearby, making me jump.
I shrink away from the hallway, forgetting to pay attention to where I put my feet, when I slip and fall on one knee. As my hands go out in front of me, instinctively trying to prevent me from breaking my face on the floor, my left palm accidentally grazes a jagged tip of glass, which slices the skin open.
I cry out in pain, bringing my hand up to see what kind of damage has been done. There’s a relatively large gash in the middle of my palm and it’s bleeding profusely. Cursing under my breath, I remove one of my socks and tie it around my hand, pulling on the ends tightly with my teeth to secure it in place.
Checking my handiwork one last time, I stand up and continue on, keeping to the walls as I go along. I tiptoe down the hall, glancing behind me every now and again to make sure I’m not being followed. When I reach the wall where Gerard, Hayden, and the guards disappeared earlier, I find a pair of elevators.
“No wonder they never came back.” I press the call button but quickly note the elevators are not working. The electrical power must have malfunctioned. How else would the giant werewolf break free of his bonds? That would explain why the elevators aren’t functioning and only the red emergency lights are. But then, there has to be some sort of backup plan. Otherwise, how are the emergency lights on?
I turn to my right again and decide to follow the hall as I look for another way out. There must be a staircase someplace. I tromp down the corridor, passing by a few more glass enclosures. The last one to my right catches my attention. It’s missing the door, and one quick glimpse confirms there’s someone still inside.
Cradling my injured hand, I take two cautious steps forward to get a better view of the person. Long, white, possibly bleach-blond hair fans one side of his face. His eyes, which I’m unable to detect their color due to the poor lighting, gape back at me with interest. Something about him strikes me as familiar.
“Kristina,” a hoarse voice calls to me. “Come in. I will not hurt you.”
His voice sounds exactly like Nyall’s. “Castiel?”
He cocks his head to the side. “I am Castiel.”
I step inside the room, keeping my eyes cast down so that I don’t step on broken glass.
“The werewolf set you free,” he comments as his eyes assess me. “But you are hurt.” It’s not a question.
“I slipped and fell on glass.” I lift my arm up to show him, but I don’t think he needs confirmation. Being that he’s a vampire, I’m sure he can smell the blood on me. “What’s going on?” I approach him, stopping once he’s within arm’s reach.
He nods. “The Legion. They are here.”
Hope flares inside of me. “They are?” As if on cue, a series of automatic shots fills the room, followed by a thunderous roar, and men shouting obscenities. There’s the clash of something heavy against glass and then some more screaming. It sounds like World War One back there. “The werewolf is nearby,” I murmur in fear. Judging by the sound of his displeased growls, he must be closer than I would want him to be.
“You need not worry about him. He means you no harm. It is Gerard and his goons you have to be cautious of.” Lifting one finger, he points to the control panel and says, “To get me down from here, you must engage the system.”
I look on in confusion. “I thought the electric power was off. How am I going to activate the panel?”
“You see the red lights? They are part of the backup generators. Most of them have been cut down too, but through the control panels you should be able to deactivate this thing. You must hurry. The Legion will cut off all the power soon.” He shakes his wrists to emphasize his restraints. “The main power loss cut down the functionality of these contraptions but they should be released when you operate the panel.”
The werewolf had no problem breaking free of his fetters. Castiel, he looks weak and tired.
“Tell me what to do.” I tromp to the exit and inspect the elaborate, stainless steel panel, not really understanding the need for so many buttons or what they might be for. “There’s a red light on under the Activate button. What does that mean?”
“It means it is still working. Press the button that reads ‘Release’. The screen will turn on and ask for a series of commands.”
I do as he instructs and wait as the screen flashes on and off a total of five times before it requests a numeric code. “What’s the passcode?”
“30589.”
I blink. “Isn’t that Tiger’s number?”
“He told you about that, did he?”
I put in the passcode. “Why? He wasn’t supposed to?”
“Tiger is a very private individual. He does not like talking about himself. If he has shared that, he either felt compelled to, or he trusts you in ways he never has anyone else.”
My stomach clenches as Castiel’s words sink in. Tiger—Hayden—opening up to me is a feat all in itself. I accused him of using me and maybe he did, but he was desperate. He wanted to save those trapped in the Institute. It wasn’t like he was only hoping to save his own hide.
“Now what?” The screen flashes a bit before confirming the code. Once it has identified the numeric passcode, it asks what command I’m requesting.
“Stop and Release,” Castiel replies.
I press one and then the other button, listening as the panel on the ceiling makes a hissing sound, like that of a balloon being rapidly emptied of air, before several clicks and metallic pops, like two iron wheels clanging together, fill the room. I turn around in time to see Castiel plop to the floor on his hands and knees.
“Are you okay?” I move forward but he raises one shaky palm.
“I have never been better.” He lifts his other arm, revealing a row of needles inserted into his skin, which he promptly begins to remove, one by one.
“Do you need help?” I ask out of politeness but in truth, I don’t want to get anywhere near those things.
“No. Please, stay where you are.”
A scream resonates out in the hall and a few more shots ring out before it grows quiet again.
“We need to get out of here.” I’m scared to death Gerard will emerge and take us someplace else. “I need to go find my grandmother and her friend.” When I turn my gaze back to Castiel, he is just finishing removing the last needle.
“No more medicine. No more pain,” he says, his eyes glancing up to meet mine. “Kristina, you must go find Tiger.”
I want to. I do, but Rose and Wyatt are trapped and they might not fare well should Gerard go to them first.
“I can’t. My—”
“The woman and her friend have been led to safety.”
I toss a skeptical look in his direction, but then, his hearing surpasses mine and he probably knows every little thing that’s going on while we waste time talking.
“The building is currently being invaded by an army of werewolves, vampires, and angry humans with guns. Though I would like to accompany you, I’m afraid your injured hand has become quite a distraction for me. I have been drained of vital fluids and my weakened state makes it difficult to be by your side.”
I find his sincerity a little blunt, but understandable. He really looks like he’s been starved and tortured in ways I can never comprehend. Even with the poor lighting, I can make out bruises on his arms and the way his skin seems to be pulled over his skull. He probably weighs less than I do.
“I assure you that your loved ones are safe and are even now being led away from this place. But Tiger is trapped two floors down. Gerard plans to take him with him as he evacuates. He is currently waiting for a helicopter to arrive and take them both out of here before the Legion attempts to stop him.”
His sense of hearing is amazing. He has gathered that much information while being trapped up here? “How do I get to Tiger?”
“Use the stairs at the end of the hall. Take them down to the fifth floor. That is where the new laboratories are located. Once inside, take to your left and follow the corridor to the last door to the right. There you will find another corridor; this one leads to three doors at the end. One on each side of the walls, and one in the center. Through the door in the center, you will find Tiger.”
I glance over my shoulder to the empty hall behind me. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay by yourself?” My gaze falls back on him.
“Yes. My brother is on his way up. We should be reunited soon.” His lips split into a satisfied grin, as if he has been waiting for this moment. He probably has. “Go on. Tiger needs you.”
I nod before turning in the opposite direction and out to the hall.