The coffee finished brewing, and Miles poured himself a cup.He took his first sip, feeling the warmth spread through his chest.He was about to start typing a message to Elena when his phone buzzed in his hand.
Elena's name appeared on the screen.The sight of it made him smile slightly despite everything that had happened.She had perfect timing, as always.His was momentarily flooded with a wave of love for her, anxious to marry her.
“Hey,” he answered, settling into one of the plastic chairs around the break room table.
“Miles?”Elena's voice sounded strange.Weak.Frightened.
Miles sat up straighter.“Elena?What's wrong?”
“I...I'm scared, Miles.Something's wrong here.”Her voice was barely above a whisper, and Miles could hear her breathing heavily.
“What do you mean?Where are you?”
“I'm at home.I was working on my laptop and I started smelling something weird.Like.Flowers at first, but… then like a chemical.Sweet but wrong.”Elena paused, and Miles could hear her taking shallow breaths.“Miles, I know all about your case and it’s… I’m just… I'm scared it's happening to me.”
Miles felt ice form in his stomach.How in God's name could Elena be attached to this case at all?But fear for her overruled everything else and her safety was the only thing his brain could latch onto."Elena, listen to me.You need to get out of the apartment right now.Don't think about it, just go outside immediately."
“I tried to get up but I feel dizzy.Really dizzy.And weak.”Elena's voice was becoming more distant, less focused.“My head feels funny.”
“Elena!”Miles was already on his feet, moving toward the break room door.“Stay on the phone with me.Can you make it to the front door?”
“I'm trying.But my legs...”There was a sound like something hitting the floor.“Miles...”
“Elena?Elena, what happened?”
“I fell down.”Her voice was barely audible now.“Miles, I can't...I can't get up.”
Miles was running through the corridors of the FBI building before he was fully aware of it.Other agents looked up as he passed, but he didn't stop to explain.Pure terror was driving him forward.He was working on instincts he didn’t understand, his legs pushing, his heart feeling like it might explode at any moment.
“Elena, stay with me.Keep talking to me.”He burst through the exit doors into the parking garage.“I'm coming home right now.Just keep breathing and stay awake.”
“Miles?”Elena's voice was so faint he could barely hear it.“I love you.”
“I love you too.Elena?Elena!”
The line went quiet except for the sound of shallow, labored breathing.Miles reached his car and fumbled with his keys, his hands shaking so badly he could barely get the key into the ignition.The entire world felt like it was shrinking around him, even his own train of thought.There was no rationale, no reason, no logic.There was only getting to Elena, to his house.
“Elena, can you hear me?”He started the engine and backed out of his parking space faster than was safe.“Elena, please answer me.”
Nothing.Just the faint sound of breathing, getting slower and more irregular.
Miles floored the accelerator as he exited the parking garage, not bothering to stop at the security checkpoint.The guard shouted something behind him, but Miles was already turning onto the main road.Several horns blared at him, punctuated by the squealing of tires.He switched his phone to speaker and set it in the cup holder so he could drive with both hands.
“Elena, I'm on my way.Just hold on.”His voice cracked as he spoke.
The breathing on the other end of the line was getting fainter.Miles could barely hear it over the sound of his engine and the traffic around him.He wove between cars, running red lights and taking turns too fast.Other drivers honked and swerved, but Miles didn't care about anything except getting home.
“Elena, please.Please stay with me.”
The breathing stopped.
“Elena?ELENA!”
Silence.The call was still connected, but there was no sound coming through the speaker.Miles screamed her name again, his voice raw with terror and desperation.
He took a corner too fast and nearly sideswiped a parked car.His tires squealed as he overcorrected, and for a moment he thought he was going to crash into oncoming traffic.Somehow, he maintained control and kept driving, tears streaming down his face.
The phone line went dead.
