She nodded and moved out of the way to give room to whoever was entering.
“Well, you’re probably wondering how you got here, right?” Four’s large body settled heavily onto the wooden stool next to me, the wood groaning under his considerable weight, a low creak echoing the strain. “After the explosion, Jude and your vampire friend ran to your aid. You were buried under the collapsed tunnel, and they thought you were dead, like Pete.”
I felt like I had no control of my body, but a lone tear slid down my cheek. Pete was dead. And he did it to protect us. He was finally with his wife.
“When Jude and Gabriel found you, you were barely breathing. They begged me to abandon the mission and bring you here to get help. I agreed and strapped you onto my snowmobile. I tried to get here as fast as I could, and it’s good I did because we were able to save you.”
“The infirmary made sure you were able to live and hooked you up to machines while your body healed.” Nessa pointed to the beeping screen next to me. “You’ve been asleep for two days.”
TWO DAYS? How have I been asleep this long? “Wh-where’s J-Jude and Ga-be?” The medicine was wearing off, and I was regaining my ability to speak.
With a frustrated groan, Four shook his head. “They stayed behind, hellbent on completing the mission.”
I wish I could’ve screamed. Jude and Gabe stayed behind in order to disable the computer? Without me, they’d likely kill each other. My stomach plummeted with the chilling thought that one, or perhaps neither, might not make it back. Why are men so stupid, and why are their egos their biggest downfall?
Well, second biggest.
“Where are they?” When we were at Pete’s house, they said we could disarm the computer and return to Silvertown by nightfall. It’s been two days, meaning the mission was harder than expected or… Well, I didn’t want to think about it.
Nessa shrugged. “We haven’t heard from them.”
“Until now.”
The three of us whipped our heads toward the door to see two men walk through the door. Gabe’s wavy hair was pulled back tightly, revealing fresh scratches on his face, while Jude’s shredded clothing was stained crimson with blood. Regardlessof how disheveled they looked, their presence brought a wave of relief. I was relieved to see them alive and in one piece.
“G-Gabe! Jude!” I tried to stand, but my body felt heavy as lead, refusing to obey. With a frustrated grunt, I tried to rip the cords from my arm, but the incredibly sticky medical tape wouldn’t budge.
Vanessa tackled me, her body heavy on mine as she pinned me to the bed. “Vinny, you have to wait until you’re strong enough.”
My eyes burned with tears. I didn’t think I’d see them again. Since waking, I’ve been thrust into a rollercoaster of emotions.
Gabe nudged past Jude and hastily beelined to me. He nuzzled his face into the corner of my neck and wrapped his strong arms around me, holding me close. “I’m so happy to see you’re okay,” he whispered in my ear.
“We were so scared,” Jude said, standing behind Gabe, looking relieved. “Thank God Four got you here safe.”
My pupils darted nervously back and forth between the two men. The last thing I wanted was for them to get into a fight in the middle of the infirmary. I was holding my breath, waiting for Gabe to see Jude holding my hand. I looked fearfully at Nessa, whose smile was ear-to-ear, most likely in hidden jealousy. “What happened out there?”
Gabe held my hand in his with concern-ridden eyebrows, while Jude put a comforting hand on the man’s shoulder.
“We’ll let you three catch up.” With a casual lean against the doorframe, Four raised an eyebrow at Nessa. “Would you, uh, like to grab some dinner?”
Heat rose in Nessa’s cheeks, staining them a bright red as she fought back a smile that threatened to break free.
Jude raised his eyebrows. “Hey, Vanessa, before you go?—”
I watched as Nessa turned, her bright eyes shining with a mixture of hope and excitement.
“Thanks for taking care of Vinny. Can you let my dad know we’re back?”
With a push of her glasses and a quick nod, Nessa was guided from the infirmary by Four.
“When the tunnel collapsed, we were beside ourselves,” Jude started. “We helped Four load you onto the snowmobile and prayed for you to get here safely. Once you both disappeared from our view, we went back to the mining tunnels, finding our way to the ladder.”
“It brought us to the basement of the lab, but let me tell you, Vin, it was gorgeous.” With a flourish, Gabe fanned his hands in the air, each movement a sweeping gesture. “Everything was so sterile and white. It was like a beautiful modern hospital, well, modern from fifty years ago.” He chuckled, knowing I’d understand what he meant. “The whole basement was these large pod-like things, filled with liquid. Some were broken, and some had sludge in them. It looked like they hadn’t been used in years.”
A long, slow breath escaped Jude’s lips. “They were the same ones we saw in the church. You know, the ones from the video?”
I nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. As the church only harbored a couple of pods, it couldn’t accommodate their growing needs, so they relocated their facility to a secluded mountain lab with ample space for multiple, large-scale experiments. More failed versions of me. A nervous twitch pulsed in my eye as I thought about it.
