Five Lives- The Night's Slave

I'm writing again! Sorry it takes so long. I try.

This is Five Lives (again). If you don't know it's the book I'm writing, yadda yadda.

Summary of plot to the book: A virus spread through the world.

Summary to this chapter: T.A.K.A is sent on mission to kill a Doctor. Rachel is forced to see something things she'll never forget. Rachel's point of view.

Copyright Elena Lee Twist 2009.

The Night's Slave

“Hey!” The piercing voice scattered my concentration.

“What?” I hissed.

“Oh come on don’t be that way?” Ditto whined and against my liking plopped down beside me. I grunted as if to tip off my anger.

“So I was talking to Doc said that this scab is going to go away. I wish it would scar, because I hear chicks dig scars. But I guess I could just go off of pure good looks.” Ditto blathered into a rush of annoyance. “And then when I was robbing th-“

“Shut up Ditto!” I burst and swung at him. Damn him for being swift.

I didn’t notice the collection of people crowding to the room perfectly on time for my blow up. Flint was booming with laughter and I shot him a deadly glare.

“Better watch yourself Ditto, Dawn ready to kick your ass!” Flint bellowed.

“You shut it too!” I growled menacingly at him, but Flint saw though my act. “Let’s just get this damn day over.” I spoke though my clenched jaw.

“Whatever you say…” Flint chuckled. And once he thought I was out of earshot he added. “Princess.”

“Heard that!” I exclaimed from the street outside the hide out. Enough being bitter Rachel. I took a moment of silence to take in the night. Zero told us to take in every sound of the night and inmate them and the reactions the make.

I strained my ears. I listened to a few late night drinkers fumbling down the sidewalks. I heard a cat prancing on the metal trashcans. I heard sirens, the sound amplified by the lack of nightlife since the virus spread. The scream of an elderly women came next, I didn’t tune into what she was saying for fear of hearing it.

Now I hear vivid footsteps, not hidden steps for sneaking, just everyday walking.
“Sorry-…” The Newbe. “I was-…Uh.” He mumbled. “Never mind.”

I whisked around. “Go on.” I commanded. “Say it.” My words were sweeter then the sharp ones I wanted.

“I was just wondering…Uh.” He stopped and sighed deeply. I giggled, wait I giggled! “Could I you know, help out tonight?”

“Sure kid.” I replied with my unusual smile plastered to my face, god what’s wrong with me?

“But on one condition.” He waited, and took in every word I said, like an audience to a poet. “You’re going to have to be sneakier.”

Newbe laughed, and then realized he had gotten to loud and snapped his mouth shut. And I smirked, holding back a chuckle.

A group of shadows joined Newbe and me. I put on my serious face and thought of the mission at hand. I had reread today’s notice around seven times; the sentences made me more uncomfortable then the last.

I had it to memory…

‘Dear T.A.K.A. Member,

Tonight’s mission will start strictly at midnight, anyone not a counted for will be dealt with and punished at the earliest available. The mission will be one of great interest to the media so don’t get caught. We will be taking out Dr. Ginning; you are not to hurt Dr. McClain or any other nurse or assistant.’

The ending ended the same as the rest…

‘Anyone caught disobeying me at any point in this mission or in daily life will be punished or executed.

Zero.’
We were to kill a Doctor? The ones that were saving the lives of all the dieing people, we were to take that hope away? I feel monstrous. I should ask someone about this Doctor after the mission, I wouldn’t risk getting caught for talking.

“Let’s go team!” Jacob shouted and Flint joined in with whispered shouts and hollers.

“Ready Rales? Shadow?” I asked to be polite to the two mute boys. Shadow didn’t react to the fact that I had even spoken. But Rales smiled and nodded.

The chattering of a nervous jaw was just behind my shoulder. Newbe.

“You ok Newbe?”

“Peachy.” The sarcasm oozed of the words.

“First off I’m the sarcastic one, and second you could back out now.” I challenged his loyalty. I wonder if he has the letter Zero sent about the rules of T.A.K.A yet?

The chattering stopped like a battery out of juice, and his tone was serious and almost dark, “I’m not backing out.”

“Good.” I exclaimed strongly. Maybe he would be a good addition to the team, after a little more training, but there is potential.

“Move out!” Zero hissed from the shadows of the night.

We moved in units of two, Shadow and Rales went first to check for clarity from any type of officials. They make the sound of a cat to signal that it’s clear for us to move into further positions out of the alleyway.

The cat’s cry echoed down the alley passage way and last five seconds before vanishing into the nights uncertainties. I leaped gracefully into the walls brick sidings. The rush of the cold wet brick sent a shiver up my spine. Flint tapped softly on the wall giving the slightest vibration to my ear.

This meant to continue moving, and I did. Once in the main sidewalk I felt exposed, the full moon shinned against my face like the conniving sun itself. I looked suspenseful at the glimmering cement in the moonlight. Flint and I walked like normal teens of the streets, but the once lively bustling road are deserted and filled with abandon cars from the hundred car pile-ups for the first sting of the virus.

I noted that most of the car doors were open. How much hurry or panic would a person have to be to not even have the designees to close a door? I held back tears at the beat up SUV; in the backseat was a car seat, a shadow-hidden child still strapped in. The mother nowhere to be found, just the child, cold and lifeless abandon in the seat of a car; my heart ached for the child that would never live their life. Why would God put a child in this world just to die?
I had slowed to a crawl pace and Flint was seemly the only thing that was dragging me away from the baby. I bit my tongue to hide my distress and listened to the pitter-patter of the rain that had gently started to fall, if you listened very closely you could hear the whimpers of Shark from the icy water.

I followed the trail that Flint was blazing, and watched the darkness dance on the walls from the diligent moon’s glow. The beauty of the night contrasted the haunted streets of this once turbulent city, and the combination created an eerie atmosphere.

After the paced travel we reached the outside of the frantic hospital. Nurses and patents spread out over the lawn. The smell of gasoline reeked in the air and tainted its compounds. I cringed as the door swung open and witnessed the nurse rolling a person’s thrashing body and leaving it buckled to the stretcher on the lawn.

“Go!” Zero growled.

The plan was to pretend I was ill to get inside the building, from what Zero has gathered if you are just coming to the hospital they give you your own room before sending you out to face the wintry night.

Thankfully I was already dizzy and sick to my stomach. I dropped to my knees and Flint scooped me up to his chest like a small child.

“Make it good sis.” He encouraged into my ear.

I nodded and started to cough and gag dramatically; if I was doing this I was doing it right.
“Oh dear not another!” The nurse trotted over to us.

“Please! Help her! Oh God Please!” Flint pled and begged the women. I flickered my eyes to him and saw the tears rolling down his face. I coughed and choked and let the drool dip carelessly like most victims.

The nurse looked tore to give us a room or turn us down to die on the streets. I could see her conscious in her eyes, the battle between the angel on her shoulder and the devil on the other.

With a sigh, “Follow me.”

Flint panicked and crazed followed as I kept up the act.

She led us through the hospital. I quickly closed my eyes once I noted that there were dieing people lining the hallway not just the yard. But I couldn’t close my ears.

The screams and pleas for the pain to stop made a chorus of horrifying voices, and I was to kill one of the only Doctors? I am a monster…

We were stopped by a jerk backwards, I shrieked for the nurse to hear my immanent ‘pain’. It was a hand that was holding us in place, the hand gripped Flint’s grimy pant leg.

The women begged for pity, “I beg, save my child! Save Collin, I don’t care what you have to do, just save him!” She held a toddler in her arms; he stirred at her shouts but then returned to the sweet innocent mind of childhood.

Flint shook the terror-infested woman of. Flint paced more briskly now; to prevent any more stops…I’ll thank him for that later.

The nurse led us to a white door that looked heavily beaten. I shuddered to think of what might have accrued here.

The door relived a once white hospital room, but now it was destroyed and most of the equipment was tipped and thrown about the room. I groaned to queue Flint to set me down, and he obliged.

The bed was lumpy and uncomfortable. I wiggled into a place and chattered my teeth to make the illusion of being cold. The coughing was getting becoming simple through my horse throat.
“I’ll be leaving now.” The nurse made her exit.

I rested my eyes. This bed was slightly nicer then the mat I sleep on the floor with. I smothered my face into the pillow and rested my aching muscles.

“Comfy?” Flint teased.

I sighed and ignored him.

“Well I can’t stay. I better get going now.” Flint explained, and I jumped up in the bed.

“Where? Why? Now?” My words fumbled together in my panic.

He seemed taken back by my worry. “I’ve just got some business to do for the boss.” Flint reassured.

“You’re leaving me here… alone.” I accused him.

He laughed and said, “Oh so you’re scared? Oh poor Princess.”
I sneered at him. “Jerk.”

Still with the smug smile, “And that’s why you love me. See ya.” And without another glance he escaped this hell through a window.

Time crept by so slowly. I checked the clock at least fifteen times in the last seven minutes.
I’ll adventure then. I got on my achy feet and slipped into the hall. The faces stared at me in envy. I wasn’t even ill and I got a room…

I sighed and walked down the hall till the staring stopped. I slid down the wall into a small opening next to a middle aged man and a young teen girl.

A noise made them cringe, all the strangers around me looked scared? Why? The noise was…a voice, no, a scream. It grew and grew till it thrived in the silence.

“No!” The man thrashed and fought the tight deadly grip around his wrists. He screamed and swung his arm to the best of his ability. With a sudden burst of adrenaline to become free, he lunged at the titled floor. The guard lost grip and the man fought back he army crawled but the attempts were futile.

The guard held his ankles, the man was hysterical and cried and begged for the help of the bystanders. The guard began to drag him and he swiftly held on to the leg of a young women. She screamed in shock and shook her head.

“Help me!” The man commanded harshly.

“No, I can’t!” She cried and pushed off the hand. The man clawed helpless at the smooth flooring, the shouts disappeared into the mysterious halls.

“Where are they taking him?” I questioned the thirty or so man next to me. My voice was rough and broke at the end.

“Out back.” The hall nodded as if that was more then enough information, but it left so many unanswered questions.

“What’s out back?”

He looked uncomfortable and he squirmed into the wall. “To be burned.”

“What?!” I was taken back in pure horror.

“We were once here on free will, the thrive to live, but now we are the prisoners.” He said bleakly. Prisoners? This isn’t that once high standard hospital it was.

“Why can’t you leave?” My naïve mind made the others look at me strangely.

“Doctor Ginning is-“ He leading to my ear to whisper as the nurse wondered passed. “Is using us as experiments to cure the disease. Or for his own sick pleasure.”

My words stuck in my throat, I chocked them out to say, “Wha-What?” So that’s why we were told to kill him… The pieces fell into place; I swear the others could almost hear the ‘click’ in my head.

“Get out of here before you really do get sick.” The man instructed sternly.

“How did you know I wasn’t sick?”

“Let’s just say I’m expert on the sick, and you dear are not one.” He trailed off into a far off memory that caused him to cringe.

“I can’t leave…” I paused. “Not without completing my mission…” All the guilt of murdering a Doctor had vanished the same as the victim down the halls.
“Anything I can help with?”

Should I have him help me? I turned to the trustworthy yellow eyes the burned into my irises. He face was a rotten green tinted color. He was sick, very sick, but he seemed fine.
Then it showed more then the color of his skin and eyes combined. He twitched and cringed, and a distorted face. His eyes pinched shut and he gagged up the vomit and blood into the once pearl white floor.

I gasped and reached to comfort him. But he pushed me away; his hand left a bloody vomit mixture on my shirt.

His chokes slowed to silence and panting for air, I realized compared to these people I looked health as ever. I stared thoughtful at the smear on my shirt and softly wiped my hands in the slimy and sticky mess.

“You’ve helped me already…” After scooping more of the floor, I held the revolting substance in my hand, as it’s hot ooze slipped though the cracks in my fingers. I breathed as calmly as possible, I took in the infected air in gasps and I prepared to stop breathing.

The scent burned my eyes but once I stopped breathing the smell decreased. I poured it over my face; my eyes firmly closed mimicking my mouth. I smeared the vomit around my mouth and let it roll naturally down my chin and neck. The scent had me light headed and dizzy. I felt all my insides return to my outsides, the putrid smell got worse.

I rocked and swayed; my dizziness controlled my movements. My eyes flickered shut and my mind slowed to a halt.

Someone is shouting…Loudly…

The man’s voice rang loud and clear though the frosted over subconscious. “You must have some insane death wish…Silly child.

A light shinned through my mind. The sun? A dream? Life? Death?

I laughed with the sun shining on my face; the warmth penetrated my skin. I felt the joy of the moment that put me into a sort of natural high. Derek stole the ball and raced down the poorly made football field.

“Pass it Der!” I shouted over the wind blowing.

He reacted and obliged. My eyes watched diligently as the ball was flying through the air to me. I got into position to catch it. The leather ball was wrapped in the warmth of my body, and once safely at my chest I sprinted to the goal posts.

Tommy wasn’t having this. He got into place to stop me but unexpectedly he dropped to the ground, Derek, the overprotective twit. I laughed at Tommy’s expression and continued my race to the goal.

But with no Derek I was on my own to beat David. Easy. I first tried to out run him, but my muscles were to tired and screaming in distress, so running was out. Then I felt all hundred seventy pounds of David tackle me down. Out of shock I screamed, a girly high-pitched scream.

Once I opened my eyes I saw all the guys crowed around me. Then the chorus of laughs broke out.

“She- she was like AAAAHHH!” The laughter took all the creditability away from the imitation of my girly shriek.

“Shut up!” I said bitterly, the words dripped venom of loathing.

“Hey back off! Or I’ll make you!” Derek commanded in a deep and threatening tone. The laughter stopped dead in its tracks. Derek and me kept up the act of being pissed. Until I could see right behind the mask of anger was a laugh building up.

We gave in and we laughed till it hurt. The other stared at us like we were crazy but that’s fine, because we are better then fine, we’re family.

I woke from the forced slumber to the discomfort of the hospital bed. The dream was still fresh in my mind, but it more then a dream it was a memory. But only a memory now… Now I was back in my assigned room. The light from the digital clock read, “2:21 A.M.” Showtime.

“Ugh, ok… dumb plan.” I muttered.

A man chuckled.

“What?!” I jumped, damn paranoia. It was the shadowy figure of Flint hidden by the burned out lights. He laughed at me, the straightened up.

“Ready?”
“Sure, sure.” I hopped to quickly to my feet and was taken back for a moment. I braced the disheveled sheets till my mind was clearer. “Let’s get this shit over with.” I grumbled miserably.

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

“Shut it!” I threatened, my eyes blazed into his. I’ve seen more then he’ll ever understand. I can’t erase those deathly memories, the tainted proof scared into my retinas. All the sick and dieing men, women and child all had no other options but to die. All is hopeless.

“Fine. Let’s move out.” Flint crouched in front of me protectively. It was to be sneaky, but in the bright, crowed halls it only drew attention. I followed Flint closely, the passing faces changed from sad, to pity, to anger, to grief, to hysteria.

I met gaze with the man from earlier… He told me to escape, but to do that I would have let them all die.

Without uttering a sound he mouthed, “Good Luck and Goodbye.”

I fought the tears and replied, “Be Strong Friend.”

He nodded and averted his stares to the opposite direction. His skin was worse and my intellectual side knew he won’t make it through tonight, but my heart defended his life.

We walked on further till we reached the metal sign reading, ‘Dr. Ginning’. We came to a halt. Flint stared in complete determination; I envied this.

Flint knocked like any other civilized murder. The door cracked ever so slightly. Revealing nothing but a piercing brownish gray eye.

“Get out of here! All patients wait in the hall or designated room!” The raspy voice crowed. The sneer was visible in the words tone.

“Oh we aren’t here to wait Dr. Ginning.” Flint said smugly.

“I said out!” He restated, he began to slam the door, but Flint reacted quickly and placed his foot in the way.

“No.”

The door was flung effortlessly. He asserted himself through, and face to face with the crud and elderly Dr. Ginning. This old man was the death of countless, and caused thousands pain; pain for lost lives and gained infections. He was a demon in an old man’s body.

“I hate you!” I hissed from behind Flint, I didn’t think, the words came like a flash flood of hatred. He killed, and I will to.

Flint gave me a flickering glance, but I was blazing. My anger amplified from the stories in the hall. He hurt all of them, that villainous monster. He will lie in blood tonight, I will make sure of this.

I moved subconsciously next to Flint. Shoulder to shoulder we stood, eyes hungry for blood.
Dr. Ginning reacted by what I except he would do. He stumbled about the room, looking for a weapon or some sort of cover. But Flint and I choose a good stage; the room was bare except the desk with jumbled papers and miscellaneous pictures. The doctor panicked and chose to hide beneath the desk.

Neither Flint nor I chased after him during his panic, mostly because panic was sometimes worse then your own death. He faltered into his current position. Boring for me, I liked a challenge, if I was forced on a murder mission it better be interesting.

The seconds ticked, as the panting of Dr. Ginning got more and more frantic. The emotions bubbled in my stomach was guilt, guilt because I once was hunted such as this? Did that event affect my emotions?

“Your times up Doctor.” Flint chuckled sinisterly. The fully loaded gun made its appearance.
Dr. Ginning was stunned, this eyes wide and the wrinkles stretched. I knew the expression well… He was watching his life flash before his eyes, like a movie, but the movie runs out of film and that’s my job.

The gun locked on his fore head. The shot fired though the room and down the halls. Every voice silenced, everything deadly quiet. It was over. His body twitched and jerked to the tiled floor. The red river drained the body; it seeped to my feet.

I knock rattled against the window. Flint opened to release the noise.

Bomb crept in followed by Shark, Shadow, and Rails. The six of us crowed the room.

“Yeah! How did you like a taste of your own med-“ Ditto howled in victory.

“Quiet!” Bomb hissed. “Do you want to draw more attention?”

“Sorry.” He whispered.

“I’ll check if the coast is clear and make or move one at a time.” Flint ordered.

We nodded to his plan.

“Alright see you back to the hideout.” He swung over the windowsill to the night’s blackness.
One by one they began to leave. But I couldn’t… My heart was telling me I was forgetting something. I just couldn’t leave… I owned a lot to these people and I couldn’t just murder and leave.

The boy. Collin.

“The mother and her child in the hall.” I gasped.

“What?” Bomb gave a strange look.

I ignored his question and raced to the door. I held the handle and did a quick trip though memory lane to remember exactly where I saw them. The second corridor to the left, yes that’s it.

“Dawn we have to get out now!” Bomb demanded.

“I’m just making a little detour… There is something I have to do.” I replied my mind set on my goal. “I promise to be back to the base very soon, I’ll take the rooftops.”

“Fine, but I’m not covering for you.” Which in Bomb talk was ‘I will cover for you don’t worry’. And I didn’t worry; I had a duty to do for myself. I slipped though the door into the main hall and blended into the sick citizens.

I made my way through the unknown hall to the familiar one. The hall where the woman stopped Flint, where this Collin boy is, I won’t let what happened to the child in the car happen to this boy.

I found them… The woman was crippled over and the toddler was shaking her. The mother didn’t react to the baby.

“Momma?” A tiny voice said.

I crouched the level of the broken remains of the family. The mother’s eyes were yellow and the blood had been long since dried. She was died, died for hour by the looks of it.

“Momma?”

I rested my hand on his shoulder. Collin twisted around, and his bloodshot eyes were heartbreaking. The tears steamed down his face.

“Momma’s broken.”