Chapter 1
Manticore
October 3, 2020
11:32 PM
He stood with his back against the wall, around the corner his patient was waiting. Slowly he examined the pistol in his hand, at the tip of the barrel was a silencer. Slowly he pulled back the hammer until it clicked into place. He paused for a moment, and reflected about what was happening. He was a laboratory technician, not a mercenary. He didn't know anything about combat or how to defend himself. But he had to do this, he had to save her. He owed her. He quickly stuffed the handgun into the front of his pants and turned the corner.
As he approached the cell, he took notice of the two guards in front of it. One sitting and one standing, he recognized them both. The one standing was Hutchison, dedicated to his duty and followed orders without fail. The one sitting was Grimes, a real scum of the earth type. The lab tech made his way down the corridor towards them.
"Took you're time," Grimes said.
"Sorry I'm late," the lab tech said. "I'm ready to examine her."
"Be my guest," Hutchison said.
The lab tech looked into the cell and saw her with her back to wall. But what he noticed was the numerous amount of bruises that littered her body.
"What happened to her?" the young lab tech said looking into the cell.
"She was caught trying to escape," the Hutchison said. "In her attempt she seriously injured three guards. She tried to do the same to us, so we had to subdue her."
"So basically you just beat the hell out of her?" the lab tech asked a look of disgust on his face.
"That's right," Grimes chuckled.
"I need you to sign these," the lab tech said handing Hutchison a clipboard with documents.
Hutchison took the clipboard and started flipping through the pages. Grimes got to his feet, and stood next to Hutchison examining the papers. Neither noticed the lab tech removing his weapon and aiming it at them.
"What are these," Grimes asked. "This isn't procedure."
"That's right," the lab tech said before firing his gun at Hutchison.
Hutchison fell backwards as the bullet struck him in the chest. His hands clutched the wound as he fell to the ground. Grimes caught off-guard, reached for his weapon. Only to be too late as the lab tech shot him as well. When he was sure that both of them were dead, the lab tech removed the keys from Hutchison's belt and opened the cell.
-----
She sat with her back against the wall, her knees drawn to her chest. She examined the large bruises that covered her forearms. She watched as they slowly began to fade.
Her most recent escape attempt had not gone over as well as she had planned. Then again none of her attempts had seemed to work so far. At times it seemed like escape was impossible, and that she should simply give up.
But she couldn't stop, she had to get out of here. Had to get back to Logan.
Max was broken out of her thoughts when she heard something going on outside her cell.
Suddenly the door opened, and the cell was flooded with light. A lone figure stood in the doorway to her cell. She couldn't see who it was clearly, her vision was still a bit blurry. But Max managed to catch a brief glance of him in the light. The blonde hair, the blue eyes. Could it really be him? And for a moment she believed it was him.
"Zach?" Max asked.
"Huh?" the young man asked as he knelt in front of Max.
Upon getting a closer look at the young man, Max realized it wasn't Zach. Zach was more athletic and muscular, while the young man before her was more thin and wiry.
"Who are you?" Max asked wearily as the young man started to pick her up.
"My name's Victor," he said pulling Max's arm over his shoulder and pulling her to her feet. "I'm here to get you out."
TBC....
