Waiting by Erin Dennington ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 82 Bill led the way past desks and lab stations in the dark, cautiously sliding one foot in front of the other and running his hand along the sides as he passed by them. Whenever he found an empty space, he would stop, drop to all fours, and feel his way around the floor. He did not know what he was looking for, but he knew that whenever he found it, he would know. So far, he and Marty had made their way through about half of the laboratory and had yet to discover anything that would help them. He could feel eyes watching him but had no idea where they were located. He figured that their presence was no most likely no longer a secret, as he had noticed some very small security cameras before the lights had gone out. Bill did not know if they worked in the dark but factored in that they did, and so he tried to keep his face averted towards the floor. Bill could feel Marty's breath on the back of his neck when he stopped. He tried to control his own breathing, so that it wasn't rasping in his throat, but Bill felt like his heart would not allow him to calm down. It was a too emotionally and adrenaline charged atmosphere for him to stay calm. It was like telling people in a crowded theatre that there was a bomb threat while expecting them to remain calm at the same time. It went against human nature -- it just was not going to happen. Bill accepted that, yet continued to try to stay calm, if only to keep a level head about him and to keep some semblance to maintaining the upper hand. This time when he was crawling around on the floor, his hand bumped into something soft, which his mind registered as a body. It startled him so badly that he had to fight not to scream. Marty was right behind him, so wrapping his fingers around Marty's wrist, Bill guided his hand back to the clothing in front of him. Marty recoiled with fear and disgust and backed away. Bill felt sorry for him, knowing how rough all of this must be for the poor guy. Reaching down more gently this time, Bill allowed his fingers to trace a path down to the face of the person lying on the ground in front of him. He heard a slight intake of breath as the person desperately tried to pretend that they were sleeping. Knowing instinctively that this must be Christina, Bill leaned down, and with a whisper hardly louder than an angel's breath, told her that they would get her out of there as soon as possible. He caressed her cheek, thankful that they had finally found her, and was ashamed to note that he was glad it had not been Stella that had been taken. Trying to atone for and cover up the direction that his thoughts had taken, Bill tried to undo the rope around Christina's hands and feet. However, he soon found that the rope and knots were too tight for him to cut without a knife. After everything they had been through today, Bill was not about to let the fact that they did not have a stupid knife get to him. This was a laboratory, after all, and he was sure that there had to be something that he and Marty could use to free Christina. He wondered if maybe they could grab a petri dish, break it, and then use the shards to free her, but decided to search the nearest lab top to see if there was anything that they could use. On the top of the counter were various scientific instruments, things that Bill could not put a name to, but all of which appeared to be suitable for the task at hand. Picking up a small knife, he tested the blade on the rope and discovered that it could easily cut through the thick hemp. He wished that he could see what he was doing, but since he could not, he slowly and methodically sliced through the rope. It seemed that, within minutes, he had Christina freed and was rubbing the circulation back into her hands and feet. Even though the feeling returned to her feet and hands rather quickly after her ordeal, she was still unable to move for a good while after Bill had freed her. She was in a lot of pain and Bill finally picked up each limb and slowly rotated it. Christina groaned a few times as the pins and needles feeling returned to her body, but Bill thought that she was handing the aches and pains quite well. When he was satisfied that she could walk again, he and Marty helped her to her feet, where they walked her over to a lab table area and maneuvered her onto the stool there. Bill thought it best that she rest a little while more before they finished what they had set out to do, but he wondered if it was such a smart idea to walk boldly up to Matthew with his wife. Bill explained his fears to Christina, who agreed to remain where she was, so she could be both a lookout for Davis and Stella and also to be Bill and Marty's back up should anything go wrong. Marty surprised Bill by stepping past him and offering a hug to Christina. "Thanks," she mumbled as he pulled away. Bill imagined that Marty had to be blushing in the dark, so he said not a word while Marty assured Christina that they would return for her soon. Bill heard the amusement in her voice as she told them to get a move on, to "start saving lives." They left her, holding her side, wheezing as she took deep breaths. Bill wanted to help her out, but figured the only way that they could pay Matthew for his actions would be if they hurt him. So, unable to do anything else, Bill once again led the way through the laboratory, Marty stepped up close to his ear and said, "She sure sets a high standard for us to follow, eh?" Bill laughed softly and then replied, "Nah, she just expects a lot from us." 21:16 - 11.30.02 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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