Soul Stitched (book one)

Chapter 72: Aqua

My eyes flew open when I heard the sound of my guards crashing against the door. I sat up. I heard shuffling outside my door and then it flew open. A girl stood in the doorway, possibly 15 years old with long black hair.
        "Aqua Mist?" she asked me. I scrambled to my feet.
        "Who are you?" I asked. The girl shoved hair from her face.
        "The name's Mac. Cashmere is rescuing Crystal and well, I'm here for you." Mac said. Should I trust her? She wiped blood off her knife. I held out my wrists, remembering Cashmere telling me about her. Mac smirked and took the knife, breaking my cuffs open.
        "There we go." said Mac, brown eyes fluttering up and down my screwed up body. I rubbed my wrists.
        "Thanks." I said slowly. She nodded.
        "No problem." Mac said as she started down the hallway. "Let's go find the others." I followed her and she led me down 9 doors and then froze. She peered in and put a finger to her mouth. Mac glanced back into the room, worry plastered onto her face. I could make out Cashmere, Wilt and Crystal but no one else. What was the big deal? Then I heard the cock of a gun and Dr. Shep's voice. My stomach lurched.
        "On three?" I asked. Mac nodded.
        "One." I whispered. Mac gripped her knife tighter and I shook out my hands.
        "Two." said Mac. I met her eyes.
        "Three!"
Mac kicked the door open and Dr. Shep fired the gun at the same time. On instinct, I thrust out my hands. A ball of water shot out of my finger tips. Everything happened in slow motion. Right as the bullet was about to blast Crystal's head apart, a wave of water pushed it away and it clattered against the wall. Wilt's head snapped up at she smiled at me. Cashmere had a look of awe on her face as did Crystal.

Then all hell broke lose.

As if on cue, guards poured into the room, blocking the door. Oh well for a quiet escape. We all looked at one another. None of us looked very stable, all very thin-sickly thin with scars and stitches covering our skin. But we all knew what must be done. Wilt grinned and then charged. I mustered up my bravery and followed Wilt into battle.

I punched a guard in the face and then covered is nose, drowning him. I kicked one man in the gut and watched him curl in pain. To my side, Wilt was turning people into dust and then reforming them into an army for our side. Crystal was blasting people with ice, spraying knife sharp ice at guard's heads. Cashmere was a ball of fire, with one simple touch the guards melted, skin peeling away until they were no more but skeletons. Mac was good with hand to hand combat. She had good moves. Mac slid between a guard's legs then jumped to her feet and kicked him to the ground. She spun around and stabbed another in the chest, shoving him into another.

We soon fought our way out of Crystal's cell and we took off, running down the hallway past the blood splattered walls, jumping over bodies. We ran into an elevator and the doors closed behind us. Elevator music filled our ears. 'Staying Alive' filled the small room and we looked at one another. Then we broke out into laughter. We went to floor one, hoping to find an exit.

When the door opened, we all took a step back, jaw dropping. Hundreds of guards aimed their guns at our heads. The lobby was packed tight with guards and there were no windows, doors were just metal, that's where we needed to get. I gulped as I watched Dr. Shep making his way over to us.
        "Sorry boys, wrong floor." I smiled sweetly. The I pressed floor 3. The doors started to close and they started shooting. Cashmere thrust out her hands as a force field. The bullets bounced off the golden wall and hit their own people. I highfived Cashmere once the doors closed. The elevator rose to floor three and we ran out into a white hallway. Doors lined the walls and we spun to look around. A stair case was on the opposite side of the hall and we could hear shouting coming from it.
        "Wrong way!" Mac shoved us back and we started to run backwards.
        "Hide!" Wilt hissed. I might've tripped over Crystal as we found a door and locked ourselves in. We turned off the lights and held our breaths. I looked down at my hospital gown, blood was splattered across the white material. I rested my head against the wall.
        "I want every room searched. We have to find those girls!" I heard Dr. Shep cry.
        Please don't find us. Please don't find us. Please don't-

"Wilt?" Someone croaked out behind us. We spun on our heels to face the stranger. Someone wheeled over. They coughed and wheezed. I winced.
        "Oh Cryptic." Wilt whispered, horrified. I was taken a back. "Cryptic?" I asked. Wilt stumbled forward, a look of horror on her face. He coughed again as Wilt took his shaking hand.
        "Wilt." he repeated. I covered my mouth. "I'm so sorry." he said. His skin looked gray, hair was shaggy in his eyes. Crystal turned around, whispering, "Oh God." Tears pricked my eyes as I watched Wilt bring his hand to her mouth. Blood dribbled from his mouth and Wilt wiped it away.
        "Hi Mac." he said. She smiled but then it disappeared.
        "You know each other?" Cashmere asked. "Cryptic called me a week or two ago for help. He told me to get you guys out for him. He told me you were in danger. I came as fast as I could, but not fast enough." said Mac. Wilt blinked away tears.
        "What have I done?" she sobbed. Confusion swept over me. What did she mean by that?
        "You need a plan." Cryptic said. Crystal nodded.
        "Okay, use your powers to get out of here. I have a black car waiting out front. The driver worked for my dad, but he told me he would help. He'll take you to the generator. Shut it down. You have to shut it down and end this virus. Oh, and kill my dad will ya?" Cryptic said. "Your dad?" Crystal asked.
        "Dr. Shep is my dad."
        "What!" I shrieked, then covered my mouth.
        "No time to explain. You have to go. No." Cryptic told us.
        "What about you?" Wilt asked.
        "You have to leave me. I'm out of time. You have to go. Save the world, make me proud." said Cryptic. His voice cracked. 
        "I am not leaving you." Wilt said, planting her feet to the floor. Tears streaked down her face.
        "Goodbye." Cryptic lightly kissed her cheek. "     
        "Let's go, Wilt." I said softly.
        "No! He's coming with us!" Wilt demanded. Crystal and Mac started to pull her away.
        "Let me go!" Wilt screamed. She blasted Crystal with a black mist but she ducked. "Cryptic! No!" she screamed. She punched Mac in the gut. "Cryptic!" I walked over to him.
        "Thank you, for everything." I said. I took a deep breath. I hugged him tightly. "Take care of her." Cryptic whispered. I nodded and let go of him. "I promise, I will." I said. He smiled and I brushed hair from his eyes. It seemed cruel, that he would spend his last moments alone, here in this dark room with his thought to keep him company.
        "I love you!" Wilt cried  as we forced her out.
        "I love you, too." he said. Then we closed the door lightly. I faced the guards. Wilt wiped her tears away, lip trembling.
        "I'm going to blow this hell hole up all the way to heaven." Wilt hissed. She sniffled and started down the hallways. People made of mist started to form and followed Wilt down the corridor. I glanced back at the door and pressed my finger against it.
        "Goodbye, Cryptic."