Lifeline (Chills Fanfic)

19 - Autumn

As I run my hands through my hair, sighing as I take a drink from some blood. I look up as Zeke walks in, looking somber.

"What's up, buttercup?" I ask him.

He glares at me. "You really have no sense for how this works, do you?"

"Well, maybe I would .... if you'd tell me!" I exclaim.

Zeke frowns. "Haven't I told you enough?"

"Obviously not," I snap.

"Fine. What do you want to know?"

"What are you?"

"Your friend. Nothing more," he says.

"Ooh, he's cryptic, too," I say, rolling my eyes.

Zeke looks at me for a moment, then sets his jaw. "What do you want from me?"

"Answers, Zeke!" I cry. "Where the hell is Dylan? Why if you rescued me, did you not help him too?"

"I'm sorry, we couldn't get him in time ..."

"You should've tried harder!" I shout.

"I'm sorry, okay! There's not many of us left, Autumn. We were lucky to get you out."

"No," I whisper. "Please don't tell me that you don't think we could go back and save him."

"Save him? There is no saving someone from Mikael," he says. "Trust me, I know."

"No, you don't. Dylan and Emma and Arlo are fine. We are going to get them back, no matter what happens next, we are going to get them all back. Zeke, we can't just give up. Roll over and die. No. This is not what we can do."

"You're stubborn, huh?" he asks. A small smile plays at the edges of his mouth. Zeke then walks to me, and starts to wheel me out of here, and down to the car.

I'm reminded of the traitor Darwin and I wonder what happened to Soren. Is he okay? Or did he betray us as well? I shake my head to clear it as Zeke walks around the car and gets in the driver seat. I buckle up and look at him.

"Are you okay, Autumn?"

"I will be. When we get my friends back."

He nods. "Alright. Well, let's hope this works, huh?"

"You're so reassuring," I tell him, and he laughs.

"I'm glad I can be of some small assistance to you."

"Small? I may not have a clue what you are, Zeke, but you're far more helpful than you realize."

He smiles at me. "Thank you."

We finally arrive at the building where Zeke rescued me from. He hides the car around the back of the building and then looks at me.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I want to go with you," I say. "But I know I will slow you down."

He sighs. "Just sit tight." He leaves me, and I sigh and put my head back. Then, the air goes cold. I look up, and see a shadow standing there, red eyes glowing in the dim light that filters through the trees.

The figure moves and opens the door. He looks down at me, and I nearly scream. What have you done to him?

"Dylan?" I whisper.

His eyes, which are now glowing red instead of brown, and he picks me up into his arms, and carries me into the building. Right into Mikael's hands.