Heroes

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

We slowed before we reached Robinson's lab building hiding among the trees and behind the shadows cast by concrete pillars and dust bins. Everything seemed dead. The night was still and the air surrounding the brick work and glass cold and tight. I crept forward and stared up at it pulling my clock around me and securing the hood over my hair. The street lights cast odd shadows across the building but I saw, up toward the top floor, a bright light glowing through the window, telling me that Robinson, Paula and possibly even Avery's dad were still inside. I started forwards but froze as Tim's hand came to rest solid on my shoulder and Lana had taken a step in front of me.

"Wait," I hissed grabbing for her. "You need to wait here while I go inside."

"Are you kidding me?" Tim snorted. "You can't go in there alone."

"And you can't go in there with me," I said. "You're on Patterson's side remember and you're here to meet him? Do what he says?"

"What if he what he says is bad?" Tim pressed.

"It probably will be," I gulpped. "But at least I know you two won't be doing it. If something happens, if he sends someone after me, make sure it's one of you."

"This is all too convenient," Tim said glancing around. "Why were we asked to be here? Where is he, or whoever it is we're meeting here?"

"I don't know," I said. "But I'm going to go ahead and guess you'll find out soon enough. I can't stick around to wait. I have to make sure Robinson's okay."

"George," Lana whispered. "Be careful."

"I'll will," I said. "And you."

I tried not to break the cover of the shadows as I crept towards the building. I took the back enterence, an old fire door that I knew Robinson always "forgot" to shut. One he kept open in case Avery or Max need him, one he eyed on the secutity tape every time he glanced at his computer. Just as I expected the door was unlocked, though positioned in such a way that it looked solid. I squeezed myself inside, letting the door fall shut and lock behind me. Darkness decended over me but I feeling around the room, speeding my thoughts and movements to suit my needs, I stumbled through the darkness and found my way to a lit, stairwell landing that if followed all the way up, came out at Robinson's lab enterence.

As I climbed I prepared myself for brutal site, for Robinson to be waiting beat up and bloody, for Patterson and an entourage of masked accomplices to be standing over him with the serum poised between their fingers. The fear in me was growing, wheling, I was sure had Lana been around she might have had to bend and wretch or at the very least cover her nose.

I had only barely placed my foot solidly on the next step when an arm reached for me and a scream escaped my lips. The world slowed as a reaction to my fear. I stumbled backwards but still the hand was too close. As I toppled backwards to avoid the frontward hit I stumbled into a second arm and found myself being whirled backwards into someone's hold. I blinked, the slow mo doing little to help as an arm locked around my neck and I felt heavy breath in my ear. I squirmed and managed to duck out of the grasp that to my surprise had actually loosened.

"George?" hissed a voice.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, for my racing heart to calm at the site of Max, or rather The R staring back at me.

"Max!" I breathed relief flooding through me. "What are you doing here?"

"It's..."

"Robinson," we finished.

"You got the message too?" I asked.

"Yeah," he admitted. "Honestly, I thought I was the only one."