Adrenaline

Chapter 23

Alyssa

By 6:30 a.m. I was showered, dressed and ready to see Chris. I made sure to tell Alex since he was being a nag. He insisted on coming along, but I gently asked him to stay home. Alexia was supposed to be the safest place in the world, right? I'd already snuck out and left the town with an Innocent and nothing had happened. Yes, the GFA could get in, but they obviously didn't know what they were doing. When I opened the hospital room door, Chris' eyes shot up to me. He was sitting on the bed with a paled expression, gripping a white paper. I grabbed it from him, letting my eyes run over it.

Tell Alyssa to be careful climbing down the rain gutter. You'll be sure to tell her, won't you Chris? Real broken ribs are in your future if you don't.

The GFA

They were watching... and they knew our names.

The door clicked, softly opening. I side kicked it with such force the walls rattled. A muffled 'ow' came from the other side followed by a knock and, "it's Dr. Gatling."

I reached for the knob, unable to budge it. I gripped it with both hands and jerked it free. Dr. Gatling was holding his nose rubbing it up and down.

"I'm so sorry. I thought you were GFA." I explained.

"Never doubt your instincts."

Gatling shoved me back into the plastic chairs. I landed hard on my back, making me cringe from the pain. He pulled out a gun outlining my body position with gunfire. I could feel the heat pricking at my skin as Chris frantically hit the nurse's button. Gatling smashed the butt of his gun onto Chris' head then came closer to me with the gun steadily pointed to the middle of my skull.

"The IIA has always felt superior to everyone. Well their time is coming to an end. And their demise, starts with you."

The hell it is.

I rammed my leg into his kneecap, bringing him down a notch and bit the gun out of his hand. He grunted in pain, but cut it short when my foot made acquaintance with his face. He stumbled back onto the bed in a daze.

I punched in Alex's number with shaking hands.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Alex they're here! The GFA is here! I—"

The phone was knocked out of my hand breaking against the wall. Gatling raised his hand bringing it hard across my face. I teetered knocking over the heart rate monitor. It flatlined; ringing in my ears like a message.

Today someone was going to die. Gatling loomed over me taking a knife from his pocket. It had a jewel encrusted handle with a long silver blade. It was jagged, optimized for extreme pain when entering the skin.

"The IIA made a mistake not killing Peter Bradley. It's how I found you."

In the academy they told us how much the GFA loved giving speeches before they followed through. He gripped the knife raising it to my face.

"Such a shame you have to die so young. Goodbye Agent 96." He sneered swinging the blade down.

I squeezed my eyes shut hearing three loud pops. The blade came down on my leg leaving little cuts then something heavy crumpled onto the floor at my feet. I opened my eyes seeing Dr. Gatling dead; two shots to the heart, one to the head. The signature execution style of The IIA... A man pulled me to my feet, wrapping a protective arm around my shoulders.

"Dad?" I breathed, taking in his familiar cologne. "But you left."

" I stayed close."

I rubbed my face feeling the adrenaline continuing to run through me.