Won't Let You Go | Owen Grady

Chapter Fifteen

Present Day

They stood there, staring at one another, until the elevator came to a slow stop. Which one of them would break the stalemate first? How do you leave a situation like that? Charlie wasn't sure of what to say. She was certain her cheeks and tip of her nose were turning red the way they always did when she was stressed and nervous. Kids in grade school used to call her Rudolph after the famed red-nosed reindeer. The irony of that particular situation was never lost on her.

"Let's move," Owen said finally, grabbing her elbow and pulling her out of the small square. "We have to put as much distance between ourselves and this thing as possible." Charlie, for once, agreed with Owen completely, and let him drag her along the halls and out of the Visitor Center that the security hub was beneath.

She let him drag her down streets for a while before she asked him where exactly it was they were heading. Just as she was about to say his name, someone else beat her to it.

"Owen!" Claire's voice cut through the crowd of tourists around them. "Owen, stop." She jogged up to the two of them in her heels (unpractical, if you asked Charlie), stopping to catch her breath, hands on her knees. "Oh thank God you didn't get very far. I need your help."

Charlie narrowed her eyes at the red head in front of them. It was hard for her to imagine they used to be friends. Not the way things were between them now. And of course she was only inquiring after Owen. Charlie was pretty certain Claire had always been interested in him, all along, even when Charlie was brave enough to share the secrets of her feelings about the man. Feelings she used to have, to clarify. Long gone now.

Owen looked at Charlie, then to Claire. "No can do, m'am. I'm getting as must space between Charlie and I and that thing as I can. Probably by boat but plane would do too." Charlie tried to hide her surprise as she looked up at him. Sure, she knew they were getting the hell outta Dodge but until he said the words she didn't picture leaving the island. Her life was here, Red was here....

Claire looked over at Charlie for the first time, as if she had not even noticed the blonde was there. It was the look of indifference that really stabbed Charlie in the heart. Sheer indifference. It made her want to smash something, if she swelled on it for too long. How could you know someone for as many years as they had known one another, and yet?

"Please," Claire tried again, pleadingly. "My nephews are here and they took a Gyrosphere out. They didn't return when the announcement was made and the ride closed. They could be out there, hurt...or worse." The woman swallowed hard and actually appeared to let her facade drop. Then again, Charlie was well aware that Claire was a master at manipulation. She could be saying all of this just to get under Owen's skin. Protectively, on instinct, Charlie took a step closer to him, like an alpha predator protecting part of her pack. She didn't even make the link more than subconsciously.

"Claire," Owen shook his head, looking at Charlie then back at the redhead, his gaze set firm. "I can't risk...Charlie's safety. I said I was getting her out, now I have to do that. I can't go gallivanting around the woods on some wild goose chase for the kids you lost!"

As sweet as the sentiment was, it did spark a twinge of annoyance in the blonde. "I don't need saving," she said, turning to look at Owen, crossing her arms over her chest. "Is that what this is all about? Some chance to play hero and fix everything you broke?" Charlie couldn't help but scoff. "I don't need that. If you want to go save the kids, go save the kids. Then you and Clairebear here can go ride off into the sunset." She turned to look away, out towards the Mosasaurus tank. People were still milling around as if everything were fine. This was going to be a shitshow when everything went down.

"Come on, Charlie, you know that's not what I meant," Owen said, hesitantly putting a hand on her shoulder. "I just mean...I can't let you die to that thing. We both barely survived it to begin with. You think I want to be within a thousand feet of it? Hell no. And the best way to achieve that is killing it or getting off this island. And they already vetoed killing." He jerked his thumb towards Claire with accusation, to which she gasped.

Charlie sighed, staring at the water gently lapping against the sides of the tank. All these people, and none of them had any clue of the impending doom. But she did. She was fully aware of what was to come. So what kind of person would she be if she ran? As nice as it would be, as comforting as it was knowing Owen wanted to save her, of all people, she couldn't run. She knew in her heart of hearts she couldn't run.

And somewhere, out there, in the jungles on a strange island were two boys. Two boys who had no idea what was coming for them. They were out there on a ride, probably not having a care in the world. Not knowing what was coming for them, inevitably.

"Let's go get them," she said, turning to Owen. "The kids. Let's get them then get out." He looked down at her, his height always towering over her own. His gaze was steady, then he nodded.