Relative Strangers (Book 2) No Man Is An Island

10. Lack Of Trust

It took several trucks and cars to transport the team and a group of soliders to the anomaly site.
Since she was still a little on edge, E had brought her rucksack with her, which contained all her anomaly devices.
She also carried the smallest version of the EMD in her right hand, since the larger weapons required two hands, and she only really had one that she could use.
"So, what do we know about this place?" Asked E as she jumped out of the car.
"Well, the building is abandoned, so we don't have to worry about civilians getting in the way" answered Becker.
"Unless there are homeless people living here" countered E.

Matt shook the door handles of the disused cinema, but they remained shut.
"It seems to be securely locked still, so I don't think anyone has broken in" admitted Matt.
"Why was it abandoned in the first place?" Asked E, as Becker began to unlock the door.
"According to Jess, it was going to be renovated, but the owners ran out of money to complete the make-over" revealed Connor.
"And it was just left like this?" Questioned E.
"It happens more often than you'd think" replied Matt.
"Seems like a waste to me" mumbled E, as Becker threw open the doors.

"O.K, here is the plan, Becker will lead a team to search the building for creatures while the rest of us head to the anomaly. Once we're there, E can scan the anomaly to see if anything has come through. And then we'll secure the building" instructed Matt.
"Sounds good to me" replied Becker.
"Abby, you go with Becker" ordered Matt.
Abby nodded her head, and walked over to Becker's side.
The group then stepped inside the building, with their guns raised.
"Well, nothing looks disturbed, which is a good sign" commented Connor.
"It's too early to make any assumptions" warned Matt.

As they made their way further into the building, E sensed something that made her hair stand on end.
She raised her left arm, ignoring the pain, signalling for the rest of the team to freeze.
"What's wrong?" Asked Matt, as he stepped closer to her.
"Shh. We need to keep our voices down" whispered E.
"Why? What is it?" Questioned Matt quietly.
"There are Predators in the building".
"But we haven't seen or heard anything yet, so how can you be sure that there are Predators here?" Quizzed Becker.

"I have a 6th sense when it comes to Predators. I've spent years working around them, and I've learned to sense when they're around" admitted E.
"Oh great. So we're trusting your feelings now are we" mocked Becker.
"My feelings have kept me alive in an environment that kills most people" E snapped back.
"E, are you sure about this?" Asked Matt.
"I'm sure. It's more than just a feeling. I can smell them too" replied E.
"I didn't think Predators had a smell" admitted Abby.
"It's not recognisable to the average person. But I've spent so much time with them, that I can pick up their smell" revealed E.

"Well, I don't like to jump to conclusions without proof" admitted Becker.
"Is my word not good enough for you any more?" Questioned E.
"No, it's not" replied Becker.
"I'm telling you that there are Predators in the building, why can't you just trust me Becker?"
"Trust has to be earned. And I don't trust someone who leaves on a whim for 6 months without saying goodbye"
"It wasn't a whim-".
"Enough you two. Look, the plan stays the same, whether there are Predators in here or not. We'll head for the anomaly, and Becker, you search the rest of the building with Abby" interrupted Matt.

Becker and E glared daggers at each other, before Becker marched off in one direction, with Abby and his soldiers by his side.
"Connor, have you located the anomaly yet?" Asked Matt.
Connor removed the anomaly detector from his pocket and stared at the screen.
"Um, yes, it appears to be on the second floor" revealed Connor.
"How many floors does this building have?" Questioned E.
"3, not including the roof" answered Connor.
"Good. If the anomaly had opened on the top floor, we'd be in big trouble, because the Predators would have found their way onto the roof by now" replied E.

"Alright, you lead the way" instructed Matt, gesturing for Connor to take the lead, ignoring E's comment about Predators.
E was frustrated that her friends no longer trusted her judgement.
Before she had left, they put their faith in her when on missions.
But since her return, no one wanted to trust her.
She found this especially aggravating, as she knew more about Predators than anyone on the planet. So she knew how dangerous they could be.
E removed her rucksack from her shoulder and placed her EMD inside, as she began to look for a better weapon to use.
She knew from experience how hard it was to shoot a Predator, as they were incredibly fast.
Predators relied on infrared and sonar to find their prey, so were sensitive to high pitch sounds. Which is why E always carried a device in her bag that could overwhelm their brains.

"What are you doing?" Hissed Matt, when he realised E was no longer carrying her gun.
"You might not trust me anymore, but I still trust myself. If I doubted my instincts, I would not be alive right now. So I'm looking for a device which will take out the Predators, better than any EMD" explained E.
"So, you are still convinced that there are Predators here, even though we haven't seen anything yet?" Questioned Matt.
"It's reassuring to know that you don't trust me either" mumbled E.
"It's not that, I just don't see how-"
"Just leave it Matt".

"Guys, we're nearly there" admitted Connor.
"It looks like the anomaly is in one of the cinema screening rooms" commented Emily as she looked at the anomaly detector.
When the group reached screen number 7, they found that the door was hanging off its hinges.
"Well, it looks like something has forced its way out of here" admitted Matt, as he cautiously approached the door.
"Now do you believe me?" Asked E.
"Not yet, we still don't know for sure what kind of creature we are dealing with" replied Matt.

"Err, Matt, I just tried reaching Abby and Becker on the comms, to warn them that something is in here with us, but I got no response" revealed Connor nervously.
"Let's not panic just yet, I'm sure that they are fine... Alright, here's what we'll do, you and E go in there and secure that anomaly, to stop anything else from coming through, while me and Emily try and track down the others" instructed Matt.
"I'm surprised you're willing to leave my side, normally you don't think I'm old enough to look after myself" admitted E coldly.
"I don't want to leave, but I've got to choice, and my gut tells me that you'll be safer in there anyway, than out here" replied Matt.
"Don't do anything stupid without me"
"I'll try not to"
"Good".