Insanity Chapter Thirty-Two

Insanity

Chapter Thirty-Two

~Voice of the Unheard – Part Three~

Day Twenty-Four

“Fang! You’re sure you know where you’re goin’?” Alister looked around, “The floors all look the same.”

Fang didn’t answer. He walked ahead of the group as if he knew where he was going. The fact was that he felt drawn to something. On the top floor he came across a room. It appeared to be an office. It was dark inside and when Fang entered. There was a heavy dark aura in the office yet something about it felt familiar.

He walked behind the desk and sat Thomas. Upon seeing the body, Blue covered Arisa’s eyes. She squirmed of course but Blue managed to get her out of the room.

“How long ago did he die?” Fang asked.

“It’s weird,” Penelope said, “His body’s freezing cold but there is no decomposition and rigor mortis hasn’t set in. Without the strange temperature, I’d say about thirty to forty-five minutes. We sorta just missed his killer.”

“Someone’s been watching too much TV,” Alister muttered.

“I would like to just get it out there that I was a Forensic Scientist for three years,” Penelope said.

“Yeah?” Alister almost laughed, “Doing what?”

“Cyber Forensics,” Penelope said, “I tracked down bad guys through the computer.”

“And how do you know about rigor and decomp and the like?” Alister crossed his arms.

“It’s not like you live in a bubble when you’re assigned a certain department! You do talk to people you know!” Penelope stomped her foot.

“The coroner was your only friend, right?” Alister shook his head.

“Not true,” her voice lost its forcefulness.

“Well the coroner and his assistant,” Alister added.

“Why I aughta—”

“He looks empty,” Fang said.

Penelope looked down, “Well, yeah he’s dead.”

“I’ve seen many dead people before and they still look like they have life. The color in their skin is still there. Their eyes are still wet. In certain cases it looks like they’re still sleeping. But him,” Fang pointed, “he looks completely empty, like something was taken away from him.”

Alister leaned over to Penelope, “The boss is creepin’ me out.”

Penelope nodded.

Fang stood up, “He’s no use to us now. Let’s get out of here.”

Alister and Penelope did as they were asked. Fang stayed behind for a moment. He walked to the window and listened. There was nothing to hear. Fang’s eyes narrowed. Where were the police? They should have been here by now. Keeping the matter in mind he walked out of the room.

In the hallway, Blue, Arisa, Penelope and Alister were trying to pry open an elevator door. When they opened it, Raven climbed up the shaft and stood there. She looked annoyed. Shadow climbed up after her.

“I told him the elevator was a bad idea,” Raven said.

“It worked fine!” Shadow defended.

“Yeah, until it stopped and started to fill with water and we had to scale thirty odd stories,” Raven walked away from him, “I told you we should have taken the stairs.”

“Yeah, but—” Shadow started.

“Shh!” Fang shushed.

Everyone grew quiet. After a moment Fang ran to the stairwell. The others followed after him.

“Care to fill us in?” Arisa asked as they ran after him.

“A helicopter is coming,” Fang said, “We need to get to the roof.”

As they entered the stairwell they heard a door close above them. They ran faster than ever and when they reached the top the door was stuck. Fang kicked down the door and ran onto the roof. A running helicopter sat ready to leave as its passengers situated themselves. He caught a glimpse of Edonya entering the helicopter. Others still stood out of the craft.

“Get them!” Fang yelled, “Get them now!”

Alister pulled out a grenade from his pocket. Penelope picked a handful of black beads from her bag and threw them. Shadow threw his daggers while Fang fired his gun. Raven dashed forward alongside a strip of flame coming from Arisa.

A man in black stared at them with a grey eye. Their combined attacks seemed to meet their mark. But suddenly a grey shockwave sent their attacks back at them in a form of energy. They were blown back and some almost fell off the side of the building. Raven who was the closest to the wave was one of the ones who fell to their deaths but she clung on to the edge.

Fang got to his feet.

“Oh, Fang,” the man said, “You’re always so quick to finish things off. Now, I’d have loved to kill you now but I have a previous engagement,” The man turned and entered the helicopter, “You two delay them.”

“Yes, sir,” Flare and Rose said in unison.

“Who are you?!” Fang asked.

The man smiled, “Ask your beloved Tower. I’m sure they know a few things about me. I’ll see you later, Fang.”

“Wait!” Fang said, there was something familiar about this man.

Rose flicked the black rose in his hand. The ground shook and a large stem of a plant shot out of the roof in front of them. Arisa stood on shaky legs and shot out her arm, setting the plant on fire. It burned and withered. Flare took a deep breath and blew. A raging fire escaped from her mouth and Blue was directly in its path.

“Blue!” Fang called.

Blue seemed out of it. His eyes didn’t seem to stray from the girl in orange. Words seemed to be forming on his lips but his voice failed to project.

“Blue!” Fang ran at the helpless being.

Fang pushed him out of the way just as the fames passed. On the ground, Fang slapped Blue.

“Blue, are you there?! Snap out of this, Blue!” he said.

Blue didn’t seem to hear Fang. His eyes were still on the orange girl. Flare turned around after Rose and headed into the helicopter. When it was her turn to climb in Blue pushed Fang off of him. He stood and ran a little ways. At that moment, Fang and everyone else heard something they had never heard before. Blue’s voice.

“Kyra!” he shouted.

In surprise the girl turned around.

“Kyra!” Blue sobbed.

The girl was pulled into the helicopter and the door was closed. She returned to the window, banging on and screaming something. The helicopter lifted off the ground and started to leave. Blue ran toward the helicopter. Fang and Shadow were at his heels. They caught up to him. Fang grabbed his left arm and Shadow got his right. They held him back and Blue struggled violently.

“Let me go!” Blue screamed.

Just let me go please! I’m begging—”

“Kyra!”

The tears were streaming down his face. As he watched the helicopter leave. When it was finally out of site he dropped to his knees. He wept and cried as if someone had ripped his hear out. Fang looked down at him. He tried to help Blue up hut Blue pushed him away and screamed.

“Get away from me!” the voice was filled with anger, sorrow and longing.

Fang looked at Arisa. She stood there wide eyes, not sure what to do. She had never seen Blue like this and certainly had never heard his voice. Her eyes slowly filled with tears. She felt helpless. Her legs gave way and she fell to her knees. She crawled to Blue’s side and tried to comfort him. Blue pushed her away. His hand hit her face and she flew to the side. She landed awkwardly, sprawled to one side. Tears started to flow down her face faster. She curled up into a ball and cried silently.

“Kyra,” Blue muttered over and over again.

Raven had just pulled herself from over the edge. She seemed to have heard him as well when he first cried out.

There was a noise that Fang couldn’t make out. Suddenly, the ground exploded in front of them. shadowcraft dropped out of its cloak and flew over them. Fang and Shadow were blown back by the blast but Blue barely seemed to notice. Shadow looked around in the sky. There were several shadowcrafts around. Looked like the Tower caught up with them. He looked at Fang.

Fang got up, “Come on! We have to get out of here! Blue!”

Blue was still unaware of what was happening. Alister walked up took his gun and hit Blue in the back of the head.

“‘E’s not comin’ back any time soon,” he said, “This is the best way to transport him. Penelope you can teleport him to the craft right?”

She nodded.

“You do that and get ‘er started,” Alister commanded.

Penelope ran up to the unconscious Blue. She looked over at Arisa.

“What about her?” she asked.

“I’ll carry her,” Raven said, “I can carry her on my back. Lost my last sword when I almost fell.”

“That sound good,” Shadow looked at Fang, “What do you think?”

“It can’t hurt,” he said, “Whatever we’re going to do we have to do it now!”

Everyone nodded. Penelope placed a hand on Blue and they both disappeared. Raven situated Arisa on her back. Another explosion happened on the roof. Their place of standing was getting pretty small.

“You are surrounded,” the voice sounded familiar.

“Sage,” Fang muttered.

“Resistance is futile,” Sage said, “You are in ownership of stolen property. I repeat you are surrounded.”

Fang looked at the undamaged side of the wall.

“What does everyone think about free falling?” Fang asked.

“Sounds good,” Shadow said.

“Anything to shut him up,” Raven said.

They all ran to the edge and jumped over. Raven ran down the side of the building. Shadow merged with the wall and went down that way. Fang and Alister fell. Alister landed on a parked car and Fang landed on the sidewalk*. Raven jumped off the side of the building and onto the street where she continued running.

They ran down the street. Shadow was nowhere to be seen but on one of the streets they passed a car started. The car drove up to Alister and Fang.

Shadow smiled, “As awesome as you three think you are; you can’t out run a shadowcraft. I’m sorry but that just isn’t happening. Hop in.”

“Everyone buckled?” Alister asked inside.

“You’re kidding,” Shadow said, “I think that this situation can be an exception.”

“Safety first, is all I’m sayin’,” Alister said.

They got in and Shadow sped up. The army of shadowcrafts followed close behind him. Alister sat in the back of the Hummer assembling a rocket launcher*. He looked at the skylight and smiled. Alister broke through it. He propped the weapon on his shoulder as Shadow did some evasive driving.

“Any idea where Sage is Fang?” Alister asked.

Fang rolled down the window and tilted mirror so it looked up. He heard the strange sound that he heard before.

“Shadow, dodge left,” he said.

Shadow did as the ground where they had just been exploded.

“Try the one just to the left of two-o-clock,” Fang told Alister, he looked at Shadow, “Right.”

Shadow drove the vehicle right and the ground to the left of them vanished in flames.

“Is that my two-o-clock or your two-o-clock?” Alister asked Fang.

“Yours,” Fang sighed, “Take this next left, Shadow. Stop!”

The car jerked to a stop, slamming Alister’s back into the edge of the sun roof. The round in front of them blew up. And temporarily they were surrounded by flames.

“Now you can go,” Fang said when the flames dissipated.

“Ow,” Alister muttered.

“Suck it up, Alister,” Fang said, “Three-o-clock, go.”

Alister aimed the rocket directly to his right he fired and watched the rocket reach its target. The shadowcraft exploded in midflight. Alister whistled.

“Look at that,” he said, “Prettier than fireworks.”

“Where’s Raven?” Shadow asked.

“Stay close to the buildings on the left,” Fang said, “She runs faster that this car does. But I’m sure she’ll wait somewhere down the line. Good job Alister.”

“No problem,” Alister ducked down to get another rocket.

“Nice try Fang,” Sage said, “you will have to do better than that.”

Fang closed his eyes, “Twelve-o-clock.”

“There ain’t anythin’ there,” Alister said.

“Turn right,” Fang said.

The ground exploded behind them, almost knocking them over as they made the turn. In front of them was the view of the lake.

“What was that?” Alister asked.

“It’s cloaked,” Fang said, Now Shadow, just survive a few more minutes, okay.”

Shadow looked at him, “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I’m just saying,” Fang said, “Dodge left.”

Shadow did and as usual they barely missed their deaths. Alister ducked his head inside the vehicle.

“Can I drive?” he asked.

“No!” Shadow answered.

They saw Raven just ahead of them. She looked over her shoulder. Her eyes found Fang and she seemed to be asking a question. Fang nodded and she continued running toward the water.

“Fang?” Shadow asked.

“Keep going,” Fang answered, “Left.”

Another explosion.

Fang unbuckled, “Right.

Shadow looked at him in the red glow, “Should I—”

“Unbuckle? It might be easier in the long run if you do,” Fang pointed, “Alister get in the car. Right.”

Alister sat down. Shadow shook his head.

“No, I mean do you want me to—”

“Drive through the railing and dive into the water?” Fang shrugged, “Yeah, that’s pretty much what I had in mind. Increase speed, please.”

“How can you be so calm?” Shadow asked, he was obviously starting to freak out.

“This will work,” Fang said, “If you speed up. This is in no means fast enough. We’ll just end up like pancakes at this rate.”

The car sped up.

“I’ve already almost died once today!” Shadow said.

“Um, guys,” Alister interrupted.

“Now you will almost have died twice,” Fang looked at him, “Speed up.”

“You are going to kill us!” Shadow shouted, “Is this like some form of mass suicide?!”

“Hey um, you might wanna—” Alister tried again.

“You’ll kill us if you don’t go faster,” Fang said still keeping a cool head.

“This is pretty fast already,” Alister stared ahead, “The railing is coming really fa—”

“We still have a ways,” Fang interrupted.

“Like heck we do!” Shadow shouted, he looked forward, “We’re all going to—shi—”

They drove through the railing and into the lake below. Raven jumped over the edge and plunged in with Arisa. From above there was no action as the shadowcrafts tried to find any signs of life.

Moments after the Hummer plunged into the cold waters another shadowcraft shot out of the water. It cloaked itself and disappeared into the night before the other crafts could fire at it.

*I know, I know, not realistic. So sue me.

*Don’t ask me where he keeps them. Just go with it