Chapter 26: By a Thread

The brunette boy blinked with amber eyes unflinching as they stared down the barrel of the handgun.

“I believe you’ve outlived your welcome, little bro. Nothing personal,” the older brunette spoke, azure eyes sparkling with contempt.

The amber-eyed boy blinked once more. Somehow, he doubted that claim. If his head wasn’t so foggy, he may have put more effort into deducing the reason as to why. His eyes narrowed at the older teen who’d identified himself as his brother. He was the one who’d gone completely crazy. With the front of his navy uniform covered in the blood of his handlers who’d protested their meeting, it was hard not to believe the boy had gone mad.

The subtle ‘click’ of the hammer of the handgun being drawn back had the younger boy backing away. An altercation with his brother wasn’t exactly on his list of things to do. He didn’t mean it. He couldn’t. Could he? Why?

Why?

The sound of gunfire pierced the air, a pained scream rushing out of the brunette’s lips as hot agony seared through his chest. Stumbling backward toward the edge of the cliff he was currently standing on, the teen’s eyes widened as he lost his footing.

Tumbling roughly about fifteen feet, the teen barely registered the pain as his skull struck a rock on his descent. The brunette sucked in a breath as his world faded to black.

****

Vincent jerked awake, a desperate rush of air leaving his lungs as his heart skipped a beat.

“It’s alright, Vincent. It’s okay. It was only a nightmare,” a soft voice soothed.

It was then that the boy took notice of the pair of arms that gently encircled him. A set of dazzling, sapphire eyes gazed at him in the dim light.

Alice…

A gentle hand brushed through his raven hair.

“I’m right here, okay? We’re safe right now,” the young woman soothed again.

Vincent sighed, allowing himself to relax slightly as he focused on his girlfriend’s comforting warmth. The small hand trailing through his hair scratched lightly at his scalp, drawing a contented murmur from him.

After a few moments, the blonde drew back to study the boy’s face once more. When she had felt his muscles tense in his sleep, she knew that he must have been having an unsettling dream of some sort by the violent trembling.

Warm, amber eyes gleamed at her, causing her lips to curve into a tender smile. “There, now. All better?”

Vincent did his best to return the gesture.

Alice pursed her lips, seemingly in thought for a moment. Then she smiled. A radiant beacon of salvation in the dim twilight.

Vincent swallowed, feeling his heart begin to race, though it had nothing to do with imaginary phantoms from the realm of dreams.

Warm lips captured his own, chasing away the chill of fear that had come in the night like a thief to rob his confidence and resolve.

A soft sigh of pleasant contentment against the silent air. Hers? His? The boy was unsure.

Reaching a hand up to brush the girl’s silken hair, the brunette relished in the subtle shiver that trembled through her. He wasn’t certain how the girl was able to steal his breath away with the slightest touch. However, he was quite positive that he would willingly give her his last breath if she would only keep kissing him this way.

After a moment, the blonde slowly pulled back. Her cheeks darkened with a blush as she beamed another smile. “Bet you aren’t thinking about nightmares now.”

Vincent felt his cheeks burn. It would seem that she still knew just what to say and do to keep him on his toes. He was definitely looking forward to exploring this new relationship. His eyes briefly darted to their slumbering companions.

Kurt and Matthew were curled up in the opposite corner of the cargo car. Jack sat propped up several feet away from the open doorway, his chin resting on his knees.

Vincent smiled as he turned back to the girl. In a way, it was as if they’d slipped into their own little world.

The soft glow that spilled in through the open doorway bathed the young woman in a radiant light as she timidly returned his warm gaze.

In a way, he supposed the feeling was all still as new to her as it was him. He was honestly still having trouble believing that the bright angel beside him was really and truly his. He slowly intertwined their fingers, causing the young woman’s cheeks to darken slightly once more.

“Actually, right now, I’m thinking about how beautiful my commanding officer is.”

Sapphire eyes shyly looked away.

“Y-You shouldn’t just blurt things like that out so easily, Vincent.”

The brunette smiled, reaching over to tuck a strand of the girl’s golden hair behind her ear. “Even if it’s true?”

Alice swallowed, attempting to ignore the persistent warmth growing between them. “Shameless flatterer.”

Vincent chuckled lightly, leaning forward to brush their noses together.

The brunette’s reward was a sharp intake of breath from his girlfriend, wide eyes gazing at him in rapture.

“So beautiful,” she breathed, shyly reaching a hand up to brush against his warm cheek.

Vincent blinked, cocking his head. “Hmm?”

His girlfriend swallowed, seeming to debate whether or not to continue for a moment. Finally, she looked away. “Your eyes…”

Despite the warmth creeping up his neck to settle in his cheeks, the boy smiled. Before he could properly respond, she began speaking again.

“Vincent, you… You know that I…er, well, we aren’t technically allowed to be together this way, right?”

Dark eyebrows furrowed. How could he forget? Kurt had gone to great links to remind him at every given opportunity for more than half of their journey now. Giving a soft sigh, he nodded.

Alice chewed her lip. “I-I don’t know what’s going to happen when we get back. If the base is still, somehow, untouched, I imagine things are going to get pretty chaotic. There will be times that my responsibilities as a lieutenant will pull me away from you and test our relationship. I-I just want you to know now that-” The blonde paused, her tone beginning to crack with emotion.

Vincent frowned. “Alice, it’s okay. I-I understand.”

“I just want you to know that, no matter what happens, despite me not being able to ever reveal to others what you mean to me, I… I love you…”

A warm tingle made its way down the brunette’s spine. He would never tire of hearing those words in her sweet voice. A smile pulled at his lips. “Our little secret?”

Alice felt her cheeks warm once more, despite the mischievous smile tugging at her lips. “I won’t tell, if you won’t.”

Vincent feigned shock, giving a mock gasp. “Oh, my, Lieutenant. Sounds scandalous.”

Alice gave a playful roll of her eyes, leaning forward to brush their noses together once more. “It’s a good thing you’re so cute.”

Vincent flushed, sinking his fingers into her hair as he pulled her closer. “Lucky me,” he murmured before sealing her velvet lips with his own once again.

****

Issac yawned as he made his way down the corridor to the commander’s office. Though his lack of sleep protested the early rise, he had a lot to prepare for in order to get everything ready for the next shipment of supplies.

Three months. Three months since Alice’s capture. Three months of chaos.

The teen felt his feet begin to grow heavier with each step as his destination came into view. The commander seemed more on edge than ever these days.

Issac frowned as he grasped the door handle. It was safe to say that relationships were starting to break down. Victor’s men had put significant strain on not only their supplies, but their day-to-day lives as well.

Victor had his own way of running things, and that was abundantly clear through the men that he’d sent. They were blunt, impulsive, and, mostly, just plain rude. Of course, it wasn’t exactly a surprise to most. Victor wasn’t known for a particularly gentle touch when it came to training his soldiers.

Entering the office, the teen was greeted with the sight of the commander going through a stack of paperwork on his desk.

The blond looked up. “Good morning, Lieutenant.”

Issac nodded in acknowledgment. “Everything is ready for the next run, Sir. We’re all set to move out.”

Leo rose from his chair, nodding in approval. “Good. Glad all is in order. I will be away for most of the day, but I should be back by the afternoon.”

Issac quirked a brow. “Sir?”

Leo held a hand up. “Nothing to be concerned with, Lieutenant. Just some business pertaining to the Program.”

Issac frowned. Why? Why now, of all times? Though odd, he doubted that he would be able to change his superior’s mind on the matter. “Understood, Sir.”

Satisfied, Leo nodded once more before taking his leave.

Finding himself alone in the commander’s office, his eyes drifted to the scattered pile of paperwork on the desk as a piece drifted onto the floor. Giving a soft sigh, he made his way over. Picking it up off the floor, the teen scanned its contents. His eyes widened slightly. It was a memo regarding The Program. He recognized the name on the heading: Tom Holten.

Issac’s brows furrowed. There was a list of names of some sort. Baby girls. Each one had their last known location, name, and date of their birth attached. Alarmingly enough, there were several on the list that had been crossed off with a bold pen.

What’s going on?

The teen’s thoughts trailed off as the title of the book Leo had left behind in his office drifted back to him: Reincarnation: A New Beginning

He shook his head. There was no way… Glancing at the paper again, he noted that all the names that had been crossed off were ones born prior to August and September. There were names with stars next to them; all noted to be born in late August and having blonde parentage.

The month she was executed.

Then again…

Truth be told, Issac had no idea what to think anymore. Nowadays, the commander seemed more unhinged. Borderline unstable. He wasn’t the only one to notice either. Over the past month, he’d been approached by several concerned individuals.

The teen sighed. If only they knew…

Though he would prefer to deny it, there was a part of him that couldn’t help but wonder if the commander was even fit to run the base any longer. It seemed he devoted all of his time now to eliminating anything that stood in the way of the endless research on The Program he’d been doing lately. Killing all of their captives had only been the beginning.

Even some of Victor’s men had taken notice of the lacking leadership.

Issac supposed it was only a matter of time now before there would be a shift in the balance of power. Another sigh escaped him. It seemed like it wasn’t only The Order engaging in self-destruction.

The brunette wasn’t totally sure what frightened him more: A dozen Order soldiers, or being tossed suddenly into a world he had zero experience living in. Without proper leadership, The Resistance would fall alongside The Order. If that were ever to occur, he wasn’t sure where he and his fellow soldiers would fit in the grand scheme of things.

Short answer: They wouldn’t.

Of course, he couldn’t deny that the prospect of a normal life sounded heavenly. The teen shook his head, snapping himself out of his wishful thinking.

Now was certainly not the time to be spacing out and indulging in fantasy. He had a job to do either way, regardless of what happened

****

Alice smiled as she glanced down at the pair of intertwined hands in her lap. She hadn’t been this happy in quite a long time. No matter what awaited them when they arrived, she knew they would have each other.

The blonde shifted her attention to the rest of their group then. Catching sight of her brother, she chose to ignore the disgusted stare sent in her direction.

She resisted the temptation to stick her tongue out in response to the childish display. He would simply have to get over it. Nepotism rules didn’t apply here, and she intended to take full advantage of every second.

A mischievous smile pulled at her lips, eliciting a quirked brow from her brother. Leaning up, she brushed her lips to Vincent’s cheek.

A stuttered breath left the amber-eyed boy’s lips, his cheeks warming with a blush as he turned to her with an affectionate smile.

The blonde’s smile grew as her boyfriend rewarded her with a peck to her lips in response. Giving a soft, contented sigh, she rested her head on his shoulder as she shot another glance at her, silently fuming, brother. At his piercing glare, she merely stuck her tongue out in response. It was fine if he chose to be petty and childish. It wasn’t as if he had any real authority to stop them.

Jack stretched as he finally stood up. Glancing between the pair and the glaring scientist, he rolled his eyes. For now, he would choose to ignore it. Especially seeing as the girl seemed intent on provoking a reaction from her brother. Unless the boy did something to jeopardize their safety, he preferred to stay out of their sibling spat.

The train began to slow then, causing the entire group to rise to their feet before gathering at the doorway.

Alice frowned. Climbing into the car had been enough of a challenge. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Vincent lifting her up, she wasn’t so sure that she would’ve been able to do it without ripping her stitching yet again. This time, she would have to jump, which contained its own host of complications. If she landed wrong, it could send one of her fractured ribs into her lung, puncturing it. If that were to happen…

The teen was brought out of her thoughts as a gentle hand curled around her own.

“Don’t worry, Lieutenant. I’ve got you.”

A warm smile graced her lips as she gave her boyfriend’s hand a soft squeeze. She nodded. “Don’t let go?”

Vincent shook his head. “Never.”

The pair then turned their attention to the open doorway as the station gradually came into view.

“We’re gonna have to hit the ground running. It would be a shame to have come this far only to get caught at the finish line.”

The teens nodded in response to the sergeant’s remark.

Matthew sighed, no doubt already exhausted at the mere notion. The poor kid. He had certainly earned a nice, long rest once they were safe.

Alice frowned again.

Whenever that may be…

One-by-one, Jack, Kurt, then Matthew leapt from the car. A gasp left Alice’s lips as Vincent suddenly scooped her into his arms before jumping out himself.

The amber-eyed teen landed gracefully, his knees acting as shock-absorbers for not only himself but the battered, young woman he carried as well. He placed the blonde onto her feet, his hand immediately slipping into her own as they scurried away.

The last thing they needed was to be spotted now.

Exiting the train station, the group hid amongst the crowd shuffling through the busy streets. Though Tolson was not a port town, it seemed to be a bustling city, nonetheless. The buildings were not as large as some of the others they’d seen, however, the town was still quite impressive.

A few scattered vendors called out their wares, luring any potential buyers that they could in their ongoing competition for townspeople’s pocket money.

Finding a sparsely populated parking lot, the group decided it best to stop and take inventory of their supplies.

The train from Fayette to Tolson had ended up taking longer than anticipated, thus the risk of running low on supplies, unless they restocked, had presented itself as a tangible possibility.

Of course, now they had another problem to contend with.

“Out of money, and nearly out of food,” Jack grumbled as he rummaged through the backpack Kurt had set on the ground for his inspection.

“We should still be okay, Jack. I can get us back from here. I know the way. We won’t be wandering blind this time,” Alice assured. “The base isn’t far now.”

The sergeant glared at her. “And what if it is all gone? What then?”

“You can’t think that way.”

“And why not?”

The young woman frowned. “Because it’s there,” she said as she lowered her head. “It has to be.”

“Ever the optimist,” Kurt murmured. The glares he received from the group dissuaded him from offering further commentary on the matter.

Jack rested his arm against the hood of a nearby vehicle. “Look, we have to use our heads here. We must prepare for the worst. The fact of the matter is, if your hunch is wrong, we’re stuck out in the wilderness without anything to eat.”

“Then what do you want to do? Get a job without paperwork?”

The sergeant sighed as he caressed his temples with his left hand. “I…I was thinking we could take what we need. Maybe hit up a grocery store or-“

“Absolutely not,” Alice interrupted. “That’s not how we do things.”

“Whose we, Alice?” Kurt challenged. “Our supplies are running out. I’m not saying it’s the ideal thing to do, but I’d rather we snatch something. We don’t have to get greedy.”

Vincent frowned. He remained silent on the subject, which did little to ease Alice’s nerves.

“I’m not here to tell you for one minute stealing is the ethical thing to do, but I think you should reassess the situation. Is the greater evil to let your party starve or to deprive a corporation of assets; assets, need I remind you, that are insured in the first place?” Jack asked with a quirked brow.

Alice crossed her arms. “It’s precisely that method of thinking that people use to justify abhorrent behavior.”

“It’s called practicality,” Jack replied. “When you weigh in-“

“H-hey, guys,” Kurt interrupted. He started pointing to the end of the lot as he sputtered his response. “We m-may not have to steal after all. Look.”

The group followed the direction of the youth’s finger. Alice nearly buckled over at the sight awaiting them. Vincent, ever vigilant, didn’t hesitate in grabbing onto her arm and waist for support.

“Is that?” Vincent started to ask.

The boy didn’t need to finish the question. Apart from Jack, it was easy for the group to recognize the somber expression belonging to Issac Harrison; a countenance that quickly morphed from dismay to bewilderment as he slowly approached them.

“Li-lieutenant?” he quietly asked. Perhaps he feared if he raised his volume the mirage before him would disperse into thin air.

The blonde afforded him a weary smile which changed his confusion to unbridled mirth as his lips curved into a warm smile. He embraced the woman. She appreciated the hug, though her ribs didn’t share that sentiment, made clear by the sudden jolt of pain that shot through her side. She resisted the urge to swear as she tried her best to return the gesture.

“I missed you too,” she said with some strain in her voice.

He took notice of her tone. His eyes scanned each group member. “We thought you all were dead.”

“I certainly feel like it these days,” Alice muttered. She forced a smile as Issac’s expression soured at the comment. “But no, we’ve made it. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have made it,” she said as she gesticulated to Jack.

Issac looked at him carefully, his eyes focused specifically on the uniform the man with the sandy brown hair wore. He blinked before he looked back to his superior. “You don’t understand. We saw the broadcast. They riddled you full of holes.”

“You can’t believe everything you watch on the television,” she said with a coy smile.

A frown emerged on Issac’s face, indicating her joke wasn’t well-received by her audience. What could she say? She was a fighter, not a comedian.

Kurt spoke. “It was nothing but theater, Issac. A sham to get you all to quit looking for us.”

“One that worked,” Issac dryly replied. His face didn’t display shame. The expression remained unyielding to the group. Talking to phantoms possessed a certain tendency to induce feelings of disbelief. It was hard to obtain a proper read on the thoughts going through the young man’s head.

A familiar male with ebony hair marched up to them. “Hey Issac, we don’t have time to…” The sight Seth Morgan saw robbed the words from him and compelled him to take a few steps back. The clumsy motion nearly landed him onto his rear, while his eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

Alice, along with her broken set of ribs, prepared herself for the inevitable hug that was coming in full force.

“You’re alive,” he whispered. He embraced her tightly, desperate in his efforts to not let her go. “You’re alive!”

Kurt looked around nervously as he made a shushing sound. “We won’t be for long if you don’t pipe it down, Seth. Tolson isn’t exactly brimming with too many friendlies if you know what I mean.”

From the elation on the young man’s face, he didn’t care. He had Alice again.

A part of her felt relieved to see him once more, and another part felt remorseful. Images of the lake flooded into her thoughts. The dim light of the candle in the bedroom reminded her she didn’t have the right to feel overjoyed. Not when the man standing next to her had enraptured her so that she’d forgotten him, along with everyone else, over the course of the last month.

“It’s good to see you too,” she conceded. “I’ve missed you all,” she said softly as she gave voice to a statement that was as much of a truth as it was a lie. Seeing them again changed things; things she was all too desperate to never change.

Seth whispered in her ear. “How could you leave me?”

Not us. Me.

Getting captured at gunpoint had never been the plan. It made no sense to feel guilty about the situation. Nonetheless, that emotion resonated inside her upon hearing that accusation. In more ways than one she’d left him. The glance she snuck in Vincent’s direction only made that sentiment even more palpable to her.

Alice didn’t dare answer his accusation. She didn’t have the willpower in her.

Issac cleared his throat. “We need to go inside.”

Where was inside? A vehicle? A nice warm building? Going further with Vincent as his fingers longingly stroked down her thigh? Dear God! Her thoughts were a jumbled mess as the pain flared up in her sides once more.

The man of her affections stood in front of Seth and gave him a cross look. “Agreed,” he flatly stated as he took hold of the lieutenant’s hand. “Standing up is hard on her with her wounds.”

Seth met the look with a stern countenance of his own, one that dissipated into fear as his eyes traveled down to the woman’s side. “You’re…you’re bleeding?”

She cursed under her breath. Forget Vincent and Seth. She’d be having another date alright, this time with Kurt. All that entailed was his barbaric efforts at stitching, jabbing really. She doubted the crude precision in which he conducted his handiwork had become any more delicate.

“I’m, uh…hanging on by a thread.”

That statement applied literally in her case as the group escorted her to their convoy. With any luck, another doctor, and not a self-appointed one who couldn’t tell a scalpel from a band-aid, would tend to her.