We'll Survive

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The room was empty.

Maybe I was hallucinating after all. I put my gun down and placed it behind my back once again. When I turned around something hard came in contact with my face and I landed with a thud and unconscious on the floor.

~ o ~

I woke up with a massive headache and a realization that I was tied to a chair and that my head was currently bleeding. What happened? Where am I? I was now wearing a white sleeveless that was covered in my leather jacket before and black jeans. Where's my leather jacket?

My shirt was covered with blood and my wrists were starting to hurt. A door creaked open but my vision was too blurry to see the person who came in.

"Ah, Chris. You're awake." a man with a deep voice said. His voice echoed around the room.

Or was it just me?

"Where am I?" my voice sounded weak and cracky...

Is that even a word?

He chuckled. Everything around me started to swirl. "All in good times, Chris. All in good times," he said and everything dissolved into darkness.

~ o ~

Landon

She wasn't at school today.

I looked for her everywhere. She wasn't in the cafeteria, the library, the garden (yes, we have a garden), she wasn't in her classes this morning and she wasn't with her friend, Jess.

That's odd. She was always with her friends.

I approached their table that consists of two since Chris wasn't there. Only Jess and Lucas remained. They stopped bickering when they saw me approach.

"Hey, have you guys seen Chris? I didn't see her come to class this morning." I said.

Lucas and Jess exchanged looks. That's when Jess sighed while standing up to face me and dragging me into a nearby corner.

"Yeah. About that..." she trailed off looking nervous.

"What's wrong?"

"I haven't seen her this morning either, Landon," she said. "She always meets up with me. Well... maybe except the time she got kidnapped or when she was sent away for a mission but even then, she always texts me what's going on," she said, sounding worried.

"What are you saying? Are you saying she's been kidnapped?"

Jess took a shaky breath. "I don't know, Landon. I seriously don't know," she said, her tone worried.

~ o ~

I took the stairs by two as I hurried down to the greenhouse. I immediately knew something was wrong. With the open book and the unfinished coffee on the table, something is just not right.

I remember my argument with Chris about not finishing my coffee.

~ o ~ Flashback ~ o ~

I placed my unfinished coffee on the sink, after an hour of searching through files, I didn't feel like finishing it. We were at the greenhouse after a mission.

Chris and I were left after a day's work. Jess and Lucas left to do some "homework", while Marlie went back upstairs to close the cafe. Chris entered the kitchen and placed her mug beside mine. When she saw my mug she scowled.

"What?" I asked annoyed, knowing she's going to bicker with me again.

"Aren't you going to finish that?" she asked.

"No. Why?" I asked once again.

"Why? You're wasting coffee, that's why." she snapped.

"What do you care if I waste coffee?" I bit back.

"Nothing. I just hate people who don't finish their coffee." she snapped.

"Well, you already despise me. So, I think that's done." I mumbled.

She glared at me and walked away. Well, that was easy.

~ o ~ Flashback ~ o ~

I stared at the open book. The Fault In Our Stars? Seriously? Everyone knows what happens in the end. The main character dies.

Whatever his name was...

As I stared, I saw another thing that caught my eye that was lying innocently on the floor. Blood. I followed the line of blood from where it came from and found out that it started from the back door and went all the way up to the front door.

Who in their right mind would even hack in here?

I saw her gun lying on the floor. She left her gun. That means she must've been hit from the back... Those bastards... I started to shake from anger. If only I was here last night...

If only...

There was shuffling from upstairs and I immediately took the gun and pulled the trigger. Some yelling but I was too angry to hear them. I charged and came face to face with Chris's dad.

I sighed and put the gun down.

"Landon." his tone sounded serious but not deadly. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Playing hide and seek, what else?" I snapped. I didn't mean to sound so harsh but I was too frustrated to care. "I'm looking for your daughter," I said in a softer tone.

"What did you find?" If he was angry at me for snapping at him, he doesn't show it.

"Blood. Lots of them. I think it's hers... They must've hit her from behind. Maybe that's the reason why she wasn't able to fight back. And they must've hit her with something. Something hard. That explains the droplets of blood." I explained my theory.

He nodded while I explained. "What are we going to do?" I asked.

"Not we... me. I know who these people are," he said and went back to the main room.

I was confused. "What? Who is it? And why won't you let me help?"

"It's a long story. I can't tell you."

I waited for him to explain but he didn't. "Why?" I asked.

He stopped climbing the stairs and sighed. He must be tired of my questions... But I could care less. He looked at me.

"Landon... I know and I've met these people before. They're ruthless, merciless, dangerous, and very brutal. I've encountered them once and they won't stop until they get what they want. And you can't come because you'll be in more danger than you already are. I don't want to take you away from your family. Being involved with these people is already dangerous enough." Sounded like someone I know. He sounded like Chris.

He has a point...

I sighed. "Fine. But do you know what they want?" I asked again.

"The Microchip."

"Where is it then?" Right now, I feel like a little kid who doesn't know his alphabet letters.

"They already have it." He said and continued to climb up the stairs. Before I could think what he meant, he stopped and looked at me. "Landon,"

"Yes?"

"I'm glad she has you... but please don't do anything stupid," he said and left.

I'm glad she has you...

And...

They already have it...

What is that supposed to mean? I don't get any of this at all. Why would he say that when they have Chris? Unless...

Chris has the microchip.