Write to Rank

Down the rabbit hole - Blue Belt

"What happened to your hair?" Dimitri asked, while gathering up the bag of hair at my feet.

I began the dyeing as I told him of my mishap during the escape "Well, starting the initial fire to get the guard team's attention worked a little too well and they were on me before I knew it. One of them grabbed my hair and so I burned his scaly paw off".

My usual light ginger hair turned increasingly dark red as the dye was applied. It would take some time for it to set. I used that time to research some more. However, there was not much left in the bag that we had not already been through. In fact, there were none left at this point, I found out. Time was beginning to run out and the pressure was starting to effect me.

We had been in the houseboat for a couple of days; researching and trying to piece together all the data Dimitri had taken from Dr. Samantha Dennis' house, or whoever she was. We were no closer to answering that and founding out who had been helping us, since leaving her house. 

However, Dimitri had just returned from a visit at the house and he had been lucky. With him back, he had two stuffed bags and Dr. Dennis' laptop. This would certainly give us some more intel to work with. It did not take long before I had gained access to the laptop and was working through its content.

Things turned interesting, when I came across a folder labelled "Project Doe". Doe was the name the Professor had assigned to me years ago. I could feel my blood begin to boil, just at the thought of it. I had always hated it and never referred to myself that way. The content of the folder were mostly pictures, reports and lab testings. Reading through it all, must have left a horrified expression on my face, because Dimitri sounded very concerned when he asked me what I had found. I began to read out loud as I did not know how to tell him otherwise:

"Test subject is responding well to the treatment. Heart rate is a steady 170 bpm and significant growth is shown in the lower limbs. Another confirmation of the success of the gene splicing. Further testing is most important to uncover its applications. I am very curious to see if these alterations are hereditary, but clearance have not been made for breeding" I almost choked on the last words, as the implication was quickly dawning on me.

"Who is she referring to? Who is the test subject?"

"Me"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I recognize all the tests and the dates coincides with my training as far as I can remember." I said but something was still nagging at me "Though, I don't remember any treatments, only medical tests"

"Maybe there weren't any" he said and I shot him a confused look "The treatment could be an overall test; the gene splicing."

I worked my way through the laptop as Dimitri would work on assembling the physical data he had gotten with him. As time went on, so did the list of unanswered questions. I was beginning to feel exhausted from this hunt for information and that was when I called it, for now. We would soon be of no use, if we kept going.

There were beds on either side of the boat with all our research piled up in between them. For the first time in days we both agreed to go to sleep to rest up. We could plan our next move when we woke. However, it did not take long before I knew I simply could not sleep now. Neither could Dimitri.

"Why do you call him Professor?" he called from across the small passage between us. 

"Those who can do, teach" I said with a smirk "He always hated it. If he could be what we are, he would, I'm sure"

At that moment, we both froze. I could hear several people walking around the harbor right next to us. At first I had thought it was just other boat owners, but the way they moved speechlessly and almost structured made me think otherwise. Dimitri thought so too, it seemed. 

A flashlight shined through the upper window and from my bed I could make out a human shape trying to peer in. I lied completely still, so they would not detect me. It worked, but they kept hovering around the boathouse. 

After that everything happens very quickly. Dimitri starts the boat, as I run outside and knock down the closest soldier with the door. I kick him across the pier and into the water; taking two others with him. I untie the tow rope, but before I can toss it back, I am knocked to the ground from the side. I almost fall over the pier, but regain my footing on the side of the boathouse and jump back onto the pier. 

I catch the attacker by surprise and by shear force I knock him over with a body slam. 

"Go!" I yell over my shoulder, as I get up and try to kick the attacker over the pier. I do not succeed and he is quickly on his feet. I can hear the motor humming to live and moving behind me as the boat is leaving the harbor. I jab at the soldier, but I just cannot hit him right. He dogdes too quickly. Any minute now the boathouse will be too far away and I will have nowhere to go. 

The boat was rocky, but so much faster than I had thought it would be. The soldier keeps dodges my punches and starts to push me back. I am close to the edge and I have to think fast, if I do not want to end up in the water. 

Instinctively, I jumped onto the soldier and caught his head between my knees. I twisted us around and set off from his shoulders. I heard him hit the pier with a loud thumb behind me, as I sour through the air toward the boathouse.  

The escape was having its toll on me. It could feel how my energy was slowly draining from me. Before the darkness took me completely, I heard Dimitri call out for me. I fought with all I got, but then I would finally give in. I tried to stretched myself to reach for the boat and then everything went black.

"Josie!"