Pathways in Darkness: The Host Fanfiction

Chapter 21 - Fury

'And we're two men down,' considered Williams as Gray stopped at the door leading to the floor where Agent Kendrick was being held by Marc's people. Upstairs Agent Anderson remained in an unconscious slumber, still too injured to assist.

"Adams may have Marc," said Gray in a tight, angry voice. "But I want to get one or two of these little snots and make them tell me how they knew we were here."

Inwardly Williams cringed. Of course, he knew how Marc's people had found out. The girl Mia had apparently overheard them talking. 'And I let her go,' thought Williams. It was a stupid thing to do. He could rationalize that these human hiding in Chicago's sewers should have had the good sense to stay away, but he understood why they had come. The death of the boy cried out for revenge.

Williams sighed to himself as they moved into the corridor. Adams would find out soon enough Williams's treachery. Then Adams would kill him, this Williams was certain. And yet Williams found an odd sense of relief in this fact. He just didn't care anymore. In an effort to distract himself he said, "What is taking Adams so long? He's had plenty of time to pull the worms from the entire Quorum."

"I don't know," replied Gray. Anger and frustration caused his voice to rise above the man's usual low voice. "We should be working on our exit and getting back to the Facility. Instead, this whole mission is going pear-shaped."

There wasn't much more for the two men to say to each other. The Facility was the last outpost of humanity trying to find a way to take back their world. They were a handful of scientists, soldiers, and a few Recovered Humans against the alien horde. The mission was dangerous. Hell, everything they did now was risky. It was either time to stand or put their faces against the wall. Williams traced the cyanide capped tooth in his mouth with his tongue, he knew what to do if things went really wrong.

"Hold up," whispered Gray as they near an intersection and Williams pulled himself from his private musings and focused on his surroundings. Going silent both men listened and could hear inaudible voices coming from around the corner. Creeping closer to the intersection Williams could hear an argument taking place. Angry voices demanding to know where Marc Walters was held and Agent Kendrick's defiant refusal.

Silently they moved to edge of the corner. With a machine like precision they pulled their weapons and prepared to attack the unsuspecting rebels.

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The doors to the meeting room opened suddenly and three people moved in from the dimly lit hallway. The first two, Marc Walters and Seeker Bright Moon on Fallen Snow, had their hands zip-tied behind their backs. A dark streak of blood mated in the Seeker's honey blond hair. The third, Agent Rebecca Taylor, held a gun trained on Bright Moon's head. Both Marc and Bright Moon stopped in surprise at seeing the assembled Quorum members sitting terrified while Adams stood over them like a waiting executioner.

Marc was the first to shake off his surprise of seeing the captured Souls and the black-eyed Adams. Glowering he turned back to Agent Taylor and said, "Well you got me up here." He nodded towards Bright Moon and continued, "Let her go."

Taylor sneered at Marc and then shook her head slightly in amusement. "Marc, you do like to play the big hero, don't you?" She turned to the Seeker and pressed the gun harder against Bright Moon's head. "Personally I'd shoot you both and be done with you. But Agent Adams wants to talk to you and you'll behave if I've got a gun to your little Seeker girlfriend."

Bright Moon's eyes widened in surprise and her mouth fell open at Taylor's comment. Marc's face remained impassive, but his eyes betrayed him as he watched the blond-haired Seeker. Taylor noticed his worried filled eyes and her sneer turned to a smug smile. "This morning I saw the way you two looked at each other."