Sandstorm {Discontinued}{Rewritten}

18. Cocktail Parties and Bounty Hunters

Kendra opened her mouth, trying to form any sort of argument, but the words caught in her throat. Fortunately, the phone rang a second later, forcing Savage to step away briefly. She breathed out slowly, when he answered the phone, relieved to have him away from her.

"Uh, guys?" Sara's voice rang in Kendra's ear, and she jumped. She had forgotten about the coms. "We have a problem. The monsters got out. They're taking over the asylum." Grunts could be heard as she spoke, indicating she was in the midst of a battle.

"Actually, make that two problems," Ray chimed in. He sounded as though he were out of breath, like he was running from something.

"Three," Jax spoke up. His voice was nearly drowned out from all the back ground noise on his end; Kendra wasn't sure what he was doing. "I just got jumped by some crazy cop. I think he wants to turn me into one of those things, so it's a safe bet he's working for Savage."

"Yikes," Ray muttered. It sounded like he had stopped running, but he was still slightly out of breath. "I was just gonna say that Chronos is on the beach. Oh, and Dez is shot."

"I love how that's an after thought," Deserey complained. Kendra heard her grimace in pain. Vaguely, Kendra wondered if she was running while she was hurt. Though it was probably more likely that Ray was carrying her. He just seemed gentlemanly that way.

"What? No, it's not. Besides, Gideon can probably fix you," Ray protested.

"Whatever," Deserey said, and Kendra could tell she was rolling her eyes at the optimistic man. She almost smiled at the thought.

"Looks like you were right to worry," came Rip's exasperated sigh. (Which sounded like a puff of air through the coms.)

"Yeah," Leonard drawled out. "Sucks being right all the time."

Savage hung up the phone, returning to Kendra, the pins and needles arriving shortly after. "There's an emergency at the asylum," he told her. "We will have to continue this discussion later, my sweet Chay-Ara."

Kendra's eyes widened, stiffening. She was too stunned to try to stop him from reaching out and touching her face. (Not that she could have stopped him anyway.) The touch was rough, like sand paper. Wherever his fingers went, the pins and needles followed, intensifying to the point where they were no longer pins and needles but knives as well. Just like the knives he used to kill her. Scraping against her skin, pealing away her life force. Just like that night when he...

Savage removed his hand from her face, exciting the house with that vile smirk of his. Kendra frowned. There was a memory she couldn't quite reach. Something there that she couldn't obtain. Something, somehow, worse than murder. Something her mind was keeping hidden from her. Something she probably didn't want to remember...

Shaking her head, Kendra forced herself to focus. She pressed her hand to her ear, as Carter came into the room again. "Fourth problem," she said. "Savage is on his way to the asylum, and he knows who we are."

"...Bullocks," Rip muttered.

"The beach is closer to the house," Carter reasoned. "We'll help take care of Chronos."

"Guess that means we're going to the asylum," Leonard said.

"And Jefferson?" Martin asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Gray. Actually, I stole a cop car. I can head over to the beach too and get Dez back to the ship," Jax told him.

"You stole a cop car?" Martin said, disapprovement in his voice.