Subject A7

Chapter Six

It was very quiet between Dylan and me, we made extra care to not much as much sound as we moved.

"We're almost there," Dylan said for the first time since we've entered the air vents.
I was not too sure where we were going so I remained silent.
We turned a couple more corners before we reached a bit of an opening, we looked down to see doctor Linda standing close to a bed with someone restrained.
"How are you today?" Linda asks the person.
No response from the person.
I moved around to get a better look and had to cover my mouth from the shock I was seeing, it was Conner strapped down to the bed.
"Oh god, that's Conner," I whispered horrified.
"Noah said that he did not want to help Arcane," Dylan whispers. "Conner was supposed to have been allowed to leave free due to his choice. It's not the case Avery, they only do it to gain your trust."
Conner screamed I jumped covering my mouth once more. Conner and I were not exactly friends but he and Noah were and hearing him in agony brought tears to my eyes, this cannot be happening.
"Why?"
"They lie," Dylan says, "all for some fucking cure. They've killed a lot of children, some were friends ... they do it without remorse. Some even find it entertaining."
"I asked a question Subject D2, how are you today?"
Conner was heaving and glaring at Linda. "Fan-fucking-tastic," Conner replied spitting on the floor.
Linda tilted her head to the side, she walks over to pick up some syringes filled with different coloured liquid.
"I will disregard your foul language Subject D2 only because you are in pain and what you are doing will bring us one step closer to our goal."
"I don't want to fucking help you," Conner growls. "I hope you fucking die from the infected."
I covered my ears to avoid hearing more of his screams. Dylan puts his hand on my back for reassurance but nothing was reassuring.
"Is that what's going to happen to me?" I asked him.
"If you go through with it, I am afraid so," Dylan says. "I don't want that and I can see that you don't want that. I know it is hard to process all of this but you need to know and you need to come with us."
"I ... I-I don't k-know," I stammered. I was struggling to think with Conner screaming, I had to get out of there. I turned around to crawl back to my room, I don't know how I did it but I managed to get back to my room and gasped for air as if I had it taken from me.
"Avery?" Dylan was right behind me.
"I can't breath," I was breathing to fast, I felt like I was choking. Dylan takes my hands and guides us to the bed.
"Breath," he says slowly and calmly. "Just breath."
"I can't," I felt the room spin around us.
"Avery, look at me," he lets go of one of my hands to gently take my chin and forced me to look at him. "Look at me Avery, you need to just breath. Slowly, do it with me."
He breathes in, I followed his lead and did the same. We inhaled and exhaled until we reached the tenth time so by then I felt my breathing return to normal.
"Feel better?" he asks me.
"Yes."
"Okay, I am sorry Avery about all of this," he says. "I wish we got here sooner that way things would have been explained earlier and we would not be in this predicament."
"I can't do it, Dylan, that looks painful," I could not help but cry. "I thought I'd be strong enough but I'm not."
"You don't have too," he says softly tucking the strain of hair from my face. "We have time to push the plan quicker than expected."
"I believe you," she blurted.

Dylan stared at me, he smiled warmly at me. He made the butterflies in my stomach do backflips.

"Avery-"
A knock on the door interrupted him and caused us both to jump.
"Crap," he quickly climbs under the bed to get into the air vent, I quickly moved the blankets so that it covered under my bed.
"Yes?"
Jaxon comes in with two guards right behind him.
"Oh Avery," he says looking very ticked off. "Would you come with me? Doctor Linda says it is time."
I glanced at my clock, it was almost two-thirty in the morning.
"W-why so early?" I asked. "I thought it was not until later on."
"You have a problem with that Avery?"
"I-No," I say.

Dylan's POV:
Dylan watched as they took her away to the experimentation room, she glanced back worriedly. She could not see him but he could see her.
She was terrified but she believed them, she believed him and that's all he needed. He waited until they left the room before making his way back to the others. She pushed the air vent door open not caring about the noise.
"We need to put this plan into action now!" Dylan says sliding through.
"What happened?" Vincent jumps to his feet.
"They've taken her to be experimented on, we need to go ahead now!"
"They shouldn't have," Tegan says, "they said tomorrow."
"It's almost two-thirty in the morning, they did not specify the time," Dylan answers her.
"I'll get a hold of Gemma and Travis," Nick says. "Hunter lets go."
Tegan looks at Bronson. "Better start rounding these children up," she smiles as he nods.
Once the group moves Dylan looks at the leader of the group.

"Vincent," Dylan grabs the man's arm. Vincent looks at him.
"I know she's your daughter but remember the mission, we're going to save everyone including Avery. I'll retrieve her for you."
Vincent nods and grasps Dylan's arm. "Don't let anything happen to her, we can't lose her again."
"I promise."
Dylan released his hold and they ran from the room, Dylan squared his shoulders. He needed a weapon before he could go after Avery.

He climbed back through the air vent and prayed for her to hang on.