The Silver Death

chapter fifteen - marcus justify

I can't do anything but breathe. He was supposed to be dead. I killed him. Yet here he is.

"Edward..." I say hoarsely, but then turn around. "Edward! Edward, we have to...we have to save him!"

"What?" He frowns. "Hazel, what are you talking about? We don't even know him!"
"No, no, you don't understand! I...I hurt him, and...I have to make things right!" I'm almost crying. He doesn't know, I have to save him, I have to apologize, I have to!

"Hazel, stop -" But I have already grabbed the keycard from his hand and opened the cell, running to him. "I'm so sorry," I breathe, stroking his face with my hand. "I didn't mean to kill you, I..."

"Hazel, we have to leave!" Edward grabs my arm roughly and pulls me out of the cell. I'm so angry that I can't comprehend that I have socked him in the face until he stands back, glaring at me, his jaw slightly purple and yellow. I did that?

"Come with me," I say, turning to the boy again. He's staring at me with an odd, hopeful expression. I grab his arms and pull him up. He's so weak, he can hardly stand, so I carry him bridal style. He traces the tag on my suit, looking intrigued and scared. He's lost a lot of weight, as he is much less chubby, but he's still a good hundred pounds or so, and I can already tell my arms will be burning.

Edward starts to say something again, Avery on his back, but is interrupted by a horde of people charging down the hallway at us. People in navy suits like ours. Shots are fired, and I flinch, although none of them hit me or the boy. However, Alli cries out, falling to the ground. A red stain is blossoming on her leg. Edward picks her up with ease and throws her over his shoulder, blindly firing at the crowd. He only hits one person. I follow, slowed by the boy's weight. We go up another set of stairs, and through an emergency exit door. We're in the back of the place. Edward sprints down the side of the building, seeming like Alli and Avery are not at all there. I follow as best as I can, panting from his weight. I'm trying to sprint, knowing how much danger we're in, but my legs simply cannot run that fast with this much weight. Adrenaline is the only thing keeping me going now. We duck into the building again, and are soon running through the lobby and out into the parking lot. Our van waits for us. Vale and Matthew are nowhere to be seen, but Fox sits behind the wheel, Patrick next to her. Both of them are dark with soot. Fox looks at us, worried. "Where's Vale?"

"I don't know!" Edward screams, running to the back. Patrick hops out of the truck, eyes wide. "Alli! Alli!" he shouts, running to her. Alli is sobbing. I look down at the boy, putting him on the bench. He squints at me, looking confused. "You'll be okay," I say softly, handing him a bottle of water. He gulps it down quickly, and starts to say something, but his voice is so raspy he cannot speak.

"Come on, we have to go find Vale and Matthew!" Edward drags me away from him, and we run to the place. I cock my .9 and follow him, lighter now that I'm not carrying the boy. Edward shoots at a small group of people running down the hallway where Vale and Matthew went, and we almost run smack into them. Their eyes are wide. "Run!" I understand why. An army of navy clad soldiers is coming at us, guns held high, eyes narrowed. I'm afraid we will have to shoot, and I prepare to, until another wall of navy stops us. We are surrounded.

"Don't shoot," says a calm voice, deep and quiet like Edward's. It carries like his, too. But it is not the redhead who speaks. Instead, a man shoves his way to the front of the crowd. He's tall and muscled, broad shoulders, sleek black hair, and a Roman nose between two icy blue eyes. He furrows his thick eyebrows, and with a jolt, I realize he looks exactly like Edward, just a few years older.

This man is Edward's father.

"Hello, Edward," he says calmly. He adjusts the gray button-down he is wearing. "Been a while since you've come to visit me, hasn't it? This is quite a rude awakening. You pretend to work for me, then come and steal your aunt."