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Chapter 15
Cameron
I had him. Whoever he was, he was out to no good. I crawled, clung, (whatever) upside down to a PVC pipe. I think it was full of electrical wires or something, I hope I wasn't too fat after that huge meal before I left Jane's and the pipe would brake
I mean geez, who would be climbing around up here? Me evidently. The man I was following was walking on the catwalk above me, the floor had holes punched everywhere so if he looked down he would have spotted me. He stopped a few feet down and bent over, extracting a knife from his back pocket.
Carefully, I reached out with one hand for the jutted, lower edge of the catwalk. I let go of the PVC pipe then, griping the edge of the walk with my other hand when I swung by. I swung my legs back, pressing my feet flat against the underside of the walk when he looked up.
He turned back, opening the gray metal box, one of the two manual power supply stations. Meant only for when the power goes out.
I let go, gently swinging my legs back and forth, trying to judge it's sturdiness. He stayed unaware as I pushed my self up with a swift swing and grabbed the lower of the two guard rails. I pulled my self up enough to grab onto it with my other hand. I lifted my feet onto the edge of the catwalk, the small clanking sound unheard amiss the loud music below. Staying in the crouching position I watched the man as he seemed to study wires.
I slowly stood, my hands moving to the upper guard rail and then pushing up to go over. I set my self down gently and pulled my left pant leg up. Extracting the dagger from the makeshift holder tied around my ankle I never lifted my gaze from him.
Then, he turned around, pulling a pistol from the front of his pants. "Hello Cameron."
He was here.
Brian
I couldn't believe my eyes. Cameron was on the catwalk that had been restricted. No one was to go near it because it was being held up by pins. They were old and rusted and very dangerous.
I tried calling Cameron's name my self, running over to the edge of the stage closest to her, but it was impossible with all the screams to be heard just by me.
The other's saw me and caught on, yelling for her attention. If she heard us, she was ignoring us.
Cameron
"They're calling you."
"Why are you here?"
"I wanted things a little more interesting and you're too quick whited for the mortals around here, I figured I'd add a little mischief of my own." His empty hand stretched out and I dropped the dagger, it bounced before skidding a few feet away. My hands clutched my throat as I felt my breath get tied off inside me.
"Coward." I said, hoarse sounding.
"What was that, I couldn't understand you." His face showed temper as he lifted my body off the ground without so much as even laying a finger on me. He lifted me over the guard rails and my body hung freely over the crowd.
"Fight like a man." I said, coughing afterward. I couldn't feel much of anything and my vision was starting to blur. Did someone call my name?
Brian
She was hanging there, just hanging there. Nothing holding on her, her hands gripping her throat. I wanted to jump into the crowd but I couldn't help her there. I turned and ran for the back of the stage, dropping my microphone and it screamed loudly in protest.
I ran down the hall, pushing people out of the way as I heard my voice being called over the speaker system. Then another thud was heard and someone screamed Nick's name.
Cameron
"If you want to kill me." I had to break, I couldn't breath. "Give me a fair chance to do it to you."
He smiled, contemplated. "I guess that would be more entertaining than this, wouldn't it?" He seemed to notice something as he waved me away and I went flying backward, my back slamming into the nearest wall, which was on the other side of the arena. As soon as I hit I reached my arms out for the catwalk. My back hurt. My throat hurt. I slid my body onto the catwalk, took long gasping breaths as my heartbeat started to go back to normal. I turned my head in his direction, my cheek cooling against the metal of the catwalk.
"Pitiful." He said. He waved his hand.
What did he do? I couldn't see, hardly. I couldn't talk, it hurt. I pushed my self up. I was in a pitiful way and the games haven't even begun yet. I stood, grasping the guard rail. Everyone was still there, no one looked hurt. There were only three Backstreet Boys, though.
"Where are Nick and Brian?" I asked, horse.
"On their way I suppose." He grinned. "That was very entertaining. Young Brian ran like...well, a bat out of hell." He grinned.
"Why are you here? I haven't figured it out yet."
"I know but your detective work is boring. I wanted to add a little action in while I wait."
"I can't work and play at the same time." I turned my head. "Lock that door." Brian was coming.
He waved his hand, a little click and loud banging told me it was locked.
Kevin
I watched it, I saw it with my own two eyes, but I don't believe it. A man, smaller than me was up on the catwalk, Cameron at his mercy. He had been holding her out above the crowd, choking her from the looks of it, and he didn't lay a finger on her. Then he seemed to get board with her and tossed her aside.
When she hit the wall, the look of pure torture was etched on her face, but a millisecond later she was reaching out, grabbing the catwalk with two strong hands. She pulled herself up and laid there.
"Kevin." I put my hand to my ear piece, we all did and I think we looked like government agents. "Buddy listen, the doors are locked. They're welded shut, we can't let anyone know."
"What do you want me to do?" I asked into the microphone, but no one in the audience was listening anymore, they were watching the catwalk.
"Isn't this some trick you guys are pulling? I mean no one can float in midair."
I looked at Howie and AJ, they nodded. "Uh, yeah, heh, I was just seeing how much you knew."
The man over the headset chuckled. "Man you had my heart skipping for a minute there. Wrap this thing up, time to get the kiddies home to bed."
"Uh, yeah, right away." I pulled my ear piece out and tossed it behind me. Howie and AJ did the same as they walked over.
"What are we gonna do?" Howie asked.
"I have no idea." I said. "I don't even know what she's up against and the only one who knows just ran out to try to save her."
Cameron
He held up his pistol, seemingly looking through the door.
"Brian duck! Move!" I screamed.
Three pistol shots went out. No bloodily screams of pain.
"This is between me and you." I said turning, I half eyed the distance of me to my knife and my weakened state. I didn't want him to notice. "You have to give up your powers."
He laughed.
"Then give me some. Make it even, or are you really a coward?"
His temper seemed to spark an actual flame. "You will learn how to speak to me or I will teach you my self." He snapped his fingers. "There, I am a mortal, like you."
"Cut yourself." I walked forward, picked up my knife and gave it to him. "All humans bleed red."
He took the knife.
"On the wrist of course." I said.
"I'm not ignorant like mortals are." He pricked his finger, red blood showed through.
"How do I know you are not merely casting a show?" I asked when he handed my knife back.
"I have no powers, you have my word." He lifted his gun, point blank, between my eyes. "Time is running out, I must kill you, I think."
I didn't flinch. "Pity, now we'll never know how the story ends."
Brian
"Brian what's going on?" Nick asked as we both dodged the bullets, only thanks to Cameron's warning call.
"He's here. That has to be him." I turned and looked through a bullet hole and Cameron was standing in the way though. "I don't know why but I was expecting a slimy green thing."
"What?"
"He's an alien."
"Again, what?"
"That man, that just shot us, is not a man. He's Cameron's master." I said and when the look of confusion turned to shock, I looked back at Cameron.
"She's a slave?"
"Something like that." I looked back at him. "I don't mean over the border alien, I mean out of the solar system alien."
Confusion returned. "I'm lost."
"She's been having dreams about you because he's giving them to her." I watched them as she picked up her dagger and handed it to him. "No," I whispered. "What are you doing?"
"Why does he do that?"
"Think of it like Clue, he does. He places little clues in her head and if she doesn't find out in time, she'll be the one who killed Nick in the observatory with the candlestick holder." I looked up at him. "Understand now?"
"He wants me dead?" Nick stared at the door in disbelief.
"And he'll make her kill you if she doesn't get it right."
A long string of terrified curses left his mouth as he took five steps back. "I sent her to my mother, she slept in my house."
"She's not the enemy." I said, standing to face him. "He is. She can't control herself half the time. When she's convulsing, he's in her brain.
Nick seemed to be remembering the sight of her shaking out of skin. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why does she have to do this? Is she an alien too?"
"No, she's flesh and blood like you and me. She has to do this because...well I don't know the whole reason. She never talked about it." I looked back. "There has to be another way in."
"What? You're still going to try to help her?"
"Nick, I'm crazy about her and don't ask me why because I haven't a clue. She's mean and snaps at everyone and she's got this thing about being tight mouth about her personal life that wants to drive me to the nut house but I... I can't lose her."
Nick stared at me for a minute and then at the door. "Fine, come on, we'll fine Rob."
"Who's Rob?" I asked chasing after him.
"The old fart who built this place." He called over his shoulder. "He's playing Final Fantasy in my room."
"Why?" I asked, a quirky smile on my face.
"He thinks the 'sweet lady' on the cover is pretty 'hot stuff'."
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