Thalia had never been more terrified in her entire life as she followed Dean out of the makeshift escape route. Darkness immediately enveloped them, disorienting her for a moment. She breathed in the night air, a combination of pine and decay, but then she caught a whiff of something else, something...musky. Even though she was afraid in those moments, that masculine scent actually made her heart skip a beat.
She just laughed secretly. Oh God, how is this all happening?The back of the tent was perfectly positioned directly in front of the woods, and Thalia stuck to Dean like glue as they crept toward the trees. For some inexplicable reason, she seemed to trust the man immediately. She had every intention of following him blindly and doing anything he asked without question, and that scared her almost as much as everything else that had happened.Her eyes were only focused on Dean, and she noticed how strong his back muscles were with every step he took. She was really focused on the man, in fact, she almost didn't notice the two human bodies as they passed.A squeak flew out, until she felt Dean's warm hand clapped over her mouth to silence her. "Easy, Doc," he murmured.Her heart beat faster again, and now her palms were sweating. She immediately recognized the bodies, they were the guard soldiers outside her tent. She stared at their uniforms, they were American soldiers. Then her gaze shifted to the knife in Dean's hand.It was probably his knife that took the lives of the poor soldiers. Goodness, Dean did kill these men.Dean looked at her. "Kill or be killed, Thalia." Those soft words didn't alleviate her panic, only increased it.So it suddenly occurred to Thalia that she didn't know the person she trusted in her life, but every time she looked into the man's eyes, she saw that his intentions were pure.She took a deep breath, then she avoided looking at the bodies, but she noticed a plastic water bottle that appeared in the soldier's pocket.The water...maybe...don't know.Kelvin's words rushed into her brain. The water, he'd said. Did he mean there was something in the water? Could it be bacteria, or a virus?"We have to go back," she exclaimed.Dean couldn't believe what she said, and then he gave a stern shake of his head. "No way."She just ignored what Dean said instead she looked back at the bodies of the two soldiers. She took the water bottle from the soldier's pocket and opened the cap, pouring out the remaining liquid on the ground. Dean approaches her, obviously irritated."I'm sure they'll find you the moment they find out you ran away," he said in a low voice. "We have to go, Doc. Now."But she was still stubborn. "Not until I get some water.""Dammit!""I need to get a water sample," she clarified. There is a well at the end of the village. That's where people from Esmeralda get drinkable water."He frowned. "Do you think there's something in the water?""Kelvin--I mean Dr. Carter, one of my fellow doctors at the clinic, he mentioned that there was something in the water here when I spoke to him through the radio." Frustration seized her body. "They'll try to cover this up, Dean. I can't let them do that. So I need a water sample."After a few moments, Dean gasped and snatched the water bottle from her hand. 'Come with me," he ordered, and he pulled her away."I don't want to," she protested. "I'm not leaving here until--""I'll take that damn water sample. Now, come with me first."He guided her to a wide green field and pushed her there. "It's better if you just hide here. If I can't come back after five minutes, run away from here."Fast forward to four o'clock the man turned his back on her.Thalia crouched in the cramped space, gulping hard, trying to ease the terror clamped like an angry fist around her throat.She couldn't believe that Dean actually returned the water sample. With those alpha-male vibes he was throwing off, she'd expected him to haul her over his shoulder and forcibly cart her away, yet he'd actually taken the time to listen to her. And now the man sacrificed his life just for a task that she should have done.She looked at the clock on her wrist. An hour has passed. Two. Three.If I don't come back after five minutes, run away from here."Yeah, right," she muttered to herself.If Dean didn't return after five minutes, she would follow the man there. After all, he sacrificed his life just to escape her from the camp, so she couldn't bear to leave him.When she heard a rustling sound, she shrank deeper into her hiding place and held her breath."It's me, Doc," came his raspy voice. "Let's go."She came out of the vegetable garden where she was hiding and immediately stared at the man's water bottle that was now being filled with water. "Did you go to the well?"He nodded. "Is this enough to make a sample, what do you think?""It's too much.""Good. Now let's get the hell out of here. They don't know you're missing yet, but those two stupid guards I knocked out will surely find them too.""Stupid?" she echoed. "Is that what you like to call it? Because those men look more dead than you say stupid."But he didn't even budge from the words she was throwing. "What do we call saving your ass these days? Oh, right, saving your ass," he said sarcastically and walked away.Thalia didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It cannot be denied that this man saved her life. But he took two lives in the process of saving her.Shoving aside the menacing reminder, she followed Dean, and they made their way through the forest. Their soft breathing and the crackle of twigs beneath their feet were the only sounds in the still air. At one point, Dean ordered her to stay put, disappeared in the shadows, and returned a moment later with a black duffel bag, which he have stashed earlier, and then he slung the bag over his shoulder and signaled that they were resuming the trek. The temperature was cold, making Thalia grateful for the long-sleeved plaid shirt she'd worn over her tank top. She was also thankful that he was now wearing sneakers, as it would make their journey through the mountainous area of Esmeralda much easier.But as they walked longer, she couldn't bear to ask him. "Where will we go?" She said.Dean spared her a glance over his shoulder. "To meet our ride."Bewilderment rippled through her, and it only got worse when they stepped into a rocky clearing ten minutes later and she laid her eyes on the white-and-brown horse standing by a cluster of trees. The animal neighed at the newcomer's approach, then dipped its head to munch on some blades of grass.Thalia stared at the horse for a long time, then she turned to Dean. "Okay. I'm sorry," she said and shook her head. "But before I go anywhere with you, I have to ask you this - who are you?"*****
Latest Chapter
Epilogue
After Bhram left, Dean's full attention was focused on Thalia, whose cheeks were regaining some color. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Surprisingly good. For me it's a miracle that you got the antidote on your hands."He nodded. "Dr. Lucas stole the antidote vial from D&N, and at the same time he also stole the virus. I went to him and forced him to admit where he kept the antidote."Thalia's lips twitched with humor. "And how did you do that?""I'm very persuasive," he said with a shrug. Just as Thalia was about to touch his cheek, he flinched, so he could see the surprise look in Thalia's eyes. "What's wrong?" she demanded."Nothing's wrong." He kept his tone light. "You're alive. That means everything is fine."She frowned. "Okay.""Alright, I'll tell your doctor first that you're awake."He started to stand up, but Thalia latched her hand on his arm and forced him to stay put. "Don't leave just yet. First tell me what I missed when I was unconscious.""Not much." He wanted to
Chapter 54
Thalia couldn't answer Dean. But really, who was he trying to kid? He is not a doctor. She was. She knew for herself what exactly happened to his central nervous system at the moment. The virus was attacking it one cell at a time. Soon she'd be nothing but a motionless lump of dead, like the rats in Franco's experiment. Another giggle bubbled in the back of her throat, and soon she was shuddering with laughter because this was all so funny and - nope, she's having a seizure again. God, she was really tired. Those same shrill voices assaulted her ears again. Those same anvils crushed her body. This time she decided to just close her eyes. Maybe she needs more rest. She succeeded in the closing-of-the-eye part because everything went black, but when she heard Dean's husky voice again, she realized that sleeping at that time was a bad idea. Because what if she never woke up? "Go to sleep," he urged. "No," she protested. "But you need to rest.""I do not want."But she couldn't ope
Chapter 53
After a long five-minute conversation, Dean came out of the interrogation room and shot Bhram an impatient look. "The antidote is stashed in a locker at his health club. Locker number fifty-nine-seven. Key is on the key ring you confiscated along with his personal belongings. Bhram Davies sucked in a breath, his face awash with shock. "Get me that damn key ring," Dean snapped on his way to the door. "Magallon, wait."He heard Bhram's footsteps behind him but he still didn't stop. "I'll dispatch a team to fetch it. You don't have to do it yourself."He just kept walking. "Damn it, Dean. Stop!"The next thing he knew, Bhram was in front of him, shaking his shoulder. As a wave of rage crashed over him, he shoved the other man away. "Don't touch me," he hissed. "And don't tell me what to do."Bhram got in his path again. "You need to be at the hospital. With Thalia. For chrissake, Dean, she's all alone there."His heart lodged in his throat. "I'll send people to the health club," B
Chapter 52
Dean immediately let go of Bhram, and the man nearly fell over before managing to steady himself. With a wave of his hand, Bhram dismissed the guards who were warily monitoring the entire exchange. "Resume your posts, men. Everything is fine here." He turned to Dean. "You know I could have you arrested for this, right?""Five minutes, Bhram. I only need five minutes."Indecision flashed across the other man's face. "I know you're worried about Dr. Ricafort. Hell, I'm worried, too. I don't know how she got infected, but I promise you, the last thing I want is for that woman to die."Dean fought the urge to grab a gun from the hip holster of one of those guards and empty an entire clip into Bhram Davie's chest. The son of a bitch had given him that water, and now here he was, he acted like he had no idea how Thalia got infected with the virus. Acting like he actually cared about her well-being? "Take me to Dr. Lucas," Dean muttered. "Now."Silence prevailed for a few moments before Bh
Chapter 51
The next ten minutes were a total whirlwind. Thalia can't remember when she was getting dressed, but somehow she was wearing jeans and a tank top when they stumbled out of the hotel. She doesn't even remember that they got in a car, but somehow she was in the passenger seat while Dean murmured soothing words in her ear and kept a firm hand on her thigh. Her skin was on fire. Blood was still flowing from her nose, she could almost taste the coppery blood in the back of her throat and she almost gagged. As Dean drove, she didn't hear a single word from him. "Maybe...maybe the CDC developed an antidote already," she said to Dean. He sucked in a breath. "An antidote.""Maybe," she murmured again. "Sometimes they can develop one fairly fast."Yeah, right. But that will take weeks, months, and even years. She knew that, yet she refused to give up hope. After everything she'd been through, her life couldn't be end this way. Lisa. Nadine. Marc. Kelvin. Theresa. Kelsey. NasirAnd she wil
Chapter 50
They got out of the Jacuzzi and dried off, then they got dressed in a pair of complimentary robes instead of getting dressed. They both ended up ordering cheeseburgers and fries, along with the plate of onion rings to share. Probably wasn't smart to eat such a heavy meal at midnight, but they were both hungry, and Dean was happy to see Thalia eat well. She was always full since they were together, which was ironic considering they'd been doing nothing but traveling and hiding out in motel rooms. Still, no matter where they'd been, he'd encouraged the girl to eat right and it was obvious that she had already eaten much because his efforts showed in the rounding of her cheeks. "If you can work on a new foundation again, don't let yourself be overworked."Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Who's going to stop me?""I will." Dean shot her a mocking look. "I'm not going to hide forever. Sooner or later, me, Tatum, and Pierre, we will also find out who ambushed our unit and who wants
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