Eight: Hostage

I woke up in a haze, the back of my head was throbbing from where I've been hit.

Everything was a foggy blur as my eyes slowly started to adjust to my surroundings.

I was exactly where I've been when Amber knocked me out, except I was propped up against the wall. My head was lolled to the side. There were three pairs of feet in front of me and Chelsea, who was still laying in front of me from where I dropped her.

"Oh, look who's awake." The deep voice sneered.

I lifted my head slowly to see a man sneering down at me. It was David.

Next to him was Jane, who was glaring down at me. The right side of her face was stained with her own blood from where I hit her. I was glad she was still alive, even though she probably wanted to kill me.

I noticed Amber standing by Chelsea with a dagger in her left hand and the heavy tool I found in her right. She was looking at me with tears in her eyes.

"Too bad you didn't hit him hard enough, Amber. His death would of looked more like an accident." Jane said, stepping around my long legs and crouching to my side so she was more eye level with me. She had her pistol in her hand.

"No sweetheart, we could make it look like he's committed suicide by shooting a bullet through his head and jamming a gun in his hand." The man replied, also crouching to his knees to stare into my eyes.

"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea..."

"Professor, no! He's done nothing wrong! He saved Amber and I from that c-creature!! We owe him!" Chelsea cried.

"He shot you, Chelsea. Don't be an idiot." Jane replied, pressing the tip of the gun against my temple.

I swallowed hard and squeezed my eyes shut. I could feel a buzz of adrenaline pumping through my veins.

"That's right. He's a traitor, just like his father." David said. "Kill him, baby. I want Yeon-Woo to pay."

What was he talking about? What could my father have possibly done?

"That doesn't mean that he has to pay for it!" Chelsea shouted. "Don't hurt him! Please! He's not a bad person! He's just trying to survive like the rest of us!"

I opened my eyes to look at Chelsea. Her eyes were full of tears and she was hiding something behind her back. My revolver.

"Shut up Chelsea, so I can blow this kid's head off." Jane replied, grinning at me. "Don't worry, it will be so quick you won't even feel a thing." I heard a click as she unlocked the safety.

I swallowed hard as tears started to run down my face.

"Please..." I whimpered, as my lower lip started to quiver. "I didn't mean to hurt you...I was only trying t-"

"SHUT UP!" Jane shrieked, grabbing a fistful of my hair before shoving the barrel of her gun down my throat causing me to gag.

David laughed and clapped his hands together. His green eyes shone with amusement as if what Jane was doing was good.

"Professor!" Amber cried.

"All of you SHUT UP! Thanks to this brat's father, all these androids are running loose around the station!" David snapped, and looked at Jane. "Kill him now, honey! We can let that monster finish him off."

A deafening bang echoed throughout the room, causing Amber to scream and David and I to jump.

Jane's eyes went wide as blood started to pool out from her mouth, her hand slowly retrieved the gun from my mouth and she let go of my hair as she collapsed on her side. Blood rose to her abdomen soaking her shirt. She gurgled and sputtered as she struggled to breathe.

"BABY!" David cried, rushing over to Jane's side. He gathered her in his arms, looking her over. "Hang on baby, hang on...we'll get you some medicine." He turned to Chelsea who held the revolver in her hands.

"That was a big mistake, kid." He growled before turning to Amber.

"Grab a gun and kill the boy, then meet us in the medical ward. As for you." He looked back at Chelsea. "Have fun bleeding to death, or better yet, the creature can take care of you. I hope it eats you alive, you traitor.

He then turned his cold gaze on me.

"Your fathers next." He sneered and raced down the corridor with Jane in his arms.

I turned to face Chelsea and then Amber, who held a dagger in her left hand.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered, in a bleak voice as she walked closer to me. "You seem like a great kid, but they will kill me if I don't obey..."

I looked at Chelsea with big eyes as her thumb hovered over the hammer of the revolver. She aimed it right at Amber.

"I wouldn't if I were you." She threatened.

Amber looked over at her baffled.

"You can't be serious, Chelsea! You hardly know who he is!"

"He saved our lives! We should return the favor. We don't have to go back with David and Jane! We can all stick together, just the three of us!"

A faint snarl in the distance caught our attention.

"Please don't tell me it's back!" Amber cried, looking around us frantically.

Could the monster have tracked us that quickly? Well, I shouldn't say quickly. I didn't know how long I was knocked out for.

"We need to get out of here!" Chelsea cried, groaning in pain as she rose to her feet. I noticed that she was carrying my bag. I hoped that all of my supplies were still in it.

I got up to my feet slowly, still feeling light headed.

"She's right, Amber...you can deal with me later. Right now, lets worry about bringing you to safety first."

Amber nodded, not hesitating for a moment and hurried over to help Chelsea, linking her arm around hers.

Another low growl from the creature echoed throughout the corridor along with it's heavy footsteps.

"Where do we go!?" Chelsea cried, looking up at me.

Thinking quickly, I scanned our area for refuge. We'd be an easy target if we took the hallway like David and Jane. I looked at the walls and to my relief, spotted an air vent in the wall, this one was identical to the previous one I traveled through. Just then, the doors down the hallway opened automatically and there stood the creature.

"THIS WAY!" I shouted, pointing frantically at the vents.

The three of us broke out into a sprint for the vent in the wall. The monster shrieked and sprinted after us.

"HURRY!" I shouted, grabbing Chelsea by the arm and nearly shoving her into the circular entrance of the vent as it opened up.

The monster's vicious growls were getting closer.

"It's gaining on us!" Amber cried, grabbing my hand.

I crouched down and scrambled into the vent with her not even daring to look back at the creature.

Amber screamed besides me.

"HELP! ITS GOT ME!" She cried, grasping onto my wrist tightly.

I looked back at her and could see the things enlarged hands holding onto her legs. Its sharp nails dug into her legs making her cry out as it started to pull her out from the vent.

"NO! Hold on! I've got you!" I cried, pulling Amber back towards me as hard as I could.

She screamed in agony as a loud and sickening popping sound came from her shoulder as I dislocated it. I'd treat it later, I had to save her first.

The creature screamed out in frustration as I pulled Amber closer to me, my heart pounding with anticipation. I had to save her. I had to. I won't let her get eaten like Caleb. I was going to save her.

"Chelsea! Grab onto me!" I called over my shoulder to Chelsea.

Sweat drops fell into my eyes and burned them. I clenched my jaw in frustration, planting my feet to the floor for better balance as I pulled Amber into the vent. Chelsea wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me back with her in attempts to pull Amber in the vent with us.

The monster growled and with just a simple pull, it seized Amber out of my grip. Chelsea and I were launched forwards from the impact. I landed on my stomach, my chin hitting the hard cold floor.

"HELP!!!" Amber cried, tears filled her eyes as she reached out to us with shaking hands just before the creature dragged her out from the vent.