Excerpt: Elle, Apparently

THEN

Max pushed what appeared to be a large chunk of desk off of his chest and the room started to come into focus. What was left of it. His ears were ringing and his head didn’t feel right. The side of his neck was burning. Where was Elle? Had she made it clear before the explosion? Explosions. He didn’t think so.

The remaining fluorescent bulbs in the room were flickering. He slowly looked around as best he could. He couldn’t see much from down here, but what he could see wasn’t good. The room was practically destroyed. He could see into the hall, and he thought to his right that he could see directly outside. He had to get up, to see if he could find Elle and the others.

Max managed to push himself to one knee. He noticed a huge cut on his left arm, and his right leg didn’t feel so great. His forehead itched, and when he reached up to touch it, his fingers came away covered with blood.

He hauled himself the rest of the way up. The air was disturbingly quiet. Why wasn’t anyone else moving? There was no way he was the only one who made it. One out of seven? One out of eight, really, if you factored in Cassie. Those were terrible odds he wasn’t willing to take. Something suddenly clattered to his right but when he looked around, he didn’t see what had made the noise.

He started scanning the debris, looking for anyone, anything. Off to his left, he saw a hand jutting from behind an overturned lab table. Elle? It looked too big to be hers. Max stumbled toward the hand, and fell hard on his injured right leg. He dragged himself the rest of the way to the hand. It was definitely a guy’s hand. As he got closer, he knew it wasn’t Jack’s. Dallas? Eric? Anyone but Eric. His stomach felt hollow.

The person’s head was covered by part of the lab table that had fallen over. This wasn’t going to be good, regardless of who it was lying there. Max reached up and shoved the table away. He was getting his strength back and was starting to feel less shaky.

There was blood everywhere but Max could tell it was Eric. He top of Eric’s long black coat was easily recognizable now. Max hesitated. It was all Eric’s fault they were here, all Eric’s fault he was crouched in this rubble. All Eric’s fault he didn’t know where Elle was. Was it coincidence he had found Eric first, before any of his actual friends?

Max slowly reached out towards Eric and right before he put his hand on Eric’s shoulder, Eric coughed. Alive, then. Max wasn’t sure what he felt. Eric started to raise his hand and Max backed out of the way. He sure as hell wasn’t going to let Eric touch him. That’s what had gotten them into this mess in the first place.

Eric’s eyes fluttered open and he looked at Max. There was blood in his left eye. Max couldn’t tell if it was running down from what appeared to be a bone-deep gash on Eric’s forehead, or if there was something wrong with his eye. He found he didn’t care much either way.

Eric coughed again.

“Max.”

Max watched as Eric tried to lift himself up, but he only got his shoulders about two inches off of the ground before he gave up.

“Max. Where is everyone?”

“I don’t know. You’re the first I found.” Max looked around again. Still no sign of anyone else. He hoped they were all far away. Maybe Jack had been able to get them out.

Eric coughed again. This time a tiny spray of blood accompanied it. Max thought this wasn’t going to be a long conversation.

Eric closed his eyes.

“Max. There are more. You have to find them.”

“More? More what?”

What? Max didn’t have time for whatever Eric was about to say. He started to haul himself back to his feet but before he could react, Eric’s hand flew up and grabbed his ankle. Max froze. Eric opened his eyes and stared directly at him.

“More kids, Max, like us. Except they’re being trained to be…” Eric trailed off in another blood-spraying cough, his hand still firmly on Max’s ankle.

“Being trained. To fight.” Max could tell it was a struggle for Eric to speak.

“What do you mean? Fight who?”

Eric shook his head very slightly.

“I don’t know. Anyone. Everyone. You. Us. Them.”

Eric wasn’t making any sense. Other kids being trained to fight? Fight what? Eric was probably hallucinating. But… but hadn’t they read in the files about another group of kids?

“Wait, these are the kids in California?”

Eric’s eyes lit up, just a tiny bit.

“Yes. You have to find them. And stop them. Free them. They’re stronger. Could kill us all.”

Eric’s eyes closed again. Max decided to risk it – Eric hadn’t loosened his grip on Max’s leg, but he also hadn’t tried to hurt him. He leaned in over Eric.

“Eric, wake up.” Max shook him gently. “Eric, where are they? Where are the other kids? If the files were destroyed we’ll never find them.”

Eric mumbled something.

“What?” Max leaned closer.

“My dad,” Eric whispered. “Find my dad.”

Eric opened his eyes again. This time they were both filled with blood. Eric gave Max’s leg one last squeeze.

“Elle.” Another cough. And then nothing.

“Eric.” Max shook Eric’s shoulder roughly. He could tell it wasn’t going to do any good but he had to try. “Eric!” Nothing. Save the other kids? Max wasn’t even sure at this point that he was going to make it. And without Elle… Max staggered to his feet again. He looked down at Eric, lying there, still. Had he gotten what he deserved? Max wasn’t sure. He would think about it later. Right now time for thinking about moral dilemmas wasn’t a luxury he had. He had to find her. He had to find the rest of them. He wouldn’t be alone. Not again.