{"id":345,"date":"2014-12-30T06:31:53","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T06:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=345"},"modified":"2021-12-06T19:34:26","modified_gmt":"2021-12-07T01:34:26","slug":"part8","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode8\/part8\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 8"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 8: \u00a0FANthrax<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 8<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think? Should we split up? We can cover more ground that way,\u201d Nick asked as they stood at the top row of seats, looking out over the arena.<\/p>\n

\u201cNah, I think we should stay together for this,\u201d Julilly said briskly. \u201cTwo pairs of eyes are better than one. We can\u2019t fuck around this time, Nick; we gotta be on the ball. C\u2019mon.\u201d She strode down the aisle.<\/p>\n

They started at one side of the arena, looking in various hidden and unused spots. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. They quickly but carefully worked their way over to the other side of the arena, still coming up short.<\/p>\n

\u201cShit, this is fuckin\u2019 useless. There\u2019s nothing here,\u201d Nick growled in frustration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s gotta be something we\u2019re missing. Something<\/em>,\u201d Julilly sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHell, whoever orchestrated this isn\u2019t gonna stick around here. I mean, that\u2019s a long shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that, Nick, but maybe they left something behind, something we can use to\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Just then, Nick\u2019s cell phone rang. Now what? Fumbling around inside the bulky suit, he flipped it open. \u201cCarter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Nick. Jay here. Look, we just got reports of some suspicious activity taking place at Toronto City Centre Airport.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick frowned, looking over at Julilly. \u201cThe airport? But it\u2019s supposed to be closed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly. Something\u2019s going on; we need you to head over there and fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShit, SHIT!\u201d Nick moaned, flipping the phone closed. \u201cC\u2019mon, we\u2019ve got to head over to the City Centre airport.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh? Airport? But why? It\u2019s supposed to be\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, damn it, but Jay said there\u2019s something going on over there. We need to check it out. It\u2018s him; it\u2018s gotta be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning, they quickly made their way up and out of the arena.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Julilly had barely brought the Hummer to a stop before Nick jumped out and ran to the entrance of the Toronto City Centre Airport, a small compound located on Lake Ontario. Quickly showing his badge, he plowed through the door and found himself in a long pedestrian tunnel that connected the mainland to Toronto Island, where the terminal was located.<\/p>\n

Nick raced down the deserted tunnel and up the tallest escalator he had ever seen. By the time he got to the top, he was winded, but he kept running until he reached the check-in area. Then he came to an abrupt stop, causing Julilly to bump into him from behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me know before you brake next time, Carter, jeez!\u201d she complained. \u201cWhat is it? What do you see?\u201d She tried to look around him.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

She frowned. \u201cNothing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s eyes panned across the row of empty counters. \u201cYeah, it\u2019s quiet\u2026 a little too quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Julilly rolled her eyes. \u201cIt\u2019s evacuated. What were you expecting, a marching band?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick turned to glare at her before he started walking again, making his way past the security checkpoint.<\/p>\n

Besides the airport being eerily empty, nothing appeared out of the ordinary until they reached the concourse. Several of the chairs in the waiting area near one of the gates were tipped over onto their sides. The shiny tiled floor was littered with glass from one of the large plate-glass windows, which had been shattered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat in the hell happened here?\u201d Julilly gasped.<\/p>\n

Just then, they heard a door slam. Turning, Nick took off at a run. \u201cHurry! He\u2019s here, damn it!\u201d he yelled. Julilly followed, hot on his heels.<\/p>\n

They rounded a corner in time to see a door swing shut ahead of them. They hurried through the door and found themselves in a stairwell.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou go up; I\u2019ll go down!\u201d Julilly barked, darting down the steps before Nick could protest.<\/p>\n

Why do I gotta be the one to go up more stairs?<\/em> he grumbled to himself as he began to climb the staircase as quickly as he could, still winded from his trek up the never-ending escalator.<\/p>\n

But a reward awaited him. As he rounded the corner, he caught sight of a man standing at the top of the staircase. Although his back was turned, there was something familiar about his styled, dark hair and Napoleon-esque stature.<\/p>\n

\u201cFreeze! Hands in the air, asshole!\u201d Nick screamed, drawing his gun as he scrambled up the last flight of stairs. \u201cStop, or I\u2019ll shoot!\u201d<\/p>\n

To his surprise, the suspect halted and raised his hands. Turning around on the spot, Dr. Rough smirked. \u201cAww. Looks like you found me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou. I should have known you were behind this,\u201d Nick replied coldly. \u201cYou\u2019re going down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAm I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you are,\u201d growled Nick. \u201cRight\u2026 NOW!\u201d He took a flying leap off the last step, tackling Dr. Rough to the ground. \u201cDon\u2019t move, you bastard!\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough laughed. \u201cI\u2018m so scared\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShut up! Shut the hell up!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow have things been at work, huh? Busy, busy, I hear, what with all the recent rash of people getting sick. It\u2018s so tragic. Your hands must be full with all those investigations. Probably have to have people from different branches of\u2026 oh, I don\u2019t know, the government, maybe, to help you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick stiffened.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough smiled. \u201cHow\u2019s your friend? That CIA officer? He dead yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick blinked. How did he know?<\/p>\n

It was just the opening Dr. Rough needed. Before Nick knew what had happened, his head whipped to the side from a weak but effective blow. Caught off-guard, he toppled backward.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough scrambled away before he stood up and brushed off his suit. \u201cIt\u2019s really a shame, isn\u2019t it? He\u2019s going to die and for such a noble cause\u2026 Oh well, can\u2019t make an omelet without breaking some eggs, right, my friend?\u201d Dr. Rough sneered.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t move, you bastard. Hands up!\u201d Relieved, Nick turned to see Julilly reappear at the top of the stairs, her gun raised.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough threw her an unimpressed look, then ducked through the door behind him before she could pull the trigger.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn it!\u201d Julilly hissed, hurrying after him. Nick jumped to his feet and followed her, his heart pounding as hard as his footsteps as he raced through the door. It led to the roof, where there was a helipad. A helicopter was waiting, its rotors already spinning as the engine roared. Nick recognized it as the very same one that had rescued Dr. Rough from the pirate ship.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Nick screamed, running toward it. But he was too late.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough climbed into the cockpit and quickly closed the door behind him. Before Nick could get close, the helicopter rose off the ground. Nick stumbled backward as the wind whipped across his face. \u201cThat was a fuckin\u2019 cheap shot, you asshole! Way to get me next time, huh? Why are you running?!\u201d He raised his gun, emptying it on the helicopter as it flew away.<\/p>\n

Breathing hard, he slowly lowered the gun, staring at the sky as the helicopter disappeared into the clouds. He\u2019d gotten away; Nick couldn\u2019t believe he\u2019d gotten away. Again.<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon, Nick, we\u2019ve gotta get back,\u201d Julilly pressed, tugging on his arm.<\/p>\n

Nick reluctantly turned and started off with her. This wasn\u2019t over, not by a long shot.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Tapping against the tile floor, her feet sounded like drums in her head as she hurried down the hall towards Brian\u2019s room. After Nick\u2019s phone call, Opal had called in every favor she could to get to the Canadian hospital her boyfriend was in as soon as possible. Thanks to a friend in the Air Force, she\u2019d made it there in mere hours so she could be by Brian\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t care about the assignment she\u2019d been given the other day after Brian had left for Canada. She had left it all behind in an instant. Brian was more important to her, and the agency would just have to understand that. And if they didn\u2019t, she\u2019d handle that later. No matter how much she loved and valued her job and country, none of that was important right then.<\/p>\n

As she approached a pair of double doors, a man at the desk in front of them cleared his throat. \u201cExcuse me, Miss, you can\u2019t go into that unit; it\u2019s on complete quarantine and lockdown.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know; I\u2019m here to see someone who\u2019d been brought in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMa\u2019am, you can\u2019t do that–\u201d<\/p>\n

She flashed her badge. \u201cYES, I can, as a matter of fact.\u201d<\/p>\n

It worked. Soon she found herself walking into the isolation unit, wearing full protective garb. Her heart pounded as she approached the door to Brian\u2019s room. She pushed it open and poked her head in, afraid of what she would find inside.<\/p>\n

There, lying on the bed, was Brian. Her heart ached at the sight of him. A small-framed man to begin with, he seemed even smaller than usual, dwarfed by the equipment that surrounded his hospital bed. She tried to look past the tubes and wires attached to him and focus on his face, but even that was hard for her. His skin was pale and pocked with black pustules. His eyes were closed; she couldn\u2019t tell whether he was asleep or unconscious. Beneath the thin blanket, his chest rose and fell in regular intervals, but his breathing sounded labored.<\/p>\n

A young woman in a Hazmat suit stood at his bedside, checking his vitals. When Opal cleared her throat, the woman glanced over at her. Her face looked tired and worn. Beneath the helmet of her suit, her lank red hair was plastered to her forehead. \u201cOpal?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

Opal nodded, surprised to hear her alias instead of her real name. This woman must work for Himitsu Takana. \u201cNick called me. I came as quickly as I could.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman nodded. \u201cI\u2019m Red Jewel. He told me you were coming. He and another agent went to try and find the man behind this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe truth?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Jewel sighed as she put her clipboard aside. Opal could see the frustration in her eyes. It reflected the way Opal felt herself: hopeless.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not good. He got the direct strain, right in the bloodstream. We think it happened when he was handling evidence; a pin poked through his gloves and infected him. That seems to be the source. Because he got it directly, rather than through the air, it\u2019s striking faster and fiercer, giving us less time to treat it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you can<\/em> treat it, can\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Jewel hesitated. \u201cHopefully. There\u2019s a team working on an antidote as we speak, but there are no guarantees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opal clenched her jaw to keep from crying. She needed to stay strong for Brian, but she felt so helpless, weak, and worthless, unable to do anything except watch him waste away before her eyes.<\/p>\n

Red looked at her with sympathy. \u201cI\u2019ll let you be alone with him,\u201d she said, patting Opal\u2019s shoulder as she walked past her.<\/p>\n

Remaining in the room, Opal sat next to Brian\u2019s bed and took his hand, lacing her gloved fingers through his blistered ones. When she thought of her future, as she often did, she could only see Brian. When she considered marriage, he instantly came to mind. When she pictured children, they looked like him. When she imagined herself as an old woman, she saw Brian at her side. He simply couldn\u2019t die. Not yet. Not now. It was too soon, too sudden, and too unfair.<\/p>\n

Now that she was alone, she felt the burn of tears in her eyes. Despite her efforts to hold them back, one escaped and slid down her cheek, trailing along her face in silent victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cAshie\u2026\u201d A faint murmur, but her keen ears caught it instantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrian? Brian\u2026 I\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n

He tossed restlessly in his bed, beads of sweat gathering upon his brow and glittering against his skin like diamonds. His eyes shut tight as he fought something only he seemed to see within his mind. Delirium.<\/p>\n

\u201cAshie\u2026 Ashavari\u2026 no\u2026 I need you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She stroked his face. His skin felt alarmingly warm, even through the layer of sterile latex that protected her hands. \u201cBri, I\u2019m here, baby. I\u2019m not going to leave you. I\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t leave me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She shook her head, tears blurring her vision. \u201cI\u2019ll never leave you. Don\u2019t you<\/em> leave me<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, wait!\u201d Julilly stopped suddenly, thrusting her arm out and catching Nick hard in the chest.<\/p>\n

Nick coughed and sputtered exaggeratedly. \u201cJeez — what was that for?\u201d he complained, rubbing his chest.<\/p>\n

One corner of the Canadian officer\u2019s mouth twisted slowly into a smile. \u201cDo you see what I see?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick followed her gaze to the tarmac, where a gray helicopter was grounded near a small hangar. Recognizing the symbol emblazoned on its cabin — a white star in a circle of navy blue, flanked by red and white stripes — he said, \u201cHey\u2026 that\u2019s a U.S. Air Force chopper.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. And we\u2019re gonna chopper-jack it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick barely caught the expression of pure, wild glee on Julilly\u2019s face before she turned and ducked back through the door, leaving him alone on the rooftop. \u201cJulilly — wait!\u201d he cried exasperatedly, catching the door before it shut. He ran after her down the stairs, shouting, \u201cYou can\u2019t be serious! We can\u2019t steal an Air Force helicopter!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you hated the U.S. government!\u201d she shouted over her shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do!\u201d Nick panted, bursting into the main terminal behind her. \u201cBut who\u2019s going to fly it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am,\u201d Julilly replied matter-of-factly. \u201cI used to be in the Air Force. Canadian, of course. But I don\u2019t think the Yanks will mind me borrowing one of their choppers, not if it helps us catch a terrorist, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick could only offer a weak, \u201cUh\u2026\u201d He was already beginning to feel queasy at the idea of getting in that helicopter, a feeling that had nothing to do with guilt over the theft of military property.<\/p>\n

Julilly rolled her eyes at his hesitance. \u201cOh, please. You guys are all about the war against terror. Well, now you\u2019ve got yourself an ally — so let\u2019s go fight the bad guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before he could protest, she grabbed his arm and hauled him after her through the terminal until they found an exit onto the tarmac. There was no one outside to stop them; air traffic was supposed to be suspended, after all. What the Air Force helicopter was doing there was a mystery to Nick. The pilot was nowhere in sight, so it was all too easy for Julilly to climb into the cockpit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe I\u2019m doing this,\u201d Nick grumbled as he followed her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the point of working for an independent organization like HimTak if you\u2019re afraid of breaking the law once in a while to complete a mission?\u201d scoffed Julilly, firing up the chopper\u2019s ignition.<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s heart began to race as he felt the engine rumble to life beneath his seat. \u201cIt\u2019s not that!\u201d he shouted above the roar. \u201cI\u2019m afraid of flying!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat??\u201d Julilly shouted back, shaking her head and gesturing to her ears. She reached for a pair of headsets hanging in front of them and handed him one. The headset muffled the helicopter\u2019s noise and allowed him to hear Julilly\u2019s voice in his ears. \u201cThere, that\u2019s better. Now let\u2019s go take this bastard down before he gets too far out of range.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was no chance to repeat his reservations about flying. Julilly had already reached for the throttle. Nick\u2019s stomach bottomed out as the helicopter rose from the ground with an unsteady jerk.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry about that,\u201d Julilly said with an unapologetic laugh. \u201cIt\u2019s been a few years.\u201d<\/p>\n

White-faced, Nick watched the grounded airplanes grow smaller and smaller out his window as the chopper gained altitude. He tried shutting his eyes, but that made it worse. When Julilly shifted direction in midair, the sensation was dizzying without being able to see where they were going. When his eyes flashed open again, they took in only sky and clouds. He couldn\u2019t see anything on the ground without leaning far over in his seat — a mistake, he discovered as soon as he tried it. He\u2019d never been a fan of airplanes, taking them only when necessary, but now he knew they didn\u2019t even compare to the terror of helicopters.<\/p>\n

He felt like he was on some hellish rollercoaster as the chopper rose, dipped, and weaved abruptly under Julilly\u2019s control. Coasters were fun, though, and mostly safe. This was neither. As much as he hated the idea of Dr. Rough escaping again, he prayed Julilly would give up and take them back to the ground soon.<\/p>\n

No such luck — for Nick, anyway. It seemed luck was on Julilly\u2019s side this time, for after just a few minutes of pushing the helicopter to its maximum speed, she shouted a triumphant, \u201cA-ha! You see that? At about\u2026 two o\u2019clock?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick followed her finger out the windshield, straight ahead and slightly to the right. There was a black speck in the distance, too far ahead to be identifiable, but, with air traffic banned, could it be anything but the FANS chopper? \u201cI see it,\u201d he said weakly, suppressing a groan.<\/p>\n

\u201cHa! We\u2019re on his tail now. He\u2019s not getting away this time.\u201d She leaned forward over the controls, her eyes glimmering dangerously. Nick wanted to be excited but could only feel nauseated as the helicopter lurched in the direction of the black speck.<\/p>\n

Looking down, he saw a large body of water beneath them, which only increased his anxiety. He assumed it was Lake Ontario, though it could have been Lake Erie — for a man who traveled the globe for his career, geography had never really been his strong suit. In any case, as Julilly made up ground (air?) between them and Dr. Rough, all Nick could envision was the helicopter plummeting into whichever Great Lake it was, the cockpit filling with icy water before he could force his door open.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019re in U.S. airspace now,\u201d said Julilly after a few minutes when they were back over land. \u201cI wonder if they\u2019ve realized we\u2019ve kidnapped their helicopter yet. I\u2019d radio them if I knew the right frequency, but they might not be so helpful, given the circumstances\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s just take him down and get back to the ground,\u201d Nick pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got it.\u201d<\/p>\n

They seemed to be getting closer, at least. The speck had taken on the distinct shape of a helicopter. Before long, they came close enough to catch a glimpse of the infamous initials stenciled on the side as the helicopter veered to the left.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think he knows we\u2019re on his tail?\u201d Nick wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he knows. Notice he\u2019s staying over populated areas. That must be Buffalo below us,\u201d said Julilly, pointing towards the ground. \u201cHe thinks we won\u2019t attack over civilian zones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd will we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Julilly shrugged. \u201cNot if we don\u2019t have to. I\u2019ll try to force him west toward Erie.\u201d She urged the chopper forward, gaining on the enemy craft. As they started to come up on the FANS chopper\u2019s left flank, the black helicopter swerved sharply to the right and dipped out of their range. Nick\u2019s stomach flip-flopped again as Julilly forced their copter to plummet after it.<\/p>\n

The waters of Lake Erie loomed ahead, sparkling blue in the sunlight. Even from the air, the lake looked vast. Nick didn\u2019t want to fly over it, but Julilly was forcing Dr. Rough in that direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cArming the guns,\u201d said Julilly once they were over the water. \u201cFire one!\u201d She shot off a round from the helicopter\u2019s weapons, but ahead of them, the FANS chopper swerved out of the way at the last minute. \u201cHang on\u2026 we\u2019ll get him,\u201d growled Julilly in determination. \u201cFire two!\u201d Another round.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn it,\u201d Nick swore in dismay. The FANS chopper was still in the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, you bastard\u2026 fire three!\u201d<\/p>\n

The other helicopter had rotated suddenly in midair as if to turn on them. But this time, it took a hit on the side and started to spin out of control, plummeting in a death spiral. Julilly began to descend after it, intent on capturing Dr. Rough from the water, but halfway down, the FANS chopper suddenly exploded.<\/p>\n

\u201cPull up!\u201d shouted Nick as a ball of flames swelled upward. Julilly yanked on the stick, throwing him back against his seat as she forced the helicopter to climb again sharply.<\/p>\n

Once they leveled out safely above the inferno below, Nick gazed downward. Through the black smoke, he could make out the burning wreckage: the helicopter\u2019s mangled fuselage half sunk in the lake, the rest floating in pieces all around it in the water, still on fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat made it explode before it crashed?\u201d wondered Nick.<\/p>\n

\u201cMust have hit the fuel tank,\u201d Julilly guessed. \u201cYou think there\u2019s any way he could have survived that?\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyes still on the wreckage, Nick slowly shook his head. \u201cIt\u2019s blown apart. There\u2019s no way… If he didn\u2019t die in the blast, he would have been thrown out of the cockpit; the fall alone would have killed him.\u201d<\/p>\n

He should have felt relieved, even delighted, over his realization, but he didn\u2019t. He felt strangely let down. He\u2019d wanted to catch Dr. Rough himself and make him pay for his crimes, not kill him instantly in a helicopter crash.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we should go down anyway,\u201d he added suddenly, \u201cand check.\u201d And then I can find someone to drive me back to Toronto,<\/em> he thought, vowing he would never set foot in this helicopter — or any other — again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s probably a good idea,\u201d Julilly agreed, but just as she started to descend again, the radio crackled to life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Lieutenant Gooding, U.S. Air Force. Identify yourself at once. Over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Julilly exchanged a look with Nick but shrugged and responded, \u201cCopy that. This is Officer Hawk of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, formerly of the Royal Canadian Air Force. My apologies for borrowing your helicopter without permission, but you\u2019ll be glad to know that, with its help, I was able to bring down the man responsible for the act of bioterrorism on Toronto. Over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSay again, Officer Hawk? Over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, the terrorist is down, crashed over Lake Erie. We were about to go down and take a closer look, but if you want your chopper back now, you can radio the base closest to Buffalo, New York and have them send their own team in to investigate. Technically, we\u2019ve over U.S. soil now — not my turf. Over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCopy. Give me your coordinates, and I\u2019ll radio for backup. Report back to the airport immediately. Over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoger that. On our way,\u201d replied Julilly and gave him the coordinates for their location.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we\u2019re leaving? Just like that?\u201d asked Nick as the helicopter rose higher into the air.<\/p>\n

Julilly shrugged. \u201cLike I said, it\u2019s not really my turf.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s mine!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not U.S. government either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but I\u2019m at liberty to investigate there if I want to!\u201d Nick protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cNick — chill out.\u201d Julilly smirked at him. \u201cYou said it yourself — there\u2019s no way he could have survived that. Leave it to someone else to worry about the clean-up. There\u2019s nothing to find that would interest us — not now, anyway. Let\u2019s get this baby back where it belongs and see how they\u2019re doing with that cure. It\u2019s just too bad we couldn\u2019t interrogate the bastard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick wasn\u2019t appeased, but he was eager to be back on the ground, so he didn\u2019t argue when Julilly turned the chopper northward again. He did, however, frown in confusion when she bypassed the airport. \u201cUh, weren\u2019t we supposed to land back there?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, I\u2019ll go back after I drop you off,\u201d replied Julilly calmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrop me off? Where?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hospital — where else? So you can check on the situation there,\u201d said Julilly. \u201cPlus, then no one has to know you were involved in the hijacking of United States military property. They can just blame Canada, as usual.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick shot her a wicked grin, forgetting, for the first time, that he was in the air and terrified. \u201cBlame Canada\u2026 blame Canada!\u201d<\/em> he sang triumphantly. \u201cIt seems that everything\u2019s gone wrong, since Canada came along\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Julilly rolled her eyes. \u201cPlease stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBlame Canada\u2026 blame Canada! They\u2019re not even a real country anyway\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Momentarily distracted, Nick didn\u2019t realize they were descending upon the helipad on the roof of the hospital until the helicopter touched ground with a rather large — perhaps unnecessarily and on-purpose — bump. Nick\u2019s heart leaped into his throat, pulsing crazily until he realized he was safe at last. He let out his breath in a rush and reached for the door handle.<\/p>\n

Julilly said something, perhaps a goodbye, but the roar of the engine drowned out her words as Nick tore off his headset and opened his door. He jumped down, doubling over to avoid the rotors as he scrambled out of the helicopter\u2019s shadow. He nearly collided with a short, balding man in blue scrubs, who was standing near a stretcher and looking confused.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the life flight?\u201d the squat doctor shouted above the noise.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll get out of your way!\u201d Nick shouted back. Turning, he flashed Julilly the thumbs up. She gave the thumbs up back and reached for the controls within the cockpit.<\/p>\n

As the helicopter started to rise from the ground, the doctor reached up to wave. Nick saw what was about to happen a split second before it did, but there was no time to push the other man out of the way. The rotor of the helicopter caught his raised arm and severed it swiftly in a shower of blood. Nick stared in horror as the mangled arm was thrown halfway across the roof, and the doctor collapsed in the pool of blood formed by his spurting stump.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh shit! Sorry!\u201d cried Nick, as the rest of the doctor\u2019s team sprung to action around him. \u201cUh\u2026 blame the Canadian!\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 9<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 8: \u00a0FANthrax Part 8   \u201cWhat do you think? Should we split up? We can cover more ground that way,\u201d Nick asked as they stood at the top row of seats, looking out over the arena. \u201cNah, I think we should stay together for this,\u201d Julilly said briskly. \u201cTwo\u2026<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":141,"menu_order":8,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"templates\/template-onecolumn.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-345","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5xaHX-5z","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=345"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":921,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/345\/revisions\/921"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}