“Daniel!”
Alexis ran down a long sterile featureless hallway pumping her arms for speed. Her attire had been replaced with a gown reminding her of one from a hospital. Dignity had no place here. Behind her ran two faceless men in finely pressed black suits, closing quickly with each passing stride. Blood pounded in her temples and sweat rolled down her face, its salty flavor falling to her lips.
“Daniel!”
Again, no response. He was nowhere. The only sounds that replied to her cries were the echoing strides of her perusers. She dared a glance backwards only to see them reaching for something at their hips. She didn't have to see what it was to know. She summoned the last bit of energy that remained to try and escape.
The end came into focus, a double door. Without second thought she burst through it only to skid to a halt.
The bitter chill of snowfall greeted her. It would've been bad enough even with the proper attire, the flimsy gown made it unbearable. All around her parked police cars and camouflage painted military vehicles surrounded her exit. Among these stood faceless police and soldiers, their weapons all trained on her. Red dots lit up her body. She whirled back to see her suited perusers stopped several steep behind her, their weapons now trained.
She felt tears well as well as anger build until it seemed like a volcano was about to erupt.
“WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!” she screamed feeling something strong well up within her.
Yet, just as soon as it had begun to build her body erupted in pain and her cries went silent. She felt her body buckle under its own weight, she could no longer muster the strength to stand. She fell into the snow as things began to dim.
I never knew I could be so cold...
~ ~ ~ ~
Alex burst awake with a small gasp.
Only a dream... she whispered, comforting herself.
It would be a second before she realized that the truck was no longer moving. She looked back at Daniel who was still sleeping. Her eyes then fell to the empty Starbucks cup in the console then to the outside. Where were they? Trees shot up all around them and the sunlight came down in golden strings from the canopy. The occasional sound of a passing car indicated they couldn't be too far from a road of some sort.
She wondered the time and even more how Chelsea and her family are doing. What would they be told?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jackson slammed two files down on the long conference table. The first and the largest file was labeled 'Daniel Saddler' with an all too familiar picture gracing the front. The second, and much smaller file was labeled 'Alexis Ann Fletcher', a photo of a blue-eyed girl with long orange hair graced the front. The table was lined with agents, five to a side, all dressed in fine attire. Notebooks, pencils, coffee cups, and various other documents were scattered among them.
“Glad everyone could make it this morning. I suppose everyone heard of the incident at the circus yesterday evening?”
The long table save a silent affirmative.
“An embarrassment,” one spoke up.
Jackson didn't argue that point. “Maybe so, but it did come with a silver lining.”
He clicked a remote and a large tv on the wall came alive. The logo flashed across the screen before less than a minute later Alexis's face stared at them.
“As some of you may know we tracked down Saddler to the county circus and we planned to make our capture. However, one thing we did not expect was to come across another mage. They made their escape after the girl bludgeoned one of our agents and tranquilized him with his own gun. They escaped in the girl's truck.”
A couple snickers bounced in the room as it was no mystery who that agent was. The large bruises on their supervisor's face made it more than apparent. Even Jackson fought back a titter.
“Here we have Alexis Ann Fletcher. Age 19. Born and raised on a cattle farm outside of Walsh. We questioned her friend, a-” he flipped open the small file and pointed to a spot on a paper, “ Miss Chelsea Rogers.” He looked back up at his audience who were jotting down notes, “She seemed worried and had no clue why she would leave her there. We asked her if she could describe the truck. All we can definitively get from her was that it was old, rusty, and blue. No make, model, or year.”
“Miss Fletcher has no history of trouble with the law. In fact in school she was almost always on the honor roll but never participated in after-school activities. Miss Rogers described her as a workaholic when it came to the family's farm.”
He rested his hands on the table and looked at his audience. “ We need to come up with a cover story in order to get help from local authorities without getting them too involved. She doesn't fit the description of a runaway so that is off the table.”
One finely dressed woman raised her hand, “Claim that Saddler abducted her and send out a kidnapping alert. Say Saddler is armed and dangerous. I might even instruct authorities to merely follow and not attempt arrest. That should keep the secret on the down. Meanwhile we question friend and family and treat it like a kidnapping.”
A couple head nodded in agreement as Jackson rubbed his smooth chin. “I like it. Anyone else object or got suggestions?”
