A/N: I hope you're all having a wonderful week so far! I'm sorry this is a day late... my Etsy shop has gotten so busy and I'm kinda pushing this back because of it... hehe. Anyways, I'm sorry-- and I'm not talking about the late update >:)

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02 - 16 - 2089

"Well, look what we have here," the man says, his voice thick with an unknown accent. The flashlight beam shifts away from my face, giving me a glimpse of the man's features. A scruffy beard covers most of his face, ending before his nose and deep set eyes. He's wearing a thick coat, one I wish I had right about now. When did it get so cold?

Cade pushes me behind him as we face the man. He seems just as uncertain about what to do as I am. We can't very well run now, with the man blocking our only exit. And if we somehow managed to slip past him, then how would we get past the others who are outside the train car?

"I wasn't sure we'd ever get our hands on you." The man keeps the flashlight pointed at Cade as he withdraws something from his coat pocket and points it at us. My heart sinks at the sight of the cold metal. The same type of weapon that Enzo and Gunner used against us. Before Cade and I can react, the man calls over his shoulder, "Found 'em!" Then he turns his attention back to us, keeping the gun leveled at Cade's chest.

I grip Cade's shirt, trying to find my strength. No one moves, and I wonder if this is it. If all our running and hiding has brought us to this point, right back to Doctor Acosta. Perhaps I was always meant to go back to that facility... always meant to be an experiment.

"Don't give up yet." Cade's voice is low, so low I almost don't hear what he is saying. A shiver runs down my spine, and it isn't from the cold.

Voices outside the car cause my muscles to tighten. I look to Cade, but he still isn't moving. His jaw works, tense. A muscle jumps in his neck. His eyes are cold, no hint of the warm blue left in them.

Then three more men climb into the box car and appear behind the first man. They freeze when they see us, and one man's eyes grow wide. I feel myself try to instinctively hide farther behind Cade, but his arm stops me. The grip is firm, but doesn't pinch.

I meet his eyes in confusion, but there is no answer there. Only that cold indifference. I'm about to ask him what he's doing, when he reaches down and grabs something from his boot. I catch a glimpse of something metal before he pulls me in front of him and presses something sharp against my neck.

My throat bobs and I try to understand what's going on. Is he giving me up? I can't believe he would ever hurt me, but the blade stings. He isn't pushing hard enough to cut me, but still hard enough that I can hardly breathe.

"Don't come any closer, or I slit her throat," Cade says. But it doesn't sound anything like him. His voice is colder than the air in this train car. I hear no hint of the Cade I know. it's like he's turned into a completely different person, and it scares me.

The man with the gun doesn't seem concerned, although the men behind him shift on their feet. He seems to be in charge, I note.

"You won't hurt her, boy," he says with cool confidence.

"Oh really? How about we test that theory?" Cade presses the blade harder against my neck, and I let out a little cry before I can stop myself. I'm shaking now, and Cade is gripping my arm tightly, the only thing keeping me from cutting myself on the knife against my neck. What is he doing?

"Stop," a call comes from one of the men at the back. He steps forward, and I almost faint from surprise. Familiar warm eyes and thick hair are the first things I notice, but shadows seem to dim the light I remember in his eyes. Barr steps out in front of the other men, raising his hands to pacify Cade.

"Stop," he repeats. "Don't hurt her." Barr steps out in front of the man with the gun and stops, only a few feet away from us. He glances at me, then his gaze returns to Cade. "There is no need for violence. We only want to help you."

Cade makes a sound in the back of his throat that tells me he isn't amused. "Like you helped her all those years before?"

For a moment, regret washes over Barr's features. But the emotion fades as quickly as it came, replaced by a cool exterior. "What we are doing is incredibly important. I would expect you to know that, boy," Barr snaps. "Now lower the knife before you make a mistake that can't be undone."

Cade tenses; I can feel every muscles tighten in his chest as he presses me harder against him. I'm not afraid of him, I realize now. I'm afraid of Barr. And of the men who are behind him. Of those who want to take me back.

But what of Cade? They better not hurt him or I'll-- Before I can finish that thought, I hear a pop, and my eyes go the man with the gun. The gun is tilted back like it just-- Cade!

The arms around me loosen and I turn as Cade stumbles back, dropping the knife to pull something out of his neck. A small dart rests in his palm as he sways back a step. We lock eyes for a moment, and for once I see true fear in his blue ones.

I reach out to him, trying to shake this sudden fog that seems to be slowing everything down. Cade sinks to the floor of the train car, and I lurch for him, his name on my lips. My knees hit the cold floor of the car; I wrap my arms around Cade's head as his eyes flutter closed.

"No!" I cry, shaking him with the faint hope that it will wake him up. The pain in my chest tears through me like hot lava. "What did you do?" I scream at no one in particular. My hands stroke Cade's hair and wrap around his limp hand, but I receive no response.

Then someone is kneeling next to me. I think it might be Barr. A hand rests on my back, warm and comforting. But I refuse to be comforted. Not by him. Not by any of them.

"Don't touch me," I growl, lashing out and slapping his hand away. Cade is so still... too still. He needs to wake up. "Wake up," I whisper. "Wake up!"

"Let's go. We need to get her back to the facility."

Arms wrap around my waist and tug me up, but I grab onto Cade with an iron grip, refusing to be separated. How can they be so cruel? Can they not give me a moment to be with him after what they did? I tighten my grip and fight as they try to pull me up.

Someone grabs my fingers and pries them off of Cade. I hear screaming. And then I realize I am the one who's screaming. I thrash and flail in their arms, my fists swinging and making contact with anything I can reach. They won't take me without a fight. I know Cade would fight with all he had, so I have to do the same. For him.

My fist hits something hard, and someone swears. A second later a hand grabs my wrist and grapples it to my side.

"Someone sedate her already!" Barr shouts. I can't see him in the sea of arms and legs, but that doesn't matter. He's just as guilty as the others.

And Cade... where is he? I can't see him on the floor... there's too many people.

A sharp, stinging pain in my neck has me shouting again, and I catch a glimpse of a needle in someone's hands. No. Dread fills my lungs as I fight with all I have. As I fight for Cade.

But it's fruitless. Seconds pass and my vision begins to waver. My muscles slow down, becoming stiff and tight. Work! They won't obey my commands. They aren't working.

I can't... think...

I blink, trying to clear this thick cloud from my mind. Trying to tell my body to fight whatever they injected me with.

I can't...

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