CHAPTER TEN - WARNING

There is something ultimately strange and frightening when you see an identical you lying on a med bed with a pale face and blood soaked clothes. Brian was trembling as he watched Nick passing a device over Bri’s body to check the extent of the injuries. Lance’s words were echoing in his head.

‘Aaww, you scared and tearful because you’ve just seen your own death?’

What he was seeing now would one day happen to him perhaps. He was seeing himself bleeding in front of him. It was like staring into a ghastly mirror and seeing a fate you could not change. He could see the pain on Bri’s face as Nick tended the wound and the pallor of his cheeks. It was himself. Him.

“Would you stop fussing and heal the damn thing already?” Bri croaked moodily. “I’m fine!”

“Maybe,” Nick replied, “but if that knife had hit a centimetre further to the right then your wind pipe would have been stabbed and you wouldn’t be able to breathe.” He placed the scanning device down and grabbed some bandages.

“Is he all right?” Brian ventured. He found a hand unconsciously pressing against his chest, the exact same location where Bri had been stabbed. He swore he could almost feel the blood dribbling from the wound and the slight stinging as Nick pressed a soaking cloth against the wound.

“Yes, he is!” Bri snapped in reply. “Ow! Nick, don’t press so hard!” He gritted his teeth as Nick refused to lift up the pressure or use a different antiseptic that did not sting so much.

“He’s fine,” Nick said, ignoring Bri completely. “And very lucky!”

Brian glanced down at his arm, remembering the slicing pain that had first alerted him to Bri’s aid. He tentatively ran a hand over the skin, as if expecting to find a wound or a patch of sore skin. What would have happened if he had not have realised that Bri was in trouble? He closed his eyes, searching for the same bond that had brought him to Bri’s aid. He could feel it still there. He could feel a pain in his chest where the knife had pierced…

“He’s lucky you were there,” Nick added. He glanced up at Brian. “Lance could have murdered him.”

“I could have fought him off,” Bri mumbled in protest, but his voice did not sound so sure. He had been caught off guard by the attack and he’d had no weapon to defend himself. Lance may have looked small and weak, but his hands had been like a vice when they grabbed a person. He was much stronger that he appeared.

Brian rested a hand upon his arm, wondering whether he should tell Nick about the link that connected him and Bri. He had felt Bri’s pain and need for help. He opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again. Was Bri aware of the bond? Perhaps he was completely oblivious to the fact that he had somehow called Brian to his aid. He looked at Nick and then lowered his head. Perhaps he should keep this to himself, at least until he’d had the chance to talk about it with Bri.

“I told you Lance wasn’t to be trusted,” Bri said to Nick. “He was working with Jonathan.”

Brian found his eyes drifting over to the opposite side of the room where Lance lay on another bed. The settings on the laser had not been that high and the Gerai spy was still alive, although unconscious. Brian’s eyes narrowed as he thought of what Lance could have done. He had almost killed Bri. How would B and Sammy have felt to return and find they had no father in this time again?

His thoughts jerked him slightly in surprise. Since when had he been concerned over what happened to Bri? He had only wanted to keep him away from Sammy and B before because of the overwhelming jealousy that had covered him. Now though he realised how selfish that was. Bri was him and by wanting to keep him away he wanted to keep himself away. If he wanted to be close to his family in this time then he had to learn to stop trying to push Bri away.

He snuck a glance at the older man and saw that he was pointedly ignoring him. A surge of rage was bubbling in his chest. He had just saved his life and Bri could not even thank him for it! His eyes burrowed into the face and a cold shudder ran across his spine. He still felt the creepy sensation that he was alienated from Bri. They were identical and yet so different.

Earlier he had been tearful at the sight of Bri’s wounds and there had been nothing within him but fearful concern and the instinct to protect him. That was gone now and there was only rage at Bri’s ingratitude and hatred at his arrogant attitude.

“I’m still going on the mission,” Bri said, completely unaware of his twin’s feelings and thoughts. “I’m not staying behind because of this!” He tried to sit up but Nick pushed him back down before continuing to bandage the wound up. “I want to help find them!”

He was not the only one, but unfortunately, Brian was confined to the base and forbidden from venturing outside of it.

“Yeah, all right. But you have to rest until we go! It’s been a bit of a shock and you’ll need to recover. Brian, can you pass me that cloth?” He pointed to a table.

Brian shook his head and moved his hand away from his arm, not wanting to alert Nick that something was wrong. He smiled and handed him the cloth. For a brief moment his eyes met Bri’s but he quickly looked away. Was he aware that Brian could almost sense his thoughts at times? Did he feel the same?

He needed to talk to him. Alone. He needed to know if it was just him. He sighed slightly. He had guessed there would be trouble the moment he first laid eyes on Bri, but he had no idea of the sheer complexity of emotions it would evoke. On one side there was the urge to fight and obliterate the image that confused his mind so much, but on the other side was the desperate instinct to protect his older self.

He watched as Nick finished bandaging the chest wound on Bri and started on his arm instead. Bri kept sullenly silent and kept his eyes away from Brian’s.

“Here’s Darren,” Nick said suddenly as he nodded towards the door.

Brian looked up and saw Darren’s dark haired, muscular form striding towards them. The moment he saw Bri his steps accelerated in concern. He passed a worried glance over his friend. “I came down as soon as I could. Are you all right, Bri?”

Bri nodded. “Missed anything vital,” he said as he patted his chest. “I’m fine.”

“He’ll need rest,” Nick added.

“And what about Brian?” Darren asked as he turned to the second Brian. “You okay?”

Brian nodded. “A few bruises, but he didn’t seem to want to kill me.” His head ached slightly and his temples were sore as his head seemed to still be echoing after the blows he had sustained.

“I can give you some stuff to ease the swelling,” Nick said. “I’ll deal with you when I’ve finished with Bri.” He tightly bound Bri’s arm and the older man gave a hiss of pain.

Darren nodded, but inspected Brian very carefully. He tried his hardest to appear unharmed but knew that it was a vain attempt. Despite feeling fine inside, it would be impossible to convey that to Darren when his face was more black than pink. He knew what the older man was thinking though, he was worrying that it might be too dangerous for him to stay in this time. He was not making Brian leave though. Never.

Finally Darren looked away. “And Lance?”

“Alive,” Nick replied.

“Not when I get my hands on him!” Bri spat. “That creep has been floating around B like a fly ever since they first met! B thought that he was his friend1 How could Lance do that to him?” Bri glared at Lance’s unconscious form. “He took advantage of him.”

B had told Brian that a close friend had betrayed him, and now he knew who. How must that feel? What would Brian do if Nick turned out to be against him? His eyes narrowed as they started at lance. This was the one who had conspired to make B’s life such a misery. Suddenly the anger was inside of him. He thought of everything B had ever endured and he guessed that there was more that Brian had not yet heard about. B had gone through hell because of people like Lance.

“Can you wake him?” Darren asked in a cold voice. His face was pale and there was no sparkle in his eyes. He was furious, just like Brian.

“I can’t guarantee that I won’t strangle him,” Bri whispered. “He’s part of the reason B isn’t here! He sent Jonathan after him when B ran away!” He was beginning to tremble and Brian could feel his anger. Unlike Brian though, Bri was bubbling everything out.

“Calm down,” Nick said gently.

“Bri, you can’t hurt him. We need to talk to him first, see what information we can give him. We can find out if B and Sammy are both in the base for certain and we can get him to help us. Lance is a coward,” Darren said. “Now Nick? Can you wake him?”

Nick nodded and opened a drawer from which he pulled out a needle and a tube of liquid. He fixed them together and then plunged the needle into the exposed flesh of Lance’s arm. “It’ll take a few moments for it to take effect,” he warned.

Darren nodded as he pulled a laser from his belt. “Fine.” He took a seat beside Lance and checked the restraints about his legs were secure to prevent him from standing. He could sit up, but that was all.

“Are you all right, Brian?” Darren asked, staring up at the younger man.

Brian nodded. “I wasn’t the target. He did not seem to want to kill me.”

Darren tilted his head and pointed to the bruises upon Brian’s face. “He did you some damage though.”

“I know,” Brian replied, touching a hand to his cheek and wincing as the fingers brushed against the sore skin. “But he wouldn’t kill me. He wanted me to stay out of this and he said something about not being able to kill me. I don’t know why. Bri was the one he wanted dead.” He looked across at Bri who was still being treated by Nick.

Darren nodded. “Interesting. The Gerai are smarted than I give them credit for. They know that if they kill you, then the time line will be altered and they’ll lose B.” he stared at Brian with a renewed interest and then sighed. “Bri was extremely lucky though. Nothing would matter to the Gerai if they killed him. If you had not have been there just in time…”

Brian forced a smile. “Just lucky I was walking that way I guess. I heard what sounded like a fight.” He kept staring straight into Darren’s eyes, hoping that he would not see the lie. Somehow he did not want to discuss the link between himself and Bri with anyone else.

Darren looked as if he were about to question Brian further but then there was a groan from the bed in front of them ads Lance’s eyes began to flicker. Darren leaned closer to their prisoner, but kept one hand on the gun in case Lance should try anything.

“Keep back, Brian,” he instructed. “He can still reach out with his arms and hit you or something.”

Brian nodded and took a few steps back. Darren did not ask him to leave completely so he assumed that he was okay to listen in on his questioning of Lance. He only hoped there would be some information about B or Sammy.

Lance groaned once more before his pale eyes finally opened and glanced about him blearily. He stared up at Darren and blinked a few times. “Darren?” he asked. “What’s going on?” He tried to move his feet but frowned as he realised that he was restrained. He twitched slightly and slowly tried to sit up.

Darren stared at him, seemingly calm but beneath that calm exterior Brian could almost feel the blazing rage. “Don’t play innocent, Lance, you know why you’re here,” he said.

Lance frowned. “Do I?” he asked.

Darren pointed a finger at Brian and Lance turned his head to look at his blackened face. The smile on his lips froze and was replaced by a sneer. He turned back to Darren, but said nothing. He knew he was caught.

“You treacherous little shit!” Darren spat, further angered by Lance’s silence. “I should have known you would be in on this with Jonathan!”

Brian could not blame him for trusting Lance though. He looked young and lost like B. He was tall and gangly with huge eyes that radiated a strange kind of innocence. He was the perfect person for the Gerai to use as a spy. His age only made him more believable.

“You were too soft and too fucking stupid,” Lance replied simply.

“What was your task?” Darren asked.

Lance smiled slightly. “Well as fun as it may seem, I was not just stabbing Brian for the sheer hell of it.”

Brian was beginning to feel cold again at the words. Bri had a deaths entrance passed on him by the Gerai and Brian knew how determined they could be.

“They want him dead,” Daren breathed. “Why?”

Lance shrugged. “Why not?”

“Why Lance!” Darren demanded, his voice rising in volume.

“Because he’s an annoying, irritating fuckball!” Lance screamed back. “That enough for you? We hate him and we want him dead!”

The venom in the voice made Brian jump slightly. Lance meant those words. He was now glaring hard at Brian with undisguised malevolence. His eyes had narrowed to slits. Brian was aware that now both Bri and Nick were listening to the conversation as well.

“What did you expect me to do?” Brian hissed back. “Just let you get away with trying to kill my family?” He glared at Lance and suddenly he felt his fists itching to bury themselves into Lance’s face. This was the one who had hurt B before he came to Brian’s time. The blood that had stained B’s cloak had been caused by this man.

“Why are you so attached to him?” Lance asked. “It’s not as if you’ve known him that long! You weren’t even there when we took him the first time!”

Brian froze. He stared at Lance, seeing nothing but a cold monster before him. He was aware that his eyes were growing heavy at the harsh words. He knew he would miss out on B’s childhood and that he would not be able to look after B and be the father he had always wanted. He had thought it was because he would die but Bri’s presence proved that there was something else. He dug his fingers into the palms of his hands and tried to prevent himself from jumping up and venting his anger out by using him as a punch bag. He was not normally subject to violent impulses, not unless Sammy and B were in danger. Anyone hurting them would soon realise that he was not quite as quiet as people usually thought he was.

“Bastard!” another voice screamed.

Brian looked around just in time to see a furious Bri throwing himself at lance with his fists raised before Darren grabbed him. “Bri, stop it! He’s winding you up! Sit down and rest!”

Bri’s eyes had an evil glint to them, but behind that Brian could see the pain. He could feel it churning inside of him like a knife that some huge hand was forcibly twisting about his chest. Lance was right in a way, he had not know B that long at all..

Lance was grinning at the look he saw on both of their faces. “Just hammering some home truths into you!”

“That’s enough!” Darren spat. “Bri, get back to get bed!”

“Darren - ” Bri tried to protest.

“Leave it!” Darren insisted.

Brian stared at Bri, willing him to leave Lance alone. He would only taunt them more if he knew that he was provoking them both. Brian was not sure if either of them could take anymore cutting comments about B or Sammy.

Bri stared at him and their eyes locked. Brian found his eyes staring at the marks on Bri’s face again, wondering what had caused them. What had caused him to be separated from B and Sammy for so long?

Bri slowly began to back away, but he shot Brian and evil look, clearly disgruntled that his younger self got to hear the entire conversation while he was being dragged away. Nick rested his hands on the older man’s shoulders, but Bri pushed him away before silently turning around and heading back to his bed.

Lance laughed slightly and opened his mouth to say something to Bri’s retreating back.

“Button it,” Darren snapped. “You’re not in a place to be cheerful. I want information from you. Specifically the location of your base.”

Lance made a big show of sealing his mouth closed and staring mutinously at Darren. He folded his arms and lie back on the bed before turning away from him.

“Are our people there?” Darren asked.

Lance still said nothing and Brian could see a slight smile on his face. He was enjoying withholding information from them. Brian looked across and saw that Bri was glaring at them, his hands were in fists and realised that he could sense the rage building up more and more within his counterpart. It was like a heavy bubble of tension that would pop any moment now and fill the room with shouts and yells.

His heart was accelerating and suddenly the bubble popped… but it was not Bri who reacted. Brian was on his feet and suddenly his hands slammed against Lance’s wrists to pin him down. He lowered his face towards Lance’s and started into his eyes. “Where is my family?” he asked, keeping his voice low and dangerous.

Lance’s eyes suddenly flashed and he caught the unmistakable gleam of fear there. He pressed harder against his wrists, trying to make it clear that he was in no mood to be messed with. “Are they at your base?” he asked.

Lance slowly nodded.

“Good,” Brian replied. He could feel Bri’s eyes upon him and somehow he knew that his twin was impressed with him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Darren smile slightly as well. He refused to acknowledge them and instead stared intently at Lance. He did not like seeing someone afraid of him, but this seemed the only way to get information out of him. “How do we get into the base?”

Lance stared up at him and dampened his lips slightly. Brian could see the perspiration on his forehead. Finally he shook his head. Brian could feel his own body beginning to perspire. His bluff had been called. He could not beta the information out of Lance, he could never hurt someone like that and Lance looked so close to B’s age.

Lance stared at him fearfully, seemingly expecting Brian to hurt him. Brian glared at him for a moment longer and then slowly released his wrists. Lance smiled slightly. “You won’t get to them. Especially to your little, precious B.”

Brian felt it inside of him. He felt Bri’s anger as well as his own. He suddenly slammed Lance’s arms back down, so hard that the boy gave a whimper of fear. “What are you monsters doing to my son!” he snapped.

“Brian!” Darren warned, slightly alarmed at his friend’s reaction.

Suddenly someone else was beside Brian and pushing Darren away. Bri glared down at Lance. “Tell us! Or you deal with both of us!”

Brian stared at Bri for a moment and caught a slight sparkle in his twin’s eye. Bri had never put them both together in that way before. They had always seemed entirely separate.

Lance’s eyes flickered from one to the other uncertainly. “What do you want to know?”

“What are they doing to B and Sammy?” Bri asked. “Are they safe?”

Lance gulped slightly. “We won’t kill them. They want Sammy to do some work for them, I’m not sure what and B they need for experiments.” His voice was strained and he looked at them wildly, terrified at the responses he would bring from the two parents.

“Experiments?” Brian whispered. He glanced across at Bri and saw that his face had turned pale.

“I knew it,” Bri whispered. He shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment. Brian knew exactly what he was feeling. He felt sick and cold. That was B’s worst nightmare, being a lab rat again. What would it feel like to be treated as nothing more than a rat?

“How can you do that to him? He’s just a kid!” Brian cried.

Lance said nothing.

“How do we get into your base? We can’t find the entrance!” Bri said.

“I won’t tell you!” Lance cried. “I don’t care, I won’t tell you!” He laughed slightly. “I know you’re planning a mission to go and rescue them, but it won’t work! The Gerai know! I told them!”

Brian saw Bri falter slightly. Bri was desperate to go on this rescue mission and save them, but now it might all be a failure.

“What did you tell them?” Darren asked quickly.

Lance turned his face towards the older man. “They’re coming to this base. They’re coming to attack, but you cant’ prepare.” He glanced up at Bri. “You won’t make it to the base. They may not be willing to kill your new friend, but they want to kill you. You won’t be able to save B or Sammy.”

Bri glared at him. “You’re a freak to human nature,” he whispered. Slowly he backed away and sat down on the edge of a nearby bed. He closed his eyes and placed a hand against his face. Brian could feel his melancholy as it sank through to his stomach.

Lance sounded so certain that they were going to fail. His voice was cold and triumphant, almost ordering them to give up hope. How could they forget about B and Sammy though?

“Let me talk to him,” Darren said as he gently moved Brian’s restraining hands from Lance’s wrists.

Brian nodded and saw that the skin which Brian had seized had turned red and was sure to form bruises later. He looked down at his own hands, hardly believing how brutal he had been. That could happen sometimes. He could become so wrapped up about his family that he lost control of his actions. Last time he had come here, he had pushed Jurgon from a platform into a furnace. He had murdered the man. He had tried to push the thought from his mind, but he had killed him.

He backed away and found himself sitting down beside Bri. Would he ever see them again? He did not want B to think that he had not come for him and he did not want Sammy to believe that he’d been forgotten.

Lance slowly sat up and his eyes flickered towards the Brians before he stared at the imposing figure of Darren. His eyes had suddenly glazed over.

“Now tell us,” Darren said softly. “Where is the entrance to your base?”

Lance shook his head. “I won’t betray my people. I won’t tell you!” Suddenly he had pulled a strange object which looked like a knife handle from his belt. He pressed something on top and a blade slid out. Darren took a step back, but Lance was not aiming for him. He pressed the blade against his own throat and then laughed. “I’ll tell you one thing though. I have planted over twenty explo-discharges all over your base! they’ll activate in forty eight hours!” He plunged the blade into his own throat and gargled for a split second before slumping forwards.

Darren had gasped slightly and frantically stared about them, but the others could only look at Lance.

Brian’s mind seemed to have difficulty in catching up with what had just happened. Lance’s eyes were glassy and the blood frothed at his throat. He felt suddenly sick and he placed a hand to his own throat. He had always hated people touching his throat, or putting pressure there (unless it was from something softer than fingers anyway…) He had always shuddered when he imagined anyone cutting him there. Now his eyes were fixed upon Lance’s body. A few moments ago, he had been living and breathing but now he was dead.

He reminded him of B. they both looked so young. How could a young boy like this die for the Gerai?

Nick crossed over to them silently and placed a sheet over Lance’s body to hide it from view. They all looked at one another silently Lance had told them nothing but grim news.

“What are… explo-discharges?” Brian asked eventually. Darren had practically jumped at the words.

“Timer bombs,” Bri replied. “They are tiny and you can hide them. They detonate after a certain amount of time with an explosion.” He looked up at the others. “What do we do? Was he lying?”

Bombs? Brian found himself casting suspicious looks about his surroundings. He’d begun to think that this day could not get much worse.

“We can’t risk not listening to him,” Darren said. “It’s a race against time to find those discharges now.”

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