*Warning; Graphic scenes ahead!

Chapter Fifteen; Caught Red Handed

The sun lashed viciously at the battered earth at unreasonable temperatures, and Beck sat in the interior of his truck, praying to God that by some miracle the air conditioning would decide to work, even after two years of idleness. He stripped himself of any clothing he had despite his tattered, dirty jeans and combat boots and he was even tempted to take those off, however, he resisted this urge for the sake of his comrades. And like any other he desperately wished to reason that it could be worse, but at this point, he wasn't exactly sure if that statement could mark true or not.

On the bright side, he thought as he exhaustedly moved to check the supply of water left within the canteen he normally carried around, Cat was fine. Yes, the redhead had awoken the night before and, albeit a tad different from what they could tell as of right now, she was just dandy. Sore and partially blue-eyed yes, but otherwise she was alright. Jade was more than relieved and if his former lover and best friend was content, so was he (he was always empathetic) – besides, he didn't like to see his favorite little redhead in so much pain either, and he doubted that anybody did for that matter. Yet they had been warned by their young leader to keep a careful watch on Cat should she not be around, and he couldn't agree more.

His fingers finally curled around the sullen canteen at the bottom of his seat, and eagerly, he uncapped it, tilting it to the lips and awaiting the semi-cool liquid to trek down his depleted throat. Yet to his dismay, not a single speck of crystalline water could be found. Nonetheless he squinted and peaked inside the dark canteen in false hope that he might find something, no matter if the back of his mind declared he was completely delirious and disorientated from this awful heat in which they were forced to endeavor for the time being.

"Damn it all," He cursed as he hopped out of his truck and into what was left of the parking lot of the Military School, damp skin exposed to the scorching heat and instantaneously burning up. Combat boots scraping against the gravel beneath his feet, he made his way to the back of Sikowitz car in which most of the gang was gathered.

"Ah Beck, so gloriously handsome and sweaty." Sikowitz commented humorlessly, arms unfolding from his chest. Beck furrowed his brow at his former teacher and handed him his canteen, vaguely aware of the others around him. Cat and Jade weren't present at the moment, Tori had rolled her shirt up to expose her sweaty stomach and was in shorts, the other two boys were shirtless just as he was, and Trina…Trina was sunbathing in a bathing suit they had begrudgingly taken from an abandoned store.

"Um…yeah. I just need some water, Sikowitz. Can you fill that up?" He requested as he swiped his brow with his forearm, eyes narrowed as the lustrous sun beat into his {poor} exposed irises.

"I'm afraid that's a no can do!" The eldest man said, tossing his canteen back at the younger, flabbergasted boy. Before he could ask however, the former teacher elaborated on his previously spoken statement with authority lacing his voice, fingers scratching idly at his nearly hairless scalp unconsciously. "See young Beckett, there isn't enough water for me to fill that canteen of yours – let alone any of ours. Jade and Cat are out speculating for more inside."

"Cat should be resting," He responded eagerly, resisting the urge to chuck the empty flagon straight across the desert lands, "and no water? Absolutely none at all? Are you sure?"

"Quite." Robbie ran a hand lethargically through his messy curls, sweat dripping down his narrow facial, "if there was, I'd be bathing in it just about now."

"Those cold showers don't seem so bad anymore…" Commented Tori from the sidelines, a groan threading her tone.

"What about food?" Beck questioned with a crinkled nose, a grimace marring his handsome features.

If they were running low on supplies and there was nothing edible, or healthy, in the ramshackle building behind them then this indeed, was not a good sign. It could mean that, whilst their vehicles couldn't run in such heat (especially rickety cars in which they provided), they were balancing on a life or death situation. And, with their backup plan was commencing expeditiously, they had not come this far just to die a weak death such as starvation or because they were simply parched. He wasn't sure if it was just him, but when he passed away, he wanted to die 'epically'.

"Apparently, the only thing we have left – according to Jade – is each other." André commented with a roll of his eyes, "but cannibalism is frowned upon guys, no need to jump at each other." He stuffed his hands within his pockets and flopped upon the terrain beside Tori, just as the Goth and Cat approached the vaguely shaded vehicle hand in hand; both girls seemed solemn.

"No luck in there, everything we found was either rotten or infested with maggots. Pipes are dry and the only water there is, is brown and dripping from the ceiling." Jade growled as she hauled herself beside Sikowitz in the interior of the van. Standing beside him, Cat cradled her wounded arm against her chest and bit her lip, glaring down at the familiar particles of sand that blanketed what was left of Arizona, and surely, most other parts of the world.

"Well we can't exactly leave…the cars would overheat if we ran them too much." He informed the others, running a hand through his ebony locks exasperatedly, and jugular feeling as though it was being rubbed upon sandpaper.

There was a brief silence.

"How are you, Cat?" Tori's query faired nothing more than a whisper and Beck had strained to hear her, yet the small girl flanking him seemed to hear her quite perfectly.

"I'm okay. I never got to thank you, you know…for saving me." Said Cat with a gentle smile that didn't reach her eyes – she looked tired.

"You're welcome. It was nothing, really –"

"BIRD!"

Robbie's scream interrupted her promptly, and all seven of them glanced over at the boy, whose eyes were as wide as saucers. He was pointing off in the distance, where there was indeed, a lone bird pecking aimlessly at the sand. It was the first animal (despite the dogs) that didn't appear to be infected, that he had seen within ages.

"Are you suggesting that we kill that thing for food for the seven of us?" Jade questioned quietly, slowly hopping to her feet.

"I don't like this…" Tori said warily, shuffling quietly beside her elder sister as she lay resting and idle upon the ground, her bottom lip wedged between her teeth. He glanced toward Cat, expecting her to do the same, yet was rather surprised when she appeared just as ravenous as the rest of them. Then again, he supposed, it must have been a part of the side effects – and if that wasn't enough to make him wary, he didn't exactly know what was.

"Yeah…I got this guys," He waved them behind him, and cautiously moved forward to where the small pigeon was resting, flapping its wings relentlessly.

Beck moved at a painstakingly dilatory manner, one hand at shoulder level in signal to silence his comrades as they shuffled anxiously several feet behind him. He could vaguely hear Cat's slight whimper of disapproval – but it was loud enough for the arduous pigeon to take notice, beak inches away from the Canadian's monotonous assertion. He lunged the moment it squawked in a sudden fright, expeditiously wrapping his fingers around the writhing body as it pecked painfully at his fingers with its beak ajar. He could feel its pulsing veins against the paper thin hide, the hammering heart as it thumped rashly in dismay, holding on as tightly as he could.

Each of his friends subconsciously took a step back as Beck barbarously grappled his fingers around the bird's neck. He didn't exactly blame them; it must have been an awful sight to see (for all those except for Jade and possibly Cat now, he presumed). Yet they were hungry and increasingly so – they needed to survive if they wanted to carry out this supposed mission of theirs. Even if that meant eating anything they could get a hold of, no matter how horrible it may have seemed.

Hey, that was survival, and it wasn't like he hadn't had to deal with a similar situation as before. The fish he used to catch…he could only imagine what they felt, and he assumed their reactions were less relentless as this bird's.

Clenching his jaw he murmured a silent sorry to the pigeon attempting to wrench itself from his iron grasp, before promptly twisting his entire hand. The sickening snap of the neck bone elicited (Tori and Trina screeched in disgust and sorrow for such a horrific sound), yet this did not stop him. He twisted again, this time much more expeditiously – he didn't like to think this bird was suffering because of him, even if he was killing it. Crimson liquid spilled upon his hands in rivers and he abruptly felt too disgusted to continue further, albeit his hands remained upon the limp, deceased bird he had just brutally hunted.

Swallowing a thick lump within his throat, nearly gagging at the sight of the rouge sanguine spilling on his hands- dying olive skin crimson -, he carefully gripped the head of the bird that hung by a single strand upon the body between his fingers, and pulled it clean off of its body. By instinct he moved to remove the feathers, plucking gently at the albino (yet crimson embraced) fringe, however, he didn't completely expect that along with the deportation process, off came the hide as though he was peeling glue from his own skin, exposing tendons, muscles and vital organs that spilled out like spaghetti.

Although so covetous that he could eat anything thrown at him, he was rapidly losing his appetite, and dropped the mangled bird to the terrain with a scowl of disgust, flicking his wrist to rid his fingers from the stringy intestines that had somehow managed to wrap itself around him.

Everyone about him stared with equal expressions of disgust upon their faces, down at the poor bird he had most likely just killed for absolutely no reason at all – even Jade, who was the first to speak. "Anybody willing to eat that?" She asked; pale smooth lips peeled back in a signature grimace of repugnance she was unable to bite back. Beck stepped away from it, blood nearly dripping from his hands, proving that he was completely unwilling. He took a glance at each of his comrades; each looked repulsed (Jade looked slightly daring)…except for Cat. In her strange, multi-pigmented eyes, held hunger and want. And he wasn't going to lie and say that it wasn't intimidating, although he didn't naturally feel threatened by someone of her tiny size.

"Okay…your losses" Drawled Jade, bending over to warily pick up the pigeon by one of its mangled wings with her fingertips, scrutinizing it with narrowed eyes as she held it inches before her face. Crimson amalgamated upon the turf beneath her and Robbie rushed off, gagging and retching. Tori and Trina followed him quickly, and even André took several steps away from it.

"Are you going to?" Cat inquired curiously, dark eyebrows quirking up to her hairline. Beck was surprised she hadn't ran off with the three of them either – yet at the same time, he wasn't.

If that made sense at all. He blamed the heat and the gory sight before him.

Jade and Cat met eyes and the two lovers shared an unspoken conversation; the Goth girls eyes were narrowed whilst the redhead's held expectance. Finally, the leader pursed her lips and averted her gaze. "We'll split it."

Beck bit his tongue before speaking, "I guess I'll take some of it too…" He cleared his throat, stomach lurching uneasily.

"As will I," Said Sikowitz, sitting Indian style on the ground and hands grappling bare feet awkwardly.

He watched as the two girls fell to their bottoms and quickly fell in their wake, eyes curiously observing Jade as she pick-pocketed a knife from Cat's shorts and proceeded to skin the bird with the iron blade, her expression of revolt never straying her whilst she did so. He desired to help her, being the man (as André had fled the scene as well and knowing fully that Sikowitz wouldn't dare too), yet he couldn't find it within himself to do so. After all, killing it was hard enough, and he hadn't even been able to skin it afterward in the first place anyway.

Several minutes later, a small chunk of meat was tossed his way, landing in a repulsive heap before his combat boots. Beck picked it up carefully and, without anymore hesitation, propped it within his mouth and begun to chew. His first instinct was to gag in disgust at the zest of copper and uncooked muscle but he held it down like a man. It felt like rubber against his tongue, near impossibly to chew or swallow – like liquid-y gum. And, whilst he chewed, his nimble fingers worked on separating the remainder of the portion of meat that he had left in front of him, picking at the blue, noodle-like veins.

Beside him, Cat was acting rather carnivorously as she ate her portion. She too looked disgusted but far less than the others; something that no one, not even Jade, had expected out of her despite the antivirus mingled with the infection lingering within her blood.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of chewing the small division of meat he swallowed – it moved slowly down his throat with a chaste burn and sting, but it was refreshing enough, leaving his abdomen growling for more. Beck begun to eat more vigorously now, eyes downcast, wishing to just get this over with so he was satisfied, content, and could go sleep off his repugnance that was slowly but surely, feasting away at his vague emotions.

"What time do you think that we can drive, Beckett?" Jade asked from across from him, using the sleeve of her shirt to wipe the crimson staining her lips. She was a bit green in the face, steel gray eyes fleeting over to her girlfriend, whom had also finished.

"I'm not too sure," He responded, words muffled from his chewy meal, "depends on what the weather is like later on tonight…we can't risk overheating our cars."

"This can't wait any longer, if anything, we have to get to the lab by tomorrow." She twirled a pair of scissors around her besmirched fingers, staring him down. "We haven't really explained it in full detail that one night…but it's something that needs to be done soon. Before anything else gets carried away, especially-"

"Especially since we've discovered the dogs," Finished Cat as she too finished her portion, cheeks pale and wide chocolate, blue ringed eyes intently focused upon him, as he was the last one eating his fill. Sikowitz lay idly upon his back, hands upon his stomach.

"So why don't you explain it now." Beck offered with a shrug of indifference, cheeks and chin tainted rouge from his sloppy, quick feasting.

"As we said, we want to bomb the entire facility. But before we do that, we need to smuggle that antivirus from them," Explained their leader as she scooted over to her girlfriend, their shoulders pressed against one another. "Rina and I will go in and set the bombs, but we'll need you, or Dre to get the antivirus from their grasp without them expecting anything."

"Where exactly do Robbie, Tori, Trina and myself fit into this, Ms. West?" Asked Sikowitz curiously, voice oddly dreamy as he stared, narrow eyed, up at the cloudless sky.

"Before going to the Odyssey we're going to need transportation other than cars." Said Cat, "so we're going to the Arizona Airport!"

"You're kidding," Beck blanched, eyebrows raising just the slightest in faint amusement and disbelief – his disgust disregarded for the time being.

"No," Jade glared, "we're not. Either Robbie or Sikowitz can handle a helicopter, which will ensure us a safe get away should me and Rina make it out of the Odyssey before the bombs set off. I know exactly where we can get those, so that should be no problem for us. If you thought it would be, think again."

"How did you manage to get them? Or…better yet, how do you even know?" Beck questioned.

"A lady never reveals her secrets, Beckett." She answered nonchalantly, picking the caking blood off of her skin with her black coated nails. "Shapiro, Sikowitz, and the Vegas will break off into groups of two, keeping watch at both entrances just in case something happens – I want Shapiro with the helicopter at all times. When you and André make it out of the Odyssey with the antivirus you'll go to him and help keep watch, or you can go to Vega, or Vega senior."

"And you and Cat?"

"We'll be coming out of the exit closest to where Robbie's at." Cat gave him a small, tight-lipped grin in which he returned with one of his own, apprehensive toward their precise planning.

"Have you two thought of the consequences should you be caught, at all?" Sikowitz sat up promptly, his hand rubbing at the stubble growing upon his facial. "This is a rather dangerous procedure you've been planning, isn't it?"

"Yes, we never said it wasn't. And if we get caught, you'll know. In that case, I want you all to leave without us."

"Jade –"

"Beck, don't even start with me." She warned, her tone threatening. "Remember what I said? I'm leaving you and Sikowitz in charge if that's the case."

Cat abruptly stood, hands held out and clenched in front of her, tinted with crimson. She shook thin tendrils of magenta hair from her face and simultaneously walked off, bad arm curled toward her abdomen in a feeble attempt to nurse it without touching it. The trio watched her, and her girlfriend sighed, fishing a cigarette from her pocket and lighting it.

"She doesn't like this next part." She said, releasing tuffs of tobacco smoke into the scorching hot air.

"I have a feeling I won't either, then." Beck and Sikowitz shared a look of equal concern, the two men leaning forward in anticipation.

Taking a hit from her cauterizing cigarette, Jade kept her expression a scowl. "If she makes it out and I don't, you best keep her from coming in after me. I'm setting the bomb the farthest from the exit, so I doubt I'll be skipping through the exit along with her. You got that? 'Cause I swear, if you let her back in…"

"Got it." Beck's answer was tense, and like his companion, he walked off without another word with his fists round at his side.

He didn't like this plan.

No, it wasn't because he'd have to enter the heavily guarded facility.

It was because the chances of everyone making it out alive and well were slim, and Beck wasn't quite ready to replace and move on without the most important people in his life.

Ugh, writing that bird scene (haha, unintentional pun…) was really difficult. I mean, I may be a girl who likes metal bands and may be labeled as "Goth", but I'm a sucker for animals. Seriously – I can't even handle flushing a gold fish…-.- But yeah. I hinted some changes in Cat if you picked up on them; they'll become more defined as the chapters go on. They were kind of obvious, but if you didn't get them then no worries!

Anyway, I'm so sorry for the incredibly long wait! Truth be told, I just wrote this one up now, and I made a mistake in the previous chapter. This isn't where the fun begins, it's the one after this one (promise!) because this was to introduce that the major plot line, as you might already know. So I apologize for that too; but hey. I'm human and like everyone else I make my silly mistakes!

Hope you enjoyed this one, even if I did repulse you when Beck killed that poor little pigeon! :|

Sacrifices. You gotta make them, aha.

Special thanks to: Shapiro, Infinii, Kidd,LostInASeaOfSilence, Mister X, CorsomeeCorey and SeaIng for your awesome reviews! They make my day a whole lot better! :) Keep 'em coming!