Chapter 2
Mina strode quickly through M's factory. All the corridors seemed identical. It had been a good ten minutes and she hadn't got anywhere. She had no idea where she had to go to find Dorian. She had already had to dodge several guards, and if she didn't hurry up, the others would sound the alarm and then she stood no chance of finding him. He was not a coward, but he wasn't going to stick around if the League returned.
Mina gazed over the wall hangings that surrounded her. She had seen them all before. She was just walking around in circles. Angrily, she raised her hands to her head. It was useless. Focusing her eyes once more, she noticed a small window over one of the tapestries. She hadn't noticed it the last time she had been here.
Slowly, she walked over to the hanging and brushed her fingers across it. The wall behind it wasn't flat. Cautiously, Mina lifted it and looked behind it. There was a doorway.
She took hold of the handle and prepared herself for the worst.
The door creaked slowly as Mina pushed it open. It was a small room, but just as dark and dreary as the rest of the building. The walls were covered in horrific paintings and the only source of light shone from the small window above the door she had entered by. Her eyes followed the beam of light to where it fell on an old oak wardrobe. It was, surprisingly, very tasteful in design making it stand out like a sore thumb in the drab room. There was a quiet shuffle. Mina jumped slightly and looked over into the far corner of the room. Another person was in the room.
Catching her breath, Mina watched the man crouched in the corner. His back faced her allowing a little light to fall on his grimy shirt. His hair was a mess and a cord was wrapped tightly around his upper arm. He turned slightly, reaching to his side for the syringe that was on the ground. Mina recognised him.
"Sanderson Reed," she said slowly. The air in the room suddenly became unusually thick and seemed to stick in her throat as she tried to breathe. Startled, the man turned to face her, fumbling to stand. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth slightly when he saw her.
"You're alive!" Reed whispered. He dropped the syringe and ran towards her. "You're alive! I can't believe it!" His face broke into a hysterical laugh. "I hoped and prayed you weren't dead." As he reached her, Reed took her hands in his own. Mina quickly pulled herself away from him.
"Traitor." She spluttered at him. His face dropped and he winced slightly. She noticed how blood-shot his eyes were, how dirty his skin was. He looked so different to how he had done when she first met him. All the life had been drained form his face. His still reminded her of Jonathan, but how he was in those final few days.
Reed looked at her in silence for a moment. Their eyes fixed on each other's. He broke away and sighed exhaustedly.
"I don't blame you for thinking that." He took a few paces from her, dragging his feet. "I know this all looks bad."
"You let us believe that you were on our side," Mina hissed, watching him walk slowly from her. "You brought us together to destroy what little hope was left in this sorry world." Reed kicked a book across the room and turned furiously to face Mina.
"I had no choice; it was my job." He shouted, striding towards her. "You seriously believe that all of this was down to me?" He raised his hands to her shoulders and gripped them firmly. "Do you really think I had any choice in the matter?" Mina stared heatedly at him. Reed breathed deeply and slowly let his arms drop to his side. Stepping back, he brought a hand up to his face and wiped it over his tired eyes. "This wasn't what I thought I was signing myself up for. I had no idea that he was planning to kill you. I would never do anything to hurt you." Mina continued to stare at him.
"It's a little late to be making excuses," She told him sternly. Breaking away from him, she turned her back and retreated. "There is more than one way to hurt someone." There was a lump at the back of her throat. How could he still remind her of Jonathan after what he had done?
"There was nothing to stop you from leaving once you knew what was happening!" She hissed, turning back to face him.
"Oh, really!" He choked. "I supposed M was just going to let me walk out, just like that? You have no idea what resources he has. I would not have survived the night."
Mina did not reply, yet every emotion inside her was flaring up. Anger, pity, fear, hate, disgust, shame, love, betrayal. All of these and a thousand more were racing through her head. Each competing with another, denying her any conclusion about how she should feel.
Reed took a moment to calm down. He pulled the cord from his arm and threw it to the floor. He turned from Mina and shuffled back into his corner.
"You should get out of here. Now." He muttered under his breath. "As soon as M finds out that you aren't dead, there won't be any time to escape before he ensures that you are."
"I do not fear death," Mina replied quickly. "Not like you." Reed didn't move from the corner. He remained standing, looking down at his feet.
Mina watched him intently. He made no attempt to move or speak. She paced slowly towards him.
"You let me believe that you could love me," She slowly hissed over his shoulder. He recoiled slightly. "I stupidly thought that somebody cared for me. I should have known long before then that it was just some façade!" Reed turned his head and looked Mina in the face. He breathed slowly, preparing himself.
"I have never said anything to you that I didn't genuinely mean." He swallowed, pausing slightly. "You have been the only thing on my mind through this whole ordeal. You are the only thing that has kept me sane. When I found out about M's bomb on the Nautilus, I cursed myself for ever letting you meet him."
Mina gazed at Reed in silence. He was scared and desperate. She had never seen a man so distraught ever before. A pang of sympathy hit her stomach.
"I know I am a coward." He spluttered. "But you must let me make it up to you. I can prove to you that I have changed." Before Mina could reply, Reed stumbled quickly across the room to the oak wardrobe. Standing beside it, he placed both hands on its side and began to push. His face strained with great effort as he leaned into the wardrobe. After a few seconds, the wardrobe shifted slightly, dragging through the layer of dirt on the floor. Behind it was an aged wooden door. Catching his breath, Reed moved back towards a curious Mina.
"I don't think M knows about this exit. It's the only safe way out that I know of." He told Mina. Reed reached for her hand and brushed his fingers against it. "Come with me."
"What?" Mina whispered.
"Let's just leave this place. This whole life." He grabbed hold of her hands and pulled them towards him. "We may just be able to escape M before he realises that I am gone."
Mina didn't speak. Her mind was clouded. She wasn't sure whether she was conscious or not.
"We can start afresh. A normal life." He continued. "Isn't that what you want?" He paused as he watched over Mina's expressionless face. "It's all I have wished for since I met you."
Reed waited as Mina refrained from responding. He eyes scanned over her face, trying to read what she was thinking. She was so beautiful. If only he had been able to meet her under normal circumstances.
"It is your decision," he told her. "I could not face it by myself." Mina stood in silence. The past few weeks had been unbearable. Dorian had reminded her how poorly she had been treated in the past. She looked at Reed. This whole concept had suddenly changed his mood. The tiredness had fallen from his face and he seemed to be surrounded by an elated glow. He looked so much more like the man she had first met.
Mina thought of the League's mission and how much it meant to her. Of course, she did not fear death. What was there to fear? There was an eternal life in front of her. All she wanted was company. Somebody to fill the void that Jonathan had left within her. But she had a duty. She had her friends.
"I cannot leave them now," Mina whispered to Reed. His expression remained the same, but this glow that had grown around him vanished.
"Very well," Reed replied slowly. He paused for a moment and gazed at Mina thoughtfully. "You're looking for Mr Gray, are you not?" He asked her. She didn't reply, just as he had expected. He took a few steps closer to her. "You're going to kill him." Mina looked up at him and took a small breath in.
"That is what I'm here for." She told Reed. He continued to walk towards her, only stopping when there seemed to be no space between them. She watched his eyes as they flickered over her face.
Slowly, he raised a hand to her face and brushed his fingers over her cheeks. Mina bit her lip.
"You'll find him in the East Tower," Reed told her, softly, as he continued to stroke her cheek. "If you turn right out of this door and head up the stairs at the end of the corridor, it should lead you to his room." He gazed into her eyes. She had softened slightly. The disappointment that he had seen before had changed into a look of longing.
Reed smiled amiably at her and brought his other hand to her face. Mina closed her eyes and stepped away from him.
"Please, don't" She whispered, briefly, and turned from him. "Please, not now." Reed dropped his hands and mentally scolded himself. Mina brought a hand to her face and subtly wiped a tear from her eye. "I really must go." She began to pace towards the door.
Reed walked away from her back into the corner. He stared at the syringe on the floor. That was his only route now.
"Promise me you'll be careful," Reed called to her, his eyes staying firmly on the floor. Mina turned around. She watched him pick the cord and the syringe from the floor.
"I'm not able to make any promises right now." She told him. Reed had wrapped the cord around his arm once more and proceeded to stick the needle in his arm. He threw his head back as he pushed the plunger, injecting the substance into his blood stream. Letting out a painful yell, he fell to the floor. Mina rushed towards him.
"Sanderson," she called. She knelt down quickly beside him and grabbed hold of his hand. His face was screwed up in immense pain, but he managed to turn his head to Mina and open his eyes briefly to see her.
"Just go," He said through gritted teeth. "Do what you have to do." Mina pulled his hand to her face. Reed let out another agonizing howl, and she looked at his fingers. They were starting to disappear.
"Go!" Reed shouted at her. Her lifted his free arm and pressed his hand against her shoulder, pushing her away.
Mina stood and watched for a few seconds as his arm began to vanish. Against her will, she turned from Reed and paced towards the door. He let out another cry as Mina opened the door. She peered over her shoulder and saw him completely disappear.
"I promise I'll be careful," She whispered to herself, and she turned out of the door and headed off to the East Tower.
Mina rushed out of the burning factory towards the others who had congregated outside. Jekyll was wrapped up in his coat, tending to a burnt Skinner. Nemo stood with a hand on the shoulder of Sawyer who was sat in the snow on the floor with his head in his hands. Quatermain was nowhere to be seen. Mina frowned.
"Where's Quatermain?" She asked. Nemo looked up at her, sadly and Sawyer brought his face from his hands. His eyes were red and wet.
"Moriaty stabbed him." Sawyer whispered. He slumped his face in his hands again. "He didn't get through it. Moriaty stabbed him as he shot Reed trying to save me." Mina took in a sharp breath.
"As he shot Reed?" She repeated. A cold sensation flooded through her body. She bit her lip and tried desperately to breathe properly. Her whole body seemed to stop working. Without warning, she felt a tear run down her cheek.
"It's alright, Mrs Harker," Nemo spoke softly to her. "He was a great man. But now he will be safe with the Gods." Slowly, she turned and walked away from the group.
Mina continued to sob. Reed had offered an escape for her. She could have saved him. But now it was too late. She had been so sure of herself before. But now she couldn't tell. Had Reed really been nothing more that a traitor?
NB: Yes, I enjoyed that. I feel a lot better now. Reviews and comments would be lovely!