Chapter 16

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Narrator-

After the Warlord's not so subtle threat, taking a silent breath through his nostrils, Archer took a moment to recompose himself, then with a nod towards his escorts, they headed back to the headquarters, but only after Archer ensured that the bodyguards who witnessed the exchange, would not breathe a word of it to anyone else.

In Archer's absence, Mateo saw his chance to approach Vivian. She was sitting in a secluded corner office, scrolling through a few files on the computer, when Mateo approached her.

"Permission to disturb you?" Mateo spoke as his eyes studied Vivian's posture which instantly stiffened when she heard his voice.

Taking a deep breath, Vivian kept her eyes on the computer screen, and didn't even bother to acknowledge him. She had no intention on entertaining his playboy tendencies.

"Come on I earned a smile from you before." Mateo continued, and yet he received nothing.

Mateo knew that Vivian was mad at him, but he wanted a chance to explain himself, so after taking a silent breath, and he looked around, he noticed a small closet a few spaces from where they were. Ensuring that everyone was preoccupied, and unaware of their interaction, Mateo turned Vivian's chair quickly and grabbed onto her arm, pulling her to the closet.

Shocked, Vivian tried to swat his hand away, but her efforts only paid off when Mateo closed them in the closet.

"What in the world? Open the door!" Vivian snapped, as she finally made eye contact with Mateo.

"Not until you talk to me." Mateo replied.

Vivian huffed, "I'm pretty sure this is some type of harassment. What do you want?" she questioned with her arms crossed.

"Now why the hostility?" Mateo tried to ease the tension with some comic relief, and Vivian rolled her eyes and tried to keep up her front.

But soon enough, the sides of her mouth quirked up and Mateo smiled relieved as he said, "that's better."

Vivian shook her head, then she looked over at Mateo and raised an eyebrow as she asked "Well? Is there a reason for this?"

"Actually, yes. I wanted a chance to explain myself. I know you witnessed the exchange between me and Samantha, and I just wanted to let you know that it's not what you think." Mateo replied, though he cringed internally as he realized that his explanation did not sound as well as it did in his mind.

Vivian's smile was suddenly wiped from her face, as she pursed her lips and looked away. Mateo frowned and groaned softly, then he softened his voice as he added "I- okay. Samantha and me, we do have a history, but everything serious is over between us, and we are simply comfortable with each other. We flirt, and joke around, but that's as far as it goes."

"Mateo, frankly, I don't care about you or your shenanigans, or fling history. What happened between us earlier, that was extremely unprofessional on my part, and it meant nothing. Just a lapse in judgement. You can flirt and be with whomever you please, it is none of my concern." Vivian bit coldly, earning a frown from Mateo.

"But a word of warning," she pointed in afterthought, "you should probably avoid making a show of your relationships, if the Warlord or Dr. Glass suspects a relationship, it can be used against you." Vivian spat out feeling her stomach twist at the lies which spurted from her lips and yet burned like a poisonous venom on her tongue.

She didn't care about Warlord or Archer finding out about Mateo and his relationships. She mainly cared to saver herself from the stupid interest she found she quickly developed for Mateo. He was handsome with shoulder length curly hair. He was fit, his clothes always accentuating his muscles, and he was a charmer. Vivian had witnessed the many times some of the women looked at Mateo around the lab with interest. She wasn't looking t be like those women, nor did she want to compete. She was here to do her job and didn't need a distraction. Mateo was just that.

Mateo kept the frown at Vivian's words, and he tried to catch her eyes, but she chose to set her sights on the wall behind him.

Nodding slowly, Mateo sucked his teeth then said "alright, I understand. Please forgive me if I crossed the line Ms. Vivian. After you." He indicated towards the door, and with an exasperated humph, Vivian shoved past him, and headed out the closet.

Vivian exited the small closet, headed back to her initial spot and sat down. The moment she did so, she placed her head in her hands, and frowned when she felt her nose burn, and her eyes prick with unshed tears. She was now annoyed, angry, sad, terrified, overwhelmed, and lonely. But most importantly, she wanted nothing more than to run back to the closet and tell Mateo the truth. The truth that for the first time in a while, someone not only caught her attention, but also reciprocated her interest, and in the process made her feel something other than the stiff-back secretary of Archer Glass.

Vivian also wanted to tell him that because he suddenly affected her so, she was terrified of the disappointments and dangers she could potentially face. She was being honest with Mateo when she told him to avoid any display of feelings, because they would be used against her. Any interest she developed within these walls created a potential weakness and working for men like the Warlord and Archer Glass, she couldn't have an inkling of weakness for them to use against her.

Coming to that realization, Vivian released a deep breath, then she picked her head up, just as Mateo exited the closet. Vivian kept her eyes on the computer screen, and Mateo kept his eyes forward, but in that last moment, when he passed her by, Vivian's eyes snapped to his, and in that shared second, Vivian felt her heart skip in her chest.

Looking away quickly, Vivian couldn't help it when her cheeks flushed, and a subtle smile formed on Mateo's lips. There was still hope.

A few moments after Vivian and Mateo had settled in their seats, Archer returned to the command center. His vexed facial expression, and his tense shoulders were enough for warning for everyone around to avoid the Head Scientist at all costs.

Archer looked around, wanting for someone, anyone, to slip up, and that's when his eyes fell on Vivian. She was quick to avoid his eyes, which was not usual for Vivian. Turning, Archer flashed his eyes across the room to Mateo, who also avoided his eyes. And Archer knew... something happened between them.

The idea of Vivian and Mateo sent Archer's anger into overdrive. He needed an excuse to eliminate Mateo. Archer needed Mateo to slip up. But all in due time, now there were much more pressing matters at hand.

Archer cleared his throat, though the room was already silent, then he lifted his eyes and pursed his lips as he made his way to the front of the command center. Every single person in the room watched attentively, as the man who struck fear deep in their hearts continued his voyage to the front of the room. When he made it there, he turned and faced the expectant people in his hire, and he clasped his hands behind his back, and waited in silence, in order to build suspense.

When he could feel the tension in the air, and he was pleased with the ghost white faces around him, and he let out a breath as he said, "I am not happy. And as a result, The Warlord, is not happy. Do you understand what that means when the Warlord is not happy? It means that each and every one of you faces the chopping block, literally. The Warlord wants to see results!"

"I WANT TO SEE RESULTS!" Archer suddenly boomed, making the entire room gasp.

"MICHAEL!" Archer called forth.

"Yes sir!" Michael jumped in his shoes as he gulped and made his way up to the Head Scientist in haste.

"You said you had a way to drug the creatures. Prepare the Serum, take Mateo and a team of guards, and bring me the original four creatures. The rest of you, I need a complete list of a fresh batch of candidates of subjects, and I need the exact replica of the serum given to the mutant humans from quadrant Exa. GET TO IT!"

"YES SIR!" The command center shook, as everyone rushed to see to their tasks, and Vivian began her routine of overseeing everyone's progress, and reporting back to Archer.

At some point in the bustling environment, Michael was speaking with Mateo and the guards who were to accompany him. Distracted, Mateo's eyes flashed to Vivian who was speaking quietly to Archer. Archer looked up and noticed Mateo's eyes, and he calmly slipped his hand around Vivian's waist. Vivian gulped uncomfortably, while a disturbed blush creeped on her face, which in turn caused Mateo's blood to boil. He wanted nothing more than to rip Vivian from Archer's arms, but instead he simply focused back on the planning, which caused Archer to smirk smugly.

Vivian on the other hand couldn't be any more disgusted, but she had a feeling that Archer had his suspicions about her and Mateo, and she knew that even the tiniest slip up could have the worst repercussions.

After their small interaction in the ventilation shaft, Mateo found himself getting more and more curious about Vivian. He loved a woman who carried herself with authority and pride, and after learning that Vivian was not Archer's cuddle buddy, Mateo saw a chance with her. But he knew it wouldn't be easy, given their current working positions, but Mateo wasn't going to let that stop him. He had his eyes set on Vivian, and he would be damned if he let someone like Archer intimidate him to the point of missing out on a woman like Vivian.

Back in the forest, Khairo found himself conjuring tiny flames in the palm of his hand, and playing with it around his fingers, in hopes of keeping himself awake, given that Lauren was not the best company.

"Do you have to do that?" Lauren questioned as she looked over at Khairo with a judging gaze.

"I mean, it's not like I have anything else to do." Khairo shrugged then he added, "so I have to get creative or else I'll fall asleep and be deemed irresponsible by the others."

"Well you're not the only one staying up." Lauren pointed.

Khairo smiled and replied, "might as well be, I mean if you'd like to rest, be my guest." Khairo stated in an inviting tone, and in return Lauren rolled her eyes and scowled.

"Oh and only to watch your already inflated ego get bigger in the morning when everyone thanks you for keeping watch by yourself?" Lauren asked, though she couldn't keep a small smile from growing on her lips.

"Hey, I was simply making a suggestion." Khairo respond, as he lifted his hands and shrugged, his own smile playing on his lips.

"Yeah, not a chance. Like it or not, you're stuck with me tonight." Lauren pointed with a proud smile.

"I don't have a problem that, as long as we keep it civil, it should be an easy night." Khairo explained.

"Why wouldn't we keep it civil?" Lauren questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean it just seems that you're bent on making an enemy out of everyone in the quadrant, you argue at any given opportunity, and don't even get me started on your rift with Adina, I-"

"Alright I get it jeez. Observant much?" Lauren questioned, as she felt an embarrassed blush shade her cheeks.

"It's not hard to miss. I get it, you're confused." Khairo nodded in understanding and shrugged, "You woke up in a mad scientist's lab surrounded by strangers, and not one familiar face, not to mention you couldn't talk to anyone or ask any questions. But this is where you forget that we all went through the exact experience."

Khairo paused, but Lauren didn't appear interested in speaking, so he continued.

"I'm pretty sure the only difference is that the night we were kidnapped, you had Caviar for dinner, while the rest of us probably had burgers and pizza." Khairo spoke, then added the last part as an afterthought, which earned a soft chuckle from Lauren as she rolled her eyes and looked away.

"Well actually, I had a nice juicy burger, but I never denied that we all had the same experience, it's just, I don't know, after everything, I kind of found it hard to trust anybody." Lauren admitted, shocking both herself and Khairo at her honesty.

"And by the way, I hate caviar." Lauren added afterwards.

"I'll keep that in mind." Khairo explained, then a few moments later he began playing with the flames again.

"How did you feel during our escape?" Lauren asked after a moment of silence, and Khairo sent her a curious look, which in turn caused Lauren to shrug as she said "just trying to make conversation, or else I'll feel compelled to drench you in water."

At her words Khairo chuckled and let the fire in his hand extinguish as he said "I guess during the escape it was more of an adrenaline, you know? I had a goal, which was to get myself and my brother out. I knew that everyone else also counted on me doing my part, as they were doing theirs."

"You really love your brother, don't you?" Lauren noted, and she instantly noticed Khairo becoming more guarded.

She didn't blame him for wanting to be careful around her, Lauren knew that she hasn't been the nicest kid in the sandbox, but she figured if her journey with these strangers was to last a bit longer, then she might as well start making amends.

"You know what, no need to answer that. It's pretty obvious anyway." Lauren explained, then she looked down and frowned.

It fell quiet between them. Khairo watched Lauren, and noticed how she tried to distract herself by picking the burnt pieces of grass and rubbing them between her fingers, causing the cinder to stain the pad of her fingers.

"I'm guessing you're an only child." Khairo noted out loud.

Lauren looked up while asking sarcastically "oh? And how'd you figure that?"

"You're not really too keen on sharing or collaborating with others. It's a thing you learn when you have siblings." Khairo explained.

Lauren scoffed and shook her head while becoming defensive, "hey I'm just trying to make a simple conversation, you could drop the asshole act for a bit, don't you think?"

"Oh? The spoiled Princess calling me out for being an asshole. Isn't that just amazing." Khairo replied, his sardonic tone louder than Matthew's snoring.

Lauren rolled her eyes and sighed out frustrated as she said "Why do you do that? We were having a nice conversation, why did you have to ruin it?"

"Listen Princess," Khairo pointed her way, "I know that you've figured we're stuck with each other for the next few days, so you're working on making this as painless as possible. But what I don't like is being used, I know that as soon as you're back in your mansion getting pampered, the rest of us will be nothing but history. If you want someone to hold your hand the next few days, it's not going to be me." Khairo snapped unable to stop himself.

He has trusted one to many people, and he wasn't going to let his guard down around Lauren or anybody else. The only person he trusted in this group was his twin brother.

"I see." Lauren replied, her tone clipped.

She gulped back a lump which formed in her throat. Khairo's words were uncalled for, and she was not prepared for him to lash out the way he did. Lauren nodded as she realized that it was truly every man for himself out here. And right now, she was alone. While Khairo had Khiran, Valerie had Adina, who seemed to be forming a friendship with Jackson and Matthew. That only left her, and she was alone... as usual.

Khairo on the other hand, instantly regretted his words when he noticed the hurt which reflected in Lauren's face as she looked down and away. Of course he was a jerk, and though he did not mean to lash out at Lauren, it was best he set the record straight early in the game. He didn't need any personal attachments when all this was over. He just wanted to forget everything and move on with his life. Just him and his brother.

As the night progressed, Lauren found her silence swooning her into a deep slumber, and after what Khairo said, she wasn't too excited for another conversation. So shrugging and willing to put up with everyone's judgements in the morning, she allowed sleep to seduce her. For now, she just needed an escape.

Back in the lab, Mateo and the guards were ready to escort Michael out of the command center in order to retrieve the original four creatures from quadrant Dina. Archer found himself standing around a table with Vivian, as well as Michael and Mateo. While Michael was giving Archer the run down on their route and how he planned on drugging the creatures, Mateo couldn't stop himself from stealing glances at Vivian, who every once in a while, would catch his gaze, and look away, unable to hide her smile.

"Something you find amusing Vivian?" Archer questioned.

Vivian cleared her throat as she replied, "No sir."

"Mmh. Alright Michael, this seems very well thought out. I expect a clean retrieval. Mateo, whenever you're ready." Archer signaled.

With a nod, Mateo led Michael, and the guards towards the shaft which would allow them safe passage to the quadrant floor, where they hoped to find Frank and his fellow companions.

As Mateo climbed the ladder to the shaft, his eyes flashed to Vivian, and when he caught her staring, he sent her a wink, to which Vivian rolled her eyes, but smiled, nevertheless. Archer scowled at the exchange but did not comment. He would bid his time when it came to Vivian, and he would make sure that one way or another, Mateo would be out of the picture.


________________________________________

Hey guys!

Long time, no update... I know.

I've been trying to get back into this story for a while, and I'm trying to add it to my schedule.

What do you think so far? There's a lot of tension brewing, as well as some romances here and there.

Let me know what you think by VOTING, COMMENTING, and SHARING!

Lots of ❤❤❤

-Tania.


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