Chapter 28 - Eleanor

Bring an extra pair of underwear.

I had to be sedated.

Once the door was locked, Callahan removed his PARA suit and unpacked his bag. He gave me his flask, insisting I drink. The last thing I remembered was slumping down on the couch, and him telling me he'd clean me up and put me to bed. Lifting the blanket and looking down, I saw he'd stuck to his word. I was in clean clothes.

Mortification rose to my face, as I remembered why exactly I needed to be changed out of my clothes. I'd peed myself when I saw the beast use its tentacles to climb out of the tank and chase us down the long hall. I'd never been that scared in my life. I'd never truly felt like my life was at risk. Which was odd, because while this was the most afraid I'd ever been, it was also the most safe.

I looked to my left. Callahan lay, shirtless with his handgun on his chest, sleeping soundly. Despite being terrified of the monster chasing us, I knew Callahan was going to save me.

I don't think my old Daddy would have done what Cal did. I think in the end, self-preservation would have kicked in and the moment I tripped I would have been abandoned and ultimately eaten by that shark-octopus thing.

I lifted the blanket off me and climbed out of bed. The carpet was soft, and I padded slowly to the living room, looking around. This bunker was odd. Some levels looked atrocious and scary, while others looked like people still could live here. This unit was an example. I didn't smell mildew, and nothing was faded or chipped. It was trapped in time, as if they'd only left yesterday, or not at all.

I found my clothes in the kitchen area sink. I groaned. He'd hand-washed my panties. They were stretched out to dry with a bar of soap beside them. I wanted to curl up in a ball and die of embarrassment.

I went to my bag and pulled out a package of freeze-dried vegetables. I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten, but my stomach was rumbling. I ate quietly on the couch and returned to the bed. Callahan stirred, opened his eyes just enough to see me, and removed the gun from his chest, putting it on the stand beside the bed.

"Come here, baby." He opened his arms and patted his chest.

Baby?

My belly fluttered as I crawled down and cuddled into the crook of his arm. I snuggled my head against his chest and inhaled deeply, relishing in the smell of his cologne. I was growing familiar with it. He wrapped his other arm around me and sighed. A moment later, his breathing steadied and he began to lightly snore.

He called me baby.What had he meant by that?

Was he making fun of me for my accident? Or had he used it in a more affectionate way? I fell asleep pondering it, and planning to ask him about it once we woke up for good. But I'd completely abandoned the foolish idea when he stirred under me and then swore.

I blinked awake and sat up, pulling away from him. I guessed that answered it. I tried to hide my disappointment by rushing to the bathroom and washing my face. There was a wet rag hanging by the sink, and for a moment I was confused, until he stepped into the doorway, fully clothed.

"I cleaned you up a bit. I apologize if it was intrusive."

It took me a moment, but when I understood I covered my face. He'd cleaned me up? He'd washed my underwear, and then redressed me? How strong was the medicine he'd given me?

"How are you feeling?" he asked, eyeing me cautiously.

"I'm okay. What do we have to do today?"

"I say we search for a way back up and tell them we couldn't find what they wanted us to look for."

"You don't care about the mission?" I stepped out of the bathroom and went to the living room, where the folder with our instructions and orders lay scattered on the coffee table.

"Not at all. I think they knew exactly what was down here, and were expecting us to fall victim to it."

"The Octoshark?"

"The horrors of this place in general. I have a sneaking suspicion he's not the only monster in here. While you were asleep, I did some exploring on this floor."

Alone? Callahan didn't seem phased by the look of shock on my face. He paced, and kept talking.

"I found their records. They were doing experiments with ocean life. They'd pull them from the ocean and try to splice them. Some were more crudely done than others."

"Splice?" I shook my head, not understanding.

"Yes." He stopped in front of me and crouched down to look me in the eyes. "They'd take eggs from one fish and put them in another. Or other organs and parts. They bred animals that aren't meant to breed with each other. They created monsters that made no sense. I found a book of sketches."

He stood and went to the bedroom, bringing out a notebook, handing it to me. I skimmed through the pages. My stomach twisted and fear began to seep back in at what I was seeing.

"These can't be real." I tossed it away with disgust at a particularly disturbing image of a squid's head with a human's body.

"I'm afraid they are."

I looked up. Callahan's face was grim. "There's a room that I was afraid to go into. It was welded shut, but broken. They put boards through the handles."

"Then why would we go in?" I stood and stepped over the table. I waved my hands wildly. "If you see obvious signs to stay away, you do so."

He laughed dryly. "You don't think I know that?"

"Then what's the issue?"

Callahan looked like he was going to explode with anger. Suddenly, he snatched my wrist and dragged me out of the unit and down the hall.

"You're hurting me!" I whined as I stumbled over my feet.

He slowed to let me catch up, but kept his grip tight on me as he led me through the floor of housing. Finally, we rounded a corner and he stopped short, letting me go and pushing me forward.

"What's th--" I stopped short, reading the red words painted on the metal doors.I read the words again.Andthen a third time. "That can't be right. How can that be?" I turned to Callahan. "Daddy?" My voice cracked with the very littlestrengthI'd had left.

Callahan hurried to me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me to him. He kissedthetop of my head, like a father, trying to comfort his little girl.Like a Daddy, working with his Young Lady.

"It's going to be okay," he soothed. "We're going to figure it out. Let's go back to our room and prepare."

I nodded and pulled away but reached for his hand. It was warm, large, and comforting. We started back, and I took one last look at the warning written in what appeared to be fresh blood.

The only way you're getting out is by going in, Eleanor.