Page 6 of Fierce Claim

This is worse than I feared. If she’s got a knife with her, things could get dicey very quickly, because I don’t know if she’s aware enough of her situation that she knows what she’s doing.

I spot some people from the security team outside the building, but no lights on inside.

“Where are they?” I call out as I race to the entrance of the building. I need to get to Vera. I need to get to her as quickly as possible.

“Shooting range, at the far back.” One of them says as they open the door for me.

Okay. At least Vera and Jorge don’t seem to be on the move.

I hold up my hand as Mathew and Riley follow me inside. “Let me try something first. I might be able to get her out of there. Don’t let the security team near her until I’ve got her in my arms.”

“They won’t. They’ll stay away until I give the sign. What’s going on? What’s happening to Vera?” Mathew grabs my arm, stopping me.

“She couldn’t settle down to sleep and now her brain is messing with her. It’s a mixture of anxiety and a nightmare. Her brain is struggling to process what happened this evening and this is the result. A waking nightmare.”

“You mean, she’s sleepwalking?” Riley glances behind her, to the door, where the security team is waiting for further instructions.

“No. She’s aware of what’s going on around her, but she doesn’t realise she’s not asleep. So, she thinks and feels this is a nightmare, while she’s actually awake.”

“Can she snap out of it?” Mathew slowly lets me go, meeting my eyes, like he’s trying to get the answers straight from my brain.

“I’m going to try, but it’s probably better for her to sleep it off. If she goes back to sleep, feeling as safe as possible, she’ll wake up normally in a couple of hours.” I take a deep breath and start walking down the hall to the shooting range.

The building is quiet, apart from our footsteps.

The darkness increases the feeling of dread, but I don’t want to turn on any lights, in case it scares Vera. She’s got a weapon and I have no idea what her state of mind is right now, so I have no idea if she’s a threat to anyone or herself.

Vera’s pheromones linger in the hallway, a mixture of anxiety and determination, while Jorge’s pheromones are full of fear. It’s a bad combination that I’m struggling to fight against, struggling to avoid influencing my mind. For this to work, I need to stay as calm as possible.

There’s light under the door to the shooting range, though I can’t hear anything yet as the place is sound-proofed. Normally, a good thing; right now, very frustrating.

I quietly open the door, hoping to not startle them. Their pheromones spill into the hallway, making a slow rumble start up in my chest. Their pheromones are thick with fear and anxiety and it’s making me want to kill anyone who’s threatening them.

“We’re all okay.” Jorge’s voice is quiet, trying to sound soothing, but failing. “I promise you. We’re all safe. Everyone is inside, waiting for you to come to bed.”

“I can’t let this happen again. It’s too dangerous.” Vera’s voice is calm, at odds with her pheromones.

There’s movement at the end of the hall, and then Jorge steps backwards from behind one of the partitions that split the range up into more personal areas. His face is pale and he’s holding up his hands, like he’s trying to protect himself.

I motion for Mathew and Riley to stay in the hallway, before I slip through the door.

The movement catches Jorge’s attention and he quickly shakes his head, mouthing “no” in my direction.

I close my eyes, trying to flood the range with protective pheromones, but theirs are too strong, I won’t be able to reach Vera like this. I’ll have to get a lot closer first.

Luckily, there are some boxes at their end, so I motion for Jorge to get behind them. If Vera doesn’t see him, she might forget he’s there, that should keep him safe.

Once Jorge has hidden himself, I call out, trying to keep my voice as conversational as possible, trying to make her feel safe. “Vera? Are you in here?” I know she is, but hopefully this makes it seem like I’m simply trying to find her, that I’m not a threat.

“Caleb! Good morning!” Her voice is clear, upbeat. “You can go back to sleep. I’m just here to practice.” Does she not realise that she’s saying something else now than what she told Jorge just moments ago, or is she aware enough that she’s trying to get me out of here?

Let’s see what happens if I play along.

“Did you have breakfast yet? You should at least have a good meal before you start working out. I thought Derrick made that clear?” I walk closer to the section she’s in, keeping my pheromones strong.

“I’ll have breakfast later. It’s still early.”

I expect to hear shots at any moment, but it stays quiet. Her pheromones also haven’t calmed down, so I don’t think she’s aware of what’s going on, she thinks she’s still in the middle of a nightmare.

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