Contradicting Worlds 23 Her Game

FIVE DAYS HAVE Pa.s.sED after that day. I have been visiting the barracks more frequently and I have been training the warriors personally within those five days. I am earning a reputation here by befriending the right officials and by acting nicely towards the warriors. I checked on them every time, especially the ones who were in the medical wards. Now, I do not feel their glares on the back of my head instead, they smile at me every time I pa.s.s them. I told them not to call me commander and not to salute at me since I still feel weird about the whole me being their commander thing. Well, at least except for one, that is Belinda, she keeps on her act of being nice to me when I am around then speaking rude things when I turn around. She thought I wouldn't know, I probably have more friends than her now.

Speaking of friends, I have been visiting Raven and my other companions for a while now (I am more than thankful that they are sitting in the same dungeon). I told them about the videos Mica made, they were shocked but they took the news better than I did. We didn't have to be discreet without meetings since I told the director about it, she gave me her permission because apparently, I have been doing a great job as a commander so far. Though we've had to be very very quiet of what we were talking about and we have Lia, Aimee, and Daniella to thank for that. I learn that Aimee's ability lies in memorizing, Daniella's electricity, yeah, I know that. As for Lia I still haven't had the chance to ask her about what her ability is but I am looking forward to it since they are under my team.

Since then, I haven't got the chance to open my ribbon once again because I am being heavily guarded 24/7. But to pa.s.s the time, I try my best to remember the map of the castle as well as the map of the barracks, every corner, and every street, because Mica ostensibly slipped a map of the barracks for me. I also began my research about the serum that Mica talked about. Though I have no luck in finding anything about that matter.

Tonight, I will be on a mission. I talked to Daniella about this and even though she does not exactly approve that my plan will work, we have to give it a try because we aren't getting out of here once I have enough information to hold onto. I have decided to take everything that I could take away while I am here.

We told Aimee about this and just like Daniella, she's not so fond of this plan. Honestly? I am not either but it is the only way I can acquire real information for myself. But luckily, Aimee and Lia agreed to be my back-up plan.

Everything is set so I am only waiting for midnight to come. I lie on my bed, eyes closed, pretending to sleep while my heart is beating loudly in my chest. One wrong move and I could doom every one even the three girls who became my hope of escape.

I stir and s.h.i.+ft my position to give effects to my acting. A while later, a beep sounded in the room indicating that I am asleep. Because the director put a tracker in my arm, tracking my every move, it even tells whether I am sleeping so that the warriors guarding me can know that it is safe to leave me alone. But fortunately for me, Daniella's ability is about electricity or technology so she practically manipulates everything that may give what I was doing.

I heard the door clicks and I sat up instantly. I put my fingers in the holes of my headboard and I give it a slight twist just like what Mica told me. At first, nothing happened, I was afraid that this plan was not gonna work at all and that Mica was wrong about the secret pa.s.sageway in my room but I heard a dragging-like noise and I turn around to find the secret pa.s.sageway opening up for me. I almost smile in triumph then I remembered that this was just the first step in my plan. I got up from the bed, tying my hair out of the way as

I go inside the opening, as soon as I was inside I heard the door close though I wasn't sure how to open that again that was the least of my worries now. For a moment, I stand there, staring at the blacklight ahead of me, actually there's no light at all, I just tell you that to sound a little creative.

My hand reached out, hesitantly, beside me. I breathe a sigh of relief when my hand came in contact with cold and hard marble. I follow the direction of the wall turning whenever I find a corner. I don't know where I am going but if I was being led into one of the director's chambers, I will surely burn this freaking wall. Then, at my latest turn, my hand felt a lever so I pull it down without exactly knowing what it could do. Light envelops the tunnel. I have to squint to readjust my eyes with the new color.

I sigh in relief again when I realize that I am not exactly lost because this is currently a one-way tunnel. I continue my walk silently praying that this is leading me right where the dungeon is.

I found a door at the end of the tunnel, or I thought it was the end. I walk towards it, my hands slightly shaking at the thought of going inside the director's chambers instead of the dungeon but this is just a one-way tunnel so it is either Mica is lying to me or there was another way earlier but I didn't see it since there was no light to guide me.

There's no doork.n.o.b on the door so I don't know how to open it. I look around, scanning, and searching until my eyes landed on the brick beside me. It's just like the other bricks but its shade of red is slightly different from the others. If you have a good eye then you will find it almost instantly like me but if your eyes are bad then it will require you sometime before you find it.

I push it slightly and it budges. The door miraculously open and I went out.

My fear alleviates a little to find that it is Aimee and Lie on the other side, waiting for me with a lab coat. They handed it to me and I change. Once I was done, I rake my eyes all around the room. The warriors were sleeping soundly on the floor as well as the other prisoners except for my friends. I furrow my eyebrows at the two girls in front of me. Aimee took the liberty to speak. "Lia," she started. "She can make people around her sedated whenever she speaks to them." That's why she never says a word to me. Oh, it makes sense now. I thought she was mute or something like that. I nod at Lia to show my grat.i.tude, she returns it with a smile.

"Come on," Aimee said. We started to walk away but I stopped her when we pa.s.sed Raven's cell. I told her that I need some time with him in case this mission goes wrong.

They open Raven's cell for me (don't ask me how they have a spare key, I don't know either) and I step inside. It reeks of blood and sweat so I use my arm to cover my nose. I can make out Raven's figure in the dark and I went to him silently. I crouch down in front of him and touch his cheeks lightly. His eyes flutter open and I smile at him. His arms are still cuffed above him as well as his ankles, blood is dripping down his arm and there's a gush on his head. My heart aches for him but I don't have enough time.

I slide my arms over his back and hug him, careful not to touch his wounds though they are starting to heal because of the medicines that we are giving him. "Please tell me you are not going to do what I think you're about to do." He said, his voice rasp with pain.

"I'm sorry," I don't know what to say so I just apologize.

"Is there something I could do to make not do this?" I shake my head and he sighs. "Just tell me that you'd be careful, please."

"I will be. But if I am caught, you know what to do." I whisper to him. He kisses my forehead tenderly before whispering in my ear.

"You are not getting caught, you got me?"

"Yes, but--"

"No buts." He said firmly. He looks into my eyes and I am being drawn in him again. "You are going to get whatever it is that you need from there then after that, we're going to finalize our escape then we are going to go together okay?" I breathe out a breath, realizing better than to argue with him.

"Okay." We bid our goodbyes then I resume walking to the laboratories.

I know that there are so many things that could go wrong with this plan so I decided that if they caught me, Raven and the others are going to get out of here, including Lia, Aimee, and Daniella.

Aimee and Lia and I came upon a wall and we look at each other before Aimee began to make the secret door move. "This is just a one-way tunnel so you shouldn't have trouble finding your way into one of the labs. Once there, Daniella is going to guide you on your way but you still have to be careful because she can't detect if there are any warriors along the way okay?" I nod. She gives me my fake I.D and an earpiece where the four of us will be talking to each other. By the time that I gather all the information that I need, Aimee and Lia should meet me here. If something happened to them here, I am to take the escape route Daniella prepared for me. Fortunately for us, the castle has wire all over it that enables for Daniella to feel the corners of the building through electromagnetic waves radiating from the building.

I draw my surgical mask on and went on my way. In no time, I am inside in one of their labs. Lucky for me, this seems where their tests run. Blue light engulfs the room and I can see gla.s.s cabinets everywhere that are filled with serums. "Danny, where am I?" I ask. She knows where I am because of my tracker. Earlier when she makes it beep, she memorized the electric energy coming from it so she knows where to find me.

"You are in the right lab. That's where they keep their serums though I doubt it that that's where they will store the serum you talk about."

"Yeah, me too but I am going to run a quick check." My eyes scan the room before stepping forward but Danny's voice cut me off, causing my foot to stop mid-step.

"Wait," she said. "Do you see a door to your right?"

"Yes," I hiss when I saw what she's talking about.

"Try there. The electromagnetic waves behind that door are so strong, you might want to check it but be careful I think there's some kind of pa.s.sword needed to open that up. I'll try my best to unlock it."

I walk to the door, and I can see that there's some kind of pa.s.scode needed to open it up. "6...9...4...1...and...okay that's it. That's the pa.s.scode. 6941. Try it." I punch in the numbers and I heard a soft click indicating that the door is unlocked and I pull it open completely. There are a lot of serums in different kinds stored in here so I don't know what to pick up. I read their labels, nothing interesting.

"There's nothing..." I trailed off when something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I read its label and study the serum. There's nothing special in it but it draws my attention to it completely. "R.E.X," I read out loud. I move to grab it just as Danny's voice came from the earpiece.

"Hold up!"

"Why? Because I already have it in my hand." A few heartbeats pa.s.sed before I blew out a breath then an alarm went off. I clamp my hands over my ears, cursing silently.

"Listen, you've got to go back right now, the warriors should be heading there right now."

She's right but this isn't enough. "No," I said through gritted teeth. "Danny tell me where the nearest exit I can take?" I ask her while doing my best to find an exit where I can't run into warriors.

"Listen--" she started but I cut her off.

"No, you listen to me. This isn't enough and I doubt it that we will have another chance on this so we have to make this work somehow. And we are not gonna get out of this castle until I have enough information. Now, find me the nearest exit." I command her. She doesn't say a thing for a moment, I am almost sure that she's not gonna agree but she says something in a quiet voice.

"Okay."

"Okay," I repeat, relieve to find out that she's in this with me. Then we fell into her heaps of directions, I got out of the laboratory safely and I am now walking in the hallway, trying to act casual whenever I encounter a warrior along the way. I ask Danny if she can find the head's office here. After some time, she finally manages to find out where her office is, which is where I am going right now. My only hope is that it is empty and I do not find myself face to face with the director. My heart is hammering inside of me, both because of nervousness and excitement.

"Hey Danny," I said under my breath. "I need you to tell Aimee and Lia to prepare for the worst," I told her as I see the door of the director getting nearer and nearer but I am running out of luck because two warriors are guarding the door. I continue to walk towards them trying to act natural.

"Is the director inside?" I ask them when I come in front of them.

"Why?" The one at the right asks.

"I want to speak to her." Keeping my voice as neutral as possible.

"About what?" the one at the left asks.

"Regarding the recruits for the defiance," I said in an even tone, the lie coming out of my mouth smoothly. My earpiece buzzed in my ear and I heard Aimee's voice comes out of it.

"I need you to maneuver a move where you'll be able to put the earpiece in their ears." I watch as the two warriors in front of me staring at each other, pa.s.sing a silent conversation between them.

"Why?" I ask her, audible enough just for her to hear.

"Just do it," she hisses. I straighten my shoulders as the two warriors look at me then nod. The one at the right move to open the door. She didn't have time to respond when I suddenly slam her to the wall, my hand coming up for her neck and I held her there while she struggles. I press my foot on the other warrior's chest when she makes an attempt to tackle me from behind. Her head throws back at the wall from the impact. The one with my hand on her neck tries to get my hand off her but I look at her and she looks back and I invade her mind with mine, pressing fear after fear. I let go of her and she slides down from the wall, landing on her a.s.s while her eyes widen and her chest heaves at her heavy breathing. Moments later, she's out, her eyes wide open with fear.

I turn to the other one. She is unconscious, I intend to make her dead too but that is just too savage so I just put my earpiece in her ear. Her eyes snap open, knowing what she was about to do I hold her arms in her side to while she thrashes at whatever she's hearing. Her body starts to relax some time after and her eyes close as she fell into a deep slumber.

I retrieve my earpiece, placing it in my own ear and going inside the director's office. It looks like a normal office, table on the side, files on top of it with a laptop. It's pretty neat in here, I am pretty sure that I will find nothing. "Danny, got something for me?" I ask through my earpiece. The silence was her reply so I try again but she continues to say none on the other side. My heart is pounding on my chest as a million thoughts run in my head. What if she's caught? What if she's with the director right now? What if we're caught? What if-- A buzz on my earpiece cut off my running thoughts.

"Hey, are you still there?" Danny's voice came from the earpiece and I blew out a sigh of relief.

"Oh G.o.ds, yeah I'm still here, Danny. G.o.ds what happened to you? I thought..."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry but I am afraid that I can't help you right now."

"Why?" My voice came out as a soft whisper.

"I don't know. But while I am still trying to find out why, you gather the information you need."

"Okay," I know she's doing her best in helping me, they all are so I don't push her. I look around then do the only thing that any people would do, I went to her desk and rummage through her files on her desk.

Minutes have pa.s.sed and I can't still find anything useful. I open her cabinet doors but still found nothing so I try to open her drawer. I pull it but it won't give away. I search her tabletop for keys but there's none. I tap my fingers on my chin while searching around with my eyes, I am aware that my time is running out and that I should probably head out now but I need more information. I start to walk around when my foot kicks something. My attention s.h.i.+fts to the small trash can under the table. I crouch down to move it slightly. I pull it up and my hand feels around under it. I touch a cold metal at my fingertips and I move to grab it. A small smile settled in my lips while I unlock the drawer. I grasp the files and sit down to read their t.i.tles. 'Project D'. 'Blood Samples'. 'DNA Results'. 'Ability a.n.a.lysis'. I continue to read until I found what I was looking for. "Rad-Project," I read out loud. I shove the other files while keeping the other two. 'Rad-Project' and 'Sorting a.n.a.lysis'. "Hey, Danny. I am moving out." I said making my way to the door.

"No!" She bellows causing me to snap the lock of the door.

"What? Are you okay?" I ask in a hurried tone.

"You need to get out of there, quick. Without using the front door. There's a secret pa.s.sageway hidden behind the painting hanging on the wall in front of the director's table. Faster!" I move in an instant before she even finishes her sentence. I remove the painting from the wall, setting it down gently on the floor before pus.h.i.+ng the brick in the middle of the wall. It slides open and I hurriedly went inside just as the door of the office burst open.

I run along the way of the tunnel, spotting a door at the end of the way, wis.h.i.+ng that it leads to one of the dungeons but it doesn't. As the door slides open I find myself standing in just another white hallway. I try to navigate my way though I really do not know where am I going.

I run and run while trying to find a secret pa.s.sageway that can lead me anywhere safe, preferably to my bedroom. As I continue to run, I see a ma.s.sive rectangular gla.s.s along the wall of the hallway I am running. I have no intention to stop but the corner of my eye caught who the person is inside the room causing me to slowly stop in my tracks.

I tremble while I turn around, my breath hitch when I saw who was inside the gla.s.s. Mica was lying on a bed with tubes and wires attached to her body and head. There's also a monitor by her side. She seems to be sleeping peacefully while I had tears in my eyes.

She's alive, she's not dead but alive. I stand there watching as her chest rise with every breath she takes. But the sound of boots running on the floor snaps me in action. Shoot.

I tried contacting Aimee, Danny, or even Lia through my earpiece but they aren't responding. I open the door I found the next turn and I gasp in surprise and relief when I found that I am inside the laboratory I was in earlier. So I went to the hidden door I came in earlier. After so many trials and errors, I finally got the wall to slide open.

I expect to see Aimee and Lia waiting for me on the other side but there's no one there, causing my suspicion to rise more. I hastily went to the secret tunnel that leads to my bedroom.

As I walk inside the tunnel, my legs are shaking uncontrollably and my heart is pounding so hard, not for me but for my friends. If something happens to them, I am sure that I will not forgive myself.

When I reached my bedroom and the wall slides open only to show me the consequences of my action.

My inside twists, my gut clenches, my jaw ticks, and something inside me burns as I look at Aimee, Lia, and Danny, all of them kneeling on the floor with their hands tied behind them and swords pointed towards their heads.

"Release them," I growl. "Now." The director just tilted her head to me from where she's seated near the door, her legs crossed over each other with her hands clasped together while resting on her knee. She looks calm but her eyes show amus.e.m.e.nt that took me by surprise.

"Release them this instant!" I clench my teeth so hard it might break and her eyes narrow in slits.

"You know that your friends can die in my command right?"

"You wouldn't," not sounding so sure myself either.

"Oh, I think I will," her expression turns c.o.c.ky. She turns to the three warriors standing behind my friends. I look at them and they look scared. I hate her. I really hate her. I will make sure she pays for this.

"Wait!" I shout just as the warrior behind Lia raises her sword in a kill strike. Our eyes made contact then soon her sword clatters to the ground and she landed on her b.u.t.t and she starts to scream. "You will not touch them," I threaten her and she backs away instantly while nodding frantically. I turn my gaze towards the director, all of my fears gone replaced by anger and something else.

Her face gives nothing away but she looks like she's studying me, my action, my words, and everything I do which is making me uncomfortable despite the moment. Then her voice as cold as ice slice through the silence that has wrapped us. "You really think I wouldn't know about your plan? Do you think I wouldn't be suspicious that suddenly the infamous black hunter became a great pushover? Now, tell me, I would like to know what information you gathered and how important it is."

I move to her but suddenly I was being held back. I tried to move but my knees weaken causing me them to buckle under me.

"You bet I am," she said with a smug look on her face.

"What are you doing to me? Let me go," I growl at her. Her head tilts to the side.

"I see, so you still don't know. You haven't learned anything at all, you poor little girl." A fake sympathy plastered on her face.

"What? What are you...what are you talking about? Are you nuts?" I struggle through my invisible bindings. She continues to study me then realizing that I really don't know what she's talking about, she gestures for the warriors to come to me. "What are you doing?" I ask as they rummage through my pockets. They pulled out the papers that I've torn from the files earlier.

They handed them to the director who studies it closely, a scowl forming in her face as she moves through the pages. She didn't even finish reading it before she saunters to me. There's no malice in her eyes, no anger in her face, and I furrow my brows in confusion because the thing that I see wasn't the one I was expecting. It's amazement, and...pride? I shake my head to clear my unwanted thoughts. "Where?" She asks, her voice is calm. "Where did you get the information? And how did you get the information?" I didn't say anything and she just sighs. "Don't make this hard for me Ellie." Her voice is almost soothing.

"No," I hold my ground amidst the current thoughts running in my head.

"Very well then," she turns and walks away from me while I just stare at her, and somehow, her, being calm is the last thing I wanted. I look at the director, her back was to me, she waves her hand in the air and a hologram appeared in front of us.

I stare in horror as the images of my friends displayed in front of me, they have at least two warriors with each of them, and I am sure as h.e.l.l that one of them is a silencer. "What..." I trailed off, afraid to find out the answers. She looks at me from her shoulders.

"You wanna play, right? Fine, then let's play." She turns around to me. "With every information you fail to give me, one of your friends die. Let's see how long you can last while watching one of them falls. You see them so of course, I give them the leverage to watch us too because I don't them to die without knowing what they will die for. I am not that heartless," she waves her hand, looking dismissive while I hiss and glare daggers at her.

"You are heartless." She ignores that and she moves to sit down again, crossing her legs, looking stoic and in control again.

"Let us start shall we?" She said. Gone is the amus.e.m.e.nt in her replaced by the cold appearance I've known. "Where did you manage to find out about these things?" She raises the papers in the air.

"In your office," she raises an eyebrow. "I found them in your office."

"Let me change my question for you. How did you find out about these things?" I grind my teeth together so hard they might break in the process. "Not talking I see. Remove the girl." She said while looking at me.

Who...then I turn to the hologram. I watch in fright as the warrior beside Nikki raised her sword and in one fluid movement she drags it down across Nikki's back. Nikki fell on the cold dungeon's floor with a loud thud. She didn't even get the chance to say something or to widen her eyes in terror. No, just like that she's gone. For a moment, no one moves, no one says anything just our heavy breathing can be heard in the room as well as in the hologram. Then screams broke out, their chains rattle as my friends struggle to get free. Cries resonate in them as well as in ours but they were being held by the silencers so they can't do anything besides thrash in their prisons.

Gritting my teeth, concluding that I have nothing left to lose, I ask her. "What do you want to know?"

She didn't remove her eyes on me and a flicker of sadness and guilt pa.s.s them but she masks them almost instantly. "All. I want to know all."

Fck her. Fck myself too.