Chapter 20
20
T he Doctor looks different from the last time I saw him, his hair no longer neatly combed and his clothes now wrinkled and dirty. The arrogance remains the same, though, the smug curl of his lips all too familiar.
It’s clear he thinks he still holds the power here. He doesn’t understand he’s lost.
As they near, Damien stops next to me while Caleb continues forward, shoving the man down into a metal chair welded to the floor.
I step closer to Damien, seeking strength from his presence.
His hand touches my shoulder. “You don’t have to be here for this. Milo can still take you home.”
“No.” My hands tremble at my sides. “I need to face him.”
Damien studies me for a moment, and whatever he finds must satisfy him, because his hand brushes my arm in a silent show of support.
Together, we walk forward as Caleb binds the Doctor’s arms to the chair with leather cuffs and metal buckles. I shudder at the sight of them, well aware of how such restraints work so much better than rope.
The Doctor smirks at me. “Well, if it isn’t 07825. You’ve come a long way from the scared little Omega I remember. I’m not surprised, though. You were always so special to my project, so resilient. It hurt me so much when you became defective. You were always my favorite.”
With a snarl, Damien lunges forward, grabbing the Doctor by his collar. “Don’t ever address him again!” He punches him, the sound of the impact echoing through the room. “He’s not your anything !”
The Doctor’s head snaps back, blood running from his nose. Despite the blow, a gleam of amusement still twists his lips, as if he’s enjoying the show.
My heart hammers, the intensity of Damien’s anger on my behalf reassuring me of his loyalty.
I step forward to catch Damien’s sleeve and draw him back. With the hem of my shirt, I wipe the blood from his knuckles. “Don’t dirty yourself by touching him. He’s not worth it.”
The Doctor laughs, a harsh, grating sound that sets my teeth on edge. “See? Even now, 07825 will protect me.”
Damien’s jaw clenches as he restrains the desire to lash out again.
I reach out to uncurl his fingers and twine mine through his. “Ignore him.”
Caleb steps forward, his posture relaxed as he regards the Doctor. “It’s time for you to start talking.”
The Doctor leans back in his chair as if he’s the one in control. “Why would I do that? What’s in it for me?”
When Caleb’s lips curve, it has nothing to do with amusement. “You’ll find I can be very persuasive. Let’s start with your benefactors. Who’s been funding your little operation?”
The Doctor shakes his head. “You have no idea who you’re messing with. But you will.”
“Wonderful. I was hoping you’d refuse. You see, I’ve been a little stressed since yesterday, and I needed a way to work off some of this tension.” Caleb reaches into his pocket, pulling out a sleek, black device.
My breath catches in my throat as I recognize the taser they used on us at the lab.
“I found this little pretty while we were taking down your guards.” Caleb twirls the device between his fingers, the motion almost hypnotic. “Last chance, Doctor. Who are your benefactors?”
A flicker of fear passes through the Doctor before he covers it with bravado. “Go to hell.”
“Wrong answer.” The taser crackles to life, the sound sending shivers down my spine.
I bury my face against Damien’s bicep, bracing for the screams to come.
Instead, only silence follows.
I turn back to find the Doctor slumped forward in his chair, unconscious.
Caleb stands over him, a displeased frown on his lips and the taser quiet.
“What did you do?” I ask.
Caleb shrugs, pocketing the taser. “Pressure points. He’ll wake up in a few minutes, and then we’ll start again.”
“Got it.” I try to ignore the twisting in my gut. This is necessary. We need all the information the Doctor holds. But the thought of what Caleb might have to do to get it…
Damien squeezes my fingers in reassurance. “We already have the information we gathered from his lab. This won’t take long.”
The Doctor stirs, a groan escaping his lips as he regains consciousness. Disoriented, his eyes dart around the room.
Then, his focus settles on Caleb, and he lifts his chin. “You think a little shock will have me spilling all my secrets?”
“Actually, I do.” Caleb leans down to his level. “I think you enjoy inflicting pain, but you’re afraid of being on the receiving end. People like you always break the fastest. No resilience. It’s so disappointing. Not my favorite at all.”
The Doctor scoffs, but uncertainty flickers across his face. “I’m not telling you anything. My work will change the future for all designations, it is too important to be jeopardized by the likes of you. I’m a visionary.”
My stomach churns at his words, the memories of the pain and fear I endured in his lab threatening to overwhelm me. How can he sit there and act like what he did was justified? How can he call himself a visionary when all he did was destroy lives?
“Important?” Caleb echoes incredulously. “You call kidnapping and experimenting on innocent people important?”
“Sacrifices must be made for the greater good.” The Doctor’s chin lifts. “Omegas are on the decline. My research will change the world. Those who can’t see that are too narrow-minded to understand.”
Unable to listen to this crap, I step forward. “Greater good? What about the people you hurt? What about the lives you ruined? Was that all just collateral damage to you?”
Full of twisted arrogance, the Doctor fixes on me. “You should be grateful, Seven. Because of your help, my next subject improved so much faster. In a year or two, I’ll have cracked the code on Omega pheromones and be able to fix weak specimens like you.”
I recoil as if he slapped me, my breath catching in my throat. Grateful? How dare he suggest I be thankful for the hell he put me through?
Damien’s menacing growl fills the room. “Watch your mouth, Doc. Or I’ll make sure you never speak again.”
The Doctor pales, but he doesn’t back down. “Do your worst. I won’t betray my life’s work.”
“You’re not untouchable here, Doctor. Your connections won’t protect you anymore. Here’s the thing, Doc.” Caleb grabs one of his fingers and snaps it backward, raising his voice to be heard over the man’s scream. “We don’t care about your friends in high places. We don’t care about your twisted vision for the future. All we care about is getting the information we need, and I’ll cut off every single one of your fingers to get it.”
The Doctor’s chest heaves as he stares down at his finger, sweat trickling down his temple. Finally, he realizes he’s trapped. That there’s no way out, just like there was no escape for his victims.
“Okay.” He takes a shaky breath, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Okay, I’ll tell you what you want to know. Just don’t…My hands are precious tools. Don’t touch my hands.”
Caleb dips his chin in agreement. “Your hands will be safe.”
As the Doctor begins to speak, a sense of grim satisfaction settles in my chest.
Milo pulls out his phone to take notes, sharp questions prodding the Doctor when he falters.
He gives names and payment schedules, along with the labs where he sources his ingredients.
When he winds down, Milo purses his lips. “Everything he gave us was on his computers. We don’t need him.”
“Wait!” The Doctor fights his restraints. “Please, you have to understand. I can help you. I can be useful.”
Milo puts his phone away. “You shouldn’t have kept such excellent records if you wanted to sell that line.”
“You can’t do this!” He kicks the floor, but the bolts that attach the chair to the floor keep him in place. “I’m a human being with rights!”
His words transport me back to the cold, sterile lab. How many times did I beg for mercy, just like this? How many times did I promise to do anything, if only he would stop the pain?
The Doctor had never listened. He had never shown an ounce of compassion or remorse. Now, as he grovels for his own life, anger burns through my veins.
“Why would we spare you?” My body trembles. “After everything you’ve done?”
The room falls silent, all attention turning to me. I fight back the fear that threatens to overwhelm me. I’ve spent so long being afraid, so long letting others control my fate.
But not anymore.
“I’m the reason they found you.” I grow stronger with each word. “I used what I knew about the lab to track you down. I remembered every detail, every horrible thing you did to me. And I used it against you.”
The Doctor’s mouth goes slack with shock. “07825, listen?—”
“I am not a number!” A bitter laugh escapes my lips. “How many times did I beg you to let me go? How many times did I plead for my freedom? But you never listened. You never cared.”
Heart pounding, I take a step closer. “So why should anyone listen to you now?”
The Doctor opens his mouth, but no words come out. He looks to Damien and Caleb, hoping for some kind of intervention.
They remain silent, their expressions unyielding.
A strange sense of power washes over me. For so long, I’ve been at the mercy of others, my fate decided by those who saw me as nothing more than a commodity to be bought and sold.
Now, as I stand here facing the man who once held my life in his hands, I’m no longer that scared, broken boy from the lab. I’m a survivor. No one can take that from me.
I grow steadier as I continue. “You said I was your favorite, but you treated me like I was nothing. You took everything from me. My freedom, my dignity, my sense of self. And for what? Your twisted experiments? Your sick idea of progress? I never needed you to fix me.”
The Doctor flinches at my words, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape. But there’s nowhere for him to go.
Damien steps forward, his hand resting on my shoulder. The warmth of his touch grounds me, reminding me that I’m not alone. I have people who care about me, who will fight for me.
“Today, you will answer for your crimes.” Damien’s eyes take on the same chill as his twins. “You will never hurt another Omega again.”
The Doctor trembles, tears slipping down his cheeks. “Please, I can help you. I can tell you about the network, about the people behind it.”
A sense of finality settles over me. “We don’t need you for that.”
Damien unholsters his gun, but turns to me. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait outside? You don’t have to stay.”
Part of me wants to agree, to turn away so I can hide from the truth of what’s about to happen. But I can’t. I need to see for myself that the Doctor can never hurt anyone else the way he hurt me. “I’m sure.”
“Okay.” He touches my cheek. “That’s your right.”
I take a deep breath as I turn back to the Doctor. He’s still begging, his words a jumbled mess of pleas and offered bribes. But I don’t hear them anymore. All I see is the man who stole my life, who took everything from me and left me broken and scarred.
Damien steps forward, his movements calm as he raises his gun, the metal glinting in the dim light of the room.
The Doctor shakes his head as he realizes what’s about to happen. “Please.” His frantic eyes latch on to me. “Please don’t let him do this. I was good to you!”
The gunshot rings out, the sound sharp and final. The Doctor’s body jerks, a hole appearing in the man’s forehead. But the shot doesn’t come from Damien.
Damien spins toward his twin. “What did you do? He was my kill!”
Caleb holsters his gun. “Seven may have needed to see this, but he didn’t need the memory linked to you.”
I stare at the Doctor’s lifeless body, waiting for a rush of emotions that never comes. I don’t even cry.
“The first time is always hard,” Milo murmurs. “Are you okay?”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “I… I thought I’d be more angry, or scared, or… satisfied. But I just feel…”
“Numb?” Milo suggests. “Yeah, I get that. It’s like your brain doesn’t know how to process it all, so it just shuts down for a bit.”
I nod, grateful for his understanding. Milo’s been through his own hell. He’s had to fight and claw his way out of his own darkness.
Damien approaches, concern written on his face as he reaches out to cup my cheek. “You okay?”
I lean into his touch, searching for the right words. “I think so. It’s a lot to process.”
Damien pulls me close and wraps his arms around me. I bury my nose against his chest, breathing in his pheromones, the warm, comforting scent of home.
Finally, the tears come, along with a sense of relief. The specters that have been hovering around me for so long dissipate, the fear and pain starting to fade.
“It’s done.” Damien presses a soft kiss to my hair. “We’re going home.”
All the tension drains from my body, and I cling to him. It’s over. The Doctor is gone, and I’m free.
Free to live my life, to build a future with Damien by my side.
Hand in hand, we leave the building, a sense of peace washing over me. It’s not the peace that comes from forgetting, or from pretending the past never happened. It’s the kind of peace that comes from facing your fears head-on, from staring down the monsters and refusing to let them win.
The scars the Doctor left on me will fade, but they’ll always be there. They’re a part of me now, woven into the fabric of who I am. But they don’t define me. They’re not all I am.
I am more than my past. More than my pain.
“Phoenix.” I look up at Damien. “That’s my name now.”
A smile spreads over his lips. “It fits you, sweetheart.”
Behind us are the ashes of my past, and ahead is my new life with Damien. I don’t know what will happen, but I’m ready to find out.
Ready to live, to love, to be happy.
With the chapter of my torment closed, a new one begins, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me, with my protector by my side.