Chapter 21 Cameron
CAMERON
Two days have passed since Emery broke the door down and promised to return. She stole what little hope I had left.
After the first hour, I began to worry, but after the sun began to rise, my despair became unbearable. Each day that’s passed has added a weight to my chest that numbs my brain from the what-ifs that sift through. What did her dad do to her? I haven’t heard her walk to her room since that night.
Something terrible has happened to her. I grit my teeth and shake my head.
Greg Mavestelli has been outraged at my increased unresponsiveness.
His tactics aren’t working to get me to talk, and he knows his time is ticking.
He hasn’t once said anything about the death pills so I’m guessing Emery at least got away with slipping me those.
Or maybe Reed is giving us mercy and hasn’t shown the extent of the footage to him.
The pain was startling when they first reversed the effects of the death pills, but after the initial shock, I accepted it. I thought of it as my punishment for all of my misdeeds. Everything I did to Emery and everything before.
But now having to pretend I’m hurting only makes me recede further into my mind.
What have they done with her? Greg, her own father, wouldn’t harm her, would he?
My head hangs limply as blood streams from my lips. My shoulders don’t hurt anymore, but I know they’re on fire from being pulled up with the chains, wrists raw from the metal tugging against my skin. There is no image of strength I could even begin to uphold.
I am broken, more than I thought I could be, if I’m being honest. And I hate that she had to see me this way.
“You are one stubborn man,” the guard striking me across the back with a baton mutters under his breath. I’m not sure Greg hears it because he’d probably put him in a cell if he had.
He’s in a particularly foul mood today. I can only assume it has something to do with his daughter.
Another strike claps over my ribs. I gasp for breath as the cracking of my bones causes my entire body to convulse. It’s convincing that I feel it because my body reacts so violently to the stimulus.
I’m at my limit though, and the pills are going to wear off soon.
I sputter out more blood and groan as my legs finally give out beneath me, adding pressure on my wrists and shoulders tethered to the ceiling.
Greg raises his hand. The guard behind me stops and places the chair at my back. He carefully guides me until I’m offered a moment’s reprieve.
My jaw trembles freely and my limbs are all but useless with the pure exhaustion.
Being forced to stand for days is a cruel tactic. One to two hour breaks only after I collapse. Beatings. Mental beratement. Only feeding me scraps and dirty water.
The only thing he’s yet to try is—
“You are the strongest willed man I’ve met, Mori.
” He circles behind me, dragging his cane across the ground like he always does.
It triggers my body, just as an animal learns to fear certain sounds that are associated with bad stimuli, my muscles tense subconsciously, waiting for his cane to strike my head or ankles.
I don’t reply. I haven’t since this started.
He loops back to the front without striking me. The end of the cane meets my chin as Greg lifts my head and forces my eyes to his. I hope he can’t see the utter emptiness that has grown in my soul, but the darkness that gleams in his tells me that he sees straight through me.
“I hate to waste my beloved executioner, but you aren’t really giving me much of a choice, now are you?” My eyes widen a fraction at his words and he grins, corruption and sinful intentions dance in his gaze.
He lifts his phone to his ear and mutters, “Go ahead and bring her in.”
A foolish dash of eagerness races through my veins at the prospect of seeing Em after worrying so relentlessly these past few days. But that thread of yearning to know that she’s okay shatters like glass the moment Reed drags her in.
Emery’s beautiful pink hair is ratted and has been cut to shoulder-length in uneven and messy locks. Streaks of red have stained portions darker than the rest. Her knees are purple and her arms are as bruised as mine are.
No words could explain the way my bones suffer more seeing her this way than anything they’ve already put me through. The ache that crawls through my chest makes tears blur my vision and hatred unlike I’ve ever known takes hold of what’s left of me.
Reed drops her to the floor before me, just a few feet away, yet I cannot hold her the way I need to. The way she desperately needs to be consoled and cared for.
“Emery!” My cry is raw and coarse, spiking pain throughout my throat. “What did you do to her?!” I shout and fight against my chains to no avail.
She’s so close, lying too still.
I shake my head viciously and glare at her father. I’ll fucking kill him. How could he do such a heinous thing to her?
Greg walks to his daughter’s side and pokes her back with his cane. “Well, Emery proved that she’s no longer of use to me. If she would betray her own father, who attempted to save her from such a fucked-up organization, then she’s worthless. She might as well not even be a Mavestelli.”
His words are hollow and devoid of love. My teeth grind as I glare at the devil.
“You are the real monster in all of this,” I spit at him.
“This is simple, Mori, just tell me what made Captain Bridger and General Nolan come for my empire. Tell me what they wanted with my executioner of all the criminals they could’ve chosen from and I’ll let you die painlessly.” His lips curl at the ends much like a snake’s.
I seethe at him, lighting him on fire with my gaze alone.
“Don’t feel up to it?” He snaps his fingers. Reed and the spare guard each take Emery by an arm and hoist her up until our heads are level.
Her eyes are barely open, but somehow they find their way to me, stealing the last of my aching soul. Torment survives in her gaze alone, anguish in the way her brows knit at the sight of me, the way mine do at hers.
Emery’s face is scraped up and lithe. She winces painfully as Reed wraps his hand around her throat. Suddenly a thought that hadn’t occurred to me drowns every molecule of air that’s left in my weary lungs.
She can feel everything. He wouldn’t…
“You have ten seconds.” Greg lifts his watch up dramatically and starts counting down the seconds. Reed’s hand applies more pressure and Emery’s body starts to react to the lack of oxygen. She twists weakly before going limp, staring at me through tears.
I’m nothing without her. She’s every part of me I once lost. Every flower in my field of death.
“Nolan wanted her because he knew you would retaliate to get her back. It was the only initiative that they needed to get the approval from the master chief to invade your desert base for the drive.” I don’t let my eyes lift from Emery for a moment as I betray everything I fought so hard for.
Mavestelli’s features twist with confusion. Not the answer you wanted? I could fucking laugh if this wasn’t the single worst moment of my life.
“Why the flash drive? Why now?” He loses his composure for the first time, slamming his hands on the arm rests of my chair. His eyes are wild and desperate.
This time I actually force a laugh just to piss him off.
“Why do you think? Is Lieutenant Belerik not your half brother? Does he not have claim to half of what you’ve stolen from his rightful place in the Mavestelli bloodline?” His eyes turn into saucers. He didn’t know that I knew this much.
“Belerik? No…your lieutenant’s name is Erik. My spy confirmed it.”
I level him a lethal, trying glare. Bryce was foolish to take everything at face value. But then again the lieutenant anticipated spies from the beginning. Which is why he always went by Erik.
Greg’s face pales and he stumbles back. “How…” Horror flashes through his eyes and he whips back to look at Reed. “We need to—”
All the electricity cuts and an audible shutdown of all the lights and facilities rolls through the room and hallway.
It’s about fucking time, Mikah.