Freerunner

Chapter 17

The guard entered the room and removed the chains. I rubbed my wrists in an attempt to soothe the metallic bite. I let her lead me over to the door. I could feel her hand on my shoulder as she reached forward and turned the handle. As the door swung open, I glimpsed three people freeze in front of us. One of them turned towards me, their eyes wide with shock. He shifted his gaze to the person responsible for me, glaring.

"You were meant to wait!" He yelled. I was stunned. My guard panicked and went to shut the door but then I noticed what I failed to notice the first time. I stuck my foot in the doorframe, ignoring the pain from it being jammed quite violently. I bolted out of the interrogation room and shoved my way past the guards outside.

"Dante!" I cried, taking his face into my hands. His eyelids fluttered and I thought I got through to him when suddenly, I was jolted backwards. I briefly glanced over my shoulder to see my guard's hand clasped onto the hood of my jacket.

"Forgive me, Rose," she whispered then kicked the back of my knees. I fell to the ground and she shoved my hands behind my back. I gave up and let her drag me back to my cell.

The barred door opened and I walked in, hearing the click of it lock behind me. I went and curled up on my bench, my head turned towards the cell door. A minute later, the two guards came past with Dante carried between them. I stared miserably at the floor. He had to cop the worst of all this.

All because he was the closest to me.

Suddenly, Dante woke up and kicked one of the guard's ankles. Then, he elbowed the other in the stomach and turned towards me. I ran forward and reached between the bars. His hand went up my sleeve and grasped my arm.

"Rose-" he began but the guards recovered and hit him in the back. He just gritted his teeth and held on tighter. "You're one of us! Don't forget that!" He yelled desperately as the guards repeatedly beat him.

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise!" I replied frantically. The guard outside my cell door reached in with the butt of her gun and hit me in the chest. I fell back and let go, coughing from the impact.

The guards picked up Dante then shoved him forward. "Move along! Since you have the energy to fight, you can walk the rest," one of them growled.

I stared after the three guys heading towards solitary confinement. The bruises on my stomach and chest were mere flesh wounds in comparison to everything Dante had to endure. I closed my eyes. Things were only going to get harder from here. And I wasn't sure if we'd all live long enough to see the end of it.

***

I woke up to feel the bruises on my body aching. I could barely sit up for two minutes straight. I glanced out the window. The sun was only just coming up so it must've been pretty early. My gaze shifted over to Gabriel. He was curled up on his side, facing the wall. Obviously he didn't sleep well last night. I looked up at the hole between our cell and Elijah and Prince's. I wonder if they're doing okay, I thought. Sneaking a quick look at the guard, I stepped quietly off my bench and onto the one nearest the hole.

Inside, I could spy Prince lying on his back, his chest rising with each breath. The blood that once covered the left side of his face had been washed off. He was very distressed, judging by the fitful sleep he was trapped in. I craned my neck and spotted Elijah on the bench below the hole. He sat upright like he normally did when he slept. However, this time it was a little different. His head had drooped to one side, letting his mouth hang open.

I stepped down, my hands lingering on the stony surface. I couldn't help but wonder what Alex had said to them all to make them like this. These weren't the Runners I used to know. They used to be... I wracked my brain for the words to describe it but I still lacked the energy. I wandered clumsily back to my bench and collapsed on my side.