Dangerous Memory {ONC 2021}

Chapter 16

She faced an empty, white room, but her head was spinning, and she closed her eyes. Her mouth was dry, and her legs and arms were tired. She tried to take away a strand that stuck on her forehead, but nothing moved. Opening her eyes again, she saw the leather bands around her wrists. A quick shake of her legs confirmed that there were bands around her ankles too.

Marvelous.

She was in one of the interrogation rooms. Axel had brought her once to learn how to interrogate someone. She failed.

The door opened, the loud stridor filling the room. The man with the icy, blue eyes entered, looking proud.

"Hello, Alba. How do you feel?"

"Ready to kill you."

He laughed, and it was the first time that his eyes brightened.

"You are a strange girl. Sometimes I think you are very brave and sometimes that you are crazy." He neared her and put his hands on the arms of the chair, hugging Alba's arms.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I can."

Alba closed her eyes and stopped herself from cursing. "You had everything here, and you threw it away for what? World-control? You don't even know if it can work. And even if it did, how do you think your life will be? Boring!"

"I'll control the world. How boring can that be?" He rested his back on the wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Let me go, and I promise I won't kill you."

"Nice try." He winked.

Her face twitched. "I had to try. Now what? Will you use the chip on me?" She was desperate for some water; her mouth was too dry.

"I don't want to miss your adorable comments yet." He highlighted the last word. "No, I have a greater idea."

He opened the door and called for someone. "I will show you how easy can power be taken because nothing should be taken for granted."

Alba furrowed her eyebrows and waited. Two men entered the room, dragging someone. A third man was carrying a chair and put it next to Alba, only two meters away.

"Leave him on the chair and tie him," Agent O ordered.

Alba's eyes widened as she saw the man's face. "No..."

The men strapped her father on the chair, his head falling as his unconscious body couldn't keep it straight. Blood was running from his nose and a deep cut ran from his right eye toward his mouth.

"Why are you doing this? He didn't do anything but protect the world."

"He protected liars and manipulators. The world comes first and bullshit. The rich and the richer come first. What has PROTEA done for people who actually need help?"

"What have you done for people who need help?" she answered back, shouting the "you".

"Don't talk about things you don't understand, kiddo. You don't know him. You only see what he wants you to see."

Agent O shook Rob and slapped him on his face. The man groaned and tried to open his eyes.

A few moments passed until he opened his eyes completely and looked around. "Alba?"

"It's okay. I'm okay," she reassured him.

"Do you want to know how I got that scar?" Agent O pointed to his cheek. "Tell her, Robert."

"It was an accident, Alaric."

Alba raised her eyebrow, learning Agent O's real name.

Everyone's ruler. Guess who decided to make the meaning of his name come true.