Consuming Fire

Chapter 70

No one was guarding the room they kept Mikayla locked in. Hunter wasn't sure why she expected them to – the SSS wasn't a prison. Sure, Mikayla was on the enemy's side, but Hunter knew better than anyone that you can't fight fire with fire, and for that she respected the SSS and the way they handled their prisoners.

With the key the Captain gave her, Hunter swiped the door and it beeped green. Taking a deep breath, she entered the room.

What the camera didn't show was the desk just beside the door, upon which sat plates of uneaten food and cans that were still sealed. Hunter turned to the end of the room where Mikayla sat with her back against the wall and her arms around her knees. She reminded Hunter of herself, sitting in her Death Cave, only Mikayla was cleaner and the room was heated. She had it easy.

Hunter cautiously approached the girl, but before she could come within a meter, Mikayla ripped her arms apart and glared.

"Stop. Stay the fuck away from me."

Hunter froze. "Okay, I will."

Mikayla looked a hundred times worse than Hunter had ever seen her. Her hair was frizzy and misshapen and her round eyes were swollen and bloodshot. It only took her a minute to remember that the last time she saw her beloved Jet, he had an icicle in his chest. She sighed, sat down in the center of the room and didn't try for small talk.

"Mikayla, I know you hate me, and for the life of me I could never figure out why-"

"How about you punched my boyfriend in the face the day you arrived at ICE," she hissed in a poisonous tone.

Hunter dipped a nod. "Sure, that makes sense. I figured maybe once we talked it over in the bathroom, you might have moved on."

"You'd like that, huh? You think you're so perfect, the way you act like the hero when really you're just reckless and stupid enough to get yourself captured."

Again, Hunter nodded. "You're right, I'm not perfect and I am stupid. Sometimes. Haven't you made mistakes before?"

For a moment, Mikayla didn't answer. She twitched and her gaze averted to her nails. Hunter took that as a yes.

"I've made a lot of mistakes," said Hunter. "But if there's one thing I've learnt, it's that there are always second chances if you're good enough to ask for them."

Mikayla snorted. "What makes you think I want a second chance from you?"

"Because I can take you back to Jet."

Mikayla's brown eyes widened through the strings of her hair. "He's dead," she said in a monotone voice.

"He's alive. I wish I could say the same for Mosi, Benji and Fearne." She couldn't keep the bitterness from her tone. "But no, your psychotic, murderous boyfriend still lives and breathes."

Mikayla ignored the insults and slowly unfolded herself from the wall, leaning towards Hunter as though that would tell her if she was lying or not.

"Why should I believe you?"

Hunter shrugged. "I don't give a shit if you do or you don't. But I'm offering you a chance at freedom if you tell me what Dr. Wolfe is doing and where he's hiding."

Mikayla started chuckling. She rested her back against the wall again.

"Of course you're lying. You just want information."

"I'm not lying Mikayla. And yes, I want information."

"Why don't we play the question game?" Mikayla grinned, reminding Hunter of the old mutant woman who went crazy and tried to strangle her.