Awakening - The Tigris Series Book 2

Chapter Eleven

"Chess, Adams, really?" I rasped, giving him an unamused look.

He nodded, casually. "Yeah. I don't have any topics in particular to discuss with you today, so let's play a few rounds."

He gestured to the already set up chess board, flipping it around so I had the white side, and he had the black side. I glanced down at it, then back up at him, unenthusiastically. I hadn't touched any sort of game board in years, nor had I ever really played a game in general in years. This wasn't the first time Dr. Adams had tried to get me to participate; he usually ends up playing by himself while I watched and silently judged his decisions.

He sighed at my silence, rolling his eyes. "Kara, come on. Just a couple rounds, and you can be done for the day."

I raised a brow. "This is really all you want to do today?"

"Yes." he confirmed, keeping his deep brown eyes glued on me. "Don't tell me you don't know how to play chess."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Of course I know how to play chess."

He nodded, leaning back in his seat. "Good, so there's no reason you can't play, then. Right?"

I gave him an intense stare, clearly not amused by his antics of getting me to play. He stared right back at me, not at all phased by the looks I gave anymore. This was how a lot of our discussions went when he was too stubborn to move on from something. I would stare at him with a look that could kill, and he would stare right back. He grew accustomed to every single type of glare I had, and quickly learned how to navigate it. It was impressive, if I were to be honest.

After a few moments of our little stare down, I glanced down at the board, and with an annoyed sigh, moved a pawn piece. "There. Happy?"

He smiled as he watched, leaning forward again with a smug look on his face. "See, how that wasn't so hard."

"Don't make me flip this entire table." I shot back, giving him a slight glare.

He chuckled, and moved one of his own pawn pieces. "Wouldn't dream of it."

•••

April 22nd, 2014

We were now on the road to New Jersey. Steve had surprised both Natasha and I with a blue truck, pulling next to us in the parking garage. Turns out, it wasn't his. It impressed me, to say the least. Steve Rogers committing grand theft auto?

To say I was shocked would be an understatement.

Natasha sat in the passenger seat while I had taken the backseat behind her. I rested my head back in the seat, watching the trees fly by us until my eyes fluttered closed. I wasn't asleep; just resting my eyes as I tried to mentally prepare for whatever else was to come.

I really didn't know what to expect. I had always known that there was a lot about Hydra that was always left in the dark from me, even while on missions. Half of the time, I didn't know why I was sent on the missions that I was. It didn't matter to me, then. I simply followed orders. Nothing mattered more than completing the mission, no matter how bloody or destructive. Hydra's secrets and motives weren't even something that crossed my mind most of the time; and when they did, it was corrected almost instantly.

I didn't truly realize how blind I was going into this until now. I really didn't know as much as I had first thought, and it scared me. Hydra already put the fear of god into my soul with what little I knew about them, but now with the knowledge that they had managed to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D., my fear and anxiety increased tenfold. No one was safe anymore.

And I couldn't shake the thought that one day, they might succeed in taking my mind from me once again.

That is what scared me most. What would happen if I truly was taken back? They would learn from their mistakes from when I had escaped the first time, and I would never be able to do it again. I would likely be punished immensely, lasting for weeks until they feel like I had enough; and the missions they'd send me on. . . I didn't even want to try to guess what they'd be.