Stay or Go

Chapter 56

I raise my hands as they ask, Steve is looking at me wide eyed. Guns are pointed at my from all directions but I keep my calm. "What the hell is going on?" Steve asks as the man in charge starts coming towards me, he ignores Steve to instead barks an order at me "Kneel on the ground. Now." Sighing I do as he asks. Steve looks between me and the man "Lori, why are you being arrested?" He asks, his voice rising in panic. I stare at him, keeping my brain focused on him, making sure he doesn't get hurt "They aren't the police Steve." I start to explain as the man roughly handcuffs my hands behind my back. The man leans in close to me and tugs on my hands "No more talking." He growls and I shoot Steve a look. "Don't worry about me." I say quickly as they start to drag me away "Don't tell the others." Is the last thing I manage to get out before they shove a bag over my head and push me into a car.

-

We drive for what seems like forever until, finally we stop and there is some commotion before I get pulled from the car. The bag stays over my head as they march me towards my next location. Honestly, they are acting like I am some kind of dangerous criminal. Well, actually I guess I am.

I am pushed into a room and then a chair before the bag finally comes off of my head. I wince at the bright lights, my eyes having become accustomed to the dark. The man staring at me from across the table is different than the one who took me from the woods. "Micheal?" I ask in shock, the boy who I thought died in the explosion at the Academy. He stares at me as though he doesn't know me and I try to school my features although I have already given too much away by just saying his name. "Do you know why you're here Miss Henderson?" He asks calmly, I ball my hands into fists under the desk despite them being handcuffed.

"No, please enlighten me." I reply sarcastically, he sighs and brings out a folder. He opens it in silence before pushing it towards me "Because of this." I peer at the photographs inside the folder. They show the aftermath of the explosion, the dead body parts strewn everywhere, I swallow hard, refusing to look away because I did that. Those people are dead because of me and what I did. "I did what I thought was best." I say firmly, placing my hands on the table, he flinches but neither of us mention it. Michael knows my power, what I can do and he also knows that these handcuffs are only restraining me because I am allowing them to.

He clears his throat "And you thought it was best to blow up an entire building full of people? Children?" He asks in an accusing tone. Although I guess he is accusing me of something, murder is a pretty heavy charge. I tilt my head in a bored manner, admiring my nails "I am not justifying my actions to you." I tell him "You saw first hand what people in that building were capable of, are you going to tell me they didn't deserve it?" He blinks, seemingly unsurprised by my answer.

"Did the children deserve it?" He asks calmly again and I start laughing, throwing my head back with the effort. Micheal does his best to school his face but it betrays him, showing both confusion and concern. "I didn't kill the children you idiot." I say between bouts of laughter "I got them out before the explosions went off. I may be a murderer but I'm don't kill children." We stare at each other for a long moment before a door behind me opens. "Micheal, take her to a cell." I start panicking. I am not going in a cell again, to wait for god knows what torture they will think up for me.

Micheal stands and starts towards me but I leap out of my chair. I break the handcuffs easily as if they were made of paper. "Micheal. Don't." I warn throwing my hands up in defence "I will kill you." The other man just stands and watches as Micheal circles me like a lion does a prey. "Just for a little bit. Lori please." He pleads but I throw energy at him making him fly into the opposite wall. The other guy finally launches into action, spreading his hands out in front of him.

He grabs my arms and pulls me towards him. I struggle in his grip, he has his hands enveloping my own so I can't summon my power. "Stop Miss Henderson. Fighting is pointless." He says into my ear, i grit my teeth. I manage to launch myself backwards with enough strength that the man falls into the wall behind us.

Micheal starts to stir, clawing to his feet slowly. I scramble up at the same time, mustering my strength again before bringing my elbow down onto the other guys said, knocking him out. I then turn my attention to Micheal who is wobbly on his feet. "I don't want to do this." I admit, panting slightly "so stop fighting us." He says wincing as he steps forward.

I shake my head "I can't do that Micheal. I don't deserve to be locked up." He chuckles and stumbles a few more steps "you killed innocent people Lorelei." He spits out blood "why do you think you'll be able to escape justice?" I wipe stray hair from my face, my heart beating loudly in my chest "is that what your doing?" I ask "handing out justice?"

He coughs and stumbles closer, I take a few steps back. "That's what we were doing there Lori." He says explaining himself "I was part of an undercover task force taking down the Academy safely. But then you ruined the entire thing by blowing it up. Literally." I freeze then.

There were people getting rid of the academy? People knew enough about it to see it as a threat. I shake my head "why didn't you say anything?" I snap and he shrugs, clutching his side that is bleeding "by the time I figured out what you were doing you had disappeared." He answers quietly.

I hear more footsteps rushing down the hall. "I can't be locked up Micheal." I say and he glances at the door and the unconscious man on the floor. "Just for the night." He says and I stop "just for the night Lori and I swear to you I will get you out." The footsteps are getting closer. I bite the inside of my cheek.

"Fine." I say just as more men burst into the room. They all point their guns at me as I stare at Micheal. I raise my hands above my head and sink down to my knees. He better keep his promise. Or I will kill him.