Ace

DANIEL

               Vladimir and Jacob have been gone for almost two hours now. I wished they didn't find Ruth, and I also hoped that they didn't find Tod, either, because that could also ruin my plans to get the Ace Card. Then, I recognized the two agents guarding me. I didn't know their real names, but I knew their code names: agent #114 and agent #115.

               "Agent 114," I called. "Remember who I am?"

               "I don't know you," he said hesitantly.

               "Liar," I said. He turned toward me.

               "You're that man who died five years ago. Everyone thought you had died."

               "Not everyone," I amended. "Only one person knew that I was still alive." He opened his mouth to say something, but then Vladimir, Jacob, and the agent squad that went with them returned without Ruth or Tod. I immediately became afraid again. Vladimir walked up to me and grabbed my shirt collar.

               "What game are you playing here?" he asked angrily in Russian. "We're not to be toyed with." He let go of me.

               "You didn't find them?" I questioned. Vladimir went to a counter and started working on some project of his.

               "We found Tod, but he disappeared before we could question him. Now, where is Ruth? If you tell us, we'll let you go, no problem," he said.

               "Well, if she wasn't where you looked, then I have no clue where she could be," Vladimir circled me, his hands behind his back.

               "You're trying my patience," he stated, then leaned close to my ear and whispered, "Don't you want to be let go?"

               "Not if it means giving up the safety of Ruth. I don't even know where she is," I told him, "She probably noticed my absence and knew something was wrong, so she hid somewhere. Hell, she could've left the country for all I know. I can't help you." Vladimir grabbed my hair from behind me.

               "Tell me, just tell me, Daniel," he growled. "Are you trying to make me mad?"

               "No," I answered. "I'm only telling the truth."

               "Don't get smart with me!" he let go of my hair and grabbed my head. "If you don't tell us where Ruth is, we'll use you for the experiment!"

               "Vladimir, not yet!" Jacob yelled, trying to stop him. It was too late. Vladimir stabbed my neck with a syringe, and that was the last thing I remembered.