Tick Tock Part Four - The Mouse Fell Down

Trust

Gavin stumbled closer to the bar as the Hickory Killer pushed him. He could barely bring himself to raise his eyes and look Elijah in the face. It had been easy to figure out where they were going once they reached the base of the mountain. He'd driven up enough times to recognise the route. His stomach churned at the thought of what he knew was coming next. Even the muffled ringing in his ears from the earlier gunfire wasn't enough to block the thought out. He barely heard his name fall from Elijah's stunned lips as he looked up from where he was kneeling on the floor pressing a hastily bundled cloth against Chloe's shoulder as she leaned against the bar. Her rifle was out of reach now, kicked away by Jack in the wake of their victory.

"I didn't know there were two of them." The Hickory Killer seemed almost entranced as he rested a shoe against the deactivated ST600's head, turning her face this way and that. Her crystal eyes were vacant as she gazed at the ceiling, the hole in her forehead leaking blue trails across her skin. That wasn't the only hole. Jack had been fast and relentless in dealing with her. Blue bloomed across her once white dress where she'd been hit multiple times. "It truly is fascinating, the way you were able to control both bodies at once." Gavin licked his lips nervously, trying not to give anything away as he listened. Glancing at Chloe, he could see her LED blinking between red and yellow as she struggled to stabilise herself. She had various self-repair protocols, but they required full focus to work. Chloe didn't answer, stuck somewhere between defiance and terror. She'd heard about the last time they'd met, even if she didn't remember.

"Shall I secure the area?" Though it was a wise precaution, that would leave the Hickory Killer more vulnerable. Chloe was down, but Elijah was still in one piece. He was unarmed, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try something. Though he'd conditioned Gavin to be good, he couldn't rule out a spontaneous moment of defiance if given the opportunity. That was part of what made it all so interesting. It was like tossing a coin. Would Gavin obey? Or would he rebel? Even now, after months of treatment, did he have enough will left to defy him? He was breaking, but unbroken. Hopefully that would change with this kill. He was already so close. Doubt showed in his eyes more and more often as he fell. It was a beautiful thing to watch. Captivating.

"There's no need for that. Both residents are in this room, and with the jammers in place, there's little chance of us being interrupted. Isn't that right?" Elijah's dirty green eyes hardened at the taunt. The Hickory Killer was mostly right. He wasn't expecting guests, and he couldn't get a signal out from the bar. His only real hope was Chloe, but it was taxing her systems. It didn't seem like Gavin would be of any use, either. He was clearly shellshocked, eyes wide and vulnerable as he stared at him in mute horror. The reason for that horror became apparent as the Hickory Killer laughed and slipped an arm around the shoulders of the teenaged girl they'd brought with them.

He didn't recognise her, but from what he'd heard from Connor and Nines, he assumed she was Kitty Dawson. Her skin was pale and sickly, a clear sign of trauma. Who wouldn't be traumatised? She'd been kidnapped and forced to witness many horrors, including seeing two female androids gunned down. Chloe was better off than her doppelgänger. She'd been caught in the shoulder, making her arm useless, but was otherwise unharmed. The Hickory Killer had left her in one piece after she'd been disarmed. Elijah wasn't sure why, but maybe it had something to do with Gavin. Perhaps he thought he'd be more cooperative that way.

"I do love family reunions." Gavin flinched, remaining trapped in place as he wished over and over that this was a nightmare. He could hear Kitty sniffling in the background, though he didn't dare look over to see the way she hunched her shoulders and screwed her eyes shut at the half embrace. Tears trickled down her cheeks, a clear sign she knew what was coming next. Elijah glared as the Hickory Killer released her and moved to stand behind Gavin, whose body stiffened as if he knew he was there. As a seasoned officer, he probably did. "It's time, Gavin...Time for your next choice." Gavin clenched his teeth and shook his head, silently pleading for him not to say it. "Your half-brother or your goddaughter."