Line of Fire (A Stitchers Fan Fiction- Book 1)

Chapter 10: One Choice

The once darkened dilapidated garage where Kirsten assumed she was now began to deluge her mind with haunting memories of her father's deadly ineffectual attempt of saving her mother. It looked eerily similar to Ed's video. The only thing different was the water tank size. It was substantially larger that the one Kirsten saw, but was was the creepiest about it was a piece of masking tape adhered to the side of the tank facing her. Only five words were written on it, but it chilled Kirsten to the bone.

Reserved for Operation-Live-Stitching.

Kirsten had to rip her eyes off the label to face Daniel, who was standing with his hands behind his back smiling at her intently.

"I assume you're wondering what Operation-Live-Stitching is since you can't keep those wandering eyes to yourself." he said in a biting tone.

"If you wanted to keep this secret," Kirsten motioned to the tank beside her, "you probably don't to go around putting labels on things. And you call yourself a genius."

Daniel seemed to ignore her comment towards him and leaned up against the tank and began to stroke the edges.

"This bad boy is actually able to shove a living consciousness into a dead corpse's memory, no big deal. I mean, you work with the dead everyday don't you Kirsten?

Kirsten inhaled but remained as calm as she could even though her ears throbbed with the deafening sound of her heartbeat.

"If you must know, Operation-Live-Stitching is a little experiment of mine actually. Since my first trial with your mother sadly fell through...."

"Fell through? You killed her by stitching me into her!" Kirsten interjected. Her eyebrows were knit and she could feel her eyes become moist.

"That's just how some things go sweetheart, experiments go wrong, and some people have to pay the piper for it.

Kirsten's nostrals flared. She didn't want to know where this was going. She began to squirm violently but the ropes bounding her hands held tight. She felt something sticky right down her finger tips: blood.

"Struggling is pointless Kirsten. I had Liam tie you, so I know you won't be getting out anytime soon, unless you help me with something." Daniel said.

"I'll never help you!"

"You may be thinking that now, but you didn't hear the best part."

"Sorry, but there is nothing you say to change my...."

"It involves Cameron."

Kirsten briefly stopped fidgeting and glared at Daniel with glossy eyes, but he only chuckled.

"I knew your ears would pick up. You see, this project only needs one person, and since you're my perfect stitcher, it turns out I don't need your boyfriend. If you agree to stitch into one last person for me, I will let him go."

Kirsten shook her head almost instantaneously.

"No, not a chance."

Daniel's eyes widened slightly taken aback. He walked over to the wall of computers behind Kirsten and began to furiously type in codes.

"Oh, I see how it is. Suit yourself." Daniel swiped a tablet screen and a monitor appeared above her. Once Kirsten saw the image flash on the screen, she screamed. She saw him, saw him strapped to a metal table in darkness. He was still in his regular clothes, but they had a strange grey tinge to them. He remained motionless on the table, almost lifeless. Even though the security camera angle was poor, she could already see deep crimson brush burns on his wrists beginning to form.

"CAMERON!" Kirsten whipped her head around to face Daniel Stinger.

"What have you done to him! Take me, but don't take him!" Kirsten shouted desperately, her voice cracking. Her mind felt hollow and blank. This was just one horrible nightmare, she would wake up and everything would be normal again.

"I already established the terms Kirsten. Cameron stays the way he  is unless you do me the favor."

"You foul, loathsome, greedy little...."

"Whoa there missy, watch your language."

Kirsten remained inert in her chair and glowered at Daniel until he finally broke the ghostly silence.

"I will give you one last chance Kirsten, please."

Kirsten glanced at Cameron on the monitor again, then at Daniel. She could hear Cameron's voice now in her head, telling her to let him suffer if it meant her safety. But a foreign emotion overcame her judgement. It was like a burning feeling in her stomach, a feeling of protection.

"Fine, I'll do it. As long as Cameron remains untouched." Kirsten murmured. Her voice sounded low and defeated.

"Perfect, you made the right decision Kirsten, trust me." The last two words Daniel softly spoke finally broke open the floodgates. She looked up at Cameron's monitor and saw him just lying there, no sign of life. Tear after tear fell, each one more painful for her than the last. She knew that by doing this, she would be betraying him in a way, he would rather suffer himself than have her stitch against her will. As she sobbed, Liam and Eli unshackled her and escorted her roughly into a dressing room, where a rubber suit and earpiece awaited her.

"Glad you finally came to your senses Kirsten, and stop crying! Cameron would want you to do this." Liam sneered as he shoved her into the dressing room and slammed the door.

Kirsten stifled her sobs as grabbed the suit off of the metal chair it rested on, but as soon as she touched the fabric, the image of a smiling Cameron calling a go-no-go for the stitch, giving her new nicknames and yelling at her to bounce all came to mind, and her second wave of tears hit.