Detached [h.s au]

Chapter 62: Sacrifice

Elizabeth's POV

My whole body feels heavy as strong hands grip my forearms, pulling me forward. I hear Andrew's and Daniel's voices behind me, but I can't make out what are they saying. I glance at Niall who seems to be in the same condition as I am. He groans quietly as the guard pushes him harshly, almost making him lose his balance.

He eventually trips and falls down with a quiet grunt in pain. "Niall," I mumble, wanting to make sure he's alright when an idea pops into my head. His eyes look up at mine and I signal toward his wrist, trying to give him a hint to press the button on the mic strapped to it, so the others know where to find us. Just before the guards yank him to his feet, he does it discreetely, a small smile playing on my lips for a second. As they start dragging us away, Niall and I keep asking as many questions as we can to give a hint to those who are listening to us. One of them is Harry, I only wish he would say something to reassure me he's alright.

We hear a rumble of footsteps suddenly approaching us, the guards stopping in their tracks, reaching for their weapons. A shot of relief courses through me, thinking my plan has maybe worked.

Sarah suddenly appears around a corner, a few others following her. Her eyes widen in surprise and gunshots quickly fill the hallway as they start shooting at the guards holding us. It's of no use since we can barely stand, let alone run. Andrew and the rest quickly return the shots, hitting two of Sarah's helpers. I want to shout at her to run, but nothing comes out. There are too many of them, she doesn't stand a chance.

Guards quickly overpower her, throwing her on her knees. A gun barrel is pressed to her head, my eyes widening in horror.

"No, not her," Andrew says. "Pull her up, she's going with us."

Andrew orders the guards to kill her helpers while the others start dragging the three of us, our attempts to free ourselves ineffective. I wince as a few gunshots blare behind us and I turn my head, seeing dead bodies lying in pools of blood. The image of my father looking almost identical flashes before my eyes, a strong wave of pain soaring through my chest.

Soon, we find ourselves standing in a lab surrounded by glass walls, the room having a strong stench of chemicals. A table and a heart monitor are placed in the centre and I can already sense where is this going. This is the same situation I would see every time before being put to series of painful testings. Goosebumps arise on my skin at the thought, my heart beating almost painfully.

"Welcome," Gerald's voice echoes throughout the lab, making me shiver. He stands in front of us, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Fuck you," Niall says angrily.

"It will be a pleasure to watch you die," Gerald tells him. "If you die, that is."

Niall, Sarah, and I exchange confused glances. "What are you talking about?" I ask sharply.

"There is only one table behind me," he says, smirking. "So only one of you will lie on it. The other two are free to go."

My lips part as I feel my face getting pale. If it weren't for the guards holding me, I would surely faint.

"You three decide who stays and who goes," he continues. "I promise not to pursue the other two."

"You're insane," Niall says. "No way, we're not doing this."

"I agree, go to hell," I spit. "What gives you the right to do all this, to control people and take away what makes them human from them? How dare you?"

"How dare I? Seriously?!" He raises his voice, marching toward me. "How dare you?! How dare you mess with the order, with my order?! Everything was perfect, the world was perfect!" His steel eyes burn into mine. "You and your petty little group have caused more damage than I thought it was possible, I'll give you that. I knew not every leader was following our rules, but it was never a problem until that damn kid came along," he spits, clenching his fists. "He came here, to my city, and made a complete mess. But when Harry Styles joined, things have really started to spiral out of control."