Benefactors

Chapter 16: Why Do I Keep It In?

August 13, 2025; 0335 HRS

Underground Facility; Sleeping Chambers

The dark, empty void of sleep began to dissipate as I opened my eyes. I had a very short rest, but I couldn't go back to sleep. I looked at the alarm clock by my bed, I wanted to get out of the facility and back home. We couldn't, as long as Horkos controlled the city. A knock sounded at the door "Come in!" I shouted. "Dakota Link is ready to talk." Thomas stepped in. "So that's his name. I haven't heard a peep from him since I hit him over the head." I laughed. 

"You want to come interrogate him? Athena and the others couldn't get anything out of him. Maybe you could try." Thomas explained. "Eh, why not?" I asked rhetorically. I grabbed my shoes sitting at the end of the bed and tugged them on. "What kind of approach did you guys use?" I asked. "Good cop and bad cop." He laughed. "Tried both at the same time?" I questioned once more. "Actually no." He gave me a funny look, raising one of his eyebrows. Pfft, I can't do that. He knew where I was headed. 

"Maybe if I scare him with my weird ways it'll get him to talk." I smiled. "Don't get too eccentric." he warned me. I rolled my eyes to the back of my head, "Why?" I whined. "We want this guy to stay sane. Not mentally abused." Thomas retorted. I huffed a little and crossed my arms, giving him a 'don't mess with me' look. I had that scary womanly stance we all know when the girl is persistent on winning the fight. He raised his hands in defeat. "Sorry. You win."

I uncrossed my arms and went to the door. Holding it open, I gestured for him to get out. He sighed, leading the way out while I followed and closed the door behind us. "Natasha?" Thomas asked after a few moments of walking through the maze-like halls. I was looking at the map Athena sent us. I was trying to find Room B-8, where Colonel Link was being held. "hmm?" 

"You ever wonder why Horkos shot Chief and turned him into his mindless slave?" he questioned. "Everyday." I answered, feeling tense. I felt my muscles bunch up, my nerves tingling with anxiety. Eager to digress the subject, I turned my attention back to the phone. "Says we're a few doors away from it." I said. He nodded, quickening his pace. 

Thomas opened up the door. I went in and he closed it behind me. He waited outside, Colonel Link was tied to a chair and handcuffed to a nailed down table. "Hi Buddy!" I said gaily. He gave me a strange look, "What the heck are you trying to pull?" He asked, having already been through interrogation, but given nothing. I shrugged, "You want some water?" I asked. "Sure..." he said, his eyes shifted to the door uneasily. I went to it, opening it a little to see if Tom was still out there. "Hey can you get a glass of water? Make sure its in a plastic cup?" I requested. Thomas gave me the same weird look with the eyebrow and went to get the water. While I was waiting, I stared Link down. Link looked at me, he seemed pretty uncomfortable. That was the point. 

Eventually, Tom came back with the water. I took it, gave him a silent thank you, and went over to Link. "What's your name?" I asked. "Colonel Dakota Link" 

"Do you know why you're here?" I continued, setting the glass on the table too far for him to reach. 

"You morons don't understand warrants."

"Neither do you..." I said, flipping through a few papers that I had brought with me. "I looked into a few files. You never owned that place." I threw the papers onto the table for him to see. 

"Nice, you can do your job."

"I can." I gave him a fake smile, taking the cup back in my hands. 

"Listen, miss. I was with a group o' friends. Got drunk, ended up there."

With that, I splashed the water in his face and threw the cup at his head. "What is wrong with you!?" He yelled, looking at me through his drenched bangs. "Listen man, I can see through your idiotic lies. I just want to know why you had a secret base in Indiana!" I shouted back, pushing his chair into the table. "You're crazy." he gagged, having trouble breathing. He was trapped between the chair and the unmoving table. "Stop!" he said breathlessly. Oh I stopped, then I pulled the chair and let it fall to the floor. He squirmed around with pain. Thomas came running in, taking me by the arms "Taking it too far, Natasha." and he pulled me out of the room. "That was the point." I argued. "Horkos stored something big there, he needed us to protect it. That's why!" Link shouted, practically crying. Thomas stopped "Stay here." he told me and went back in the room with Link.