Benefactors

Chapter 29: The Bad Guy Thinks He's Good

August 16; 0702

Crypt HQ

"You better leave me the heck alone, Horkos!" I shouted. I thrashed around, trying to break the chains off without effect. "Let me go!" I yelled, biting at the chain holding my hands. There was nothing I could break these things off with. "You should really save your energy." Horkos said without emotion. "Why?" I snapped. "Because, once your mind is mine, you're going to need all the energy you can get. You won't know it, but I'll put you to work like a slave." He smiled. I slapped the chains at the cell bars in vain, feeling animus.

I slumped onto the back wall, pulling the chain back. My anger resided to a small fizz of fury tingling my nerves. "Why me? Huh? Why?" I barked, in a demanding tone. Horkos shrugged, "I guess you might as well know for now. You won't know anything afterwards." he paused, turning to Chiron. "Why don't we begin the experiment? I'll tell her everything she wants to know in her last moments mentally alive. Make sure we do it the slow, painful way."

Chiron reluctantly began arranging a few instruments needed for turning me into a mindless drone. "Guards!" Horkos shouted. "Take her out and strap her to the seat. Don't let her out of your sight, even while she's strapped down. She's got more tricks up her sleeve than you have weapons. Use your minds for once." he snarled at them. "Chiron, you're done. I'll have the others scientists take it from here." He signaled for a guard to lock Chiron in his own cell. 

Come on, they've gotta be here soon. I thought desperately as I recognized Zagreus unlocking my cell door. "Ugh not this guy again." I said, agitated. "Good to see you too." he retorted, plastering on a fake smile. I stuck my tongue out at him, "Don't you have any other guards that aren't maniacally stupid?" I called out to Horkos. He turned and glared at me, whispering something under his breath. "Just get her strapped to the chair." He growled to Zagreus, who unlocked the chain from the turquoise bonds.

He took me by the arm, stood me up and walked us out of the cell. I wanted to kick and scream and stall for time. Something told me that wasn't a very good idea as Horkos could easily overpower me. 

0710 HRS

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"I don't get it, all there is is this burnt down cabin." Ben said, pacing. "Syth and Ben, search the outside of the cabin. Thomas, you search the inside. I'm going to go check out the police sight down the road. My Father and the others should be here soon, they'll help us fight Crypt." Athena spoke up. The group nodded and split up to their tasks. Athena walked down the road scanning for anything that might give her a clue. She saw again, the blood stain in the middle of the road that was enclosed between forests. She went up to it and kneeled down. "Why are you here?" she asked herself. 

Athena noticed a streak of blood pointing towards an opening in the woods ahead of her. Curiously, she entered the woods to find anything to point to her next clue. Leaves seemed out of place, as if more than one person had passed through. A single drop of blood laid down on a dried leaf. "Hey!" A voice called to her. Dang, I should've been more careful. She thought as a police officer passed through the mediocre, leafy trees. "Where'd she--?"

Athena had camouflaged herself to the colors of a tree's trunk. The officer looked around and eventually pressed the talk on his radio. "This is Dash Spencer. Wasn't her. I guess I just imagined it." She stayed where she was until the officer left the area. Works every time, she smiled.

Maybe he was with Natasha, Athena reasoned. She nodded and left the crime scene, running down to the others. "She was definitely here already. I ran into an officer that may have accompanied her last night."