EDEN (Completed) (EDEN Series Book 1)

Chapter 6

The bald man looks like he could snap any of us in half with one hand if he wanted. I feel nothing but negativity resonating from him. Aroma pushes me behind her, and I try to peek around her shoulder. He has everyone's attention as he approaches the man on the ground and gives him a hard kick to the abdomen. Decoy lunges up, but is stopped in his tracks when the guards aim their guns at him.

"I thought we all came to an understanding. I think I've been more than fair, really. You all get your little games and trinkets to play with. Hell, I even let you walk the corridors together without a guard. I mean, it's not like your powers work." He slowly starts pacing back and forth. I finally get a taste of this place's true colors. "Trying to break into my office, when I'm not even here? That's just low. I'm so hurt. I thought we were all one big happy family."

The dark-skinned man on the ground musters the strength to pull himself up to a hand and knee. Fire rages behind his brown eyes and blood drips from a cut above his left eye.

"I've been trapped here for four years. You really think we still believe you Gens say?" He spits blood in the bald man's direction, only to receive another kick to the stomach.

"Gen, so cute you've given our lovely staff a nickname. We told you, you'll all be set free in due time," the bald man says with a sarcastic tone. He walks toward Gadget and Decoy. Decoy steps in his path with his chin held high.

"I helped him. I accept my punishment."

The bald man takes the butt of his rifle and jabs it powerfully into Decoy's stomach. He falls to the ground, writhing and groaning.

"Nobody likes a liar," the man says.

He walks toward Gadget with glaring eyes. Gadget wobbly steps backwards until his back presses against the wall. The man pats him on the head a few times with a devilish grin.

"You're a smart kid."

He smacks Gadget across the face so hard that he falls to his knees. I can feel the fire in Mute and Aroma's eyes. Sol cries out in the corner, rocking faster and faster. It seems like she's the most fragile out of these people.

The man turns to us and says, "did you think I would believe one of you morons made a lockpick out of a toothbrush and paper clips?"

I feel betrayed. I actually thought Sydney was on my side. Is it wrong to feel sympathy for criminals, though? Did they feel sympathy when they robbed or maybe even killed people? I'm going to have to make a choice soon. I have to pick a side. The man walks toward Sol and kneels in front of her. She tenses up as he runs his fingers through her hair.

"I don't like hurting any of you, but what I hate even more, is being made a fool of," he declares.

He tightens his grip on her for a second, but let's her go, leaving her unscathed. On his way back to the center of the room, Sydney storms in, furious.

"Vince, this is not how we treat our patients!" She screams.

She shoves him, and he laughs it off, throwing his hands up like he's frightened. I wouldn't be pushing the man with a loaded rifle if I were her. Especially, a man as unstable as he seems to be.

"I think you mean criminals," he replies.

He takes her by the arm and pulls her close to him. What's going on here?

"You know I gotta be tough with them," he says. She turns her head away from him, holding back tears. He grabs Sydney by the chin, turns her back toward him, and kisses her.