The Diamond Spy

Ch.28 Second Squad [+ BONUS content: Timeline/Birthdays]

Second Squad

When I wake up, I can smell all sorts of strange things while my cheek rests on cool metal. I blink a couple of times and groan as I lean up, my head swinging back as I realise I had been slumped on a seat.

Eventually I can half-focus my eyes and see I'm in a medium sized lab room, a meeting table of sorts in front of me. I'm not restrained in anyway.

I feel lethargic, my muscles heavy as I glance at the man sitting opposite me.

"You awake yet?" he asks, both gently and arrogantly. My eyes still feel a bit fuzzy so I try to focus and eventually my slow brain catches up with me.

I'm speaking with Lumen.

"Where, am –"

"Shh, shh, the effects wear off quite quickly," Lumen reassures me as I lean back in my seat and my head does a slow swivel of the room I'm in. Yep. Lab room. White tiles. Glass and – oh my god. STRIKE... in... a rush of adrenaline hits my heart as my eyes devour my ruffled looking beasts.

They were awake, standing and collared to a wall, stuck behind glass. They are not in separate cells but lining the narrow space they're in. Dale, Ace, Jose and Serge.

"Where am I?" I ask more clearly as I take in the neutral expressions adorning the members of STRIKE and then Lumen, opposite me.

"DynaPrism," Lumen explains, "The government wants STRIKE to talk. To tell them where the bunker is."

"What bunker?" I ask, raising a brow – honestly confused because the drugs are slowly wearing off.

My temporary slow thinking, however, works in my favour.

"Smart girl," Lumen speaks quietly, far more calm than he was in that warehouse. Was he... glad I was denying knowledge of the Black Lair Bunker?

I lick my lips as the drugs quickly start to wear off out of no where. My eyes focus completely.

My heart beat kicks off so high, I stand up with the sudden shock of memories as they all flood into me at once.

"My parents –" I gasp, my heart clenching and tears coming to me. Lumen raises a hand and waves it down back to my seat.

"Sit, dear, Lisa and James O'Brien were never your parents, they were your assigned scientists," Lumen sighs and kicks back in his chair, putting his shoes on the metal table and crossing his ankles, "Sit, Alyssa – I didn't kill them, that fat oaf did," Lumen calling Prof. Hedgy a fat oaf, gives him one point in my book.

So I sit, glancing back at Dale, inquisitively. I wish his eyes could give me answers. They are all watching me carefully.

"Can they hear us?" I ask.

"Sure can, darling," Ace speaks, barely holding off a nervous waver in his tone.

I knew Lumen made them nervous I just wasn't sure why.

He was just a man.

"Couldn't have said hello when I woke up, huh?" I point out, trying to be funny to relax Ace and the team as I lean back in my chair and glance around this boring looking lab. The only points of interest were the glass cell with my four favourite beasts.

I wanted them back.

I was unrestrained so that would work in my favour. My own question, however, was why I was unrestrained?

"Do you know why you're here?" Lumen asks, "I suppose not –"

"To make them talk," I nod to Dale and the others, but Lumen shakes his head.