Broken Seams ✓

CHAPTER 17 - QUESTIONS

CHAPTER 17 - QUESTIONS

A Few Moments Later
4 seconds later

"Ryan?" Adam said as he turned around to face me. The light from the window illuminated his face, he stayed still before frowning.

"Yeah, he was there." I replied before crossing my arms.

"It wasn't intentional." He muttered.

"That's hard to believe."

"Grant said a hitman was here to kill us. If Grant told him when we were coming, he would live. But he didn't. Grant lied, saying that we'd be here next week." He said while running his hand through his hair, "Ryan has nothing to do with it- if you want to meet him you'll have to wait because we can't go back."

"Why? We've already let people die here." I said.

"If we go back, it would mean they would all get killed too.  We need to get out of this place before they track us down again. Especially that man from before."

"Can't we stop them?" I asked.

"Stop them?" He said before meeting my eyes, "let's think about how that went before. You're too weak."

"But can't we just-"

"Stop it- I told you before, stop trying to be a hero." Adam snapped

"I get it… I can't save anyone," I muttered as he met my eyes, "but let me try."

"I let a bunch of kids die, Adam." I said before getting up and walking towards him, "and this isn't the first time I've let it happen."

"I already know that. Does it look like I wanted to leave them?"  He said in a regretful tone, "I'm the same as you, I've let people die." 

"Explain." I muttered before he said the last few words.

"Fifty kids from our hometown were taken hostage one night when the Rioters attack broke out, we were taken too. Do you remember?" He said, looking away, "it was horrible- everyone remembers it."

"Stop trying, they'll die either way." She said, pulling the trigger after placing the gun on the newborn's head.

My body flinched as I watched her shoot him before pulling my restraints. I was never a hero. I- I let them die.

I looked around, anywhere but the dead baby she threw onto the floor, he was the first victim tonight- this was only the beginning. I was next.

Before I knew it, I saw him. 

He was from my hometown, we never spoke to each other. His face was pale and we seemed to be the same age. He mouthed a few words to me but I couldn't make out what he said. He did it again. This time I paid attention to what he was saying.

"We can't die here. She needs to be stopped."

The woman faced us as she smirked before heading towards the boy. I noticed the mark on her neck as she walked, a tattoo. I remembered the time when Julie warned me about having a tattoo of a rose and a glass shard. This was horrible-

"Adam, Danielle. I'll let you live if you do me a favor. Now, do you want to live?" Adam didn't move as I squirmed slightly, she grabbed his chin and he nodded out of fear.

I didn't say anything, I was somewhat smarter than that.

"What will we have to do?" I said in a hoarse voice as my throat was dry from screaming.

"Simple," she said before grabbing two kids that were much younger than us, "kill them."

In that moment, I slid onto the floor as tears streamed down my face.

"No, i- we, what?" I said as I looked at my hands.

Adam didn't say anything.

"We didn't kill Justin. He's still alive." He said before tensing, "Someone's out for revenge." 

"But, why?"

"When the woman gave us the guns, we killed her," He said, "she was..." 

Adams voice drifted away as I was completely drowned in my memory. 

Once she removed our restraints, she threw two loaded guns at us. She didn't care if we accidently shot ourselves- she might have wanted it to be that way.

"Shoot them." She said while pointing her pistol at us. 

Adam looked at me before turning to face her again, Justin and his sister stayed still and huddled as close as they could together. They were already in a bad state: they were covered in blood, bruises and scars.

Closing my eyes, I breathed in to stop my hand from shaking. Aim, aim, aim. Remember your training! I lifted my hand and pointed it directly at Justin, he looked down at the floor. 

As soon as the woman finished her countdown, I moved the gun away from Justin and to the woman before pulling the trigger. The recoil knocked me down as another gunshot went off. I remained on the floor as I looked at what had happened.

Adam shot Justin's sister.

I didn't say anything for a while.

"You're a monster." I said before continuing, "we're both monsters."

"I did what I had to-"he said, trying to defend himself.

"So? We're still murderers." I said.

"That woman was a murderer too, if you didn't do that who knows what would have happened."

"What about that girl? The one you shot." 

His face paled as he stood up.

"Can you blame me? I thought you'd go along with what she said." He muttered, "I was scared, okay? I didn't see any other option. What difference does it make if everyone out there is the same? You see it. You know." 

"You're disgusting, Adam. I'm just wondering what else you've done. "

"I'm not the same anymore and you're not any better than me. You just don't remember."

Not knowing how to respond, we stayed silent after that, I watched the clock as it turned three. It's been an hour since Eagle was gone.

Someone knocked on the door four times, I looked at Adam who was sitting on the sofa, burying his hands in his face.

"Right," I muttered as I turned around to face him, "I don't plan on being the same person I was before. I'll have you know that if you decide to kill any innocent people, I'll never forgive you. Don't let me down, Adam."

He remained silent as I rushed towards the door and opened it. Eagle staggered in. Locking the door, blood rushed down his face. 

Eagle dropped my bag onto the floor, as more and more blood dripped from his face onto the floor. As soon as he laid eyes on his bloody hand, he fell to the floor.

"Eagle!"