The Edge of Hope

Chapter Three: The Breaking Point

Agent X looked from Kevin to me and back again as if he didn’t believe what he was seeing. “No. They couldn’t have gotten you two. This has to be a bad dream.”

    “I am sorry sir. This is no dream. They set a trap and I fell for it. Are you okay?” I asked.

    “Okay? No I am not okay.” Agent X snapped. My heart broke. Of course he wasn’t okay. These men have been holding him captive for four months.

    “Sorry. I know that you aren’t okay. I just meant if you were okay now. I know that you have been suffering. I just wanted to break the tension.” I stammer.

    “If you want to break the tension, then do so by asking whether or not I gave away any information or what I have learned over the past four months.” Agent X suggested in a way that said he didn’t really want to be asked. “I haven’t told them anything. But they won’t give up until they have what they want.”

    “And what is that sir?” Kevin spoke for the first time.

    “They want information about a top secret project that in the wrong hands could bring about World War III.” Agent X answered.

    The sound of the elevator hum made us fall silent. Kevin and I couldn’t see the elevators but Agent X could. His face revealed nothing about who or what was behind us. Within a few seconds three men appeared in our line of view. Two of the guys were at the police station, but the middle guy was someone new.

    “I am Silverbear. It is so nice of you two to stop by.” the middle guy said. None of us spoke. He wanted a reaction. We had no intention of giving him one. “Well Agent X, your legacy stands true. You have yet to indulge me in any information which I want. So here is what I plan on doing. These two aren’t here for your enjoyment.”

    Silverbear turned suddenly and punched Kevin in the mouth. Kevin grunted, but didn’t say anything. Our training has prepared us for much worse. While Kevin hadn’t given much of a reaction, Agent X had flinched back. It was that moment that I knew what had finally made him crack. He must have been forced to watch someone he cared about get hurt until he finally gave in. This wasn’t going to end well.

    Silverbear turned back to Agent X, “Well? Do you understand that each day you don’t give me what I want one of them will be punished?” Agent X just stared at Kevin. “Still not talking? Fine. I shall leave you alone some more.” Silverbear and the two men left.

    “Agent X you can’t give in. You have to keep that information from them.” I say quickly.

    “Yeah, you can’t let them break you sir.” Kevin said, his voice thick. His lip was already swelling.

    Agent X looked at me, “You know that I will not last.” He knew that I had figured it out. “I won’t let either of you suffer.”

    “But sir, you must hold out. I would rather get punched a million times before you gave up any important information.” Kevin explained.

    “They will do much worse things than punching. I won’t let it escalate.” he replied.

    “Sir, I know that if our positions were swapped you would be telling me the same thing. Please don’t give up yet.” I begged. Agent X nodded. Which was way more of a relief than I realized. We lapsed into a comfortable silence and waited until Silverbear returned.

    I must have fallen asleep because my eyes snapped open at the sound of approaching footsteps. It was dark and there weren’t any lights on. Kevin shifted slightly next to me which told me he was awake too. There was only one pair of footsteps, but they sounded hurried. A shadow of a man came into view.

    “Stay quiet.” he grunted. Apparently he wasn’t aware that Kevin was listening. Agent X probably was too, but it was hard to tell. The man untied me and then quickly put a gun to my back. “Move towards the elevator.”

    We got into the elevator and began moving upwards. When we stopped we were on the 45th floor of a 50 floor building. My heart dropped. If I had only been quicker with solving the riddle I could have found this building and saved Xavier. Instead I was fooled by a simple lucky number. I mentally kicked myself as we got off of the elevator.

    This floor was dark as well, but there were lots of rooms instead of it being completely empty like our floor was. One room had its light on and that was the room I got pushed towards. Inside the room there was a table with restraints on the sides. There was a table next to it with a bunch of different tools. My heart skipped a beat. This was a torture room. I slowly withdrew from myself knowing what was to come.

    Silverbear entered the room after I had been secured to it with the restraints. “I think you know what is about to happen. Agent X didn’t talk which means you get punished. Now let’s see. Let’s start out simple shall we?”

    I wasn’t listening. I had retreated into myself so that I wouldn’t feel the pain as badly. But something told me that I was still going to feel everything. Silverbear picked up a knife and cut my wrists. I felt everything. I bit my tongue to stop from screaming and tried to bury deeper into myself. He then took a hammer to my stomach. Then to my right arm.

    I was brought back down to where Kevin and Agent X were, but I was so deeply gone that I barely remembered being tied to the chair and left alone. “Agent Gem!” Agent X cried, “Are you okay?”

    “Sir, she can’t answer you. She retreated inside herself.” Kevin said. How he knew what I did was beyond me. And I was too out of it to care.

    Slowly I brought myself back until I was able to talk. “I am fine.”

    “LIAR!” Agent X snarled. Both Kevin and I flinched.

    “I really am fine Agent X. They didn’t do anything to me.” I knew that my lie would be brought to light when he could see me, but I didn’t care. I would deal with that when it happened.

    “You’re telling me that they took you somewhere and didn’t do anything to you? They didn’t hurt you or anything?” Agent X asked.

    “Yes. That is what I am saying.”

    “Then why did you retreat into yourself?”

    “Because I thought that they were going to do something.”

    “Sir? I think we should save our energy. Especially if we are going to try and get out of here. These knots won’t be easy to undo.” Kevin broke in.

    “You’re right. But I want to know how things are going back at headquarters.” Agent X said.

    Kevin and I took turns filling in Agent X in all the things that he had missed. Starting with the search as to who was in charge and ending with the trap that we fell into. I told them how I had called for backup from Michael and a few others, but they didn’t arrive in time. I also filled Agent X in about how nothing has been the same since he has been gone.

    Suddenly tears filled my eyes. We were having this conversation and talking as if Agent Xavier went on vacation instead of being locked up here. The reality of our situation hit so hard that I couldn’t hold back my tears. I rarely ever cried during a mission.

I knew things went South all the time, but something about this situation was worse. Way worse. The sun began to rise and the room started to brighten. I stared at Agent Xavier trying to calm myself down. Agent X met my stare and his face softened.