Accompanying song:

 

 

 

Meeting Room, Genesis. Providence, Rhode Island – June 2nd, 2013

 

 

Fuck.

Fuck!

Just from the look on his face, I know I’m screwed.

Arthur squints as he sits in his king-like chair, watching me enter the meeting room. Hubert and Lewis don’t look at me, averting their eyes when they hear me step inside. Only Patrick shortly glances at me. They don’t need to look at me or say a word to let me know how they feel; the air is thick with rage.

I will away the fear creeping under my skin as I walk to my own chair and sit down. His fingers are splayed against each other, his gaze perpetually on me as I try not to feel intimidated by him. In here, it is survival of the fittest. The weak are killed by the strong. I must not be weak.

It would take them three seconds to finish me off.

I know, because I’ve seen them do it with my own eyes.

The calmness that his body and eyes exhume are a lie. I know why he summoned me here. He knows.

“Sebastian …” he begins. “I heard some troubling news from the doctor today.”

“Oh, really?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know,” Hubert barks.

I shut my mouth and stop breathing. The way Hubert looks at me is almost as if he’s just killed me with his eyes.

“She’s escaped,” Arthur says.

“Yes, so I’ve heard.”

“And someone spotted her near your house,” Hubert mocks, chuckling.

His eyes widen when I gulp. I feel trapped. I know that whatever I say or do will decide whether I live or die. They don’t take well to traitors, but they might excuse a mistake.

“That someone was me,” Lewis muses. “And you were with her. You were in such a hurry to get inside the building, and the car was obscuring my sight, but I couldn’t help notice the bright red hair disappearing through the door. It can only mean one thing.”

Oh, fuck no.

“Care to explain?”

I take a deep breath and think of a clever response. “Yes, she escaped. She came to me a couple of days ago and I have been trying to take her back to the hospital but to no avail. She is rather … persuasive.”

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” Arthur snaps. “You know the rules.”

“I know, and rest assured, I am going to solve it immediately. I have no idea how she escaped and found her way back to me, but I’m going to make sure she gets back to where she belongs.”

“If she escaped, it means she now questions authority there. Not to mention that she came to you. And like I said … I don’t fucking trust you,” Hubert says.

“Gentlemen …” I laugh, trying to ease the mood. “I said I’d take care of it, let me handle it then. She knows nothing.” I look at them with the most genuine, honest face I can put up during a lie. “I was just about to take her back when you called.”

“Right,” Hubert scoffs.

Arthur raises his hand and then clears his throat. “We will let you take her back to the hospital. However, we will be joining you in that effort.”

“No,” I say.

They all make a face and squint. Shit.

“She would run off the moment she sees you.”

“What, you can’t control her or something?” Hubert jokes.

“I don’t need to control her,” I growl. It isn’t the truth, but he doesn’t need to know. “She needs to come willingly, or this won’t work. You know the problems it creates if they feel threatened.” I set my gaze on Hubert and raise an eyebrow.

“He has a point,” Lewis says.

“Shut up,” Hubert growls.

“In any case, she should be back there as soon as possible,” Arthur continues. “You’re right, we would make it harder. Besides, she trusts you.”

“Thank you,” I say, sighing to release the tension.

“But I don’t,” Hubert sneers. “I say we tail them.”

“What?”

“That is a great solution,” Lewis chimes in. “What transportation are you taking, Sebastian? Your car?”

“The train, but wait―”

“Perfect. We’ll be following the train then. She won’t notice, and if she manages to escape your grasp, we’ll track her down. Simple,” Arthur says.

I frown, my blood boiling from rage.

“Great.” Hubert’s eyes glint with fierceness. I want to gouge them out.

“Then it’s settled. Sebastian, you go on ahead, we’ll see to it that everything goes according to plan.”

“I don’t think this is going to be easy. She’s keen to escape.” Lewis sniggers.

“Yes, I’m actually hoping she will. I can’t wait to test out this new shotgun I bought!” Hubert says.

“You can’t do that!” I say. “She’s part of my assignment!”

“And she was part of mine too, until you stole her,” Hubert growls.

“Enough of this. You can share,” Arthur says while getting up from his chair. “The choice she makes will decide her fate.”

Hubert laughs. “May the best man win.”