The Forbidden Children

16: Blade Briar's Daughter

March 6th, 8019

BALOR HEADQUARTERS, New York City.

"Dad can you PLEASE let go of my arm, I think a 17 year old knows how to walk without her daddy dragging her!?" A young woman with curly brown hair that barely touched her shoulders growled lowly as she tried yanking her thin arm out of Blade Briar's grasp, but his attention span was everywhere but on his daughter.

"Be quiet Clara, we need to get you somewhere safe!" Blade pulled her arm even harder as a response as they took a sharp left into another brightly lit hallway full of glass panes and linoleum tiled floors.

"Nowhere in Salem Balor's base is safe dad, cut the crap and tell me what is going on. Mom looked like you were going to murder me when you pulled me out of the house." Clara groaned in frustration as her father held her arm even closer to his side, not loosening his hold at all.

"You know her thoughts on Balor, you are just here to see me do my job, it has been way more active around here with all those forbidden kids running around." He gritted his teeth as he spoke, looking around corners before turning them.

"I've come to your job before and you didn't drag me around like a hostage." She replied in a snarky tone while rolling her eyes, but before Blade Briar could even think of a retort Salem Balor almost ran head first into him as they both turned a corner in opposite directions.

"Ah lovely, I'm glad you are following up on our deal. If we don't get those kids Briar, she is dead." He whispered in Blade's ear as he passed them while eyeing Clara Briar up and down with an evil grin.

Blade only shook his head in acknowledgment and yanked Clara around yet another corner with no hesitation going faster than ever before.

"Oh great, how I love my father, brings me to his job because he made a deal that Salem gets to kill me if he can't capture nine teenagers. That Job Academy essay is looking fire right about now." Clara started raising her voice at the lack of notice she was getting from the man who was supposed to love and protect her, not bet her life on his job.

"It wasn't my choice." His voice finally appeared again as they started going up a flight of stairs.

"You know for the military leader of our country you're pretty cowardly, can't even stick up for your own blood against a man who looks like a rat." She stated in between breaths as they kept climbing floor after floor.

"He would've killed you sooner if I didn't accept the deal." He stopped in between two flights of steps and snapped at the girl causing her dark brown eyes to stare at his hazel ones.

"You mean...He would've killed you sooner. You just care about yourself, please your manipulative tricks may work on mom still, but you are nothing to me." She snarled into his face causing spit to come out and hit him right on the cheek, she grimaced as he ignored her insults and pulled her up another flight of stairs.

"We are almost there, now shut up." Was all he replied with as they finally reached the floor he was aiming for.

"Isn't this where you lock hostages? This is where all those kid's families are! The ones on the run?" She asked out of curiosity once she noticed all the keypads outside of each heavy white door.

"Enough Clara." He growled as he pulled her in front of him as they stopped in front of one of the white doors. His hand rummaged through his leather jacket's pocket and pulled out a shiny white keycard that contained his ID number and photo.

He slid it across the keypad quickly, as if he has done it over 10,000 times before, causing the red glow to turn green and the white door to start moving up through the ceiling revealing a small grey room with a singular bed, small sink and even smaller toilet, and handcuffs hanging off the wall.

"What are we-" but before Clara could finish her sentence Blade Briar threw her into the room and slid the keycard back across the keypad the opposite direction, causing the door to start closing once more.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Clara came running up to the entrance, slamming her fists on the concrete door repeatedly until they burned with pain.

"Clara I'm not telling anyone I put you here so we could possibly escape, hide please!" Blade Briar's muffled voice came through the heavy object keeping them separated.

"I'M NOT LISTENING! ALL YOU DO IS LIEEEEE!!!" She screamed into the echoey room as loud as she could, making her throat burn and her eyes water.

She leaned against the cold wall and tried to compose herself as she observed her surroundings, her small frame could possibly fit under the bed if she was in desperate need to actually hide...even if it had to be from her own father.

What she could never understand was how killing nine innocent teenagers allowed for Clara to keep her own life. They never asked to be the third child, nonetheless forbidden. The world was incredibly unfair already with the new governing system and EPA. Why was killing innocent kids added onto the list?

She sat down slowly on the compact ground and closed her eyes. The room was so silent and all her heart ached for was her mother's soft voice, humming a beautiful melody to help her fall asleep. It hurt to swallow from all her screaming and her arm still throbbed from the everlasting touch of Blade Briar. Words couldn't describe how excited she was for life and all the opportunities that came with it, but if she goes home after this, that means nine kids and their families died.

At this point, she would rather be forbidden and have someone end her misery.