The Emerald Death

Chapter 3

Duke Thomas is tied in a chair that looks ancient but despite its looks it's probably the sturdiest the house. Blood is still leaking from his shoulder where Scott shot him. Liam stands behind him as Scott stands in front of him.

"Now." Scott says, starting to lose his patience. "We'll try this again. Where can we find the medical equipment for working on diseases?"

"I told you already." Duke Thomas says weakly. "In the Empire State Building, along with all of the stuff you'd need for anything else."

"I'm going to need some specifics." Scott says. "We need to know which floor."

"I don't know that. I just know which building they're in. If you want to know specifics you're just going to have to kill me." Duke Thomas says slowly raising his head. "And even if I did know what makes you think I'd tell you how to find how to make your cure?"

Scott stoops down to where he is face to face with the Duke. "This." He simply states driving the gun barrel deep into the Duke's shoulder. The Duke screams louder then Scott has ever heard but he still drives it deeper into the wound. Liam held the Duke still while Scott pushed as hard as he could. He finally pulled back as the Duke started to lose his voice. The gun barrel was coated in blood.

"Now can we try this again?" Scott asks.

"I told you. It's all in the Empire state building! The entrance code is 2017! I have no other information! I don't know anything else," The Duke says starting to pant. "So you might as well kill me."

"We can't do that just yet." Scott says walking out with Liam trailing behind him. "You could still prove useful. I'll send up some medicine for your shoulder as well."

"Are you sure that's smart, Scott?" Liam asks.

"Yes. We'll need him in the best physical condition possible if we want him to remain useful." Scott walks downstairs while Liam stands guard outside the door. Scott heads straight to the kitchen for a snack before planning working on his plan some more.

"You need to stop this Scott." Nat says walking in behind him. "I heard his screams this time. So did the kids. It scared them half to death."

"It's over for now. I got what we needed. We're going to be headed back into the city soon." Scott says going into the pantry and pulling out some crackers. "I just need to finalize plans with Rose."

He remembers the blood on the gun barrel and goes to clean it in the sink. Then remembers that there's no running water. He pulls a wet wipe from a cabinet and wipes it down. Nat stands in shock as she watches this. How did her innocent little brother turn into this?

"What's happened to you?" She asks. "While we were in the city you wouldn't even attempt to hurt a fly. Now you're torturing something just to get information on a side goal. What happened?" Scott turns to her. Looking her right in the eyes he says "Shit happens." and walks on past her crackers in hand and the now clean gun tucked into his belt.

Nat turns and walks down into the living room to see Victor, Victoria, and Jennifer playing in there.

"Did he agree with you that he should stop?" Jennifer asks. "Yeah." Nat tells her. "Not in those words though. More like I got what I needed." Nats voice becomes a whisper. "Listen Jennifer, I want you to take the kids to another house and stay there for a while. I'm scared of what Scott will do next."

"Okay, I'll get out as soon as I can." Jennifer says. "We'll be three houses down if you need us."

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"I know where to go." Scott tells Rose in one of the upper rooms. "It's in the Empire State Building, we just don't know which floor."

"We have to know which floor it's on. It does us no good just to know a building." Rose snaps at him. "We can't continue without knowing which floor it's on."

"I say we move forward and stick to what we've planned this far." Scott tells her. "Besides if we don't move now they'll suspect that something has happened to him. We have to move now!"

"Do you think that this is a game? You will most likely die if you don't get specifics."

"I know exactly what will happen but I'd rather die fighting than die fighting than die in a hole afraid."

"If this what you want." Rose says.

"This is exactly what I want. We need to get in there as soon as possible." Scott confirms.

"Then go die. If anyone from my group wants to join you they may. Just know that if anyone of them does die and you don't I'll do the deed myself." Rose tells him getting up and walking towards him.

"Understood." Scott shrinks where he stands despite her being shorter than him. "And know that if I die my group stays with you and you stay with them."

"Agreed." They shake hands.