Freerunner

Chapter 18

Waiting. Of all the things I had to do during the day, waiting was the worst of them. While it meant I could zone out and try to ignore what was to come next, it also meant that my friends were trapped in hell. I witnessed Gabriel being shocked awake with a fire hose, only to have the door slammed in his face. I listened to that everlasting alarm Elijah had to live with. Worst of all, I could hear Dante's frantic screams. I didn't know what he was seeing but it obviously caused him great torment. Why now? Why was his mind only playing up now? The only people that could possibly answer this were Dante himself or Alex and neither of them were really able nor willing.

I shook these thoughts from my mind and focused on the issue at hand. I'd been anticipating Prince's interrogation and my feelings fluctuated between wanting to get it over with and never having to witness it. He was the breaking point after all. All that time spent torturing the others for information they couldn't disclose would all be for nothing if Prince deemed it necessary to say. Or even worse, if he let it slip. Still, I had faith in him. He cared for his subordinates more than my parents ever cared for me. No matter what, he wouldn't let their suffering go to waste.

Later in the week, I was taken away to that place above the interrogation room. About time, I thought. Alex had put off Prince's interrogation which had made me uneasy. Did he have some sort of secret weapon ready? Something that guaranteed getting what he needed? I glanced out the one way glass. Prince hadn't arrived yet. Looking around the space, Alex wasn't here either. I took a seat, facing the interrogation room. Out of the corner of my eye, I spied the guard who brought me here. He stood by the door, a stern expression adorning his face.

About 10 minutes passed until the interrogation room door opened. I stood up and watched Prince and his guard walk in. To my surprise, Alex followed after them. Prince sat on the chair facing the window and Alex positioned himself opposite. Behind me, the guard cleared his throat. I looked over at him. He indicated my seat to me resolutely. I swallowed and returned to the chair.

"Hello, Prince isn't it?" Alex said. I couldn't see his expression but he seemed rather casual. Prince shrugged and put on his usual smirk. He didn't pull it off as well as he used to. Maybe he was uneasy as well. Or maybe he was afraid of what was to come?

"Yeah, that works. Or Ferris, if you're really picky," he responded. I stared and it took me a fair bit of willpower mixed in with a firm grip on my chair to stop myself from rising.

"I'll stick with Prince, I think," Alex decided. "Anyway Prince, lovely lot of people you've got following you. I see you've taken an interest in my sister as well. She's nothing special and the others don't seem too remarkable either. Are you all related or something?"

Prince chuckled. "Well, you know I'm in no way related to Pinks. The others are from here and there, I picked them up along the way."

"Along the way?"

"That's private."

Alex sat back in his seat and folded his arms. When he leaned back, I saw that Prince wasn't chained to the table like the others. However, Prince didn't look like he had any intention of leaving. He slouched in his chair, one arm propped up on the backing and the other resting on the table. It struck me on how alike those two were. I shuddered. I wasn't sure what was worse, two Prince's or two Alex's. Alex leaned back in and placed his chin in his hands.

"That's fair enough. You're quite pale, aren't you? I'd almost say a little sickly."

Prince snorted. "Sickly? Excuse you, what you are looking at is perfection. I don't see the point in burning myself."