The Killing Bind

Chapter 29: Setbacks and Secrets

Atticus Berk ran with the numb and exhausted Andrew Beckett over his shoulder. His arms and legs were failing him, trying to escape before the whole place came crashing down. He knew Andrew Beckett was some kind of assassin or works as an agent for a clandestine organization. He wondered how a person young as him could lead a life like that, how he could completely analyze and deal with a situation at an age where they would be having college frat parties and following their dreams. Atticus Berk respected Andrew Beckett, that was for sure.

The place was destroyed, scraps and huge bars of metals were dangling down from the ceiling, the machines were on fire. Berk was bleeding from many parts of his body, but still, he knew they needed to get out of here to survive. Jacob Milton and Jack Miller were people with twisted minds, and he could see why Andrew wanted to kill them.

The explosions had caused all the exits and entries to burst into flames. The heat radiated and burned the former FBI agent internally and physically. He saw the giant door at the back. It was the only way out without adding any more injuries, but it was still dangerous. The ignited wooden frame hung dangerously low. Atticus Berk ran for the door. The wooden frame collapsed as soon as the Atticus Berk tumbled out of the factory, an explosion knocking them both out. Atticus Berk groaned and rolled around the sandy floor. He saw Andrew Beckett, stirring and coughing, slowly regaining his consciousness. Berk slowly got up, almost falling during the process, and started to drag himself towards Beckett who had flown out of his hold during their escape.

He crouched down next to Andrew and tried to focus, but his eyes and head were failing him. His eyes started to get cloudy and his head heavy. He reached the back of his head and felt a liquid substance. He brought his fingers near his face. His hazy vision identifying the color red and the irony smell.

Blood.

Atticus heard blade slaps of a helicopter above their heads. He lifted his head to see the flying automobile descending towards them. The strong air pushed Berk, he could see Andrew groaning and wincing with pain in every movement and was trying to get up. The helicopter came close towards them and a man stepped out with two other men and lifted him and Andrew off the ground and into the helicopter.

The man looked at Berk and said, "Thank you for all you've done." He couldn't put his hand on what the man meant by that moment. He didn't try to figure it out. Instead, Atticus Berk closed his eyes and dozed off properly for the first time in many days.

***

Andrew Beckett woke up in a private infirmary owned and controlled by the PIA. He had been here many times during his training for the official recruitment. He knew the doctor and nurse. The doctor was an old man in his late 60s and the nurse was his daughter who looked to be in her early 30s or late 20s.

Andrew got up from the bed and walked over to the tall mirror at the end of the room. He was shirtless and in a trouser. He had been changed by someone, he realized. He scanned his whole body from the mirror. His left arm had been wrapped with a bandage on the shoulder until his elbow. He looked at all the scrapes on his body, scrapes, burns and almost fatal injuries covered his body. He checked his leg, the new skin that had grown because of the burn during his escape out of the honey wagon a few years ago contrasted with his old skin. It looked like someone had patched some skin on him with a thread and needle.

He closed his eyes reflecting on all that happened in the past few hours. He knew he hadn't been sleeping for long. He was sure as there was a clipboard that hanged on the edge of the bed. He picked the clipboard and brought it to level to his chest, facing his face. He began to read the contents. He didn't have any fractures but it said that his head might start having constant dizziness and fatigue for at least 4 weeks. He began to read some more as heard footsteps coming near him. That's when his non-manual instincts kicked him, He took a scalpel that was on the bed and turned around in swift motion, and tried to stab the man on the shoulder. He failed and the man he had tried to stab was Sigmund Fraser. His handler had grabbed his wrist and threw the scalpel faster than he could have ever done.