The Cross Over (Silent Moments Series: Book 7)

Chapter 17

 The guards' forceful handling was impersonal and efficient as they threw me into a chair in a stark, utilitarian room. The straps that secured me felt like cold bands of steel, each click a reminder of the grim situation I was in. The device they lowered onto my head was menacing in its appearance, a harrowing harbinger of the torment to come. As the machine whirred to life, I braced myself for the onslaught. I knew I had to resist, to safeguard the location of the Flame. It wasn't just a matter of personal pride or secrecy; it was a matter of survival, for me and for everyone I cared about. The weight of that responsibility was like a mantle upon my shoulders, heavy and daunting. Yet, as the machine probed deeper, extracting memories and thoughts with ruthless efficiency, the pain was beyond anything I had anticipated. It was as if my very thoughts were being torn from me, leaving searing trails of agony in their wake. Each moment of resistance brought a new wave of excruciating pain, my mind teetering on the brink of collapse.

And through it all, Bellamy just stood there. His gaze was distant, detached, as if he was observing a stranger rather than a brother. The lack of recognition, the absence of any sign of the bond we once shared, was as painful as the machine's relentless probing. His indifference was a silent testament to the change that had overtaken him, a transformation so complete that the Bellamy I knew seemed to have vanished entirely. In that moment, bound to the chair and locked in a battle of wills with both the machine and my own body, I was acutely aware of the stakes. Every secret I held, every memory extracted, was a piece of a larger puzzle that could determine the fate of us all. The pressure was immense, an almost tangible force pressing down upon me as I fought to keep the Flame's location hidden in the recesses of my mind.

The tension in the room was almost tangible as the woman, an aide to the Shepherd, spoke up amidst my struggles. "Apologies, my Shepherd, but the neural link won't engage with him fighting like this."

Bill's response was curt. "Keep trying."

The pain intensified, ripping through my mind like wildfire. I couldn't help but scream out in agony, each shout a testament to my determination to protect the Flame's location.

The aide's voice was laced with concern. "Sir, he's dangerously close to hemorrhaging."

Bellamy, his voice tinged with doubt, intervened. "Sir, I don't think he knows."

Bill was adamant. "He knows. He's resisting. Turn it off!"

The machine's relentless pressure ceased abruptly, leaving me gasping for breath, my heart pounding in my ears.

Bill's disappointment was evident. "I'm sorry, Bellamy, you did what you could," he said before issuing a chilling order to one of his guards. "Send the first of his friends to Penance."

Panic and desperation gripped me. "Wait!" I managed to gasp out, stopping Bill in his tracks. "I'll take you to it. But only after all my friends are safe."

Bill's agreement was disturbingly cheerful. "Done," he said. Turning to Bellamy, he added, "Bellamy."

Bellamy's parting words were heavy with regret. "It didn't have to be like this."

I met his gaze, my own filled with a mix of pain and resolve. "Yes, it did."

After Bellamy left, an attendant entered to clean the blood from my head, making me 'presentable' for whatever was next. Soon, I was being escorted out of the room. The walk was a blur, my mind still reeling from the ordeal and the deal I had just struck. Upon entering the next room, the sight of my friends, still restrained and looking at me with a mix of concern and confusion, hit me hard. The reality of our situation, the decisions I had made, and the unknown consequences that awaited us all weighed heavily on my mind. In that moment, I realized the full extent of the sacrifices and choices we were all forced to make in our fight for survival and freedom.