My Allegiance (3)

Chapter 4

(Y/n's POV)

There's an incessant ringing in my ears, and I can feel blood slowly trickling down the side of my face.

There's four hands on me, two on each arm, and I'm being dragged along the ground with my feet trailing in the dirt.

"No," I groan as my head rolls back.

It was a trap.

Of course it was.

Opening that door clearly triggered some mechanism in the staircase. I wouldn't be surprised if there was only more dirt above that door. Fuck knows how far below the surface we are.

"I'm sorry. Please, I'm sorry."

Both the scientists keep their eyes focused in the direction we're going, clearly unbothered by my attempt at an apology.

I notice the gloves have been put on my hands, which honestly is pointless because I don't think I have the strength to muster anything up, even if I wanted to.

I fucked up big time.

They toss me into a room with one table and one chair. It's a small box room, and on the wall is a screen.

His voice comes booming through speakers that are built into the walls, "Sit. Down."

My limbs are weak, but I manage to push myself up onto the chair from where they threw me on the ground.

"I'm not angry. I'm just...... disappointed. I thought we finally understood each other, you know? But a betrayal like this, I'm not gonna lie it stings a little," his creepy laugh resonates in my ears. "It quite literally stings. You put some power behind that one, didn't you?"

"It should've killed you. Why didn't it?"

My hair is slick with blood and stuck to my forehead.

"Sadly, I thought you might do something like this at some point, so I took certain protective measures in case you decided to turn against me. Which you did. And I must admit, I'm a little surprised. I thought that conversation we had was good enough to make you behave. Yet, here you are. And here they are."

There's a click, and the screen turns on in front of me, revealing the perfect camera shot of a familiar house.

"No," I cry. "Please. Please don't. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"No y/n, I'm sorry. It pains me to do this, it really does, but I think this is the only way you'll learn."

There's a muttering in the background, and I have to sit and watch as the soldier from before storms into the house, and emerges moments later with Tom and his two children. He points his gun at them and orders them onto their knees.

"Please. Doctor List, I am begging you please. I promise I'll behave."

"See, you promised that last time and look where we are now. You broke your end of the bargain, so it's only fair that I follow through, you know what I mean?"

"They're an innocent family. They've done nothing to you."

"But they're important to you. This is how it works y/n, you do as you're told and you don't lose the things that are important."

"I'll do as I'm told."

"Hmm, too late. Sorry."

"And after they're dead? What incentive will you have then?"

"Maybe some, maybe none. Don't you worry, I have more punishments in mind for you if you step out of line."

"And when Shield find out what you've done?"

"How exactly do you think that will happen?"

"I'll tell them."

"And will this be before or after you fail to escape again?"

I'm at a loss for words. There is nothing I can say that is going to stop him from going through with this.

"Mr Barnes, please have the gentleman on his knees, and the two children face each other in front of him."

They've all been bound and gagged once again, and the emotional pain in Tom's eyes is breaking me.

"The girl first please, Mr Barnes."

The soldier puts his gun in its holster and removes a dagger from his belt. I'm shaking as I watch him pull her head back by her hair, exposing her neck. Her whimpers sound loud through my room.

I feel sick to my stomach.

This is all my fault.

"Whenever you're ready."

"No. Please! No please! Stop it!"

My pleading is useless. Barnes brings the blade up to her soft flesh and swiftly pulls it across her throat, and I scream as the blood starts to gush out of the young girl's body.

"No! NO!"

I fall from the chair and onto my knees, and I feel as though my soul is splitting.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

I don't know if I'm saying it to List, Tom, the children, myself.

This is all my fault.

She's fallen forwards onto the grass, unmoving, and Tom is sobbing from underneath the tape.

"And now the boy please, Mr Barnes."

Ugly, chest-wracking wails are coming out of me, but I haven't felt pain like this since my parents died. This is grief at is worst.

Tom's son is crying quietly with his head down, but his is also sharply pulled back by Barnes. The look on his face as he's doing it is vacant, empty, uncaring. Does he even know what he's doing? He's murdering children. Innocent people.

He pulls the knife across the boy's throat, and he quickly goes down to meet his sister. Tom looks completely broken, the two people he loved more than anyone and anything in the world lying dead at his feet.

"Thank you Mr Barnes. Make this last one slow would you?"

I can't form any words. There is nothing I could do or say to make this better. I hate to say it, but it's probably for the best that he's going to die too, at least that way he doesn't have to live with the grief.

I deserve this. I deserve to live with this pain.

This is all my fault.

Barnes grabs Tom's collar and forces him onto his feet, looking down on his children.

"Any final words?" he asks is a dull, monotonous voice and rips off the tape.

His breaths are ragged, and his words are thick with hurt and anger. "Yeah. Fuck you asshole," his voice breaks as he speaks. "Y/n, if you're listening, it's okay. Just bring this motherfucker down."

I cover my mouth with both hands as my chest hurts from crying, and I have to turn my eyes away as Tom's throat gets cut and he's reunited with his beloved children.

"Ah," List sighs over the speaker. "Such a waste."