The War Satellite

Chapter Twenty-Six

Clara

The gun stood trained in front of the family. My hands were pressed against the glass. I heard Hornet shuffle behind me. "What did you say?"

I closed my eyes, the tears running down my cheeks.

"Stop," I whispered. Hornet grabbed my hands, forcing me around to face him.

"Hmm. What will you do for me?"

"Please. Don't hurt them, I'll do anything. Be on your side. Just please stop hurting people." I closed my eyes, trying to hold back the tears.

"Anything?" I hated myself as I nodded.

"I want you to beg for it," He said. I opened my eyes and met his blue ones.

His eyes shone with suppressed excitement and my skin crawled. I fell to my knees and bowed my head cursing my very predicament. Hornet chuckled and I lifted my hands up. "Please," I begged.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" I just closed my eyes as he spoke into his radio. He turned back towards me and forced me to look at him.

"You will receive special privileges now that you are part of my team. Everything I'm sure you've ever wanted."

I didn't want it like this.

I turned back towards the family and saw them led out. Was I right to give up my own freedom for their safety?

I held so many secrets, if one wrong word fell from my lips everything could be jeopardized. Hornet could use my ability, he could abuse it. I heard the door shut behind the family and another one open behind me. Hornet tugged on my arm and I turned to find a triumphant smile on his face.

"Let me get you to a place where you can clean up."

He snapped and a guard untied my hands. The place where the rope had rubbed still stung, but I was just glad to have it off. Hornet put his arm around my shoulder as if he were my father. I didn't even try to shake it off. What was the use?

Hornet led me out of the room and dropped his arm, motioning for me to follow him. I looked around for guards to lead me, but they had already left.

"Clara, you're one of us now. We don't guard our own people."

The words made me want to cry. How had I gotten into this predicament? Ever since Miles kissed me, the world had fallen from the heaven it was in. The memories he forgot, Hamilton, and then Hornet. I held my hands against my stomach trying to stop the constant trembling in my fingers. I hadn't been able to stop the shaking since Hornet had said my friends names. How did he know? What was still a secret? What had I protected? My hand shook harder and I grabbed it trying to stop the movement.

"I will arrange for a maid to bring in a fresh outfit. Ask an officer to lead you to me. I will be in my office," Hornet said leading me into a large bathroom.

I nodded and he left the room swiftly, his shoulders back, his head tall. I walked over to the showers holding my trembling hand. I couldn't get comfortable here, I needed to be constantly looking for a way to escape. A way to help my friends.

But if I escaped he would hurt other people. My hand shook more fervently and I grabbed it tighter. I turned on the water to the hottest setting, breathing in the hot humid air, trying to expel the fog in my brain.

The shower did wonders. I felt a little more in control. Finally my hands had returned back to the normal color, the blood from weeks before was finally gone. The new jumpsuit they gave me wasn't like my old one. It looked like Hornet's own uniform, without medals and obnoxious patches. I pulled it on and took a deep breath looking at myself in the mirror. I had dark circles under my eyes and my face had slimmed down dramatically. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see who I had become.