Where our demons hide

Chapter 23- Rebels and runaways

Trigger warnings- Deaths, swearing and a small fight.

Kaiden looked up as the dictator opened the door. Like the others, he'd been locked in a room.

The dictator was holding on to Reina.

"Let go of her," Kaiden growled.

"I'm not going to do anything to her," the dictator replied. "Besides I am only here to make you an offer."

"What is it?" Reina asked impatiently.

The dictator explained everything. "Then there will be a televised punishment, which will be considered mandatory viewing. Will you agree to that, Kaiden?"

"What does it involve?" Kaiden asked.

"If I told you that, you wouldn't agree to it."

"Does it involve hurting the others in any way?"

"Yes."

The dictator moved closer to Reina. Kaiden moved to protect her but the dictator stopped him. He began whispering to her. Kaiden tried to listen, but he couldn't hear anything.

"Yes of course I would agree to that," Reina said when the dictator was done.

"Very good. That is all five. All of the others have agreed to the punishment."

"I'm not going to agree to anything that hurts them in any way. If it hurts them then forget it." Kaiden snapped.

"The others have already been hurt by the actions you have taken," the dictator replied. "Pain does not have to be physical. Adrielle and Reina's dad is no longer a Cadet for instance."

"What about Kaiden and Raven's dad?" Reina asked.

"He has been forced to sign away his company," the dictator snapped. "Oh, and Kaiden, do you remember someone called Emmeline?"

Kaiden looked up in shock.

"Ah, I see you do. Well, she is no longer with us."

"How could you kill her!" Kaiden shouted, "we haven't seen her in years!"

"I haven't finished," the dictator continued, "that is two of the families punished, but there is still one left."

"What have you done to Finley and Cadence's family?" Kaiden snarled.

"Well their mother died seven years ago so not much can be done about her. Their dad on the other hand....couldn't exactly put up much of a fight from his hospital bed."

"He's been arrested?" Reina questioned.

"No, he's been killed," the dictator replied, nonchalantly.

"What!" Kaiden and Reina shouted in unison.

"I will never agree to you hurting them anymore than you already have," Kaiden snarled.

"Then I will have to resort to my last measure," the dictator replied. He crouched down and grabbed the front of Kaiden's shirt, pulling him close so that Kaiden was forced to look him in the eyes. "If you don't agree, I'll kill one of the others and force you to watch. Then you and the others will be sent to Olendaal."

Olendaal was the highest security prison in the country. It was also a well known fact that it was the harshest to its prisoners.

Kaiden winced. The dictator noticed and smirked, "yes, perhaps I will kill Adrielle. Or Raven. Or maybe....Finley."

"No!" Kaiden shouted, "alright, I'll agree to whatever your punishment was. As long as it doesn't involve killing anyone."

"It doesn't. Well, except for you perhaps."