Reformation

22: Property

I was paralyzed in shock and fear. What did he want? Why weren't the roof gunmen shooting at them? Then I realized they had been shot out and killed, along with half of the guards. The remaining sentries had their guns trained on them.

"Give us the immune." Erwin commanded.

"She is now property of the United States of America." A guard said in a commanding voice.

I was property? Ryan looked agitated at that too. Jill whimpered and tried to hold her father's hand but Danny pulled her back.

"Hand her over peacefully, and we won't blow up your wall." He pulled a grenade from his pocket. "If we can't have her, no one can."

I quickly pulled the knife from my bra and held it up to my own throat. The guards try to pull it from me, but I pressed it closer to my neck.

"You let us all come in. Erwin, you leave everyone alone, and leave peacefully." I can't believe I kept my voice steady. "Drop the knife, Sean."

He looked up at Erwin, who's eyes were locked on the knife in my hand. He nodded and Sean slid the knife back into his belt.

"Leave!" I screamed at Erwin. "It's a lose-lose situation for you."

"Jamal, get in the car." His voice cracked.

The big man lowered himself into the driver's seat carefully. Erwin followed him, but before he shut the door, he shot Sean in the head.

"Idiot." He grumbled as Sean's dead body toppled onto Ryan.

"No!" Jill sobbed.

I lowered the knife from my throat and it was immediately taken from me. Before I knew it, I was being dragged into the gates, everyone in my group still on the outside.

"You have to let them in, that was part of-"

"Protocol."

"I don't care about the f*cking protocol!" With a loud metal screeching, the gates slammed shut.

I wiggled myself from the guards' grasp and ran up to the gate where Ryan met me, interlacing our fingers.

"Arizona, don't be stupid-"

"We made a deal. We aren't leaving each other-"

"Arizona," the bars were thick enough just so his hands could reach through and hold my face. "Our deal was only leaving if it was absolutely necessary. This is absolutely necessary."

I felt hands grab me from behind. I stepped away from the gates, tears filling my eyes.

"I love you." He said.

"Don't die, it's against the rules." I replied, choking up.

The first chain link fence shut between us, then the second. My gaze stayed locked with his deep sapphire eyes, they looked scared. His eyes disappeared and were replaced with a large metal door.

I tried to stay strong, I tried not to collapse onto my knees. I was alone. I was scared. I wanted to curl up and die.

The men half dragged, half carried me through long dark halls, my legs feeling like noodles. I tried to count the turns, but my head got dizzy and I couldn't do it. We eventually came to a set of metal double doors with two small windows, revealing another long hall, with an intercom.

"One, one, two, eight, oh, one." A guard said into the intercom.

The door clicked open and we walked down the hall, our footsteps echoing over the floor. They opened another door with a keycard and led me into a decent sized room, maybe the size of a living room, with an operating table in the center of it. Fluorescent lights lined the ceiling, casting an eerie glow on the table. The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of concrete, making the room twenty degrees colder than it should have been. A heart monitor and IV rack sat in the corner. Two women with surgical caps and masks greeted us at the door, their white lab coats were too white, like they had been bleached over and over. They took my arms and led me to the operating table, my heart pounded in my chest. Was this all fake? Were they actually psychopaths who were going to gut me and use my body for taxidermy? I heard the door slam shut behind us and wish I could go back with the guards.