Connected

The Meeting Part 1

A/N: Apologies not only for the length of this chapter but also for the length of time it has been in between chapters. I am currently trying to figure out how to not write myself into a corner. 😅

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When my eyes fluttered open, it was darker in the basement. My cheek was pressed up right against the concrete floor, but I could just make out the Captain's outline across the cell. I closed my eyes again and just listened. His breathing seemed slow and even. He was probably asleep as well.

A small shuffling noise caught my attention and I sat up slowly, looking towards the staircase. "Y/N?" A voice whispered in the dark.

I scooted closer to the bars, whispering back. "What, Lee Know?"

His face finally came into view and it looked disappointed. "Time to go." I had never seen his face look this pale before.

"What do you mean?" I slowly got up.

"They're here." His hands rested silently on the lock but didn't move.

"Oh." I glanced back at the Captain and his open eyes caught me off guard. I whipped my head back around. "Jeez, make a noise or something." I tried to chuckle but it wouldn't come out of my throat.

I ended up just awkwardly coughing, clearing my throat in the process.

"Who's here, Lee Know?" He only asked, he didn't make a move. Or at least not one that I could audibly hear. Maybe he was just that good. Maybe he could move around without making a sound. Maybe he would eventually come up right behind me.

I jumped when Lee Know's hands clicked the lock. "Just some business associates interested in the bug's coding."

"Sounds interesting. Have fun with that."

His sarcasm wasn't lost on either Lee Know or me. I just rolled my eyes and the door to the cell swung open. I walked through and Lee Know relocked it. "Dinner will be down soon Captain."

"Don't worry about it. I can actually get some sleep now that the lawnmower is gone."

I whirled around, about to say something snarky right back but Lee Know burst out laughing before I could. He doubled over holding his stomach as he laughed, and I just felt my face redden.

I clenched my teeth together, "I told you that I don't snore."

"Nice to know you got some sleep." I couldn't see his face completely in the dark, so I wasn't sure if he was being serious. His tone, however, was less than friendly.

"For your information, I didn't sleep well last night."

Lee Know began to get it together, standing up straight, and wiping tears from his eyes. He sighed, "Captain, you are starting to grow on me."

"Let me get some sleep and the feeling will be mutual."

I felt my mouth fall open slightly. "You can't be serious."

Lee Know pulled slightly at my elbow and tilted his head back away from the cell. "Shall we?"

I stuck my tongue out at the Captain, then nodded at Lee Know. He guided me around the backside of the staircase and through a doorway that I didn't remember seeing on my way down. Although, now that I thought about it, I pretty much blacked out halfway down the stairs anyway.

"Where are we going?" I looked around and realized there was a completely different set of stairs that led back up to the main level. "Were these always here?"

Lee Know gestured for me to go first. "Had them made special. I couldn't even come down here until they were put in."

"Why's that?" I heard him pause on the steps and turned around to face him, several steps above him.

He was looking right back up at me. "Do you still have nightmares about the door at the bottom of the steps?"

My body stiffened, "Oh." I turned back around, "Let's go."

"I'm sorry." His voice wavered and my foot hovered over the step. "Nothing to be sorry about."

His hand clenched around mine. "I should have helped you, but I didn't."

I shook my head and peeled his hand off of mine. "You were just a kid."

The step creaked slightly as he joined me on the same step. I backed up, wary of his tricks after this morning. He pointed a finger at me. "That doesn't excuse anything that he did to you. And for that, I'm sorry."

I moved his finger away, "Lee Know." I took a deep breath. "He's dead. That's the best sorry I could have ever gotten."

I continued up the steps ignoring anything else he tried to bring up, and stopped in the foyer. These stairs were facing opposite of the direction of Lee Know's office. Lee Know followed me, a few steps behind, but came to stand next to me.

"They are in the sitting room." He motioned to the main room.

I began to move but his hand caught my arm again. "What are you doing?" I tried to pull it out of his grip, but he gripped harder.

"Before we go in there, you need to know something."

"Fine, but can you let go of my arm?"

His eyes flicked back and forth before he let go of my arm. "We might not be on the same side anymore but..."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "Whose side am I on then?" I crossed my arms.

He glared before softening his expression and continuing. "But, we are definitely allies against the person in that room."

He glanced towards the room. "They want to use you for more nefarious reasons."

"More than bringing the entire internet to a stand still?" I raised an eyebrow.

"More than your PG reason, yes. Agree to it, and we can buy some extra time to get out of it all."

"Haven't you had a bit of time already?" I raised an eyebrow.

He glanced back to the room and shoved his hands in his pockets. "The letter came this morning. Along with the cronies. About an hour before I was to leave to meet you."

"Oh." I scratched the back of my neck.

"I know you are resigned to your own fate. I get that you don't want to get pulled in further for obvious reasons." He paused, taking a breath. "But these people are the real deal. And they won't take no for an answer."

"Oh, Lee Know." I patted his cheek. "Your humanity is showing."

His jaw dropped and I walked through the archway into the main room.

A man and a woman were sitting, chatting with each other while the two cronies from earlier were standing on opposite sides of the room. They all looked up at me when I walked in. I heard Lee Know follow behind me and stand next to me.

He cleared his throat. "This is Y/N. She is the programmer."