SILVER EYES (GXG)

Chapter 56: Erik's Gift

Heather and I spent the next three days locked in that cell. Michael never showed up, and the other soldiers only came by to drop off that gooey food and water.

Heather told me about the days we spent apart. She had gone through endless interrogations. They were very interested in her past and her family, but even though she told them over and over that she grew up in a sanctuary and didn't have any memories of them, they didn't seem to believe her.

"They were really insistent. I have no idea why." She said.

"Now that I think about it when they ambushed us in the forest, they said, 'We found what we were looking for,' referring to you." I explained.

"They wanted... me?" She gazed at the floor thoughtfully. "What if all of this is for revenge?"

I frowned. "Revenge?"

"Yeah... for all that happened with your brother." She said.

"I don't think so. Michael didn't seem very interested in our family bond." I sighed.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She said.

I shook my head. "Thanks, but at this point, I've learned that despite whatever happens in life, we all make our own choices. Michael made his too."

"Yeah, but he's the only family you have left." She said.

I nodded. "And I won't give up on him yet. But I refuse to feel guilty anymore."

I stood on tiptoe to look through the small window of the cell. I could barely see anything. There was just a faint light filtering in from another window. It seemed like we were underground.

"How long do you think we'll stay here?" She asked.

"I don't know... Hopefully long enough for Beverly and Stella to rescue us." I said.

"I don't want to leave." Heather said.

"What?"

"I need to get to the bottom of this. They seemed to know more than I do." She said.

Suddenly, the noise of the metal door echoed between the four walls of that hole, and a female soldier with a braid that nearly reached her feet brought us, once again, that disgusting food.

"Hey." I called her attention. "Where's Micha... Rowand? I want to talk to him." I asked.

"The Commander is not available." She said without even gazing at us.

"You've said the same thing over the past three days, if he wants something from us, he'll eventually need to talk to us." I said.

Heather remained silent behind me.

The soldier left the cans on the floor and gazed briefly at me. "I'm just as tired of this as you are, believe me. But the commander has changed his plans, he's been locked away for days."

"What do you mean locked away?" I asked.

"I don't know honestly. He's reflecting I guess..." The soldier turned to leave.

Changed plans? Michael was locked up reflecting? What the hell was happening?

I sat on the floor, staring at the repulsive food pastry that seemed to taste worse with each day.

Heather sighed and kicked the discarded straw bag that was supposed to be our bed. "I'm going to lose my mind if we don't get out of here soon."

I stretched my arms forward and rolled my neck to relax the muscles. She had a point. The situation was certainly claustrophobic. The heat in that cell was suffocating, and the days felt like we were being slowly roasted in an oven.