INTERIM · BEN PARISH | ✓

Eleven

"You stay here, understand, Stiletto?"

"YOU CAN'T MAKE ME STAY! I CAN'T AFFORD LOSE ANOTHER PERSON I CARE ABOUT!"

"You care about me?"

Barrel glares at the floor, clutching a small object and pressing it to his heart. He looks everywhere except at Stiletto. Those two are the last thing he wants to see.

She's biting her lip, holding back tears. It's now or never; we're all probably going to die within the next twenty minutes or so. "Of course I do, dumbass. And I always will."

•••

Warning: Kinda a lot of cussing. Oh who am I kidding there's always cussing

"INJUSTICE!" Bramble hollered as we strapped her to the seat.

"Put some tape over her mouth," Stiletto instructed.

Pluto pulled out the last few inches of scotch tape and made his way to Bramble.

"Stop! I'm the squad leader. I believe in a fair trial before resorting to inhumane tortures. Let the woman speak."

I pulled out my knife and sliced the ropes.

"Aw, thanks, Red," she spat. "You're so kind."

"Bramble, speak. We know that you hijacked the system."

"What? No, I didn't."

"But we know your plans of sneaking out and replacing the guns with paintball, you piece of-" Musket yanked Stiletto back and pushed her away, whispering a few words into her ear and rubbing her forearms.

I turned away in disgust. "Anyway, we need you to speak. Now. Before we turn this to the authorities." I showed her the cassette tape and pulled it away just as she reached for it.

"I.. don't know what that is."

"You don't... know?"

"Yeah. Can't pin anything on me at all," she said coolly, glancing around the room. "This is kidnapping. Reznik will have your heads on a silver platter served to those damn Teds."

"Oh really? Because after I show this to him, he'll downgrade your squad down to the last."

"Oh really?" she mocked, tossing her head back to laugh out loud. "Because if you show a cassette tape, he'll just confiscate it and punish you for possession of legal contraband."

"LISTEN HERE YOU FUCKFACE, YOU'RE NOT COOPERATING, SO YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO COOPERATE WITH MY FIST!" Stiletto shrieked, pulling back her arm to strike her.

Barrel yawned and slapped the back of her head with a loud THWACK! She blinked for a few seconds, then fell. Musket caught her and carried her away. Scarecrow watched in silence, not taking his eyes off Private Bramble. His stoic face actually scared the living hell out of me.

"Anyway.. listen here you flying, lying fucktard," I leaned closer to her so she could stare at me straight in the eyes. "I know the game you're playing and I can be just as shady as you are. Cassette tapes, as I recall, are actually conditional contraband under the rules and regulations as carried out by this present day Wright-Patterson. This is for peaceful purposes."