Puppet {ManxMan}

CHAPTER 2

The Con Rồng headquarters was a fortress.

To any prying eyes they would see a ten story business building made of glass and sheet metal, but beneath the surface, just under the foundation, was a bunker made of cold gray concrete, steel, and iron, fortified with barbed wire, electrical wire, coded doors, finger print scanners, and the like. Even the elevator had been built with precautions, a double door that opened to a chain fence Carter had to lift up to allow us entrance. It was obvious that they were trying to keep people out, or rather, trying to keep me in.

The building above us was the headquarters of their government, where Carter, Blu, and the others lived with all of their soldiers, doctors, and scientists. It was the heart of the new world, and tainted blood flowed through each vein.

The bunker was where they kept prisoners, of which I believe are many, but I've never met them before. At times I could hear their screams, closing my eyes I could imagine everything that could be happening to them. I should know, they did it all to me first. The bunker was their dirty little secret, just like every government had. It was where they did illegal experimentation on humans, it's where they tortured the prisoners of war. It's where they held me captive.

As far as I knew, the elevator was the only way to get between the bunker and the main building, but something told me there was probably an emergency exit somewhere down there. It would be logical to have one or two exits, but seeing as I was never allowed to wander, I had no clue as to where those exits could be, therefore no way to test my theory.

The elevator doors slid open to reveal a pristine hallway with a stark difference to the bunker. The floors were carpet, beautiful wallpaper was pasted to both walls, and the light fixtures were like golden candles. Directly ahead was a door made of dark maple, and carved into the wood was a dragon curled with the moon clutched in its talons and the sun locked between its gaping jaws.

The Con Rồng insignia.

I knew exactly what laid beyond that door, but I was never prepared for it. A large round table was situated right in the middle, with chairs sitting all around it. The windows were blocked by heavy curtains, tapestries depicting dragons and death hung on the walls beside hand painted pictures. There was one chair at the head of the table that was bigger than the others, extravagant and over-exaggerated with red and purple velvet, white leather, jewels on the arms and gold and silver trimming the edges.

Blu sat in that chair like a king, his dark hair slicked back with some kind of gel that caught the light in a very ethereal and beautiful way. His skin was pale and free of any blemishes, and he wore a clean pressed suit that was buttoned up neatly. His dark eyes were like charcoal, piercing through me and making my heart drum in my chest. As much as I hated to admit it, the man scared me badly.

His two closest companions were in the room as well, though I was confident in thinking they were as much pawns in this game as I was. Vinet was wearing what she usually wore, and I often found myself wondering if she even owned anything else. A wine glass black skirt that reached her knees, a long sleeved black shirt that hugged her form, and a low V-neck showing a little too much. Her shoes had heels, I think to make her taller and feel more superior towards the men beneath her, and her hair was platinum blonde, with blood red lipstick painting her mouth, and intimidating icy blue eyes that never ceased to make me shiver.

Rupert was sitting beside her, wearing blue jeans and a white dress shirt with a black vest. His blond hair and blue eyes were a testament to his heritage, but the ugliness of his heart made any good looks seem unfathomable. He looked bored, but then again that wasn't surprising. He was usually bored, unless he had a gun in his hand and innocent children kneeling in front of him.