The Cost for Freedom

Chapter 6

"Dad," he answers him, clearly surprised.

Not as surprised as I was though, when I see who was around the corner. My hearing and vision fade in and out just at the mere sight of him. He was the one who ordered my "introduction." He was the one who kidnapped me. And my recent injuries only caused me to fear him more.

"Tyler, what are you doing with her?"

Somehow, I snap out of it and let my inner rebel out. "He saved me from your last minion."

Tyler, who had so conveniently never told me his name before, turns to me with a thinning lip line, his expression scolding. "Sorry, I was picking up where Zech left off. I had to relieve him... earlier than planned. "

"Than planned? Whatever for? It's not like he had somewhere to be."

"He should have..." I mumble to myself.

Somehow, they both hear me, assuming from the angering look the older man I'd grown to hate was now giving me. "You, young lady, seem to still need a proper introduction."

"Dad-I mean Cecil, Sir. I was just taking her to the medic. Zech never did."

"That's because I didn't want him to," Cecil turns to Tyler, keeping me from seeing his expression.

Now that I had been threatened to be beat up again, or so that was how I took the meaning of "introduction," I take a more defensive stance, however useless it may be. "I already had one of those, and I'd rather not get back to it..."

"I don't care what you want," he says laughing to me, as if it were obvious. He then steps towards me, gauging my reaction. His finger points in the air, aimed towards me, "I know what you need... Some answers, huh?"

I keep my mouth shut, what kind of answers would he give me? Maybe I would just resolve to not responding. I didn't need answers if they would only be from him.

"Is this the other part of your precious introductions?" I say instead.

Annoyingly, his crooked smile remains as he simply stares at me. I feel cold under his studying eye as I attempt to keep eye contact with him. Sighing, I lower my gaze to the ground.

"OK, so it looks like you don't want any answers then, is that it? Was I wrong?" I only blinked. "But oh, I know you want to know why I ripped you away from your family, how I could possibly have caught up to you that night... or how I had chosen such great timing to come in when you were mad at Jeff..."

My eyes darted up to his. The prick was smiling. I wasn't scared now, I was furious. "Your right, I have questions, but you seem to have me at a disadvantage. I don't know your family. But you know mine. And since you already know all the questions that I have, why don't you start answering them?" I began screaming, but was also close to tears. "How do you know Jeff?" I couldn't let on that he was family, whether he knew that or not already.

"Oh your brother?" He did know. He raises his eyebrows at me, his smile had not yet wavered, at all. "Well, at least I've caught your attention now. Well, I guess I might as well tell you. We planted little old Thomas to learn more about you."

I left out a breath I hadn't even known I had been holding. I felt defeated. These people had planned it all, from some unknown beginning, I was a target. Their target. And they'd gotten me, just like they wanted.

"Thomas was... he was a," I stuttered.

"Ahh yes, he was a nice, handsome little gentleman. Not exactly. His mission was recruiting. It was supposed to be a simple intelligence mission, gather information about the locals, any potentials, what have you. But then, he set up a date once you literally bumped into him. That was an ironic touch, I must say."