Weddings, Frat Boys, and Sorority Spies, Oh My!

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

"Ember, please, talk to me."

I avoided looking at Amber as she pleaded me to speak. When I woke up, not ten minutes ago, I was tied to a metal chair in a silent, dirty room. Two minutes after, Amber came in and sat in a chair facing me. One I knew was meant for Eyal. One I knew was meant for interrogation. I've had enough experience in the field and have seen enough spy movies (as ridiculously off as they are) to know this for a fact. My mind ran through a thousand ways they could torture me. None sounded good, obviously, but I knew he would use more than one of them. I was surprised to see Amber. Surprised and angry. She betrayed me! I trusted her and she betrayed me! 

"Ember, if you don't talk to me Eyal is going to step in and do some pretty nasty things to you. I'm trying to save you!"

I gave a curt laugh and finally looked into her face. She was watching me with pleading eyes. 

"Save me? You lying little bitch, you're the whole reason I'm here!"

Amber looked hurt by the harshness of what I said, but I didn't care. Joshua is locked up in a cell somewhere in this mysterious place, cold and alone and unconscious, with no one to be there for him. I just want to get this done so at least Joshua has a familiar face to wake up to...if I do return to him. 

"I know, and I realize how wrong I was! I've been working for him since I was twelve. My parents forced me into this business. I've been trying to get out since day one but, once you're in, you can't leave! Please believe me!"

I tried to cross my arms over my chest defiantly, but remembered that my arms were bound to the cold metal chair. The coarse rope dug into the delicate skin of my wrists. I gritted my teeth every time it dug into the already formed cuts. 

"Why do you think I'd believe you after what you did to me and my fiance?! I don't want to see you again, Amber! Ever!"

My voice echoed off the walls of the small room, making even more eerie and disturbing. How many people have been tortured here before me? How many have died during that? I tugged on the arm restraints, gritting my teeth again and swearing inwardly. Amber watched me with a, genuinely, sad expression. Looks can be deceiving. Suddenly, the steel door behind Amber opened and in stepped a man, dragging in another person, and two other people. A man and a woman. The woman looked like...well, me. I watched as the man with the captive hooked restraints around their wrists and removed the black bag over his head. I gasped when I saw Joshua. He was still unconscious, until the guy dumped a water bottle over him. Joshua's head shot up, his eyes frantically looking around. They stopped on me.

"Ember! Where are we?!" he exclaimed, but the man and woman stepped forward.

The woman had the same features as me and the same body shape. I knew exactly who they were right when I realized what the woman was. The man had dark hair and light hazel eyes. He, like the woman, was dressed like they had money to blow and not a care about it. 

"Hello, Ember." said the woman, a faint British lilt mixing with her words.

"Hello, Mom." I said through gritted teeth. 

The woman looked pleased. The man crossed his arms over his chest and looked me over. Hello to you too, Dad. I stared at them as Amber stepped aside, wringing her hands nervously and biting her lip. A sick feeling settled in my stomach as the woman took Amber's seat, leaning forwards and placing her elbows on her thighs so we were eye level. I stared at her. The green of her eyes were identical to mine. I thought my parents were dead. Apparently, the CIA was misinformed. They don't deserve their stars on the Memorial Wall. They're traitors.