Survival

20

The chair wasn't comfortable; its wooden seat and back dug into his flesh. His fingers tapped into the arm impatiently and his eyes narrowed. Around him, three men were scribbling notes, each focusing on a different subject.

He had them. He had the answer he was looking for. He could finally replicate that Doctor Karsten had produced and use it for future wars. Ultimate soldiers. First would be the tests, then the interrogations then finally the extraction. The kids held the answers, and he finally had them.

He laughed to himself.

It was almost easy. Who knew that in taking the blasted beast they called a dog, they would be practically handed to him on a silver platter? The girl caved easily with the knowledge of him having the beast, the boys followed her like lost puppies.

Yet Thompson had not seen such worry and anger portrayed by someone so young. The three boys shouted and yelled to be taken to the girl but to no avail.

He had gotten every resource on these kids. He had psychologists make profiles on each subject. He left no stone unturned when it came to these kids. He was undoubtedly fascinated by them. They were more than neighbours, or friends. They were more than family. They were...connected, he just didn't know how.

Master Claybourne had only confirmed his suspicions. He had already known something was different about them after their encounter with the psychotic man who called himself the Gamemaster, which had been televised. But his suspicions and curiosity only grew after the problem between the Claybourne's and Brennan a little over two months ago. Three people told the same tale of her eyes glowing and becoming a beast. Of course, no one believed them. She was a child, innocent and a victim. They would believe her over them.

But not him.

He had seen them in action.

He was there during the hurricane. He saw with his own two eyes how they surrounded the man. With no words or gestures, almost as though they had rehearsed it.

Or could speak to each other mentally.

"Let us out of here!" the larger boy called, standing to his two feet. He was better built than the other two, obviously the oldest of the four kids, but evidently not the leader.

"Ben, it's not use. They won't let us out of here" the black kid spoke gently to the older boy, who was pacing agitatedly along the length of the cell wall.

"I wonder how long we've been here" the fat kid mused out loud, making the other two boys look at him darkly. They were currently sat inside a solid built cell, the white walls smoothed down and the floor grey concrete. There was a metal table in the middle, along with a bunk bed and a single mattress along the back wall and the right had side wall opposite the sink and mirror. There was no toilet; the boys would have to ask to go. The only door was through the observation room where Thompson was now sat.

As if noticing the looks his friends were giving him, the fat kid seemed to try and shrink against the bottom bunk he was currently sprawled on. He was lying with his knees bent and his hands over his rather podgy belly. "Easy Blue. Tory's probably being kept in the room two doors down from us. Thompson is probably behind that mirror, watching us"

The fat boy rolled to sit up, his head barely skimming the top bunk as his finger pointed towards the large mirror that occupied the wall with the door. It took up the majority of the wall.

Everyone by Thompson froze as though they had been caught out.

"How'd you know?" the black kid asked, sitting on the chair by the table. He had recently had his head on the table, but now he looked up as the fat one stood to his feet and clapped his friends' shoulders. The older boy was stood by the black kid, and the fat popped himself in the middle. He seemed to almost need the support to stand up, because the other two boys watched him carefully. What was that about?

"Have you ever watched a crime series? Tory watches Bones a lot" he answer. "This is the interrogation room, normally, and in there is the observation room" the kid pointed right at Thompson. The fat kid's observer scribbling something down. "Hi, Thompson" he wiggled his fingers cheekily, and Thompson tensed. The black kid snickered while the older boy popped the back of his friend's head.

"Shut up, Hi" but even as he said it, there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. The fat kid frowned, rubbing the back of his head begrudgingly.

"Watch the head, Blue" the boy warned, rather fearfully. The two boys looked to him, the older boy muttering an apology. "I don't know how much longer I can hide the pain" the boy whispered, and the two other boys looked worried. The older boy suddenly groaned in complaint.

"We need to find Tory"

"We've got each other, she'll be alone" the black kid visibly shivered and Thompson lifted any eyebrow. Interesting.

"She's probably got Baldy wishing he had hair just so he can pull it all out again" the fat kid said, head tilting to the side in thought. "Now that is a sight I would love to see"

"Thompson pulling out his hair?" the black kid asked.

"Thompson with hair" the fat kid replied, successfully managing to draw out a chuckle from the larger boy while the scribes coughed to cover up their own laughter. The relationship between the boys was clear, the roles each played in their 'gang'.

There was a tap on Thompson's shoulder and a head leaning close his ear.

"She's awake" was all they said. As they drew back, Thompson stood to his feet.

"Keep observing. Note down anything suspicious" he didn't wait for a reply as he left the room.

He followed behind the agent assigned to watch over Brennan in his absence. The door was opened for him and he stepped in to see the Brennan girl sitting on her bed, knees drawn to her chest and her head resting on her knees as her arms looped around her shins.

"She's not moved since waking" the agent informed. Her muscles were tense, even from where he was stood he could see that.

"When will they be ready for testing?" Thompson asked, desperate to get started. They had been asleep about an hour and a half on the way here, and another three in these cells. Surely they were ready.

"Tomorrow" it was the head doctor who had been assigned to look over the kids medically. "I still need to check Miss Brennan, and then make their medical reports. But tomorrow at the earliest. However I have noticed something rather interesting about two of the boys, but I'll be more conclusive once I check Miss Brennan" Thompson looked at his watch. It was eight at night, so he only had to wait a few hours. Their parents would be noticing their absence any time now, and Brennan was right when she said it would be all over the news. He nodded to the doctor who moved to enter the room Brennan was currently curled inside.

Soon he would have what he wanted:

Recognition.