Animal

.:28:.

I walked out of the dense undergrowth in which the rest were laying low, waiting, watching. My heart thundered in my chest and I swallowed my tongue so hard that I couldn't breath; or something like that.

I swallowed a lump in my throat, squeezing my sweaty palms for a heartbeat and then letting out a deep breath. Walking straight up to the enemy? Great idea! Brilliant!

Making sure I had my sleeves pulled up to my fingers, and lowering be blade so that I could easily access it for later in my plan, I shook my arms out and felt triumph when it was unnoticeable.

The last fifteen minutes were spent making sure that I went through the plan smoothly. It would be successful should I manage to get the cuffs on my wrists without a problem, and then somehow keep them talking long enough for them to dull around me.

I stepped on a twig purposefully, alerting the area of my presence. Almost immediately, the guards had their guns pointed in my direction, as though by habit.

I walked straight out of the undergrowth, hands in the air. "Wait! Don't shoot!" I pleaded, widening my eyes and feigning fear and shock. Well, the shock was fake, anyway, I can't promise the same thing for fear. "Please! I'm not any harm!"

One of the guards lowered her guns hesitantly and glanced at the others. When none did the same, she brought it back up to me again and stared down at me with hard eyes. "State your name! Now!"

My heart pounded. "McKenzie," I said loudly, my voice echoing around the area. There was no way anybody within two miles wouldn't be able to hear me speak. "McKenzie Shane."

"Shane?" Instantly, the guard below the woman who demanded my name lowered his gun and stomped forward, looking me down. His jaw was clenched and the shade from the black hat on his head darkened his eyes. "You mean—"

"Yes, I mean the one you've been looking for." I met his gaze, trying to show him I wasn't as intimidated as he seemed to be trying to look.

"How did you know about that?" he questioned, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

I held my wrists out to him, making myself seem lazy and bored. "I know because I have done some research of my own."

He reached behind him, only one hand on his gun, and pulled out a pair of silver cuffs. "Who are your sources?" He asked, strapping the gun over his shoulder so he could cuff me.

I shrugged. "I can't reveal them, that would betray our deal."

"What the fuck is she talking about, Rogers?" The woman barked down, her eyebrows furrowed with frustration.

Rogers ignored her and stared me in the eyes, the cuffs sliding around my wrists like the cold hands of death grabbing me to take me to the land of lost souls. "No idea," he murmured under his breath. "Any chance you're going to change your reveal them?"

"Nah," I said, shrugging and tugging the cuffs and adding, "Think you made them too loose."

After he adjusted the cuffs, I let out an optimistic sigh and looked around. "Neat place, to bad it's a torture chamber."

"It's not," he replied dryly.

"No?" I blinked, acting surprised. "I don't know, it felt like torture going through the change. Never saw it coming, you know?"

Rogers eyed me, his gaze cautious. "We aren't the bad guys, here," he told me tightly. "We're trying to make you stronger, better."

"That is," I added, making sure to speak quickly enough so he couldn't continue, "if we survive, and we don't rip your throats out."