The Four - Book 3

Chapter 18

Aira

"As a matter of fact, tie fire boy's legs up too. He's a tricky one, make sure it's tight."

I watch as Paytah shoots Hanson the deadliest glare as one man ties his hands behind his back, and another tie his legs together. Hanson doesn't seem to mind, I think he actually enjoys this. Of course he would.

Paytah and I are on the floor of Hanson's...I don't know, lab? We are chained to the wall, sitting down. Apparently they felt the need to tie Paytah's legs as well. People are walking around everywhere, half of them in doctor suits, and the other half are guards.

"I have a question."

"Dammit Paytah, I'm very tempted to just get your death over with now-"

"You'll like this one." Paytah cuts Hanson off. He looks down at us, a smile on his face. "Okay, what."

"Why us?" He asks, and Hanson laughs. "You want the real answer? Fine." Hanson grabs a chair and sits down right in front of us.

"Aira, it was just too easy with you, to have you gain my trust. I knew fire boy would be the real problem here, so I had you convince him. Remember our talk?"

My face grows red. Paytah looks at me, devastation in his eyes.

"I told you to convince him, and here we are. Paytah, the boy who hated me from the start, and Aira, the girl who put all her trust in me." Hanson says.

"Is that true?" Paytah asks. I look at him, his eyes filled with sorrow.

"No-well, a little bit, yes-"

"I don't want to hear it." Paytah says, looking away.

"It's a great story, really-"

"I still never trusted you." Paytah once again cuts Hanson off. "Lana brought the real me back after Aira and I talked. I never trusted you, not for one sec-"

"Well, and now look?" Hanson says, and Paytah falls silent. "You're in my hands. Trust me or not, it doesn't matter anymore. Tomorrow, you'll mean nothing anymore."

"A bullet through our heads won't stop the other elements." I say, and Hanson looks at me curiously.

"Who said it was just going to be a bullet though your head? I want to have a little fun first."

Hanson stands up, pulling a gun out from his coat. My heart begins beating a million miles an hour. And it races even more as he lifts the gun up at Paytah.

And my heart stops as I hear the loud ring of a gunshot.

Blood splatters on my face, and I hear the horrid screams from a boy in serious pain. I have my eyes shut tight, not wanting to see if the boy next to me is still breathing. But as temptation takes over, I open my eyes and look.

A bullet went right through Paytah's body. His right shoulder has a hole right through it, but it fills with blood and puss quickly. Paytah's body trembles, his cries just enough to tear right through my heart. His eyes are glossy, his face turning pale already.

I'm too shocked to speak, and Paytah is too shocked to realized what just happened. Blood runs down his body, all the way down to the floor. I wipe his blood off my face, shaking myself back to reality.

"Paytah!" I shriek, but he just looks at me, a sorrowful look in his eyes, and then he looks at his wound again. I don't think Hanson hit anything serious, just a bullet right through his shoulder.

I forgot Hanson was standing over us. He lifts the gun up again.

This time pointing it right at me.