Survival

•Fifteen•

^Keith^

Arlo glanced at him curiously. "Who are you?"

Evelynne butt in before the young man could answer, "What do you want, Keith?" She asked crossly.

Keith shifted his way from foot to foot. "Uh...I have orders from the boss. What are you doing in here?"

"Just...checking on them. What's the orders?"

"The girl...she's-" Keith stopped, glancing at Carren, "Um..." He swallowed nervously, not sure how to continue. Arlo hardened his gaze toward the man.

Evelynne impatiently rapped her fingers against her hip, "What about her, Keith?"

"The boss doesn't...want her here."

Evelynne's eye widened with understanding, "You're here to kill her, aren't you?"

Carren whimpered and grabbed onto Arlo.

Keith simply nodded, pain etched across his features.

"Come on, Keith. Let's go out in the hall for a minute." Evelynne headed towards the door and waited while Keith strode through it. She gently closed the door behind her.

Not a minute later, a thump came from the hall and the door opened. In came Evelynne, dragging Keith by his arms across the floor, limp unconscious.

She glanced over at Arlo, letting out a grunt, "Help me tie him up, will you?" Arlo stood there stunned for a split second, then, recovering from the initial shock, he helped Evelynne tie the unconscious form up.

They were just in time and Keith began waking up right as the last knot was tied. They had procured some rope from the wall and secured his hands behind his back and his feet as well.

Keith groaned loudly and opened his eyes, "What tha-" he looked around in alarm and jerked, feeling the bonds. "What's going on?" He demanded.

"Sorry, Keith, but you're not gonna kill a little girl." Evelynne said plainly.

"Look, I didn't want to, but you know what happens when you don't obey the boss." Keith explained, tugging on the bonds again.

Arlo looked at Evelynne, confused. "What happens?"

"Bad things." Keith said, "Very bad things."

Evelynne rolled her eyes, "I'll be right back. Keep an eye on him and don't let him leave." She said, talking to Arlo.

"No! Untie me, Evelynne! Now!" Keith yelled.

Evelynne didn't acknowledge him and was soon gone. The room was semi silent again.

That is, until Keith broke the silence. "You," he said, glaring at Arlo, "untie me right now." He demanded.

Arlo looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "No," he said simply, which infuriated Keith.

"You better untie me right now before things become even worse for you!" Keith shouted, extremely aggravated.

"As I said before, no." Arlo said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I will kill you..." Keith threatened, narrowing his eyes.

Carren hopped off he table and scurried over to Arlo, watching Keith cautiously.

"Not unless I kill you first." Arlo walked over to Keith, and put him hand around the back of the man's neck. "Don't infuriate me any further, or I might just have to take action," Arlo threatened. The man, not impressed in the slightest, procured a wad of spit and projected it straight into Arlo's face. He glared at Arlo spitefully, not a hint of fear showing. Arlo tightened his grip to the point of pain, but making sure not to snap the neck. With his other hand, Arlo wiped the spot off of his face and wiped the spit on his pants. "I suggest that you don't do that again. I might just decide to not kill you, but I could get you to the point where you would wish for death, yet I will make sure that you don't die. Are we clear?"

"No. We are not. You have no authority over me and I am not afraid of you. You can't control me and it's only a matter of time before someone else comes on here and alerts our boss. Then you'll wish for death." Keith said all of that with utmost confidence and an unwavering voice, smirking at the end.

"I don't think so." Arlo released the pressure around the neck. He stood up, then quickly kicked Keith in the stomach. Keith grunted from the blow. After a hard punch to the man's stomach, Arlo walked back to stand by Carren.

Carren grabbed Arlo's hand, not taking her eyes off Keith, "Please don't let him kill me." She whispered.

"Don't worry. He won't. Keep an eye on him, and tell me if you think his hands might be coming loose, alright?"

"Okay, but where are you going? I don't want to be alone!"

"I'm not leaving, don't worry." Arlo went over to the medical table and picked up two scalpels and a couple of syringes. He walked back over to Carren and handed her one of the scalpels. "Use this if he escapes, or someone besides Evelynne walks in." Arlo went over and crouched down beside Keith. He tightened the bonds restraining him, then asked, "What exactly does your boss do to people who disobey him?"

Keith eyed the items in Arlo's hand warily, "What exactly are you going to do with those?"

"Answer my question, then we'll see."

"You really gonna do this with a little girl in the room?" Keith taunted, a smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"Yes." Arlo said, keeping his voice even. "Now answer my question. What exactly does your boss does your boss do to people who disobey him?"

"Why do you want to know?"

Arlo shrugged. "I'm just curious as to what might happen if we do get captured."

"Idiot," Keith muttered, "technically you already are."

Arlo ignored him and put the syringes down behind himself. He cracked his knuckles, and held the scalpel in his hand, examining it. "Such a simple medical tool, and yet, it can be used as torture. I don't care about you, so forgive me if I accidentally kill you." Arlo smirked.

Keith raised an eyebrow, unamused.

Without turning around, Arlo said, "If you don't want to watch, Carren, you can turn around and try to ignore Keith's screams." Arlo looked at Keith, and cocked his head back, thinking. "Ah. I think I know what I should do to you now." He grabbed the top of Keith's head, and pushed it against the wall, holding it in place. Arlo lifted the scalpel and said, "If you don't move, it won't hurt," then finished with a wolfish grin, "too bad." He slowly pulled the scalpel across Keith's face, starting from his forehead, down to his right cheek. Arlo back away a little and examined his work. "Now if you escape, you'll have that as a memory of me."

Keith's right eye was closed tightly as blood dripped down onto it. He scowled darkly, "What are you trying to accomplish?" He barked out.

Arlo shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing that you need to know," he said, then walked back to Carren. "How's your head?" Arlo asked quietly.

"It's a little better." She admitted, "But still hurting."

"I'm sorry." Then he added confused, "I wonder where Evelynn is."

"Hopefully she gets here soon..."

"She better be here soon, and without guards, or she's gonna pay," Arlo muttered.

Before Carren could answer, she uttered a short cry, her gaze turning to behind Arlo. Then, Keith grabbed Arlo around the neck and began attempting to choke him.